After being in the doldrums for over a year, the $14-billion Indian aviation industry is showing signs of recovery. Carriers, as well as experts, expect 10 per cent growth in passenger traffic against their earlier prediction of not more than 5 per cent.

SAILING through nearly a year-long lull that witnessed economic slowdown, terror strikes in Mumbai and a swine flu scare, hotel industry has started seeing signs of recovery. By the end of this financial year, it is looking forward for a 30 per cent recovery in occupancy levels.

The upcoming festival season could be the best time to travel this year. With five star hotels currently quoting room rates that are 30 per cent lower than last year, traveling will be lighter on pockets.

Faced with a major downslide in business traffic, airlines are now adopting innovative schemes to attract high-end and corporate travellers to fill in the seats on the front rows.

Leading travel portals are selling attractive packages at an affordable price for trips abroad.

There are early signs of an upturn in the number of air passengers traveling in business class worldwide but fares have remained low due to intense competition and airlines have remained low due to intense competition and airlines have seen a sharp drop in earnings from this segment.

Even as Indian tourism sector logged Rs 50,730 crore foreign exchange revenue in 2008 against Rs 44,360 crore in the previous year, the impressive performance has not helped the hotel industry to stem the 40% topline losses incurred during 2008-09, said MP Purushothaman, president of South Indian Hotels & Restaurants Association (SIHRA), at a press meet on Saturday.

There is much to be done before river tourism can take off in Assam, including acquiring more support from Government authorities .The sector that has great potential as a revenue earner, besides offering employment opportunities, can only grow if the Brahmaputra’s status as National Waterway 2 is truly realized.

American Airlines will team up with British Airways and Qantas Airways fresh capital and expanded business ties, two sources said, alming to fight off a rival offer from Delta Air Lines.

After massive cancellations of Jet Airways flights during the five-day strike last week, the private carrier has seen a surge in the number of passengers that it has flown in the last three days — thanks to an aggressive discount of up to 50 per cent on some tickets on all its flights.