Category: India

Photo Courtesy: chandrikahotel The 25th GST Council meeting held in Delhi has decided to allow Input Tax Credit (ITC) of input services in the same line of business at the GST rate of 5 per cent in case of tour operator services and that of the small housekeeping service providers, notified under section 9 (5) of GST Act, who provide such services through ECO. The council has also decided to reduce GST rate on services by way of admission to theme parks, water parks, joy rides, merry-go-rounds, go-carting and ballet, from 28 per cent to 18 per cent. IT has ... Read more

UP CM, Yogi Adityanath exploring the stalls of handloom, crafts, and food on UP Diwas at Avadh Shilpgram, Lucknow. The Uttar Pradesh government is celebrating its foundation day for the first time with much pomp and glory. Lauding the Yogi Adityanath government’s flagship scheme of `One District One Product` (ODOP) on the occasion of the first ‘Uttar Pradesh Diwas’, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu said it was a very important initiative not only in terms of the state’s progress but also for apprising the new generation about their rich heritage. UP CM, Yogi Adityanath exploring the stalls of handloom, crafts, ... Read more

A traditional dance of Telangana The Government  of  India is organising ‘Bharat Parv’  event  at  the   Red Fort, Delhi  from  26th to 31st  January, 2018   as  part of  the  Republic  Day  2018  celebrations.  The prime objective   of organizing the event  is  to  generate  a  patriotic  mood,  promote  the  rich  cultural  diversity  of the country and  to  ensure  wider  participation  of the  general  public. The Ministry of  Tourism  has  been  designated  as the nodal  Ministry for the  event, the highlights of  which  include Display  of  Republic Day Parade Tableaux, Performances  by  the Armed  Forces  Bands (Static as  well  as  dynamic),  a  ... Read more

Photo Courtesy: Kerala Tourism Ten million foreign tourists visited India in 2017. With more projects in the anvil, the country has potential to push it higher. However, the state tourism departments are looking at the budget allocations from the Central Government for the year 2018. Officials from the ministry hint that it is not going be an exciting budget for the tourism industry. The safety and infrastructure of the industry are the sections which need immediate attention. A handful of projects are waiting for the fund allocation from the ministry. Tourism ministry has received Rs 1776 crore in 2017-18. This year, ... Read more

Photo Courtesy: J&K Tourism The Government of India has sanctioned Rs 7.37 crore tourism projects for the development of tourism infrastructure on Kishtwar- Sinthan Top circuit, in Jammu and Kashmir. “Rs 5.89 crore have been released in the first instance for taking up various components envisaged in the tourism project at Sinthan Top, Dedpath and Mughal Maidan,” said Minister of State for Tourism, Priya Sethi in the Assembly. However, the works on some components were delayed due to litigation and non-issuance of forest clearance. She said the government was vigorously pursuing the court case to get the stay vacated, while tenders ... Read more

If you were waiting for that perfect holiday to the hills of Himachal Pradesh amidst snowy landscape, the time has arrived. Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand received fresh snowfall on Jan 23.  Places near to Shimla like Kufri and Narkanda have also been experiencing snowfall, turning the tourist destinations more picturesque. Temperature in Shimla fell to 2.7 degrees Celsius, after the hilly town recorded mild snowfall, while Kufri and Mashobra recorded moderate snowfall. Lower areas like Dharamsala, Palampur, Solan, Nahan, Bilaspur, Una, Hamirpur and Mandi towns received rain, bringing down the temperature considerably. Travel Alert: The national highway (NH 5) is blocked ahead ... Read more

The Baadshah of Bollywood, who received a Crystal Award at the World Economic Forum in Davos, re-created a Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge moment amidst the Swiss Alps. Striking his famous signature pose, Shah Rukh captioned it: “Switzerland main aake yeh na kiya toh kya kiya…?” (What will I do after coming to Switzerland, if I am not doing this)! It was in Switzerland that one of SRK’s Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge was filmed. Shah Rukh received the award on Monday for his “leadership in championing children’s and women’s rights in India” with Meer Foundation, an organisation that works extensively towards empowering women subjected to acid ... Read more

