Page 2 - Travel

Agoda sees 67% rise in int'l travel interest to India for Diwali 2025

South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia emerging as new inbound markets for festive period

Festive demand strong, but overall growth seen muted this year: Cleartrip

Festive cheer is set to lift India's travel industry this year, with strong demand from Gen Z travellers and a surge in spiritual tourism expected to drive bookings, even as overall growth faces headwinds from recent incidents and geopolitical tensions, a top Cleartrip executive has said. "The beginning of the year was very strong with January, February and March accounting for unprecedented growth, in terms of yields, and it was an excellent time for the industry as a whole. "However, in June and July, we saw disruption following geopolitical tensions and the unfortunate Air India crash, which resulted in a moderation of growth. The industry has been flat over the last four months in terms of domestic flying numbers, and the yields have also tanked," Cleartrip Chief Growth and Business Officer Manjari Singhal told PTI. However, there has been a reversal in demand since the second half of August, as a result, overall growth is likely to remain muted, she added. These bookings are .

Majority of millennials prefer family trips, outpacing APAC average: Report

Indian millennials are focusing on family getaways, while Gen Z is redefining group travel by including parents, partners, and friends, shifting traditional group travel dynamics, a report said on Wednesday. With 62 per cent of Indian millennials choosing to travel with their immediate family, above the Asia-Pacific (APAC) average of 53 per cent, the modern Indian holiday is becoming more about connection than just the destination, according to Travel Trends 2025 research report by online travel and related services provider Booking.com. The report surveyed adults who took a leisure trip with an overnight stay in the last 12 months, plan to travel in 2025, and are involved in trip planning. The sample size comprises 32,106 respondents across 32 markets surveyed in January 2025, including 1,800 from India. It also revealed that a majority of Indian travellers are willing to cover trip costs for their loved ones. Over 89 per cent of millennials and 88 per cent of Gen Z are willing t

Annual FASTag pass of ₹3,000 for private vehicles goes live from Aug 15

The annual highway toll pass of Rs 3,000 for private cars, jeeps, and vans will be rolled out from Friday. Ahead of the roll out, the government has opened the pre-booking window for FASTag-based annual passes that allow users to cross up to 200 highway toll booths on a single recharge of Rs 3,000 within a year. A dedicated link for activation of the annual pass is available on the Rajmarg Yatra app. The link would also be available on the official websites of National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH). The annual pass will be applicable only for non-commercial private vehicles such as cars, jeeps, and vans. It will allow seamless travel across National Highways without the need for repeated recharging of FASTag cards for toll payments. In closed tolling highways such as Delhi-Mumbai Expressway - where toll collection occurs exclusively at exit points - a single trip includes both entry and exit points. On the other hand, on

Luxury meets logistics: Jet-setting in India, privately, is taking off

For those who value time over tedium, India's fastest lane now begins at the runway, transforming travel from a chore into a controlled, efficient, and elevated experience

Wells Fargo suspends China travel after employee exit ban: Report

The US banking giant's Chenyue Mao was subjected to an exit ban after she entered China in recent weeks, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter

Meghalaya CM seeks more funds for smaller NE states from finance commission

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma advocated for enhanced financial support to the smaller Northeastern states, citing their unique geographical, economic, and developmental challenges. Sangma took up the issue during his meeting with members of the 16th Finance Commission in New Delhi on Monday. "Our states face distinct issues related to terrain, infrastructure gaps, and limited revenue-generating capacities. We need special financial consideration to address these structural disadvantages," Sangma said at the meeting. He urged the finance commission to recommend higher fund devolution and more flexible schemes to help smaller states address critical sectors such as roads, healthcare, education, and tourism. Sangma also called for greater autonomy in the utilisation of centrally allocated funds, allowing states to design projects suited to their needs. The commission assured him that the submissions would be carefully examined. "North East States, while having their own u

Tech hegemony: Now, China's rare-earth experts face travel restrictions

This move by China means Indian auto companies will be left with only one option - to import the full motors powered by the magnets - which will only increase the cost of the vehicle

