Category: News

Maharashtra will get a new airport at ParuleChipi in Sindhudurg district in 2018. Work on the project is expected to be completed in June this year, before the onset of monsoon and the Ganesh Festival, which will begin in September this year. The airport is being constructed by IRB Sindhudurg Airport Pvt. Ltd. on a design-build-finance-operate-transfer (DBFOT) basis for the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC). Sindhudurg airport will have a 2500-meter runway which has provision for future development. The airport will be built at an approximate cost of Rs 520 crores. Sindhudurg airport will have the capacity to handle 200 ... Read more

The Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, has announced that the monthly Foreign Exchange Earnings (FEEs) through tourism in India during the month of March 2018 were Rs.17, 294 crore as compared to Rs. 14, 667 crore in March 2017. The FEEs was Rs 12, 985 crore in March 2016. The growth rate in FEEs in rupee terms in March 2018 over March 2017 was 17.9 per cent, compared to the growth of 13.0 per cent in March 2017 over March 2016. FEEs during the period January- March 2018 were Rs 52, 916 crore with a growth of 15.5 per cent, as compared ... Read more

It was just days back that one of the major cement companies in India, Dalmia Cements, adopting the Red Fort under the Adopt a Heritage project. Though it has created some sparks across the country, the ministry is going ahead with its plans to continue the project to the selected 95 heritage site. Minister for Tourism K J Alphons said the centre has plans to add more sites under the project. However, the minister ensured that it will be done only in consultation with the  public. Sites like beaches and parks beyond the 95 envisaged by the ministry will find ... Read more

The Supreme Court was told that 22 models of electric cars of various vehicle manufacturers would be available in India soon. Major vehicle manufacturers like Tata and Mahindra have been pushing very hard for it. The Supreme court, which was hearing a pollution-related matter, was apprised about it after a bench comprising Justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta asked vehicle manufacturers, “what are you doing about electric cars?” “They say that in auto shows, all kinds of electric cars are there,” the bench asked, following which one of the lawyers said that “cost is an issue”. However, another lawyer ... Read more

Emirates, the world’s largest international airline, is celebrating its 25th anniversary to Dammam. Originally operating two flights a week, Emirates now flies four times daily between Dammam and Emirates’ hub in Dubai. Since the start of the Dammam service in 1993, the airline has carried more than 3.8 million passengers. “We are embarking on a real milestone as we celebrate 25 years of service to Dammam. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a major market for Emirates and we take great pride in the role we play in providing global connectivity both for business and leisure passengers in Dammam and ... Read more

Bahamas, commonly known as an archipelagic state, that consists of over 700 island chains is all set to conduct its 3rd annual Caribbean Aviation meet-up from 24th June at the capital city of Nassau in Bahamas. Delegates from the field of includes aviation include Dionisio D’Aguilar, minister of tourism and aviation, and tourism director-general; Joy Jibrilu, followed by professionals from US, Canada and Europe. The forum is said to conduct over 31 sessions that include presentations and conference. Discussion topics would be cornered within regional airlines, route development, airport development, airlift impact on tourism and the economy, investment considerations, trends ... Read more

Bollywood heartthrob Ranveer Singh, Switzerland’s ambassador in India, has inaugurated a train named ‘Ranveer on Tour’ in Switzerland. Ranveer has managed to turn around 25 per cent growth rate in the overnights in the Alpine nation, that drove Indian tourists to Switzerland. The train was launched on 30th April by Switzerland Tourism and the Swiss Travel System. The country said it wants to continue with Ranveer Singh on board in 2018 and is looking forward to that. India ranks seventh in importance among all the countries for Switzerland in terms of tourism. “I still remember being completely mesmerised on my first ... Read more

The District Tourism Department planning to introduce outdoor sports promotion facilities on the Kozhikode beach. Plans are that a football and volleyball courts to be developed along the beach. There will also be an exclusive track for cycling. Looking at the developments, it is sure that the department is planning to convert the famous Kozhikode beach into the first modern sports beach in the state. Two private companies, The Earth and Space Art, would prepare the master plan for the project and other allied tourism development plans in the city, they said. A water tourism circuit linking Elathur, Canolly Canal, ... Read more

