Category: India

Navratri is one of the most popular festivals celebrated in the country and is dedicated to the worship of the Hindu deity Durga. It is considered to be the world’s longest dance festival where people from all walks of life come together and dance their hearts out to the traditional dance of Gujarat called Garba and Dandiya-Raas. On this occasion, while the entire country celebrates this auspicious festival with much gusto, Novotel Goa Dona Sylvia invites you for their Dandiya Night. Dress your best and show off your killer moves with an amalgamation of disco beats with traditional folk music ... Read more

The magnificent and rich in culture, Kullu week long dusshera festival will begin from October 08, 2019. Kullu Dussehra is one of the most popular events of Himachal Pradesh, signifying the victory of good over evil.   “This is the best time for a traveler to experience the beautiful festival of Dusshera. International folk dance festival is also organised during this festive and troops from various countries visit Kullu Manali to participate. The most beautiful folk dance from all 12 states of Himachal Pradesh happens during this week long festivals. Carftsmen and Traders come from various cities to showcase their ... Read more

Ibis Kolkata The GST Council, headed by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and comprising representatives of all states and Union Territories, met today in Goa. The GST Council has agreed to lower tax rates imposed on the hotel industry. The 37th meeting of the GST Council has decided to tax hotels with room tariff of Rs 7,500 and above at 18 per cent instead of the earlier 28 per cent. Hotels with tariffs in the range of Rs 1,000 to Rs 7,500 will have to pay GST at a rate of 12 per cent. Lastly, hotels with tariffs below Rs ... Read more

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

Soon, visitors will be able to access Taj Mahal even at night. “Taj Mahal will remain open beyond its 10:00 am to 6:00 pm public access time. We have been receiving a lot of requests to keep the monument open during the night hours. We are dedicated to make this a reality,” said Union Tourism and Culture Minister Prahlad Singh Patel. At present night access to the monument was allowed at a premium only for five nights in a month – on full moon night and on the two nights preceding and following the full moon. Only 400 tourists — ... Read more

The Government has opened 137 mountain peaks for foreigners desirous of obtaining Mountaineering Visa (‘MX’) for mountaineering and trekking. These peaks are located in the States of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Sikkim. While the highest number of 51 peaks have been opened to foreigners in Uttarakhand, 15 peaks of Jammu and Kashmir have also been included in the list. The Minister of State for Culture and Tourism (IC), Prahlad Singh Patelhas expressed his gratitude to the Home Minister, Amit Shah for acceding to the request of Tourism Ministry to open up more peaks to foreigners. It is ... Read more

Now, planning a holiday to Indian destinations during off season will be much cheaper as the Government of India has decided to introduce flexible e-tourist visa fee based on the tourist footfall. As per the new system, a traveller has to pay higher fees during peak months of July-March and considerably lower fee during the April-June lean season. “India will offer 30-day e-tourist visa with $10 fee during the lean period of April to June and $25 fee during peak tourism period of July to March,”said Prahlad Singh Patel, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Tourism. “A new five-year e-tourist visa ... Read more

The nine-day Aadi Mahotsav (National Tribal Festival), a joint initiative of Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India & Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED), is all set for a colourful start today at Polo Ground, Leh-Ladakh. The 9 day event from 17th August till 25th August, 2019, will be inaugurated by the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Satya Pal Malik, at 6 pm today in the presence of Arjun Munda, Union Minister for Tribal Affairs; Renuka Singh, Minister for State for Tribal Affairs and R C Meena, Chairman TRIFED. The theme of the festival is : “A ... Read more

During India’s 73rd Independence Day today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged people to travel to at least 15 tourist destinations within India by 2022. He also said that there is a “huge” scope to improve India’s tourism sector in his address to the nation from the Red Fort. The PM also said that India has so much to offer and that if domestic tourism increases it will, by default, attract international tourists. “I know people travel abroad for holidays but can we think of visiting at least 15 tourist destinations across India before 2022, when we mark 75 years of ... Read more

Taking a cue from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s jungle adventure aired on Discovery channel on August 12, the Tourism Ministry has decided to make wildlife its theme for the Incredible India campaign for the next two months. The show, Man vs Wild, shot in Jim Corbett National park, was premiered on August 12 and was showcased in more than 180 countries across the world on Discovery network channels. Prahlad Singh Patel, State Tourism and Culture Minister, has announced that the Tourism Ministry will make wildlife its theme for the Incredible India campaign for the next two months. Patel revealed that ... Read more

Ramada Khajuraho Wyndham is on an expansion spree – new Ramada hotels to be launched in Kapurthala, Bengaluru, Jaipur and Lucknow. The brand will have hospitality properties in Gandhidham, Aligarh and Thiruvananthapuram by 2020. This expansion is part of the company’s comprehensive plan to bolster its footprint in the wider Indian sub-continent, including India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Nepal. Wyndham Hotels & Resorts’ portfolio in region currently includes 46 hotels and more than 4,100 rooms with plans to add 40 hotels and more than 5,000 rooms by 2025, reinforcing its presence in the region’s rapidly growing mid-market hospitality segment. ... Read more

Prahlad Singh Patel, Union Minister (IC), Culture and Minister of State (IC), Tourism, has announced that ten historical monuments across the country  will remain open till 9 pm. The monuments include Rajarani Temple Complex (Odisha), Dulhadeo Temple and Khajuraho (both Madhya Pradesh), Sheikh Chilli Tomb (Haryana), Safdarjung Tomb (Delhi), Humayuna Tomb (Delhi), the Group of Monuments at Pattadakal and Gol Gumbaz (both Karnataka), Group of Temples, Markanda, Chamursi (Maharashtra), Man Mahal, Vaidhshala (Uttar Pradesh) and Rani Ki Vav (Gujarat). Now, these monuments will remain open from sunrise to 9 pm for public. Earlier, these monuments used to open from 9 ... Read more

The South Asian Voluntary Association of Environmentalists (SAVAE), a Kashmir based organization which focuses on environmental policy in South Asia, has concluded its drive of identifying and promoting the young environmental ambassadors. The underlying goal has been to bring focus and steer on campaigns to combat global warming and securing water conservation and sustainability in the politically volatile and ecologically fragile Kashmir region. The youngest hiker in the drive was three-year-old Aizel from the business town of Sopore. She accompanied her father, Shafkat Masoodi, a veteran hiker. This baby hiker remained the main attraction of this week-long eco-campaign that concluded ... Read more

Pride Plaza Hotel Aerocity, New Delhi announced the appointment of Vikas Pant as Executive Chef. With over 22 years of culinary management expertise, Vikas Pant brings on table the best of innovative practices to the hotels’ diverse culinary scene. A seasoned F& B professional, he will helm the kitchen team and present a refreshing dining experience at the hotel’s flagship restaurants, which includes a tranquil poolside barbecue – Angare, a global all-day restaurant – Café Pride, a Pan-Asian Restaurant – Oriental Spice and a bakery & confectionery outlet – Mr. Confectioner. “We are delighted to welcome Vikas Pant as our ... Read more

Photo Courtesy: India Rail Info All mountain railways in India will now have vistadome coaches, allowing passengers to enjoy the scenic beauty of hilly terrains. The latest addition of vistadome or glass-enclosed coaches have been made to the Nilgiri Mountain Railway. Luxurious 13 coaches with glass ceiling termed as- Vistadome coaches having panoramic view have been introduced on 8 scenic routes by Ministry of Railways. Some of these coaches will have infotainment system as well along with larger glass windows and high-class interiors. Cost of manufacture of a new Broad Gauge (BG) Vistadome coach is approximately Rs 4 crores. The ... Read more