Category: Top Stories

Kadakampally Surendran to inaugurate International Conference on Tourism Technology (ICTT) on Sep 26

Kadakampally Surendran, Minister for Tourism, Govt of Kerala, will inaugurate the International Conference on Tourism Technology (ICTT 2019), to be held at Le Meridien on September 26. The Association of Tourism Trade Organisations, India (ATTOI), in association with Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala, is all set to host the International Conference on Tourism Technology (ICTT) in Kochi to address the challenges related with technology faced by Indian tourism and hospitality industry. The third edition of ICTT, organized by ATTOI, in association with Kerala Tourism, aims at helping the players of tourism industry to stay abreast with the latest technology ... Read more

Are you ready for an authentic adventure to Cambodia?

The Kingdom of Cambodia has more to offer than the stunning temples of Ankor; the tropical beaches, colonial buildings and an abundance of natural attractions await you there at this destination which is slowly recovering from the horrors of the Khmer Rouge’s reign. Here’s a sneak peak at some of the major attractions in Cambodia… Angkor Archaeological Park The Angkor Archaeological Park, located about four miles north of the city center is a 150-square-mile complex, which includes the famous Angkor Wat Temple. Angkor Wat, the Buddhist temple complex here, is the largest religious monument in the world and sees steady ... Read more

The Fern – An Ecotel Hotel Opens in Lonavla, Maharashtra

The Fern Hotels & Resorts, India’s leading environmentally sensitive hotel chain has opened The Fern – An Ecotel Hotel, an upscale hotel amidst sylvan surroundings, in the picturesque hill town of Lonavla , 90 kilometres off Mumbai. This is the second property which the company has started managing in Lonavla. Earlier this year, Viola Beacon Resort started its operations. This takes the tally to 18 hotels managed by the company in Maharashtra. Overall the company is managing 66 hotels. “We are very happy to announce the opening of an ecotel in the Western Ghats, an area which has been declared ... Read more

Kerala Tourism Minister receives three PATA Gold Awards

Kerala Tourism was bestowed three prestigious Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Gold awards, including the one for an ethnic food restaurant run by women at Kumarakom under its Responsible Tourism Mission, at a glittering function at Nur-Sultan (Astana) in Kazakhstan last evening. The awards were received by Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran and Tourism Director, P Bala Kiran from Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, Director, Macau Government Tourism office and Dr Mario Hardy, CEO, PATA, during the PATA Travel Mart 2019. The two other gold awards were for an advertisement campaign of Kerala Tourism — Come Out and Play — and ... Read more

Sharjah- A perfect destination for those who love the finer things in life

Sharjah is a perfect destination for tourists who are into art & culture, adventure and food. Known for its rich cultural heritage and its picturesque landscape, the vibrant destination is also pocket-friendly and an ideal weekend getaway as it’s only a few hours’ flight time from India. Art & Culture Sharjah Art Foundation – Located in Sharjah’s historic Art and Heritage Areas, Sharjah Art Foundation activities and events take place throughout the year and include exhibitions featuring the work of Arab and international artists, performances, music, film screenings and artist talks as well as extensive art education programmes for children, ... Read more

Algarve must evolve ‘beach holiday’ brand: Portugal tourism chiefs

Algarve tourism chiefs say the region must diversify and build on its renowned ‘beach holiday’ brand in order to benefit from the rapidly evolving global tourism market. Joao Fernandes, Algarve Region Tourism Board (RTA) President and Algarve Tourism Association (ATA) boss, said Algarve tourism unquestionably remains very strong. However, it can drive greater recognition and wealth creation by improving and diversifying its offer. The news comes ahead of the 2019 Algarve Tourism Conference running from 9am-5pm at the Hilton Vilamoura Resort on Friday September 27. This year’s central theme is ‘health and wellness’ travel. Worldwide ‘wellness tourism’ spend is rising ... Read more

Champions Boat League: Tropical Titans hit hatrick

The Champions Boat League (CBL) saw its competitive spirit soaring today with fraction of seconds proving critical in races, even as Tropical Titans continued their winning spree by finishing first in the third consecutive round of the pioneering water race modelled on IPL cricket. The victors timed 4:12.11 in the day’s final race to remain atop the CBL rankings, inches ahead of Coast Dominators (4:12.90) and Mighty Oars (4:13.80) who emerged second and third respectively along the one-km track. Tropical Titans were declared ‘Nerolac Excel Fastest Team of the Day”, and earned five extra points with the best timing of ... Read more

