Skift Take
The main reasons Cambodian tourists visit India are religious tourism to Buddhist sites and affordable medical treatment. The launch of the first direct flight between the two countries is expected to encourage Cambodian tourists to explore various destinations in the country. Cambodia, in turn, is hoping to attract Indian tourists, who are becoming increasingly important in the region. But it will take more than direct flights to attract Indian travellers.
Bulbul Dhawan
The first direct flight between India and Cambodia was launched over the weekend. The Phnom Penh-New Delhi flight will be operated by Cambodia’s national carrier Cambodia Angkor Air and will operate four times a week.
The measure aims to increase travel opportunities between the two countries and in particular promote Cambodia’s rich spiritual heritage.
When the flight was announced last month, Khoy Cuong, Ambassador of the Royal Cambodian Embassy to India, said he hoped that direct flight connectivity and demand for medical tourism in India would help double tourist flows between the two countries compared to last year.
Tourism growth: According to a report by the Economic Times, 20,000 Indian tourists visited Cambodia in the first three months of 2024, marking an increase of more than 25% over the same period last year. Around 69,000 Indian tourists visited Cambodia in 2023. This is up from 45,000 in 2021, but is not back to pre-COVID levels of 75,000 Indian tourists.
Cuong said India is an important destination for medical and religious tourism for Cambodians. He expects more Cambodians will seek medical treatment in India as the cost is lower compared to neighbouring countries. Cambodian tourists also visit India to see Buddhist ruins in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. But direct flight connectivity will boost other aspects of tourism as well, he told PTI.
“Before the direct flights, they would come for pilgrimage or treatment, but now they will want to explore more. Besides religious tourism and medical tourism, they will explore tourist sites and other places,” he said.
Cambodia-India Year of Tourism: The tourism ministries of India and Cambodia have launched the first-ever Cambodia-India Year of Tourism to boost tourism between the two countries.
Speaking at the event, Manisha Saxena, Director General, Ministry of Tourism, India, said the Cambodia-India Tourism Year would be an opportunity for citizens of both countries to explore the common cultures of India and Cambodia.
Ixigo Listed on Indian Stock Exchange
Shares of online travel company Ixigo were listed on Indian stock exchanges on Wednesday. The company listed on both the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and the National Stock Exchange (NSE) at more than 45 percent above its IPO price.
The upper price limit was reached within two hours of the start of trading on both exchanges, meaning Ixigo was hit with heavy demand from buyers and trading was halted for the remainder of the day.
Ixigo’s stock market debut is in line with the company’s IPO performance, where its initial public offering was oversubscribed by investors about 98 times. The company was seeking to raise $89 million in the IPO. According to the prospectus, the company plans to use the IPO proceeds to fund working capital, invest in cloud infrastructure and technology, and fuel inorganic growth.
Akasa Airlines to minimize announcements for late night and early morning flights
As part of its “QuiteFlights” initiative, Akasa will minimize announcements during late-night and early-morning flights. Akasa will limit in-flight announcements between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. to essential safety messages. It will also adjust cabin lighting to enhance privacy and create what the airline calls a calmer in-flight experience.
The low-cost carrier recently launched its third international route, connecting Mumbai with Riyadh in Saudi Arabia. The daily direct flight began on Saturday, making it the second destination in Akassa Airlines’ Saudi Arabian network after Jeddah.
Since beginning operations in August 2022, the airline has expanded its network to 25 cities, three of which are international destinations.
Concerns about discrimination are a major issue for LGBTQ+ travelers in India
According to a Booking.com report, the second biggest challenge for LGBTQ+ travelers in India, after finances, is finding a destination where they can be their true self, with over 50% of LGBTQ+ travelers in India preferring to visit destinations where LGBTQ+ tourism is well established.
According to the online travel company, about 80% of respondents had booked a trip to a destination that supports LGBTQ+ residents in the past year, but about 70% had canceled a trip in the past year after finding that the destination did not support the LGBTQ+ community.
Over 60% of respondents said they had a bad experience on a flight with a fellow passenger that directly related to their identity, which is why over 75% of LGBTQ+ travelers prefer to select their seat in advance to minimize contact with others and avoid discrimination.
BLS International subsidiary acquires 55% stake in Adifidelis Solutions
Visa consulting services company BLS International has announced that its subsidiary BLS E-Services Limited has acquired a 55% controlling interest in loan distribution and processing company Aadifidelis Solutions and its affiliates.
The acquisition has an enterprise value of INR 1.9 billion ($22.8 million).
Shikhar Agarwal, joint managing director at BLS International, said the acquisition was a strategic move: “It will enable us to integrate specialised loan processing and distribution services into our portfolio as well as create a lot of cross-selling opportunities.”
Photo credit: The measure aims to increase travel opportunities between the two countries and in particular promote Cambodia’s rich spiritual heritage.
