Category: Top Stories

The tourism occupancy rate in Maldives reached 75 per cent in the first three months of 2018, which is 5 per cent more than that of the same period last year. It was reported by the Maldives Monetary Authority. The information was from the quarterly business survey of the Maldives Central Bank. As per the report, tourism industry’s occupancy rate hiked to 75 per cent in the first quarter of 2018 from 70 per cent of last year over the increased average guest night stay. The statistics shows, the tourism industry is performing well in terms of tourist foot prints ... Read more

Jet Airways Ltd has told its pilots that the airline may be grounded in 60 days unless cost-cutting measures including pay cuts are put in place, as reported by Reuters on Friday, 3rd July 2018. Following the acute financial stringency, the authorities had requested the pilots for a 15 per cent pay cut for two years to withstand the turbulent situation, however the pilots did not agree with the proposal so far. The company was looking in to all the possible areas to reduce the running cost and for savings to create a “healthier and a more resilient business”, a ... Read more

Hariyali Teej, an all woman festival, will be celebrated on 13 August this year. The festival is celebrated on the third day of the first fortnight of Shravan or Sawan month of Hindu Calendar, which usually falls between July and August every year. Hariyali Teej is also known as Chhoti Teej and Shravana Teej. This festival is most popular in Rajasthan. Other North Indian states also celebrate Teej. As per legends, Teej Festival is dedicated to Goddess Parvati and commemorates the day when she was united with Lord Shiva. Young girls, newly wed women and elderly women can be seen ... Read more

Srinagar (Photo Courtesy: Lonely Planet) The Tourist Reception Center in Srinagar would be made a WiFi zone to provide free and easy internet access to the employees and the visitors. It was announced by Tasaduq Jeelani, Tourism Director of  Kashmir during his maiden meeting with the employees in his department on Thursday, 2nd August 2018 During the meeting, the director urged the employees to maintain the highest standards of professionalism while performing their works. While accentuating on the significance of tourism in the state, he told the employees to set a high benchmark and facilitate tourists, in order to provide ... Read more

Tourists in Tamil Nadu will soon be able to travel across their destinations on air. A feasibility report on heli-tourism has been submitted to the state government, as informed by KJ Alphons, Minister of Tourism, in the Lok Sabha. “The study was done for the introduction of helicopter services to provide heli- tourism in Tamil Nadu state including Madurai and the preliminary report in this regard has been submitted to the state government,” said the minister. Helicopter service for tourists is already available in Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Damand and Diu, Lakhswadeep, Andaman and Nicobar and Guwahati. Pawan Hans Limited is ... Read more

Moai – stone statues at Easter Island Chilean authorities have imposed new restrictions for visitors of the prominent tourist spot of the country, the Easter Island. The restrictions were endorsed by the President, Sebastian Pinera on Wednesday, 1st August 2018 “It is a magical island, we all want to visit it, but it is also a sensitive island and therefore we have to take care of it,” said Pinera while speaking on the country’s 24-hour news channel. The remote island is famous for its giant stone statues called Moai, built by the indigenous Rapa Nui people. It is told that ... Read more

Queensland, second largest state of the Australian province, is planning to issue a grant to a crypto start-up as part of their innovation funding. As per the government statement, the state government will grant over $8.3 million to TravelbyBit digital currency payments platform for the travel and tourism industry. It is part of their Advance Queensland Ignite Ideas funding, which supports entrepreneurs in Queensland in developing their businesses. “The role of the company will be to enhance the number of inbound tourists to Central Queensland through selling travel offers with cryptocurrencies and creating more jobs,” said Kate Jones, Innovation Minister. ... Read more

Durga Devi In the forthcoming Durga puja, which is to be celebrated in October, a puja committee at Santosh Miitra Square in Kolkata is planning to use a chariot made of silver, priced at over Rs 40 crore, to carry its Durga idol. The offering is planned in relation to the committee’s 83rd year of celebrating Durga Puja. “The chariot would be worth Rs 40 crore,  and will be sponsored by a jewellery brand. Last year, we made the sari of Durga idol in gold weighing 30 kg,” said the president of the committee. Model of the Chariot “Using jewellery ... Read more

Effective 28 October 2018, Etihad Airways will increase its flights from Abu Dhabi to Canada’s largest city, Toronto, from three to five weekly services. The flights will be operated by Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, featuring 40 seats in Business Class and 340 in Economy Class. “We are thrilled to announce more flights to cosmopolitan Toronto, one of the most successful and popular destinations on our global route network. This news has been eagerly anticipated,” said Robin Kamark, Chief Commercial Officer, Etihad Aviation Group. “We have welcomed well over a million guests on our flights to Toronto since we launched the service almost ... Read more

