12 SPECIAL FEATURE
12 SPECIAL FEATURE TRANSPORT © Photogiap Etihad Airways stand at ITB Asia 2019 Etihad Airways celebrates its 15 th anniversary of service to India Etihad Airways, the UAE national carrier, is celebrating 15 years of service to India. The airline’s anniversary coincides with the third visit to the UAE of India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. Etihad took off in 2004 and the new UAE national carrier immediately launched daily flights between Abu Dhabi and Mumbai. By early 2005, flights were also launched between Abu Dhabi and New Delhi. Times have gone since and Etihad has now one of the most comprehensive network of Indian destinations out of the UAE. The carrier currently operates 159 return flights per week between Abu Dhabi and Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Cochin, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Kozhikode, Mumbai and Thiruvananthapuram. Through its Abu Dhabi hub, Etihad connects each of these gateways to international destinations throughout the Middle East, Europe, the Americas, and Africa. Since launching operations, Etihad has carried more than 16.5 million passengers on its Indian routes Etihad Airways Group CEO Tony Douglas said: “India and the United Arab Emirates share a long and strong economic, cultural and diplomatic relationship. Etihad serves more destinations in Finnair expands further in Japan India than to any other country, and we connect India to the world via Abu Dhabi. Globally, we employ more than 4,800 Indian nationals, almost 25% of our workforce. Our commitment is significant, and will continue to grow.” The airline is continually increasing flights to India and is adding newer, larger aircraft, including its latest addition, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which serves cities including Mumbai, Delhi, and Hyderabad. As a minority shareholder and key partner of Jet Airways, Etihad was able to improve international connectivity with India, via Abu Dhabi. Even after Jet’s flights were suspended earlier this year, Etihad worked consistently to the revival of the Indian carrier. It continues to explore opportunities to collaborate with other local partners STAND J05 - BASEMENT 2 A Bangkok Airways plane carrying the Shopee logo BANGKOK AIRWAYS ENTERS E-COMMERCE BY PARTNERING WITH SHOPEE Bangkok Airways recently partnered with Shopee, the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan. The airline opened its official store and is offering special promotions including free flights for Shopee users. Bangkok Airways also introduced a new plane design celebrating the cooperation between both brands as well as the campaign “2019 Shopee 9.9 Super Shopping Day”. “Shopee is our first e-commerce partner. I am confident this partnership will allow our airline to grow in e-commerce business and help us reach new markets by boosting our sales opportunities,” Mr. Komkrich Ngamwongwirot, Account Director - Europe, Africa, Middle East & Online Area for Bangkok Airways, said. Finnair is further adding capacity to Japan this winter season and for the coming summer season. The airline currently operates to four destinations in Japan – Tokyo Narita, Osaka, Nagoya and Fukuoka - and Japan is Finnair´s largest market outside its home market Finland. The airline expands this winter by adding a fifth destination, Sapporo in Hokkaido. Flights will start from December 15 twice a week and last until March. The airline hopes to attract ski fans to the destination as snow in Hokkaido is considered one of the best in the world. For the summer season 2020, starting at the end of March, Finnair will launch a daily frequency Finnair stand at ITB Asia 2019 to Tokyo Haneda Airport, an airport located close to the city centre. The new route will be in addition to Finnair’s daily flights to Tokyo’s Narita Airport. “Finnair has operated over 35 years between Japan and Finland. With the new flights, we are happy to offer even better connections between Tokyo and over 100 destinations in Europe,” says Ole Orvér, Chief Commercial Officer at Finnair STAND M18 - BASEMENT 2 Bangkok Airways also continues to grow its network. Earlier this year, the carrier added a new route from Bangkok to Cam Ranh/Nha Trang in Central Vietnam and from Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang in Laos. Next January, it will open a daily flight from Bangkok to Sihanoukville in Cambodia STAND E23 - BASEMENT 2 ITB ASIA NEWS • Thursday 17 October 2019 www.itb-asia-news.com
