Tag: KJ Alphons

Home minister Rajnath Singh inaugurates Paryatan Parv 2018 Union home minister Rajnath Singh reiterated that India is full of cultural diversity but yet it is unbreakable and it is being developed as a tourist destination. He was inaugurating the second edition of ‘Paryatan Parv’ (Tourism Festival) at Rajpath Lawns in Delhi on Sunday.  K.J. Alphons, Union Minister for Tourism, Rashmi Verma, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism and other dignitaries from participating Central Ministries and State Governments, were present at the occasion. The event is being organised by the Tourism Ministry, aiming at drawing attention on the benefits of tourism, showcasing the cultural ... Read more

The tourism ministry is readying to hold business-to-consumer road-shows in foreign countries for the first time and is considering using Bollywood stars such as Aamir Khan to promote India in key markets such as China where they command a huge fan following, said Union minister KJ Alphons. The tourism ministry is planning to conduct business-to-consumer road-shows abroad for the first time. It is considering association of Bollywood starts such as Aamir Khan for the promotion of India in the key markets like China, where they have huge fan following, said the Union Minister for Tourism, KJ Alphons. “Revenue from foreign ... Read more

Ratnagiri, Konkan Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu has requested KJ Alphons, the Tourism Minister of State, to set up Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management (IITTM) at Ratnagiri or Sindhudurg to promote the development of this region. He made his request in writing to Kannanthanam, stating that the Konkan region with its 700 km coastline has huge potential to promote the region as a tourist destination and opening a branch of IITTM will enhance tourism in the area and contribute to the economic development. “Establishment of a full-fledged institute will not only boost the tourism industry, but will ... Read more

The union ministry is planning to make the Sambhar Lake in Rajastan the world’s first ‘Salt Tourism’ site. Under the ‘Swadesh Darshan’ programme, the ministry prepared a number of programmed to develop the lake as a sought after tourist destination. Located 96 km southwest of the city of Jaipur and 64 km northeast of Ajmer along National Highway 8 in Rajasthan, Sambhar is the largest inland salt water lake in India. At the lake, the tourists can witness the traditional way of salt making. There will also be a heritage train for the visitors to enjoy. Another attraction at the ... Read more

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced Rs. 500 crores interim aid to Kerala. He was talking in the meeting with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the other ministers of the state at Kochi.  Kerala Governor P Sadasivam, Union Minister KJ Alphons, Chief secretaries of the state aslo were present in the meeting. The southern state of India has been witnessing the worst flood situation in the history and total damage is estimated to be Rs 20,000 crores. The state has been requesting Rs 2,000 crores as immediate financial aid from the center. Earlier, Modi has arrived at Thiruvananthapuram yesterday, 17th ... Read more

As per the Union Ministry’s tourism development programms – ‘Swedesh Darshan’ and ‘PRASAD’, the Meghalaya State Tourism Department has submitted new proposals to the Center to be considered for approval. Under the Swedesh Darshan Scheme, 13 thematic circuits have been identified for development. The circuits are Northeast India circuit, Buddhist, Himalayan, Coastal, Krishna, Desert, Tribal, Eco, Wildlife, Rural, Spiritual, Ramayana and Heritage circuits. The ‘PRASAD’ scheme (National Mission on Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive), focuses on development and beautification of the identified pilgrimage destinations. In the ‘circuits’, the emphasis will be on development of a particular theme and connecting ... Read more

Uttarakhand Union ministry is planning to produce promotional videos to attract Indians, who are roaming around the world. Tourism Minister KJ Alphons urges Indian globetrotters to come back to India and explore the unseen areas of our great country. Last year, through an innovative idea – Parayatan Parv (tourism festival), the ministry has tried to woo the countrymen to spend their holidays in India instead of going abroad. State governments as well as the union ministries had participated in the event. “Indians are travelling all around the world, while we want them to travel across the length and breadth of ... Read more

As part the efforts to bring more tourists to the country, the government has extended e-visa facility for citizens of 165 countries. The e-visa facility is available at 25 airports and five seaports. It was informed by K J Alphons, Tourism minister, in the Lok Sabha. “Government has launched the ‘Incredible India 2.0’ campaign, indicating a shift from generic promotions to market-specific promotional plans. A 24X7 toll free multi-lingual tourist helpline has also been put in place as part of the efforts” added Alphons. To promote tourism in India, events such as ‘paryatan parv’ (tourism festival), International Buddhist Conclave and ... Read more

