Category: India

Move applies to OCI card holders too India has suspended all existing visas issued to national of any country, with very few exceptions, as the number of confirmed cases of corona virus (COVID-19) continues to rise. Visa-free travel facility granted to Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) card holders will also be kept in abeyance till April 15. The Bureau of Immigration, (Ministry of Home Affairs) in an official statement said that all visas except those issued to Diplomats, Officials from United Nations or International organizations, Employment Protect visas stand suspended till April 15, 2020 with effect from 1200 GMT March ... Read more

The PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) will be organising its 9th International Heritage Tourism Conclave at Gwalior on March 13. Building on the previous eight editions, this Conclave will deliberate on how the tourism and culture sectors can work together more collaboratively and increase public-private partnerships to ensure the protection of our cultural and natural heritage. This year’s theme is , “Strengthening efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage’. The Conclave will be held at Taj Usha Kiran Palace, Gwalior. Surendra Singh Baghel, Tourism Minister, Government of Madhya Pradesh has been invited as the ... Read more

When it comes to booking overseas travel, timing is crucial. Leading global travel firm Skyscanner in its latest report has provided details on how Indian travellers can find the best prices for their flights and hotels. The company’s APAC Travel Trends 2020 Report has found that Indians’ most favoured international destinations were Bangkok (Thailand), Dubai (UAE) and London (England). Now, the company’s Plan like a Pro guide enables customers to make informed choices when it comes to accommodation and travel. Price indices reveal hotel and flight costs, showing travellers precisely what the averages are and when to book in order ... Read more

Maharashtra to come up with new world class aquarium in Mumbai Maharashtra has proposed the creation of a new world class aquarium in Mumbai, which would be a part of an international standard tourism complex. “An international standard tourism complex would come up on the Worli Dairy land with an estimated cost of Rs 1,000 crore. An international standard aquarium will be built there,” deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar said while presenting his budget in the Legislative Assembly. In December last year, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had directed the officials of the Tourism Department to chalk out a plan to ... Read more

Karnataka to develop coastal tourism to take on Kerala, Goa   Karnataka has great potential to develop its coastal tourism and the state should take steps to emulate the success of Kerala and Goa in this regard, speakers at the annual state conference of journalists stated in Mangalore on Monday. A session on coastal development and tourism organised as part of the final day of the two-day 35th state conference under the aegis of KUWJ said Karnataka has a beautiful 320 km long coastline, which needs to be exploited better. Speakers at the conference said the success that of Kerala ... Read more

Tourists looking at alternative travel spots With honeymoon travelers looking to either cancel their vacations or postponing them to a safer period, shares of hospitality giants like Hilton, Hyatt and Marriott have all taken a tumble globally. Almost all couples who had picked on China as their honeymoon spot, have pulled out, due to the outbreak of the deadly corona virus. Even those flying into Thailand and Cambodia have stopped in their tracks to do a rethink. The other common honeymoon destinations like Bali in Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and Dubai have also been affected. Countries like Iran and South Korea, ... Read more

State registers the highest growth rate since 1996 Kerala has shown yet again why it’s God’s Own Country when it comes to tourism. Despite being stung hard by the nipah virus and the incessant floods last year, the state has recorded the highest growth rate in domestic and total tourist arrivals in 24 years. Kerala attracted around 1.96 crore domestic and foreign visitors in 2019, registering a healthy growth of 17.2 per cent as compared to the figures in the previous year. The total earnings from tourism stood at Rs 45,010.69 crore, notching a robust 24.14 per cent increase. The ... Read more

GIS mapping of disease hotspots to check spread of the virus The Central government has decided to enhance the level of preparedness to tackle the outbreak of the corona virus, by stepping up emergency measures. At an inter-ministerial meeting on Wednesday, the government said it would look to introduce universal screening at all international airports and seaports through use of thermal imagery equipment. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has been asked to work closely with state governments, including relevant district administration officials, to ensure compliance with screening protocols at integrated check-posts on India’s land borders. National Informatics Centre would ... Read more

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has clarified that the Singapore Ministry of Health has not issued any health advisory that requires travelers from India to have yellow fever vaccinations. STB in a press note on Wednesday said that a circular dated February 27, purportedly from Air India, has been making the rounds stating “yellow fever vaccination requirement for travelers to Singapore”. The circular further claims that it is a directive from the Singapore Ministry of Health. STB’s regional director GB Srithar said, “I am in touch with the senior management of Air India to verify the authenticity of the circular ... Read more

Travel Planners CEO feels domestic tourism may receive a boost The global travel industry is all set to get hit by $46 billion a month due to the outbreak of the corona virus, according to the Global Business Travel Association, a Washington based trade body. While that figure may eventually turn out to be bit of a stretch, there is no denying that American and European companies have curtailed their business travel to a great extent. GTA carried out a survey on 401 companies, with 65% admitting that they have cancelled meeting or events, keeping in mind the spread of ... Read more

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has issued a fresh set of guidelines in view of the emerging global scenario regarding the COVID19, in super-session of all earlier advisories. The updated advisory states that all regular (sticker) visas/e-visas (including VoA for Japan and South Korea) granted to nationals of Italy, Iran, South Korea and Japan, issued on or before 03.03.2020 and who have not yet entered India, stand suspended with immediate effect. Those requiring to travel to India due to compelling reasons, may seek fresh visas from the nearest Indian embassy/consulate. Indian citizens are advised to refrain from travel ... Read more

New Incredible India website to offer visitors a personalised digital experience In a bid to provide in-depth and nuanced information about India’s plethora of tourist destinations, the Ministry of Tourism has decided to launch a multilingual website in New Delhi on Tuesday. The website which will be launched under the Incredible India platform, will be inaugurated by the Minister of State for Tourism & Culture Prahlad Singh Patel. The website which is currently hosted in English and Hindi will now be available in Chinese, Arabic and Spanish. The event will witness participation by key stake holders of the tourism industry, ... Read more

With the monsoons on their way out and the slight nip on winter setting in, it’s time to begin planning your winter breaks! City life can be busy and may prevent you from organizing long haul vacations, but we’ve got here the top 6 places that would make for the perfect short winter break. Within comfortable driving distances of Mumbai and Pune, these are too tempting to pass! Maharashtra has the perfect winter weather, with the Sahyadris providing the cold without the chills. The range is dotted with several gems that make for amazing hideaways from the city crowds. Here ... Read more

The Fern Hotels & Resorts, India’s leading environmentally sensitive hotel chain has opened The Fern Residency Bhopal, the first Fern Hotel to open in Madhya Pradesh. The company also manages a hotel under the Beacon brand in the state capital. This takes the number of hotels managed by the company to 68 hotels across the country as well as in Nepal and Seychelles. “The Fern brand is expanding in the country at a brisk pace. With the opening of The Fern Residency Bhopal, we are now present in 55 cities across the country,” said Suhail Kannampilly, the CEO of the ... Read more

Tourists visiting Odisha’s Chilika and Bhitarkanika lakes will soon be able to stay in houseboats. Also, visitors to Puri may also get a chance to surf the waves at a planned annual event. In a bid to boost tourism in the state, the Tourism Advisory Committee of the state government has recently approved an array of activities. “The houseboats would be run by private operators on an operation-and-management basis while the annual festival at Puri will be organised in association with the Surfing Federation of India,” Tourism Secretary Vishal Dev told news agency PTI. As part of the plan, nine tourism ... Read more