Category: India

After the Buddhist Conclave in Ahmedabad, Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) is working to create new avenues in the state for Buddhist tourism by reinforcing the ties with the Buddhist nations around the world. The government also have plans to give away the state’s land to Buddhist countries to develop Buddhist theme parks and monasteries near Ajantha caves. MTDC is planning tie up with KJ Somaiya Center for Buddhist Studies to introduce new tour packages to promote Buddhist tourism in the state. The ministry of tourism has selected its UENSCO heritage sites, Ajantha and Ellora, under their Iconic Destination Project, ... Read more

Alphons K J inaugurating the laser show in Rohtak on September 12 We all might have seen numerous laser shows, but this one in Rohtak is something special. The show, organised by tourism department, depicts the story from Mahabharata to the 1857 revolution. The first laser show was inaugurated by Union Tourism Minister K J Alphons at Rohtak’s Tilial lake on September 12. At a cost of Rs 540 crores, it took almost 4 years to complete the multimedia light and sound system in Tiliar. The one hour show, starting at 7 pm, will also show the cultura and history of ... Read more

CM Nithish Kumar flag off the bus service between Bihar to Nepal (Photo Courtesy: PTI) Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has flagged off the first ever direct bus service between Bihar and Nepal on Tuesday, 11th August 2018. An air-conditioned deluxe bus will link two cities in Bihar – Patna and Bodh Gaya; and two in Nepal – Kathmandu and Janakpur. “This bus service will further strengthen the relations between India and Nepal. It will prove very beneficial for Buddhist tourists in the two places,” said Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar while inaugurating the bus service. The project is initiated ... Read more

Vallabh Government Degree College at Mandi Himachal Pradesh is seeking approval for a 50 crore tourism development fund from Asian Development Bank. It was informed by Jai Ram Thakur, Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, while addressing a public meeting at Vallabh Government Degree College at Mandi. Under the project, a lake and other basic tourism infrastructure would be developed to take Mandi town on the world tourist map. “A helipad would also be constructed at Kangnidhar in order to provide heli-taxi facility to the region,” he added. The state have plan to construct a Medical University at New Chowk to ... Read more

The tourism ministry is readying to hold business-to-consumer road-shows in foreign countries for the first time and is considering using Bollywood stars such as Aamir Khan to promote India in key markets such as China where they command a huge fan following, said Union minister KJ Alphons. The tourism ministry is planning to conduct business-to-consumer road-shows abroad for the first time. It is considering association of Bollywood starts such as Aamir Khan for the promotion of India in the key markets like China, where they have huge fan following, said the Union Minister for Tourism, KJ Alphons. “Revenue from foreign ... Read more

IIE Officials at the press meeting at Guwahati (Picture Courtesy: Manash Das) Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship (IIE) is organizing ‘North East Adventure Tourism Festival’ at Bogamati in Baksa district of Assam, from 13th to 16th September 2018. This is the first time an adventure tourism festival is being held in the region. “The festival is being organised with support from the North East Council, Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC), Assam Tourism Development Corporation, Bodoland Tourism, state directorate of sports and youth welfare and India Tourism,” stated the IIE festival Organising Committee at a press conference on Tuesday, 11th September 2018. Various ... Read more

Ministry of Tourism, Government of India has launched a scheme, ‘Viability Gap Scheme’ for exploiting and encouraging private investment in Tourism Sector on Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode. It was informed by the Secretary, Tourism Department, Jammu & Kashmir on Tuesday . “Private companies intending to make investment under PPP mode can contact the office of Directorate of Tourism Jammu/Kashmir and Chief Executives Officer of various Development Authorities of Tourism Department,” said the Tourism Secretary. The scheme would involve investment in infrastructure used by tourists and earning revenue through levy of fee or user charges on the visitors. Revenue generating tourism ... Read more

