Tag: corona virus

Chances are that very few domestic travellers may be looking at Odisha as a travel destination. Its tourism brand is not as strong as some of the other states and hence people tend to overlook it. But things are changing.  Its temples, architecture, natural beauty, beaches, lakes and music have begun to attract tourists. Moreover, Odisha is known as an ancient  civilization. Let’s look at the key destinations. Jagannath Temple, Puri is one of the most sacred pilgrimage destinations in Odisha. It is the temple of Lord Vishnu and holds great significance. Sun Temple, Konark : This is a World UNESCO heritage site. It was built ... Read more

The Aruba Tourism Authority has announced a new destination booking policy for couples dreaming of booking a 2021 wedding or honeymoon.  Couples can now book their event of a lifetime with the participating hotel or resort venues of their choice with confidence, knowing their special occasion can be postponed due to COVID-19 pandemic issues, by providing a 30-day notice period. As part of Aruba’s ‘Happily Ever After Guarantee’ program, weddings and honeymoons booked for 2021 can be postponed for up to a year from the original event date.  “With nearly 316 million people under lockdown in the U.S. alone, the travel and weddings industry ... Read more

The number of foreign tourists in Thailand may plunge by almost two-thirds to 14 million this year. This will be the lowest level in 14 years, as the coronavirus pandemic hits global travel, according to estimates from the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), a Reuters report said. The TAT now predicts only 14 million to 16 million foreign visitors this year, sharply down from 33.8 million projected in March. Last year’s foreign arrivals were a record 39.8 million. Tourism is crucial to Thailand as spending from foreign tourists amounted to 1.93 trillion baht ($59.98 billion), or 11% of GDP last ... Read more

Edgard Ziebat is not your regular tourist. He is a wanted criminal in his home country of Germany and had landed in New Delhi on March 18 from Vietnam. That’s where his luck ran out. He was looking to get to Turkey, but India ended up cancelling all flights to that country on the same day. Few days later, India suspended all international flights as the coronavirus pandemic was gathering pace. So, there he was, stuck at the transit area of the Indira Gandhi International airport with nowhere to go. When airport authorities contacted the German embassy, they refused to ... Read more

Punjab may not be on top of the chart for many of  the domestic Indian travellers, but the sheer variety of attractions that it offers is difficult to match. Let’s look at some of the destinations you may want to visit in Punjab. There are very few places in India that can match Punjab for its historical significance and religious landmarks. The Ministry of Tourism conducted a webinar on ‘Punjab – Beyond the brochure’ as part of its Dekho Apna Desh series to highlight its uniqueness. ·     The Majha region of Punjab covers the area between Beas and Ravi rivers, including the area on the north of Sutlej, after ... Read more

When the aviation sector finally gets to operate globally – though no one knows when that would be – there could be some remarkable changes in the way we fly. Here are some of the possibilities: ·     Most likely you will be wearing a mask ·     Middle seats will be empty ·     Many short haul flights may not have cabin service ·     The flight attendant will also be wearing a mask ·     Queue at immigration will take longer to clear ·     Social distancing at every stage ·     Border control will have mandatory swab tests ·     Quarantine will be a norm, even if you test negative at the airport ... Read more

Virtual guided tours are picking up steam this year. As no one can really go out and experience a real vacation due to the epidemic, many online tour companies are creating virtual tourism experiences. One such company is the online tour company Walks, which has put together a selection of `Tours from Home’ offered by expert guides, chefs and storytellers. But while Stephen Oddo, the CEO and founder of Walks, was happy to find a way to provide small income source to some of the company’s tour guides as well as a way to keep brand awareness high, he also ... Read more

Puerto Rico is trying out innovative methods to keep tourists interested. Discover Puerto Rico has been aiming to keep their destination in the thoughts of past and potentially new visitors through videos and Instagram live sessions, and is now looking to take the next step. It is taking virtual experiences of the island a step further by launching live guided tours with Google Earth. In working with Discover Puerto Rico, Jorge Montalvo, founder of Patria Tours, will host a series of three live guided tours kicking off the week of Sunday, May 3 through Saturday, May 9. Starting in timing ... Read more

German firm TUI AG, the world’s largest tourism group, has restarted its travel business in China, offering trips and flights within the country to local customers. The business is resuming after the government lifted a three-month sales ban, and operations will gradually be expanded amid a backlog of demand by Chinese customers, Chief Executive Officer Fritz Joussen said. Besides offering holiday packages in China, TUI has urged the European Union (EU) to lift travel restrictions in place to curb the coronavirus. The resumption of business in China, three months after TUI halted operations there, is focused on short breaks in ... Read more

As part of the Dekho Apna Desh series, the Ministry of Tourism had a webinar on `Bengal by the Himalayas’. Here are some eye-catching details. Darjeeling Tea Estate Tourism Darjeeling tea is one of the world’s finest teas. The known history of Darjeeling tea dates back to about 150 years. The taste and aroma of the Darjeeling variety remain unmatched throughout the world. There are close to 100-120 tea gardens producing the famous ‘Darjeeling tea’. Darjeeling Toy Train A visit to the region is incomplete without a ride in the toy-train of Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR). Inaugurated in 1881 is ... Read more