Chaliyar River Paddle 2019 to be held from September 20th

Chaliyar River Paddle’ is the 6th edition of this annual event by Jellyfish Water Sports and supported by Kerala Tourism. The three-day paddling event held from September 20th to September 22nd, 2019 targets water sports enthusiasts, nature lovers, tourists, children and people from all walks of life. Promoting water sports like kayaking, SUPing, and canoeing will help build the connection, turning more and more youngsters and tourists into evangelists of clean waters. “Chaliyar River Paddle has been focused on saving our rivers from urban pollution and promote recreational kayaking for everyone. Recently Kerala State has witnessed repetitive flooding and most ... Read more

State Tourism Ministers to meet in Kerala capital on Sept 16 to deliberate key themes

Tourism Ministers and top officials of various states will congregate at the famed Kovalam beach resort here on September 16 to deliberate on key issues and challenges confronting travel and hospitality sector and hammer out strategies to firm up India’s position as a prime global destination of immense diversity. Union Minister of State for Tourism and Culture Prahlad Singh Patel will be the chief guest at the conclave, to be inaugurated by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan at Leela Raviz, Kovalam. Hon’ble Minister for Tourism, Cooperation and Devaswom, Kadakampally Surendran will preside over the function. Major topics on the agenda ... Read more

Onam fete 2019 to conclude with cultural pageantry on Sept. 16

A colourful cultural pageantry will be taken out in the city on September 16, to mark the finale of Onam Celebrations that showcased the best of Kerala’s art and performing traditions in multiple venues for a week. Hon’ble Governor Arif Mohammad Khan will flag off the procession, organized by the Kerala Tourism Department, at Manveeyam Veedhi, near the Raj Bhavan at 5pm. Hon. Minister for Tourism, Co-operation and Devaswom, Kadakampally Surendran will hand over the musical instrument ‘Kombu’ that proclaims the commencement of the procession, which will wend its way through the thoroughfares of the city for the next two ... Read more

Jordan unveils its underwater Military Museum in Aqaba

An adventure that will leave you breathless! Take a swim in the Gulf of Aqaba in the Red Sea and explore the first Underwater Military Museum offering underwater enthusiasts 19 fascinating relics of battles. The military machines are stationed along the coral reefs imitating a battle tactical formation, that have formed the most exciting underwater escapade, intriguing divers and snorkelers to discover more and more of the dive site, not expecting what to see next and leaving them with a totally unique experience. After 30 days of scanning, photographing and planning, the blueprints for scuttling are ready, and the Aqaba ... Read more

Bollywood’s two biggest action superstars in Portugal

Portugal has hit the limelight and is at the center of attention as a spectacular tourist destination with Bollywood’s two biggest action superstars shooting a sequence in this stunning country! Known for its natural landscapes, as well as history, culture and cuisine; the landscapes of Portugal have been used in the film “War”, the hottest Bollywood action film starring superstars Hrithik Roshan and Tiger Shroff who have shot a “dangerous” bike chase sequence on Portugal’s highest mountain peak Serra da Estrela for the film. “For one big action chase sequence, they had to drive superbikes at high speed on top ... Read more

From North to South and East to West, Israel is the Land of Adventure

Beyond Israel’s most popular tourist attractions – such as Jerusalem’s Old City, the Dead Sea and Tel Aviv’s White City – the diverse country has lush forests to the north and a vibrant desert to the south, offering ample opportunities for adventure travelers to explore. Whether visitors are looking to rappel off an arch into a great and beautiful abyss, hike cross country or swim among the dolphins, adventure tourism in Israel is booming. Spanning only 263 miles, adventure-seekers will appreciate Israel’s offerings for adventurers of every level and interest, whether they are traveling north, south, east or west. In ... Read more

Kerala to host State Tourism Ministers’ Conclave on Sept 16

Kerala Tourism’s week-long cultural extravaganza to mark this year’s Onam celebrations will kick off on September 10, showcasing the state’s vibrant classical and folk dances, modern art and performing traditions at multiple venues in the state capital and various District Centres. As part of the Onam celebrations, the capital city will also host the State Tourism Ministers’ Conclave, to be inaugurated by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on September 16, the concluding day of the festival. Union Minister of State for Tourism and   Culture, Prahlad Singh Patel will be the chief guest at the meet at Leela Raviz, Kovalam. Besides ... Read more

Indian celebrities live it up in South Korea!

The Korea Tourism Organization (KTO), Busan Tourism Organization, Gyeonggi Tourism Organization and Gimhae Tourism Organization recently hosted celebrities from India — Tanya Sharma, Kanika Mann and India TV Anchor Charul Malik who have a fan following of millions due to their super popular TV shows and on their social media handles. Tanya Sharma has been in the industry for almost a decade and is still remembered for her role in Saath Nibhaana Saathiya and last seen in Udaan. Kanika Mann started her career in the Punjabi movie Industry and made her TV drama debut through the ongoing television series titled ... Read more