SPECIAL FEATURE LUXURY TRAVEL 13 ADVERTORIAL The Maharaja Express’s lush dining room Luxury travel – with a difference Global consumers are becoming more affluent, stimulating an increasing trend of disposable income invested into experiences vs material goods. This also can be seen at ITB Asia where the luxury travel offering is growing! Experience royalty in India’s luxury trains What better way to travel around India than feeling like a Maharaja in the comfort of a luxury train? There are several high-end rail operators in India to choose from, all offering a comfort matching the expectations of the most demanding travellers. The Maharajas’ Express goes through many iconic tourist hubs such as Delhi, Jaipur, Ranthambore, Fatehpur Sikri, Agra and Gwalior. This palatial train has a capacity of 88 passengers and boasts cabins furnished with royal-inspired decor. Each suite is adorned with rich tapestries and embellished with semi-precious stones and antiques. Packages available on The Maharajas’ Express includes the eight-day Indian Splendour tour, with highlights of the trip being a champagne breakfast overlooking the Taj Mahal, a tiger safari in Ranthambore National Park, and a Royal Lunch in Udaipur in Rajasthan. The service runs from October to April. The Deccan Odyssey is another amazing luxury service. The train’s interior design reflects the various eras of the Deccan Sultanates. Two gourmet restaurants serve up specialty dishes from every region the locomotive passes through. Socialising on The Deccan Odyssey is also easy, with an elegantly designed bar called The Gateway stocked up to help facilitate conversations. Itineraries available include among others the eight-day trip ‘Hidden Treasures of Gujarat’. The Palace on Wheels is another high-end rail service that is certainly true to its name, boasting fourteen beautifully appointed wagons, each offering four twinbed cabins with attached baths and large windows to enjoy the amazing countryside. On board there is a comfortable bar and lounge area, as well as two separate restaurants that serve delicious Indian, and in particular Rajasthani, recipes but also Chinese and European dishes. For those who are interested to enjoy the journey, the train starts from Safdarjung Railway Station in New Delhi every Wednesday night and travels for a week through Rajasthan. Stops along the way include the iconic tourist sites of Jaipur, Ranthambore, Udaipur, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur and Agra STAND Q26 - BASEMENT 2 Over the past years, the hotel industry has undergone a major transformation in its quest to meet the changing definition of comfort and elegance. Disruptors included the rise of Airbnb, and “glamping”, which expanded the definition of luxury. An extraordinary example of this can be found right here at ITB Asia, with Livo Arctic Luxury Igloos (M25, Basement 2). The company is developing an offer of high quality accommodation, restaurant, and event services for arctic Aurora travel in Posio, Finnish Lapland. The Aurora resort, due to open in a little over a year’s time, will be built to the authentic ambience of Finnish Lapland, which only “waits for the Aurora traveller to arrive and enjoy”. The “ultimate overnight experience” will be ensured with 10 suites and 30 luxury igloos. Visitors’ privacy and fivestar accommodation solutions have been taken into account in the resort’s architecture. Aurora suites tailored especially for disabled visitors are also located in the vicinity of the main building. Another luxury Northern Lights player at ITB Asia is Northern Lights Luxury Tours Villa Säikkärä (M05, Basement 2). An increasing number of receptive tour operators are also specialising in luxury travel. Here in Singapore, Luxury Tours & Travel Pte Ltd (F05, Basement 2), a Singapore registered licensed travel agency since 1985, offers a comprehensive range of travel services - Airport Transfers, Daily Sightseeing Tours (Seat-incoach), Worldwide Hotels & Air Ticketing and Tour Packages. Luxury India Holidays (J55, Basement 2) describe themselves as a small Boutique Travel design store. The company is a premium DMC with the prime focus of providing “Beyond Expectations” travel experiences to India, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and Dubai / Abu Dhabi. The group arranges all kinds of private tailor-made travel arrangements for the travel agent community (wholesalers and boutique travel operators worldwide) and actively supports B2B, agent to agent relationship Livo Arctic stand at ITB Asia 2019 ITB ASIA NEWS • Thursday 17 October 2019
