Category: Festival and Events

The Etihad Airways stand at the Arabian Travel Market 2018 in Dubai hosts humanoid robot Sophia, the AI-powered robot who is famous for its speech at the UN and interviewing celebrities and world leaders alike. Sophia was named the United Nations Development Programme’s first ever Innovation Champion for Asia and the Pacific, and is also the first robot in the world to have a nationality, after being granted citizenship by Saudi Arabia. Sophia will take part in a one-on-one interview with host Damian Watson, head of station at Abu Dhabi Media Company, to discuss the future of innovation and technology in ... Read more

The II UNWTO World Conference on Smart Destinations, promoted by the UNWTO together with the Kingdom of Spain and the Government of the Principality of Asturias, call for creative videos from entrepreneurs and companies in line with the themes of innovation, technology and sustainability in tourism. The last date for the submission is April 30, 2018. The Conference will serve as a forum to debate academically research work on future tourism models, based on Innovation and Technology, which allow Accessibility and Sustainable Development of tourism and the territories in the 21st century. “The Conference recognizes the key role of entrepreneurs and ... Read more

Oman is attending the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2018 with Responsible Tourism, including current sustainable travel trends as its theme for this year. ATM 2018 will be held at the Dubai World Trade Centre from April 22 to 25. The Sultanate’s delegation will be led by Maitha Saif Al Mahrouqi, Undersecretary in the Ministry of Tourism. “As part of the Sultanate’s National Tourism Strategy 2040, the Ministry of Tourism seeks to introduce the most recently launched services, projects and facilities, such as the opening of the new passenger terminal at Muscat International Airport and the launching of the electronic visa. It also aims ... Read more

With an aim to woo more Arabian tourists to the state, Kerala Tourism will participate in the prestigious Arabian Travel Market, scheduled to be held from April 22 to 25, in Dubai. The Kerala delegation for the Arabian Travel Market will be led by Kadakampally Surendran, Minister for Tourism, Cooperation and Devaswoms. “Kerala Tourism’s presence at the Arabian Travel Mart augurs well for the tourism industry in the state, considering the potential it has to offer to travelers looking to include Kerala in their annual tour itineraries. Further, the B2B meets that will be organized in various places in the ... Read more

The 33rd IATO convention held in Odisha The four-day 34th annual convention of Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) will be held at Hotel Novotel in Visakhapatnam from September 6 to 9. Tourism Minister KJ Alphons would inaugurate the convention on September 6.  The association will also organize  ‘IATO Run for Responsible Tourism’ on September 7 at 6 AM, starting from Beach Road, followed by panel discussions regarding tourism promotion in the State and domestic markets. “IATO meet was being organised for the first time in the State. About 1,100 tour operators would take part in the convention wherein latest developments ... Read more

Rajasthan Department of Tourism, in association with Federation of Hospitality and Tourism of Rajasthan (FHTR), is planning to organize ‘Rajasthan Domestic Travel Mart’ 2018. The three-day event is scheduled to be held at the B.M. Birla Auditorium in Jaipur on July 20 and 22. The DoT and FHTR Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Additional Director Tourism, Sanjay Pande and Bhim Singh, President, FHTR, at an event held at Hotel ITC Rajputana, Sheraton, Jaipur in the presence of Nihal Chand Goel, Chief Secretary of Rajasthan. “The primary objective of ‘Rajasthan Domestic Travel Mart’ is to exclusively focus on the domestic tourists from ... Read more

Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) said it is planning to promote Maharashtra as the preferred destination for Medical and Wellness tourism at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2018, which will be held at the Dubai World Trade Centre from 22-25 April 2018. MTDC will showcase the essence of the state and its spectacular touristic attractions and discuss strategic partnerships with tourism professionals and potential investors at ATM “I am delighted to be a part of the Arabian Travel Market 2018 that will provide MTDC a platform to showcase the potential of medical tourism in Maharashtra. While the segment is largely untapped and caters ... Read more

The much-awaited 2018 edition of Great Indian Travel Bazaar (GITB) is about to hit the Pink City, which is also known as the Paris of India. Regarded as the biggest travel and tourism event held annually in India, FICCI GITB is expected to add another feather in the cap of this historical city by turning it into a tourism hub. Jaipur’s growing reputation as a tourism hotspot, speaks volumes for its chances of becoming a heritage centre in India and its suitability to host an event for the tourism players across the world to chart new growth strategies and discuss ... Read more

