Category: Top Stories

The World Travel & Tourism Council’s annual Economic Impact Report (EIR) today reveals the full devastating impact of COVID-19 had on the global Travel & Tourism sector last year, which suffered a massive loss of almost US$4.5 trillion. The annual EIR from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), which represents the global Travel & Tourism private sector, shows the sector’s contribution to GDP dropped a staggering 49.1%, this compared to the overall global economy which dropped by just 3.7% last year. Vast losses run up during 2020, paint the first full picture of a sector struggling to survive in ... Read more

Kurnool Airport, at Orvakal, Andhra Pradesh was inaugurated on 25th MAR by Y.S Jaganmohan Reddy, Chief Minister, Andhra Pradesh, joined virtually by Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of State Civil Aviation . Kurnool is the 6th airport in Andhra Pradesh to become functional after Kadapa, Visakhapatnam, Tirupati, Rajahmundry & Vijayawada. The flight operations at Kurnool airport will commence on 28th March 2021 under the Regional Connectivity Scheme – Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (RCS-UDAN). Direct flight operations to Bangalore, Vishakhapatnam and Chennai will bring the region closer to the major hubs in the South India. These routes were approved by the ... Read more

Life in Europe continues to be an emotional rollercoaster. Most European countries are starting to come out of a particularly hard winter. Hard not only because of a particularly harsh cold spell and a lot of snow, but also from spending most of the late autumn and winter in various stages of lockdown which has meant that many industries have been unable to conduct their business in a profitable way for approximately 12 months. This means that in our three core markets, Germany, France and Italy, restaurants have either been closed for months or operating under severely reduced opening times. ... Read more

The Ministry of Tourism places special emphasis on the development and promotion of tourism in the North Eastern Region (NER). The Ministry carries out regular promotional campaigns and events to showcase the unique tourism products and sights of this beautiful region to the potential travellers under DekhoApnaDesh initiative.  The Tourism Ministry has launched campaigns to promote tourism to the North Eastern Region on various platforms in Digital, Print and Social Media. Since April 2020, under DekhoApnaDesh campaign, the Ministry of Tourism is conducting webinars on various tourism products including NER and some of the webinars were dedicated to North East ... Read more

Standing witness to the passage of time are the glorious ruins of an island fortress that dates to the late medieval period – the Chettuva Fort. It is also the sole fort ever to be constructed by the Dutch in Kerala. Located on the banks of the Chettuvai river, the Chettuva Fort which is in a shambles now is also called Tipu Sultan’s fort as it was briefly occupied by Tipu Sultan. One walks into the fort through a land bridge, across a moat that runs around the fortress. Only the ruins of the fort remain here and one can ... Read more

Flying in India will soon become more expensive as the Ministry of Civil Aviation has accorded the approval for increase of ASF (Aviation Security Fees) With effect from 01 APR, domestic passengers will have to pay ASF at the rate of INR 200 per passenger whereas in the case of international passengers, the same would be levied at the rate INR 900 per passenger. Certain categories of travellers are however exempted from paying this fee,  including children under age of 2years, diplomatic passport holders, airline crew on duty, transit passengers and persons travelling on official duty for United Nations Peacekeeping ... Read more

Fans of inspiring food adventures are set to be immersed in an unforgettable culinary journey as Dubai Food Festival, which will be held from 25 March till 17 April, confirms the line-up for its popular Foodie Experiences series. Dubai Food Festival 2021, the 24-day citywide culinary celebration – is hosting its third edition of Foodie Experiences, featuring Masterclasses, Chef’s Tables and Experiential Dining adventures that redefine what it means to eat out. The Foodie Experiences calendar has more than 18 unique opportunities within three main categories: Masterclass, Chef’s Table and Experiential Dining. Some of the events are one night only, ... Read more

