Category: News

Grand Packard Hotel, Havana With inauguration of the second five-star hotel in Havana, Cuba’s tourism is seeking position in the high-end tourism sector of the word. Speaking at the inauguration function on Saturday, 13th October 2018, President Miguel Diaz-Canel said the hotel is part of a new strategy to attract more high-spending visitors. Located in Havana’s Old Town with a stunning view of the city’s bay, the Grand Packard Hotel is is operated by Spanish company Iberostar, which has been operating on the island for 25 years. “Iberostar has been present in the country since 1993 and currently operates 27 ... Read more

Zalon Mountain Myanmar is planning to upgrade a mountain in the area of forest reserve in Banmauk, northwestern Sagaing region, as an eco-tourism site to attract more international visitors, as per local media reports. The upgrading of Zalon Mountain situating 19.2 km northwest of Banmauk is part of the efforts of the Forest Department to boost the country’s smokeless industry by extending the new tourist destination with proper services, said a tourism department official. Zalon Mountain Zalon Mountain is situated 927 meters above sea level and the surrounding mountains are over 600 to 900 meters high. There is a the ... Read more

Emirates is offering UAE residents a chance to travel back home and celebrate Thanksgiving with friends and family. Customers travelling to North America can enjoy Economy Class fares to New York starting at AED 4,685, Los Angeles starting at AED 5,785, Chicago starting at AED 5,215 and Dallas starting at AED 5,385. Business Class passengers can enjoy fares to New York starting at AED 20,155, Los Angeles starting at AED 25,775, to Chicago starting at AED 21,775, and to Dallas starting at AED 21,745. From 22nd to 25th November, Emirates will be offering passengers specially tailored menus to celebrate the holiday. ... Read more

Mount Nebo, Jordan Tourism industry of Jordan is in a revival mode, after years of safety concerns due to regional instabilities. Abdul Razzaq Arabiyat, Tourism Board General Director, said that the country has been witnessing increase in the number of inbound tourists during the past eight months of the year.  There is a recorded 12 per cent increase in the number of tourists who stayed in the Kingdom, while the income from tourism also increased by 14 per cent. “We have been implementing a new strategy using social media to change the mentality of tourists and convince them that Jordan ... Read more

World’s largest river island, Majuli island in Assam The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh has said that Northeast tourism has reached new heights in the last four years and this has been possible because of special thrust and impetus given by the Union government, with the direct indulgence of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Interacting with the members of a young Start-Up group in New Delhi, after launching the Northeast Tourism app developed by them, Dr Jitendra Singh said, ... Read more

The central ministry is all set to lay the foundation stone of a museum for all Prime Ministers of the country on the premises of the Teen Murti today. Minister of state for culture Mahesh Sharma and minister of housing and urban affairs Hardeep Singh Puri will lay the foundation stone for the museum at Teen Murti Estate, the official residence of India’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru. The new museum will incorporate the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML) at the Teen Murti estate, the official residence of India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. The work on the new museum is ... Read more

Kim Kardishian and Kanye West (Photo courtesy: glamour.com) Kanye West, renowned rapper and singer of US is on a private visit to Uganda with his wife and popular TV star, Kim Kardashian. Uganda’s Information Minister Frank Tumwebaze said the visit is “an endorsement of our tourism resources.” Their visit to Uganda is seen as a plus for official tourism promoters, who were recently criticized by President Yoweri Museveni for not doing enough to promote Uganda’s tourism sector. The celebrity couple’s visit is said to be a boost to the Ugandan tourism sect as the authorities believe it would help to ... Read more

Passengers travelling to India to reunite with relatives for Diwali can enjoy competitive fares on Economy Class to Mumbai starting at AED 1,205, Delhi starting at AED 1,265, Hyderabad starting at 1,105, and Ahmedabad starting at AED 1,165. Business Class passengers can enjoy fares to Mumbai starting at AED 3,605, Delhi starting at AED 3,705, Hyderabad starting at AED 3,395, and Ahmedabad starting at AED 4,775. Emirates will be offering passengers onboard special Diwali delicacies from 7 November to 10 November 2018. The special treats will be available for customers in all classes on all flights to India from Dubai. ... Read more

