Category: News

Marriott International has announced that they would be introducing facial recognition at the check-in desk, which is a first in the industry. Marriott has partnered with Chinese e-commerce group Alibaba to trial the technology at two two China properties – the Marriott Hangzhou and the Marriott Sanya. “We are excited to partner with the joint venture yet again to offer an innovative and convenient check-in alternative for Chinese travellers. Marriott International has a track record of embracing cutting-edge technology to create memorable experiences for guests. With technology, our hotel associates can work more efficiently to do what they do best ... Read more

Rock Fort Temple, Tiruchi The tourism development of Rock Fort temple and 5 other spots in Tiruchi under the Smart City proposals has got clearance by the high power committee. The committee, headed by Finance Secretary K Shanmugam, met in Chennai accepted the proposal drafted by the Tiruchirappalli Smart City Limited. A sum of Rs 45.23 crore will be spent for the tourism development plan in the city. Main Guard Gate, Rock Fort temple, Rock Fort temple tank (Teppakulam), War Memorial, Purathana Park, and Municipal Chathiram are the other tourist spots, which have been selected for providing facelift under the Smart City ... Read more

Photo Courtesy: The Hindu With the aim to boost the tourism sector in Tamil Nadu, the state has organized a partnership meet in Hyderabad on Wednesday, 11th July 2018. The state is looking for more tourists from Telangana. Tamil Nadu Tourism Deputy Director Thiru Venugopal said, “We are striving to keep our position in the tourism industry of India and looking for new markets.” Tamil Nadu has been one of the favourite tourist destinations in India, for domestic and foreign tourists and this initiative is targeting to promote less known places in the state and thus attract more tourists. “Telengana ... Read more

A Miniature Govardhan Hill, Mathura Govardhan, one of the key pilgrimage centers in the Mathura District of Uttar Pradesh, will be developed as a top-notch tourism destination, as informed by Union Minister of State for Tourism K J Alphons. The minister was reviewing the feasibility of six proposals sent by the Uttar Pradesh government.  He declared that the Center government has sanctioned Rs 50 crore as the first installment to develop Govardhan as one of the “finest tourism spots”. As per the Hindu mythology, Govardhana Hill located in Govardhan, is believed to be lifted by Lord Krishna on his little finger ... Read more

Travellers who are yet to decide on summer plans can take advantage of attractive holiday packages to Dubai by simply flying with Emirates. Upon booking, passengers can avail exclusive rates at world-class hotels, enjoy outstanding entertainment and experience theme parks across Dubai, including tickets to some of the city’s world-class shows and attractions. Customers can experience Dubai starting at USD $49 a night, applicable to two guests per room, at Rove Dubai Marina – located in the city’s stylish waterfront district. The package also includes two complimentary tickets to visit Dubai Parks and Resorts – the largest integrated theme park ... Read more

Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO), the apex association of inbound tour operators, will propose reduction in current e-visa fee as a measure to attract more international tourists to India. IATO said at first, it will take up the proposal with Ministry of Tourism, Government of India. This was informed by Pronab Sarkar, President of the Association while addressing the members at their monthly interactive meeting in Delhi. IATO opines that reduction in e-visa fee is important to attract more tourists to meet the targeted 20 million tourist arrivals by 2020. The Association will also ask the Tourism Ministry to ... Read more

Kafue National Park, Zambia The Zambian government is planning to restock five of its national parks this year with animals in an effort to enhance the country’s tourism. Howard Sikwela, permanent secretary in Zambian Ministry of Tourism and Arts, said, “The national parks will be restocked with 1,361 wildlife species such as white rhinos, black rhinos, impalas, buffaloes, zebras and hartebeest”. “Though restocking of animals is an expensive activity, we will do it to increase the animal population in our national parks, which will in turn boost tourism in the nation,” Sikwela said. Some of the wildlife species in some ... Read more

Infinix, the Hong Kong-based smartphone company, has launched Infinix Hot 6 Pro, a new smartphone in India. Infinix Hot 6 Pro carries a price tag of Rs 7,999, and will be available starting exclusively via Flipkart. The Hot Pro 6 comes in Sandstone Black, Magic Gold, City Blue, and Bordeaux Red colour options. The device features a 5.99-inch HD+ 18:9 aspect ratio display, is powered by Snapdragon 425 with 3GB of RAM, runs Android 8.0 (Oreo) with XOS 3.2 on top, has a 13-megapixel rear camera with LED flash along with a secondary 2-megapixel camera for portrait shots. It has a ... Read more

