Category: News

Akkulam Tourist Village Kerala Tourism is planning a massive action plan to make Thiruvananthapuram one of the favoured tourist destinations in the state. It was announced by the Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran, during the function organized to dedicate the renovated Akkulam Tourist village to the public. “Once the project is implemented, it will change the perspective of the capital city,” said the minister. The government is planning to exploit all the tourism opportunities prevailing in the district. Projects are already underway for the developmental activities of the major tourist spots like Kovalam, Shamkhumugham, Veli, Ponmudi etc. in the district. Projects ... Read more

Kochi is going to be one of the coveted tourism destinations of the state, as District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC) is planning to implement a CIAL model Special Service Vehicle (SPV) for 14 islands of Kadamakkudy panchayath to convert them to a village tourism hub. It was revealed in a meeting of DTPC along with other stakeholders, including district administration and Kadamakkudy grama panchayath. As per the programme, the islands will be connected through ferries. Walkways also will be made connecting the islands. Tourists will have the opportunity to enjoy the activities arranged in each islands, like experiencing the village ... Read more

Aitken Spence Travels has won the Best Inbound Tour Operator award under the Travel and Tourism Operator – Large category at the National Tourism Awards 2018 conducted by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority. Aitkens had won this prestigious award for three consecutive years previously. This year the winners were selected by a panel of eminent industry experts and corporate professionals. The competition entailed a written application and presentation to the judging panel and site visits. The criteria covered audited Financial performance, Corporate Social Responsibility, commitment to the environment, Business and marketing plans, Customer care, HR and Sustainability. “Over the years, ... Read more

The governments of India, Nepal and Bhutan are actively considering having a joint task force for allowing free movement of wildlife across political boundaries and checking smuggling of wildlife across the Kanchenjunga Landscape, a trans-boundary region spread across Nepal, India and Bhutan. The developments comes up after forest officials and representatives of non-government organisation of the three countries visited parts of the landscape and later held a meeting at Siliguri in north Bengal earlier this month. Participants from India and Bhutan who attended the meeting said that setting up of a joint task force was a key requirement in the ... Read more

Three Indian Coast Guard Vessel today brought back 308 tourists, including 83 foreign nationals from Havelock Island to Port Blair. The tourists had been stranded for the last two days due to the inclement weather following formation of Cyclone Phethai. According to Met office sources, a deep depression that developed to the west of Andamans on Friday had made it difficult for ships to sail, leaving thousands of tourists marooned on the two islands, which are about 30-40 nautical miles away from the capital city. On Saturday, nearly 1,100 tourists were ferried safely to Port Blair from Havelock. Also, 135 ... Read more

Hainan Airlines is planning to launch non-stop service between Xi’an and Los Angeles on December 31. It will be the first scheduled service between Xi’an and Los Angeles and the only intercontinental route between Xi’an and the United States. The Xi’an-Los Angeles service is scheduled to take off from Xi’an at 9:10 pm every Monday and Thursday BJT, and land at Los Angeles at 18:10 pm PT after being in the air for 12 hours and 10 minutes. The new route will be serviced by a Boeing 787-8 aircraft. All seats will be fully equipped with an exclusive entertainment on-demand ... Read more

Travellers will soon be able to make calls and access internet through their phones during air travel and ship voyage within Indian territory as the government has notified rules for providing such services. Indian and foreign airlines and shipping companies operating in the country can provide in-flight and maritime voice and data services in partnership with a valid Indian telecom licence holder. “These rules may be called the Flight and Maritime Connectivity Rules, 2018. They shall come into force on the date of their publication in the Official Gazette,” the notification dated December 14 said. The in-flight and maritime connectivity (IFMC) ... Read more

