News Station

Travelex Launches Service In India

Travelex, the international foreign exchange specialist has launched its services in India. The company provides retail, corporate and commercial foreign exchange services and has over 650 retail branches and 16,000 business clients around the world.

Travelex is the world’s largest non-bank provider of commercial foreign exchange services, providing integrated solutions for businesses. The group is also one of the leading providers of outsourced travel money to banks,travel agencies and other financial institutions and the world’s oldest issuers of travellers’ cheques. Its business operations span travel money, global payments, currency services, travellers’ cheques, ATMs, prepaid cards, foreign coin services, global services, travel insurance and worldwide money transfer. In addition they offer wires, drafts and derivative products. Yogesh Shetty, group director, commercial foreign exchange, Travelex commented, “As the world’s largest foreign exchange specialist, it was only natural that we announced our entry into India which we will be developing as a hub for business development in the region. Given our expertise we feel that we are perfectly placed to provide a wide variety of consumer and business services. Additionally, given the region’s gradual deregulation of the financial services industry and the opening of local markets to encourage competition, we are now looking at broadening our franchise in Asia. We will also provide a comprehensive range of corporate and commercial services for many international companies and financial organisations.”

Ayurveda In Goa

If you really needed a reason to go to Goa, Taj brings Ayurveda to Goa. Taj Hotels, Resorts and Palaces announced the opening of its second Ayurveda spa in India - Taamra, the Ayurveda spa, at the Taj Exotica, Goa in partnership with the Ayushman Ayurveda Trust, Coimbatore. Built in wood and stone, the Taamra Spa is architecturally reminiscent of the temples of Kerala. Designed to address each individual's physical balance requirements, the Spa imparts genuine Ayurveda treatments in an authentic, traditional setting.

With facilities like the spacious couple massage suites with private gardens and bathing pools, yoga and meditation rooms, a host of authentic Ayurveda treatments, the Taamra Spa promises a magical holistic experience.

Starting December 1, 2003, Lufthansa will operate daily non-stop flights between Chennai and Frankfurt, subject to government approval.

Lufthansa currently operates daily flights from New Delhi and Mumbai, six from Chennai and three from Bangalore to Frankfurt.

With the addition of the seventh Chennai-Frankfurt flight, Lufthansa will operate 24 flights between India and Germany, with 10 flights alone from Southern India via its gateways in Chennai and Bangalore.

Commenting on the flight increase, Werner Heesen, general manager passenger sales India and director South Asia, Lufthansa German Airlines said, “We are pleased to link Chennai to Frankfurt with daily services to cater to the growing travel demand from the southern region as well as to provide further choices and convenient connections to our passengers.”

Lufthansa will operate a Boeing 747-400 aircraft on this route, which offers a three class configuration, with 16 seats in the first class cabin, 64 in business and 310 seats in the economy class.

LH 759 will depart Chennai at 0150 hours arriving in Frankfurt at 0725 hours. LH 758 will depart Frankfurt at 1035 hours, arriving at 2350 hours.

Lufthansa also plans to increase its Bangalore-Frankfurt flights from three to six weekly flights from December 2003 to February 2004, subject to government approval.