Red Sea Global (RSG) has achieved a significant milestone with the launch of its first direct international flights to Red Sea International Airport (RSI), connecting the destination to the world. The new twice-weekly service, operated by flydubai, will commence from Dubai International (DXB) to RSI on April 18.
John Pagano, Group CEO at Red Sea Global, expressed excitement about this development, highlighting RSI’s potential to serve millions of guests annually and make Saudi Arabia a premier global tourism destination.
RSI, which has been servicing domestic flights since September 2023, is designed to provide seamless connectivity to The Red Sea. Luxury resorts like Six Senses Southern Dunes, The Red Sea, and St. Regis Red Sea Resort are already operational, with more set to open this year, including the Nujuma Ritz-Carlton Reserve, Shebara, and Desert Rock.
Abu Dhabi [UAE], His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, has approved the new Tourism Strategy 2030 for the emirate. Spearheaded by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), the ambitious blueprint signals a new era of expansion and strategic development in the travel and tourism sector.
Michael White, Chief Commercial Officer, Red Sea International Airport, emphasised RSI’s commitment to exceptional service and sustainability. The airport aims to become the first carbon-neutral airport in the Middle East, implementing innovative sustainability solutions across operations.Notably, RSI’s terminal design, set to open fully next year, features five ‘mini terminals’ to optimise energy use and reduce environmental impact. Sudhir Sreedharan, Senior Vice President, flydubai, highlighted the significance of flydubai becoming the first carrier to operate to RSI from the UAE, enhancing connectivity to The Red Sea’s resorts.
Looking ahead, The Red Sea destination envisions 50 resorts, 8,000 hotel rooms, and sustainable infrastructure such as solar farms and battery storage facilities. The commitment to sustainability and world-class amenities positions The Red Sea as a model for responsible and luxurious tourism.
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Turkey is setting ambitious goals for tourism, aiming to welcome 3.5 lakh Indian tourists in 2024, said Onur Gozet, Deputy General Director of Promotion, Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Turkey, during a joint roadshow in Delhi.
“India is an increasingly important market for Turkish tourism. The number of Indian tourists visiting Turkey has been increasing year on year and this growth trend is a testament to the growing interest and rapport between our nations. In 2022, despite the challenges posed by Covid-19, we welcomed 2.3 lakh Indian tourists. Though the numbers are not out yet, for last year, we expect that this figure rose to 2.7 lakh. Our target for 2024 is 3.5 lakh, a significant milestone in our efforts to strengthen bilateral ties through tourism,” he stated.
Speaking during the roadshow jointly hosted by Travel Agents Association of India & The Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Turkiye and Turkiye Tourism and Promotion Agency, Gozet also underscored the role of airlines in enhancing connectivity between the two countries. He noted the existing services provided by Turkish Airlines and IndiGo between Istanbul and major Indian cities like Delhi and Mumbai, with plans for expanded routes will further stimulate tourist inflows. Presently, there are 14 flights per week, with each carrier operating flights from the aforementioned cities.“Our aim is to increase the number of flights with plans for further expansion to other Indian cities in near future,” he shared.
Adding to this, Gozet emphasised the goal of elevating India to one of the top ten tourism source markets within the next two to three years for Turkey. Highlighting Turkey’s growing popularity among Indian couples seeking destination weddings, Gozet described last year’s surge as ‘remarkable’.
“We are actively targeting the Indian wedding segment, considering it a strategic avenue for promoting Indian culture within the country,” he stated.
Gozet also elaborated on Turkey’s appeal for destination weddings, citing its unique historical venues, waterside mansions, royal palaces along the Bosphorus, luxurious hotels, and other picturesque locales ideal for hosting the wedding ceremonies. In addition to weddings, Indians are drawn to Turkey for its rich culture, history, events, shopping opportunities, and other MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) activities, as revealed by Gozet during his presentation.
To foster Goan home stays among tourists, the Department of tourism Goa has also finalised agreements with MakeMyTrip, Agoda, and various other players, shared Rohan A. Khaunte, the state’s Tourism & IT Minister. Speaking to ETTravelWorld, the minister also detailed the upcoming policies and revealed plans to develop 100 villages to attract digital nomads.
Speaking during the roadshow, the Ambassador of Turkey in India, Firat Sunel acknowledged the streamlined visa procedures, particularly the hassle-free e-Visa system, designed to expedite the entry process for Indian travellers. “For group travellers attending events like MICE or weddings, we’ve streamlined the visa application process, ensuring quick and efficient issuance with less documentation. These initiatives aim to enhance the overall tourist experience and further boost visitor numbers between our nations,” he said. The roadshow’s timing is crucial, said the ambassador reflecting on last year’s G20 meetings in India which spurred significant diplomatic activity, with Turkey’s top officials visiting. “This engagement has positively impacted bilateral relations, including tourism. Enhanced people-to-people exchanges contribute to deeper understanding and stronger relations between our countries. Our aim is not only to encourage Indian tourists to visit Turkey but also to promote travel from Turkey to India,” he added.
