Category: News

India’s budget carrier IndiGo is planning services to China, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, Myanmar among other countries as part of its efforts to expand its international network. The carrier also has plans to start services to Turkey and Commonwealth of Independent States countries. IndiGo also plans to add frequencies in existing routes. IndiGo has also announced plans to fly from Pune to Male in Maldives soon, which is expected to start the service by the end of March. IndiGo currently operates international flights to 12 countries including Bangladesh, Hong Kong, Kuwait, Malaysia, Maldives, Nepal, Oman, Qatar, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand and ... Read more

The Sultanate of Oman has recorded a 12.37 per cent growth in Indian tourist arrivals with 357,147 travellers visiting the country from January to December 2018 vis-à-vis 317,844 in 2017 making India the second highest source market for Oman. This marks a remarkable growth of 39.4 per cent over the last five years, as per the statistics released by Oman’s National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI). The country received 1,484,063 international travelers in 2018 vis-à-vis 1,369,199 in 2017, which is significantly higher, showcasing a growth of over 8.39 per cent. The numbers do not include regional travelers from other ... Read more

Privatization of the Thiruvanathapuram airport is widely welcomed by the stakeholders. It is said that privatization will improve the infrastructure facilities and quality of service. SN Raghuchandran Nair, President of Trivandrum Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Chairman of Airport Users Consultative Committee, said that the move will be beneficial to the tourism industry in long run. “We consider it as a positive move for the airport, which has been losing its galore in recent years. Privatization will encourage competition and the airlines have to reduce ticket rates to attract more passengers. If the infrastructure and other conditions improve, more international airlines ... Read more

Israeli airline Arkia will launch direct flights to two new routes to India starting from September 28, 2019. The carrier will begin non-stop flight operations from Tel Aviv to Goa and Kochi with 220 seats and a full flight service on board. With one-way duration of seven hours, Arkia will fly once a week to Goa on Tuesdays and twice a week to Kochi on Mondays and Fridays. From 27th October 2019, the flight to the latter city will move to Sundays and Thursdays. The air travel will run all year round except during the monsoon season in India. This ... Read more

The Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated the National War Memorial to the nation in a solemn ceremonial function on 25th February 2019. He will also address ex-servicemen on the occasion. The National War Memorial, near India Gate in New Delhi, is a fitting tribute to our soldiers who laid down their lives defending the nation, post-independence. The National War Memorial also commemorates the soldiers who participated and made the supreme sacrifice in Peace Keeping Missions, and Counter Insurgency Operations. The obelisk in the center of the memorial In 2014, Prime Minister had spelt out his vision for the National War Memorial ... Read more

Adani Group, the leading Infrastructure conglomerate in India, has stepped into the airports business by winning the bid for operating Thiruvananthapuram airport along with other four airports in the country. There were 6 airports in the bid run by the the Airports Authority of India (AAI), as part of the privatization programme of the Central Government. Thiruvananthapuram Airport As per sources, Adani Group, which had bid for all six airports, has won to upgrade and operate five of them of for a period of 50 years. Thiruvananthapuram, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Lucknow and Mangalore are the airports won by Adani Group under ... Read more

Under Swadesh Darshan Scheme, Ministry of Tourism is developing critical tourism infrastructure in the country in a sustainable and inclusive manner to make India into a world class tourist destination. The focus under the scheme is to develop public facilities like last-mile connectivity, tourist reception centers, wayside amenities, solid waste management, illumination, landscaping, parking etc. where private sector is not willing to invest. The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the following proposals: 1. Continuation of the Swadesh Darshan Scheme during 14th Finance Commission period and beyond; 2. Rs 2055.96 crore for 60 on-going projects ... Read more

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has inaugurated the construction of the Pilgrim Tourism Facilitation Center at Kanichukulangara Devi Temple at Cherthala in Alappuzha District of Kerala Kanichukulangara Devi Temple With the expenditure of Rs 4 crore, the Facilitation Center will be built in the Devaswom owned land near the temple. There will be 33 rooms in and 4 shops in the three-story building. In the first phase, 21 rooms will be completed in two floors. The devotees who arrive at the temple during festival time will get their accommodation here. Kanichukulangara Devaswom President Vellapalli Natesan’s initiative to provide relief camp for ... Read more

Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways, laid the foundation stones for seven National Highway projects worth over Rs 4,419 crore in Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra on Sunday. From the inaugural function Chief Minister Jairam Thakur, Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda and the Minister of the province, all MPs and MLAs were present on the occasion. The projects include four-laning of 37.03 km long Punjab-Himachal Pradesh Border to Sihuni section of NH-154 at a cost of Rs 1572.9 crore, construction of 104.6 km long Paonta Sahib –Guma-Feduzpul section of NH-707 at a cost of Rs 1356 crore, construction ... Read more

The Fern Hotels & Resorts has opened Viola Beacon Resort at Lonavla in Maharashtra. Located amidst sylvan green surroundings off the Old Mumbai-Pune Highway in the Waksai-Maval area of Lonavala, the 40 room hotel is just 6.5 km from the Lonavala Market. The popular weekend getaway, which is just a 2 hours drive from Mumbai, offers guests a relaxed holiday blended with style, comfort and privacy. The rooms are designed with care and offer all essential amenities and services. The bright coffee shop and pillar less banquet hall for conferences, parties and events, complete the stay experience. Conversation Café is an ... Read more

As part of diversifying the tourism products and to encourage sustainable tourism models, the Responsible Tourism Mission of Kerala is planning a number of innovative concepts in the tourism sector of the state. The objective of the programme is to recompense the loss in the tourism sector due to drop in the number of tourists in the previous year, due to various reasons. As per RT Mission, several community-level tourism activities such as storytelling and cultural sessions will be launched in the month of March. Resource mapping, a process to identify new tourism destinations in the state is being undertaken. ... Read more

The InterContinental Hotels Group has signed a management agreement with Indroyal Hospitality Services for Crowne Plaza in Amaravati. The 300-room hotel will be the first IHG hotel in the city and is expected to be operational by 2024. Amaravati, the new capital of Andhra Pradesh is being rapidly developed as a world class city and is expected to attract high-value manufacturing and service industries, creating strong economic growth opportunities in the years to come. Connected to the major cities in India by land, rail and air through its neighbouring city of Vijaywada, Amaravati is expected to attract both domestic and ... Read more

Emirates said it will link Phnom Penh (PNH) and Bangkok (BKK) with a new daily service set to launch on June 1, 2019. The service from Dubai to Phnom Penh, via Bangkok, will provide passengers travelling between the capital cities of Cambodia and Thailand with more flight options. The new service will be operated with an Emirates Boeing 777 aircraft. Flights to Phnom Penh will depart daily from Dubai International Airport (DXB) at 08.45 hrs local time, as EK370, and arrive in Bangkok at 18.15 hrs. The same flight will then depart Bangkok at 20.00 hrs, before arriving at Phnom ... Read more

Kannur and the associated northern districts of Kerala are famous for its Theyyam performances. Theyyam is a popular ritual form of worship with several thousand-year-old traditions, rituals and customs. The Government of Kerala is setting up a museum for this divine art form in Kannur. The foundation stone for the museum will be laid on February 28, 2019 as a part of the 100 day celebration of the government. The museum will be set up at Chanthappura in Kalyassery of Kannur. Kasaragod, Karivalloor, Nileswaram, Kurumathoor, Cherukunnu, Ezhom and Kunnathoorpadi in North Malabar are places where Theyyams are performed annually (Kaliyattam) and draw ... Read more

Walking tourism is now one of the most popular ways to experience a destination. It allows tourists to better engage with local people, nature and culture. It also help the tourists to maintain their health, while having close connection with the local people, where they travel. A recent report from the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) provides examples of walking tourism that can serve as practical references for destinations that want to develop such offerings. Walking tourism can be developed anywhere as a sustainable tourism offer with a relatively small investment. It can bring about social and economic benefits to residents ... Read more