Indian pilgrims cross Chinese border into Tibet as relations thaw
The first batch of Indian pilgrims taking part in the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra — named for the two Tibetan sacred sites the route traverses — left New Delhi on Sunday morning and crossed the mountainous border into China's Tibet Autonomous Region on Friday.
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News24
2 hours ago
- News24
Greece fights massive wildfire crisis as heatwave devastates southern Europe
Greece struggled to control over 20 wildfires, including one near its third-largest city, Patras, fueled by a severe heatwave affecting southern Europe. Fires led to widespread evacuations, hospitalisations for respiratory problems and burns, and damage to tourist locations. The heatwave affecting Greece, Spain, Portugal, Britain, and other nations has been linked to climate change. Greece on Wednesday battled to contain more than 20 wildfires including one menacing its third-largest city Patras as a heatwave stoked blazes and forced the evacuation of thousands in southern Europe. Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, the Balkans and Britain have this week wilted in high temperatures that fuel wildfires and which scientists say human-induced climate change is intensifying. Since dawn on Wednesday, 4 850 firefighters and 33 planes were mobilised across Greece on what promised to be 'a very difficult day', fire service spokesman Vassilis Vathrakogiannis said. A fire near the ancient Mycenaean archaeological site of Voudeni, just 7km from Patras, threatened forested zones and homes, and the area was covered by a thick cloud of smoke, an AFP journalist reported. Fierce wind 'is hampering the task of water bombers, and is making collecting water at sea more difficult', the president of the firefighter officers' union, Kostas Tsigkas, told public broadcaster ERT. READ | 3 dead, thousands evacuate as huge wildfires, heatwave hit Europe In the western Achaia region in the Peloponnese, to which the coastal city of Patras belongs, around 20 villages were evacuated on Tuesday. Other fronts were burning on the popular tourist island of Zante and the Aegean island of Chios, scarred by a huge wildfire in June that ravaged more than 4 000 hectares. The Greek coastguard said it had helped evacuate nearly 80 people from Chios and near Patras. The national ambulance service reported 52 hospitalisations from Achaia, Chios and the western town of Preveza, including 'a small number of firefighters', mostly for respiratory problems and minor burns. Temperatures are due to come close to 40°C in parts of western Greece on Wednesday, including the northwest Peloponnese, national weather service EMY forecast. After Greece requested four water bombers from the EU Civil Protection Mechanism to bolster its resources, leftist opposition party Syriza criticised the conservative government's preparation for the fires that hit every year. Greece needed 'a bold redistribution of resources in favour of civil protection', an 'emphasis on prevention', better coordination and new technologies in its civil protection system, Syriza said. 'Worst breeding ground' At the other end of the Mediterranean, wildfires continued to dominate the news in Spain, where cooler temperatures and greater humidity were expected to help control blazes in which two people have died. Authorities in the northwestern region of Castile and Leon, where flames have threatened a world heritage Roman mining site, said almost 6 000 people from 26 localities had been evacuated from their homes. Bushy undergrowth and searing temperatures that have baked Spain for almost two weeks had created 'the worst possible breeding ground for this situation', Castile and Leon's civil protection head Irene Cortes said. Costas Baltas/Anadolu via Getty Images A total of 199 wildfires have scorched nearly 98 784 hectares across Spain this year, more than double the area burned during the same period in 2024. Neighbouring Portugal deployed more than 1 800 firefighters and around 20 aircraft against five major blazes, with efforts focused on a blaze in the central municipality of Trancoso that has raged since Saturday. Strong gusts of wind had rekindled flames overnight and threatened nearby villages, where television images showed locals volunteering to help the firefighters under a thick cloud of smoke. 'It's scary... but we are always ready to help each other,' a mask-wearing farmer told Sic Noticias television, holding a spade in his hand. Italian firefighters had extinguished a blaze that burned for five days on the famed Mount Vesuvius and spewed plumes of smoke over the Naples area. In Britain, temperatures were expected to peak at 34°C in the country's fourth heatwave of the summer. The UK Health Security Agency warned of 'significant impacts' on health and social care services for the parts of central and southeastern England where the harshest heat was forecast.
