Category: Top Stories

Andhra Pradesh Tourism Authority (APTA) to host Formula 1 Motorboat Racing in river Krishna near the green field capital city of Amaravati. The global sporting event, F1H20 World Championship, is coming back to India after a long gap of 14 years. The prestigious racing extravaganza will take place from November 16 to 18. More than 350 international drivers from the F1H20 circuit will compete for the top honours in the debut season of Amaravati in UIM motorboat racing. “This is one of the foundations of the Amaravati development project. The resident organizing committee of F1H20 Grand Prix is geared to ... Read more

Loi Krathong, one of Thailand’s most enchanting annual festivals, falls on 22 November this year, and the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is hosting the unique Loi Krathong Kap Kluai of Samut Songkhram 2018 event from 21 to 23 November in Samut Songkhram province west of Bangkok. “With its widespread appeal and popularity, Loi Krathong is an ideal opportunity to promote tourism linkages from major to secondary cities, in line with the government’s policy to better balance the distribution of tourists and tourism revenue between urban and rural areas and even out monthly travel seasonality. The Loi Krathong Kap Kluai of ... Read more

Despite some 4.6 million visitor arrivals, Singapore tourism sector recorded a drop in overall spending in the second quarter of the year by 1.7 per cent to USD 6.6 billion, compared with the same period last year. It was revealed by the quarterly report by Singapore Tourism Board (STB) The dip in tourism spending was attributed to lower spending in areas like shopping, 22 per cent less and food and beverage, 15 per cent less, and in sightseeing, entertainment and gaming, 2 per cent less. However, tourism spending grew for accommodation (6 per cent) and a miscellaneous category that includes ... Read more

Travellers, be aware that new regulations are issued by the Department of Public Health in Thailand which will force smokers to stay well away from public buildings and public areas. The ban will include people smoking outside café and restaurants. No smoking signs must be posted in accordance with ministry regulations and that the areas surrounding such signs in all directions will be considered off limits to smoking, reads the guidelines. Signs are only permitted away from doors, windows, entrances and exits, pipes and ventilation openings and must clearly state in Thai and English that smoking is not permitted within ... Read more

“Facebook Dating” service test was first launched in Colombia in September. And, now Facebook has expanded its dating feature test to two new countries – Canada and Thailand. The feature included user-integration with Groups and Events on the social networking platform with the idea to encourage people to meet in public. For the tests in Canada and Thailand, Facebook has new functionalities. Among them is a feature called the “Second Look” that allows users to reconsider a previous decision. With this new added feature, one can pause matching in case they are no longer looking to date. The feature is ... Read more

The 66th edition of the Nehru Trophy Boat Race (NTBR) took place at the Punnamada lake in Alappuzha on 10th November 2018. Around 81 boats, including 25 snakeboats, made a splash on Punnamada Lake. The event gave the much-needed impetus to the flood-ravaged backwater tourism sector. Kerala Governor P Sathasivam has inaugurated the event in the presence of Kerala ministers and other dignitaries. South Indian young star Allu Arjun flagged of the race. Kerala Blasters foot ball team was also present at the venue to cheer up the oarsmen. Payippadan has become the fastest snake boat (Chundan vallam) and winner ... Read more

Heart-pumping dune bashing, exploring past civilisations, and stargazing in the middle of the desert: Mleiha has put together an all-encompassing itinerary through its Archaeological and Eco-tourism Project. Mleiha, in the Emirate of Sharjah, is striking the right chord with history buffs and the traveller who loves the great outdoors. In 2016, the Mleiha Archaeological Centre was officially opened by His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, as part of the first phase of the Mleiha Archaeological and Eco-tourism Project. The project, realising the true potential of Mleiha as a ... Read more

In an effort to boost tourism in the country, Vietnam plans to host a Formula One race in 2020 in Hanoi. The race will be 5.565-kilometer street circuit and the event is expected to be in April 2020. It was announced by Vingroup JSC, who signed a multi-year deal to host the Grand Prix. With the event, Vietnam government envisions to woo more foreign tourists to the country to reduce its dependency on export to strengthen the economy. It is expected that the number of tourists to increase by 30 per cent by the end of 2018, counting around 16 million ... Read more

