An investment worth of **US$10 million** was received by **MakeMyTrip.com** - India’s leading online travel company from the **SB Asia Infrastructure Fund (SAIF)**.

This reflects the booming Indian travel industry and will be enable MakeMyTrip.com to pursue both an *aggressive organic* and *acquisition based* strategy.

**Mr. Deep Kalra**, Founder & CEO, MakeMyTrip.com:

“The investment of USD 10 million is testimony to the inherent potential of the online travel industry in India and MakeMyTrip’s proven abilities. This will help us take a pole position in the Indian travel space.”

**MakeMyTrip.com** recorded gross revenues of **$20 million** in the last financial year, in addition to being profitable for the last 2 years. With a projected annual growth rate of **150%**, the company plans to reach revenues of **$50 million** by the end of the current fiscal.

More information here: [US$10 million investment to help online travel growth in India](http://www.eyefortravel.com/index.asp?news=46198 title=”Link to Eyefortravel.com”)

[Makemytrip.com](http://makemytrip.com/) site itself looks like India’s version of [Expedia](http://www.expedia.com/) providing **flight tickets booking** and **hotels reservation** among other things

Check out the site here: [Makemytrip.com](http://makemytrip.com/)

Related Posts:

From: [Banyan Tree takes on new projects in Thailand, UK](http://www6.lexisnexis.com/publisher/EndUser?Action=UserDisplayFullDocument&orgId=616&topicId=12552&docId=l:283571957&start=6)

A new properties from **Banyan Tree** resorts and hotels chain will be build on **Koh Samui Thailand**.

The design, development and management of the Resort and Spa will be handle by the Thailand’s leading hotel and real estate owner and developer, **TCC Land Company**

Design and planning work of the TCC-owned properties are expected to begin immediately and expected to be ready on **2008**.

The Koh Samui project will be the **third Thai project** for Banyan Tree, which already has a resort in **Phuket** and runs a city hotel in **Bangkok**. The Koh Samui Banyan Tree will sit on a plot of 20 acres on a secluded beach.

Besides properties in Thailand, Banyak Tree also owned Resort and Spa in **Indonesia’s Bintan Island** and **China’s Ringha, on the Yunnan Provinces**

Find more info about Banyak Tree on its official site: [Banyan Tree.com](http://www.banyantree.com)

Banyan Tree Phuket	Banyan Tree Bintan	Banyan Tree Bangkok

Related Posts:

Low-cost carrier [or budget airlines] **Lion Mentari Airlines**, or **Lion Air** of Indonesia confirmed that it plans to sign an agreement for the purchase of **60 aircraft** from **Boeing** worth USD3.9 bln.

Lion Air official site: [Lion Air](http://www.lionair.co.id “Lion Air of Indonesia”)

Lion Air spokesman **Hasyim Arsal Alhabsi**:

> “…the company is likely to order **737-800** and **737-900** aircraft as part of a memorandum of understanding due to be signed in the US this week. The total number of aircraft ordered stands at 60 but we still have the option to pick the type of airplanes later…”

The airplanes will be delivered starting from early 2006, he said.

The deal signing ceremony is expected to be presided over by **President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono** who is currently on an official visit to Washington.

More information: Indonesia’s Lion Air confirms it will sign deal to buy 60 jets from Boeing - Forbes.com

Related Posts:

For those of you who are looking for pictures and photos of the delegates of Miss Universe 2005, look no more.

Global Beauties.com has the complete list of galleries of Miss Universe 2005 activities where you can find almost all pictures live from Bangkok, Thailand.