If tourism needs to get a boost in the Kashmir valley, it needs to raise civic infrastructure and build institutional framework within tourism industry so that the benefits reach the local economy and help common people. “Limited number of five-star hotels in Kashmir is a lacuna that needs to be overcome. Kashmir needs more of them. What is the point of asking more airlines to fly to Srinagar when the starred hotel infrastructure is quite weak?,” said Kapil Kaul, CEO of New Delhi-based Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) India while addressing a session at the second day of the three-day convention of ... Read more

As part of promoting South Asian cuisine and culture, a first-ever National Samosa Week is about to be held in Britain’s Leicester city. Coordinated by Leicester Curry Awards (an annual gala dinner celebration), the five-day event is about to start on 9th April. “There’s a national food event for everything, from burgers to beer, so why not samosas? The savoury dish has grown in popularity and for many people in the South Asian community, eating one is like the equivalent of having tea and cake,” said Romail Gulzar, founder of Leicester Curry Awards. The organisers, as part of the celebrations, ... Read more

The 8th Bhoj Adventures Fest kick starts in Bhopal featuring sky diving for the first time. The 16-day event at Kaliyasot ground near Pt Khushilal Ayurvedic College, Nehru Nagar Road, will give a chance for around 1000 students from various schools to learn adventurous sports in the free adventure camp. Full length bungee jumping, sky diving, inflammable rock wall, paintball arena with 12 paintball shooting rifles, hot air balloon, paramotor riding, parasailing, reverse bungee jumping, ATV bike, Burma bridge, ziplining, Rifle shooting, aeromodelling training and aeromodelling shows, Science fest and various other adventures rides will make the event lively throughout. Sky diving ... Read more

The second week-end of the “Incredible India Heritage Series” will be held on 17th and 18th March, 2018 in Delhi and Kochi. The Ministry of Tourism through SPIC MACAY is organizing the music series “Incredible India Heritage Series” in Varanasi, Delhi and Kochi, which would be held over a period of 6 weekends with the objective to promote the rich cultural heritage of the country and to reinforce the principle of ‘Tourism for All’. The entry for the programme is free for all visitors. The programme at Delhi would be held at Humayun’s Tomb (infront of Isa Khan’s Tomb). On ... Read more

Dubai’s biggest yoga festival, holistic events and entertainment for yogis and complete beginners alike, will be conducted from 16-17 March.  The two-day event will see yoga sessions and classes running all weekend, from sunrise until sunset, taught by local and international yoga teachers. One of the international yogis taking part will be Tao Porchon-Lynch, who at 97 holds the Guinness World Record for being the oldest yoga teacher in the world. Bollywood star and yoga practitioner, Malaika Arora Khan will also be leading the yoga sessions. Visitors will also be able to find healthy food stalls, yoga equipment, entertainment, and more. ... Read more

After a successful ITB Berlin held in Germany from March 7-11, Kerala Tourism conducted a roadshow in Marseille, France on March 13. The Kerala Tourism is touring European countries as part of its marketing campaigns to attract more European tourists to the God’s own Country. The Marseille roadshow under the leadership of Rahul, Managing Director of Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC), saw 15 tour operators from Marseille attending the show. Nearly 40 per cent of foreign footfalls to the state are from the developed countries of UK, Germany and France. Considering that Europe is a high potential market for overall tourism growth, ... Read more

Abu Dhabi, in partnership with Yas Island, conducts roadshow in Kuwait to facilitate dialogue with businesses and operating bodies in the Kuwaiti travel and tourism sector to explore the Emirate’s diverse cultural and touristic offerings. Together with Yas Island, DCT Abu Dhabi will host the event on March 14 at The Sheraton, Kuwait. The event will showcase Abu Dhabi’s dynamic cultural and touristic assets to key travel players in Kuwait, spanning leisure, events, accommodation, entertainment and events in the city, with a focus on family travel. “Through this roadshow we hope to engage with travel agents and other industry players ... Read more