Category: Top Stories

The Ministry of Tourism has sanctioned the project “Development of Ahmedabad- Rajkot- Porbandar-Bardoli- Dandi” in Gujarat under Heritage Circuit theme of Swadesh Darshan scheme in the year 2016-17 for Rs 93.48 crore. The components sanctioned for Dandi under the above project include Tourist Facilitation Centre, Site Illumination, Development of Parking, Landscaping, Handicraft store/Khadi Exhibition Centre, Basic Tourist Amenities like public toilets, drinking water ATMs etc. “The project is under implementation stage. As per the utilization certificate received form the State Government an expenditure of Rs 2.69 crore has been incurred at Dandi,” said Minister of State (I/C) for Tourism, K ... Read more

Now, travellers can enjoy a toy train ride in Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR). The first ever evening daily Toy train service hauled by steam engine has been introduced to increase the tourist footfall in the destination. The Railways is expecting that the introduction of the new service will provide an opportunity to tourists having short stay at Siliguri area to experience the UNESCO World Heritage DHR toy train during second half of the day. The UP Steam evening safari will leave Siliguri at 3 pm and reach Rongtong at 4.20 pm with 10 minute stoppage at Sukna for visiting the museum. The return ... Read more

Over 100 kilometres of city roads in Bengaluru will have dedicated cycle tracks soon. The first phase of the project, which covers 46 km stretch, will be ready in an year’s time. The phase 1 includes four roads in Indiranagar and a portion of the Outer Ring Road. The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), have floated bids for the construction of cycle tracks at a cost of Rs 64 crore. The 12 kn ORR stretch between K R Puram and Bellandur, 7 km stretch between Marathahalli and Hoodi via Brookefield, 2 km stretch between Ulsoor lake and Swami Vivekananda Metro ... Read more

Tourism Ministry of Jordan revealed on Monday that the revenue from tourism has reached USD 4.87 billion during the first 11 months of 2018. The revenue from tourism was USD 4.6 billion in 2017, while in 2016 it was USD 4.1 billion, as per records of the Central Bank of Jordan. As per the monthly statistical bulletin of the ministry, the number of inbound tourists during the month of November 2018 is showing an increase of 40.1 per cent, when compared to same period of 2017. The number of tourist groups visited the country during November of this year was ... Read more

Orlando, Theme Park Capital of the World, will have even more character in 2019 with the launch of new theme park thrills, adventures beyond the theme parks, and all-new places to stay, play and dine. New Theme Park Thrills New Coaster Experience at Universal Orlando Resort Orlando theme parks have experienced unprecedented growth within the past five years, with ground-breaking expansions including The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley, Pandora – The World of AVATAR and brand-new waterpark Volcano Bay. The thrills continue in 2019 with brand-new immersive lands, rides and experiences to excite both first-time and return ... Read more

Hazara Rama Temple, Hampi The ‘Adopt A Heritage – Apni Dharohar, Apni Pehchaan’, scheme launched on 27th September, 2017 is a collaborative effort by Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Culture and Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), State/UTs Governments. The programme envisages development and maintenance of tourist amenities at heritage sites and making them tourist friendly, to enhance tourism potential and cultural importance in a planned and phased manner. The project primarily focuses on providing basic amenities that include cleanliness, public conveniences, safe drinking water, ease of access for tourists, signages, illumination, Wi-fi etc. Gangotri Temple, Uttarakhand The Project envisages involvement ... Read more

Mahatma Gandhi Setu, Patna The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister, approved the project for construction of a 5.634 km long new 4 – lane bridge across river Ganga, 38 meters on upstream side of the existing Mahatma Gandhi Setu (MG Setu), along with approaches on NH-19 at Patna in the State of Bihar. The estimated project cost is Rs 2926.42 crore. The construction period for the project is three and a half years and it is likely to be completed by January, 2023. This mega project is 14.500 km long and passes through Patna, Saran ... Read more

