Category: India

Third Odisha Tourism Conclave, organised by Hotel and Restaurant Association of Odisha (HRAO), kick starts in Bhubaneswar. Governor Ganeshi Lal inaugurated the conclave at 10 am in the presence Rajya Sabha MP Soumya Ranjan Patnaik, Additional Chief Secretary Home Asit Kumar Tripathy, and Tourism & Sports Secretary Vishal Dev. In Travel and Tourism, sector more than 50 per cent of the bookings are done online, said J K Mohanty, Chairman, HRAO in his welcome speech. “The government is working on long term plans to bring in strategic investment into the Tourism sector with the participation of the private sector. While a ... Read more

India’s first engine-less train will roll on the tracks from September this year for trial run. The Train-18 is a semi-high speed self-propelled trains like Metro trains and can run at a speed of 160 kmph. All new luxurious T-18 coaches will be replacing existing Shatabdi coaches and coaches of intercity trains. As per reports , Mumbai may get the first set of T-18 coaches. The coaches may be maintained at the Virar car shed. The trial is likely to be conducted on the Delhi-Agra-Bhopal stretch. Train 18 is coming with a number of unique features than the traditional trains ... Read more

The President, Ram Nath Kovind at the inauguration of the International Buddhist Conclave- 2018 The President of India Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated the “International Buddhist Conclave (IBC), 2018” today. The Minister of State (Independent charge),  K J Alphons presided over the inaugural function. The 4 days long Conclave has been organized by the Ministry of Tourism in collaboration with the State Governments of Maharashtra, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh from 23rd – 26th August, 2018 at New Delhi and Ajanta (Maharashtra), followed by site visits to Rajgir, Nalanda and Bodhgaya (Bihar) and Sarnath (Uttar Pradesh). The President also launched the Ministry ... Read more

The wait for air passengers to avail in-flight connectivity within the country’s airspace is about to get over as the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has said that it is in the final stages of rolling out the norms for inflight connectivity license for the airlines operating in the country. According to a report, once the inflight connectivity license norms are rolled out, the DoT will give service options to the airlines and telecom operators in the country within two months. This means that if everything goes well, the Telecom Commission would allow in-flight connectivity as soon as October this year. ... Read more

Hampi, Karnataka Karnataka tourism is introducing Augmented Reality (AR) technology in 20 major tourism centers. As pilot projects, AR interventions are already active in heritage sites in the city such as Cubbon Park, Bangalore Palace, Tipu Sultan’s Summer Palace, Bangalore Fort, Lalbagh and some old structures on MG Road. Budgeted cost for implementing the project in 20 identified sites is around Rs 120 crores. “The programme will be carried out by private companies. While the research works are going on with the existing facilities, the department will formulate a master plan and look in to the provision of other infrastructural ... Read more

The Signature Bridge of Delhi is all set to open by the end of October this year. The Signature Bridge is looked upon as one of the next top tourist hotspots in the city, which will have a 154 m high glass box to allow visitors get a bird’s eye view of the city. Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia recently said that the construction work on the bridge is almost complete and it will likely be opened for public use by October 31. The bridge is said to be the first asymmetrical cable-styled bridge in the country, it will ... Read more

Satish Dhawan Space Center Andhra Pradesh government ventures to redesign the concept of tourism in the state. The government is planning to explore the potential of industrial tourism, other than site seeing and adventures.  Sri City, the integrated business city in Chittoor and Nellore districts and the Satish Dhawan Space Center at Sriharikota are some of the places they have identified as industrial tourism spots. The objective behind the new idea is to generate interest in students and young entrepreneurs and help them enrich their awareness levels on industrial processes. At the same time, it will become a revenue earner ... Read more

