Category: News

The Republic of Turkey said it will discontinue the visa on arrival service from October 28, to a number of nationalities, including Indians. Visitors will need to take a visa before reaching Turkey as the e-visa kiosks at Istanbul airport will not generate visa from the last week of October. Citizens from India, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives and a 100 other countries are eligible for e-visa, which needs to be obtained before you start the journey. Applicants can obtain e-visas after entering the required information for the application and making an online payment. A link to download the visa is the final ... Read more

Non-stop flights between Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and John F Kennedy International Airport in New York will be launched by President Uhuru Kenyatta on 28th October 2018. Though the inauguration of the direct flight is 10 days away, the vibe around it has warmed US travellers, who have made Kenya a sought after destination, surpassing the rival tourists locations such as Mexico, Italy and Europe. As per local media, bookings for December to Kenya were up by about 28 per cent from last year’s with one operator saying it had placed around USD 8 million worth of business to ... Read more

India is the biggest tourism markets for Dubai and it aims at doubling number of tourists in the coming years. Last year around 2.1 million Indians visited Dubai. In order to achieve the target, Dubai is planning to enhance the air connectivity with India. “Air connectivity at present is not enough; we are running at almost full capacity. With the kind of campaigns we are running, demand will increase further. We are working with Indian carriers to facilitate dialogue with the civil authorities and the airports in Dubai to make it easier for them to bring in more capacity,” said ... Read more

Thailand has witnessed a 2.13 per cent increase in tourist arrivals in September compared to the same period last year.  “The number of Chinese visitors declined for three consecutive months,” said the Tourism Ministry in a statement. There were 2.66 million foreign tourists in September, which helped generate ฿140 billion (RM17 billion), said the statement. Tourists from East Asia accounted for about 73 per cent of all arrivals. However, the number of Chinese tourists in September dropped by almost 15% from a year earlier. The number has been declining since a boat accident in July, which killed 47 Chinese visitors. ... Read more

Boracay has re-opened to tourists visiting the Philippines  after it was forced to close down due to the high levels of sewage and damage that was ruining it. The visitors will be allowed from October 26. The six-month closure has led to a number of new rules for tourists to follow. The island, which was forced to close in April, restrict most of the popular beach activities such as smoking or drinking alcohol as well as dining on the beach. It is also said that there are restrictions regarding building sandcastles. Water excursions such as boats and skiing and diving activities ... Read more

A website, ‘Join My Wedding,’ allows foreign visitors to pay and attend grandeur wedding ceremonies in India, with a fees. Marriage ceremonies in India are usually grand multi-day celebrations with their opulent decor, meaningful traditions, and lively receptions. Foreign tourists would have attended Indian weddings to experience the charm and diversity prevailing in each region. Now with this website tourists get an opportunity to attend a wedding ceremony, which they can select from the website and be part of it. The practice is getting popularity among foreign tourists and a new tourism sector has evolved with a name ‘wedding tourism’. ... Read more

Tourism Minister for State (I/C), Govt. of India, K J Alphons has sanctioned Rs 3 lakh for the Navaratri celebrations in Kerala’s capital, Thiruvananthapuram, which is slated to be held on October 21. The amount will be handed over to the Travancore Navaratri Utsava Trust. “The Navratri celebrations in Thiruvananthapuram carries a rich legacy of almost 200 years. It is necessary to protect Kerala’s great historical heritage,” said the minister. The Navaratri festival is celebrated in Travancore from AD 972 onwards. This is the first time that the celebration is receiving financial aid from the central government. The Navarathri festival ... Read more

Etihad Airways has named Sydney and Melbourne as the next airports in the global rollout of new lounge brand ‘The House’, recently launched by the airline in partnership with No1 Lounges. Eligible customers of Etihad Airways, and those of its partner airline, Virgin Australia, travelling through Sydney will be able to experience The House from Tuesday October 23, while the new upgraded lounge experience will open for customers departing Melbourne on Saturday October 27, following the brand’s launch at Heathrow Terminal 4, on 5 October. The House is the result of a unique collaboration between Etihad Airways and award-winning lounge ... Read more