Forbes
3 hours ago
- Forbes
Why Should Hotels Think Like Retailers And OTAs Like Media Companies
Sanjay Ghare, Founder & CEO, Vervotech (A Constellation Inc. company), Investor in Travel startups. Hotels and online travel agencies (OTAs) have for long remained in a traditional mold, with hotels offering rooms and OTAs helping them sell these rooms. But now, as travel has become increasingly digital and consumer-driven, traditional roles need to take a back seat. In my opinion, rethinking their roles through a commercial lens could help hotels and OTAs drive more loyalty and increase customer lifetime value (CLTV) as traveler journeys become more nonlinear and highly content-influenced. Let me take you through my thoughts in greater detail. The Need To Move Beyond Transactions Earlier last month, I had the opportunity to visit a beautiful property situated on the highest hill in Tamil Nadu, India. While the hotel offered spectacular views and recreational spaces, it did not significantly enhance my overall experience. Despite everything being functional, nothing felt curated or polished. I was hoping for a more local experience, more personal touches and maybe some guides to explore beyond the room. That's when it struck me that even the most stunning properties can fall short of providing a rich experience if they don't consider personalizing the guest experience—or, in simple terms, making it immersive and providing value beyond a luxury suite. All this got me thinking that if hotels thought like retailers and designed personalized journeys, based on traveler preferences and data-driven insights, they could provide a rich experience tailored to their guests' expectations. OTAs are not far behind. Today, with an abundance of automations, APIs, and tools, OTAs have access to traveler insights, and yet most stop at the bookings page. But what if they acted like media companies and engaged travelers with local experiences and culture-rich local content? Take Travelxp, for instance. Travelxp is using AI to connect discovery with action, significantly enhancing the travel experience through automation, personalization and offering everything from binge-worthy shows to personalized holiday packages, flights and hotel bookings. The company has seen a 30% increase in customer retention and a 15% boost in conversion rates for hotel and flight bookings, thanks to AI-driven initiatives. It is no longer enough to think of yourself as the service provider. Borrowing ideas from industries that have nailed the game of winning customer relationships might not be a bad idea. In fact, it might be the best one! Why Should Hoteliers Adopt A Retailer Mindset? What I mean when I say hotels should think like retailers is that they should go beyond offering rooms and focus on building loyal and lasting customer relationships through personalized offers, merchandise and promotions. While many promotional management systems (PMS) already offer these tools for analyzing pricing and demand, the secret to the retailer mindset lies in using them strategically. It's not about simply adjusting prices but aligning the offers with guest preferences—just how a retailer would tailor the storefront to suit every customer. The focus must always be on relevance, not availability. Another aspect is strategically guiding customers through all the services they offer, such as a spa, golf course, restaurant, clay shop and workshops. Think IKEA—how it has nailed the retail experience, making every visit a cherished memory for its customers. When you walk into any IKEA, you walk through the aisles of different corners of a house and the small product placements along the rows. Rooms are decorated like a movie set, with arrows lining the floors directing customers through a maze of product displays, guiding them to cover more ground and showcasing how the products would look in their own homes. You don't have to think—IKEA does it for you. You may think that you don't want to spend $100 on a Japanese-inspired kitchen counter, but hey, you can get a knife block priced at $10. And that's how IKEA makes sure you never walk out empty-handed. Personalization is the driving force behind an excellent customer experience. Like retailers, hoteliers can leverage this approach by analyzing the guest journey from hotel search to post-stay feedback. They can identify pain points to craft tailored packages and promotions that include targeted emails based on guest preferences, loyalty points based on booking history, luxury add-ons, discounts for longer stays and other personalized offerings. OTAs Have The Audience, Now They Need To Tell Better Stories Media companies have some of the most loyal followings, thanks to content that resonates with their audiences. OTAs can do this too! For instance, they can create curated travel guides for different types of travelers, such as solo travelers, couples, parents with toddlers, teenagers or groups of friends. They can showcase unique destinations and feature stories about local, guided experiences. Apart from content curation, OTAs can foster online traveler communities and traveler forums. The goal is to engage in travel discussions and increase visibility, brand awareness and, ultimately, brand loyalty. Like streaming platforms that leverage data analytics to recommend content based on our viewing preferences, OTAs should also dig into traveler analytics to personalize recommendations for destinations, budgeted accommodations or travel activities. It can also involve rewarding loyal customers with exclusive deals, discounts and priority access to new travel offers. The focus should always be on bridging the gap between travelers and their perceptions of you as a service provider. Actively engaging with your audience on social media platforms via polls, quizzes, contests and travel stories can help position your brand as a contributor to the community and foster a sense of belonging with your brand. The Lines Are Blurring—And That's Not A Bad Thing In an industry where the real value is placed not on transactions but on experience, rethinking traditional roles can make all the difference. Hotels that add value to guest experiences through tailored offerings can go from a one-time stay to a repeat preference over time. OTAs that inspire, inform and build relevance before the traveler even starts planning their travels can become more than just booking platforms. As the concept of travel evolves with time, only brands that blur boundaries, experiment and stay relevant will stand out. Forbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives. Do I qualify?
CNBC
7 hours ago
- CNBC
Taj Hotels owner goes global with bold expansion into Europe and the Middle East
Puneet Chhatwal, Managing Director & CEO of Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL) discusses its plans to expand its flagship Taj Hotels in the UAE, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia as the hotel group taps into the growing GCC-India corridor. He talked about the upcoming opening of the first Taj in Europe in Frankfurt, with Switzerland also in the works.
