Tuesday, May 14, 2024
BLS International Services Limited, a reliable global partner offering tech-enabled services to governments and citizens, disclosed its audited consolidated financial performance for the quarter and fiscal year ending on March 31, 2024.
Speaking about the performance and recent updates, Mr. Shikhar Aggarwal, Joint Managing Director, BLS International Services Ltd. said: “I am delighted to share that we have continued our robust growth trajectory and achieved a revenue growth of 10.6% in FY24, with the EBITDA and PAT surging by 56.4% and 59.4% respectively. Our EBITDA margin expanded significantly by 603 basis points (bps) to 20.6%, a testament to our strategic initiatives, including the renewal of contracts, the addition of new agreements, a favorable business mix, and structural modifications to our business model from partner model to now managing our own operations.
The fiscal year 2023-24 heralded a series of accomplishments and milestones. We successfully renewed our pivotal global contract from Spain, renewed our contract of India Operations in Canada, secured another vital global contract from Slovakia, and won a comprehensive Visa outsourcing agreement covering Germany, Italy, Poland, Thailand, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Portugal. Additionally, we celebrated the successful IPO of our subsidiary, BLS E- Services Limited., raising over Rs. 300 Crore to fuel its continued growth and expansion.
The year also saw us signing a definitive share purchase agreement to acquire a 100% stake in iDATA, a Turkey-based Visa & Consular service provider and manages over 37 Visa Application Centres (VAC) across 15+ countries. We believe this move will significantly enhance ourbusiness and extend our reach across additional geographies. The acquisition is expected to be completed by 30th June 2024, subject to necessary approvals.
Looking ahead, we are poised for continued profitability, driven by the new contracts secured last year and anticipated increases in application volumes from key regions. Our profitability will further be bolstered by our ongoing efforts to transform our business model, reducing dependency on partners, and taking greater control of our operations. As we usher in the new financial year, our focus remains steadfast on expanding our market share through organic growth initiatives and strategic acquisitions, steadfast in our commitment to generating sustainable value for all stakeholders.”
Financial Highlights Summary:
In FY24:
For Q4FY24:
Additional Highlights:
Wednesday, May 15, 2024
ChatGPT-4 revolutionizes travel with personalized itineraries, real-time assistance, and seamless translations, enhancing every aspect of the modern travel experience.
In today’s fast-paced world, where every second counts, travelers are constantly seeking smarter, more efficient ways to enhance their journeys. Enter ChatGPT-4, the groundbreaking AI assistant that is set to transform the travel experience. Here’s how this innovative technology can benefit travelers across the globe.
One of the standout features of ChatGPT-4 is its ability to create personalized travel itineraries. By understanding user preferences, travel history, and interests, this AI can craft bespoke travel plans that cater to individual needs. Whether you’re an adventure seeker looking for hidden hiking trails or a culture enthusiast wanting to explore historic sites, ChatGPT-4 can curate an itinerary that ensures you make the most of your trip.
Gone are the days of poring over maps or struggling with language barriers. ChatGPT-4 offers real-time assistance, providing instant answers to travel-related queries. Need directions to the nearest café, updates on flight statuses, or recommendations for local cuisine? Simply ask ChatGPT-4, and you’ll receive accurate, up-to-date information, making your travel experience smoother and more enjoyable.
Language barriers can often be a significant challenge when traveling abroad. ChatGPT-4 breaks down these barriers by offering seamless translation services. Whether you need to communicate with locals, read signs, or understand menus, this AI can translate languages in real-time, ensuring you never feel lost or disconnected.
Booking flights, hotels, and activities can be a daunting task, especially when you’re unfamiliar with your destination. ChatGPT-4 simplifies this process by providing recommendations based on user reviews, budget constraints, and personal preferences. It can also handle reservations, ensuring you secure the best deals and avoid the stress of last-minute bookings.
Traveling to a new place can sometimes come with unexpected challenges. ChatGPT-4 offers invaluable support by providing safety tips, emergency contacts, and real-time alerts about potential hazards. Whether it’s a sudden change in weather, political unrest, or health advisories, you can rely on ChatGPT-4 to keep you informed and safe.
