Category: Top Stories

Jet Airways has announced a ‘Seat Select’ sale that offers the airline’s guests an exclusive opportunity to select their preferred seats by just paying a flat, nominal fee while travelling across the airline’s domestic network of 45 destinations. The offer is also open for international guests looking to enjoy their preferred seating while traveling with Jet Airways for their onward journey in India. As part of the limited period offer, effective 16th August – 31st August, 2018, Economy guests can select any seat of their choice for a flat fee of Rs 200 only regardless of the date of travel. ... Read more

In mid-2017, the Department of Home Affairs (HA), formerly the Department of Immigration and Border Protection, extended online lodgement of visitor visa applications to all Indian nationals. The online application process provides a more convenient option for Indians looking to visit Australia, by allowing them to apply for their Australian tourist visa within the comfort of their home, without any biometric requirement or physically submitting their passport to the Department. In an age where travellers are increasingly self-reliant in planning and booking holidays, the e-lodgement facility allows tourists greater independence when planning a trip to Australia and has proved to ... Read more

Hyderabad-based Turbo Megha Airways Private Limited’s Trujet, said it is planning to double its fleet size and destinations served in India by end of this year. Truejet currently has five ATR-72 carriers in its fleet serving 14 destinations in the South. The airline will be adding six more ATRs into its fleet by this year-end, enabling it to start operations to 10 more destinations which were allotted to the company under the second UDAN bidding. Trujet was allotted five destinations under the first UDAN bidding and was the first carrier to connect all the five destinations allotted to it. These ... Read more

Considering the disastrous situation of rain and flood in the state, the inauguration function of Jatayu Earth’s Center at Chadayamangalam, Kollam, has been postponed until further notice. It was informed by Kadakampally Surendran, Tourism Minister of Kerala. “The helicopter of Jadayu Earth’s Center will be used for rescue operations in the flood affected areas,” said Rajiv Anchal, Managing Director, Jatayu Earth’s Center. Earlier, it was planned to inaugurate on 17th August 2018.  

Poland and Karnataka are joining hands for promotion of tourism in Poland.  Adam Burakowski, Ambassador of Polund has urged the Karnataka Cehief Minister HD Kumara Swami to ask the film industry to shoot their films in Poland. Burakowski, a big fan of Hindi films and the Kannada super star (late) Rajkumar, said that his country was ready to offer an upfront 30 per cent subsidy of the cost of a movie if Kannada filmmakers shoot their films entirely in Poland. He was talking to the Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy in Bengaluru, on Tuesday, 15th August 2018 The Poland Ambassador ... Read more

Uttarakhand Uttarakhand government is conducting ‘Destination Uttarakhand,’ an Investors’ Summit in Dehradun on October 4 and 5, 2018. The ministry will also organize sector-specific Mini Investors Conclaves in different parts of the State in August. Two mini conclaves, specific to tourism sector will be held in Tehri and Nainital on 7th and 10th August respectively. While the agenda of Tehri conclave is tourism and wellness, the Nainital Conclave will explore investment opportunities in film shooting and tourism. “The government will also organize an Ambassadors’ Meet in Delhi on August 30 to present the vast investment potential in the tourism sector ... Read more

Indian Railway has issued notification on re-scheduling, cancelling and delaying of trains due to the uninterpreted rain Kerala region. Nagercoil-Thiruvanananthapuram section. A landslide occurred between Kuzhithurai and Eraniel stations. Trains are delayed in the section. Trains delayed Train No 16128 Guruvayur-Chennai egmore express, Train No 16382 Kanniyakumari-Mumbai CSMT express, Train No 15906 Dibrugarh-Kanniyakumari vivek express and Train No 19424 Gandhidham-Tirunelveli humsafar express is delayed. Trains fully cancelled. Train No 56318 Nagercoil-Kochuveli passenger and Train No 56317 Kochuveli-Nagercoil passengers are fully cancelled on 15.08.2018. Trains partially cancelled. Train No 56311 Thiruvananthapuram-Nagercoil passenger is partially cancelled between Kuzhithurai-Nagercoil and Train No 56310 ... Read more

