Category: India

Will you ever pay to spend time in prison? Well, it seems very much possible in the coming days. The Maharashtra government will start ‘jail tourism’ in the state from Pune’s Yerawada prison on January 26 to facilitate people to visit and see from close quarters the historical prisons, a minister said on Saturday. Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar will inaugurate the jail tourism initiative at Yerawada Central Jail on Republic Day, state Home Minister Anil Deshmukh said in a press conference. This is the first of its kind initiative in the country, he claimed. ... Read more

In order to further strengthen domestic connectivity, IndiGo, India’s leading carrier, announced Leh, the land of Buddhist Monasteries to its domestic network as its 63rd domestic destination. The bookings are now open as the airline will commence daily flights between Delhi-Leh effective February 22, 2021. Leh, the capital of Ladakh is known for its magnificent landscapes, crystal clear skies, adventurous activities, Buddhist Monasteries, and festivals. The destination attracts tourists from April to September. Mr. Sanjay Kumar, Chief Strategy and Revenue Officer, IndiGo said, “We are pleased to begin expansion of our domestic network beyond the pre-covid levels. This will also ... Read more

Vistara, India’s finest full-service carrier and a joint venture of Tata Group and Singapore Airlines, today inaugurated its daily services to and from Sharjah, under the travel bubble agreement between India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This is Vistara’s second destination in the UAE, complementing its 4x weekly connectivity between Delhi and Dubai. Deploying its A320neo aircraft with a three-class cabin configuration and enhanced features, Vistara is the only airline to offer travellers the choice of flying Premium Economy between India and UAE, in addition to Business and Economy cabins. Starting 24 January 2021, the airline will also fly ... Read more

ATOAI (Adventure Tour Operators Association of India) has elected a  new team to lead the association for the next two-years ( 2021-23). The Returning Officer, Rajeev Kohli announced the results of the elections to the Executive Committee at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) held virtually. The entire executive committee was elected unopposed and uncontested. Vishwas Makhija, MD, India Insight Tours, has been elected as the new President of the Association. While Vinayak Koul (Snowlion Expeditions) has been re-elected as the Hony. Secretary; Rajesh Ojha (Banjara Camps & Retreats) was elected as the new Senior Vice President; Vaibhav Kala (Aquaterra Adventures) was ... Read more

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday flagged off eight trains connecting Kevadiya in Gujarat to other regions of the country with the objective to boost tourism in the tribal region, known for the Statue of Unity. Modi via video-conferencing said “It is perhaps for the first time in the history of railways that so many trains have been flagged off for the same place from different corners of the country. After all, Kevadiya is identified with the Statue of Unity, the world’s tallest statue of Sardar Patel… giving the mantra of a superior India. Today’s event truly unites India, ... Read more

Legendary Bollywood star actor, Amitabh Bachchan is soon expected to host a reality show to promote Uttarakhand tourism. Uttarakhand Cabinet has taken a decision on this, at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat. The show named ‘100 Days in Heaven’, will be hosted by the veteran Bollywood actor, which will be telecasted on several TV news and entertainment channels. It will be a sort of an ad campaign to promote Uttarakhand tourism,  made on the lines of the one the Bollywood actor has been doing for Gujarat. The show will be made by the production house M/s ... Read more

Ginger announces the milestone of its 75th hotel with the signing of the brand’s second hotel in Aurangabad, in the state of Maharashtra. This signing is in line with Ginger’s growth strategy of increasing the brand’s presence in key commercial hubs and state capitals of India. The hotel will be designed around the brand’s lean luxe philosophy of offering a vibrant, contemporary, and seamless hospitality experience to its guests. Commenting on the signing, Ms. Deepika Rao, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, Ginger Hotels, said, “This is a proud moment for us. Our guests and the investor community have shown great ... Read more

Kerala’s pioneering Responsible Tourism (RT) initiative will be emulated by Madhya Pradesh and the MoU for implementation of the model, which involves local communities and makes tourism a tool for rural development, was inked on Wednesday. The two states signed a joint declaration under which Kerala will extend a series of services under a 16-point program. The MoUs were exchanged at a function attended by Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran and his Madhya Pradesh counterpart Usha Thakur. Today, the Mission has more than 20,000 units, comprising small-scale entrepreneurs, artists, craftspeople, traditional workers, farmers, and other service providers. “They are local communities ... Read more

