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The Zoji La Tunnel Just Hit a Construction Milestone, But It Won't Speed Up Your Ladakh Trip Yet

Union minister Nitin Gadkari marked the main tunnel breakthrough on the Zoji La project on 9 June 2026, a major step toward year-round road access to Ladakh, though the nearly 14km tunnel is not expected to open to traffic until 2028.

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Chennai Airport's New International Terminal, T3, Is Now Delayed to December 2026

Chennai International Airport's new integrated terminal, T3, meant to lift capacity to 35 million passengers a year, has slipped again and is now expected in December 2026, roughly a year and a half behind its original target.

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MSC's Newest Superliner Debuts in the Mediterranean This December, With an Eye on Indian Bookings

MSC Cruises' newest World Class ship, MSC World Asia, begins seven-night Western Mediterranean sailings from December 2026, part of a wider push by the line to market its global itineraries, including this Mediterranean season, to Indian travellers.

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Cordelia's New Ship Starts Sailing From Mumbai on 23 October, With Lakshadweep and Southeast Asia Routes

Cordelia Cruises begins its inaugural Indian season aboard the newly acquired Cordelia Sky, formerly Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Sky, from Mumbai on 23 October 2026, with short domestic itineraries and longer Southeast Asia voyages from Chennai.

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Air India Express Adds Six New Domestic Destinations, Taking Its Network to 64

Air India Express began flying to Aurangabad, Coimbatore, Jamnagar, Jodhpur, Madurai and Tirupati from 1 September 2026, extending its domestic network to 64 destinations and adding same-day connections from several tier-two cities.

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Air India Is Launching a Direct Mumbai-Jaisalmer Route From 25 October

Air India will begin a daily non-stop service between Mumbai and Jaisalmer from 25 October 2026, giving western India a direct link to the desert city timed for Rajasthan's winter tourist season.

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India Warns Travellers: Malaysia's Visa-Free Entry Isn't a Backdoor to a Job

The Indian High Commission in Kuala Lumpur has issued an advisory against using Malaysia's 30-day visa-free facility to seek work, warning of a rise in cases where fraudulent agents' false job promises have led to overstays, exploitation and detention.

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UPI Is Coming to Uzbekistan, but Indian Travellers Will Have to Wait About a Year

NPCI International has signed a deal to bring UPI payments to Uzbekistan via its UZQR network, making it the eleventh country in the scheme, though the agreement itself points to a rollout roughly a year away rather than an immediate launch.

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India Has Climbed to 31st in the World's Top Travel & Tourism Rankings

India rose nine places to 31st out of 110 economies in the World Economic Forum's 2026 Travel & Tourism Development Index, with cultural heritage sites and cost-competitiveness cited as key strengths.

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Japan Has Tripled Its Departure Tax for International Travellers

Japan's International Tourist Tax, a one-time charge collected when travellers leave the country, rose from ¥1,000 to ¥3,000 per person from 1 July 2026, a change that has already taken effect and is generally built into ticket prices rather than paid separately.

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Bengaluru Airport Starts Charging Arriving Passengers a User Development Fee From September 2026

From 1 September 2026, Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru began levying a User Development Fee on arriving passengers for the first time, while cutting the fee charged on departures.

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The UAE Has Stopped Granting Visa-on-Arrival to Indian Passport Holders Who Qualified Only Through a UK Visa

Since July 2026, Indian passport holders can no longer use a valid UK visa or UK residence permit alone to qualify for visa-on-arrival in the UAE, though US, EU, Australian, Canadian and several other countries' documents still qualify.