Indians visiting US jump 6.5% in 2017 to 1.29 m

Mumbai: The number of Indians visiting the US has increased by 6.5 per cent in 2017 over the previous year according to data from the US department of commerce's national travel & tourism office.

As per the statistics released last week, as many as 1,285,466 Indians traveled to the US in 2017, up from 1,206,771 the year before, the US embassy said in a release Wednesday.

The data are based on the numbers of individuals who passed through US ports of entry, including airports.

Reports of a decline in visitors were incorrectly based on forecasted numbers that are outdated and inaccurate, it added.

************ Jet Airways extends flexi fare scheme to on-baord meals 

Two years after introduction of 'fare choices', Jet Airways has announced further enhancements by letting its customers choose a travel plan based on their preference, travel requirements and budget including an opportunity to buy meals from a specially curated menu.

The fare choice is a flexible, tier-based, fare-choice system that empowers fliers to customise their travel experience with the airline by choosing their preferred fare and a carefully tailored service experience comprising many benefits.

The new scheme will be effective September 25.

"The revised offering under 'fare choices' will now allow guests to enjoy more value for money, by letting them choose a travel plan based on their preference, travel requirements and budget," the airline said.

Currently fare choices in Economy offers a total of five fare options--light, deal, saver, classic and flex. Jet Airways has now unbundled fares in the light and deal categories of fare choices in Economy for domestic network.

************ Taai ties with Yunnan tourism,to organize annual meet in China 

The Travel Agents Association of India (Taai) has tied up with the Yunnan provincial tourism development commission of China to boost travel and tourism between the two nations.

Following this the Taai has decided to organize its 65th convention & exhibition at Kunming in Yunnan for three days from November 27, 2018, Taai said in a statement Wednesday. This is the first time that the association is organising its annual convention in China.

************ Spicejet to connect Hyderabad with Bangkok 

Spicejet Wednesday announced direct flight to between Hyderabad and Bangkok, making it the only domestic airline to have operate such a service. It also announced launch of daily direct flights on the Hyderabad-Guwahati-Hyderabad sector.

Both the flights will be effective October 10.

The new flights launched will connect the city with Bangkok and Guwahati, it added.

************ Indigo begins daily flight from Amritsar to Dubai 

Largest domestic carrier Indigo Wednesday announced a direct flight from the Punjabi city of Amritsar to Dubai, apart from beginning its first direct flight between Kolkata and Kochi and an additional service in the Bangalore-Pune sector, effective October 

The airline had earlier announced that Kuwait and Abu Dhabi would be its 10th and 11th international destinations effective October. Currently the airline operates 13 daily return flights between India and Dubai, eight daily return flights between India and Doha and four each daily return flights to Sharjah and Muscat.

Disclaimer: This information has been collected through secondary research and IBEF is not responsible for any errors in the same.