The sharp drop of the Indian Rupee against major currencies will have a positive impact on inbound tourism, experts say. “A weakened rupee has made India a cheaper foreign destination and we expect to have around 10 per cent hike in inbound tourism,” said Subhash Goyal, Chairman, Assocham Tourism Committee. However, the decline in rupee will have an adverse effect on outbound tourism, which may lead to a negative growth in tourism this year. Another travel agent states, Indian travellers would have taken note of the falling rupee, but so far they had not changed their international travel plans. “Indian ... Read more

Photo for representative purpose only (Photo Courtesy: Outdoor Journal Radio) As part of women safety awareness, an underwater live show is coming up in Hotel Uday Samudra in Kovalam. The show is organized by Bond Ocean Safari  in association with Big FM, as part of their programme named ‘Vande Keralam Season 6, aiming at protecting women and children from abuses and atrocities. The show is happening in the swimming pool of Uday Samudra on 16th August 2018 at 10 AM. Kidilam Firoz, RJ of Big FM will be presenting the show. Through the event the organizers plan to accumulate 50,000 ... Read more

Pune, Maharashtra Maharashtra’s Pune ranked top in the Ease of Living Index released by the Central government here on Monday.  The survey has conducted to find the best city to live based on four parameters— governance, social institutions, economic and physical infrastructure. The findings of the survey were released by Hardeep Singh Puri, Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister While, Maharashtra’s Pune, Navi Mumbai and Greater Mumbai have become the top three cities, the country’s capital, New Delhi ranked 65 out 111 cities. Pune is the second largest city of Maharashtra, next to Mumbai. It is considered to be the ... Read more

As per the Union Ministry’s tourism development programms – ‘Swedesh Darshan’ and ‘PRASAD’, the Meghalaya State Tourism Department has submitted new proposals to the Center to be considered for approval. Under the Swedesh Darshan Scheme, 13 thematic circuits have been identified for development. The circuits are Northeast India circuit, Buddhist, Himalayan, Coastal, Krishna, Desert, Tribal, Eco, Wildlife, Rural, Spiritual, Ramayana and Heritage circuits. The ‘PRASAD’ scheme (National Mission on Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive), focuses on development and beautification of the identified pilgrimage destinations. In the ‘circuits’, the emphasis will be on development of a particular theme and connecting ... Read more

Amidst the adversities of the disastrous rain that affected the lives of people in Kerala, there is some good news coming from the tourism sector. Following the rain, most of the dams in Kerala are open now. The spectacular view of water flowing down from the dams is attracting more visitors to the dam sites. Peechi Dam, situated 22 km outside Thrissur in Kerala, is attracting thousands of visitors, ever since it has opened the shutters on 27th July 2018. Four shutters of the dam were opened by one inch each. The authorities opened the shutters as catchment areas of ... Read more

Mayapur Iskcon Temple, West Bengal ‘Krishna Land’, same as Disney Land is coming up on Mayapur of Nadia District in West Bengal. It was announced by Alfred Ford, a member of the Ford Family and a devotee of Iskcon (The International Society for Krishna Consciousness, a religious group of Lord Krishna devotees). The project will be implemented near the Iskcon temple, with the support of the state government. Chief Minister Mamata Banarjee  has talked to Iskcon people about the implementation of the project, during her visit to Mayapur in February 2018. Ford will invest Rs 2000 crores for the project. ... Read more

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), in partnership with Lotus Trans Travel Private Limited, is planning to establish four hotel portfolios under the banner of Holiday Inn in Bodhgaya, Kushinagar, Gorakhpur and Shravasti. Expected to open between 2020 and 2023, the four properties together will add 450 rooms to IHG’s inventory in India. As part of the agreement, Holiday Inn hotels in Bodhgaya, Kushinagar and Shravasti will be refurbished and upgraded while Holiday Inn Gorakhpur will be a newly build hotel. With this partnership, IHG has become the first International hotel chain to have presence in the Buddhist Circuit of India. Bodhgaya ... Read more

Photo for representative purpose only As part of enhancing security of the foreign tourists, Srilankan Police is planning to deploy 25 new tourist police posts in strategic places, covering all main tourist destinations across the country, said Pujith Jayasundara,  Sri Lanka’s Inspector General of Police(IGP), on Monday, 13th August 2018 . While talking to the Chairman and senior officials of the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA), Jayasundara said, tourism is one of the prioritized sector for security matter. ‘Tourist Police Division’ will have new uniform, to distinguish from the other law and order sections and to build more cordial ... Read more