The latest galleries are here:

• BSC “Postcards from Thailand” Miss Universe Fashion Show (Part 2) 5/25
• BSC “Postcards from Thailand” Miss Universe Fashion Show (Part 1) 5/25
• Thai Silk Fashion Show at Royal Navy Hall (Updated) 5/24
• MAMA VIP Party at Intercontinental Hotel 5/23
• Party at the Dusit Thani Hotel 5/23

Not only that, they also provide links to other Miss Universe 2005 pictures on the Internet. Pay close attention for the link to Getty Images galleries (Updated Daily)

Links to profiles, interview, photos, videos and more of the delegates from Asian Countries:

• Indonesia, Artika Sari Devi
• Thailand, Chananporn Rosjan
• Malaysia, Angela Gan
• Singapore, Cheryl Tay
• Vietnam, Hang Thu Pham
• Japan, Yukari Kuzuya
• Korea, So-Young Kim
• China, Tao Si Yuan
• India Amrita Thapar
• Philippines, Giona Cabrera

More about Miss Universe Pageant 2005, Bangkok Thailand:

1. This is the second time that Thailand host the international show. The first was in 1992.
2. The pageant will be held at IMPACT Arena, Exhibition and Convention Center and broadcast in the US on NBC and Telemundo on Monday, May 30, 2005 at 9PM ET (May 31, 2005 9PM Thailand Local Time) and will be distributed around the world to nearly a billion viewers.
3. The Thailand Tourism Authority expects 10,000 visitors to descend on Bangkok for the 2005 Miss Universe contest.

More links:

• Miss Universe Official Site
• Official Site of Miss Universe 2005 Thailand
• Miss Universe @ Global Beauties.com
• Ticket Information for the Final Show

Related Posts:

Following the meeting of Transport Minister Yeo Cheow Tong’s and Mr Hatta Radjasa, his Indonesian counterpart, in Jakarta on Tuesday, Indonesia and Singapore agreed to an agreement to expand existing air rights between both countries.

The plan was to increase the number of flights between Singapore and two Indonesian cities, Jakarta and Denpasar. Details below:

• Singapore carriers operate 126 weekly passenger flights between Singapore and Jakarta, and 42 to Denpasar.
• SIA flies 112 weekly passenger flights while Valuair 14 to Jakarta.
• The 42 weekly flights to Denpasar are operated by SIA.

Singapore also hopes to have flights to Jogjakarta and Bandung, and possibly to Medan and Surabaya in the future.

More info here: “Singapore, Indonesia reach in-principle agreement to expand air rights” [ChannelNewsAsia.com]

Related Posts:

‘Gateway to South Asia’ Travel Mart 2005 will be held on June 3-5 for the third consecutive year to showcase Sri Lanka and its special products and services.

The goal of the The Travel Mart is to build tourism in South Asia, which would in turn strengthen Sri Lanka’s position as the gateway to South Asia.

The organisers hope that over 150 international buyers will visit the Travel Mart. They said the Travel Mart would have exhibitors from airlines, international tourism organisations, travel agencies, hotels, and apparel, gem and jewelry, and handicraft companies.

From: Sri Lanka Gateway to South Asia Travel Mart 2005

More about Sri Lanka [Wikipedia page]

Related Posts:

From: Bangkok Post Thursday 26 May 2005 - Luang Prabang to host Mekong tourism forum

The event is scheduled on March 29-30, 2006 and confirmed by the Lao National Tourism Administration deputy chairman Dr Sila Mounthalavong following a meeting in Vientiane, May 10, with representatives from hotels, travel agencies, regional organisations involved in sustainable projects.

Backing the event as the founding sponsors are three regional travel related companies Amadeus Asia Pacific, Best Western Hotels Asia and Diethelm Travel Asia

From the article:

The town is one of the few major tourist attractions of the six-country region (Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam) that actually stand adjacent to the Mekong River. In fact the river makes a wide sweeping meander through the heart of the town, isolating the farm lands of Luang Province on the west bank from the town’s ancient temples and the hundreds of guest houses that line the embankment street

More information about the Mekong Tourism Forum at the PATA site: The 10th Mekong Tourism Forum

More information about Luang Prabang [Wikipedia page]: Luang Prabang

Related Posts: