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Vatican approves pilgrimages to Bosnia’s Medjugorje, ends 15-year-long probe

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The Formosan Dream: Riding Taiwan’s Waves of Wonder

Features March 19, 2025

STAAH and The Clarks Hotels & Resorts

STAAH and The Clarks Hotels and Resorts ink MoU in presence...

Domestic Hotels March 19, 2025

Mohammad Sarhan, Vice President, India and Nepal, Emirates Airlines

Emirates builds on its strong foundations of world-class service and sustainability...

Flying High March 19, 2025

Auckland Airport & Delhi Airport signs MoU

Auckland Airport and Delhi Airport sign MoU to strengthen trade, tourism,...

Airports March 19, 2025

Hyatt India introduces Hyatt Super Stars

Hyatt India introduces Hyatt Super Stars, an event planner reward promotion

Hotel Connect March 19, 2025

Travel Trade Journal is committed to being focussed on strategic and policy issues of the travel and tourism sector, reporting news related to states, NTOs, hotel industry, transportation, travel and tourism, government policies, both central and states, and civil aviation in the country. Offering a perfect counterpoise of news, views, updates and debates, TTJ addresses issues that impinge on the success and growth of the industry.

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Flying High
- Emirates builds on its strong foundations of world-class service and sustainability initiatives
  
  Auckland Airport and Delhi Airport sign MoU to strengthen trade, tourism, and connectivity between New Zealand and India
  
  $Joby Aviation partners with Virgin Atlantic to launch electric air taxi service in the UK Joby Aviation, a California-based company developing electric air taxis for commercial passenger service, today announced a partnership with Virgin Atlantic, a premium long-haul UK airline, that will see the companies partner on the launch of Joby’s revolutionary air taxi service in the UK. The partnership builds on an existing agreement between Joby and Delta Air Lines – which owns a 49 percent stake in Virgin Atlantic – to launch service in the US and UK, and brings together brands committed to innovation, customer service and challenging the status quo. The partnership aims to offer seamless, zero-emission, short-range journeys across the UK, starting with regional and city connections from Virgin Atlantic’s hubs at Heathrow and Manchester Airport. Virgin Atlantic will support Joby’s go-to-market efforts in the UK through marketing the service to their customers, engaging regulators alongside Joby and helping to build support for the development of landing infrastructure at key airports. Joby’s electric air taxi is designed to carry a pilot and up to four passengers at speeds of up to 200 mph and the partnership means Virgin Atlantic customers will be able to reserve a seat on Joby’s aircraft through Virgin Atlantic’s app, website and other channels. Shai Weiss, CEO of Virgin Atlantic, said, “As a leader in sustainability and with innovation firmly in our DNA, we are delighted to be partnering with Joby to bring short-haul, zero-emission flight to airports and cities throughout the UK. Our strategic partnership combines Joby’s expertise in design, engineering and technology with the power of Virgin Atlantic’s brand and award-winning customer experience. We look forward to working together to bring Joby’s service to the UK and to deliver greater connectivity for our customers.” JoeBen Bevirt, Founder and CEO of Joby, commented, “Virgin Atlantic’s commitment to delighting its customers reflects our experience with Delta and we couldn’t imagine a better partner to work with in the UK. Together, we are committed to delivering faster options for mobility across the country, including for Virgin Atlantic and Delta customers as they head to the airport or move between UK towns and cities.” Joby’s electric air taxi utilizes six tilting propellers that allow it to take off and land vertically with a fraction of the noise produced by today’s helicopters. The aircraft is optimized for rapid, back-to-back flights and is expected to be deployed on routes of up to 100 miles. Joby has completed thousands of test flights, including exhibition flights in New York City, Japan and Korea. Journeys in the UK could include a 15-minute flight from Manchester Airport to Leeds, or an 8-minute journey from Heathrow Airport to Canary Wharf, instead of 80 minutes by car. Over time, Joby expects to build out a network of landing locations that offer rapid and convenient travel around cities and communities throughout the UK. Joby expects to offer prices that are comparable with existing premium ground ridesharing options at launch. In 2022, Joby and Delta Air Lines announced a multi-city, commercial and operational partnership to pioneer community-to-airport transportation for customers. While the Joby/Delta partnership is mutually exclusive across the US and UK for at least five years following commercial launch, the partnership has been extended to include Virgin Atlantic in the UK. Joby exhibited its aircraft for the first time in the UK at the 2024 Farnborough International Airshow, and in July 2022 announced that it formally applied to have its aircraft validated for use by the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).$
  
  Joby Aviation partners with Virgin Atlantic to launch electric air taxi service in the UK
  
  Maldivian to start direct flights between Hanimaadhoo and Bengaluru from May 15
  
  Bali to observe Nyepi Day on March 29: no travel, airport closure, and island-wide silence
  
