Category: News

The tourist authorities in Kerala have announced that the Chembra peak in Wayanad will remain temporarily closed from January 15, 2018, (Monday) onwards due to the forest fire in the area. Chembra was closed down in February 2017 following a devastating forest fire, which burnt down around 100 hectares of grassland. Chembra peak is the highest peak in Wayanad at 2100 m above sea level.

Web Desk With an aim to boost coastal tourism, the Ministry of Shipping has floated expression of interest for operating passenger ferry services connecting coastal cities such as Thoothukudi, Rameswaram and Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu and Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala. Rameswaram “An interactive meeting would be convened with those expressing interest and tender would be floated subsequently,” says S. Natarajan, Deputy Chairman of V.O. Chidambaranar Port Trust. Across the country, the governments and other departments are slowly realising the water wealth of the country. If the coastal belts of states are connected, it will by and large boost the tourist inflow ... Read more

Web Desk Welsh track cyclist, Olympian Owain Doull Taiwan Tourism Bureau is partnering with Fox Sports to launch a digital campaign to help tourists research and plan cycling trips to Taiwan. The ‘Taiwan on Two Wheels’ website, built by Fox Sports, (www.taiwanon2wheels.com) is now live  as the online hub to drive more cycle tourism to Taiwan. It provides all information and tips including bike routes, rental information and packing advice for avid cyclists to plan a cycling vacation in Taiwan. Miss Universe 2015 Pia Alonso Wurtzbach. To spice up the presentation the website highlights an influencer programme curated by Fox ... Read more

Web Desk Ashtamudi Lake. Picture Courtesy: Kerala Tourism The southern coastal district in Kerala, Kollam, is all set to get some exciting projects to boost the tourism in the district. The government of Kerala has approved tourism projects worth Rs. 27 crore in Kollam. Ashtamudi Lake, Kannetti Lake and Vattakkayal are some o the areas which would be getting a new touch. “A tourism project focussing on Ashtamudi Lake is under consideration. The possibilities of Kannetti Lake and Vattakayal will be explored,” says Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran said after inaugurating the Kannetti pavilion and lakeside tourism project. Ashtamudi Lake is ... Read more

Web Desk Valmiki Tiger Reserve Bihar is all set to get a facelift with the environment and forest department announcing its plans to set up a separate wing exclusively for promoting and dealing with issues related to eco-tourism. The department has identified potential sites to be developed considering the needs of the tourists. “Valmiki Tiger Reserve, places like the Gangetic dolphin sanctuary in Bhagalpur, the wildlife safari at Rajgir, Bhimbandh Wildlife Sanctuary in Jamui, Kushiar Gaon and Raniganj in Araria district, the natural Sal forest spread over Purnea and Kishanganj, Madhopur in Jamui and Piparghatti in Gaya are some sites ... Read more

Web Desk The Colosseum in Rome, built C. 70 – 80 AD Intesa Sanpaolo, Italy’s largest bank by assets, invests €5 billion in tourism by striking a deal with the country’s cultural ministry. A lion share of the money will be used for restoration and redevelopment projects, making more buildings available for cultural use. The investment will take place over three years in a deal called ‘Pact for Tourism 4.0’. The money will also spend for the training of workers in the tourism sector, technological innovation, and modernization of accommodation. According to a study carried out by the Intesa Sanpaolo ... Read more

Web Desk In line with the Government’s Digital India initiative, Minister of State for Tourism (Independent Charge) and Minister of State for Electronics & Information Technology, K J Alphons launched mobile app – Incredible India Digital Calendar-2018 and also released the Incredible India Wall & Desk Calendar for 2018. The Incredible India Digital calendar application enables users to know about the events and festivals happening in India on the go. The Digital Calendar can be downloaded on Android and iOS platforms. The Incredible India Digital Calendar contains all exclusive features of any Digital Calendar making it a perfect travel planner ... Read more

Web Desk ‘Paradise on Earth’ and the ‘Island of the Gods’ are not enough to describe the beauty of Bali. The land of unexplored treasures, has never failed to attract tourists till recently after a series of volcano eruptions late last year. Mount Agung. Photo Courtesy: Wikipedia Mount Agung’s eruption, which began in September, forced the island’s airport to close for two days last month, and visitor arrivals have dropped by more than 70 per cent. But, the island started to recover with arrivals of foreign tourists. The tourism sector faced $1 billion in loss in tourist revenue last year. ... Read more

