Category: Top Stories

A big surprise was awaiting visitors at an aquarium in Thailand this week when Santa Claus swam by, carrying a sack full of food and surrounded by scores of curious fish. The aquarium at the basement of the Bangkok shopping mall was not the place, the families were expecting to see Santa Claus, equipped with fins, an oxygen tank, and a dive mask. Children, all excited hopped up and down and pointed excitedly, mesmerized by Santa in a floppy red hat waving while floating above the coral and circled by angelfish. Frenchman Jean-Baptise Richard a frequent visitor to the aquarium ... Read more

Odisha tourism, focusing on tourists from West Bengal has introduced three tourism circuits that can be explored by road from Kolkata. These circuits were introduced at a virtual roadshow organized by Odisha Tourism to promote the ‘Odisha by Road’ campaign. The first road circuit, Deep into the Mangroves, from Kolkata to Bhitarkanika via Bichitrapur Sanctuary & Chandipur (4N-5D), covers key destinations such as Bichitrapur Mangrove Sanctuary, Talasari Beach, Chandipur’s Receding Beach, Aul Palace, and Bhitarkanika National Park. The second road trip circuit, The Trail of Cascades-Keonjhar, from Kolkata to Keonjhar (3N-4D) covers the Bhimkund Waterfalls, Sitabinji Caves’ fresco paintings, Terracotta ... Read more

Indian Hotels Company’s (IHCL) iconic brand, Taj, has announced the opening of Taj Chia Kutir Resort & Spa, Darjeeling in the state of West Bengal. The resort is situated in the world-renowned Makaibari Tea Estate, founded in 1859, and home to the world’s first tea factory. Mr. Puneet Chhatwal, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, The Indian Hotels Company, said, “IHCL with its pioneering spirit has put many destinations like Rajasthan, Goa, and Kerala on the tourism map. We are delighted to step into another new destination in the East – Darjeeling. Taj Chia Kutir & Resort is a welcome ... Read more

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has directed two Resorts World Sentosa hotels, the Beach Villas and Equarius Hotel, to suspend bookings for 1 month from 22 Dec 2020 to 21 Jan 2021 (both dates inclusive) for failing to comply with safety management measures (SMMs). The two hotels are not permitted to accept new bookings for the duration of the suspension. However, they are still permitted to fulfill existing bookings. To date, 10 hotels and hostels have been fined for breaching safe management measures, such as failing to conduct entry screening and/or record contact details of guests that enter their premises. ... Read more

Vistara, India’s finest full-service carrier, will now allow its customers to directly search and book Vistara flights on Google through the integrated ‘Book on Google’ feature. Following the implementation of the New Distribution Capability (NDC), made possible through a technology partnership with Amadeus, passengers will now be able to seamlessly book Vistara flights while searching for them on Google, without getting redirected to any other website. Commenting on the launch of the new service, Vistara’s Chief Commercial Officer, Mr. Vinod Kannan, said, “Customer centricity is one of our core values and it has been our constant endeavor to offer our ... Read more

Emirates SkyCargo has notched yet another milestone by flying in COVID-19 vaccines manufactured by Pfizer-BioNTech to the UAE for the first time for the Dubai Health Authority (DHA). The vaccines were transported from Brussels on Emirates flight EK 182 on 22 December 2020, arriving at Dubai International Airport (DXB) at 22.15 local time. HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Group said: “Emirates is proud to be transporting the first batch of Pfizer vaccines for COVID-19 into the UAE for the Dubai Health Authority. Our healthcare ecosystem has played an absolutely critical role in every ... Read more

The “Feel the Rhythm of Korea” video by the Korea Tourism Organization has won a Tourism Innovation Award in the digital campaign section. The awards are given to institutions and tourism companies around the world that apply innovative business models or technologies in the tourism sector. The award was given during the Tourism Innovation Summit that took place November 25-27 in Seville, Spain. This is a new international summit that opened this year.  “Feel the Rhythm of Korea” was selected as the best example of viral marketing for its unique approach and engagement. It is a series of two-minute ... Read more

