Category: Top Stories

The Indian hospitality chain, Oyo, is all set to enter the Saudi Arabian market.  Other than its regular offerings such as hotel rooms, homestays and townhouses, Oyo is launching a new category for the Saudi market. The new category of offer is expected to tap the huge number of religious tourists visiting the country. OYO Hotels & Home has also set a target of reaching 12,000 rooms by 2020 in the Middle East market, which is a 10-fold jump from 1300 rooms on its platform in the UAE market. In September 2018, the company has raised some AED3.68 billion (US$1 billion) funding ... Read more

Ajman Municipality plan to create a central square in the emirate to attract more tourists. The project is expected to be launched in early 2019.The Ajman Square project will include a number of cafes and restaurants, an open-air seating area and a walking track to encourage people to gather in one place. “The project highlights Ajman’s unique identity and aims to improve its living environment, by raising the emirate’s quality of life,” noted Abdulrahman Mohammed Al Nuaimi, Director-General of the Ajman Municipality and Planning Department. “The square will enable visitors to practice sports on a walking track and the open-air ... Read more

Kazakhstan is not usually the first destination that comes to a conventional traveller when they plan their trips. But, here’s some good news to make it in your bucket list. Kazakhstan has introduced a single-entry electronic visa for citizens of 117 countries. An electronic business or tourist visa or one for medical treatment will be issued to travellers from all these countries including India. However, to obtain the visa, you need to produce a valid invitation from a person or agency. The passport provided by the visa recipient should not cause doubts in authenticity and belonging to its owner or ... Read more

Polish national airline became the “Best Airline in Eastern Europe”, surpassing Aeroflot of Russia and Wizzair of Hungary, among others. US magazine Global Traveler was the organizers of the award. “The award is proof that LOT is an appreciated and increasingly recognizable airline on the international markets,” stated an LOT spokesperson. The ceremony, during which awards were given in almost 70 categories, was held in Los Angeles. LOT won the title of “Best Eastern European Line” for the second time, ahead of the Aeroflot, Wizzair and Croatia Airlines. “We are proud to have received the distinction awarded in the prestigious ... Read more

Long ride enthusiasts can have a really long road journey that crosses two countries.  A 1360 km long highway is coming up connection India, Myanmar and Thailand. India is undertaking construction of two sections of this Trilateral Highway in Myanmar, which include 120.74 km Kalewa-Yagyi road section and 69 bridges along with the approach road on the 149.70 km Tamu-Kyigone-Kalewa (TKK) road section. The works on both these sections were awarded on Engineering, Procurement and Construction mode in May 2018 for Kalewa-Yagyi section and November 2017 for the TKK section. The works are expected to be completed within three years ... Read more

If you are planning a trip to Venice, be ready to pay €10 for visiting the city. The new move is being brought in under a wider budget in Italy in a bid to help boost the local economy. The €10 tax is applicable to all tourists, including those who have come just for a day trip. The money generated by the tourism tax is estimated to bring in a boost of millions of euros which can then be poured back into the city. The tax amount would likely be included in costs such as bus tickets, train tickets or cruise ship packages, with ... Read more

Four million tourists visited Israel in 2018, an increase of 13 per cent from 2017. This year saw an increase in tourist arrivals of 13 per cent compared to 2017, and 38 per cent compared to 2016, while tourism revenue exceeded NIS 24 billion ($6.3 billion), according to the ministry. The ministry said the increase is due in part to a NIS 350 million ($93 million) marketing campaign promoting Israel as a travel destination around the world, including, in the US, Germany, Russia, Italy, England, China, Ukraine, Brazil, and the Philippines. The investment yielded an average increase of 13 per cent ... Read more

According to the most recent data provided by national system eVisitor, a record number of tourists visited Croatia in 2018, the Croatian tourism ministry said on Wednesday, 2nd January 2019. A total of 19.7 million tourists travelled to Croatia last year, which is more than 6.5 per cent when compared to same period in 2017. Overnight stays also rose to 106 million, depicting an increase of 4 per cent from the previous year. Kristijan Stanicic, the director of the national tourism agency, said that investments in the tourism sector in Croatia exceeded 1 billion euros in 2018 and should be ... Read more