Emirates announced that it will introduce two additional flights to its Toronto (YYZ) service, complementing its existing schedule and providing even more choice and convenience to travellers. The additional Toronto flights will be introduced on August 18 2018 and will operate on a Saturday departing Dubai as EK241 at 03:30 and arrive in Toronto at 09:30. The return flight, EK242, leaves Toronto at 14:25 and arrives in Dubai at 11:40 the next day. On Sundays, EK241 will depart at 03:30 and arrive in Toronto at 09:30. The return flight, EK242, will leave Toronto at 14:30 and arrives in Dubai at ... Read more

Alexis Stephens and Christian Parson, a North Carolina couple has been on an adventure trip, hauling their miniature house nearly 80,000 kilo meters across 36 states in US and one province in Canada. The couple has spent nine months building the miniature home on wheels before commencing their three years of travel. They’re documenting their trip on a YouTube channel focused on disseminating the nomadic tiny home lifestyle. “We own the world’s most travelled tiny house,” claimed the couple Setting up the home for the journey meant using every bit of available space. “Every single inch matters in a tiny ... Read more

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa China and New Zealand is to jointly celebrate year 2019 as the China-New Zealand Year of Tourism.  As the first step towards the eventful year to come, a new website is launched and initiated funding for a major exhibition at the national museum. “With the new website, we have provided a platform for organizations to get involved with the 2019 China-New Zealand Year of Tourism, whether it is by promoting events, or accessing resources and useful information on the China visitor market,” said Kelvin Davis, Tourism Minister of New Zealand. The concept of ... Read more

അതിരപ്പള്ളിയിലും പരിസരപ്രദേശങ്ങളിലും കനത്ത മഴയെ തുടര്‍ന്ന് വെള്ളച്ചാട്ടത്തിൻറെ ശക്തി വര്‍ദ്ധിച്ചു. വെള്ളപ്പൊക്ക ഭീഷണിയെ തുടര്‍ന്ന് വിനോദസഞ്ചാരികള്‍ക്ക് താത്കാലിക വിലക്കേര്‍പ്പെടുത്തി. ഈ ഭാഗത്തേക്കുളള വാഹന ഗതാഗതത്തിനും നിയന്ത്രണമേര്‍പ്പെടുത്തി. ഒരാഴ്ചയ്ക്കിടെ ഇത് രണ്ടാം തവണയാണ് വിനോദ സഞ്ചാരികള്‍ക്ക് നിയന്ത്രണമേര്‍പ്പെടുത്തുന്നത്. കനത്ത മഴ തുടരുന്ന സാഹചര്യത്തില്‍ ഉരുള്‍പ്പൊട്ടല്‍ സാധ്യതയുള്ളതിനാല്‍ ആതിരപ്പിള്ളി മലക്കപ്പാറ റോഡില്‍ വാഹനഗതാതഗതവും നിരോധിച്ചു. ജലനിരപ്പ് ഉയര്‍ന്നതിനാല്‍ പെരിങ്ങല്‍ക്കുത്ത്, ഷോളയാര്‍ ഡാമുകള്‍ തുറന്നു. പരിസരവാസികള്‍ ജാഗ്രത പാലിക്കണമെന്ന് ഡാം സുരക്ഷാ വിഭാഗം അറിയിച്ചു.

Friends of Assam and Seven Sisters (FASS) is organizing a panel discussion on “Saving the Rhinos – A Campaign for Conservation of Wild-life Population from Extinction” at Nehru Centre, cultural Wing of The High Commission on Friday, 10, August 2018. Destruction of wild life and environment has become pervasive in most of the countries and remedial actions to be taken for their conservation. In Assam, large-scale poaching and killings are going on along in Kaziranga with the destruction of the animals’ habitats resulting in man- animal conflicts. The purpose of this event is to assist Govt. of Assam to find ... Read more

The Telangana State Tourism Development Corporation Limited has announced special packages to Bogatha, Kuntala and Pochera waterfall sites as part of its monsoon tourism campaign. All the three sites have some stunning waterfalls set in the green canopy and has become all the more beautiful after being blessed by abundance of rain in the region. The state tourism corporation has done a survey of facilities to ensure that visitors can have breakfast, lunch and dinner en route to the location and back. A special bus will start from the city at 7 a.m. for Bogatha in Bhupalpally district, which will ... Read more