Author: Tourism News live

More than a century old and Japan’s oldest zoo, unveiled the first baby elephant to be born there since its founding, and have sought help from the public for naming it. The choices are Arun, which means “dawn” in Thai, Atsadong (sunset), or Tawan (sun). The winning name will be announced on Dec. 15. The male calf was shown to the public for the first time this week since his birth at Tokyo’s Ueno Zoological Gardens on the 31st of OCT. The baby was about 100 centimeters tall and 120 kg at birth, but he has grown considerably since. His ... Read more

Fondly caressing the back of a large Burmese python resting on his lap, 69-year-old Buddhist monk Wilatha is trying to play a part in saving hundreds of snakes that might otherwise be killed or destined for the black market. Wilatha has created a refuge for snakes ranging from vipers to cobras to pythons at the Seikta Thukha TetOo monastery in the commercial city of Yangon. Government agencies and residents of the city including the fire department, have been bringing captured snakes to the monk since the launch of the snake refuge, five years back. “Once people catch snakes, they will ... Read more

Ramayan Cruise Tour’ on the Saryu river in Ayodhya will be launched soon. Shri Mansukh Mandaviya, Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways today chaired a review meeting for the implementation of cruise service. It will be the first-ever luxury Cruise service on the Saryu river (Ghagra/National Waterways-40) in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. It aims to give a mesmerizing experience to devotees with one-of-its-kind spiritual journeys while cruising through the famous ghats of the holy river Saryu. The cruise will be equipped with all luxury comfort and facilities along with all essential safety and security features at par with the global standard. ... Read more

Oman will resume issuing tourist visas to select categories of individuals, the country’s Supreme Committee dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic ruled on Monday, November 30. In June, it decided to extend the validity of tourist visas until March 2021. All tourist visas issued from March 1, 2020, until August 31, 2020, were eligible for the extension. A statement issued online by Oman News Agency (ONA) said, “The Supreme committee decided to allow the issuance of tourist visas to enter the Sultanate, provided that the arrival of tourists is within the framework of tourist groups organized by hotels and tourism companies.” ... Read more

With the pandemic changing the way we work, live, and travel, creative people like artists, musicians, and writers seeking a much-needed change of scenery from their homes and daily routines to recharge creatively and tap into their own pursuits and passions and Airbnb is right up there paving a way for their creative escapes. Fine artist and photographer Hilary Archer hit the road this summer to reignite her creativity after completing a certificate in Natural Science Illustration at the Rhode Island School of Design this past May. In search of a way to launch her career as a wildlife artist, Hilary found ... Read more

International Day of Persons with Disabilities is held on 3 December each year and celebrated internationally. It aims to increase public awareness, understanding and acceptance of people with disability, and this year 2020 theme is “BUILDING BACK BETTER”. SKAL International Club, Trivandrum, handed over the Cerebral Palsy (CP Medical Bed) to the Physiotherapy unit located inside the Centre for Rehabilitation of the differently-abled, at LMS Polio Home, Trivandrum. On the occasion of International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the program was well attended by the officials and children of the polio home, and team members of the SKAL Club. For ... Read more

Food safety concept Reports say that Singapore has given US start-up Eat Just the green signal to sell its lab-grown chicken meat, which would be the world’s first regulatory approval for clean meat that does not come from slaughtered animals. An experimental restaurant has already been opened by a start-up company in Israel to serve its own lab-grown chicken meat products. Upon initial launching in a restaurant in Singapore, the meat will be sold as nuggets, and will be priced at premium chicken prices said East Just Co-founder and CEO Josh Tetrick. “We think that [the way] to really solve ... Read more

This year’s edition of Nagaland’s much-loved Hornbill festival will be held virtually, in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The festival’s 21st edition will be held from December 1 to 5 and will be aired on national and local news channels. The Festival is named after the Indian Hornbill, the large and colourful forest bird which is displayed in folklore in most of the state’s tribes. One of the most well-known festivals of the Northeast, the festival unites one and all in Nagaland and people enjoy the colourful performances, crafts, sports, food fairs, games and ceremonies. Traditional arts which include ... Read more

Despite the spike in COVID 19 infections, Asian superpower Japan plans to keep fund provisions to promote domestic tourism and dining out in its next stimulus package, according to a draft of the government’s upcoming stimulus package. There have been some concerns raised though, about the campaigns as there is a surge in the Covid cases. Japan’s economy has been gradually recovering from its worst post-war slump caused by the coronavirus earlier this year. But it is likely to take years before the economy returns to pre-pandemic levels. The draft stimulus package mainly aims to set up a fund to ... Read more

Australian fire crews are battling massive bushfires on Fraser Island, the world’s largest sand island, which has been burning for six weeks, forcing tourists to flee the island off the northeast coast. The fires have razed more than 76,000 hectares (187,800 acres), nearly half of the island, which is world heritage listed for its tropical rain forests and sand dunes. Several guests were ferried off the island, also known by its indigenous name K’gari, on Tuesday as weather conditions worsened. More than 1 million liters of water and fire-retardant gel have been dropped on the fires since Saturday, the Queensland ... Read more

Buckingham Palace of London is undergoing a 10-year refit to replace dangerous electrical wiring and boilers, and refurbish other ageing infrastructure, a programme that will cost about $494 million US Dollars and is expected to finish in 2027. Work has begun to overhaul the Picture Gallery at Queen Elizabeth’s Buckingham Palace, often the backdrop to state visits and receptions held by the monarch and home to some of its best-known Old Master paintings. As part of this refurbishment process, the 200-year-old roof of the Picture Gallery will be replaced and all the paintings, including works by Canaletto, Vermeer and Rembrandt ... Read more

South Asia’s largest hospitality company, Indian Hotels Company Ltd ( IHCL)  has announced the signing of three Taj hotels, out of which two would be in Kolkata and one in Patna. The new hotels are built in partnership with the Ambuja- Neotia group who has already partnered with IHCL for two other hotels in Darjeeling and Gangtok. Combined these five projects will add up to a total of 500 rooms. With the addition of these hotels, IHCL will have 23 hotels in nine states of Eastern India across different brands. Puneet Chhatwal, Managing director and Chief executive officer, IHCL on ... Read more

More than a million French cyclists have used a 50 euro ($60) subsidy to get their old bikes repaired as part of measures to fight the coronavirus and now the government wants more people to start riding them. Following France’s first lockdown in the spring, the government offered subsidies to get old bikes fixed. That programme will now be extended until the end of March following the relaxation of a second lockdown last weekend. “After this second lockdown, the government wants to encourage French people to use bicycles to move around,” Environment Minister Barbara Pompili said during a visit to ... Read more

China’s efforts to win an international certification for Pao Cai, a pickled vegetable dish from Sichuan, is turning into a social media showdown between Chinese and South Korean netizens over the origin of Kimchi, a staple South Korean cuisine made of cabbage. Beijing recently won certification from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) for Pao Cai, an achievement the state-run Global Times reported as “an international standard for the Kimchi industry led by China.” South Korean media was fast to dispute such a claim and accuse the bigger neighbor of trying to make Kimchi a type of China-made Pao Cai. ... Read more

Come the chilly winter months, and the jungles across India are lush and vibrant after the passing monsoons, making it the perfect time for a safari adventure. Taj Safaris, India’s first and only luxury wildlife circuit, welcomes you for a new season of holidays in the wild with its Wildlife Escape offer, to enjoy the incredibly diverse wildlife in some of the most renowned National Parks in India and Nepal. Offering an inclusive experience that allows one to feel the thrill of the forest while delighting in a touch of luxury at the intimate safari lodges, the Wildlife Escape offer guests can look ... Read more