Category: Top Stories

The Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe will launch the first tourist-friendly three-wheeler service in Sri Lanka on July 30 at the Galle Face Green in Colombo. The project is being implemented by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) under the direction of the Minister of Finance and Mass Media Mangala Samaraweera in keeping with the budget proposals presented last year. The Budget 2018 proposed a tourism training and certification programme for three-wheeler drivers who are above 21 years of age, in tourist areas. The tourism authority has developed a basic curriculum for a two-day training course and test, ... Read more

Photo Courtesy: Ram Kumar Varkala beach in Kerala is all set to be an international model for waste management, as the state government is planning for a beach beautification project of Rs 10 crore under the Zero Waste Beacon Varkala. After the successful completion of the Beacon Varkala project, the state government has kick-started the new activities under the new scheme ‘Old is My Gold’. The Minister for Tourism, Kadakampally Surendran, inaugurated the new project, which is implemented with the active participation of students from all the schools which falls under the municipality division. As part of the ‘Old is My ... Read more

There is a secret behind the tasty food of Malabar Café in Grand Hyatt Hotel in Kochi Bolgatty. Here, food is prepared and supervised by ladies only. All chefs in the kitchen are women. Latha is the Chief chef and Manager of the Kitchen and has four chefs to work with her. Aswini, Rehmath, Kavitha and Antish are the assistants to Latha. Photo Courtesy: Mathrubhumi “It is a dream come true job for me; I always dream to have a kitchen only for women. Here I could implement what I have been longed for. I should thank God and the ... Read more

The historic Al Alamein Hotel in Egypt has officially reopened after a major facelift by Emaar Hospitality Group that makes it amongst the finest resorts along the Mediterranean. The opening event was attended by Egyptian Minister of Tourism HE Dr Rania Al-Mashat and prominent personalities. Situated in the picturesque setting of Sidi Abdel Rahman Bay, the hotel’s glamorous design ethos and refurbished retro-modern interiors hark back to the glory days of the 1960s, when the resort first opened. The remodelled designs blend vintage charm with contemporary style, evoking a sense of nostalgia of the golden age of Egyptian music and ... Read more

Foreign tourists’ spent in Brazil has been showing an increasing tendency in recent years. During the first half of the year 2018, the income earned from foreign tourists has increased by 5.94 per cent when compared to the previous year, as stated by an official of the Brazilian Ministry of Tourism. Around 3.15 million foreigners visited Brazil during this time, which is 8 per cent more than that of last year. The total spent for the period is USD 3.24 billion, according to the ministry. Tourism is one of the major revenue earners of Brazil, whose total contribution to GDP ... Read more

Adorned by brightly coloured banners and national flags of the participating nations of the on-going 10th BRICS summit, Johannesburg beckons foreign visitors to stroll on its bustling streets. The 2018 BRICS summit has been giving the capital city a new life during the generally tranquil weather of July. The streets witness people taking selfies with the colorful signs that are hoisted on the sides of streets around the Sandton International Convention Centre, where the event is being hosted on July 25-27. Foreign delegates are delighted to ride on Johannesburg’s electric tram and visiting the elegant shopping malls where aristocratic restaurants ... Read more

Representative Photo Installation of solar lights at the tourism hot-spots proved to be a great success, as stated by an official from the District Tourism Promotion Council. The pilot project at Kovalam was carried out in association with Kerala State Industrial Enterprises, where 48 solar lights have been installed. The project cost was 31 lakhs. Another 37 lamps were installed at Veli Tourist Village at a cost of 28.5 lakhs. Solar lights are cost effective than electric lights. The lamps installed are with one year warranty and with five years maintenance contract. It also avoids the risk of power failure ... Read more

“Tourists who do not respect the culture of Goa and create nuisance by littering on the beaches or taking narcotic drugs are not welcome in the state”, said Manohar Ajgaonkar, Tourism Minister of Goa. He was talking in the Legislative Assembly on 26th July 2018.The minister also said that existing laws were not strong enough to confront the nuisance created by hawkers on the beaches in the state According to Ajgoankar there is a difference between a drunk Goan and a tourist who is drunk. “Goans will walk straight on the road while tourists walk shaking their body,” said the minister. Speaking on other issues at the beach like stray animals, ... Read more