Tourist guides and brochures often cover the popular attractions, but ChatGPT-4 goes a step further by offering insights into local secrets and hidden gems. From quaint, lesser-known cafes to off-the-beaten-path attractions, this AI can help you discover the authentic essence of your destination, ensuring a richer and more immersive travel experience.
As sustainability becomes increasingly important, travelers are seeking ways to minimize their environmental impact. ChatGPT-4 supports eco-friendly travel by suggesting sustainable accommodation options, eco-tours, and tips for reducing your carbon footprint. This not only helps protect the environment but also enriches your travel experience by promoting responsible tourism.
Traveling can sometimes take a toll on your health. ChatGPT-4 offers personalized health and wellness advice, including tips on staying fit, eating healthy, and managing travel-related stress. Whether it’s recommending yoga classes, highlighting healthy dining options, or providing jet lag remedies, this AI ensures you remain in top form throughout your journey.
Keeping track of expenses while traveling can be cumbersome. ChatGPT-4 simplifies this by offering tools to monitor your spending, track receipts, and even suggest budget-friendly alternatives. This ensures you stay within your budget without compromising on the quality of your travel experience.
As AI technology continues to evolve, the capabilities of ChatGPT-4 will only expand. From virtual reality tours and augmented reality navigation to advanced predictive analytics for travel trends, the future holds exciting possibilities for travelers. With ChatGPT-4, the travel experience is not just about reaching a destination; it’s about enriching the journey and making every moment count.
ChatGPT-4 is more than just an AI assistant; it’s a revolutionary tool that enhances every aspect of the travel experience. From planning and booking to real-time assistance and safety, this technology offers unparalleled support, making travel more accessible, enjoyable, and stress-free. Embrace the future of travel with ChatGPT-4 and embark on your next adventure with confidence and ease.
Tuesday, May 14, 2024
The Inner Secrets, a team comprising individuals proficient in both Italian and English, has introduced a new collection of travel guides titled “14 Amazing Days in Italy.” These guides offer a fresh and thorough perspective for tourists eager to delve into Italy’s cultural and scenic splendors.
Crafted by experts with a deep understanding of the region, these guides provide an unparalleled look into Italy’s diverse locales, including Tuscany, Sicily, and both the northern and southern parts of the country, as well as its enchanting islands. Each book is meticulously designed to offer a comprehensive exploration of the area’s history, archaeological sites, and less-known treasures.
A standout feature of these guides is their user-friendliness. The Inner Secrets team has ensured that each guide is straightforward, enhancing the planning and navigation process for any journey. Additionally, these guides are enriched with insider tips and advice from locals, making them indispensable for those seeking a genuine connection with Italian life.
The depth of these guides invites travelers to truly engage with Italian culture. Whether it’s savoring the wines of Tuscany or uncovering ancient secrets, the guides promise a distinctive and memorable exploration. The passion of The Inner Secrets team for Italy is evident, aiming to offer a genuine and comprehensive travel experience.
For anyone considering a trip to Italy, “14 Amazing Days in Italy” by The Inner Secrets is essential. These guides redefine travel planning with their innovative content, simplicity, and insider knowledge, ensuring an enriching adventure into the heart of Italy.
Tuesday, May 14, 2024
Discover the latest boost for Bahamas tourism: Southwest Airlines introduces a new route linking Orlando and Nassau.
Southwest Airlines has unveiled a new route connecting Orlando and Nassau, set to launch this summer. Daily nonstop flights will link Central Florida’s major city with the capital of The Bahamas from June 4 to August 4. These flights will depart from Orlando and land in Nassau, offering convenient travel options for summer vacationers.
In 2023, The Bahamas saw a record-breaking 9.65 million foreign visitors by air and sea. Air arrivals alone surpassed 1.7 million, marking a 3.5% increase from 2019 and a 17% rise from 2022 figures. The first quarter of 2024 continued this trend with over 504,000 air arrivals, a 7.3% increase from the same period in 2023. Projections suggest that total foreign air arrivals for 2024 will exceed 2 million.
