Category: News

Launch of Flip-Flop dhow at Lamu Island, Kenya Lamu Island of Kenyan has marked history on recycling plastic on 15th September 2018, by sailing on boat built entirely of recycled plastic. They have been collecting plastics from the ocean and the surroundings through their clean-up campaign since last year. In order to curtail the menace of plastic to the environment, the Kenyan government has imposed the world’s toughest law against plastic bags, stating offenders, including producers, retailers, and ordinary users, to face imprisonment for up to four years or fines of USD 40,000. Boat under construction Mostly all the plastic ... Read more

Jet Airways have cancelled their flights to and from Hong Kong on 16th September 2018, due to the Typhoon Mangkhut. It was tweeted on their official twitter page. In a subsequent tweet it has announced that the flights on 16th have been rescheduled for 17th September. “#9Wupdate Consequent to adverse weather at Hong Kong due to #TyphoonMangkhut, our flights to/from Hong Kong have been rescheduled for Sept 17, 2018. Kindly check your flight status here for latest updates”, reads the tweet. Furthermore, they have informed that all the applicable change and cancellation charges will be waived off on confirmed flights ... Read more

Tourists from Australia arrive at Kochi Airport (Screen shot from video of tourism minister) Kerala has been getting back to normal after the devastating rain and flood that has caused terrific damages to the state’s infrastructure and economy. Tourism was one among the major sectors experienced widespread damages. However, with the tireless efforts of the state tourism department and the government machinery along with the selfless support of the tourism fraternity, the state has been reinstating most of its tourism destinations to normal. To add to the joy and confidence of the tourism sector, the first chartered flight carrying around ... Read more

The first ever India Tourism Mart, organized by the Ministry of Touism, Govt of India, is the brainchild of K J Alphons, Minister of State for Tourism. “The Tourism Mart aims at attracting more tourists to the country,” said the minister while talking to Tourism News Live in an exclusive interview. Minister Piyush Goyal will inaugurate the first edition of India Tourism Mart in Delhi on September 17. The Mart also aims at bringing together the Indian tourism industry to the international players. While the international tourist arrivals grew by a remarkable 7 per cent in 2017 to reach a ... Read more

Bodh Gaya – at Gaya district in Bihar. Bihar State Tourism Development Corporation (BSTDC) is organizing various recreational activities to mark the World Tourism Day, which falls on 27th September. The festivities will start on 18th September with the title ‘Paryatan Parv’, means tourism festival. The events include Yoga, meditation and photography competition. Themes of the photographic completion are heritage, forests and wildlife, people, art, festivals and fair in Bihar. Entries for the competition have to be submitted on or before 17th September. A five member panel will select the winners. The celebrations will start with a Yoga camp at ... Read more

Photo Courtesy: Elle The Royal couple, popular as the ‘Duke and Duchess of Sussex’, is visiting Fiji and Tonga as part of an October tour that also includes Australia and New Zealand Considering the global interest in the Royal newlyweds, the tourism sector believes their visit presents a rare opportunity to sell the Pacific region on the world stage. “Our greatest advantage is the free publicity that we will get, and putting the Pacific on the map,” said Christopher Cocker, CEO of South Pacific Tourism Organization to the media. He said local tourist operators and businesses have a rare opportunity ... Read more

Odisha government is planning to conduct road-shows to promote sports tourism in the state, in view of the forthcoming Hockey Men’s Cup to be taken place at Kalinga Stadium from 28th November to 16th December. The campaigns may start from 27th September, in 17 cities including four metro cities. The organizers claim that this is the first time India, such a campaign is taking place to promote sports tourism and the objective is to showcase Odisha as a sports hub and a tourist destination. The campaign also aims at presenting Bhubaneswar as the sports capital of the country and the ... Read more

Kollam port, in the southern district of Kerala, is expected to be a hub for cargo operations and cruise tourism, once the ongoing up gradation works are completed. As per the fisheries minister J Mercykutty Amma, cargo ships form Lakshadweep will be the first to dock in the port. “We will send a high-level committee to Lakshadweep for exploring the possibilities,” said the minister, after a discussion with experts in the sector on Friday, 14th September 2018. Recently a delegation from the Lakshadweep Development Corporation has visited the Kollam port stated that the port has huge prospects, as the port ... Read more

