About India Outbound Magazine

India Outbound, a bi-monthly print magazine with dynamic web and social media presence focused on outbound travel from India, is published by Media India Group. Distributed all over India, and in all the top tourism events across the world, India Outbound caters mainly to the tourism professionals and is looking to develop new and innovative circuits and promote new destinations to the high-end travellers.

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Mauritius Tourism organises five-city roadshow in India

Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority (MTPA) conducted roadshows in Chandigarh, Pune, Nagpur, Hyderabad and Kolkata as part of its efforts to create destination awareness. A total of 20 Mauritian partners like DMCs, hotels, airlines and attractions were part of the roadshow.

When asked about connectivity issues from India to Mauritius, Arvind Bundhun, director, MTPA said that in order to attract large number of tourists from any country, air connectivity is a must and from India there is only one carrier that flies directly to Mauritius. “There is scope for one more airline to fly to Mauritius directly from India very soon considering the growth in Indians travelling to the Island. Air Mauritius, the carrier is operating five times a week from Mumbai, two times from Delhi and once a week each from Bengaluru. Chennai plans to add more flights to cater to the increasing capacity. We can see the growing interest in the aviation sector and are willing to support any Indian carrier willing to fly to Mauritius.”

Vivek Anand, country manager, MTPA said that the roadshows are the most efficient and cost-effective way to meet a large number of quality agents. It is a must for educators wanting to connect, build, and maintain long-term partnerships. He added that Mauritius has received footfalls of more than 85,000 visitors from India last year. India is one of the most crucial and promising tourism markets for Mauritius. In 2019, we will continue showcasing “Mauritius Beyond the Beach”. This will be done through an advertising campaign, which is likely to start from March 2019.

Sanjay Sondhi, MD, OM Tourism mentioned that the overwhelming response of the Indian travel agents, media and wedding planners in these five cities proves the success of our endeavour.

Ras Al Khaimah introduces new skatepark facility at Saqr Park

Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) broke ground last week on the construction of a new, dynamic skatepark at Saqr Park, in attendance of Haitham Mattar, chief executive officer, RAKTDA and Ahmed Mohammed Ahmed Al Hammadi, the director general of Public Works and Services Department (PWSD).

As part of the ongoing initiatives by RAKTDA to cater to the different interests of the Emirate’s visitors and the local community, the development of the skatepark facility will further expand the recreational offering of the largest public park in Ras Al Khaimah. Scheduled to open in May this year, the 620 square metre skatepark will feature a unique design, as the only skatepark within a park in the UAE, built around greenspace in a Ghaf Tree reserve at Saqr Park.

Haitham Mattar, chief executive officer, RAKTDA said, “The development of the skating facility at Saqr Park is a key addition to the largest public recreational area in Ras Al Khaimah. We believe that the new skatepark will offer visitors and most importantly residents of Ras Al Khaimah a new and well equipped outdoor space to enjoy skating in all its forms. This will also give the growing skating community across the UAE, another reason to come down to Ras Al Khaimah and enjoy everything it has to offer.”

Ahmed Mohammed Ahmed Al Hammadi, said, “We are proud to announce the commencement of construction on the Emirate’s first professional skatepark, which will add value to the existing community focused facilities available for the visitors and residents of Ras Al Khaimah. The skatepark located at the renowned Saqr Park will offer a fun outdoor destination for skaters looking for a well-equipped park to practice the sport, and an ideal venue for skating competitions and social events”.

RIU arrives in Maldives inaugurating two hotels in the Dhaalu Atoll

The Spanish hotel chain RIU Hotels & Resorts arrives in the Maldives inaugurating two hotels on May 17.This is RIU’s second destination in Asia after the inauguration of Riu Sri Lanka in 2016, and will be followed by its first hotel to opening Dubai in 2020, both of which are beach side hotels with 24-hour all-inclusive service.

The resorts in Maldives, located on two islets of the Dhaalu Atoll interconnected by a magnificent walkway, are surrounded by a shallow water which creates a gamut of turquoise blue. They offer modern facilities and luxury fresh-looking décor in predominantly light colours and feature RIU’s 24-hour all-inclusive service providing in-house guests with unlimited full access to all their restaurants, barsand entertainment activities. The resorts offer an excellent experience for a family break, an unforgettable honeymoon or a holiday with friends.

The 4-star Hotel Riu Atoll is located on the private island of Maafushi with 264 bedrooms, 36 of which are suites over the Indian Ocean. In addition to the main restaurant, two themed restaurants and three bars, guests can also enjoy the steam bath, gym, RiuFit program and RiuLand kids' club in the daytime and live music or DJ and beach parties in the evenings.

The Riu Palace Maldivas, a 5-star hotel with 176 rooms, 72 of which are overwater suites, is situated on the Kedhigandu Island. In addition to the main restaurant "Palm" with terrace, the fusion "Krystal" and the Japanese "Yu Hi", as well as the restaurants, bars and entertainments of the Riu Atoll, guests of the Riu Palace Maldivas can also enjoy premium branded drinks throughout the hotel, liquor dispenser in room, and the swim-up bar "Paradise" located in the infinity pool.

Emaar Hospitality Group introduces ‘Dinner on us’ services

Guests staying at Emaar Hospitality Group’s hotels can enjoy complimentary three-course dinners every night of their stay.