This new route launch coincides with Southwest Airlines relocating its operations from Fort Lauderdale to Orlando, beginning on June 4, 2024. Southwest, which has been serving Orlando since 1996, currently offers nonstop flights to more than 50 destinations across the U.S. and the Caribbean. As the largest carrier at Orlando International Airport, Southwest handles over 20% of the airport’s passenger traffic.
Tuesday, May 14, 2024
Expedia launches Romie, the world’s first AI travel assistant, promising to revolutionize your journey with cutting-edge technology
Traveling has become much simpler. Today, at EXPLORE™, our annual partner conference in Las Vegas, Expedia Group unveiled over 40 innovative new products and features. These enhancements promise to make selecting a hotel that suits both your budget and your discerning travel companion effortless.
“At Expedia Group, we embrace the transformative power of AI to create personalized travel experiences. Our long-standing investments in this space enable us to capitalize on the breathtaking pace of AI innovation, and today’s Spring Release demonstrates our commitment to delivering innovative products and features that enhance the way people explore the world,” said Ariane Gorin, CEO, Expedia Group.
Imagine having a personal assistant who understands your travel preferences and handles all the trip details. Now, travelers can experience this with Romie™, the travel industry’s first AI assistant designed to accompany you throughout your journey.
Romie assists with everything from planning and shopping to booking and troubleshooting unexpected changes, functioning as your travel agent, concierge, and personal assistant. Romie becomes smarter over time, learning your travel habits and preferences, whether you prefer Italian cuisine, boutique hotels, or outdoor adventures. Currently, the alpha version of Romie is available on EG Labs™, a platform for experimental products:
Group Chat Trip Planning: Add Romie to your SMS group chat to listen to your vacation plans. For travel suggestions, simply @Romie for advice on destinations and activities, similar to consulting a travel agent.
Smart Search: Romie can summarize your group chat and integrate this information into your Expedia shopping experience. Personalize your search with filters like rooftop views or early check-in to quickly find the perfect hotel.
Building Your Itinerary: Romie helps you craft the ideal trip by pulling travel information from your emails and recommending nearby restaurants and activities that match your interests.
Dynamic Service: Rely on Romie to assist when plans go awry. Like a personal assistant, Romie monitors weather changes or disruptions and offers convenient alternative suggestions.
Intelligent Assistance: Throughout your trip, Romie updates your itinerary in real time, allowing group chat members to track your activities or check your flight status by simply @Romie.
“We believe in re-imagining the traveler experience, and then using the latest in AI to bring it to life, and with Romie, we’ve done just that,” said Rathi Murthy, CTO, Expedia Group. “We created an AI assistant with hyper personalization in mind so that travelers can choose when they want Romie’s help on their own terms. Romie can assist throughout dreaming, planning and traveling or even when things don’t go as planned, all while getting more intelligent as the traveler interacts.”
Our 2024 Spring Product Release harnesses the power of AI to simplify travel planning, booking management, and customer service, aiming to get you on your way to creating unforgettable memories as quickly and effortlessly as possible.
Our travel partners, integral to our marketplace, can now utilize our AI and machine learning investments with tools designed to protect their business, maintain rate integrity, and gain actionable service insights.
Traveler Product Highlights:
Partner Product Highlights:
Today marks the debut of Travel Shops, a new storefront on the Expedia app where creators can share and save their travel recommendations in one central location, saving travelers time from scrolling through social media for inspiration.
This storefront allows content creators to earn commissions, increase visibility, and customize their personalized travel content space. Advertising partners can spotlight destinations with shoppable links across our social channels or collaborate with handpicked travel influencers to sponsor collections via their channels.
“We saw an opportunity to reinvent how consumers interact with travel content on social media platforms,” said Jochen Koedijk, CMO, Expedia Group. “Travel Shops are a first-of-its-kind travel platform that bridges the gap between content creators and travelers, creating a central hub for curated travel recommendations and a seamless shopping experience. Travel Shops give creators the tools to build unique marketplaces, making it easy to share travel recommendations and providing a more personalized experience for travelers.”
