Tag: K J Alphons

Tourism Minister for State (I/C), Govt. of India, K J Alphons has sanctioned Rs 3 lakh for the Navaratri celebrations in Kerala’s capital, Thiruvananthapuram, which is slated to be held on October 21. The amount will be handed over to the Travancore Navaratri Utsava Trust. “The Navratri celebrations in Thiruvananthapuram carries a rich legacy of almost 200 years. It is necessary to protect Kerala’s great historical heritage,” said the minister. The Navaratri festival is celebrated in Travancore from AD 972 onwards. This is the first time that the celebration is receiving financial aid from the central government. The Navarathri festival ... Read more

Uttarakhand has immense possibilities in yoga and adventure tourism activities, said Union Minister of State for tourism, K J Alphons. “Trekking, river rafting, water sports, paragliding, skiing and bungy jumping are some of the activities with immense potential,” he said while speaking on the sidelines of the Destination Uttarakhand Investors Summit-2018. The minister also said that developing adventure sports activities and yoga in the state will provide employment to the locals. Alphons urged the investors to come forward to invest in the adventure tourism sector and asked the State Government to stand motivated to develop the sector appropriately. “Tourism sector has generated ... Read more

Qutub Minar has bagged the top award in the differently-abled friendly monument category at the National Tourism Awards. The awards were presented by Union Tourism Minister K J Alphons at a ceremony held at the Vigyan Bhavan. Qutbu’d-Din Aibak laid the foundation of the Minar in AD 1199, to which subsequent additions were made by his successor Iltutmish and Firoz Shah Tughlak. The 73-metre tower has five distinct storeys, each marked by a projecting balcony. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) at Qutub Minar has made best possible efforts to provide amenities to the differently-abled at a World Heritage Site. ... Read more

Kerala’s efforts to rejuvenate its tourism sector in the wake of the recent floods in August got a robust validation on World Tourism Day with it topping the States with nine National Tourism Awards for 2016-17. Overall, Kerala Tourism walked away with four awards, including the Best Tourism Film (Live Inspired) and second prize in the category of ‘Best State/Union Territory- Comprehensive Development of Tourism in Rest of India.’ In the Hall of Fame awards section, the two other official entries of the department which got prizes were Excellence in Publishing in Foreign Language and Responsible Tourism Project, Wayanad, for being ... Read more

The Union Minister for Tourism (IC), K J Alphons has launched the ‘Incredible India Mobile App’ and the “Incredible India Tourist Facilitators Certification” programme on September 27. The Incredible India Mobile App, showcases India as a holistic destination, revolving around major experiences, such as spirituality, heritage, adventure, culture, yoga, wellness and more. The mobile app has been designed keeping in mind the preferences of the modern traveler and follows the trends and technologies of international standards. The app has been equipped with features to assist the traveller in each phase of their journey to India. The app has been developed ... Read more

Tourism Minister K J Alphons has presented National Tourism Awards 2016-17 in New Delhi, on the World Tourism Day. The Awards were presented to various segments of the travel and tourism industry. These awards are presented to State Governments/ Union Territories, classified hotels, heritage hotels, approved travel agents, tour operators and tourist transport operators, individuals and other private organizations in recognition of their performance in their respective fields. The awardees were chosen on the basis of several parameters including tourist traffic and efforts undertaken to make the state tourist friendly. The awards are given to encourage healthy competition with an aim ... Read more

India has taken great strides forward in the field of tourism during the last four years of the Government and added that tourism, today, is the cornerstone of the Indian economy, as it is a major source of employment and foreign exchange, and in order to tap the full potential of this sector, industry has to join hands, said K J Alphons, Union Minister for State for Tourism.  The minister was addressing a gathering after distributing the National Tourism Awards in Delhi. Congratulating the awardees, K J Alphons also shared the concern that the tourism sector needs to improve its ... Read more

Major focus to be given for responsible tourism and ecologically friendly tourism projects in Kerala, opined Pinarayi Vijayan, the Chief Minister of Kerala. The minister was addressing a gathering at the Grand Hyatt Kochi Bolghatty after inaugurating the 10th edition of Kerala Travel Mart today. “The government is aiming to position Kerala in the world tourism map through promoting Responsible tourism. When a region changes as a part of responsible tourism, every section of the people will also benefit from it. The government is planning a project to promote the traditional art forms and cultural specialties of the Malabar region. ... Read more

Minister of Tourism, Air Transport, Handicraft and Social Economy, Kingdom of Morocco, Mohamed Sajid and Minister of State for Tourism (IC), Government of India, K J Alphons held a bilateral meeting on Tourism Cooperation between India and Morocco in New Delhi. During this meeting both the Ministers agreed to enhance the tourism cooperation between India and Morocco and to work towards increasing tourist arrivals between both countries. This meeting was followed by signing of an agreement of cooperation. India Tourism Development Corporation Ltd. (ITDC) has signed a MoU with La Societe Marocaine D’Ingenierie Touristique, also known as Moroccan Agency for Tourism ... Read more

The first ever India Tourism Mart, organized by the Ministry of Touism, Govt of India, is the brainchild of K J Alphons, Minister of State for Tourism. “The Tourism Mart aims at attracting more tourists to the country,” said the minister while talking to Tourism News Live in an exclusive interview. Minister Piyush Goyal will inaugurate the first edition of India Tourism Mart in Delhi on September 17. The Mart also aims at bringing together the Indian tourism industry to the international players. While the international tourist arrivals grew by a remarkable 7 per cent in 2017 to reach a ... Read more