Thailand’s tourism sector continues to safely and slowly reopen welcoming international travellers to the country with special tourist initiatives, while also remaining vigilant by enforcing strict public health guidelines to protect all during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The Royal Thai Government recently lifted restrictions on the Special Tourist Visa (STV), which allows entry for tourists from any country or territory worldwide. Prior to this, STV holders were only allowed from low-risk countries. The STV offers visitors an initial 90-day visa with two extensions totalling 270 days. The STV was also extended to allow arrival by private yacht. Thailand also offers ... Read more

There is no better way to enjoy a meal than being surrounded by nature and mesmerizing views. At Indian Hotels Company’s (IHCL) hotels, dining has a fresh destination. The Sky Is Yours offers an inimitable range of open to sky experiences, ranging from breezy alfresco dining to soaking in the serenity of waterside venues to languid sundowners. Myriad dining options across Taj, Vivanta, and SelQtions hotels give guests unique and picturesque outdoor setting options. Guests can immerse themselves in some of the most stunning natural backdrops whilst enjoying sumptuous meals created by our chefs. The Sky Is Yours brings to ... Read more

Prominent Tourism Trade body of Kerala, Confederation of Kerala Tourism Industry (CKTI) has requested the state government to allow free entry for domestic tourists to the state without mandatory quarantine rules upon arrival. CKTI  in a letter to the Chief Secretary of Kerala has complained that the current guidelines for visitors, which specifies mandatory quarantine for visitors, is not at all helping the revival process of tourism in the state, mainly the domestic market. CKTI  has recommended the government to review the current guidelines and have requested free entry for all tourists from other states. The Confederation has cited examples ... Read more

A scenic picnic spot, Daksum lies 14 km southeast of Kokernag at an altitude of 2438 m (8,099ft) above sea level on the Anantnag- Kishtwar highway. The picturesque Daksum, situated in a densely forested gorge, presents an awe-inspiring sight with ubiquitous peace and tranquility. The only sound heard there is that of the Bringi River, rushing right through its center. Daksum in Kashmir valley is a must for those fond of walking and nature as a number of treks branch out from this fascinating place. A walk-in Daksum will take you up to the hills enveloped in lush coniferous trees ... Read more

26599819 – fish curry with rice Beaches and mountains, caves and temples, forests, and cities – Maharashtra is blessed with an abundance of natural wealth and cultural heritage. Food is an integral part of Maharashtra’s cultural heritage, and no visit to the state can be considered complete without sampling a variety of its specialties. Thanks to its varied landscape, the culinary heritage of Maharashtra too varies as you go from the golden sands of the Konkan, up through the gentle Deccan plateau, to the scorching heat of Vidarbha in the east. Unlike many other Indian cuisines, one rarely finds traditional ... Read more

At Chile’s Santiago international airport, the task of sniffing out passengers infected with COVID-19 is going to the dogs. A team of Labradors & Golden Retrievers sits when they smell the virus and get a treat. The canines adorn green “biodetector” jackets with a red cross. Sniffer dogs are best-known for finding explosives and drugs but have also been trained previously to detect cancer, malaria, and Parkinson’s disease. Passengers at the airport health checkpoint wipe their necks and wrists with gauze pads that are then put in glass containers and sent to the dogs to see if they detect COVID-19. ... Read more

France has announced its plan to reopen its borders to passengers from England, ending a blockade intended to stop the spread of a new coronavirus variant, but which has held up thousands of trucks before Christmas. Most of the countries have shut their borders to Britain after a significantly more dangerous mutated coronavirus variant was discovered spreading across southern England at a rapid pace. With long queues of trucks in England and some supermarket shelves getting stripped, only a few days ahead of Christmas, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson managed to get French President Emmanuel Macron to lift a ban ... Read more

BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral, Technical and Economic Cooperation, Dhaka) was initiated as a platform to bring together the countries in the Bay of Bengal to discuss and work in collaboration to develop all aspects of 14 main sectors in a country including tourism within the region. The Member States are Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. With its Headquarters based in Dhaka, Bangladesh, the first Meeting of Network of Tour Operators was held in New Delhi, India in 2017. During this first meeting, it has been decided to hold the second meeting in Sri Lanka. ... Read more