Category: News

The Philippines government led by President Rodrigo Duterte ordered, that the beach resort at Boracay will be closed for over 6 months for the tourist. The new move is as part of cleaning the beach from sewage and waste accumulation. “It’s a shame that Boracay, which has repeatedly been recognised by prestigious travel magazines as the world’s most beautiful island, may yet end up a paradise lost if water contamination continues,” said Wanda Teo, Tourism Secretary, Philippines. Meanwhile, the shutdown has altered the livelihood of tourism traders in the location, that has over 2 million tourist arrival yearly. On February, ... Read more

AirAsia has unveiled plans to launch direct flights between Phuket and Penang on 1 July 2018. Operated exclusively by AirAsia Berhad, the direct flight marks the airline’s 10th route from the Pearl of the Orient, further strengthening AirAsia’s inter-ASEAN connectivity. Flights from Phuket to Penang will operate with daily direct flights. “Penang is undoubtedly one of Malaysia’s pride with its World Heritage status, internationally acclaimed cuisines, vibrant cultures and beautiful architecture. More importantly, its strategic location at the crossroads in the region has helped boost the growing inbound and outbound travel demand that saw seven million tourist arrivals via air ... Read more

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu will launch 4 new Volvo buses of AP Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) at the Secretariat today. With the launch of new buses, the total bus fleet of the APTDC will be 36. The Corporation has 32 coaches, including 4 volvo, 2 Mercedes Benz, 5 AC Hitech, 9 AC mini buses, 12 non AC/ Hitech and 4 Innova vehicles. TDC has recently purchased 4 new multi axle volvo buses with advanced facilities at a cost of Rs 1.155 crore each to provide hassle free facilities and to enhance tourist experience to the visitors travelling ... Read more

Tourism Malaysia, on a mission towards their tourist’s safety, had launched their latest mobile application named My Tourist Assist’ (MyTA). The app is available for both Android and ios devices. “The app is designed by digital technology company, Jana Tiga Holdings and it can work even without an internet connection,” said Datuk Seri Mirza Mohammad Taiyab, Tourism Malaysia director-general. “This app allows tourists to get assistance from the authorities in case of an emergency situation, whereby an emergency or SOS button will connect the user directly to the authorities,” added Datuk Seri Mirza Mohammad Taiyab. The app also features a news ... Read more

Photo Courtesy: scmp The multi-year, US$45 million Sri Lankan campaign is all set to be launched later this month. During the second week of January 2018, Following the furore broke out after the chairman of the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB), Udaya Nanayakkara, refused to abide by the tourism minister’s order to step down, the campaign again got delayed. The US $650,000 campaign will roll out on CNN platforms by the end of April, while a larger, six-month digital marketing campaign targeting China, India, the UK, Germany and France worth US$3.5 million is expected to be ready by end of ... Read more

Bali, the tourist Island in Indonesia is all set to conduct ‘Bali and Beyond Travel Fair’ (BBTF) from 26th June at Bali Nusa Dua Convention Center (BNDCC) in Badung regency. The 5th term of the conference is themed as “Exploring the Colors of Indonesia,” organized by the Regional Representative Council (DPD) and the Association of Indonesian Tour and Travel Agencies (ASITA). The event aims to promote not only Bali but also other 10 top destinations in Indonesia, with participation from 21 provinces. “The event is a business-to-business concept forecasted to be the largest market for travel in the country,” said Ketut ... Read more

India’s Silicon Valley will soon be the first in India to offer robotic assistance to passengers. Named Kempa, the humanoid robot was created by local start-up Sirena Technologies. The project is in its final phase, and is likely to be installed at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport as soon as Minister of State of Innovation and Technology Priyank Kharge gives his approval. Kempa will assist the passengers if they need help with check-in or navigating the airport, tips on what to see and do in Karnataka or even just an entertaining conversation to kill time until your flight. The robot—currently being tested—will be ... Read more