Web Desk The Government of India is considering a complete exit from the India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) by selling 87 per cent of its shares. As part of its disinvestment exercise, the Cabinet, in September 2017, has approved the transfer of Hotel Jaipur Ashok and Lalitha Mahal Palace Hotel, Mysore, to the governments of Rajasthan and Karnataka respectively. It also cleared disinvestment of ITDC’s 51 per cent equity in Donyi Polo Ashok, Itanagar, in favour of Arunachal Pradesh. ITDC currently runs 16 hotels in Delhi, Patna, Jammu, Ranchi, Bhubaneswar, Puri, Bhopal, Bharatpur, Jaipur, Guwahati, Mysore, Puducherry and Itanagar. The ... Read more

Web Desk Ramada Khajuraho Wyndham Hotel Group has plans to 40 new hotels in India by 2020 as part of its robust expansion plans in the country. The company has opened 11 new hotels in the region last year. The company is also planning to introduce new brands to India over the coming years including Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham, Wyndham Grand and Wyndham. Wyndham has 35 operational hotels in India under the Ramada, Ramada Encore, Howard Johnson and Days brands. “India’s hospitality industry, especially the mid-market segment, is thriving from strong growth in domestic travel, an increase in foreign tourists, ... Read more

Web Desk InterGlobe Hotels and AccorHotels jointly open ibis Pune Hinjewadi (IPH). To celebrate its opening, ibis Pune Hinjewadi is offering a special price of Rs. 3,699 per night, with breakfast for two until March 31, 2018. Featuring 136 well-appointed rooms, the hotel’s contemporary design offers unparalleled comfort and convenience with its range of in-room amenities and signature Sweet Bed (TM) bedding concept by ibis. The hotel also offers complimentary high speed Wi-Fi access to ensure that guests can enjoy a relaxing stay. For food aficionados, ibis Pune Hinjewadi features the signature ‘Spice It’ restaurant – a culinary concept tailor-made ... Read more

Web Desk Hyatt Hotels Corporation opens the first Hyatt Place hotel in Hyderabad, Telangana, offering a fresh perspective on the uncomplicated stay experience that is a hallmark of the Hyatt Place brand. Photo Courtesy: Expedia “We are excited to introduce Hyatt Place Hyderabad/Banjara Hills as the third Hyatt-branded hotel to open in the city of Hyderabad, joining Park Hyatt Hyderabad and Hyatt Hyderabad, Gachibowli, which have already created a strong affinity for the Hyatt brand among travellers,” said Kurt Straub, Vice President (Operations, India), Hyatt. “Hyatt Place Hyderabad/Banjara Hills has been designed specifically with our guests in mind, blending comfort ... Read more

Web Desk The digital world is ever changing and it’s very difficult to keep up with the pace of this ever changing world. Travellers are no exception. People are searching for new technologies which can satiate their needs. Realising this, ixigo launches TARA, a voice-enabled, AI-driven travel assistant of the future that helps users discover, plan, book and manage their travel. TARA helps travellers make planning and booking hassle-free as well as reduce the time spent in researching. TARA has features like emotive voice-based assistance, pre-emptive trip planning, automated frequent flyer programme management, seamless flight search and booking and automated ... Read more

Web Desk Photo Courtesy: Alexfinds Millennials are willing to spend more on leisure trips as compared to people belonging to the older age group, reveals a survey conducted by Phocuswright study, which is co-commissioned by ixigo, a travel marketplace. Over 2,700 travellers took the online survey. Almost half (48 per cent) of the respondents were millennials. Around 22 per cent of seniors aged above 55 spent over Rs 6,000 per night for their most significant trip during the year whereas 34 per cent of the millennials, specifically in the age group of 25-30, spent this much or more. One out ... Read more

International Desk, TNL Photo Courtesy: Emirates Woman Saudi Arabia all set to shed its ultra-conservative image, thanks to the Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman, who is leading a massive drive to change the face of the Kingdom. The good news now is that the government has allowed women aged 25 and over to travel to Saudi without being accompanied by a family member. The government has announced its decision to grant tourist visa to solo women travellers above 25. However, women under 25 must be accompanied by a family member. Photo Courtesy: SeeSaudi The tourist visa will be a single-entry ... Read more