Category: India

The Fort-based Horniman Circle garden, built by the British-era, will have a face-lift as informed by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s heritage department. Tenders for the same will be floated within two months. The renovation works will include new lighting and iron-fencing The Horniman Circle garden was built in 1872 and is spread over 12,000 square yards. The area had been known as Bombay Green in the 18th century, while the area around it was called Elphinstone Circle. After Independence, the area was renamed in honour of Benjamin Horniman, editor of The Bombay Chronicle newspaper, to recognize his role in the ... Read more

Penang Convention and Exhibition Bureau (PCEB), the agency entrusted with the marketing and promotions of Malaysian island of Penang, said it will be hosting a mega destination familiarisation (FAM) trip for Indian agents in September. The aim is to make the agents understand the potential of Penang as a MICE destination and help them package it in many different ways to Indian groups. Organised with the support of Global Panorama Showcase (GPS), around 150 travel agents are expected to participate in the familiarisation tour scheduled between September 4 and 8. “One day will be dedicated to B2B meetings with prominent ... Read more

The Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL) has suspended its operations till August 26 owing to heavy rains in the region. All the flights at the airport are being cancelled and has prompted airlines to make special arrangements for the passengers, including alternative flights to nearby airports. Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) said that CIAL will not operate till August 26 due to rains and consequently, the Air Navigation Services wing of Airports Authority of India has issued NOTAM (notice to airmen). MoCA and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) have also announced measures to address the issues that have ... Read more

Hyderabad-based Turbo Megha Airways Private Limited’s Trujet, said it is planning to double its fleet size and destinations served in India by end of this year. Truejet currently has five ATR-72 carriers in its fleet serving 14 destinations in the South. The airline will be adding six more ATRs into its fleet by this year-end, enabling it to start operations to 10 more destinations which were allotted to the company under the second UDAN bidding. Trujet was allotted five destinations under the first UDAN bidding and was the first carrier to connect all the five destinations allotted to it. These ... Read more

Uttarakhand Uttarakhand government is conducting ‘Destination Uttarakhand,’ an Investors’ Summit in Dehradun on October 4 and 5, 2018. The ministry will also organize sector-specific Mini Investors Conclaves in different parts of the State in August. Two mini conclaves, specific to tourism sector will be held in Tehri and Nainital on 7th and 10th August respectively. While the agenda of Tehri conclave is tourism and wellness, the Nainital Conclave will explore investment opportunities in film shooting and tourism. “The government will also organize an Ambassadors’ Meet in Delhi on August 30 to present the vast investment potential in the tourism sector ... Read more

Travelyaari has partnered with Yes Bank’s domestic remittance service, to offer a seamless payment method to customers through Yes Money’s API. With this partnership Yes Money is adding bus bookings to its portfolio in order to bridge the only visible missing piece from its assorted platter of financial services. Moreover, it aimed to promote financial inclusion among people who have access to a formal bank account at the terminating point, usually one’s native village, but not at the originating point which is the city to where they migrate for work. Through Yes Money’s extensive base of 80,000 business correspondents and ... Read more

First project under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme ‘North East Circuit: Imphal & Khongjom’ in Manipur inaugurated today. The major restoration, reconstruction and development works taken up under the project was at a cost of nearly Rs 69 crore. The Governor of Manipur, Dr. Najma A Heptulla inaugurated the project “Development of North East Circuit: Imphal & Khongjom” implemented under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme of Ministry of Tourism, Government of India at a function held at the historic Kangla Fort in Imphal, Manipur today. This is the first project to be completed under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme of the Government of ... Read more

Indian Railway has issued notification on re-scheduling, cancelling and delaying of trains due to the uninterpreted rain Kerala region. Nagercoil-Thiruvanananthapuram section. A landslide occurred between Kuzhithurai and Eraniel stations. Trains are delayed in the section. Trains delayed Train No 16128 Guruvayur-Chennai egmore express, Train No 16382 Kanniyakumari-Mumbai CSMT express, Train No 15906 Dibrugarh-Kanniyakumari vivek express and Train No 19424 Gandhidham-Tirunelveli humsafar express is delayed. Trains fully cancelled. Train No 56318 Nagercoil-Kochuveli passenger and Train No 56317 Kochuveli-Nagercoil passengers are fully cancelled on 15.08.2018. Trains partially cancelled. Train No 56311 Thiruvananthapuram-Nagercoil passenger is partially cancelled between Kuzhithurai-Nagercoil and Train No 56310 ... Read more

