Category: News

The Kochi-Muziris Biennale Foundation is planning to raise Rs 10 crore for the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund for flood victims. The amount will be mobilized by the Biennale Foundation through an auction of works by world famous artists at Mumbai. It was informed by Pinarayi Vijayan, Chief Minister of Kerala on a review meeting held on 15th October 2018, assessing progress of the works for the biennale. This year biennale will be held from 12th December 2018 to 29th March 2019; which would enhance the status of Kochi to the cultural capital of India. “Around 90 artists from 31 countries will ... Read more

Taiwans’s representative in New Delhi, Tien Chung-kwang, speaking on the inauguration function Taiwan opened its first official tourism information center for India in the country’s financial capital, Mumbai on Friday, 12th October 2018 Taiwan is considering India as one of the focus countries for its new Southbound Policy targeting South and Southeast Asia, and earlier this week announced it would spend more than USD 1 million to attract tourists from India. “We are trying to double the number of Indian travellers arriving in Taiwan by next year,” said Trust Lin, the Tourism Bureau’s representative in Singapore, who is also responsible ... Read more

Hospitality giant Marriott is planning to add 11 new properties in the UAE by year-end, bringing its portfolio to 59 properties and over 17,000 rooms in the across the six Emirates. In 2018, around 6 properties have been added so far and the hospitality major is planning to add five more in the country this year itself. The company is planning to add 20 new properties in the next five years. Marriott is expecting that this development pipeline could generate over 5,000 new jobs in the country. This year saw the opening of hotels under two regional brands – Elements Hotels brand ... Read more

Grand Packard Hotel, Havana With inauguration of the second five-star hotel in Havana, Cuba’s tourism is seeking position in the high-end tourism sector of the word. Speaking at the inauguration function on Saturday, 13th October 2018, President Miguel Diaz-Canel said the hotel is part of a new strategy to attract more high-spending visitors. Located in Havana’s Old Town with a stunning view of the city’s bay, the Grand Packard Hotel is is operated by Spanish company Iberostar, which has been operating on the island for 25 years. “Iberostar has been present in the country since 1993 and currently operates 27 ... Read more

Zalon Mountain Myanmar is planning to upgrade a mountain in the area of forest reserve in Banmauk, northwestern Sagaing region, as an eco-tourism site to attract more international visitors, as per local media reports. The upgrading of Zalon Mountain situating 19.2 km northwest of Banmauk is part of the efforts of the Forest Department to boost the country’s smokeless industry by extending the new tourist destination with proper services, said a tourism department official. Zalon Mountain Zalon Mountain is situated 927 meters above sea level and the surrounding mountains are over 600 to 900 meters high. There is a the ... Read more

Emirates is offering UAE residents a chance to travel back home and celebrate Thanksgiving with friends and family. Customers travelling to North America can enjoy Economy Class fares to New York starting at AED 4,685, Los Angeles starting at AED 5,785, Chicago starting at AED 5,215 and Dallas starting at AED 5,385. Business Class passengers can enjoy fares to New York starting at AED 20,155, Los Angeles starting at AED 25,775, to Chicago starting at AED 21,775, and to Dallas starting at AED 21,745. From 22nd to 25th November, Emirates will be offering passengers specially tailored menus to celebrate the holiday. ... Read more

Mount Nebo, Jordan Tourism industry of Jordan is in a revival mode, after years of safety concerns due to regional instabilities. Abdul Razzaq Arabiyat, Tourism Board General Director, said that the country has been witnessing increase in the number of inbound tourists during the past eight months of the year.  There is a recorded 12 per cent increase in the number of tourists who stayed in the Kingdom, while the income from tourism also increased by 14 per cent. “We have been implementing a new strategy using social media to change the mentality of tourists and convince them that Jordan ... Read more

World’s largest river island, Majuli island in Assam The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh has said that Northeast tourism has reached new heights in the last four years and this has been possible because of special thrust and impetus given by the Union government, with the direct indulgence of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Interacting with the members of a young Start-Up group in New Delhi, after launching the Northeast Tourism app developed by them, Dr Jitendra Singh said, ... Read more

