Category: News

Sikkim gets its first airport: PM to inaugurate Pakyong airport on Monday

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the first airport in Sikkim at Paykong on September 24 and is expected to improve connectivity, benefitting the people of the state. “In Sikkim, I will be inaugurating the Pakyong Airport tomorrow, which will improve connectivity and benefit the people of Sikkim,” Prime Minister tweeted today. Sikkim’s dream of having an airport is fulfilling after 9 years. The foundation stone of the greenfield airport was laid, around 33 km from Gangtok, in 2009. The Pakyong airport is spread over 201 acres and is located on top of a hill about two km above Pakyong ... Read more

First International Boat Show in Kochi from September 26

The first Cochin International Boat Show (CIBS) will be held from September 26 to 28 at KTDC Bolgatty Palace Event Centre in Kochi. The maiden boat show will be inaugurated by KV Thomas MP and AK Chawla, Flag Officer Commanding in Chief, Southern Naval Command, at 10.30 am on September 26. The event conducted by the Kochi-based Cruz Expos, which organises India Pavilion at the international boat shows in Sri Lanka and Maldives, in association with the Kerala Shipping and Inland Navigation Corporation Ltd. The show will be an ideal opportunity for Motor Boats and Yachts Manufacturers to target the growing ... Read more

900 delegates attend first Dubai China Conference

The inaugural Dubai China Conference organized by Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) saw a huge attendance of 900 local dignitaries, stakeholders and Chinese partners. The two-day event, held at Atlantis The Palm, is a major innovation that brings together industry players to share insights from the China market, whilst outlining Dubai Tourism’s ongoing collaborations to reconfirm its continued focus on one of the most important global source markets. The close relationship between China and Dubai is evident in the willingness of the emirate to become fully “China-Ready”. Large-scale initiatives, in collaboration with key strategic partners such as Alipay ... Read more

Seminar on Homestay and sustainable tourism in Manipur

Photo Courtesy-sangaimoonlightcamping Manipur Tourism has organized a seminar on Homestays & Sustainable Tourism as a part of ‘Paryatan Parv 2018’ celebrations, at Sangai Hall, Hotel Imphal. “The department is in the process of preparing guidelines of home stay for the state in line with the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Tourism. We are also planning to provide training to the registered home stay owners and conduct district-wise awareness drive regarding the importance of homestay development to the public,” said W Ibohal Singh, Director, Manipur Tourism in his welcome address. “Knowing the purpose of the visit of a tourist is very important ... Read more

Oman Air announces daily flights to Athens

Oman Air has announced its plan to add Athens, the capital of Greece to its expanding network. The airline said this was first of its several new routes to be launched in 2019. The daily flight to and from Athens will be operated with the new-state-of-the-art Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. Oman Air flight WY 191 will depart Muscat at 2.45 pm and reach Athens at 7.50 pm, while on return it will take off from Athens airport at 12.20 am and reach Muscat at 6.35 am. “We are extremely proud and happy to add Athens to our rapidly growing network, as ... Read more

Celebrate Oktoberfest with Emirates

Emirates continues to delight customers with its annual Oktoberfest celebrations on board and on the ground. From September 22 to October 7, customers travelling in all classes between Dubai and Germany will enjoy a special seasonal menu of Bavarian-inspired food and beverage. The celebrations kick off in the iconic A380 onboard lounge with Paulaner Oktoberfestbier served in a traditional stein or German beer glass. Paulaner is a mainstay at the festival and has played an active part in Oktoberfest for over 200 years. Today, Paulaner is one of only six breweries to serve at the event, giving customers an authentic ... Read more

Showcase Munnar conducts bike rally to promote tourism in Munnar

As part of Neelakurinji campaign, Showcase Munnar Association organized a Super Bike Rally on 22nd September in continuation of Rally to the Blue Mountain. There were 20 Harley Davidson and other super bikes participated in the rally. Rally was flagged off at Ernakulam Boat Jetty in the morning by K P Nandakumar, Joint Director, Kerala Tourism;  K S Shine and G Kamalamma, Deputy Directors of Kerala Tourism; Rajesh Nair, CGM, Eastend Group were present in the function. Showcase Munnar Team and DTPC (District Tourism Promotion Council), Idukki welcomed the rally near DTPC Office. After taking a Ride in Munnar, Nallathanni ... Read more

