Category: India

Punjab may not be on top of the chart for many of  the domestic Indian travellers, but the sheer variety of attractions that it offers is difficult to match. Let’s look at some of the destinations you may want to visit in Punjab. There are very few places in India that can match Punjab for its historical significance and religious landmarks. The Ministry of Tourism conducted a webinar on ‘Punjab – Beyond the brochure’ as part of its Dekho Apna Desh series to highlight its uniqueness. ·     The Majha region of Punjab covers the area between Beas and Ravi rivers, including the area on the north of Sutlej, after ... Read more

As part of the Dekho Apna Desh series, the Ministry of Tourism had a webinar on `Bengal by the Himalayas’. Here are some eye-catching details. Darjeeling Tea Estate Tourism Darjeeling tea is one of the world’s finest teas. The known history of Darjeeling tea dates back to about 150 years. The taste and aroma of the Darjeeling variety remain unmatched throughout the world. There are close to 100-120 tea gardens producing the famous ‘Darjeeling tea’. Darjeeling Toy Train A visit to the region is incomplete without a ride in the toy-train of Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR). Inaugurated in 1881 is ... Read more

Goa would like to open its doors to tourism once the lock-down gets lifted on May 17, state Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has said. “After May 17 we would like to welcome tourists, if the central guidelines allow it. We are waiting for the central guidelines. Goa is coronavirus-free and that’s a positive thing,” Sawant said. The Chief Minister said that there was a buzz in the tourism industry, with Goa being declared coronavirus-free. Sawant said the state government would request the Centre for a bailout package for the tourism industry, which is one of the worst-hit due to the ... Read more

As part of the Dekho Apna Desh series, the Ministry of Tourism conducted a webinar on the Sariska Tiger Reserve on Friday. The Sariska Tiger reserve had been neglected in the recent past and many people seem to have forgotten about it, despite being notified as a sanctuary in 1955, the webinar noted. The tiger reserve, situated in the Alwar district of Rajasthan, has a history that people say dates back to the times of Mahabharata. It is said that the region had witnessed the reign of Ashoka and is home to Buddhist monasteries. By the middle of the 18th ... Read more

Tawang, the picturesque tourist destination in Arunachal Pradesh, has launched an app that can be used for online registration of persons entering the district after the lock-down is lifted. An official communication from the state said that the app, developed by the district administration at Tawang, would help officials at entry gates fill up the details of the persons entering the district. The same will be directly fed to the server installed in district headquarters. Through this the officials at the headquarters would have direct information about the people entering Tawang. Besides minimising the manpower required for collecting information, the ... Read more

British deputy high commissioner Jeremy Pilmore-Bedford has thanked the Kerala government for the assistance and support given for the repatriation of British nationals who were stranded in Kerala due to the coronavirus crisis. The relief flight was a complicated one and involved the aircraft first landing to pick up passengers in Thiruvananthapuram before flying to Kochi to pick up a larger group from there. “We also moved large numbers of passengers to the airports from various locations from across Kerala as well as from locations in Tamil Nadu close to Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram,” Bedford said in a letter to chief ... Read more

India, like the rest of the countries of the world, is fighting the spectre of COVID-19. An immediate fallout of the pandemic has been the unprecedented loss of lives despite the tenacious efforts by the governments. To add to the misery, the global economy is now in shambles, affecting all kinds of businesses and development. More than 100 countries have closed borders, global supply chains are disrupted, while people have lost jobs and their means of livelihood. COVID-19 has severely impacted the tourism industry in India. Flights, trains, and public transport have ceased operations, while hotels and resorts have shut ... Read more

Below are some take aways from the discussion: Ø             Engage with employees at home & hotel, as they are the real assets. Ø             Safety and security are of paramount importance. Ø             Online learning to update skills. Ø             Work with government authorities, health workers, police etc. Ø             Engagement with guests. Use loyalty program to engage with the guests. Ø             No buffet service in near future,  portion food to be served. Ø             In case having displayed buffet, only trained associates to serve food from the buffet, as per FSSAI instructions. Ø             Guest to leave the in-room dining (IRD) tray outside their room. ... Read more

Domestic tourism will help the sector get back into shape as more people will look to take ‘revenge holidays’ after being in the lock-down phase for so long, President of The Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism and Hospitality (FAITH) Nakul Anand has said. He said travel would be essential as the entire population has been staying inside and going out to some place within drivable distance may be one of the things they may want do. “Every disaster comes with seeds of opportunity. We must keep one eye on the microscope and one on the telescope, as the opportunities ... Read more

Sharjah-based Air Arabia has announced that it will operate new repatriation flights from four cities in India to Sharjah carrying UAE nationals back home. The special flights from Mumbai and Delhi to Sharjah International Airport took off on Monday, while special flights from Cochin and Hyderabad to Sharjah International Airport will take off on April 22. The airline said, “Air Arabia remains committed to bring stranded citizens back home as well as supporting requests to operate repatriation flights and is working closely with UAE authorities in this regard. The airline announced earlier that it is operating a mix of repatriation ... Read more

The Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) has written to Commerce and Industry minister Piyush Goyal and Tourism minister Prahlad Singh Patel urging the government to take various steps to protect the travel industry. In his letter IATO President Pronab Sarkar said, “We hope that the tourism industry which is the most affected sector due to Covid -19, will get considerable relief from the government both for survival and revival.” As result of the pandemic, the travel & hospitality industry in India is in dire straits today. There are nil revenues and almost all tourism businesses are running out of ... Read more

Airlines will have to refund the entire fare, without imposing cancellation charges, to those who booked tickets during the first lockdown from March 25 to April 14 for travel between March 25 and May 3, the civil aviation ministry said on Thursday. The ministry has asked the Directorate General of Civil Aviation to ensure airlines comply with its directive. “Grievances were received from air travellers regarding refund for flights cancelled because of the nationwide lockdown to combat COVID19. Advisories have been issued regarding refund for both domestic & international tickets booked for the flights suspended due to lockdown,” civil aviation ... Read more

The Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) on Wednesday said that the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has informed all airlines to revert back within 24 hours with solutions to refund the various amounts due. MoCA said solutions have to be found to refund agents’ money in float account as advance and provide refunds as cash to agents for the benefit of their customers/passengers. MoCA has asked the airlines to cooperate or else they will have no option but to issue a directive on the same, TAAI said. The ministry will get into a call with airlines to ensure the ... Read more

Indian carriers IndiGo and SpiceJet have said that the money paid by customers – for air travel before May 3 – will be kept under a credit shell. IndiGo said it is in the process of issuing the credit shell for customers, and this can be used within one year from the date of issue. SpiceJet said since flight operations have been suspended till May 3, bookings will automatically be cancelled and the amount will be kept under credit shell, which can be used to make a fresh booking for travel till February 28.

The Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) has said that the Covid crisis has presented the country with a fine opportunity to establish itself as a ayurvedic, yoga and heritage destination. In a webinar conducted to discuss the current situation in the industry, the various stakeholders said that domestic tourism will help the recovery process. The industry will take 3-6 months to recover and segments like MICE tourism will not be allowed to function before July/August. Outbound tourism will not start soon and maybe subject to stringent visa norms. This may take up to nine months. TAAI is lobbying with ... Read more