Ponmudi, the renowned tourist destination of Thiruvananathpuaram, is going to have additional 15 rooms, including 5 independent cottages, in the Golden Peak Resort. Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran will dedicate the additional facilities to the public on 18th December 2018. A Sampath MP, DK Murali MLA and M Vijayakumar, KTDC Chairman, will also attend the function, among other dignitaries from KTDC and the local bodies. The additional facilities are constructed with a cost of Rs. 3.2 crores. The tariff of the cottages will be ranging from Rs 1500 to Rs 3600. The cottages are constructed in the traditional Kerala style, with ... Read more

Chief Minister Pema Khandu has flagged of the `JK Tyre Orange 4X4 Fury’, as part of the Orange Festival of Adventure and Music, on 15th December 2018. The event is organised at Dambuk by Arunachal Tourism. The Chief Minister expressed hope that as connectivity improves in the North East, the states will compete with each other to attract tourists. Tourism festivals in the state such as Ziro Festival of Music, Mechuka Adventure Festival and Orange Festival have been attracting thousands of tourists to the state, said the minister. The chief minister said the Orange Festival (OFAM) initially met with skepticism, ... Read more

The Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board (UTDB) has appointed an adventure sports officer in Rishikesh. The appointment has been made in order to take care of the interests of those in the white water rafting business, facilitate swift redressal of problems faced in the sector and ensure disciplined operation of the river rafting business. KS Negi, who has been appointed the adventure sports officer will shortly assume charge at the tourist information centre in Rishikesh. This will enable redressal at the local level of complaints of the local stakeholders and those involved in the rafting business. The State’s Tourism secretary Dilip ... Read more

Catriona Elisa Gray being crowned as the Miss Universe 2018 Miss Philippines Catriona Gray was crowned Miss Universe, becoming the fourth Philippine native to win the crown. Miss Universe 2018 brought women from across 94 nations together in Bangkok for the biggest pageant in the world. Gray was a front-runner the entire competition, but her answer to the final question all but solidified her title. The final three were all asked the same question: “What is the most important lesson you’ve learned in your life and how would you apply it to your time as Miss Universe?” She talked about ... Read more

Akkulam Tourist Village Kerala Tourism is planning a massive action plan to make Thiruvananthapuram one of the favoured tourist destinations in the state. It was announced by the Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran, during the function organized to dedicate the renovated Akkulam Tourist village to the public. “Once the project is implemented, it will change the perspective of the capital city,” said the minister. The government is planning to exploit all the tourism opportunities prevailing in the district. Projects are already underway for the developmental activities of the major tourist spots like Kovalam, Shamkhumugham, Veli, Ponmudi etc. in the district. Projects ... Read more

Hainan Airlines is planning to launch non-stop service between Xi’an and Los Angeles on December 31. It will be the first scheduled service between Xi’an and Los Angeles and the only intercontinental route between Xi’an and the United States. The Xi’an-Los Angeles service is scheduled to take off from Xi’an at 9:10 pm every Monday and Thursday BJT, and land at Los Angeles at 18:10 pm PT after being in the air for 12 hours and 10 minutes. The new route will be serviced by a Boeing 787-8 aircraft. All seats will be fully equipped with an exclusive entertainment on-demand ... Read more

Travellers will soon be able to make calls and access internet through their phones during air travel and ship voyage within Indian territory as the government has notified rules for providing such services. Indian and foreign airlines and shipping companies operating in the country can provide in-flight and maritime voice and data services in partnership with a valid Indian telecom licence holder. “These rules may be called the Flight and Maritime Connectivity Rules, 2018. They shall come into force on the date of their publication in the Official Gazette,” the notification dated December 14 said. The in-flight and maritime connectivity (IFMC) ... Read more

Mumbai’s iconic promenade at Marine Drive now has a plush toilet to go with its surrounding art deco architecture. The toilet, made at an estimated cost of Rs 90 lakh, has earned the reputation of being the city’s most expensive toilet. It was opened for public use on December 11. Constructed under a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative by the Jindal Group and Samatech, the swanky toilet has been handed over to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for maintenance. The civic body will keep the facility free for use for the next two months after which it may levy a ... Read more