SpiceJet has announced the launch of six new direct flights connecting Chennai with key pilgrim centres like Varanasi and Shirdi and tourist spots like Port Blair and Bagdogra. All the flights are scheduled to commence from January 10, 2019, except the one on Chennai-Bagdogra route which will start operations from February 11, 2019. The daily direct flights introduced by the airline will operate on the Chennai-Varanasi, Chennai-Shirdi and Chennai-Bagdogra routes. The airline has also introduced an additional frequency on the Chennai-Port Blair-Chennai route which will be operational from January 10 to February 10, 2019. SpiceJet is offering an introductory promotional fare starting ... Read more

Mumbai’s iconic promenade at Marine Drive now has a plush toilet to go with its surrounding art deco architecture. The toilet, made at an estimated cost of Rs 90 lakh, has earned the reputation of being the city’s most expensive toilet. It was opened for public use on December 11. Constructed under a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative by the Jindal Group and Samatech, the swanky toilet has been handed over to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for maintenance. The civic body will keep the facility free for use for the next two months after which it may levy a ... Read more

The West Bengal government is considering the prospects of tea tourism in the state. The government has allocated over Rs 1,000 crore for the welfare of tea garden workers in the state since 2011, said the state Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Banerjee, in a Twitter post on International Tea Day, said her government has also been providing 35 kg of rice at Rs 2 per kg to the tea garden workers. “Today is International Tea Day. In #Bangla, we have allocated more than Rs 1,000 crore for the welfare of tea garden workers since 2011. We give 35 kg rice at ... Read more

A Global Food Policy Advocacy Initiative, ‘Tasting India’ has commenced  in Delhi from 14th and will conclude on 16th December 2018 in Delhi. ‘Eat Right’ is the the theme of this years’ programme. The event is supported by NITI Aayog, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, Incredible India, The Nordics (Nordic Council of Ministers), Nordic Food Policy Lab, SDG2 Advocacy Hub, India International Center, Sweden Foodtech and Basque Culinary Center. For the first time in the country, one platform will bring together experts from around the world to discuss ways to actualize the United Nations Sustainability Goals using the ... Read more

With less than a month to go until the 24th edition of Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF), Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE) has announced details of this year’s edition, featuring exciting events, promotions and opportunities to enjoy rewarding shopping experiences coupled with thrilling, world-class entertainment for all families. Running from 26 December to 2 February, this year’s festival will feature over 700 brands participating at 3,200 outlets across the city with deal-hunters able to enjoy 75 per cent off a wide range of products during the month-long sales. Extended for an additional week to give people even more reasons to ... Read more

Saudi is hosting Formula E – the mega event in the historic Saudi town of Ad Diriyah, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The event is set to revolutionize motorsports by using only electric race cars. Officially known as the ABB FIA Formula E Championship, the race expects to draw 40,000 attendees, with access not only to the race but also to the Kingdom’s largest ever festival for music, entertainment and cultural activities. A first for Saudi Arabia and the region, the event’s magnitude reflects the Kingdom’s goal of hosting major events and promoting them domestically and globally. A milestone was ... Read more

Sagada Waterfalls The local government of Sagada, in the Cordillera Mountains province of Philippine, has imposed new rules to control the number of visitors and to ensure discipline of the tourists in the site, in order to control the rush in the coming holidays. It was announced by the Sagada Municpality on their Facebook page on Friday. “We would like to advise the public of our tourism regulations in Sagada during long weekends, holidays and peak season. These rules are in line with the on-going process of making Sagada a responsible tourism destination,” sated the Facebook message. Sagada is a ... Read more

The Indian Hotels Company is planning to spend Rs 180-200 crore to revamp budget brand Ginger Hotels. The estimated cost, as per ET reports, is Rs 8-10 lakh per key. The company is planning to renovate hotels located in key markets over the next two years and is evaluating monetising its assets to fund the proposed renovation. Six assets are being considered for the sale and lease-back arrangements, said the report. Ginger has recently launched its first prototype hotel with a new brand identity at Panjim, Goa. Ginger is present across 32 cities through 45 hotels with another 11 under ... Read more