Echoing Sunel’s thoughts, Jyoti Mayal, President, TAAI, spoke about the significance of tourism as a catalyst for fostering people-to-people connections. She stressed the importance of sustained engagement between the two countries through initiatives like roadshows to fortify relationships and drive tourism growth. “We believe that these engagements will further encourage innovation and increase footfalls, creating stronger opportunities for both tourism and economic growth,” she stated.
Mayal further underscored the evolving landscape of travel post-pandemic, noting shifts in traveller demographics as well as the agents’ way of doing travel business. She emphasised the need for continuous training and specialisation among travel professionals to effectively promote destinations like Turkey. Embracing the vision of becoming Turkey specialists, Mayal emphasised the pivotal role of education and collaboration with TAAI to ensure seamless travel experiences for Indian tourists.
Concluding the first leg of the roadshow, the Delhi event witnessed participation from over 200 tourism fraternity members of Turkey and India. It also served as a pivotal platform for showcasing the destination tourism offerings to the Indian travel trade community. The 6-city roadshow will continue its journey with subsequent sessions to be held in Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, and the concluding event in Ahmedabad.
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Following the success of its inaugural edition, UNESCO and Royal Enfield have announced the commencement of the Second Chapter of ‘The Great Himalayan Exploration’. This unique initiative is dedicated to the documentation and preservation of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Himalayan region. This endeavour seeks to raise awareness about the rich cultural traditions and heritage of India.
Last year more than 25 rider-researchers embarked on a transformative journey, documenting 21 distinct practices in various parts of Meghalaya, Assam, and Arunachal Pradesh. The Second Chapter of The Great Himalayan Exploration was unveiled in New Delhi with an exclusive exhibition titled ‘Journeying Across the Himalayas II’ at Bikaner House, showcasing the remarkable work of documenting these 21 practices.
This mission aims to collaborate with 100 communities to enhance resilience and inspire a movement of responsible travel practices among riders and travellers.
This session featured Tim Curtis, the recently-appointed Director and Representative of UNESCO New Delhi Regional Office for Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka who talked about the importance of preserving the ‘living heritage’ and efforts taken by UNESCO towards the cause.
“As the world grapples with the effects of climate change, which include outmigration and forced displacement that threaten cultural identities, safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage becomes ever more urgent. Traditional knowledge and practices passed down through generations can offer vital solutions to mitigate the impact of climate change. In a country as vast and culturally diverse as India, this partnership between UNESCO and Royal Enfield aims to raise awareness and mobilise communities to safeguard living heritage. This partnership aligns with the goals of UNESCO’s 2003 Convention for The Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, especially as the Convention celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.”
Bidisha Dey, Executive Director of Eicher Group Foundation, the CSR and Sustainability arm of Royal Enfield, stated, “This partnership with UNESCO allows us to deepen our relationship with the Himalayas and its communities, which have inspired Royal Enfield for decades. Through the process of engaging with the Intangible Cultural Heritage of the region, we have learned that sustainable living is at the heart of most of these practices. The Great Himalayan Exploration provides riders and travellers with a unique opportunity to combine purpose with their passion for exploration.”
The Second Chapter of The Great Himalayan Exploration will witness the participation of 60 motorcyclists, carefully selected from over 600 registrations. These rider-researchers will embark on a series of rides to remote Himalayan communities in small groups over the next six months, aiming to document over 50 Intangible Cultural Heritage practices.
On the sidelines of the exhibition, Curtis, in conversation with ETTravelWorld, also highlighted the importance of sustainable tourism management, addressing social, environmental, and heritage impacts.
“UNESCO has been working for 20 years to preserve intangible culture through programs, policies, and capacity building. We are working closely with Indian government to spread awareness about cultural heritage preservation. When it comes to sustainable tourism, UNESCO has programs looking at tourism management plans for World Heritage Sites to address over-tourism issues. Their goal is balancing tourism benefits with preventing harm to heritage sites. Proper planning, policies, and awareness can help manage tourism sustainably,” he mentioned.
Whereas, Bidisha Dey while interacting with ETTravelWorld, discussed about the organisation’s green pitstop project in Ladakh, which involves working with a community to create a sustainable tourism model and building trust through transparency and community involvement.
“This was our first green pitstop and now we have few more in the making. There’s certainly one coming up in Chuma Thang in Ladakh, hopefully one in Manas wildlife region of Assam, and maybe some other places as well,” he said.
Talking about Intangible Cultural Heritage project, she said, “More importantly, this is just the first leg of the project. We’ve identified 100 practices in the eastern Himalayas, we’re documenting them. We are also in the process of identifying another 100-odd practices in the western Himalayas across Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir.”
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