Two weeks after Latvian national Liga Skromane went missing from Kovalam, the State Government has sought the help of Navy and Air Force for underwater search in the area. As per State Govt’s request, Air Force transport aircraft AN-32 from Sulur Airforce Station reached Kochi and transported naval assets from Kochi Naval Command to Trivandrum on 1st April afternoon. Thereafter the naval assets weighing around 1000 kg in two trucks were transported from Air Force Technical Area, Shangumugam  to Kovalam. Southern Naval command mobilised Gemini inflatable boats, under-water sonar and 6 deep sea divers for the search around Kovalam area.  The divers have started the ... Read more

The new aviation tax imposed by Sweden, as part of reducing the carbon footprint, could benefit air traffic in Denmark. The added charges for the flights include 60 to 400 kronas ($7 to $49), with regards to the length of the flight. Meanwhile, babies in arms, flight crew and long-haul passengers were exempted from the tax. According to a share analyst from Denmark, a favourable rerouting of airlines to their airspace will give a better network and options for flights in and out of the country, which may benefit the economy. “The charges eventually would hit the airline’s pocket more than ... Read more

Etihad Airways has begun a month-long trial to test the SkyLights Aero Virtual Reality (VR) entertainment technology in order to gather customer feedback before introducing the offering at the Midfield Terminal in Abu Dhabi International Airport. The trial takes place at its First Class Lounge and Spa and Business Class Premium Lounge. “By conducting trials such as this, we already understand that modern travellers expect more information and seek increasingly connected and immersive experiences which engage and entertain them on every level. Gone are the days when a premium lounge experience just meant comfortable design, luxurious amenities and fine dining,” ... Read more

Hyderabad Police issued a temporary ban on unmanned flying aircraft (drones) and other RC controlled devices from 8th April to 7th May. “No flying activities of remotely controlled drones or para-gliders or Remotely Controlled Micro-Light Aircraft will be allowed in the Jurisdiction of Hyderabad city limits without prior police permission in writing,” said Anjani Kumar, Hyderabad police chief on a statement. The new move is as part of a notification received from intelligence agencies, stating that there could be terrorist attacks and security breach, which could create chaos among the public. The police also states that anyone violating the rules ... Read more

Amazon.com Inc may submit an offer to buy Indian e-commerce firm Flipkart, which is currently in talks with Walmart Inc for a stake sale. The deal with Walmart is more likely to go through, according reports to Mint. Walmart is in talks to buy a stake of over 55 per cent in Flipkart, which a direct challenge to Amazon in Asia’s third-largest economy. It is planning to buy Flipkart through through a mix of primary and secondary share purchases in a deal that could value Flipkart at $21 billion. Amazon is the largest Internet retailer in the world as measured by ... Read more

The first train between India and Bangladesh, dedicated to transport containers was flagged off from Kolkata. The new project would run on a trial basis and would pass through Sealdah, Naihati, Ranaghat and Gede in India, followed by entering Darsana and Ishurdi in Bangladesh. The train left for Bangladesh with 60 containers (1,200 tonnes) of animal feed. “The customs clearance for the train would be done easier, delivering the materials on time. Exporters forums had been lobbying for container trains to help them save time and significantly cutting costs,” said Harindra Rao, General Manager of Eastern Railway Zone. Meanwhile, the ... Read more

Beppu in western Japan, is famous for its natural hot springs, in which hoteliers are in competition with one another to draw tourist attention. Since the past five years, the city is showing good number of tourist arrivals with the continuous efforts from Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s ministry. The occupancy chart of the hotels and resort show the growth of tourism in the area. “Beppu is one of the world’s most famous hot springs resorts, but it didn’t have a luxury hotel of international fame. The wealthy Japanese market is very attractive, and inbound tourism is also booming.”, said ... Read more

A travel alert has been issued by South Korea for its citizens regarding travelling to Ecuador, on the occasion of a severe security breach in some parts of the South American country. According to media reports, a travel advisory is imposed over cities of San Lorenzo and Eloy Alfaroin in Ecuador along with the travel alert. South Korea further declared orders for citizens living in Ecuador to avoid local trips and called back their citizens until the situation is under control. Meanwhile, in January Ecuador government has ordered emergency in its two cities, as a result of drug-associated bombing.