‘Dinner on us’ is valid at all hotels under the premium luxury address hotels + resorts and upscale lifestyle Vida Hotels and Resorts in Dubai. Guests can choose from over 30 restaurants that welcome them to a world of epicurean exploration – ranging from fine dining to casual bites at restaurants and lounges. From Asian inspired and premium steaks to international buffets, all the restaurants will take diners on a culinary adventure.

Emaar Hospitality Group’s new ‘Dinner on us’ offer is designed to deliver guests more value for their money while assuring them an exceptional lifestyle experience at Dubai’s most-sought after hotels.

Olivier Harnisch, chief executive officer of Emaar Hospitality Group, said “The ‘Dinner on us’ package is our treat for all our guests visiting from all over the world to ensure they have a delightful and memorable stay. We believe in adding value to our offering – and this is reflected in this industry-first offer – ensuring that we meet the aspirations of our guests.”

Guests can choose to dine at any of the restaurants such as NEOS and ZETA in Address Downtown or Ewaan and Thiptara in Palace Downtown, overlooking vistas of the city skyline, iconic Burj Khalifa, and The Dubai Fountain.

Explore Emaar Hospitality Group’s inspiring destinations including Address Boulevard, Address Downtown, Address Dubai Mall, Address Dubai Marina, Address Montgomerie and Palace Downtown – all under Address Hotels + Resorts as well as Vida Downtown and Manzil Downtown – under Vida Hotels and Resorts. The offer is valid from April 1 to June 30, 2019.

Maldives Tourism starts the first session of marketing seminar

The first session of marketing seminars for guesthouses which was held in AA Rasdhoo was conducted by Maldives Marketing & PR Corporation (MMPRC) in association with Guesthouse Association of Maldives and Maldives Getaways, which is in accordance to the current government’s 100-day pledge to further develop the local tourism industry of the Maldives. Almost thirty-two participants registered to participate in the first session and 12 participants attended.

During the session the participants were familiarised on tourism industry market trends and statistics. They were also given information on social media marketing and different marketing strategies that they can use to promote their guest houses.

Maldives Getaways, a PR and marketing agency in the Maldives which provides services including e-marketing, advertising, branding, media broadcasting and other similar services. The objectives of conducting these seminars are to assist the guesthouses in Maldives to find potential target markets and familiarizing them with different marketing strategies that they can use to promote their products.

Similar marketing seminars will be conducted from March 23-May 23 in Aa. Dhigurah, V.Thinadhoo, B.Dharavandhoo, Hulhumale, Hdh.Hanimaadhoo, Addu City, Laamu Atoll, Gdh.Thinadhoo and K.Maafushi.

Guesthouses are becoming a significant part of the tourism product of Maldives. There are currently 521 guesthouses across the country with 8563 beds in operation.

Unfold green holidaying in Monaco

With the ongoing global campaign, ‘Green is the New Glam’ and the Principality of Monaco, combines luxury and sustainability while being a glamorous seaside holiday destination in the French Riviera. It is an environment-friendly approach towards responsible luxury, where each experience, from hospitality to cuisine to major attractions as well as mobility, everything showcases a pro-active commitment towards minimising your carbon footprint.

The campaign is about adapting environment-friendly approach towards responsible luxury and minimizing your carbon footprint while taking a lavish holiday. Eat Green - Stay Green - Move Green - Think Green, showcases a pro-active commitment by the Principality of Monaco, where each experience, from hospitality to cuisine to major attractions as well as mobility, lets you discover and savour fresh feels of the ethereal paradise that Destination MONACO is bestowed with!

Enjoy the fresh farm-to-table seasonal delights by Chef Paolo Sari at Elsa, The Bio Star at Monte Carlo Beach Hotel, the very first 100pc organic Michelin-starred restaurant. Another ecological approach is carried out by the L&Orangerie, which produces a delicious orange liqueur from the hand-picked orange rinds of local restaurants and hotels, to the organic. The first premium orange liqueur made in Monaco which offers an authentic taste inside every bottle.

Travel around the Principality with ease in an electric two-man car, E-Mobee, the best way to explore the heritage and local way of life of Monte-Carlo. There is also a great way to enjoy an eco-friendly bike ride. Monaco Bike Tours invites you to take a tour of the city by electric bicycle.

DutyFreeList aims to ease travel through airports

As travellers are getting more informed about travel, they are increasingly shifting from impulse behaviour to a more planned approach. Created by former Duty Free World Council manager Kshitij Goyal, DutyFreeList allows travellers to explore the airport before they travel through the app.

A traveller can explore the app for duty free shopping, browse eating options, book airport parking and check airport lounge access. In addition to the services at the airport, one can also book tours and sight-seeing tickets for the destination city through the app.The app helps a traveller to know more about the destination as well as their journey. DutyFreeList has listed more than 150 top airports worldwide in 20+ languages targeting close to 70pc of air travellers.

Although duty free and travel retail alone is a significant USD 70 billion industry, adding other ancillary revenues such as lounge access and restaurants to its app helps to innovate and target a big growing market.

“We know from our feedback from app users and other research that planning ahead is an increasing trend in travel, and that goes way beyond simply booking a trip away,” said Goyal.

“With our intricate knowledge of the revenue stakeholders involved in airports, we are ready to help them reach more travellers. Our app is designed to de-stress travels and help passengers actually enjoy the airport experience. We are well down the road to having everything a passenger needs beautifully and informatively processed in one single app,” Goyal added.

India Outbound is a publication of Media India Group