Category: Headlines Slider

Tourism sector in India growing

Tourism in India is rapidly growing on the rise, as the new investment opportunity, as well as market, widens with over US$91.3 billion (Rs 5,949 billion) revenue generated in 2017. Previously, over US$26 billion (Rs 1,961 billion) spending from the foreign travellers was generated, that further widens the human resource and foreign direct investment to the sector. Online International and national key players in the tourism and hospitality industry are nowadays emerging with customisation option namely AirBnb, Makemytrip, Cleartrip, Yatra, Goibibo, and OYO Rooms. As per the new prediction, around 18 million international tourist arrivals are expected by the ministry ... Read more

India bets big on Buddhist tourism

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that Government is taking initiatives to develop infrastructure for Buddhist tourism in an attempt to connect Southeast Asia to the important Buddhist sites in the country. “We are developing infrastructure for Buddhist tourism, which is going to connect Southeast Asia with the important Buddhist sites of India. I am also very pleased that the government is a partner in the restoration of many Buddhist temples which also includes the centuries old Anand Temple in Bagan, Myanmar,” Modi said in his monthly radio programme “Mann Ki Baat”. The Prime Minister said the country has inherited Lord ... Read more

India retains its top spot for tourism in Dubai with 6 lakh visitors

India topped the list of Dubai’s source markets for inbound tourism, with 617,000 tourists from the country visiting the Emirate between January-March 2018, registering an impressive 7 per cent year-on-year increase. Dubai welcomed almost 4.7 million international overnight tourists, Dubai posted a stable 2 per cent increase in traffic as compared to last year. Saudi Arabia came in the second position as far as tourist arrivals are concerned. UK and Russia followed the chart , according to a report published by Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism).   India helped level out the relatively stable second-placed Saudi Arabia ... Read more

Dubai Tourism records 6.2% growth in 2017

Dubai had a record international overnight visitation in 2017, which totalled 15.8 million, up 6.2 per cent over the previous year.  The Emirate’s top 10 source markets contributed a share of 59 per cent of total tourist volumes, with the remainder made up of highly diversified markets across the globe, according to the Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing’s (Dubai Tourism) Annual Visitor Report 2017. As per the report, three out of four visitors were families and couples, with individuals making up 14 per cent, friends 8 per cent, and colleagues 3 per cent of total visitation. Around 73.8 per cent ... Read more

Grand Hyatt Kochi Bolgatty opens in Kerala

Hyatt Hotels Corporation has opened the Grand Hyatt Kochi Bolgatty, the third Grand Hyatt branded hotel in India. “Once the Lulu Convention centre is completed, it will be an employment opportunity to atleast 4000 people. Altogether, Lulu employs around 25000 Keralites across its various units,” said Pinarayi Vijayan, Chief Minister of Kerala while inaugurating the project. Whereas Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Shipping and Water Resources, who presided over the inaugural function said he would like to see atleast 100 such convention centres across the country. “I want more roads in Kerala, especially to Kannur and Malappuram ... Read more

Red Fort ‘adopted’ by cement company Dalmia

Ministry of Tourism has signed an MoU with Dalmia Bharat and the Archaeological Survey of India to adopt the iconic Red Fort monument in New Delhi and Gandikota Fort in Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh under the ‘Adopt a Heritage’ project. The ‘Adopt a Heritage’ scheme, launched by President Ram Nath Kovind on World Tourism Day in September last year, invites government and private parties to operate and maintain heritage sites. With a budget of more than Rs 5 crore per year, Dalmia Cements joins “monument mitras” including other private sector companies, which will look after the operations and maintenance ... Read more

Eco Tourism Board to develop 320 villages in Maharashtra

With an aim to help the small villages earn consistent revenue all throughout the year and protect the biodiversity of the places, the ecotourism board of Maharashtra is planning to develop 320 villages into tourist destinations. These sites will include tiger reserves, national parks, forts, hill stations, religious places and biodiversity parks, said Sunil Limaye, additional principal chief conservator of forests. “Our priority is protecting wild life and forests and we can only do this with the help of local villagers. The development of such places will help villagers realise that it can be their regular source of income and ... Read more

Assam’s tourism revenue doubled in 2017

Assam’s tourism revenue has almost doubled in 2017-18, when compared to the earnings in 2016-17. The profit (before tax) of the corporation has almost doubled from Rs 2.24 crore in 2016-17 to Rs 4.22 crore in 2017-18. “The inflow of domestic and foreign tourists has gone up noticeably and the occupancy of hotels, even in the off-season, has increased by about 20 per cent. It is evident that the flow of tourists to Assam has increased by 20 per cent in the last year,” said tourism minister Himanta Biswa Sarma while releasing the annual achievement report 2017-18 of the Assam Tourism Development Corporation ... Read more

