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By Nithyakala Neelakandan
Published on July 12, 2024
Sri Lanka Tourism, in partnership with the Sri Lanka Convention Bureau (SLCB) and the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB), hosted a networking event on a cruise over the Ganges River in Kolkata on July 10, 2024. The event aimed to highlight Sri Lanka's rich cultural heritage and diverse natural landscapes to Kolkata's travel trade and media professionals, fostering new business partnerships and reshaping perceptions of the island nation.
Prominent figures such as Thisum Jayasuriya, Chairman of the SLCB, and Manav Soni, Chairman of the Eastern Region Chapter of the Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI), were present. They, along with other industry leaders, emphasized the importance of the event in strengthening the tourism ties between Sri Lanka and India.
The event was part of the campaign “Sri Lanka – You’ll Come Back for More,” designed to entice Indian travelers by showcasing Sri Lanka’s diverse tourism offerings. Around 300 of Kolkata’s travel agents and media representatives interacted with a 25-member delegation from Sri Lanka, including destination management companies, hotels, resorts, and tour operators.
India is a vital market for Sri Lanka, with nearly 200,000 Indian tourists visiting so far this year. The extended visa-free entry for Indian nationals is expected to boost these numbers, setting new records in 2024. Sri Lanka Tourism remains committed to providing the best tourist experiences, assuring Indian tourists and investors of their readiness to welcome them with necessary safety and security measures in place.
Sri Lanka is aggressively targeting the Indian market with B2B roadshows in cities like Bengaluru, Chennai, Cochin, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Pune, Mumbai, and New Delhi. These efforts are complemented by participation in major travel trade shows like the Outbound Travel Mart (OTM) in Mumbai and the South Asia Travel and Tourism Exchange (SATTE) in New Delhi. Additional roadshows in Tier-II markets are planned for September 2024.
Honorable Minister Harin Fernando expressed gratitude to India for its consistent support of Sri Lanka’s tourism sector. He highlighted Sri Lanka’s progress as a middle-income nation with strong economic indicators. In 2023, tourism earnings exceeded $2 billion, and by April 2024, revenues had already surpassed $1.25 billion. The goal for 2024 is to attract 2.5 million tourists, supported by the global marketing campaign “You’ll Come Back for More.”
Chalaka D. Gajabahu, Chairman of the SLTPB, emphasized the growth of tourism beyond beach attractions to include sports, culture, spirituality, and history. The strategic marketing efforts in India are aimed at increasing tourist arrivals and reinforcing the connection between the two countries.
Thisum Jayasuriya, Chairman of the SLCB, highlighted Sri Lanka’s emergence as a preferred destination for MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) events. Enhanced venues and accessibility have made Sri Lanka an attractive location for corporate events. The MICE sector saw significant success with the third MICE expo in May 2024, featuring 100 international buyers and 113 local suppliers. India remains a key market for MICE travel, with expectations for significant revenue growth in this segment.
The networking evening in Kolkata showcased Sri Lanka’s stunning landscapes, vibrant cultural heritage, and welcoming atmosphere through discussions and presentations. Attendees experienced Sri Lanka’s varied attractions, from pristine beaches to ancient temples, marking a new chapter of tourism excellence for the island nation.
The Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) is the official government agency responsible for marketing and promoting Sri Lanka's travel and tourism sector. Working with various stakeholders, the SLTPB aims to position Sri Lanka as a premier tourist destination, highlighting its unique cultural and natural attractions. The bureau's efforts focus on both local and international markets, driving tourism development and fostering sustainable growth in the industry.
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By Manu Vardhan Kannan
Published on October 20, 2025
IndiGo and Digi Yatra have announced a new app-to-app integration that allows IndiGo flyers to share boarding passes directly with the Digi Yatra app. The collaboration enhances contactless, biometric-enabled travel while ensuring user consent, data privacy, and faster passenger processing at airports.
IndiGo, India’s leading airline, has partnered with Digi Yatra, the Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI)-based ecosystem that uses facial biometric technology for contactless passenger processing, to enable this direct integration between their mobile applications. The initiative eliminates the need for passengers to manually scan or upload boarding passes on the Digi Yatra app.
After completing web check-in, IndiGo flyers can now simply click “Share with Digi Yatra” within the IndiGo app to securely transfer their boarding pass. This process ensures that passenger consent is obtained at every step and that only essential data is shared with authorised Digi Yatra verifiers at airports.
Designed with privacy by design principles, the transaction occurs entirely offline through deep linking between the two apps, without involving any cloud or server processing. This ensures data integrity, authenticity, and enhanced security while improving convenience for travellers.
