Offers galore at the 38th #PATA Travel Mart in #Bangalore

Tourism Authority of Malaysia is offering special packages for the upcoming 'Malaysia Year End Sale’, scheduled to be held between November 14, 2015 and January 3, 2016. The packages have been designed to boost arrivals to the country during the event. “India is a significant contributor to tourism as it is the sixth top tourist market for us,” said Deputy Director-General (International Promotion), Tourism Malaysia, Datuk Azizan Noordin. Indian visitors to Malaysia numbered 770,108 in 2014.
Macao 8-day Sale on hotel rooms whch was originally scheduled to end on Sept. 4 has been extended for an additional five days and now available until Sept. 9, 2015.

Offers galore at the 38th #PATA Travel Mart in #Bangalore pic.twitter.com/2xwENm8xha

— Press Release Watch (@PrReleaseWatch) September 9, 2015

Tourism Australia recently launched media campaign in association with its key distribution and airline partners in the primary markets of Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore through the successful and established platform of ‘There’s Nothing like Australia’. The campaign aims at enticing travel to Australia through attractive offers by travel partners including Kesari Tours, Vacations Exotica, MakeMyTrip.com, Yatra.com and TUI. With the campaign featuring travel packages starting at Rs 119,000, a high proportion of Indian travellers are expected to be Australia bound for the year-end holiday season. Tourism Australia has also collaborated with India’s national carrier, Air India, giving flyers a chance to travel to Australia at exciting fares starting from Rs 58,000 onwards. The offer lasts until 30th September 2015 and is valid for travel till 31st October 2015,
"Having the PATA Travel Mart 2015 in Bengaluru is our way of supporting new destinations and to promote it to (buyers) who will in turn sell it to their customers," said PATA CEO Mario Hardy while explaining the rational of holding a Travel Mart in the Silicon Valley of India rather than having it in a well known destinations like Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore and Hong Kong.

The next edition of the travel mart will be held in Jakarta, Indonesia, from September 7 to 9, 2016.
The 2015 edition of the PATA Travel Mart had 456 sellers from 266 organisations and 28 destinations. There were 242 buyers from 233 organisations and 50 source markets.

Also Read : CM hard sales Karnataka at the #PATA Travel Mart

CM hard sales Karnataka at the #PATA Travel Mart

Karnataka Govt wants to develop Karnataka as the most favoured tourist destination by increasing domestic and international visitors. Siddaramaiah, Chief Minister, Karnataka stated this at the inauguration of 38th edition of the ‘Pacific Asia Travel Association Travel Mart’ (PATA).

CM hard sales Karnataka at the #PATA Travel Mart pic.twitter.com/V3VPV94DPH

— Press Release Watch (@PrReleaseWatch) September 7, 2015

Currently Karnataka is the 4th largest FDI destination with in India. The State Govt. has identified several new tourist destinations to attract inbound travelers. A grand opening ceremony by conceptualized by Wizcraft International Entertainment Pvt. Ltd marked the opening ceremony. Over 1200 delegates and international media from 61 countries are participating in the 3 day long travel mart.

Spaceship Earth Grant provides an opportunity to travel to #space

Spaceship Earth Grants (SEG) has launched a new global program to send private citizens to space who demonstrate the positive impact they will have in the world upon their return. Currently, the odds of having been to space are approximately one in 12,928,440. However, in line with our mission to send as many people to space as possible, the SEG panel of judges will select at least one in 50,000 people to experience space.
 

Spaceship Earth Grant provides an opportunity to travel to #space pic.twitter.com/MZt2hUPnSP
— Press Release Watch (@PrReleaseWatch) September 15, 2014

Through the SEG contest, applicants will engage social media and submit video entries demonstrating their commitment and enthusiasm through provocative ideas for how they will become ambassadors to better the world after they win their private seat in space.

Women are emerging as key consumers of ‘value & budget’ hotels across India:Study by Stayzilla.com

Stayzilla.com, India’s leading online hotel reservation portal in the ‘value & budget’ segment, today unveiled some interesting findings of a market study on ‘travel patterns of women focused on the value & budget segment’.

The study is based on data collected from 80,000 users (male & female), making online bookings in the ‘value and budget’ segment from Stayzilla.com’s enormous network of 8000+ hotels across 1000 towns and cities in India. The study has been conducted across the 8 cities of Chennai, Bangalore, NCR, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Pune and Ahmedabad. This study is an analysis of bookings made from February 2013 to February 2014. The analysis covers 3 target segments - women travelling alone, women travelling in groups (of women), and women making booking decisions for their families/peers.