The long-awaited ‘neelakurinji’ season is all set to begin from August to November.  Munnar town and nearby areas are preparing to receive the tens of thousands of visitors who would be flocking the hills of Munnar to experience the ‘neelakurinji’ season. As per the official data, around eight lakh visitors are expected in Munnar during the ‘neelakurinji’ season. To control the traffic, regulations will be imposed in Munnar town between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. The Munnar grama panchayat and the police have already removed the roadside vendors and traffic barriers have been constructed on the two sides. The visitor’s vehicles ... Read more

Sharjah has launched its first English language radio station Pulse 95 Radio on Monday. The opening ceremony, held under the patronage of Sheikh Sultan Bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Chairman of Sharjah Media Council (SMC), was held at the Al Majaz Amphitheatre. The channel can be accessed on 95 FM or from the Sharjah Media corporation’s (SMC) web and mobile application. The Pulse 95 Radio station has Emirati, Arab, and international presenters. Sally Mousa, Sara Al Madani, Ana Schofield, Amna Roberts, Omar Al Busaidy, Hassan Dennaoui (Big Hass) and Iman Al Majali are the presenters. Sheikh Sultan Bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, who took ... Read more

Republic of Albania, located in South-eastern Europe, has recently announced that the citizens of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman and Qatar can enter Albania visa-free. Albania, having a pristine natural beauty with Mediterranean climate has attracted over 5.2 million tourists back in 2017. Tourism Albania mainly markets the rich culture and heritage of the nation, along with natural tourism products like mountains and beaches. “The citizens of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman and Qatar can enter Albania without a visa from April 1 to Oct. 31, 2018.” said Sami Shiba, Albanian Ambassador. Albania has a coastline of over 450 km, well known ... Read more

H H Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Department of Transport, has inspected the specially-designed Etihad Airways’ “Year of Zayed” A380 at Etihad Airways Engineering’s facilities in Abu Dhabi. H H Sheikh Theyab was joined by H E Mohamed Mubarak Fadhel Al Mazrouei, Chairman of Etihad Aviation Group, and Tony Douglas, Group Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Aviation Group, as well as members of the Etihad senior leadership team. The A380 in “Year of Zayed” livery is just one component of Etihad’s extensive initiatives taking place throughout 2018 which are based on the four “Year ... Read more

Marriott International has opened the first Element-branded hotel in Dubai. The 168-room property features studios and one-bedroom suites. “A recognised industry leader in the eco-space, Element promotes a life in balance with its emphasis on wellness and sustainability and we are excited to debut the brand in a city like Dubai where sustainability remains a key focus across all sectors,” said Alex Kyriakidis, president and managing director, Middle East and Africa, Marriott International. Marriott International appointed Stuart Birkwood as cluster general manager for its properties in Dubai: Aloft Me’aisem, Element Me’aisem, and Aloft Dubai South. Located in Dubai Production City, ... Read more

Tourism in India is rapidly growing on the rise, as the new investment opportunity, as well as market, widens with over US$91.3 billion (Rs 5,949 billion) revenue generated in 2017. Previously, over US$26 billion (Rs 1,961 billion) spending from the foreign travellers was generated, that further widens the human resource and foreign direct investment to the sector. Online International and national key players in the tourism and hospitality industry are nowadays emerging with customisation option namely AirBnb, Makemytrip, Cleartrip, Yatra, Goibibo, and OYO Rooms. As per the new prediction, around 18 million international tourist arrivals are expected by the ministry ... Read more

America-based online tourism and hospitality chain Airbnb has announced an association with Sydney based Australian startup Hometime. The new tie-up aimed for new marketing platforms like community meeting and increasing client listings. Hometime, on the other hand, has associations with traditional accommodation providers like boutique hotels, local youth hostels with bed and breakfast. “As we continue to see demand for this kind of travel, we’ll keep seeing the number of hosts in Australia increase. We know people have been coming to the platform and not finding what they look for, but Hometime provides that one-on-one hospitality our hosts have looked for in ... Read more