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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Serbia tourism promotes itself as a film and wedding destination
National Tourism Organisation of Serbia organised a destination presentation in New Delhi introducing the destination in India. The presentation which was followed by B2B sessions not only focussed on Serbia as a tourism destination for India but also a perfect film shooting location and a wedding tourism getaway.
Speaking to India Outbound magazine, ambassador of Serbia to India, said, “Tourism and films go hand in hand. Films are the best advertisement any country can have. Some of the Indian films like Uri: The Surgical Strike have been shot in Serbia and many are pipelined."
"We are the only European country that doesn't require Indians to have a visa and this has helped in increasing the number of Indian tourists visiting Serbia dramatically," added Marija Labović, managing director of National Tourism Board of Serbia.
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SriLankan Airlines offers discount bonanza for Indian travellers
SriLankan Airlines, the national carrier of Sri Lanka and a member of theoneworld alliance announced a big discount bonanza for Indian travellers. In celebration of the Singles Day, which falls on November 11, SriLankan Airlines offered discounts on its tickets to specific destinations - 22 pc discount on Economy class bookings and a 33 pc discount on Business class tickets in this special bonanza.
The offer could only be availed on November 11, 2019 for tickets booked for the period November 20, 2019 – March 31, 2020. The offer was also only valid for tickets purchased and booked through www.srilankan.com and a few online tour operators.
“November to March is a busy travel season for Indians with most travellers seeking to enjoy New Year/Christmas holidays along with honeymoon travel, weddings and leisure. SriLankan Airlines, with its 11/11 offers is extending a platform for more and more people to travel. Apart from the official website, the details of 11/11 sale can be accessed through official facebook page of the airline” said V Ravindran, regional manager, India and Bangladesh, SriLankan Airlines.
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JetPrivilege introduces new brand identity InterMiles
Jet Privilege Private Limited (JPPL), an independent loyalty and rewards management company, part of the Etihad AviationGroup, has unveiled its new brand identity InterMiles, propelling its intent to fulfil the evolving travel and lifestyle aspirations of discerning consumers. InterMiles will encompass both the award-winning loyalty and rewards programme (previously, JetPrivilege) and the ubiquitous rewards and recognition currency (previously, JPMiles). The programme will offer its growing base of close to 10 million members the opportunity to earn and redeem InterMiles, the new age currency of engagement, across travel, hospitality and lifestyle services across 10+ categories and 150+ programme partners.
The company has been on a transformational journey over the last five years, expanding from an airline-centric programme to emerging as an everyday travel-and-lifestyle rewards programme as discerning consumers have shifted beyond transactional rewards and cashback. In fact, over the last six months alone, the programme has managed over33 billion InterMiles.
Manish Dureja, managing director, Jet PrivilegePvt Ltd said, “We are embarking on a new journey with InterMiles, built on sound business fundamentals, the trust of millions of members and the passion of a committed team. What started as a frequent flyer programme has, today, become the platform of choice that empowers our members to fulfil their travel and lifestyle aspirations. As were in force our commitment to the promise of making our members’ journey more fulfilling, our growth plan is, focused on aggregating more benefits and simplifying access to a growing bouquet of experiences and rewards.”
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Tourist sites in Venice drowning in flood
It has been over 50 years since Venice has seen flooding so severe. In 1966 a flood caused the canals to rise in height to nearly 6.5 feet. Thousands were homeless and tourist sites saw precious art ruined. This week’s flooding is once again causing water levels to reach over six feet. Mayor of Venice has declared a state of emergency as the second-highest tide recorded in Venice’s history flooded the historic city.
Most of the tourists have already left the city, but there are those who stayed and bathed right in the centre of the city on the flooded St Mark’s Square. The entire historical centre of the city and the architectural monuments suffered serious damage.
Mayor Luigi Brugnaro warned of severe damage that “is going to leave an indelible wound” on Venice, after a 187cm high tide left more than 85 pc of the city flooded.
“The situation is dramatic,” Brugnaro said on Twitter. “We ask the government to help us. The cost will be high. This is the result of climate change.”
The comments were echoed by the governor of the region, Luca Zaia, who said that Venice is facing “apocalyptic” flooding.
Saint Mark’s Square was submerged under more than three feet of water, while the historic Basilica flooded for just the sixth time in over a millennium. The city’s water taxis had to help people climb through windows to reach their hotels, since the gangways along the Grand Canal had been washed away.
The city is for the most part submerged, and historical tourist sites are being spoiled. The most popular tourist destinations in the city have been washed over by the water causing millions of Euros worth of damage.
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Saudi Arabia to inaugurate Diriyah Gate, the World Heritage Site
Saudi Arabia will inaugurate restoration and reimagining of Diriyah, an 18th century adobe city that once served as the capital and stronghold of the first Saudi State, on November 19. The celebration will formally inaugurate the new giga project known as Diriyah Gate, a cultural and lifestyle tourism destination for Saudi Arabia with a UNESCO World Heritage Site at its heart. The seven square kilometre giga project will become one of Saudi Arabia’s cultural and lifestyle destinations with places to gather, explore, shop, dine, live and work.
