WTM London 2023 saw attendance soar by 22%
WTM London saw attendance numbers rise by more than a fifth year on year. The three-day event took place from Monday 6th – Wednesday 8th November, with 43,727 attendees – an increase of 22% on the 35,826 who attended in 2022. The event hosted 4,560 qualified buyers, and facilitated 29,077 pre-booked meetings, enabling the industry to plan, network and do deals for 2024 and beyond.
Malaysia Airlines starts Trivandrum – Kuala Lumpur direct flight
The inaugural flight from Kuala Lumpur, bearing the flight number MH0116, received a warm welcome with a water salute upon its arrival at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport (TRV) at 11:00am local time. Subsequently, the flight departed TRV at 12:01am on November 10, 2023 en route to Kuala Lumpur. With this development, the airline became the first full-service premium carrier to offer flights to South Asia and the Pacific from Amritsar and Trivandrum.
IndiGo and Qantas Airways to extend codeshare partnership
IndiGo has announced extension of its codeshare agreement with Australia’s national airline, Qantas. Under this agreement, IndiGo customers will now be able to access 4 new destinations – Sydney, Melbourne, Perth & Brisbane in Australia, starting with Melbourne, and with Sydney, Perth, and Brisbane to go online in the coming weeks.
Thailand marks visa exemption for Indian tourists
Effective November 10, 2023 to May 10, 2024, holders of Indian passports or travel documents will be granted a temporary visa exemption for a 30-day stay for the purpose of tourism in Thailand. This followed the similar short-term stimulus visa schemes for Chinese and Russian tourists. With the visa exemption scheme, TAT expects Thailand to see 1.6 million Indian tourists in 2023, generating about 65.6 billion Baht in revenue.
#FirstOpinion
“In today’s dynamic and constantly evolving travel industry, I plan to invest in the priorities and concerns of my generation, and will place a renewed focus on harnessing emerging technology, developing and implementing sustainable aviation solutions, and further improving our customer experience – while simultaneously continuing the aggressive growth and world-class service we have always offered. I take immense pride in our role as the most welcoming gateway to the world – and look forward to further enhancing our position as a favored travel destination.”
Eng. Badr Al Meer,
Group Chief Executive Officer,
Qatar Airways Group
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