Future 'very strong' as India's consumption boosts travel: Tata Sons chief

Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran on Monday exuded confidence that the future looks "very strong and bright" as growing consumption in India will drive the growth of the travel sector, sharing his outlook at the Tata Group-owned Indian Hotels Company Limited's (IHCL) AGM. Addressing shareholders of IHCL, the country's biggest hospitality player, Chandrasekaran shared that the "intent is to achieve a total global footprint of 700 hotels by 2030 and double the revenues to cross Rs 15,000 crore". The Tata Sons Chairman began his address at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) by paying tributes to those who lost their lives at the Air India plane crash recently, and also expressed a "deep sense of loss" at the passing away of Ratan Tata last October. "To lose a single person we know is a tragedy, but for so many deaths to occur at once is incomprehensible. Our thoughts are with them. I also would like to express a deep sense of loss on the passing away of Ratan Tata in October 2024. "He

Indian hospitality industry protected from AI but needs massive manpower

Hotel chains have partnered with reputed hospitality institutes, participate in campus placement drives but to bridge the talent gap

Millennials, GenZs turn monsoon into travel season with value trips

Monsoon, traditionally considered an off-season for travelling, is witnessing an increased demand from GenZs and Millennials flocking to explore adventure and scenic beauty, leveraging the advantage of low pricing and fewer crowds, according to industry experts. "Being a traditionally low season for travel, Monsoon is the perfect time to embrace the great outdoors and experience travel at discounted rates with special offers from backwaters to wildlife safaris, biking trails, spiritual circuits to Ayurveda retreats," Thomas Cook (India) President and Country Head - Holidays, MICE, Visa, Rajeev Kale said in a statement. Monsoon holidays offer something for every traveller across segments of families, millennials, working professionals, groups of friends, couples and 'frolleagues', he said. According to Thomas Cook (India) data, monsoon holidays are gaining strong interest from young India's GenZ and Millennials, working professionals, couples, multigenerational families, a rising ..

SOTC Travel targets double-digit growth for FY26, to focus on expansion

SOTC Travel is targeting double-digit growth for the current financial year ending March, with a strong focus on expansion across regional India, the company's Managing Director & CEO Vishal Suri said. In an interview to PTI, he shared the company's vision for expansion and travel trends, including a strong rise in pilgrimage tourism with the onset of the Shravan season, particularly for the 12 Jyotirlingas. "We are targeting healthy double-digit growth for FY25-26. Regional India is a key focus area for us. We are not only widening our reach across the country but also deepening our presence in existing markets, based on the need and potential we see," Suri told PTI. He observed that the company's expansion strategy is both broad and focused, enabling it to tap into emerging travel demand across demographics and geographies. "We are committed to strengthening our omnichannel strategy with focused expansion across both digital and physical touchpoints. We're actively investing in .

Padma Shri awarded to travel writer Hugh Gantzer at Mussoorie home

Renowned travel writer Hugh Gantzer was presented the Padma Shri at his residence in Mussoorie on Saturday, officials said. He shares the honour with his late wife and co-author Collen Gantzer. Senior IAS officer Shailesh Baghauli presented the award to the writer at his residence as he could not go to Delhi to receive the honour due to poor health. Active in travel writing since the 1950s, the couple presented India's cultural diversity, historical sites and public life in a unique way. "The Gantzer's Travelogue" column and their travelogues broadcast on Doordarshan introduced readers and viewers across the country to the beauty and depth of India, an official statement said. Hugh's sharp journalistic vision and Colleen's soft expression style together gave a new height to Indian travel literature. Their writings not only inspired people to discover their country but also put the soul of India into words, it said.

Oyo's DanCenter to add 250 premium vacation homes across India in FY26

Oyo's European brand DanCenter currently operates in 9 states and UTs and aims to expand into Telangana and the North-East, focusing on upscale and niche travel segments

Kapur Family Trust to partially sell stake in Travel Food Services

Travel Food Services IPO is a full offer-for-sale issue by Kapur Family Trust with SSP Group raising stake as company eyes APAC, Middle East and highway QSR growth

Why some people get motion sickness and how to prevent it effectively

Expert explains what causes motion sickness, why some people are more prone to it, and what actually works to prevent or manage it across travel modes

Global leisure travel market to reach $15 trillion by 2040: BCG report

The next wave of travellers is increasingly coming from emerging markets like China, India, Saudi Arabia, and Vietnam, outpacing traditional tourism heavyweights like the US, UK, and Germany

Travel industry in turbulence amid worsening West Asia situation

Industry executives said closure of airspaces leading to longer routes and flight times has already led to a 12-15% hike in air fares on some routes

International travel spend by Indians up 25% to $31.7 bn in FY24: Report

Millennials and Gen Zs comprise almost half of travelers going abroad, says survey by insurance company

India's tourism sector to gain from global uncertainty, says WTTC CEO

4th largest, stable economy to get higher share of international tourists