Smartron’s Tronx Motors has announced the launch of Tronx One, an electric cycle with an approximate on-battery run-in range of 45-50 km per charge. The e-cycle is priced at Rs 49,999 and would be available in magma red and pacific blue colour option. Tronx is currently undertaking pre-orders, which would start to ship the first batch of consumers from July 16 onwards. A crossover of a bicycle and an electric bike, Tronx One is capable of reaching a speed of up to 25 km/hr and comes with multiple ride modes. The e-bike also has features such as virtual gears, coupled with three ... Read more

Uber Eats has launched its second service in Andhra Pradesh at Vijayawada on July 10. “Uber Eats service is launched in Vijayawada and consumers can order their favourite food by downloading the Uber Eats app on their mobile phones. Vijayawada marks the 18th city for Uber Eats since the launch in India in May 2017,” said Bhavik Rathod, Head of Uber Eats India. Uber Eats has partnered with restaurants such as Paradise, Cream Stone, Drunken Monkey, Seven Days, Southern Spice and many more. The service will be available for consumers across key neighborhoods in the city such as Labbipet, Governorpet, Auto ... Read more

Colombo, Sri Lanka Sri Lanka is expecting a healthy growth in the number of Indian tourists arrivals this year, as the island nation is out to woo travellers even from smaller cities. Sri Lanka has seen a substantial growth in tourist arrivals from India last year, with over 3.84 lakh travellers. Currently, India is the number one country in terms of tourist arrivals, followed by China, UK and Germany. Some of the most popular destinations in Sri Lanka include Kandy, Colombo and Bentota. Kandy, Srilanka “This year we are targeting 4.50 lakh tourists from India,” said Viranga Bandara, Assistant Director-Marketing, ... Read more

Photo Courtesy: Balan Madhavan Neelakurinji (Strobilanthes kunthianus) blooms only once in every 12 years and, the hills of Munnar will soon be painted in a hues of blue. Kerala Tourism has launched a microsite http://www.keralatourism.org/neelakurinji exclusively to welcome the kurinji season. The new microsite offers you in-depth insights into the ‘Neelakurinji Phenomenon’ through photographs of the blooming in 1982, 1994 and 2006, video clips of the Kurinji and other nearby attractions, the best routes to reach the flowering site at Rajamala, travel writers who share their experiences of having witnessed the flowering in the previous years and also scholarly articles on preserving ... Read more

Kourion, Cyprus Cyprus Parliament on Tuesday passed a law establishing a junior ministry for tourism, scheduled to begin operation in January 2019. The government bill also provides for creating the position of an under-secretary to the president for tourism. The bill will come into being from 2nd January 2019. In a statement, deputy government spokeswoman Klelia Vasiliou called it a ‘milestone for boosting the tourism sector, a key pillar of the Cypriot economy’. The establishment of the ministry would lead to the implementation of a national strategy for tourism. It has been formulated over the last five years through consultations with all ... Read more

Bodh Gaya at Gaya district in Bihar Government of India is planning to entice the Buddha aficionados all around the world to visit India’s Buddhist spots. It is part of the tourism ministries plans to boost the tourist inbound to the country in the days to come. As per tourism minister K J Alphons, the focus is on augmenting the infrastructure and improving road and air connectivity. The home ministry is actively considering a proposal set forth by the tourism ministry to open new entry points through Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, as stated by an official. Meanwhile, the Civil Aviation ... Read more

Novotel New Delhi Aerocity AccorHotels has introduced ‘MyRoom by AccorHotels’ concept across five properties which offers customised rooms. The concept rooms are introduced in AccorHotels’ Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Goa hotels with an aim  to meet travellers’ stay experiences which are distinctive, innovative, customised and local. To bridge the gap between the hotel staff and guests, MyRoom themes have been designed by the hotel staff itself. The staff brainstormed on themes they are passionate about, while keeping their guests in mind. Following internal discussions, three winners were shortlisted, where each winner was given charge to decorate and plan the room as per their ... Read more