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In the wake of the current forest fire killing atleast 14 in the Kolukkumalai hills in Tamil Nadu, the state government of Kerala has issued a ban in trekking to forest places. All the wildlife sanctuaries have been temporarily closed. The forest fire in the Kurangini hills of Kolukkumalai in Theni has affected the nearby areas of Ramakkalmedu, Pukkulam Hills etc. As the summer has set in, forest fires are a common phenomenon in the forest region. Telangana and Tamil Nadu were suffering from forest fires recently. Officials have received a total of 7,700 fire alerts since January 1 this ... Read more

Kerala Tourism’s new campaign has bagged the prestigious ‘Golden City Gate Award’ at the world’s leading travel trade show ITB in Berlin. Titled ‘Live Inspired’, the multimedia campaign that seeks to promote God’s Own Country as an art and cultural hub, is directed by Samir Thahir. The Golden City Gate Award is dubbed as the Oscar of tourism communication at the Internationale Tourismus-Borse Berlin (ITB-Berlin). The campaign’s ad film made for the Kochi Biennale ‘A Room with a View’ had earlier bagged the Kyoorius award in the 60 second film category. The film is conceived and scripted by Stark Communications ... Read more

Worried about the possible terror threats, around 41 per cent of international travellers might change their travel plans for 2018, with 33 per cent considering shifting to an alternative destination they see as safer, says World Travel Monitor figures. Overtourism has become a major problem not just in various high profile cities but also on other kinds of trips, including winter sport holidays and cruises. Nearly 1 international trip in 10 was affected by overcrowding this year, says the World Travel Monitor report. The international travel and tourism industry needs to find solutions to better manage visitor numbers without restricting ... Read more

India won the best exhibitor award at the ITB Berlin. For 17 years now, the Best Exhibitor Award (BEA) is considered as a quality indicator for an attractive performance at ITB. This year, the BEA was awarded to India at the Palais am Funkturm. “India has truly arrived on the international stage. Congrats to the entire team that’s been working their hearts out to showcase India as the best destination in the world,” said Alphons KJ, Minister for Tourism after receiving the award.   More than 10,000 exhibitors are divided into a total of 11 categories, each of which is ... Read more

Photo Courtesy: Kerala Tourism The Kerala Tourism Regulatory Authority (KTRA), set to enhance the safety and security of tourists in Kerala, will be part a part of the Tourism policy and will also ensure that hotels have proper licences. “Whenever a tourist visits a place, the primary concern is whether he/she will be safe and secure in that place. Kerala, being an educated society and having high literacy rate, is already peaceful. There are no law and order issues normally. But when a tourist visits, he/she will expect more than that,” said Jafar Malik, Additional Director, Department of Kerala Tourism. Malik ... Read more

Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Minister ‘Tassaduq Hussain Mufti’ is on a new mission to promote tourism of the state. Besides social media campaigns the state offers new festivals and fairs to attract audience participation, that further enhances destination marketing. Creating new destination-based promotional films on the most traffic destinations namely Mata Vaishno Devi, Basohli and Patnitop are been highlighted by the minister. The department of tourism thus plans to screen these movies across PVR cinemas. Besides conventional marketing strategies, hoardings and visual screens at airports and railway stations are planned to be implemented. The government even got new proposal to put it ... Read more

After welcoming 14 million visitors in 2017, Indonesia is all set to welcome 17 million visitors in 2018. In 2017, Indonesia obtained 93.6 per cent of the target of 15 million visitors, , a double-digit increase of 22 per cent from the number the year before. “This year we have launched “The Visit Wonderful Indonesia Year 2018” and we are promoting 18 top destinations that meet our “3A” principles of accessibility, amenities and attractions,” said Arief Yahya, Indonesia’s Minister of Tourism. “In 2018, tourism is projected to create jobs for 12.6 million people and contribute 5.3 per cent to Indonesian GPD and we are expecting ... Read more