The central ministry is all set to lay the foundation stone of a museum for all Prime Ministers of the country on the premises of the Teen Murti today. Minister of state for culture Mahesh Sharma and minister of housing and urban affairs Hardeep Singh Puri will lay the foundation stone for the museum at Teen Murti Estate, the official residence of India’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru. The new museum will incorporate the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML) at the Teen Murti estate, the official residence of India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. The work on the new museum is ... Read more

Kim Kardishian and Kanye West (Photo courtesy: glamour.com) Kanye West, renowned rapper and singer of US is on a private visit to Uganda with his wife and popular TV star, Kim Kardashian. Uganda’s Information Minister Frank Tumwebaze said the visit is “an endorsement of our tourism resources.” Their visit to Uganda is seen as a plus for official tourism promoters, who were recently criticized by President Yoweri Museveni for not doing enough to promote Uganda’s tourism sector. The celebrity couple’s visit is said to be a boost to the Ugandan tourism sect as the authorities believe it would help to ... Read more

Passengers travelling to India to reunite with relatives for Diwali can enjoy competitive fares on Economy Class to Mumbai starting at AED 1,205, Delhi starting at AED 1,265, Hyderabad starting at 1,105, and Ahmedabad starting at AED 1,165. Business Class passengers can enjoy fares to Mumbai starting at AED 3,605, Delhi starting at AED 3,705, Hyderabad starting at AED 3,395, and Ahmedabad starting at AED 4,775. Emirates will be offering passengers onboard special Diwali delicacies from 7 November to 10 November 2018. The special treats will be available for customers in all classes on all flights to India from Dubai. ... Read more

Sardar Vallabhai Pattel’s statue (Photo Courtesy: Indian Express) Just a couple of weeks left for the inauguration of the 182-metre statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel at Narmada in Gujarat. And, the Chief Minister of Gujarat, Vijay Rupani has invited all states to Narmada, not just to be a part of the inauguration ceremony, but to construct guesthouses and canteens of the respective states at a place marked near the statue. With an aim to boost tourism, the state government has allocated a stretch of land just 4 kms away from the statue for other states to construct guesthouses and canteens on the ... Read more

Airbnb and the Bermuda Tourism Authority (BTA) have partnered to streamline and enhance the on-island vacation experience. This fall, the BTA will begin marketing the destination across Airbnb’s channels, reaching a vast audience of potential visitors who favour vacation rentals. As part of the island’s Vacation Rentals Act 2018, Airbnb will collect the new 4.5 percent visitor fee on vacation rentals from guests staying at Bermuda Airbnb listings, offering a frictionless transaction for guests and hosts. The new partnership is part of BTA’s ongoing efforts to support Bermuda’s entrepreneurs and grow the island’s tourism industry in impactful ways. Additionally, beginning ... Read more

Hainan Airlines flight HU7607 took off from Beijing and landed at Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport at 11:00 am on October 13 Beijing time, marking the successful completion of the maiden commercial voyage of the first Airbus A350 aircraft owned by Hainan Airlines Holding Co., Ltd.  The carrier is opening a new era of services operated by the A350, witnessed by over 300 passengers. The A350-900 provides passengers with a new standard of travel experience with its leading modern cabins. The business class comes equipped with the Staggered seat layout for enhancing passenger privacy and the classic Straight-Line design. In addition, ... Read more

Etihad Airways Engineering, the largest commercial aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services provider in the Middle East, received two prestigious honours at the Aviation Business Awards 2018 held in Dubai on October 9, 2018. The ‘Unsung Hero of the Year’ and ‘Engineering Innovation of the Year’ awards recognise the company’s achievements in the past 12 months, by a panel of aviation industry experts. ‘Unsung Hero of the Year’ was awarded to Etihad Airways Engineering’s Technical Sales, which recognised the multi-cultural team for playing a key role in enabling the UAE’s vision to become a global aerospace hub and Customer Service ... Read more