Meghalaya, a place known for its scenic beauty, is home to some of the country’s majestic caves. Now, they have a “golden cave” as well. Krem Liat Prah, Krem Puri, Krem Mawsmai, Siju, Krem Mawjymbuin and Krem Kotsati are some of the renowned caves found in the enchanting Khasi, Jaintia and Garo Hills. In the village of Jalaphet, lies a newly discovered cave which awaits promotion to a tourist destination. Jalaphet, a village situated 15km away from the district headquarters, Khliehriat (East Jaintia Hills), comprises two villages, Jalaphet Bri-Sutnga and Jalaphet Bri-Sumer. In March, the villagers discovered the cave in ... Read more

AirAsia X has launched flights between Kuala Lumpur and Amritsar. The evening flights, D7188 and D7189, will operate four times per week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Passengers from 15 cities, including Bali, Melbourne, Sydney, Singapore and Bangkok, will be able to connect (via Kuala Lumpur) to Amritsar alongside existing routes to New Delhi and Jaipur using AirAsia’s Fly-Thru service. “We are excited to bring the AirAsia experience to Amritsar for the very first time. Amritsar is of significant interest to tourists thanks to the Harmandir Sahib (The Golden Temple) and the city’s numerous historic and cultural sites. Following ... Read more

Naulakha Mandir, Deoghar The Jharkhand High Court referred about a more “proactive role” of the state government to promote tourism in the state. The HC has suggested that the government should open information kiosks at Birsa Munda Airport in Ranchi and railway stations to help visitors. A division bench of Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice Ratnaker Bhengra, while hearing a PIL filed by one Babloo Kumar, said the kiosks could come up at the airport and railway stations of primary districts to begin with. The bench noted that districts like Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Deoghar, and Dhanbad could have tourist information ... Read more

With an aim to create awareness on homestay facility in Andhra Pradesh, AP Tourism Authority (APTA) has organised a community-driven hospitality company, a homestay sensitization, and training workshop is being conducted in Vizag for the families, communities, AP CREDAI, travel agencies, etc, to enhance the potential of tourism accommodation in the state. The main objective of the workshop is to sensitize and to discuss the idea of homestays, home sharing, and its social, cultural and economic benefits for families and communities. It also put forward ideas to introduce online platforms like Airbnb and assist the participants to create accounts on ... Read more

Photo Courtesy: J&K Tourism The state tourism department is planning to conduct country-wide promotional campaign to attract more tourists to the Jammu and Kashmir. The department said it will also focus on attracting foreign tourists from Southeast Asian countries and Bangladesh, from where the footfall has witnessed a steep rise in the recent past. The move to launch promotional campaign were declared by Tourism Director, Tasaduq Jeelani during a meeting with tour operators, houseboat owners and hoteliers held in Srinagar recently. “The department is planning to participate in travel shows in Surat, Pune, Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Ahmadabad and Kolkata to tap ... Read more

The Fort-based Horniman Circle garden, built by the British-era, will have a face-lift as informed by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s heritage department. Tenders for the same will be floated within two months. The renovation works will include new lighting and iron-fencing The Horniman Circle garden was built in 1872 and is spread over 12,000 square yards. The area had been known as Bombay Green in the 18th century, while the area around it was called Elphinstone Circle. After Independence, the area was renamed in honour of Benjamin Horniman, editor of The Bombay Chronicle newspaper, to recognize his role in the ... Read more

Penang Convention and Exhibition Bureau (PCEB), the agency entrusted with the marketing and promotions of Malaysian island of Penang, said it will be hosting a mega destination familiarisation (FAM) trip for Indian agents in September. The aim is to make the agents understand the potential of Penang as a MICE destination and help them package it in many different ways to Indian groups. Organised with the support of Global Panorama Showcase (GPS), around 150 travel agents are expected to participate in the familiarisation tour scheduled between September 4 and 8. “One day will be dedicated to B2B meetings with prominent ... Read more

The Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL) has suspended its operations till August 26 owing to heavy rains in the region. All the flights at the airport are being cancelled and has prompted airlines to make special arrangements for the passengers, including alternative flights to nearby airports. Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) said that CIAL will not operate till August 26 due to rains and consequently, the Air Navigation Services wing of Airports Authority of India has issued NOTAM (notice to airmen). MoCA and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) have also announced measures to address the issues that have ... Read more