There are tremendous possibilities for improving trade ties between India and Poland and which could be tripled in three years from the present US$ 560 million to US$ 2 billion. said Mr. Marek Moron, Consul General of Poland while addressing Indo Polish Chamber of Commerce & Industry (IPCCI) set up under the aegis of All India Association of Industries (AIAI) at a reception organized in his honour. Mr. Moron further said that the sectors like agro, pharma, textile, tea, heavy engineering, engineering and auto components, defence and IT which play a major role in the economy should be treated as thrust sectors.

"Travel agents remain the main retail arm of the airline companies. Close cooperation between all concerned will increase the momentum to improve the situation for the benefit of all.” “Unjustified Agents Debit Memos - ADM's”, added Borg Olivier, “are no less than a locust plague and create serious relationship problems.” Mr. Borg Olivier was invited to address the most respectable and important audience in the airline industry, among them representatives from airline companies and IATA delegations, who assembled in Geneva for the PAConf meeting. “IATA's and UFTAA's collaboration”, said Borg Olivier, “goes back to the early sixties and it is still important to maintain the travel and tourism industry at healthy levels”. “I believe,” he added, “that running on different tracks is not a healthy situation and that discussion and frank, open consultations between travel agents and airlines, ahead of time, pave the way for a more harmonious environment for both sides”

Tourism Australia (TA) via its representative office TLC Relationship Management (P) Ltd. has appointed Freeda Miranda as the Industry Development Manager for India. Freeda who has been with TA for the past one and half years will report to Abhilasha Jain, Country Manager, India, Tourism Australia, She will be responsible for strengthening the strong distribution network of the Aussie Specialist Programme increasing awareness and the distribution of Australian tourism products in India. With 68,000 Indians visiting Australia last year (2005), India continues to be a key market for Tourism Australia. With Freeda moving into this role this will ensure that TA maximizes opportunities for growth from India.

There's good news for travellers who wish to use South Africa as a hub for convenient connections to South America or other points within Africa. The home affairs minister announced that Cabinet has approved the suspension of the transit visas. South African Airways (SAA) has welcomed a decision by Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, the home affairs minister, to remove the requirement for foreigners to apply for transit visas for South Africa. "SAA has long been a supporter of the 'South to South' initiative to encourage trade and investment between the South East Asian, South American and South African markets," said Jacqui O'Sullivan, an SAA Spokesperson. She said the transit visa policy had hindered that initiative by creating obstacles for business people. SAA welcomed the announcement, stating that passengers travelled via alternative destinations rather than South Africa to avoid the inconvenience and delays caused by the transit visa applications. Routes particularly affected were South East Asia, Hong Kong.