The Indian Railways is all set to start ‘Panj Takht Express’ from January 14, 2019, which will link the five takhts (temporal seats/Gurudwaras) of Sikhs. The five Gurudwaras are Akal Takht in Amritsar, Takht Kesgarh Sahib in Anandpur Sahib, Takht Damdama Sahib in Talwandi Sabo near Bathinda, Takht Hazur Sahib at Nanded and Takht Patna Sahib in Patna. With 800 seats in three-tier air-conditioned coaches, the train will complete the journey in 9 nights and 10 days. Costing Rs 15,750 per head, the pilgrims taking the tour will be lodged in hotels or Gurudwaras. The special tourist train, announced on the ... Read more

The most awaited Grand Egyptian Museum is getting ready to be inaugurated by 2020. The museum is intended to showcase Egypt’s ancient treasures while drawing tourists to help fund its future development. The project has been delays due to various reasons and now the works are progressing with accelerated pace to be inaugurated by 2020. Meanwhile, the costs of the project has soared from an initial USD 650 million to over USD 1 billion, with most of the financing coming from Japan. Japan is not only one of the museum’s major financial partners, it is also playing a key role ... Read more

National Palace Museum China has more than 30,000 scenic spots and tourist attractions, among which 259 have 5A-level ratings, the highest rating for Chinese tourist sites, according to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. However, the ministry also noted that during the first 10 months of 2018, over 200 tourist sites had been de-listed, demoted, or warned for poor management, poor service or a worsening environment. China has a tourism-rating classification system which rates a tourist attraction from A to 5A for its overall tourism quality. Top-level sites include the National Palace Museum, the Summer Palace, the West Lake in ... Read more

Khirsu is an unexplored tourist destination in Uttarakhand. The place is slowly getting attention of the tourist, who are looking for off-beat destinations, away from the crowded popular tourist spots.  Located in the Pauri Garhwal district, Khirsu is situated at a distance of 20 km from the Pauri town. It is a picturesque and quaint place dotted with the oak, deodar trees and apple orchards. This tiny Garhwal town offers a majestic view of the Himalayan ranges. It is a perfect destination for camping and trekking. It is a paradise for all nature lovers as one gets to enjoy the ... Read more

Bali island Indonesia has enacted a ban on single-use plastics such as shopping bags, styrofoam and straws in efforts to restrain pollution in its waters, reports a local daily. With this new policy, the government envisages 70 per cent reduction in Bali’s marine plastics by 2019, announced Bali governor Wayan Koster a day earlier. “This policy is aimed at producers, distributors, suppliers and business actors, including individuals, to suppress the use of single-use plastics,” said Koster. “They must substitute plastics with other materials,” added Koster. The policy, which has a six-month grace period, is already in force from 21st December. ... Read more

Khajjiar in Chamba is a less explored tourist destination of Himachal Pradesh. Known among the tourists as the ‘Mini Switzerland of India, the hill station is nestled at 6500 feet from sea level and amid dense pine forests and surrounded by mountain ranges. Blessed with tranquil charm and natural beauty, the hill station will spellbound anyone visit it for the first time. Khajjar is suitable for trekking, relaxation and pampering in the bliss of mountains. Whether traveling in a group or with your family and friends, a holiday in Khajjiar one of the cherished experiences of your life. Khajji Nag ... Read more

Hoysaleswara Temple in Karanataka is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is located in Halebidu (Halebeedu or Halebid), Hassan. The temple is located at a distance of 150 kms from Mysore. The construction of the temple began in the 12th century by the King of Hoysala. This temple was then looted in the 14th century and it fell into ruins after that It is said that the temple got its name from the King Vishnuvardhana Hoysaleswara, who built the temple. A large amount of contribution was received from the Shaivas (Shiva devotees) for the construction of the temple. It was built ... Read more