Dedicated walkways at key beaches in Dubai

Beaches in Dubai are more accessible for people of determination and the elderly, as the municipality has provided dedicated walkways for them in almost all the key beaches. These special pathways have been built to help them cross the beach and reach the sea easily. “The special pathways have been built for the People of Determination and the elderly to enable them to cross the beach and reach the sea easily. We have provided them at Al Mamzar Creek Beach, Al Mamzar Corniche Beach, Jumeirah 2 and 3 beaches, Umm Suqeim 1 and 2 beaches. They are built meeting international standards ... Read more

PM inaugurates Odisha’s second airport at Jharsuguda

Jharsuguda airport, Odisha Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the new airport in Jharsuguda, named after freedom fighter Veer Surendra Sai. The first flight took off from the airport today with 10 passengers, including four differently abled children and three crew members (a pilot, an assistant pilot and a flight attendant). The Air Odisha plane flew to Raipur minutes after the inauguration function. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had earlier wrote to the Union Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu, requesting him to name the Jharsuguda airport after the freedom fighter, who hails from the region. Veer Surendra Sai Airport is the second operational ... Read more

Etihad operates iconic A380 to Maldives to celebrate new runway opening

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has marked the opening of the new runway at Velana International Airport in the Maldives by operating one of its Airbus A380 aircraft to the island nation. The new 3,400 metre-long and 60-metre-wide runway is the first in the Maldives capable of supporting an A380. The special Etihad operation was piloted by First Officer, Ali Ahuson, who is from The Maldives. Etihad Airways’ A380 features a total capacity of 496 seats – up to two guests in The Residence, nine First Apartments, 70 Business Studios and 415 Economy Smart Seats.

Odisha conducts tourism roadshow in Bangkok

Cultural Programme at Roadshow in Bangkok Aiming at promoting tourism in the state, Odisha Tourism department has conducted a roadshow in Bangkok. During the event, Archana Patnaik, Director of Tourism, made a presentation highlighting the programmes implemented by the state to enhance the infrastructure and facilities to lure tourists – domestic as well as foreign. B2B meetings were part of the roadshow, for the various stakeholders in the tourism industry to present their products. While speaking at the event, Abbagani Ramu, Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of India at Thailand, appreciated Odisha’s efforts to develop tourism as a major employment ... Read more

Emirates celebrates Saudi National Day with special flight to Riyadh

Emirates will operate a special one-off A380 service on 23 September to the capital city of Riyadh in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in celebratory participation of the country’s 88th National Day. “The UAE enjoys a strong relationship with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia through fraternal ties and constructive cooperation, as well as a shared vision for the future. Bringing the Emirates A380 is a fitting way to support the National Day celebrations, and for customers in Riyadh to try the superior A380 product for themselves. King Khalid International Airport is also well equipped to handle the A380 and we ... Read more

Tour with Shailesh: Neelakurinji blooms in Kolukkumalai

Kolukkumalai is a tea plantation; spread across 500 acres and around 8000 feet high from sea level. It is said to be a plantation without pesticides and chemical application and the tea from Kolukkumail is said to be of high quality and taste. This year the visual extravagance, which happens once in 12 years – blooming of Neelakurinji (Strobilanthes kunthiana)- has been present in Kolukkumali Mostly the flowers start blooming from July. However, due to rain and floods, the blooming has delayed this year. Neelakurinji flowers are usually visible at Vattavada and Rajamala region of Munnar. This year, Kolukkumalai also ... Read more

SpiceJet announces direct flights from Guwahati to Patna, Hyderabad

SpiceJet announced the launch of direct flights from Guwahati to Patna, Hyderabad and Pakyong in Sikkim. The daily non-stop flight services on the Guwahati-Patna-Guwahati route and Guwahati-Hyderabad-Guwahati route would commence on October 10. The Guwahati-Pakyong-Guwahati flight service would commence operations from October 16. The Chief Marketing Officer of SpiceJet, Debojo Maharshi handed over the ticket and boarding pass to Sarbananda Sonowal, Chief Minister of Assam, making the formal announcement of the new launch. This is a golden opportunity. The new flights will not only boost trade, education and health, but will also facilitate higher footfall of tourists from other states ... Read more

Four Indian places among 100 top destinations in the world

Time Magazine has revealed the list of 100 greatest places of 2018 in the world to visit. The list includes Theme parks, Bars, Hotels, Restaurants etc. They have considered the new inventions, quality of services, facilities and amenities, while selecting the places. From among 48 countries in 6 continents, 100 destinations have been selected by the Magazine’s selection team, which consist of prominent industrialists, media personnel etc. Four Indian places could occupy place in the list; they are Sundar Nursery an Indian Accent Restaurant – both in Delhi, Alila Fort Bishangarh in Rajasthan and Obroi Sukhvilas Rsort and Spa in ... Read more