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"As many as 76 routes have been scrapped from London airports in the period from April 2008 to October 2009, figures from travel insurance company InsureandGo revealed. It said the axed flights amounted to the loss of 646 flights a week and more than 95,000 seats a week. The next worst capital city for axed flights during the same period was Copenhagen where 59 flights have been scrapped. In contrast, airlines using Madrid have only axed 26 flights in the period April 2008 to October 2009. InsureandGo said the recent increase in the UK's Air Passenger Duty (APD) airport departure tax would persuade fewer people to fly and would put pressure on airlines to cancel more routes. The company's founder Perry Wilson added: "All British airports are being adversely affected by the financial difficulties facing the airline industry, and we believe t "A rise in APD is a deterrent against people flying, and this could result in more routes being cancelled by airlines and jobs being lost." "

"Elsewhere, Continental and Virgin Atlantic were the only other carriers to win multiple categories in this year's annual OAG Airline Industry Awards. As for Continental, it took the OAG honors for "Best Business Class" and for "Best Airline Based in North America." Read on for a list of other winners in this year's OAG rankings. Airline of the Year: Singapore Airlines Best Trans-Atlantic Airline: Virgin Atlantic Best Trans-Pacific Airlines: Singapore Airlines Best International First Class: Singapore Airlines Best Business Class: Continental Airlines Best Economy Coach Class: British Airways Best Airline Based in North America: Continental Best Airline Based in the Middle East/Indian Sub-Continent: Emirates Best Low-Cost Airline: Southwest Airlines Best Airline Based in Central South America & Caribbean: LAN Best Airline based in Africa: South African Airlines Best Airlines based in Western Europe: Virgin Atlantic Best Airline Based in Central/Eastern Europe: CSA Czech Airlines Best Airline Based in Australia/Pacific: Qantas Best Airport: Singapore Changi London-based OAG is an aviation information company that collects and distributes aviation related data and information. In a press release, OAG says its awards are like the "Oscars of the Airline Industry." This is the 27th year OAG has presented them, saying they're "significant and valued in the airline industry because the awards are voted for by frequent flyers around the globe." As for its annual OAG Airline Industry Awards, here's how the company says the winners were selected: "Winners are chosen by asking frequent flyers to consider which airlines they have flown in the past 12 months in each of the award categories and rank their top three airlines for each category. All votes were cast online. The results were calculated using a ratio of "mentions to best," taking into account how many times an airline was voted first, second or third by each traveler. All votes were analyzed by OAG to ensure that they were placed in the correct category and to guarantee that all airlines and airports, irrespective of size, competed on a level playing field."

The event will be officially opened by London Mayor Boris Johnson, as it celebrates its 30th anniversary and a WTM global travel trends report is being published, while the World Travel & Tourism Council will give details of how it thinks tourism will cope with the economic downturn in 2010. Ian McCaig, CEO of lastminute.com, guest speaker at World Travel Market's Captains of Industry Lunch on Monday 9 November, is warning of a tough year ahead. "I am very clear that 2010 will be just as challenging", he said. "No one can be complacent." "The travel and leisure industry continues to change at breakneck speed and in fact I would argue that recent economic conditions have accelerated the pace of that change. "All of us need to be prepared to find our places in the business model that's evolving here and do it quickly. Those who hesitate will indeed be lost."

The event will be officially opened by London Mayor Boris Johnson, as it celebrates its 30th anniversary and a WTM global travel trends report is being published, while the World Travel & Tourism Council will give details of how it thinks tourism will cope with the economic downturn in 2010. Ian McCaig, CEO of lastminute.com, guest speaker at World Travel Market's Captains of Industry Lunch on Monday 9 November, is warning of a tough year ahead. "I am very clear that 2010 will be just as challenging", he said. "No one can be complacent." "The travel and leisure industry continues to change at breakneck speed and in fact I would argue that recent economic conditions have accelerated the pace of that change. "All of us need to be prepared to find our places in the business model that's evolving here and do it quickly. Those who hesitate will indeed be lost."

The French company Air Austral said that it placed orders for two "high density" double-decker A380s with a capacity for 840 seats. When full, the flights between Paris and the French island of Réunion in the Indian Ocean, where the company is based, will easily involve the most passengers ever to fly in a single aeroplane. Air Austral plans to start operating the flights from 2014. The A380 began commercial flights in 2007 carrying around 500 people. The planes included space-consuming business and first class seating areas complete with showers and bars. But it was safety tested for evacuating more than 800 people before it entered service. With a crew of 20 included, it has been approved to carry up to 873 people. Air Austral's plans for no-frills A380s flights will make it the easyJet or Ryanair of super-jumbo travel. "We are convinced that airplanes with good-priced tickets will help explode traffic figures," its founder and president Gerard Etheve told Reuters. It said the giant people carrier was aimed at tapping growth in China and India. Speaking at the Dubai airshow, Etheve added: "The A380 is great for high-density routes. We handle 550 people at the airports at the moment. Handling another 200 is not going to be difficult." Redefining Comfort The A380's cabin is designed to maximize comfort. Its two full-length decks offer 50% more floor surface than any other high-capacity aircraft. Broader seats. More personal storage. Better headroom. Wider stairs. All in all, more space for every passenger to relax and appreciate the quietest cabin of any airliner currently flying."