Photo Courtesy: Ram Kumar India offers myriad options for a traveller with its beautiful hill stations, majestic waterfalls, dense forests, and the greenery altogether. But, it has something special for you this time. The Government of Gujarat is welcoming you to its novel concept, Cow Tourism, to popularise the animal. Tourists can now visit cow shelters and grazing spots to see how the animal is reared and how products are made with cow urine and dung. The Gujarat Gauseva Ayog is arranging two-day trips to some of best-kept cow shelters and grazing spots in the state. “Cow tourism is a ... Read more

The annual butterfly survey in the Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary (WLS) recorded 178 species of butterflies, including nine species that are endemic to the Western Ghats. The survey was inaugurated by K.V. Uthaman, Managing Director, Oushadhi. Photo Courtesy: Wiki The 18th annual butterfly survey in the Aralam WLS that concluded on January 14 was jointly organised by the Malabar Natural History Society (MNHS) and the Forest Department. Around 142 butterfly enthusiasts from across south India participated in the survey. The major survey areas were Kottiyur, Meenmutty falls, Pariputhodu, Chavachi, Kurukathodu, Narikadavu, Bhoothankallu, Pookundu and Valayamchal. Nilgiri Grass Yellow and Silver Streak Acacia ... Read more

Assam has something special for the ‘green’-lovers. With an abundance of scenic grandeur, mesmerising grasslands, seemingly endless paddy fields, the blue mountains, the gorgeous tea estates and a wealth of rarest and near-extinct species of wildlife, Assam welcomes the nature-lover in you with all its grandeur. If you don’t mind spending some valuable time with golden langurs, hoolock gibbonstigers, leopards, swap deer, dolphins and a flock of resident and migratory birds, then visiting some of the national parks in Assam will give you the best experiences. It is better to start your trail with one of the oldest national parks ... Read more

The annual tribal fair, Adivasi Mela, organized by the government of Odisha, is scheduled to be held on January 26. The event, which was held at the Adivasi Ground at Unit-1, will now be organised at the Idco Exhibition Ground at Unit-3 citing smooth traffic management and better parking facilities. The mela is gaining much attention as the localites are unhappy about the change in venue. The fair is considered as the oldest and the most colourful festival of tribal people where all the 62 tribes people including 13 PTGs, come over to the exhibition ground and spread out their ... Read more

Sushma Swaraj inaugurating the 60th Post Office Passport Seva Kendra at Karaikal, Puducherry, in a function presided over by Shri V. Narayanaswamy, CM of Puducherry. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Monday said that the ministry had decided to reduce the cost of Passport fee for 10 per cent. “Children and senior citizen would be the main beneficiaries,” she added. “We are committed to simplify the entire process of passport services with a view to processing all applications in a speedy and transparent manner and have taken a series of reforms,” she said after inaugurating a POPSK (Post Office Passport ... Read more

Photo Courtesy: goa.gov.in The United States Consul General, Edgard Kagan urged the Government of India to promote Goa as a gateway to other incredible destinations in India. He was addressing the media after a meeting with Maharashtra Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar in Panaji. He opined that marketing Goa as a stand-alone tourist spot may not work, as there are many beach destinations closer to the US. “Because of the distance and travel time, marketing Goa as a stand-alone tourism destination is not possible. If people in US want a beach vacation, there are many destinations which are closer to the ... Read more

A group of six women from the Indian Navy created history by successfully crossing Cape Horn through the Drake Passage, which is the roughest stretch of water on the planet. Sailing in Indian Navy Sailing Vessel, INSV Tarini, the team crossed Cape Horn, the Mount Everest of sailing, as part of the Navika Sagar Parikrama expedition, the first ever attempt by an all-women crew from India to sail around the globe. The crew, led by Lieutenant Commander Vartika Joshi, started their 22,100 nautical mile circumnavigation journey from Goa in September 2017.  In October, INS Tarini reached its first stop in Fremantle, ... Read more

Representational image The Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) gears up for the proposed strike by tourist taxi operators on Friday, and assure its members of extending help with regards to their transport requirements for guests on that day. It has also asked stakeholders to let it know about their needs in this regard. This will be the third tourist taxi strike since 2012. “TTAG has spoken to Drishti Marine to arrange for ferry service to transport guests from the airport to Panaji and Verem,” assures Savio Messias, President, TTAG.  TTAG will set up help desks in North and ... Read more