Maharashtra to be made wellness, Bollywood tourism hub

The Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) is collaborating with various institutions as part of its Mahabhraman initiative, to promote tourism in different sectors. MTDC is planning to boost tourism in agriculture, food, villages, education, and Bollywood. MTDC is associating with Nitin Chandrakant Desai Studio’s Film World, a Bollywood theme park at Karjat, to give tourists an experience of the Hindi film industry. The tour would include visits to film sets and setting up of an Artists of Talent Street. The Street will provide a platform for budding artists to showcase their skills. “The aim is to motivate artists in the ... Read more

Pakistan tourist arrivals up by 300 per cent

Pakistan, with its improved security arrangements, has attracted 1.75 million tourists in 2017, registering a 300 per cent growth since past few years. The country recorded a significant increase in the annual tourism rate and business traveling. Domestic travelers have increased 30 per cent. According to Jovago, the top hotel booking and e-commerce website in Pakistan, hotel bookings has increased by 80-90 per cent in 2017. Recently the Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) and the University of Management and Technology (UMT) Lahore signed a MoU for the sponsorship of PTDC’s publicity material including banners, website, seminars and conferences. Products and service ... Read more

Google, Tourism Ministry tie up for 360-degree ‘Incredible India’ video

Google Arts and Culture have partnered with the Ministry of Tourism to unveil a 360-degree virtual reality video for the global “Incredible India” tourism campaign. As part of the partnership, Google Arts and Culture will provide users with an immersive 360-degree view of India’s heritage, festivity, spirituality and adventure. The video will showcase users a 360-degree view of some of the most iconic destinations in India including Qutub Minar, Amritsar’s Golden Temple, Vitthala Temples at Hampi and Goa’s easygoing vibe. “India is an iconic destination that offers unique experiences of climate, geography, culture, art, literature and food. We want to ... Read more

Indian Culinary Institute opens today

The Ministry of Tourism, Government of Kerala, will launch its prestigious Indian Culinary Institute today. The culinary institute aimed at promoting Indian cuisine as a niche tourism product, with its campuses in Noida and Tirupati, will offer diplomas as well as under graduate and post graduate degrees to research in culinary arts. The ICI campus in Noida will be formally launched by Minister of State for Tourism K J Alphons and Minister of State for Culture Mahesh Sharma. “The main objective of setting up of the ICI was to institutionalize a mechanism to support efforts intended to preserve, document, promote ... Read more

Uttar Pradesh launches 24X7 helpline for tourists

With an aim to offer better security for the tourists visiting the state, the Uttar Pradesh tourism department has launched its first 24×7 phone helpline (18601801364). The helpline will assist the tourists in giving information about tourism centers, lodging of complaints, etc. The tourism department hopes that the helpline will come handy if a tourist faces an issue anywhere in the state. There will also be arrangements to record the incoming calls on the helpline and the police, and administration along with other departments have been appointed to redress all the complaints. The tourists will be updated about the places to ... Read more

Priyanka Chopra’s Assam Tourism ad nominated for ‘OSCAR for Ad Films’

The Assam Tourism ad featuring the state’s brand ambassador Priyanka Chopra, has been nominated for an award which is considered to be the ‘Oscar for Ad Films’. The state’s rich culture is beautifully captured in this 3.30-minute long video. The ad film features the traditional masked dancers of Majuli and the cymbal-clanging Bhortal dancers from Barpeta and Guwahati. The ad features Priyanka draped in Muga Mekhela Chador, showcases the rich cultural heritage and the exotic beauty of nature across the state. The advertisement has been nominated under three categories, viz, Best Cinematography, Best Original Music, and Best Direction. “We have only received the intial ... Read more

Kerala Tourism Director evaluates beach safety

Kerala Tourism Director P Balakiran IAS, has visited the Shanghumukham Beach in Thiruvananthapuram to evaluate the safety of the beach. Strict warnings were issued by the authorities day before to the visitors from entering the beach in wake of the high tide and bad weather warnings issued by the MET department. As instructed by the Tourism Director, employees including lifeguards took part in the DTPC works to enhance safety at the beach. Warning boards were also established in order to prevent the entry of tourists and locals to the beach premises. Additionally, barricades were also installed at the danger zones. ... Read more