B Dileep Kumar, Chief Editor of Tourism News Live, interacts with K J Alphons, Minister for Tourism at his office in New Delhi Union Tourism Minister Alphons Kannanthanam said Kerala Tourism, which is in crisis after the floods, will get the best possible assistance from the ministry of tourism. “Kerala will be given special attention in the first Tourism Mart in New Delhi. The tourism sector in Kerala is coming back from the devastating floods in a tremendous speed,” said the minister while talking exclusively to Tourism News Live. “It is that time of the year where the Neelakurinji has ... Read more

  പ്രളയത്തില്‍ പ്രതിസന്ധിയിലായ കേരള ടൂറിസത്തെ കരകയറ്റാന്‍ സാധ്യമായ സഹായം നല്‍കുമെന്ന് കേന്ദ്ര ടൂറിസം മന്ത്രി അല്‍ഫോണ്‍സ് കണ്ണന്താനം. ഡല്‍ഹിയില്‍ ടൂറിസം ന്യൂസ് ലൈവിന് അനുവദിച്ച പ്രത്യേക അഭിമുഖത്തിലാണ് മന്ത്രി ഇക്കാര്യം പറഞ്ഞത്. ഡല്‍ഹിയില്‍ തുടങ്ങുന്ന ഇന്ത്യയുടെ ആദ്യ ടൂറിസം മാര്‍ട്ടില്‍ കേരളത്തിന്‌ സവിശേഷ പരിഗണന നല്‍കും. പ്രളയക്കെടുതിയില്‍ നിന്ന് കേരളത്തിലെ ടൂറിസം മേഖല അതിശയിപ്പിക്കുന്ന വേഗത്തിലാണ് തിരിച്ചുവരുന്നത്. മൂന്നാറില്‍ നീലക്കുറിഞ്ഞി പൂക്കുന്ന സമയമാണ്. പരമാവധി വിദേശ ടൂറിസ്റ്റുകളെ ഈ സമയത്ത് കേരളത്തിലെത്തിക്കാന്‍ കേന്ദ്ര ടൂറിസം മന്ത്രാലയം ശ്രമിക്കും. വിദേശ ടൂറിസ്റ്റുകള്‍ യാത്ര നേരത്തെ ആസൂത്രണം ചെയ്യുന്നവരാണ്. ഇവരില്‍ മിക്കവരും പ്രളയകാലത്ത് യാത്ര റദ്ദാക്കി. ഇത്തരം സഞ്ചാരികളെ തിരിച്ചെത്തിക്കുക എന്നത് വെല്ലുവിളിയാണെങ്കിലും കേന്ദ്ര ടൂറിസം മന്ത്രാലയം പരമാവധി ശ്രമം നടത്തുമെന്നും അല്‍ഫോണ്‍സ് കണ്ണന്താനം ടൂറിസം ന്യൂസ് ലൈവിനോട് പറഞ്ഞു. യാത്രാനുകൂല്യത്തില്‍ കേരള വിനോദ യാത്രയും കേന്ദ്ര ജീവനക്കാരുടെ യാത്രാനുകൂല്യത്തില്‍ (എല്‍ ടി സി) കേരള വിനോദ യാത്രയും ഉള്‍പ്പെടുത്തിയേക്കും. ഇക്കാര്യത്തില്‍ പ്രധാനമന്ത്രി ... Read more

K J Alphons, Minister of State for Tourism (IC), Government of India, has inaugurated India’s first Tribal Tourism Circuit in Gangrel, Chhattisgarh on 14th September 2018. The project “Development of Tribal Circuit: Jashpur- Kunkuri- Mainpat- Kamleshpur- Maheshpur- Kurdar-Sarodadadar- Gangrel- Kondagaon- Nathiya Nawagaon- Jagdalpur- Chitrakoot- Tirthgarh in Chhattisgarh” is implemented under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme of Ministry of Tourism. This project was sanctioned by the Ministry of Tourism in February 2016 for Rs 99.21 Crores. The project covers thirteen sites in Chhattisgarh i.e. Jashpur, Kunkuri, Mainpat, Kamleshpur, Maheshpur, Kurdar, Sarodadadar, Gangrel, Kondagaon, Nathiya Nawagaon, Jagdalpur, Chitrakoot, Tirthgarh. Swadesh Darshan scheme is one of ... Read more

Alphons K J inaugurating the laser show in Rohtak on September 12 We all might have seen numerous laser shows, but this one in Rohtak is something special. The show, organised by tourism department, depicts the story from Mahabharata to the 1857 revolution. The first laser show was inaugurated by Union Tourism Minister K J Alphons at Rohtak’s Tilial lake on September 12. At a cost of Rs 540 crores, it took almost 4 years to complete the multimedia light and sound system in Tiliar. The one hour show, starting at 7 pm, will also show the cultura and history of ... Read more

Tour operators in the country should tap the full tourism potential of the country and also special focus was needed to bring in more Chinese tourists, said Union Tourism Minister for State (I/C), K J Alphons. The minister was addressing the gathering at the inauguration of 34th IATO annual convention held at Novotel Hotel in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. The minister also suggested that IATO be renamed Indian Association of Tour Ambassadors. “Though we have taken special measures to attract Chinese tourists to the country, only 2.47 lakh Chinese tourists visited India in 2017. I request IATO to play a major role ... Read more