  All Airports Domestic International MoCA
Hotel Connect
- STAAH and The Clarks Hotels and Resorts ink MoU in presence of New Zealand Prime Minister
  
  Hyatt India introduces Hyatt Super Stars, an event planner reward promotion
  
  Rohit Bajpai joins Renaissance Ahmedabad Hotel and Fairfield by Marriott Ahmedabad as Cluster General Manager
  
  Manglam Group forays into hospitality, commits Rs 1,000 Crore to drive sustainable luxury hospitality in Rajasthan
  
  Hilton Gurugram Baani City Centre appoints Abishek Chandran as Cluster Director of Marketing and Communications
  
  All Appointments Domestic Hotels International Hotels
Outbound
- The Formosan Dream: Riding Taiwan’s Waves of Wonder
  
  South African Tourism kicks off 21st India Roadshow, engaging 500-plus trade partners in New Delhi
  
  Mallorca activists urge tourists to stay away amid growing discontent over mass tourism
  
  Bali to observe Nyepi Day on March 29: no travel, airport closure, and island-wide silence
  
  THRS joins Serandipians as preferred representation partner
  
  All Attractions International NTO
Visa
- Visa applications in India rise 11 per cent YoY in 2024, exceed pre-COVID levels by 4 per cent
  
  UK launches visa fraud awareness campaign ‘Visa Fraud Ton Bacho’
  
  Nigeria to automate e-Visa process for faster and hassle-free short-stay approvals
  
  US President proposes $5 million ‘gold card’ visa to replace EB-5 investor program
  
  VFS Global launches AI-powered Chatbot for UK visa customers in 141 countries
India
- Ministry of Tourism to strengthen ongoing tourism initiatives, drops National Tourism Policy
  
  Sikkim implements Rs 50 entry fee for tourists
  
  India’s Inbound Tourism – Industry Voices from the Ground
  
  Chhattisgarh’s Kanger Valley National Park on UNESCO’s tentative list of World Heritage Sites
  
  Haryana withdraws Bill on travel agents, to bring new legislation
  
  All Attractions Ministry Ministry of External Affairs States
Tradeline
- PONANT Explorations partners with STIC Travel Group to bring luxury expedition cruises to Indian travellers
  
  South African Tourism kicks off 21st India Roadshow, engaging 500-plus trade partners in New Delhi
  
  Kazin DMC expands into hospitality with the launch of ‘Kazin Entertainment’; announces Jalsa and Indian cafes in Kazakhstan
  
  India’s Inbound Tourism – Industry Voices from the Ground
  
  TTJ TRAVMART Raipur 2025 concludes successfully with record participation
  
  All Appointments Associations Events Reports Trade
Sail Along
- PONANT Explorations partners with STIC Travel Group to bring luxury expedition cruises to Indian travellers
  
  NCL takes delivery of Norwegian Aqua; celebrates next construction milestone for Norwegian Luna
  
  Norwegian Cruise Line to add four brand-new original shows across nine ships starting September
  
  Nicko Cruises appoints Discover the World as its sales and marketing partner in India
  
  Delhi plans to launch solar-powered ferry cruise service on Yamuna to boost tourism
Tech
- STAAH and The Clarks Hotels and Resorts ink MoU in presence of New Zealand Prime Minister
  
  ETrav unveils Ghoomer, a marketing tool for travel agents
  
  Atlys Founder Mohak Nahta launches Skylane, a B2G solution revolutionising government visa processing
  
  TravClan launches Volt, an API-driven solution for travel agents
  
  EaseMyTrip launches EMT Desk, a corporate travel platform
TTJ Spotlight
- The Formosan Dream: Riding Taiwan’s Waves of Wonder
  
  Emirates builds on its strong foundations of world-class service and sustainability initiatives
  
  India’s Inbound Tourism – Industry Voices from the Ground
  
  Let’s Put Our Acts Together – A Critical Commentary on Union Budget 2025
  
  Australia’s multi-state tourism push to capture the Indian market
  
  All Features Guest Column Interviews

Latest Posts

The Formosan Dream: Riding Taiwan’s Waves of Wonder

March 19, 2025

STAAH and The Clarks Hotels & Resorts

STAAH and The Clarks Hotels and Resorts ink MoU in presence...

March 19, 2025

Mohammad Sarhan, Vice President, India and Nepal, Emirates Airlines

Emirates builds on its strong foundations of world-class service and sustainability...

March 19, 2025

Auckland Airport & Delhi Airport signs MoU

Auckland Airport and Delhi Airport sign MoU to strengthen trade, tourism,...

March 19, 2025

Hyatt India introduces Hyatt Super Stars

Hyatt India introduces Hyatt Super Stars, an event planner reward promotion

March 19, 2025