The sharp drop of the Indian Rupee against major currencies will have a positive impact on inbound tourism, experts say. “A weakened rupee has made India a cheaper foreign destination and we expect to have around 10 per cent hike in inbound tourism,” said Subhash Goyal, Chairman, Assocham Tourism Committee. However, the decline in rupee will have an adverse effect on outbound tourism, which may lead to a negative growth in tourism this year. Another travel agent states, Indian travellers would have taken note of the falling rupee, but so far they had not changed their international travel plans. “Indian ... Read more

The Indian Railways said it will not provide free travel insurance to its passengers starting September 1. Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has decided to stop free travel insurance starting September 1 and “the option of free insurance will be optional”. Travellers, while booking tickets through its website or mobile application, will have to choose from two options: to opt-in or opt-out of travel insurance. IRCTC has been giving free travel insurance to passengers since December 2017 with an aim to promote the digital transaction. The Railways had earlier also waived off ticket booking charge for users who make payments via debit ... Read more

Pune, Maharashtra Maharashtra’s Pune ranked top in the Ease of Living Index released by the Central government here on Monday.  The survey has conducted to find the best city to live based on four parameters— governance, social institutions, economic and physical infrastructure. The findings of the survey were released by Hardeep Singh Puri, Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister While, Maharashtra’s Pune, Navi Mumbai and Greater Mumbai have become the top three cities, the country’s capital, New Delhi ranked 65 out 111 cities. Pune is the second largest city of Maharashtra, next to Mumbai. It is considered to be the ... Read more

As per the Union Ministry’s tourism development programms – ‘Swedesh Darshan’ and ‘PRASAD’, the Meghalaya State Tourism Department has submitted new proposals to the Center to be considered for approval. Under the Swedesh Darshan Scheme, 13 thematic circuits have been identified for development. The circuits are Northeast India circuit, Buddhist, Himalayan, Coastal, Krishna, Desert, Tribal, Eco, Wildlife, Rural, Spiritual, Ramayana and Heritage circuits. The ‘PRASAD’ scheme (National Mission on Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive), focuses on development and beautification of the identified pilgrimage destinations. In the ‘circuits’, the emphasis will be on development of a particular theme and connecting ... Read more

Uttarakhand Union ministry is planning to produce promotional videos to attract Indians, who are roaming around the world. Tourism Minister KJ Alphons urges Indian globetrotters to come back to India and explore the unseen areas of our great country. Last year, through an innovative idea – Parayatan Parv (tourism festival), the ministry has tried to woo the countrymen to spend their holidays in India instead of going abroad. State governments as well as the union ministries had participated in the event. “Indians are travelling all around the world, while we want them to travel across the length and breadth of ... Read more

Neelong Valley The Uttarakhand government has decided to build basic facilities like toilets, cafes etc in the Nelong Valley. The decision was followed by the discussion of the Tourism Minister with the Army Chief. Nelong Valley has been under the control of the army with restrictions for tourist engagements.  It is located just 45 KM from the Indo-China Border. Only recently the region was opened for tourists. “Once we get official clearance, we will start the construction of toilets, cafeterias etc. in the region to provide more facilities to the tourists,” said Satpal Maharaj, Tourism Minister. Bhuwan Singh Rana, gram ... Read more

Mayapur Iskcon Temple, West Bengal ‘Krishna Land’, same as Disney Land is coming up on Mayapur of Nadia District in West Bengal. It was announced by Alfred Ford, a member of the Ford Family and a devotee of Iskcon (The International Society for Krishna Consciousness, a religious group of Lord Krishna devotees). The project will be implemented near the Iskcon temple, with the support of the state government. Chief Minister Mamata Banarjee  has talked to Iskcon people about the implementation of the project, during her visit to Mayapur in February 2018. Ford will invest Rs 2000 crores for the project. ... Read more