Category: News

Green House The 2nd Urban Agri Africa 2018 Summit will be held on September 25 – 26 at the Sunnyside Park Hotel in Johannesburg, South Africa.  With the agriculture sector at the centre of persistent discussions and debate around transformation and economic empowerment, this 2nd Urban Agri Africa 2018 Summit is not only timely, but highly relevant. Organized by Magenta Global, the two-day Conference includes a dynamic offering of engaging presentations and panel discussions.  It will bring together all agriculture stakeholders – from policy makers, trade and investment promotion agencies, farmers (both smallholders and commercial farmers), credit and agri-financiers, agri ... Read more

StayWell Holdings, part of Prince Hotels Inc of Japan, has announced signing of first Leisure Inn in Kerala. Leisure Inn VKL Kochi is scheduled to start operations in the last quarter of 2018. The hotel is located in the heart of Kochi city with a room inventory of 53 rooms. The hotel is the second property by StayWell Holdings in Kerala, after opening Park Regis Aveda in Kumarakom, Kerala, and seventh operational property in India for the Group. “We are looking forward to widening our reach in the Southern market. Kochi is a metropolitan hub of Kerala and the hotel ... Read more

“Local community participation to be sought in the development of tourism destinations, to have sustainable tourism development,” said Rashmi Verma, Tourism Secretary, Union Ministry. She was speaking at a session on “Mission: 20 million tourists – possibilities and challenges,” organised as part of the 34th annual convention of Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO), taking place in Visakhpatnam. “Involvement of the local communities in promotion would not only help in popularizing the new destinations, but also contribute to the local economy. We need such responsible tourism. We must learn from Kerala where the local people have become the stakeholders, by ... Read more

Happy news for people of Trivandrum!. Budget airlines, AirAsia and GoAir to start operations from Trivandrum. The airlines have expressed interest in starting domestic service from Trivandrum International Airport. Air Asia will start services to Bengaluru, while Go Air will have daily flights to Mumbai. Currently, Air Asia do not have service from Trivandrum. However, they had operated from Trivandrum during the floods, when Kochi International Airport was temporary closed. Go Air is the 5th largest airline operating in India. Meanwhile, joint venture of Singapore Airline and Tata Sons, Vistara Airlines, has also expressed interest to have flights to Chennai ... Read more

Tourism Australia has launched a new tourism promotion campaign in India and South East Asia, targeting high value travellers in India, Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia. The latest chapter in Tourism Australia’s evolving There’s Nothing Like Australia campaign, UnDiscover Australia, challenges perceptions and stereotypes of what Australia offers as a tourism destination by showcasing unusual, unfamiliar and unexpected attractions and experiences. The campaign is being backed by Australia’s state and territory tourism organisations, airlines, and a range of other key distribution partners. India is currently Australia’s fastest growing market for arrivals and spend, achieving a fourth consecutive year of double-digit growth. ... Read more

If you are travelling to UAE this summer, you don’t need to pay visa fees for dependents aged 18 years or below. The fee exemption will be applicable between July 15 and September 15 every year , the UAE Cabinet announced recently. The new decision is expected to boost tourist footfall during the off peak season. UAE has earlier exempted transit tourists from visa fees for the first 48 hours. A 14-day express tourist visa costs Dh497 per head and a 30-day multi-entry tourist visa costs Dh917 if the traveller purchases it online. However, according to tour operators, the most popular tourist ... Read more

China is going to build a ‘luxury city’named ‘Tourism Vacation Town’ in Cambodia with a cost of USD 1.2 Billion. With this project, China is said to be extending its influence in the south-east Asian countries. Chinese developer Tianjin Union Development Group (UDG) says Tourism Vacation Town will feature high-end hotels, offices and theme parks on 1,200 hectares of land in Cambodia’s south-western Koh Kong province. Meanwhile, UDG has already started work for resort in the same province, named Dara Sakor with a project cost of USD 3.8 billion. The land was given to USG for a 99 year lease ... Read more