Sardar Vallabhai Pattel’s statue (Photo Courtesy: Indian Express) Just a couple of weeks left for the inauguration of the 182-metre statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel at Narmada in Gujarat. And, the Chief Minister of Gujarat, Vijay Rupani has invited all states to Narmada, not just to be a part of the inauguration ceremony, but to construct guesthouses and canteens of the respective states at a place marked near the statue. With an aim to boost tourism, the state government has allocated a stretch of land just 4 kms away from the statue for other states to construct guesthouses and canteens on the ... Read more

Airbnb and the Bermuda Tourism Authority (BTA) have partnered to streamline and enhance the on-island vacation experience. This fall, the BTA will begin marketing the destination across Airbnb’s channels, reaching a vast audience of potential visitors who favour vacation rentals. As part of the island’s Vacation Rentals Act 2018, Airbnb will collect the new 4.5 percent visitor fee on vacation rentals from guests staying at Bermuda Airbnb listings, offering a frictionless transaction for guests and hosts. The new partnership is part of BTA’s ongoing efforts to support Bermuda’s entrepreneurs and grow the island’s tourism industry in impactful ways. Additionally, beginning ... Read more

Hainan Airlines flight HU7607 took off from Beijing and landed at Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport at 11:00 am on October 13 Beijing time, marking the successful completion of the maiden commercial voyage of the first Airbus A350 aircraft owned by Hainan Airlines Holding Co., Ltd.  The carrier is opening a new era of services operated by the A350, witnessed by over 300 passengers. The A350-900 provides passengers with a new standard of travel experience with its leading modern cabins. The business class comes equipped with the Staggered seat layout for enhancing passenger privacy and the classic Straight-Line design. In addition, ... Read more

Etihad Airways Engineering, the largest commercial aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services provider in the Middle East, received two prestigious honours at the Aviation Business Awards 2018 held in Dubai on October 9, 2018. The ‘Unsung Hero of the Year’ and ‘Engineering Innovation of the Year’ awards recognise the company’s achievements in the past 12 months, by a panel of aviation industry experts. ‘Unsung Hero of the Year’ was awarded to Etihad Airways Engineering’s Technical Sales, which recognised the multi-cultural team for playing a key role in enabling the UAE’s vision to become a global aerospace hub and Customer Service ... Read more

Emirates is offering travellers in Lebanon special Business class companion fares to 15 destinations across its network. The offers are valid for bookings until 31 October 2018, for travel until 20 December 2018. The special fares are available for two to eight people booking and flying together in Business Class. Fares from Lebanon start from USD 3626 per person to Phuket, to New York for USD 3660 per person, to Kuala Lumpur and Sydney for USD 3765 per person. In addition to great fares, all Emirates Business Class travellers can enjoy lounge access in Dubai, a generous 40kg baggage allowance, ... Read more

Kozhippara Waterfalls, Kakkadampoyil Kakkadampoyil, one of the popular eco-tourism spots in Kozhikode district seeks the status of tourism village and to include in the state’s tourism map.  A village tourism development committee comprising landowners, local body members and investors has held a meeting with the tourism department in this regard for the enhancement of tourism in the region. The envoy has submitted memorandum to George  M Thomas, MLA of Thiruvambady, recently to bring the proposal to the attention of the government and to conduct a proper field study to understand the potential of the region. The MLA assured that efforts ... Read more

In a move to increase the tourism footfalls in the state, government of Punjab is giving emphasize to heritage tourism. As per reports, heritage sites the in the state have been witnessing increased tourism activities in recent years. “The Heritage Street in Amritsar has really increased the footfall of tourists many times. The Golden Temple in Amritsar receives 1.25 lakhs tourist everyday which is the highest footfall compared to any other heritage in the country,” said Malwinder Singh Jaggi, Director, Punjab Tourism. “The Wagah border is also getting good number tourists. There are lot of other attractions also in and ... Read more