കോവിട് 19 അഥവാ വൈറസ് മൂലം ലോകത്തകമാനം ഭീതിജനകമായ അന്തരീക്ഷത്തിലാണ് ഒരുപക്ഷേ ലോകം നാളിതുവരെ പരിചിതമല്ലാത്ത ഒരു സ്ഥിതി വിശേഷമാണിന്ന്, ശാസ്ത്രലോകം പകച്ചു നിൽക്കുന്നു. എന്നാൽ നമ്മൾ ശ്രദ്ധാപൂർവം വിലയിരുത്തേണ്ട പല ഘടകങ്ങളും ഒരു പക്ഷേ സ്വന്തമായുള്ളത് ഇന്ത്യയാണ്. ഇവിടെ ശാസ്ത്രീയമായല്ലങ്കിൽ പോലും ആയുർവേദ ജീവിത ശൈലിയോടടുത്തു നിൽക്കുന്ന ഒത്തിരി ഘടകങ്ങൾ ഒരുമിച്ച് ചേർത്ത് വായിക്കേണ്ടതായുണ്ട്. നിത്യ ജീവിതത്തിൽ ഇന്ത്യൻ ജനത കാലാകാലങ്ങളായി നിത്യേന ഉപയോഗിച്ച് വരുന്ന മഞ്ഞളും ഇഞ്ചിയും കുരുമുളകും, വെളുത്തുള്ളിയും ആഹാരത്തിൽ ഉൾപ്പെടുത്തിയുള്ള ഇന്ത്യൻ ആഹാര രീതി ഒക്കെ ആദികാലം മുതൽ ഇന്ത്യയിൽ പാലിച്ച് പോകുന്നുണ്ട്. എന്നാൽ യൂറോപ്പിലും അമേരിക്കയിലും നമ്മുടെ മഞ്ഞളിനും ഇഞ്ചിക്കും സവിശേഷ ഗുണമുണ്ടെന്ന് പറഞ്ഞപ്പോഴാണ് നമുക്ക് കാര്യം പിടികിട്ടുന്നത്. ഇത് ആമുഖമായി പറഞ്ഞതിന്റെ അർത്ഥം ആയുർവേദത്തിനും യോഗയ്ക്കും ഇത്തരം സാഹചര്യങ്ങളിലുള്ള അനിതര സാധാരണമായ പ്രസക്തി നാം കാണേണ്ടതുണ്ട്. ഏതൊരു വൈറസിനേയും അതിജീവിക്കാൻ മനുഷ്യശരീരത്തിന് വേണ്ടത് പ്രതിരോധ ശക്തി ആണെന്ന് എല്ലാ വൈദ്യ ശാഖകളും സുസമ്മതരാണ്. ... Read more

Chinese tourism is back in action and ready to welcome tourists from all over the world. About 70% of China’s tourist attractions reopened on Thursday itself, according to China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism. More sites including the Forbidden City in Beijing, reopened on Friday, news agency Reuters has reported. Staff at the entrance to the Gubei Water Town checked visitors’ temperatures and health tracking codes. And inside, they directed tourists to stand one metre apart and stores used ropes to keep large crowds from forming. Everyone wore masks. Room bookings also picked up since Thursday after Beijing and nearby ... Read more

As part of the Dekho Apna Desh series, the Ministry of Tourism conducted a webinar on the Sariska Tiger Reserve on Friday. The Sariska Tiger reserve had been neglected in the recent past and many people seem to have forgotten about it, despite being notified as a sanctuary in 1955, the webinar noted. The tiger reserve, situated in the Alwar district of Rajasthan, has a history that people say dates back to the times of Mahabharata. It is said that the region had witnessed the reign of Ashoka and is home to Buddhist monasteries. By the middle of the 18th ... Read more

Tawang, the picturesque tourist destination in Arunachal Pradesh, has launched an app that can be used for online registration of persons entering the district after the lock-down is lifted. An official communication from the state said that the app, developed by the district administration at Tawang, would help officials at entry gates fill up the details of the persons entering the district. The same will be directly fed to the server installed in district headquarters. Through this the officials at the headquarters would have direct information about the people entering Tawang. Besides minimising the manpower required for collecting information, the ... Read more

Switzerland Tourism, while encouraging travelers across the world to stay home and stay safe, has launched a new campaign — #dreamnowtravellater — to keep hope afloat in travelers across the world, giving them something to look forward to when the pandemic is finally behind us. Under normal circumstances, most of us right now would be diligently planning our summer vacations this year, but these are not normal times. As the COVID-19 pandemic spreads across major parts of the world, many countries are doing what they can to keep their citizens safe. Restrictions on domestic and global travel is one of ... Read more