Category: Top Stories

SpiceJet is all set to launch its dedicated air cargo services from September 18. The carrier said it would operate the cargo services under the brand name ‘SpiceXpress’ and has a detailed plan for domestic as well as international routes. SpiceJet would be the first schedule domestic airline to start dedicated air cargo services in India. A Boeing 737-700 plane has been inducted as the first freighter aircraft. The airline would launch SpiceXpress operations on September 18 and the first flight would be from the national capital to Bengaluru. The aircraft, taken on operating lease, has capacity for 20 tonnes of cargo. “To begin ... Read more

The Bengal forest department is going to open eight aviaries at the South Khayerbari Nature Park in Alipurduar district to enhance tourism. The nature park was inaugurated in 2005, which has lost its gleam after the leopard safari has stopped seven years ago, as the battery-run vehicles which were used to carry tourists to the enclosure went out of operation. “Even though the safari had stopped, at least 200 people visit the site during the tourism season. At present, there are seven leopards and one royal Bengal tiger at the nature park. It also has four cottages and boating facility ... Read more

The Indian Heritage Hotels Association (IHHA) has come up with a new concept in tourism to attract more people to Rajasthan.  The new concept – Battlefield Tourism- was announced during its 7th Annual Convention in Bharatpur. The idea is to reinstate the famous battle fields in the history to become tourist attractions. There have been several important battles in Rajasthan such as the Battle of Jalore (1310-11) in which Alauddin Khalji defeated Kanhad Deo after a long war, Battle of Sammel (1544) in which Sher Shah Suri had a pyrrhic victory against the army of Jaita and Kumpa; and the ... Read more

IRCTC is taking one of its leading luxurious trains, the Maharaja’s Express to exhibit at OTDYKH Leisure 2018 in Russia. OTDYKH Leisure is the largest tourism event in Russia and the CIS, which enables the development of the tourism industry in Russia and facilitates the establishment of business contacts for representatives of the tourist market, as well as advertising of the country´s capabilities at an international level. Maharajas Express has 23 huge carriages and runs on five circuits, covering over 12 famous destinations in India. The train features five deluxe cabins, six for junior suites, two for suites and one for a ... Read more

The floods in Kerala had washed away the Periyavara bridge on the Munnar – Marayoor route, there by stopping all kinds of transportation between the two places. The bridge connecting tourists to Rajamal tourists zone and the Eravikulam nation park was the only access for the tourists to reach Rajamala to watch the mass blooming of Neelakurinji. The new temporary bridge is expected to be ready in two days’ time. Eravikulam National Park reported the blooming of Neelakurinji, the flower which blooms once in 12 years, last week. A huge inflow of tourists is expected in the area in the ... Read more

Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority (MTPA India) has successfully conducted a four-city roadshow in New Delhi, Ahmedabad, Chennai and Mumbai along with 26 operators. “The objective behind conducting this roadshow is to show that Mauritius is more than a beach destination. It is a luxurious and glamorous destination as well,” said Arvind Bundhun, Director, Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority. “Roadshows are a good opportunity to acquaint with Indian travel partners with the destination and meet the hoteliers, DMCs and activity companies. India is the fourth largest market for Mauritius and by the end of this year, we are expecting about 94,000 to 95,000 Indian ... Read more

Odisha Tourism is trying crowdsourcing and is encouraging people to design its new logo which will make its brand recognizable globally. The state tourism board has announced a logo design contest to further strengthen its tourism brand. The decision to crowdsource and develop a new logo comes after Odisha tourism’s recent sports tourism campaign ‘Odisha by morning, Hockey by evening’ as it plays host partner to the Odisha hockey men’s world cup Bhubaneswar 2018 slated to be held from November 28 to December 16. The entries for the contest will need to be submitted on odishatourismlogo@gmail.com in PDF format. The entry ... Read more

Amaravati, Capital City of Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh, after separated from Telangana, has been depending more on the tourism sector for employment generation and to stimulate economic growth. “The state government is taking all steps to strengthen the infrastructure for tourism development,” said Himanshu Shukla, CEO of Andhra Pradesh Tourism Authority and the Managing Director of AP Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC). He was addressing the gathering at the annual convention of the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO), which began at Visakhapatnam on Thursday, 7th September 2018. “We have no doubt it will give a great boost to the tourism ... Read more