Goa and Japan plan to have ties between the two regions to boost tourism. Ryoji Noda, Consul General of Japan met Menino D’Souza, Director of Tourism, Goa on Thursday, 6th September 2018. Various initiatives to be taken up to develop tourism in Japan and Goa have been discussed during the meeting. As per a tourism official, Goa has been receiving Japanese tourists, availing the electronic tourist visa through the Goa International Airport at Dabolim. Records depict that around 250 Japanese tourists visit Goa annually and the Goan authorities expect to increase the number in the coming days. D’Souza has informed ... Read more

Tour operators in the country should tap the full tourism potential of the country and also special focus was needed to bring in more Chinese tourists, said Union Tourism Minister for State (I/C), K J Alphons. The minister was addressing the gathering at the inauguration of 34th IATO annual convention held at Novotel Hotel in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. The minister also suggested that IATO be renamed Indian Association of Tour Ambassadors. “Though we have taken special measures to attract Chinese tourists to the country, only 2.47 lakh Chinese tourists visited India in 2017. I request IATO to play a major role ... Read more

Kerala has faced the worst flooding in over a century that has left more than 400 people dead. Incessant rain since August 8 caused the worst floods and triggered landslides, blocking access to many of the popular destinations and forcing the Kochi International airport to cancel its operations for 14 days. Looking at the damages and the devastation the floods has caused, people were skeptical about the revival of the state, especially the tourism industry. But, in less than a couple of week’s time, the state could overcome the difficulties in record time and is now ready to welcome tourists. “The ... Read more

Kashmir tourism department is planning to have country wide promotion campaigns in association with the private sector. In the first phase, attracting more south Indian tourists will be in focus. “We have set up stall in the 34th IATO (Indian Association of Tour Operators) convention in Vishakapatnam, which started on 6th September 2018 and will have presentations about our tourist hot-spots,” said Tasaduq Jeelani, Director of Tourism, Kashmir. “There will be promotional campaigns in all major cities, with priority to south Indian cities like Chennai and Bengaluru,” he added The state has been experiencing shortfall in the tourism inflow due ... Read more

Kerala has been in the news for the past couple of weeks due to the devastating floods, which took the entire length and breadth of the state into shackles. But, the lush green paddy fields and the backwaters in Kumarakom are all the more beautiful and refreshing after the downpour. The deep emerald of the coconut fronds and the silvery backwaters is bustling with life. After a couple of week’s fall, the God’s own Country, as it is aptly called, has resurrected and is all set to welcome globetrotters. A team of 16 foreign tour operators have landed in Kerala to be ... Read more

K J Alphons, Minister for Tourism, Govt of India arrives at Vizag for the IATO convention The 34th Annual Convention of Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) kick-starts at Novotel in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. The annual convention held from September 6 to 9, 2018, is conducted under the patronage of the Chief Minister N Chandra Babu Naidu. The minister will inaugurate the India Travel Mart at 6 pm at the hotel. The previous two conventions were held in Hyderabad in 1997 and 2003, both were inaugurated by the Chief Minister himself. The three-day annual convention, with the theme, “20 million foreign tourists by ... Read more

Booking.com has entered into a partnership with Air India to offer the airline’s customers access to over 28.9 million accommodation listings, including everything from homes, apartments, villas to world-class hotels and resorts from the Air India website. “Air India being the country’s national carrier and one of the most extensive flight service providers in India, makes it the perfect partner for us to showcase our global online accommodation offering to their domestic & international customers. As India is poised to become the third largest aviation market by 2020 with its fast-growing outbound travel market, we are happy to combine our ... Read more

Plastic waste is a plague on the world, and our holidays are also partially to be blamed in contributing a large chunk of it. With an aim to bring down the plastic waste in the destination, Munnar, the famed hill station of Kerala, is taking some commendable measures. Munnar Grama Panchayath has banned plastic products in and around Munnar area in Devikulam Taluk. The local authority has banned buying and selling plastic products under the Plastic Waste Management Rule – GS320(E) dated 18.03.2016 and ESR285(E) dated 28.03.2018. The products banned in Munnar area are plastic carry bags, plastic banners, flex, ... Read more