‘Rajasthan Domestic Travel Mart’ (RDTM) held in Jaipur from July 20 to 22 was considered a landmark event and the organizers claim it was a huge success. The event was organized by the Federation of Hospitality and Tourism of Rajasthan (FHTR) with the support of different stakeholders. Though Rajasthan has been a major attraction for both domestic and international tourists, recently states like Kerala and Madhya Pradesh have been getting more attention, and the organizers of the event hope to reverse this situation. Lalit Panwar, Vice Chancellor of the state Skill Development University, noted that human resource development was a ... Read more

Hyatt Hotels Corporation has announced that a Hyatt affiliate has entered into a management agreement with Városház Utca Projekt Ingatlanforgalmazó Kft. for the first Hyatt Regency hotel in Budapest, Hungary. The 231-room property is expected to open in early 2020. Hyatt Regency Budapest will be located in the landmark building Postapalota, the former postal office on Petőfi Sándor Street. Situated near the vibrant Váci Street and a five-minute walk to the Danube river, this upscale hotel will provide the perfect setting for business and leisure travelers to connect with the city. “The development of Hyatt Regency Budapest demonstrates Hyatt’s commitment ... Read more

As tourism is becoming a major revenue earner in most of the countries, a degree in travel and tourism would be one of the most attractive courses in days to come. Vishwakarma University, Pune is offering a Bachelor’s Degree in Travel and Tourism – Bachelor of Arts in Travel and Tourism. The three-year full-time degree programme is for students who passed XII in any stream. The University also offers Master Degree in Tourism, which can be availed by students with a bachelor degree in any streams. Travel and Tourism post-graduates may go for a Doctorate, if they could score 55 ... Read more

Great news for FIFA 2018 Fan ID holders! Holders of FIFA fan ID will be granted visa-free entry to Russia until the end of this year. Furthermore, family members and friends of the cardholders travelling with them may also be exempted from the requirement of visa to enter the country. This was declared by the Russian President, Putin at a meeting with World Cup volunteers, as reported by the Russian news agency TASS. The bill is now with the Federal Assembly for their consideration. The legislation comes as part of Russia’s desire to increase tourist inflow, said Olga Golodets, Deputy ... Read more

Skål International, Bombay Club (144) at its 62nd Annual General Meeting on July 18, 2018, elected Kuldeep Bhartee, Area Manager – West, ITC Hotels and General Manager, ITC Maratha as its President unopposed. The meeting, held at West End Hotel in Mumbai, was well attended by more than 80 members. The new committee members of Skål Club of Bombay are Sunil Chopra (Vice President), Vaibhav Kedia (Vice President), Sunil Acharya (Hon. Secretary), Kunal Sampat (Hon. Jt. Secretary) and Arvind Tandon (Hon. Treasurer). Other committee members of the Club include Suresh Gulrajani, Rosita Haribal, Jyot Jhaveri, Vinayakk Laud and Sujata Mariwala, ... Read more

The holy annual Amarnath Yatra has been suspended on Baltal route due to inclement weather conditions. The route of Amarnath Yatra from Baltal has become slippery and muddy due to continuous rain last night. The yatra on Phalgam route, however, is unaffected and is going on as per schedule. An organization providing free food, night shelter and blankets to the Amarnath yatra pilgrims suggested to Shrine board headed by Jammu and Kashmir Governor NN Vohra, the Shri Amarnathji Barfani Langer Organisation, to limit the annual pilgrimage to 30 days. The 60-day long annual yatra to the holy cave shrine of Amarnath in ... Read more

The Mumbai-Goa cruise ferry service, which is set to start after the monsoon, will also have its halts in towns like Ratnagiri, Malvan, Vijaydurg and Raigad. The Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT), the executing authority of the project has already appointed an operator who will run the cruise services. Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB) is currently working on the feasibility of having additional jetties for the cruise service. “The jetties can be used by all the vessels, and are being constructed as part of coastal tourism plan which means it will also boost tourist activities in the Konkan region. The jetties are ... Read more