“Value and budget category” for the purposes of this study can be defined as room charges ranging from Rs 500 to Rs 3500 per night.

Key findings of the study:

·        Stayzilla.com has found that 13% of its travellers in the ‘value and budget’ segment are women, this number has doubled over the last one year.
·        Additionally, amongst the women travel segment, Stayzilla has found an increased propensity for repeat travel. Almost 40% of the women traveller booking volume are repeat customers.

Destination of travel
·        Women prefer ‘value and budget’ hotel options while travelling to tier 1 cities which include Chennai, Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad and Kolkata.
·        The top three cities that are popular destinations among women travellers, in the ‘value and budget’ segment, are – Chennai, Bangalore & Hyderabad.
·        From the women travel booking volume in the ‘value and budget’ segment, 80% of online hotel bookings made by women are for tier 1 cities and 20% are for tier 2 cities.
·        Travelling to multiple locations with shorter stays seems to be the trend, with women making multiple room bookings across cities.  On an average women travel to an average of two cities on each trip.

Purpose of travel
·        Leisure travel tops the list contributing to 60% of overall online bookings in the ‘value and budget’ segment. This is followed by Business travel (25%) and Religious trips (15%).
·        70% of women travelling on leisure generally travel in groups and 30% travel solo.


What women want?
·        Security and furnishings are top criteria for women making hotel bookings in this category. Women prefer to book hotels that are centrally located indicating their concern for security.
·        Additionally, they are also keen on key facilities/offerings such as kitchenette, laundry, breakfast, etc.

Other interesting insights:
·        Concept of budget sisterhood travel has come of age in India. Women using hotels in the ‘value and budget’ segment travel in groups of an average size of four people.
·        Women are giving rise to the trend of ‘Staycations’ – travelling to destinations within a 200-km radius of one’s home for a short getaway. 70% of staycations that women take are with families.
·        The average age of women using ‘value and budget’ accommodation has fallen from 40 years to 25 years over the last one year. This is essentially a function of purpose of travel. This is also a reflection of changing societal trends when it comes to women travellers.

Commenting on the study, Yogendra Vasupal, CEO & Founder, Stayzilla.com, said, “For the last eight years, Stayzilla.com has had a dedicated focus on the ‘value & budget’ segment. We are delighted to note this increasing acceptance of this category and the growing consumption of our services among women travellers. We are confident that these trends will only get stronger over the next few years, and are gearing up to provide more customized offerings for this target market.”

About Stayzilla.com
Incorporated in August 2005, Stayzilla.com is the largest online hotel reservation portal in India, with a niche focus on the ‘value & budget’ segment. From Kargil to Kanyakumari, Stayzilla.com offers online hotel booking services across 1000+ tier 1, 2 & 3 towns and cities, covering a network of 8000+ hotels. The company also offers users the option to book guest houses, lodges and serviced apartments across these cities. Focused on providing the best travel related stay options to business travellers and tourists, Stayzilla.com has specialized technology and customer service processes to ensure an enriched experience even in the smallest of hotels and towns. With an angel funding of $0.5 million from the Indian Angel Network, Stayzilla.com recently received Series A funding from Matrix Partners. For further details, please visit www.stayzilla.com.

Scotland Welcomes the World in 2014!

In 2014 Scotland welcomes the world to join in the exciting Year of Homecoming celebrations! Whenever your clients come and wherever they visit, they'll be very welcome to join us and be part of Homecoming Scotland 2014!


The Year of Homecoming 2014 is a fantastic way for your clients to experience all that's great about Scotland. From mouth-watering food and drink events to clan gatherings, there are plenty of inspiring activities to encourage your clients to discover the best of Scotland.

Scotland will also play host to two world-class events in 2014. From the 23th July to the 3rd August 2014, the eyes of the world will be on Glasgow as it hosts the XX Commonwealth Games. A modern city of culture and sport, forward-thinking and creative, Glasgow is one of the UK's largest cities and has a lively heart and warm people. Your clients will experience its museums and galleries, architectural splendours, nightlife and shopping options first-hand as they watch sporting history unfold.For tickets and packages please contact the Games Travel Office.

In September, for only the second time in the history of The Ryder Cup, Scotland will proudly play host to the greatest tournament in match play golf. Golfers and fans alike will descend on the magnificent Gleneagles Resort in Perthshire. For tickets and packages visit the Ryder Cup Travel Services.