“There is only one Diriyah. Only this place can tell the story of the Saudi people and inspire new generations to commit to the dynamic vision of the future,” Jerry Inzerillo, CEO, Diriyah Gate Development Authority, said.
Located on the north-western edge of the Saudi capital of Riyadh, Diriyah is first and foremost, a place that is deeply important to the Saudi national identity and the Saudi royal family. “As the first home of the Saudi nation, it is important that Saudis are the backbone behind the success of Diriyah Gate, contributing to its unique identity. It is important therefore that the inauguration be designed and created by Saudis in honour of the heritage of their forefathers,” Inzerillo added.
The inauguration of the Diriyah Gate project will reflect the bold and forward-thinking mission of the country’s leaders. This one-of-a-kind celebration will include a gala dinner, with food sourced entirely from Saudi farms, supporting the hard-working communities that sustain the nation.
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Emirates' first remote check-in terminal opens at Port Rashid
Emirates’ first remote terminal with check-in counters, located at Port Rashid, will provide seamless connections for cruise customers, by allowing passengers who are disembarking from their cruise ships to check-in for their onward Emirates flight at the same facility. The new terminal service will further enhance Dubai’s position as a premier international cruise destination and provide greater convenience for Emirates customers. With complimentary flight check-in facilities located at the same location as their cruise disembarkation point, customers will have the convenience of exploring Dubai without their luggage before heading directly to the airport for their flight.
The Emirates check-in facility at Port Rashid will have eight counters where Emirates staff will check-in customers’ luggage and issue boarding passes up to four hours before flight departure. The facility will be open during the sailing period from October to April. In the next six months, 198 cruise ships are expected to dock at Port Rashid where approximately 280,000 passengers will have onward Emirates flights.
Mohammed Mattar, divisional senior vice president, Emirates Airport Services said, “We are committed to providing a seamless and hassle-free travel journey for our customers. With the increasing popularity of Dubai as a cruise tourism destination, we have ensured that every touch point in our customer journey for this important traveller segment is thoughtfully served. Our first remote check-in facility at Port Rashid will allow cruise passengers with onward flights the freedom to explore Dubai during their short transit.”
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BLS International becomes partner for Libya visa services in India
BLS International, a pacesetter in visa, passport, consular and citizen becomes exclusive visa service partner for Embassy of Libya in India, to regale Indian travellers to Libya. Embassy of Libya in India along with BLS International went live from November 4, 2019 where BLS International will impart help for visa and attestation of documents in India. Travellers from India will be able to apply for Libya visas from the visa application centre in Delhi.
Shikhar Aggarwal, joint managing director, BLS International said, “It is an honour to work with the Embassy of Libya to ensure a more convenient and faster service for travellers, while maintaining the security and integrity of the visa process. With our experience and reliability in providing seamless visa application services across the world, and with the technological advancement, the service will further enhance ease of travel to Libya.”
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Louvre Abu Dhabi welcomes two million visitors since opening
Louvre Abu Dhabi celebrates its second-year anniversary this month on the heels of several major achievements for the institution and the launch of new programmes, as well as a significant number of new artworks in the galleries.
Since opening in 2017, Louvre Abu Dhabi has welcomed over two million visitors from around the world who have come to enjoy the museum’s rich cross-cultural collection, eight ground-breaking international exhibitions and a range of cultural programmes for people of all ages and backgrounds.
The institution has further solidified its commitment to education, inaugurating the Children’s Museum in July 2019 – the first museum of its kind in the Arab world – and welcoming over 60,000 student visits while offering training and job opportunities for Emiratis and the local community.
Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, chairman of the department of culture and tourism – Abu Dhabi said, “Two years ago, we launched this museum as a gift from Abu Dhabi to the world. Our vision was for a truly universal museum, a place that shines a light on our shared humanity through an incredible collection of artworks and artefacts from every corner of the globe. Today, I could not be prouder of how that vision has been brought to life. Louvre Abu Dhabi celebrates the connections between cultures and tells a story of our collective history, present and future – a story that is now even more important in a world that tends to focus more on our differences than our similarities.”
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Singapore Tourism partners with Zomato to bring Singapore food to India
The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has partnered with Zomato for Zomaland Season 2, a multicity food and entertainment carnival which will be organised across ten cities: Mumbai, Bangalore, New Delhi, Pune, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Chandigarh, Kolkata, Ahmedabad and Chennai. This association is an integralpart of STB’s efforts to engage with foodies in India. The second edition of Zomaland will see a designated “Singapore Experience Zone” by the Singapore Tourism Board where visitors will get to sample authentic Singapore cuisine.
Speaking about this association with Zomato, GB Srithar, regional director – India, Middle East & South Asia (IMESA), Singapore Tourism Board said, “We are happy to partner with Zomato, for the very first time, to engage the Indian audiences on a favourite topic that both Indians and Singaporeans are passionate about – food. As part of our continuing efforts to engage the Indian consumers in innovative ways, we look forward to participating in this important consumer outreach initiative across tencities. In line with our brand Passion Made Possible, we will highlight culinary offerings, appealing to the Foodie passion tribe. We look forward to engaging families and young Indians through this lifestyle, events, entertainment and food event series.”
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