Commenting on the development, Suresh Khadakbhavi, CEO of Digi Yatra Foundation, said,
“Our mission is to transform air travel into a seamless, secure, and paperless experience for every passenger. This collaboration with IndiGo marks a significant milestone in that journey. By integrating our technology directly with IndiGo’s app, we are enabling travellers to enjoy faster check-ins, smoother boarding, and enhanced convenience. As more airlines and airports embrace our ecosystem, we will continue to innovate and support India’s vision for digital transformation in travel.”
Neetan Chopra, Chief Information and Digital Officer, IndiGo, added,
“Every year, we fly millions of customers who trust us for our promise of safe, on-time, and hassle-free travel. This partnership with Digi Yatra takes our commitment to customer convenience a step further by enabling a smooth, contactless boarding journey. We are thrilled to be among the first airlines to adopt this technology and remain focused on leveraging innovation to make air travel simpler, faster, and more enjoyable.”
This collaboration underscores the aviation industry’s shared commitment to digital innovation and highlights growing confidence in Digi Yatra’s secure, paperless travel ecosystem as India moves closer to a fully digital airport experience.
Published on October 14, 2025
Etihad Airways is focusing on premium travel and customer segmentation to boost its business in India, one of its top three global markets, while operating at full capacity under a bilateral seat agreement with the country.
The Abu Dhabi-based airline has been upgrading its services with new aircraft and enhanced cabin experiences to attract high-value travellers. Since relaunching flights to Kolkata in March 2023, Etihad increased its weekly frequency from four to eight flights by 2025. Across India, the airline now operates 185 flights a week to 11 cities.
“We fly all the seats that the bilateral agreement allows us,” said Javier Alija, Etihad Airways Vice President for Global Sales and Distribution. The agreement caps 50,000 weekly seats for Abu Dhabi-based carriers, shared between Etihad and Air Arabia Abu Dhabi. Until the agreement changes, the airline cannot add more frequencies or destinations.
To overcome these capacity constraints, Etihad is building partnerships, including a tie-up with Akasa Air, connecting four Indian cities to Abu Dhabi. The airline is also enhancing the passenger experience for long-haul travellers, especially to the US, with Abu Dhabi’s new terminal and US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) pre-clearance. This allows passengers to arrive in the US as domestic travellers, saving time at immigration.
Kolkata is the first Indian city to receive Etihad’s new A321 LR aircraft, featuring a redesigned cabin with just 160 seats, two first-class suites, 14 business, and 144 economy seats, offering a widebody-like experience in a narrow-body aircraft. “This reflects Kolkata’s strong premium travel potential,” Alija said.
Etihad’s focus on yield optimisation and operational efficiency has helped the airline achieve record financial results. For the current year, it expects 21–22% growth in seat capacity, 22–23% increase in revenue, and a 30% rise in absolute profit, supported by expansions in other markets. The airline plans to launch 13 new international routes by year-end, aiming to serve nearly 90 destinations worldwide.
Alija added, “Even if our frequencies and destinations remain static, these customer-focused and operational efforts ensure Etihad continues to be the preferred airline for Indian travellers. We are very conscious that our rapid growth should not compromise the financial gains we have achieved.”
Published on October 12, 2025
Air India has announced an expansion of its services to the United Kingdom for the Northern Winter 2025 schedule, introducing a fourth daily flight between Delhi and London Heathrow starting 26 October 2025. With this addition, the airline will now operate 28 weekly flights on the route, increasing capacity by 1,196 seats each way per week.
All flights on the Delhi–London route will be operated by Air India’s Airbus A350-900 and Boeing 787-9 aircraft, both featuring three-class configurations: Business, Premium Economy, and Economy. Travellers can look forward to complimentary WiFi connectivity and over 3,000 hours of inflight entertainment, including one of the largest Indian content libraries available onboard.
Air India remains the largest carrier between India and the UK, operating 61 weekly flights and offering 18,066 seats per week in one direction, translating to nearly 1.7 million seats annually. The airline currently connects Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, and Amritsar to London Heathrow, London Gatwick, and Birmingham.
“With this addition, we are further strengthening our UK operations, ensuring travellers have more flexibility and access to Air India’s upgraded widebody experience,” an Air India spokesperson said.
Premium travellers and eligible Maharaja Club members will continue to enjoy complimentary lounge access globally, including at London Heathrow’s Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge, Lufthansa Business Lounge, Singapore Airlines SilverKris Lounge, and United Club Lounge. Business Class and Premium Economy guests can also enjoy upgraded amenities, luxury bedding, and fine dining featuring Indian and international cuisine.
As part of its broader UK network optimisation, Air India is also restoring daily services on the Bengaluru–London Heathrow route and resuming thrice-weekly flights on Ahmedabad–London Gatwick, Amritsar–London Gatwick, and Delhi–Birmingham routes. The Mumbai–London Heathrow double daily service will remain unchanged.
This latest expansion underscores Air India’s commitment to enhancing connectivity and passenger experience, reflecting its ongoing transformation and growing international footprint.
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