Lord Krishna’s childhood – in an artist’s imagination (Picture Courtesy: krishna.org) As part of the pilgrimage tourism development programme, Uttar Pradesh is building a 400 acre ‘city forest’ near Kalidah ghat in Vrindavan, which is going to be the largest park in Asia. Yogi Adityanath, The Chief Minister of UP, will lay the foundation stone of this project by the end of August and will complete within 18 months. The estimated cost of the project is Rs 150 crore, as informed by Srikant Sharma, UP government spokesperson. “The prime objective is to develop Braj, Lord Krishna’s childhood abode, same as ... Read more

Tourists in Tamil Nadu will soon be able to travel across their destinations on air. A feasibility report on heli-tourism has been submitted to the state government, as informed by KJ Alphons, Minister of Tourism, in the Lok Sabha. “The study was done for the introduction of helicopter services to provide heli- tourism in Tamil Nadu state including Madurai and the preliminary report in this regard has been submitted to the state government,” said the minister. Helicopter service for tourists is already available in Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Damand and Diu, Lakhswadeep, Andaman and Nicobar and Guwahati. Pawan Hans Limited is ... Read more

Tourism Minister KJ Alphons has said that the tourism ministry is very keen to attract more Chinese travellers and is hopeful of boosting their arrivals to 14.4 million in five years. The ministry has introduced a slew of measures which includes promotional events and Mandarin-speaking guides. The minister also informed that the ministry would be setting up its first office at Beijing soon. It also has plans to organize roadshows in Beijing, Shanghai, Wuhan and Guangzhou from August 28 to September 1. “We should aim for 10 per cent of the 144 million Chinese tourists. This can be achieved in five ... Read more

Photo Credits: gotnewswire India has been becoming a favourite destination for medical tourism in recent years. Advanced medical facilities, highly skilled doctors and comparatively low cost of treatment make India an ideal place for medical tourism.  The total number of visitors during the year 2017 was 4.95 lakh, as stated by KJ Alphons, Minister of State for Tourism. He was replying to queries in the Lok Sabha. People visited India for medical purposes during 2015 and 2016 were 2.34 lakh and 4.27 lakh respectively. Bangladesh and Afghanistan are at top places in the number of foreign tourist arrivals for medical ... Read more

KJ Alphons, Union Tourism Minister for State said on Monday that the government is planning to launch a campaign for promoting Kumbh Mela across the country with a tag line ‘Chalo Kumbh Chalo’. The campaign may include releasing advertisements at major international airports of the country and organising the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2019 in Varanasi to lure the Pravasi Bharatiya delegates. The 49 day event, which happens at Allahabad will begin on 15th January 2019, “The government is also planning to have a designated area for flag hoisting for around 192 countries expected to visit Kumbh Mela. Moreover, identification and ... Read more

Minister of Tourism for Government of Uttarakhand, Satpal Maharaj has sought support of Central Tourism Ministry to develop new tourism circuits around Buddhist travel and destinations associated with Ramayana and Mahabharata in the state. Satpal Maharaj called on Union Tourism Minister, KJ Alphons in Delhi to seek support for the state and thank him for financial support of Rs 85 crore under Swadesh Darshan and PRASAD which are currently under progress in the state. Maharaj said that projects worth Rs 65 crore have already been completed in the state. The minister said that a marathon meeting is being scheduled in ... Read more

A Miniature Govardhan Hill, Mathura Govardhan, one of the key pilgrimage centers in the Mathura District of Uttar Pradesh, will be developed as a top-notch tourism destination, as informed by Union Minister of State for Tourism K J Alphons. The minister was reviewing the feasibility of six proposals sent by the Uttar Pradesh government.  He declared that the Center government has sanctioned Rs 50 crore as the first installment to develop Govardhan as one of the “finest tourism spots”. As per the Hindu mythology, Govardhana Hill located in Govardhan, is believed to be lifted by Lord Krishna on his little finger ... Read more