Category: India

The Central Government Counsel has sought more time to file a statement on the petition filed by Kerala Travel Mart Society and Kerala tour operators against the inaction of the Central government in announcing a financial stimulus package to the travel and tourism sector. The Kerala High Court after the first hearing of the petition on 21 DEC has observed the current plight of the stakeholders of the tourism industry and remarked that the sector requires urgent attention of the central government. The Counsel for the Central Government has said that since the matter involved policy decisions, more time is ... Read more

It’s happy news from the North Eastern side of India. After almost nine months of close down, Meghalaya (The “Abode of Clouds”) is going to reopen to tourists from outside the state. Meghalaya has finally decided to allow outstation travellers from 21 December, however with some terms and conditions. The announcement came from Conrad Kongkal Sangma, on his official twitter handle which read #Meghalaya reopens its #Tourism from 21st December, 2020. The Home of Clouds looks forward to welcoming you,” Travel would be in a structured manner keeping in mind the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Travellers to Meghalaya would need to ... Read more

Vistara, India’s finest full-service carrier and a joint venture of Tata group and Singapore Airlines, will operate special, non-stop flights between Mumbai and London Heathrow from 16 January 2021. The airline will operate these special flights thrice a week – on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, complementing its recently-launched service between Delhi and London Heathrow as part of the ‘transport bubble’ agreement between India and the UK. The flights will be operated on Vistara’s brand-new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft, offering world-class service and hospitality in Business, Premium Economy, and Economy cabins. Bookings for these flights are being progressively opened on all ... Read more

Union Minister of State for Culture & Tourism (Independent Charge) Shri Prahlad Singh Patel virtually attended the 5th meeting of the National Medical and Wellness Tourism Promotion Board on Monday. The National Medical and Wellness Tourism Board was formed to address impediments to the growth of Medical Tourism and to provide a dedicated institutional framework to take forward the cause of promotion of Medical Tourism, Wellness Tourism and Yoga, Ayurveda Tourism, and any other format of the Indian system of medicine covered by Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy (AYUSH). Eminent doctors like Dr. Naresh Trehan of Medanta, Dr. Randeep ... Read more

After tourism has been hit badly for many months due to Covid-19, the north Indian state of Rajasthan is now slowly but gradually witnessing an uprise in the number of tourists to the state. With the revival of international tourism not on the cards, the Rajasthan government has shifted its focus to domestic tourism and has started promoting its UNESCO recognized world heritage sites among local tourists. There are 9 heritage sites in Rajasthan which are recognized by UNESCO and the state government of Rajasthan has been working towards refurbishing these sites to attract more tourists. These heritage sites include ... Read more

The Mumbai Police on 09th DEC, took Anil Khandelwal, the chief financial officer of Cox & Kings (India) Ltd (CNK) in custody from the Taloja jail. He would be produced in court later this week in connection with the Rs 239-crore payment default case filed by IndusInd Bank Ltd (IBL). He was earlier arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a different case and remanded to judicial custody. A team led by joint commissioner of police Niket Kaushik is probing this case. Audley Luis (55), vice-president, IBL, submitted a complaint to the Economic Offenses Wing (EOW). After making an inquiry, ... Read more

Terminated for the last nine months, flights between New Delhi & Kathmandu are to resume from next week under the ‘air bubble’ concept as confirmed by the government officials. Although Nepal decided to resume international flights on September 1, nearly after six months of its discontinuation in wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, flights to three destinations in India – New Delhi, Mumbai, and Bangalore have not resumed due to the increasing rate of Covid-19 Pandemic. Air connectivity between the Indian and Nepali capital would resume from next week with the completion of preparations, said Buddhi Sagar Lamicchane, the Joint Secretary ... Read more

With Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) planning to to impose a new charge on passengers to survive the Covid-induced downturn , flying out of the national capital could soon cost more. DIAL has requested regulatory approval to charge Rs 200 and Rs 300 from every domestic and international outbound passenger, respectively till March 2024. DIAL had already petitioned the aviation ministry last week to “direct” AERA to factor in the Covid impact on its revenue while determining the airport’s tariffs, and  had warned of a “serious cash-flow deficit situation”, which would make it “difficult to continue airport operations”. DIAL’s comments ... Read more

The Ministry of Tourism, Government of India is believed to have started preliminary discussions with the major players of the insurance sector as well as the  Ministry of Finance exploring the possibilities of introducing travel Insurance to boost the confidence of international visitors. Rupinder Brar, Additional Director General – Tourism while speaking at a webinar organized by the Federation of Associations of Indian Tourism & Hospitality (FAITH) said that the government is considering different international models like that of the Singapore government in this regard so that at least a structure can be put in place. Brar said that reassuring ... Read more

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 7th DEC inaugurated the construction of the Agra metro project via videoconferencing. Present at the occasion were Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. PM while inaugurating the ₹8,379.62-crore project, expressed hope that tourism will rebound after the pandemic situation improves. The Agra Metro project comprises two corridors with a total length of 29.4-km and connects major tourist attractions such as the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, Sikandra with railway stations and bus stands. The project will not only benefit the 26 lakh population in ... Read more

This year’s edition of Nagaland’s much-loved Hornbill festival will be held virtually, in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The festival’s 21st edition will be held from December 1 to 5 and will be aired on national and local news channels. The Festival is named after the Indian Hornbill, the large and colourful forest bird which is displayed in folklore in most of the state’s tribes. One of the most well-known festivals of the Northeast, the festival unites one and all in Nagaland and people enjoy the colourful performances, crafts, sports, food fairs, games and ceremonies. Traditional arts which include ... Read more

South Asia’s largest hospitality company, Indian Hotels Company Ltd ( IHCL)  has announced the signing of three Taj hotels, out of which two would be in Kolkata and one in Patna. The new hotels are built in partnership with the Ambuja- Neotia group who has already partnered with IHCL for two other hotels in Darjeeling and Gangtok. Combined these five projects will add up to a total of 500 rooms. With the addition of these hotels, IHCL will have 23 hotels in nine states of Eastern India across different brands. Puneet Chhatwal, Managing director and Chief executive officer, IHCL on ... Read more

Come the chilly winter months, and the jungles across India are lush and vibrant after the passing monsoons, making it the perfect time for a safari adventure. Taj Safaris, India’s first and only luxury wildlife circuit, welcomes you for a new season of holidays in the wild with its Wildlife Escape offer, to enjoy the incredibly diverse wildlife in some of the most renowned National Parks in India and Nepal. Offering an inclusive experience that allows one to feel the thrill of the forest while delighting in a touch of luxury at the intimate safari lodges, the Wildlife Escape offer guests can look ... Read more

Sunset Cinema Club in association with MFAR Hotels & Resorts, owning company of Le Meridien, Kochi launches the first Drive-In Cinema in Kerala Sunset Cinema Club, India’s biggest outdoor cinema experience company, started in 2017, operational in Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Pune, Chandigarh, and Bangalore, now comes to Kochi with a premium Drive-In Cinema Experience. City— KOCHI Sunset Cinema Club and Le, Meridien, announced their Opening Weekend and the official launch of SCC Drive-In at Le Meridien, Kochi on the 21st November. SCC Drive-In is to have regularly programmed film screenings, every weekend in the drive-in format. SCC Drive-In will run, ... Read more

In an endeavor to empower customers with contactless and convenient holiday planning, coupled with the reassurance of its experts, Thomas Cook India, has introduced India’s first Virtual Holiday Store. The Company’s dedicated team of travel experts will be available over video chat 365 days, from 8 am to 12 pm, to guide customers with all their travel requirements, including domestic & international holidays, value-added services like travel insurance, end-to-end COVID-negative certification services, visa services, documentation and more. Given the uncertainty in the current environment and constant changes in travel and health protocols/ documentation, India’s travelers are in need of guidance ... Read more