In a welcome move, the Andhra Pradesh government has approved a restart package to the tourism sector of the state. Through this, the state government has offered a restart package to the tune of INR 198.5 crore with interest subvention for assisting tourism establishments to restart their operations and support their fixed expenses and wage liabilities. The AP state government has noted that stakeholders of the tourism and hospitality industry were under severe stress since the Covid-19 outbreak and the subsequent lockdown followed by restrictions for travel. This stop in tourism activities has caused severe financial strain to all the ... Read more

As we bid adieu to an arduous 2020, it is time to kick-start 2021 with a renewed focus on wellness to balance the mind, body, and soul. Discover the magic of Jiva, the award-winning spas, where guests will find a unique range of spa treatments that blend age-old Indian healing techniques with the finest natural ingredients. Following methods of ancient wisdom and true deliverance of self-consciousness, each treatment is designed to initiate holistic healing. Discover the beauty and wonders of inner silence with Antar Mouna, a meditation technique that helps in reconnecting with the inner being. Achieve a state of ... Read more

Approximately 73,000 repatriated Indians completed their institutional quarantine at OYOs across India. Amongst these, most bookings were made by guests traveling from the Middle East, primarily UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, and Qatar ·       OYO Care tied up with 24+ state ministries and 50+ government and private hospitals ·       The hotel chain housed 250,000+ hospital staff and asymptomatic patients since April 2020 ·       200+ sailors were safely quarantined at OYOs across India ·       OYO served 2500 pin codes in 2020 ·       India’s favorite holiday: Around India, the gradual unlocks led to a rise in consumer confidence to travel again safely. With majority bookings – the 02nd October ... Read more

Winter is here and with holidays just around the corner, everyone is looking to spend this season with their loved ones. All family members, including four-legged fur babies, are now in for a treat as SeleQtions hotels introduce Pawcations; an offer where guests can have a pet-friendly experience at 13 distinctive hotels across India. Guests can witness their pets enjoy an exciting holiday pawfectly with a host of in-room amenities and outdoor facilities. From pet-friendly bistros to a casual stroll in the lawns, the hotels curate memorable experiences for four-legged guests, just as they would for their pet-parents. For those wanting to ... Read more

Odisha tourism, focusing on tourists from West Bengal has introduced three tourism circuits that can be explored by road from Kolkata. These circuits were introduced at a virtual roadshow organized by Odisha Tourism to promote the ‘Odisha by Road’ campaign. The first road circuit, Deep into the Mangroves, from Kolkata to Bhitarkanika via Bichitrapur Sanctuary & Chandipur (4N-5D), covers key destinations such as Bichitrapur Mangrove Sanctuary, Talasari Beach, Chandipur’s Receding Beach, Aul Palace, and Bhitarkanika National Park. The second road trip circuit, The Trail of Cascades-Keonjhar, from Kolkata to Keonjhar (3N-4D) covers the Bhimkund Waterfalls, Sitabinji Caves’ fresco paintings, Terracotta ... Read more

Indian Hotels Company’s (IHCL) iconic brand, Taj, has announced the opening of Taj Chia Kutir Resort & Spa, Darjeeling in the state of West Bengal. The resort is situated in the world-renowned Makaibari Tea Estate, founded in 1859, and home to the world’s first tea factory. Mr. Puneet Chhatwal, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, The Indian Hotels Company, said, “IHCL with its pioneering spirit has put many destinations like Rajasthan, Goa, and Kerala on the tourism map. We are delighted to step into another new destination in the East – Darjeeling. Taj Chia Kutir & Resort is a welcome ... Read more

Vistara, India’s finest full-service carrier, will now allow its customers to directly search and book Vistara flights on Google through the integrated ‘Book on Google’ feature. Following the implementation of the New Distribution Capability (NDC), made possible through a technology partnership with Amadeus, passengers will now be able to seamlessly book Vistara flights while searching for them on Google, without getting redirected to any other website. Commenting on the launch of the new service, Vistara’s Chief Commercial Officer, Mr. Vinod Kannan, said, “Customer centricity is one of our core values and it has been our constant endeavor to offer our ... Read more