UBM India has successfully conducted its first food and hospitality show, Food and Hotel India Expo (FHIn) at the Sahara Star in Mumbai. The inauguration of the preview expo was marked by the presence of  Param Kannampilly, Chairman and Managing Director, Concept Hospitality; Manjit Singh Gill- Corporate Chef, ITC & President IFCA; ernon Cohelo – Chef, President WICA; Thomas Schlitt, Managing Director, Messe Dusseldorf India; Paul March, Managing Director, UBM AllWorld; Yogesh Mudras, Managing Director, UBM India and Abhijit Mukherjee, Group Director, UBM India amidst an industry gathering. The show featured top-tier category of over 20 market leading food and ... Read more

The union ministry is planning to make the Sambhar Lake in Rajastan the world’s first ‘Salt Tourism’ site. Under the ‘Swadesh Darshan’ programme, the ministry prepared a number of programmed to develop the lake as a sought after tourist destination. Located 96 km southwest of the city of Jaipur and 64 km northeast of Ajmer along National Highway 8 in Rajasthan, Sambhar is the largest inland salt water lake in India. At the lake, the tourists can witness the traditional way of salt making. There will also be a heritage train for the visitors to enjoy. Another attraction at the ... Read more

Tourism Australia has launched a new tourism promotion campaign in India and South East Asia, targeting high value travellers in India, Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia. The latest chapter in Tourism Australia’s evolving There’s Nothing Like Australia campaign, UnDiscover Australia, challenges perceptions and stereotypes of what Australia offers as a tourism destination by showcasing unusual, unfamiliar and unexpected attractions and experiences. The campaign is being backed by Australia’s state and territory tourism organisations, airlines, and a range of other key distribution partners. India is currently Australia’s fastest growing market for arrivals and spend, achieving a fourth consecutive year of double-digit growth. ... Read more

China is going to build a ‘luxury city’named ‘Tourism Vacation Town’ in Cambodia with a cost of USD 1.2 Billion. With this project, China is said to be extending its influence in the south-east Asian countries. Chinese developer Tianjin Union Development Group (UDG) says Tourism Vacation Town will feature high-end hotels, offices and theme parks on 1,200 hectares of land in Cambodia’s south-western Koh Kong province. Meanwhile, UDG has already started work for resort in the same province, named Dara Sakor with a project cost of USD 3.8 billion. The land was given to USG for a 99 year lease ... Read more

K J Alphons, Minister for Tourism, Govt of India arrives at Vizag for the IATO convention The 34th Annual Convention of Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) kick-starts at Novotel in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. The annual convention held from September 6 to 9, 2018, is conducted under the patronage of the Chief Minister N Chandra Babu Naidu. The minister will inaugurate the India Travel Mart at 6 pm at the hotel. The previous two conventions were held in Hyderabad in 1997 and 2003, both were inaugurated by the Chief Minister himself. The three-day annual convention, with the theme, “20 million foreign tourists by ... Read more

Kenya to have discussions with economy airlines such as Ryanair and easyJet to begin flying to the East African nation famous for its beaches and safaris. Tourism is one of the country’s highest revenue earners of the nation and earned around USD 1.2 billion last year, as per statistics from the Kenya Tourism Board. “We are developing a strategy to encourage low-cost carriers from the U.K. to fly here,” said Najib Balala, Cabinet Secretary for Tourism, Kenya. Other than beaches and safaris, Kenya is also popular for its wildlife. The authorities expect, with the arrival of low-cost flights the inbound tourist ... Read more

The strongest typhoon, named Jebi, hit Japan in 25 years battered the west of the country on Tuesday, September 4 with violent winds and heavy rain. The country’s meteorological agency has said that large area of Japan should be on high alert for strong gusts, high waves and heavy downpours. At least nine people have been killed and over 150 people are injured. In Osaka Bay it swept a tanker into a bridge and in Kyoto parts of a railway station roof came down. Officials ordered more than a million people in affected areas to evacuate their homes amid warnings of high waves, flooding and ... Read more