At EXPLORE today, we introduced the world’s foremost travel media network. Leveraging over two decades of advertising expertise from Expedia Group Media Solutions, this network uses our proprietary traveler intent and purchase data to help advertising partners connect with more travelers throughout their purchase journey. Key benefits for advertising partners include:
Expedia Group’s travel media network ensures advertising partners can effectively engage with travelers at every stage of their journey, maximizing their reach and impact.
“We’ve pioneered the travel retail media network model. Our robust, first-party data and network of industry-wide partnerships gives us the exclusive ability to translate traveler shopping behavior to actionable insights for our advertising partners,” said Rob Torres, SVP, Expedia Group Media Solutions. “Our travel media network targets travelers at various touchpoints on the journey with highly relevant travel content, driving conversion. We’ve only just scratched the surface with building bespoke media campaigns for partners, I’m excited for what’s to come.”
Tuesday, May 14, 2024
This summer, Taos Ski Valley beckons with an array of mountain escapades, spa indulgences, culinary delights, and lodging bundles tailored to every guest’s skill level and interests. From thrilling via ferrata climbs to exhilarating mountain biking, from spirited games of pickleball to immersive arts and cultural experiences, Taos offers a distinctive blend of activities, merging mountain hospitality with a diverse selection of pursuits aimed at captivating visitors, stimulating their senses, and crafting enduring memories.
With a rich tapestry of summer offerings, Taos Ski Valley encourages guests to reconnect with nature, themselves, their loved ones, and the region’s traditions and culture, finding solace and rejuvenation in the crisp mountain air while embracing the unhurried rhythm of their surroundings.
In an unprecedented move, holders of Winter 2025 season passes will now also enjoy complimentary or significantly discounted access to the summer of 2024, granting them entry to lift-served mountain biking and scenic lift rides. This innovative perk underscores Taos’ unwavering commitment to providing exceptional value for both locals and visitors alike.
Here’s a glimpse of the exciting new and returning attractions and events for the summer of 2024:
Fresh for Summer 2024
Revamped Blake Elevated Experiences – Embark on an unparalleled four-day, three-night journey curated by The Blake at Taos Ski Valley. With the guidance of The Blake Guest Experience Team, guests can tailor a bespoke itinerary from a menu of daily activities. Options range from outdoor adventures like biking, via ferrata excursions, fly fishing, and hiking to cultural escapades such as visits to the Taos Pueblo UNESCO World Heritage Site, tours of The Blake’s private art collection, and explorations of historic downtown Taos. Additionally, indulge in spa treatments and yoga sessions, with most meals included at the resort’s premier restaurants. From inception to conclusion, The Blake Guest Experience Team ensures a flawless stay, with packages starting at $2,995 for two people, with additional participants at $995 each, excluding lodging.
Tailored Blake Elevated Experiences for Kids – Children aged five and above can partake in specially curated experiences at The Blake. Supervised full-day activities include outdoor exploration, arts and crafts sessions, and select adult activities like cultural tours, mountain biking (ages six and up), and via ferrata adventures (ages 12 and up). The Blake Guest Experience Team ensures an unforgettable stay for every family member, with packages starting at $2,995 for two people, and $995 for each additional participant, excluding lodging.
Innovative All-Level Mountain Bike Lessons – Dive into Taos Ski Valley’s diverse terrain with new trails, enhanced lift access, and a forthcoming skills park for children. Enthusiasts can opt for Mountain Biking 101 lessons for beginners, featuring a lift ticket, lesson, and rental equipment, or intermediate to advanced bike lessons for seasoned riders.
Elevated Pickleball at 9,200 Feet – Experience America’s fastest-growing sport amidst the breathtaking vistas of Taos Ski Valley’s new pickleball court, nestled in the base area.
Festivals & Events
Back by popular demand, the 12 Weeks of Taos returns with a lineup of complimentary activities for visitors and locals alike, running from July 4 to September 22. Weekend highlights include outdoor yoga, movie screenings, photo scavenger hunts, live music, fly fishing tutorials, and more.