The Middle East’s first indoor ski resort, Ski Dubai, has activities to keep you enthralled for several days and can be visited many times over! Snow Park Snow Park is a breathtaking 3,000 square meter, real snow wonderland — strap on your snow boots and experience Twin Track Bobsled runs, a Snow Cavern filled with interactive experiences, and Tobogganing hills. Head one down to the upgrade station for an exhilarating ride on the Giant Ball or jump on the chairlift for a one of a kind bird’s eye view of the entire park. Don’t miss out on the resident royalty ... Read more

Cocoon Maldives has won the leading designer hotel for the second consecutive year, among a number of prestigious hotels and resorts of South Asia region in the third edition of SATA Awards. SATA awards presents the principle of travel and tourism achievements, celebrating the best in the fields in the South Asian region, with endorsements from key affiliations based in the partner countries of SATA. Selected among 13 nominees from Maldives, Sri Lanka, India and Bhutan, Cocoon adds this esteemed award into their collection consecutively for the second time. “Being a young and newly established resort in the South Asian ... Read more

The world-renowned travel guidebook publisher, Lonely Plant, has named Jordan as a destination that travellers need to visit in 2019. Each year, travel enthusiasts around the globe anticipate the release of Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel guide, a go-to source for the best travel destinations, unique experiences and trends for the year ahead, and this year, Jordan has been named one of the 10 most coveted destinations for 2019. “Featuring sixth on such a prestigious, international and trusted publication is quite an achievement for Jordan. This nomination will play a pivotal role in increasing the number of new tourists to ... Read more

Surrounded by the Vembanad Lake, Vaikom embraces travellers with its beautiful water bodies and serene village life. Exploring the backwaters, narrow canals and life of the small villages of Vaikom is best possible through canoe cruises which are close to the hearts of nature lovers since it is eco-friendly. A laid-back cruise in a canoe soaks one in the rich natural beauty of the surrounding greenery. The pottery village of Vaikom grants travellers a chance to watch the enthralling process of rendering life to clay and mud. Visitors can experience the village life on the way. traditional coir making, pottery, ... Read more

Thailand’s cabinet approved a measure to waive for two months fees paid by visitors for visas on arrival, with an objective to boost tourism, which was hit by a drop in visitors from China, its biggest market. The fee of 2,000 baht (USD 60) will be waived between December 1 and January 31 for travellers from 21 countries, including China, Taiwan, India and Saudi Arabia, government spokesman Puttiphong Punnakan told the media. The scheme is expected to increase tourist numbers by at least 30 per cent during the period, he said. In September, overall tourist arrivals rose just 2.1 per ... Read more

Jet Airways has started its new non-stop service between Mumbai and Manchester, further expanding the airline’s connectivity in the United Kingdom (UK). The new service is the first non-stop service connecting India, via Manchester, the 3rd largest city in the UK. With the launch of its 5th non-stop service to/from the UK, Jet Airways is now the largest carrier between Mumbai and the UK and Manchester, the 21st international destination on the carrier’s network. Jet Airways’ first flight to Manchester 9W 130, departed on schedule from Mumbai at 0230 hrs with a full complement of Premiere and Economy guests on ... Read more

Koyilandy Municipality Building Kerala government is venturing to generate more employment opportunities in the tourism sector by exploring the potential of Malabar region. It was informed by A C Moideen, Minister for Local Self Governments, while addressing a gathering after laying the foundation stone for the Koyilandy municipality’s new shopping complex-cum-office annex on Monday,5th November 2018. “The government will give priority to innovative ventures like river tourism. Around Rs 350 crore is planned to invest in the sector,” said the minister. Koyilandy Harbour “We are confident of executing the proposed National Waterway project in the State by 2020,” added the ... Read more