How to reach Goa from Mumbai searches always used to show the scenic rail journey on the Konkan route or the long road trip and the easy and fast flight services, but, now there’s a water route open between the two destinations. India’s first ever passenger cruise ship service, Angriya, will ferry you from Mumbai to Goa for just Rs 7000/-. The glamorous cruise between Mumbai and Goa, is sure going to attract a large number of domestic and foreign tourists. A one-way ticket for the cruise will approximately cost Rs 7,000 for a bed in the dorm and Rs 11,000 for a ... Read more

The Textile Ministry said it will release Rs 7.8 crore for the construction of textile tourism complex in Nangpoh, Meghalaya Union. Minister of State for Textiles, Ajay Tamta has said that the Ministry will release Rs 7.8 crore for the construction of a textile tourism complex in Nongpoh, Ri-Bhoi district of Meghalaya. He informed that the funds for the complex will be released within 15 days. The Union Minister visited different weaving centers in Shillong today. He said the NBCC has completed construction of an apparel center worth Rs 14 crores in the State. He added that the Textile Ministry will ... Read more

Jonathan and Jannet in the house boat It’s not just the millennials who are globetrotting, Jonathan and Jannet are showing it to the world that there’s no age limit for exploring the world and being adventurous. When they thought of a two weeks holiday, they did not have any other choice than Kerala. Three months ago, Jonathan and Jannet, British couple (aged 69 and 70 respectively), booked two weeks holidays with Spice Coast Cruises in the backwaters of Alappuzha. Jonathan was sure to have a memorable holiday, as he had been in Kerala few years ago and was mesmerised by the ... Read more

The state of Assam should create an ambiance for night life and hospitality for the tourists, says Rajya Sabha MP Biswajit Daimary. He was speaking at the function organized for the launch of an aggressive campaign through static advertisements, mobile app, website, radio jingle and TV commercials on Monday. Other than radio jingle, all the rest have been shot with State’s Tourism ambassador Priyanka Chopra. “Tourists visit a place to enjoy. Why will they visit a place if there’s nothing to enjoy? Isn’t it our duty to give tourists a liberal atmosphere? There’s no nightlife, no casino, no scope for ... Read more

The Kochi-Muziris Biennale Foundation is planning to raise Rs 10 crore for the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund for flood victims. The amount will be mobilized by the Biennale Foundation through an auction of works by world famous artists at Mumbai. It was informed by Pinarayi Vijayan, Chief Minister of Kerala on a review meeting held on 15th October 2018, assessing progress of the works for the biennale. This year biennale will be held from 12th December 2018 to 29th March 2019; which would enhance the status of Kochi to the cultural capital of India. “Around 90 artists from 31 countries will ... Read more

Taiwans’s representative in New Delhi, Tien Chung-kwang, speaking on the inauguration function Taiwan opened its first official tourism information center for India in the country’s financial capital, Mumbai on Friday, 12th October 2018 Taiwan is considering India as one of the focus countries for its new Southbound Policy targeting South and Southeast Asia, and earlier this week announced it would spend more than USD 1 million to attract tourists from India. “We are trying to double the number of Indian travellers arriving in Taiwan by next year,” said Trust Lin, the Tourism Bureau’s representative in Singapore, who is also responsible ... Read more

Hospitality giant Marriott is planning to add 11 new properties in the UAE by year-end, bringing its portfolio to 59 properties and over 17,000 rooms in the across the six Emirates. In 2018, around 6 properties have been added so far and the hospitality major is planning to add five more in the country this year itself. The company is planning to add 20 new properties in the next five years. Marriott is expecting that this development pipeline could generate over 5,000 new jobs in the country. This year saw the opening of hotels under two regional brands – Elements Hotels brand ... Read more