Signature Events – Taos Ski Valley’s event calendar boasts an array of signature events throughout the season, including July’s Mountain Chili Cook-Off and Taos Ski Valley Arts Festival, August’s Taos Mountain Yoga Festival, September’s challenging Bull of the Woods trail race, culminating in the Oktoberfest weekend.
2nd Annual Community Day – Demonstrating Taos Ski Valley’s dedication to the local community, the resort will host its second annual Community Day on June 29, featuring a day filled with complimentary activities. Further details will be available on the resort’s website.
Beloved Summer Activities
Via Ferrata Climbing Tour – Nestled at 11,500 feet on the iconic Kachina Peak, the Via Ferrata offers routes for climbers of all levels, featuring a 100-foot skybridge and a double-cable catwalk. Novices can enjoy the thrill of climbing securely tethered to cables under the guidance of experienced guides, soaking in panoramic views of the Rio Hondo and Wheeler Peak Wilderness.
Hike-in, Hike-out – Taos Ski Valley’s backyard offers an array of trails for hikers of all levels, showcasing lakes, wildlife, and breathtaking mountain panoramas.
Scenic Lift Rides – Revel in the serene alpine beauty aboard Lift 1 and Lift 4, offering panoramic views of the surrounding mountains.
E-Bike Rentals – Explore the valley at your leisure with e-bikes available for rent from Taos Sports, offering convenient transportation from the base area to the Kachina Basin, with opportunities to visit trailheads or dine at the renowned Bavarian restaurant while enjoying live music and scenic vistas.
Tuesday, May 14, 2024
Discover the surprising expenses of concert tourism across 50 major U.S. cities in our latest study, revealing the true cost of musical getaways.
Upgraded Points conducted a detailed analysis of the expenses involved in attending concerts in 50 major U.S. cities during the summer 2024 tour season. With headliners like Taylor Swift, Drake, and Olivia Rodrigo, fans are transforming these concert visits into mini-vacations, a trend now dubbed “gig tripping.” The study examined the costs associated with concert tickets, flights, accommodations, and refreshments, providing a comprehensive breakdown of what music enthusiasts can expect to spend at each tour stop.
“From Taylor Swift’s record-breaking tour to emerging indie acts, the enthusiasm for live music has transformed into a travel phenomenon,” said Keri Stooksbury, editor-in-chief at Upgraded Points. “We look at the exact costs of concert tourism, spotlighting the cities where fans won’t break the bank.”
Study Methodology
The study analyzed eight different cost factors across the 50 largest cities in the U.S., covering expenses such as airfare, meals, Airbnb costs, merchandise, and refreshments. Each cost reflects the average expenditures for a weekend trip, from Friday night arrival to Sunday morning departure. Concert ticket and parking prices were based on average resale costs for 2023/2024 events at each city’s top-grossing concert venue, utilizing data from Vivid Seats. The costs account for the dynamic nature of the resale market, where prices vary based on the artist’s popularity, ticket availability, and the event’s timing.
Additionally, the research reviewed tour dates from 30 of the most popular music tours in the 2023/2024 season to determine which cities hosted the most and fewest concerts. The list featured a wide array of artists from different genres, including Pearl Jam, Bad Bunny, Blake Shelton, and the Eagles, offering insights into the geographic distribution of major live music events.
America’s Most Expensive Concert Weekend Getaways
The Big Apple of Spenders: New York
The Golden Gate Groove: San Francisco
Other Star-Studded Shows: Boston, Los Angeles, and Seattle
Budget Beats: America’s Most Affordable Concert Cities
Bluegrass Bargains: Lexington, Kentucky
Rock and Roll Rates: Cleveland
Queen City Tunes: Cincinnati
Blues on a Budget: Memphis, Tennessee
Steel City Songs: Pittsburgh
Read Full Report: https://upgradedpoints.com/news/cost-of-us-concert-vacations-2024/
Tags: concert tourism, Travel news, US Travel News
Tuesday, May 14, 2024
Tuesday, May 14, 2024
Tuesday, May 14, 2024