It was a happy news for commuters of Mumbai- New Delhi Rajdhani Express, as the Indian railway authorities have successfully installed new Sanitary Dispensers for women passengers. The project is initiated as part of women’s day celebrations and would be broadened to other trains, after the trail run said, Western Railways Chief Spokesperson Ravinder Bhakar. The ‘on the move sanitary pad dispenser’ being the first project in India would be a blessing for long-distance travellers, added Ravinder Bhakar. One of the passengers told that “It is very useful and a well-thought decision by Railways. We can get a sanitary pad ... Read more

February seems to be the perfect time to visit the sunny Sri Lanka but, the communal riots and political unrest followed by a 10-day emergency period declared by the government has lead speculations about travelling to the island nation. Adding to this the nation had put a social media ban yesterday so as to ward off negative news from spreading further. Though the Sri Lanka Tourism says the situation in Kandy is improving and the area is fast returning to normalcy as no violent incident has been reported from the district in the last 24 hours, the Sri Lankan Prime Minister ... Read more

India is not just depending on the foreign tourist arrivals, close to 24 million Indians travelled last year. “In 2017, 1.8 million trips were made by Indians within the country and which will go up to 2 million in 2018 and we want this number to increase dramatically, its not just about international arrivals but also Indians visiting India,” Tourism Minister K J Alphons said while interacting to the travel/tour operators in a Q&A session at the ITB Berlin. The minister also stressed on the growing use of new technologies and methodologies in tourism, especially social media. Alphons also spoke ... Read more

Minister for Tourism, K J Alphons launched the latest video of Incredible India at the ITB Berlin 2018 on 7th March’18. The new film is titled ‘Yogi Of The Racetrack’ shows the effect of yoga and its techniques and how it can be related to even the toughest race positions. The Leela Kovalam, Dravidian Trails Holidays, The Travel Planners, Poovar Island Resorts, Nikki’s Nest, Alhind Tours and Travels, KTDC Hotels & Resorts, The Travancore Heritage, Abad Hotels & Resorts, Kumarakom Lake Resort, Sitaram Beach Retreat, Grand Hyatt Kochi Bolghatty, Xandari Resorts, and Ananda Lakshmi Ayurveda Retreat are the travel and ... Read more

If there is one thing that can ruin a fun night out, it’s the bill at the end of the party. But, if you like trading and drinking, that unusual combination comes together at the Travancore Bar Exchange (TBX) at Hycinth Hotel in Thiruvananthapuram. Conceptualised on the lines of stock market, TBX is a fun, unique and cutting-edge bar concept that allows customers to trade in food and booze. SMOKO area TBX is Kerala’s first stock market-modelled bar where prices of drinks change based on real time demand. It will provide an experience similar to trading in the stock market. ... Read more

Photo Courtesy: SeeSaudi Saudi has long been known as a conservative nation with little or no interest in opening its doors to the foreign visitors. Gone are those days and the nation, as part of its Vision 2030 plan, is all up for major social reforms. And, as part of it, Saudi is finally welcoming globetrotters from across the world to touch, feel and experience the unexplored land. It will start issuing the tourist visas from April 1. Camel Race The electronic passes will be given to ‘all nationals whose countries allow their citizens to visit’ in a bid to ... Read more

Uckermark is the first region in Brandenburg to be designated a “Sustainable Destination”, and will be receiving the certificate from TourCert at ITB Berlin. One of the most attractive landscapes in Germany, Uckermark, is located in northern Brandenburg between the Oder and Havel rivers. For the past year, consultants from TourCert, a specialist in tourism sustainability certification, have been providing Tourismus Marketing Uckermark GmbH with professional advice in order to ensure the future viability of this region for tourism. Back in 2012/13 the support by numerous local players on the tourism market helped the region to win the first nationwide ... Read more

The tourism sector’s role and responsibility in contributing to sustainable development on a global scale was the central message delivered at the opening of the 2018 edition of the ITB Berlin travel trade show by Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). Speaking in the presence of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, tourism ministers from around the world and the leaders of the tourism sector, Pololikashvili stressed how tourism not only needs to consolidate current growth rates, but “to grow better”. Grand Finale of the opening ceremony In 2017, international tourist numbers grew a record 7 per cent to ... Read more