One white spot for the alliance is Russia with Rossiya said to have held negotiations with the alliance Aegean Airlines and Air India are next in line with both expected to become full members in 2010; the Greek carrier likely to join first. The rapid expansion, which follows the addition last month of Continental Airlines, will accelerate Star towards chief executive Jaan Albrecht's long term goal of doubling its membership base. Kai Peters, chairman of Star Alliance's Australian Steering Committee, said no timeframe has been drawn up for achieving the target and stressed it would not add carriers for the sake of growing membership. "We will only grow where it makes sense for the customer and the market," he told Travel Today. Much of the growth will involve smaller carriers who add a strong regional presence to the alliance, he added. Peters refused to be drawn on future members although Latin America remains an "area of development" despite TAM's imminent arrival "wiping out a white spot". Panama-based Copa is said to be keen on Star after expressing concern over Continental's defection from Skyteam, of which Copa is an associate member. Central American carrier Taca is also rumoured to be interested with reports that it has already lodged an application. One white spot for the alliance is Russia with Rossiya said to have held negotiations with the alliance. Air Malta is also on the radar. "

The event will be officially opened by London Mayor Boris Johnson, as it celebrates its 30th anniversary and a WTM global travel trends report is being published, while the World Travel & Tourism Council will give details of how it thinks tourism will cope with the economic downturn in 2010. Ian McCaig, CEO of lastminute.com, guest speaker at World Travel Market's Captains of Industry Lunch on Monday 9 November, is warning of a tough year ahead. "I am very clear that 2010 will be just as challenging", he said. "No one can be complacent." "The travel and leisure industry continues to change at breakneck speed and in fact I would argue that recent economic conditions have accelerated the pace of that change. "All of us need to be prepared to find our places in the business model that's evolving here and do it quickly. Those who hesitate will indeed be lost."

"Activity rates have increased solidly, but conversion rates have been tougher. This shows the appetite (for travel) has not been dimmed by the recession ," said Pozniak. "The challenge is conversion. The battle has been won by the low cost airlines but when it comes to more complex itineraries there is a long way to go in terms of streamlining the experience." Tackling the mobile sector will be a "huge focus" for Google in the coming years, added Pozniak. The company is expecting a swing towards consumers accessing the internet through mobile devices rather than a computer.
He said Google has demonstrated its commitment to mobile phone technology through the acquision of AdMod. Google bought the leading mobile advertising provider for $750 million on November 9, signalling that the company is back on the aquisition trail.
Pozniak added that the online search giant had previously concentrated on search advertising but predicted a move towards display advertising. "In the next four or five years display advertising is going to rear its head," he said.
Google will also be working on providing metrics and measurements for advertisers, so they can guage how well a campaign is working, he added.

The event will be officially opened by London Mayor Boris Johnson, as it celebrates its 30th anniversary and a WTM global travel trends report is being published, while the World Travel & Tourism Council will give details of how it thinks tourism will cope with the economic downturn in 2010. Ian McCaig, CEO of lastminute.com, guest speaker at World Travel Market's Captains of Industry Lunch on Monday 9 November, is warning of a tough year ahead. "I am very clear that 2010 will be just as challenging", he said. "No one can be complacent." "The travel and leisure industry continues to change at breakneck speed and in fact I would argue that recent economic conditions have accelerated the pace of that change. "All of us need to be prepared to find our places in the business model that's evolving here and do it quickly. Those who hesitate will indeed be lost."

"We have drawn up a proposal to introduce helicopter tourism in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and the northeast in the next five year plan. There are so many places, for instance, in Arunachal Pradesh, which can't be accessed by road and hence have not been seen," Soni told IANS in an interview.

"But by introducing small, say 20-seater helicopters, one can travel to all those unseen places and enjoy their beauty. It will be a big boost to tourism in these places."

Rural tourism is another field that Soni is focussing on.

"We are highlighting rural tourism in a big way. For a tourist, visiting a village or a rural area is an experience of pure atmosphere, sans noise, pollution or the maddening hassles of the city. These places are also new to the tourist."

On the other hand, local artisans greatly benefit from rural tourism since their art gets good exposure and they get to sell their crafts as well.

"The best thing or effect of rural tourism is that the artisans get to stay where they are, in their native homes, and earn a decent living. We are helping them in capacity building by introducing their art in the international market," she added.

Soni said the ministry has identified four destinations where mega-shopping events will highlight the work of Indian artisans.

"We have identified four places, with good infrastructure, where mega shopping events will take place. They are Noida, Hyderabad, Aurangabad and Bhubaneswar. In the choice of places, we kept in mind that they must already have a steady inflow of tourists so that this initiative further boosts tourism," Soni said.

She also added that although these four have been identified as the thrust areas, similar events would gradually be organised in every state.

"In the mega events, which will be annual affairs, international buyers will be exposed to exquisite Indian products," Soni said.

Soni also spoke about the Regent Festival in London that will take place from Sep 2, saying it would give Britain a taste of India.

During the fest, one of London's premier shopping streets, Regent Street, will be converted into an Indian streetscape complete with music, spectacular sculptures, food and artisans.

The festival is a part of a three-month 'India Now' campaign in London that started in July.

"The campaign will see weavers from Assam weave Muga silk saris, artisans make baskets out of cane and Indian musicians create magic through their instruments, besides others. There will also be a fashion show as well as events showcasing Indian art, cinema and theatre," Soni said.

To make travelling to India easier without the usual visa hassles, five-year visas with multiple entries have been introduced. This is valid for 18 countries.

"Medical tourism, I am happy to say, has already taken off in India. Twenty-five state of the art hospitals across the country have been identified where specialised treatment, be it plastic surgery, dentistry or joint replacement, are carried out," she said.

"Whether it's the 'India at 60' celebrations in New York, the PATA conference after that in Bali or the scheduled PATA conference in Hyderabad in 2008, at the risk of sounding pompous, I must say that the tourism sector is definitely on an all time high!" said a smiling Soni.

(Azera Rahman can be contacted at azera.p@ians.in)
--- IANS