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The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has welcomed the call of its sister UN agency World Health Organization (WHO) for restrictions on travel to be lifted or eased. Citing the varied global  responses to the emergence of the of the Omicron variant of COVID-19, WHO has reiterated that restrictions on travel are not effective in suppressing the international spread. In line with UNWTO’s recurring warning against the use of blanket restrictions, the 10th meeting of the WHO’s International Health Regulations Emergency Committee (Geneva, 19 January) expressed concern that such measures can cause economic and social harm. They may also “discourage transparent ... Read more

Thekkady is one of the important tourist destinations in the state. The area, which is visited by many people on a daily basis, is planning comprehensive development activities and innovative programs to attract tourists. As part of this, a high-level meeting was convened to evaluate the activities of Thekkady Tourism Center. It was decided at the meeting to prepare an action plan for comprehensive development activities. The Director of Tourism has been appointed for this purpose. The meeting decided to look into the possibility of developing the park. The meeting reviewed practical steps in the areas of FAM trip, training ... Read more

National Tourism Day 2022: India is a diverse country with a rich cultural and mythological heritage. From Kashmir to Kanyakumari, the country has great places to visit and delicious cuisine. Every tourist destination has its own history or mythology, which makes them even more special. In India, tourism is one of the largest income-gross industries and plays an important role in the economy of the country. National Tourism Day: History In 1958, the government realized the importance of oncoming tourist traffic to India and created a separate Department of Tourism. The objective of creating the department was to preserve our ... Read more

The decision to provide insurance cover to travelers visiting 60 eco-tourism centers of the State Forest Department. This is the first such move in the state. The scheme is for one year in association with the United India Insurance Company. The forest department will pay Rs 225 per person per year to the insurance company. In case of accidental death at eco-tourism centers, the assistance of Rs. 5 lakhs and in case of mutilation Rs. 2.5 lakhs will be provided. The coverage is only for those who buy tickets and visit eco-tourism centers. There is no protection against the loss ... Read more

The Tourism Department on Sunday held a colourful Shikara rally at the famous Dal Lake here to woo tourists to the Kashmir valley, an official spokesperson said. The rally was part of a series of events organised by the department to celebrate the 75th year of Independence under the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’. Tourism Director G N Itoo flagged off the rally from Nehru Park and a restricted under of shikarawallas participated in it due to the COVID-19 situation, he said. The spokesperson said the shikarawallas rowed from Nehru Park to SKICC and back to the park to complete the ... Read more

Restrictions similar to the lockdown on Sundays are a setback for the tourism sector. The government has not clarified what the restrictions on the tourism sector will be. Despite reports are circulating on social media that pre-booked tours will not be disrupted, neither the DTPC nor the tourism department has officially clarified. Tourists mostly visit on Sundays. Many people come to Alappuzha for houseboat trips by booking in advance. No notice has been given to houseboat owners or tour operators on how to work on Sunday. So they are worried about what to say to those who booked. Currently, only ... Read more

On the eve of India’s 75th Independence Day celebration on 14th August 2021, the Ministry of Tourism in collaboration with the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) held a webinar and during the webinar, a series of 12 episodes was launched that will take the participants on a virtual journey of Incredible India. Yesterday the 22nd January 2022, the 6th episode of the series titled “Role of Bengal in the Freedom Movement of India” was held. In yesterday’s episode, Regional Level Guides (RLG) Shri Manabendra Nag and Mrs. Malini Basu from Bengal and Dr. Ajay Singh, President, Tour Guides Federation of ... Read more

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), has announced that its highly anticipated 21st Global Summit will now take place in Manila, Philippines, from 20-22 April 2022 – just a month from its original March date. Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO said: “As countries around the world begin to unlock the door to travel, we have taken the decision to reschedule our Global Summit by just a few short weeks. This will enable more international participants to join us in Manila and help guide and lead the sector as we head towards economic recovery. “Our Global Summit is the ... Read more

The Leshan Giant Buddha is a 71-meter (233 ft) tall stone statue, built between 713 and 803 (during the Tang dynasty). It is carved out of a cliff face of Cretaceous red bed sandstones that lies at the confluence of the Min River and Dadu River in the southern part of Sichuan province in China, near the city of Leshan. The stone sculpture faces Mount Emei, with the rivers flowing below its feet. It is the largest and tallest stone Buddha statue in the world and it is by far the tallest pre-modern statue in the world. The Mount Emei ... Read more

Sweden with a consolation announcement on the occasion of the ban on travels around the world in the covid expansion. The country has dropped the decision to require an RTPCR negative certificate before entering the country. The Swedish government made the announcement on Tuesday. Over the past few days, Sweden has reported 20,000 covid cases per day. This is double what was recorded in the previous waves. Although the increase in the number of patients has caused problems in the health sector, it is reported that the situation is not the same as it was before the release of the ... Read more

UNWTO has welcomed the Barcelona Tourism Observatory into its growing International Network of Sustainable Observatories (INSTO). Tourism is one of the leading economic sectors for the city of Barcelona and the surrounding region, responsible for more than 10% of local GDP. The Barcelona Tourism Observatory (BTO) will work to help guide the sector towards greater sustainability. As with other members of the INSTO initiative, the observatory will provide data and analysis to be used to guide evidence-based decision-making. This will help Destination Barcelona better deal with the recovery of tourism and in the long run with the large tourist numbers ... Read more

The first 2022 issue of the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer indicates that rising rates of vaccination, combined with easing of travel restrictions due to increased cross-border coordination and protocols, have all helped release pent up demand. International tourism rebounded moderately during the second half of 2021, with international arrivals down 62% in both the third and fourth quarters compared to  pre-pandemic levels. According to limited data, international arrivals in December were 65% below 2019 levels. The full impact of the Omicron variant and surge in COVID-19 cases is yet to be seen. Slow and uneven recovery The pace of recovery ... Read more

Ahead of the official opening of FITUR, Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili met with entrepreneur and hotelier Yavuz Selim Yükselir. Visiting the Organization’s headquarters in Madrid, the Turkish national, who joined last year as UNWTO Tourism Ambassador, discussed opportunities for further collaboration, with a particular focus on hotels and tourism accommodation. Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili says: “I thank Yavuz Selim Yükselir for his enthusiastic support for UNWTO at the start of a year of great challenge and great opportunity for tourism. Now is the time for our esteemed Ambassadors for Sustainable Tourism to be the faces of our sector, using their status and ... Read more

Malabar is a land of great potential for tourism. It still needs to attract tourists from all over the world. This will nurture the tourism potential not only of Malabar but of Kerala as a whole. According to the internationally renowned Lonely Planet, Malabar is one of the 10 unexplored places in the world. The Department of Tourism is introducing a unique marketing scheme called “Fam 2 Malabar 500” to bring Malabar to national and international attention and to place Malabar in the packages of domestic and foreign tour operators. It will be attended by over 500 tour operators in ... Read more

The Faridabad police on Friday busted an interstate gang and nabbed four of its members for allegedly duping people on the pretext of providing them with fake holiday packages after posing as bank employees. Police said the accused duped over 55 people in different states. Rs 35,000 cash, one POS machine, computer, printer, 17 mobile phones and 18 SIM cards procured using fake IDs have been recovered from their possession, they said. The arrested accused were identified as Uttam Singh, originally hailing from Bihar; Tushar from Rajasthan; Mohammad Mubin and Maz Mohammad, natives of Uttar Pradesh. Police also sealed their ... Read more