Category: News

Pravin Kumar IAS has assumed charge as Chief Executive Officer, Andhra Pradesh Tourism Authority (APTA) & Managing Director, Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) on 24th June 2019. A 2006 batch officer, Pravin Kumar earlier served as the District Collector & District Magistrate for West Godavari District before assuming as CEO, APTA & MD APTDC. He started his career as assistant Collector Warangal, Sub- Collector Penukonda followed by Project Officer (PO) Indian Tribal Development Agency (ITDA), Bhadrachalam, Joint Collected Visakhapatnam, Commissioner GVMC, Visakhapatnam, District Collector & District Magistrate, Visakhapatnam and West Godavari During his tenure, Visakhapatnam was included in the ... Read more

The Telangana State Tourism Development Corporation (TSTDC) is planning to develop budget hotels in all district headquarters on the lines of Haritha chain of hotels and resorts with an aim to boost tourism in the state. TSTDC has written a letter to District Collectors in this regard, seeking allotment of required land for the proposed budget hotels that would provide affordable accommodation to tourists visiting various destinations. These hotels are likely to come up near tourist places across the state. The tourism authorities are also planning to introduce boating facilities at all the lakes to attract more tourists. In Hyderabad, ... Read more

With an aim to attract more American tourists to the country, Incredible India is conducting road shows across different cities in US. Through the road shows, Incredible India is projecting the many facets of the country, including its rich culture, heritage, scope of adventure, leisure and medical tourism. The four-day road show was organised by the government of India in association with industry stakeholders. The Indian delegation lead by Meenakshi Sharma, Director General (Tourism), visit Washington DC, Boston, Seattle and San Francisco in US and Vancouver in Canada. On an average 1.2 million American tourists visit India every year. In ... Read more

Kerala Tourism, in association with Muddy Boots and Mercury Himalayan Explorations (MHE), is planning to launch a host of adventure tourism courses on KITTS campuses in Thiruvananthapuram, Malayattoor, Thalassery and Thrissur. There will be four certificate courses and one diploma course, which is aimed to create a trained workforce to guide tourists interested in adventure tourism so that risks are minimised and responsible tourism is undertaken. The technical partner, Muddy Boots will devise the curriculum and facilitate the faculty while the industry partner, MHE will take care of internship for the students and their placement. The courses include an introduction ... Read more

IndiGo has commenced operations on six new connections including four RCS routes Kolkata-Prayagraj, Prayagraj-Kolkata, Raipur-Prayagraj and Prayagraj-Raipur. The new routes will be serviced by an ATR aircraft and the flights are designed to cater to business and leisure travellers who are constantly on the lookout for new and affordable flying options. The introduction of these flights will further bolster the airline’s connectivity in the Tier II cities with fares starting from Rs 1,999. “As part of our continued focus to enhance point-to-point connectivity, we are pleased to commence operations on these six routes connecting Kolkata, Prayagraj (Allahabad), Raipur and Jabalpur. ... Read more

The summer season begins in Ibiza with one of the most exciting new properties on the island. BLESS Hotel Ibiza, the new hotel from the brand BLESS Collection Hotels of Palladium Hotel Group, opened its doors on June 13th followed by a spectacular opening party on Sunday 16th June with more than 700 attendees and many experiences. Spanish model Eugenia Silva, BLESS Collection Hotels brand ambassador, and Spanish Chef Martín Berasategui hosted the opening of the hotel, the second from the brand following BLESS Hotel Madrid. Abel Matutes Juan, President of the Palladium Hotel Group; Abel Matutes Prats, CEO of ... Read more

Singing sensation Jennifer Lopez is all set to perform in Israel for the first time at Tel Aviv’s Hayarkon Park on August 1, 2019. The pop star and actress will visit the country during the international leg of her ‘It’s My Party’ world tour, a 25-show engagement kicking off on June 7. J. Lo’s show is expected to attract thousands of people in one of the summer’s blockbuster concerts, at the same venue that will host legendary Bon Jovi on July 25. In her two-decade career, Lopez has sold 80 million records worldwide with 16 top-10 hit songs and three ... Read more