The Indian Railways is planning to give a new name to replace its existing name Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC). The decision to change the name surfaces after the Railways department feel that the name it has now is not attractive and the abbreviation is not cute enough. Minister of Railways Piyush Goyal has asked the the higher officials of the railways to find an attractive name. The ministry has asked to keep the brand name small, attractive and easy to remember. The ministry has conducted an online competition earlier in January through its website seeking suggestions to ... Read more

Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) is offering you insurance coverage of up to Rs 10 lakh for financial protection against train accidents and other untoward incidents, including robbery, at a near-zero premium of 68 paise. IRCTC have been providing travellers free and mandatory travel insurance each time you book a ticket through its website or mobile app. Effective September 1, the service provider charge you 68 paise for the insurance coverage. While booking tickets on the IRCTC website, you can find an option on “Travel Insurance” where you can choose whether you want travel insurance or not. The ... Read more

The Bengal forest department is going to open eight aviaries at the South Khayerbari Nature Park in Alipurduar district to enhance tourism. The nature park was inaugurated in 2005, which has lost its gleam after the leopard safari has stopped seven years ago, as the battery-run vehicles which were used to carry tourists to the enclosure went out of operation. “Even though the safari had stopped, at least 200 people visit the site during the tourism season. At present, there are seven leopards and one royal Bengal tiger at the nature park. It also has four cottages and boating facility ... Read more

The Indian Heritage Hotels Association (IHHA) has come up with a new concept in tourism to attract more people to Rajasthan.  The new concept – Battlefield Tourism- was announced during its 7th Annual Convention in Bharatpur. The idea is to reinstate the famous battle fields in the history to become tourist attractions. There have been several important battles in Rajasthan such as the Battle of Jalore (1310-11) in which Alauddin Khalji defeated Kanhad Deo after a long war, Battle of Sammel (1544) in which Sher Shah Suri had a pyrrhic victory against the army of Jaita and Kumpa; and the ... Read more

Tremors were felt in Delhi and the National Capital Region today morning after mild earthquake in Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said. The earthquake measuring 3.6 on the Richter scale struck 6 km from Kharkhauda in Meerut, at 6.28 am, it said. No loss of life or damage to property have been reported so far. Another medium intensity quake hit Haryana’s Jhajjar district and the tremors were also felt in Delhi. The earthquake occurred at 6.28 am today at a depth of 10 km and had a magnitude of 3.7. On Sunday morning, an earthquake of 3.8 magnitude ... Read more

Vaishno Devi Temple, Kashmir Tourism officials and private stakeholders have urged the Gujarati counterparts to visit Kashmir to alleviate the negative impressions about visiting Kashmir.  They were participating in the three-day Travel and Tourism Fair at Ahmedabad, as part of the country wide Kashmir tourism promotional campaign, which was started last week. The team was headed by Tasaduq Jeelani, Director, Tourism, Kashmir. They met tour operators and media persons and invited them to participate in the upcoming ‘Kashmir Paryatan Utsav’ scheduled from September 29 to October 1. “We highlighted the need for the media to play a constructive and positive ... Read more

IRCTC is taking one of its leading luxurious trains, the Maharaja’s Express to exhibit at OTDYKH Leisure 2018 in Russia. OTDYKH Leisure is the largest tourism event in Russia and the CIS, which enables the development of the tourism industry in Russia and facilitates the establishment of business contacts for representatives of the tourist market, as well as advertising of the country´s capabilities at an international level. Maharajas Express has 23 huge carriages and runs on five circuits, covering over 12 famous destinations in India. The train features five deluxe cabins, six for junior suites, two for suites and one for a ... Read more

Cox & Kings Ltd., has roped in Bollywood star Anushka Sharma as the company’s brand ambassador. The actress will be seen promoting the company’s unique travel offerings in a new TV campaign to be released soon. Talking about roping in Anushka Sharma, Karan Anand, Head, Relationships, Cox & Kings said, “Anushka is known for her versatility, experimentation and unusual personality. She perfectly represents a generation that is energetic, unapologetic and fun loving which makes her the right fit to showcase Cox & Kings’ innovative holiday offerings.” Speaking about her experience, Anushka said, “I am glad to be associated with the ... Read more