Kerala is a land of myriad traditional rituals and cultures. Theeyattu is one in that long list of ancient celebrations. Performed by the members of the Theeyaattunni or Thiyaadi Nambiar community in Kerala, this ritual can be seen in two types – Bhadrakali Theeyattu and Ayyappan Theeyattu. Kalamezhuthu, the ritualistic drawing in colorful powders is a main attraction of Theeyattu. Rich with flamboyant costumes, vibrantly decked headgears, and face paintings, the dance narrates the tale of the fight between Darikan and Bhadrakali. Bhadrakali Tiyyattu is a ritualistic dance usually performed in Bhadrakali temples, mostly in the Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, and ... Read more

Sri Ananthapadmanabha Swamy Temple devoted to Lord Mahavishnu is located near the northern end of Kerala, in Ananthapura near Kumbla in Kasaragod District. The temple is known as the moolasthanam, the original source, of the Sri Anantha Padmanabha Swamy Temple of Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala State, which is in the far south. The Landscape on the way to the temple opens a vast panoramic scene with ranges of sprawling hillocks in the background. An aura of peace and solitude permeates the whole region. In the midst of a vast grassland remains in splendorous charm Sri Anantha Padmanabha Swamy Temple, ... Read more

The government on Tuesday informed the Parliament that at present, citizens of 171 countries can avail the e-visa facility in India. Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai in a written reply said the e-visa facility is granted to nationals of various countries after taking into consideration, inter-alia, the issues of security, inbound tourism and investments, bilateral relations, etc. “E-visa facility is granted to nationals of various countries after taking into consideration, inter-alia, the issues of security, inbound tourism and investments, bilateral relations, etc. Extension of this facility is an ongoing process,” said the minister. In February last year, ... Read more

Travel firm Tui is set to shut 48 more High Street shops in the UK, affecting 273 jobs. The UK’s largest tour operator said it would offer to redeploy employees at risk of redundancy to other stores or to work from home. The move follows the closure of 166 Tui shops announced in July 2020 which affected up to 900 jobs. Both decisions were made after the pandemic sped up a shift to people making online holiday bookings. Tui will have 314 High Street retail stores remaining following the closures. The firm said in a statement: “The travel industry and ... Read more

International Day of Yoga (IDY) – 2021 will see a series of activities in the Andaman-Nicobar Islands which are expected to inspire the public to adopt Yoga in a big way, even as the UT administration proceeds with caution in the matter in light of the threat of the pandemic. In the run-up to the 7th IDY which falls on 21st June 2021, the UT Administration has decided to take forward the momentum created by International Day of Yoga observations in preceding years. The UT administration is keen on involving people from all walks of life in this year’s activities. The ... Read more

On the commencement of the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav (India@75)’ launched by Government of India, the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has proposed  about 392 routes under UDAN 4.1 bidding process.  The Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS)- Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN) is a flagship scheme of the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) envisaged to make air travel affordable and widespread in the country. The scheme intends to boost inclusive national economic growth, employment opportunities, and air transport infrastructure development across the nation. Till date, 325 routes and 56 airports including 5 heliports and 2 Water Aerodromes have been operationalised under the ... Read more

Koothu is a socio-religious art performed in the Koothambalam or the Koothuthara of temples, either independently or as part of Kutiyattam. It is a solo narrative performance interspersed with mime and comic interludes. The Chakkiar does the role of ‘Vidushaka’or the wise jester. Through his inimitable narration of stories from the epics (The Ramayana and The Mahabharatha), the Chakkiar satirises the manners and customs of the time. No one is above the butt of his ridicule. His wit ranges from innocent mockery to veiled innuendoes, barbed pun and pungent invectives. Koothu is intermittently accompanied by the percussion instrument Mizhavu. One of the most revered places for the traditional art ... Read more

Tales of the supernatural had been circulating in Romanian folklore for centuries when Irish writer Bram Stoker picked up the thread and spun it into a golden tale of ghoulishness that has never been out of print since its first publication in 1897. To research his immortal tale, Stoker immersed himself in the history, lore and legends of Transylvania, which he called a “whirlpool for the imagination.” Some say that Transylvania sits on one of Earth’s strongest magnetic fields and its people have extra-sensory perception. Vampires are believed to hang around crossroads on St. George’s Day, April 23, and the ... Read more