Noting that homestays are a vital component of tourism in future, Kerala Tourism Director P Bala Kiran IAS said homestays will be given Responsible Tourism Mission (RT) partner approval, provided they strictly follow the vision and norms of the heritage-oriented hospitality initiative. “The classification will be in platinum, gold and silver categories,” Bala Kiran said while inaugurating a one-day workshop cum orientation programme for homestays and service villas of Kerala here on Tuesday. The event was organized by Trivandrum chapter of Kerala Hats, a consortium of homestay promoters, in association with the Kerala Tourism Department in Thiruvananthapuram. Bala Kiran said ... Read more

Kerala Government has decided to form a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) for the conduct of the IPL-model Champions’ Boat League (CBL) as an annual event in August-November, showcasing Kerala’s famed snake-boat race in the backwaters in six districts across the state as a world class experience. The decision was announced by state Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran at a meeting of stakeholders, jointly held with Finance Minister Dr T M Thomas Isaac. The company, primarily intended to generate revenue through telecast rights, advertisements and sponsorships for conducting the premier event, will also decide on the revenue sharing among the stakeholders. The inaugural ... Read more

According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, the growth of medical tourism in India is optimistic. The segment has witnessed exponential growth of 111 per cent in the last three years from 2015 to 2017. The Ministry stated that some 4.95 lakh foreign tourists visited India for medical purposes in 2017, a rise from 2.33 lakh in 2015, while in 2016, a total of 4.27 lakh foreign tourists visited the sub-continent. To boost the sector in the country, the Ministry of Tourism has also taken various steps like expanding the scope of e-visas for medical visits. The government launched e-tourist ... Read more

Photo Courtesy: India Rail Info All mountain railways in India will now have vistadome coaches, allowing passengers to enjoy the scenic beauty of hilly terrains. The latest addition of vistadome or glass-enclosed coaches have been made to the Nilgiri Mountain Railway. Luxurious 13 coaches with glass ceiling termed as- Vistadome coaches having panoramic view have been introduced on 8 scenic routes by Ministry of Railways. Some of these coaches will have infotainment system as well along with larger glass windows and high-class interiors. Cost of manufacture of a new Broad Gauge (BG) Vistadome coach is approximately Rs 4 crores. The ... Read more

Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), in association with Tamil Nadu Travel Mart Society, supported by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India and Department of Tourism, Government of Tamil Nadu, is organising the 2nd edition of CII Tamil Nadu Travel Mart to showcase the potential of Tamil Nadu’s tourism on a global platform from 19-22 September in Chennai. The registrations for the Travel Mart have been opened. The three-day exhibition will witness more than 300 exhibitors showcasing tourism business opportunities in the state along with 1000 domestic and international buyers. Tamil Nadu Travel Mart will have an Exhibition from 19 ... Read more

Air India has announced that the first flight from Indore to Dubai will take off on July 15. Air India has already started taking bookings and over a dozen people have already booked the tickets for the inaugural flight within the first six hours. The new flight will take off from Indore on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. The flight will depart from Indore at 4.40 pm and reach Dubai at 7.05 pm on Mondays. On Saturdays, the flight will take off at 3.35 pm and reach Dubai at 6.45 pm. On all three days, the flight will take off from ... Read more

Emirates will be expanding its services to Jeddah and Medina with an additional 46 flights to help facilitate travel for Hajj pilgrims heading to and from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The flights will be operated between 27 July and 22 August to support the Hajj journey to the Holy City of Mecca. The services will run in parallel with Emirates’ regularly scheduled services to Jeddah and Medina, and will be available to travellers holding a valid Hajj visa. This year, Emirates expects thousands of pilgrims to travel on its services for Hajj, coming from top inbound destinations such as ... Read more

Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) has launched its direct flight linking Baku and New Delhi. An Eastern country with a Western outlook, Baku is known as the “Pearl of the Caucasus”. Combining history, culture and modernity, the vibrant city offers a safe and attractive setting along the Caspian Sea. From outdoor activities, phenomenal shopping experiences, luxury hotels, and beautiful venues and locations for weddings and honeymoons, Azerbaijan is a perfect destination for couples, families, and friends. “India is a key market for us with immense potential due to the high number of international travellers and their growing interest in the region. We ... Read more