The PATA Grand and Gold Awardees were felicitated at the PATA Travel Mart 2018 held at the Mahsuri International Exhibition Centre in Langkawi, Malaysia on September 14. SOTC Travel won the award for Marketing Media – Travel Advertisement Broadcast Media while Yalla Kerala campaign of Kerala Tourism and the PATA Gold Award for Marketing Media – Travel Advertisement Print Media. Sudeshna Ramkumar, Assistant Director, India Tourism, Singapore, has received the PATA Gold Awards won by Kerala Tourism for Travel Advertisement Print Media and Travel Poster during the closing ceremony. PATA Gold Award 2018 for Women Empowerment Initiative was bagged by ... Read more

National Museum of Beirut, Lebanon Avedis Guidanian, Caretaker Tourism Minister of Labanon, urged the government to allocate an open budget for investment in the tourism sector in the country, as reported by local media. “Lebanon is not less attractive than Egypt, Jordan and Turkey, but their inbound tourist’s number is much more than that of Lebanon. The reason is, they are well aware of promoting their tourist attractions,” said Guidanian. “What we need in Lebanon is enough budgets to promote our tourism sector and attract more tourists to our country,” he added. He was talking in a workshop held at ... Read more

For the first time in the history of Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala, the state government has sanctioned projects worth Rs 72 crore for the comprehensive development of tourism in the district. “With the timely implementation of these schemes, the dream of comprehensive tourism development in the district will become a reality,” said Tourism minister Kadakampalli Surendran announcing the projects. Rs 9.98 crore was allotted for the renovation of the Chala market, one of the oldest and largest markets in Kerala. The plan is to renovate the phase of the Chala market and turn it into a heritage project with in two ... Read more

K J Alphons, Minister of State for Tourism (IC), Government of India, has inaugurated India’s first Tribal Tourism Circuit in Gangrel, Chhattisgarh on 14th September 2018. The project “Development of Tribal Circuit: Jashpur- Kunkuri- Mainpat- Kamleshpur- Maheshpur- Kurdar-Sarodadadar- Gangrel- Kondagaon- Nathiya Nawagaon- Jagdalpur- Chitrakoot- Tirthgarh in Chhattisgarh” is implemented under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme of Ministry of Tourism. This project was sanctioned by the Ministry of Tourism in February 2016 for Rs 99.21 Crores. The project covers thirteen sites in Chhattisgarh i.e. Jashpur, Kunkuri, Mainpat, Kamleshpur, Maheshpur, Kurdar, Sarodadadar, Gangrel, Kondagaon, Nathiya Nawagaon, Jagdalpur, Chitrakoot, Tirthgarh. Swadesh Darshan scheme is one of ... Read more

The Marriott India Business Council has donated Rs 50 lakh towards Kerala Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund, opened in order to help the flood victims in the state. The funds were raised from the Marriott hotels in India for granting relief to families and individuals distressed in the recent floods. Neeraj Govil, Area Vice President- South Asia, Marriott International; Ranju Alex – Multi Property Vice President, Bengaluru & Kochi and General Manager, Bengaluru Marriott Hotel Whitefield; Nasir Shaikh, Chairman of Marriott India Business Council & General Manager –The Westin Pune Koregaon Park and Lizanne Pinto, Cluster Director, Human Resources, Bengaluru & ... Read more

Kofi Annan’s Funeral Ceremony in Ghana Catherine Afeku, Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture of Ghana, said that Kofi Annan will be honoured forever. She was speaking to the media persons at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC), where the seventh UN Chief has been laid-in-state. “Annan was an excellent diplomat and an honourable person who will forever remain in history,” she said. Though his demise is a great loss for the whole world, Ghana will be benefited from his demise, as it will be known as the final resting place of the world renowned diplomat. “He has made his ... Read more

ixigo has announced a partnership with Treebo Hotels for sales and distribution of the latter’s inventory. “This partnership will bring on board an additional list of over 400 budget hotels across 80 cities in India,” said a press statement. Treebo is a key player in the domestic hospitality industry and budget hotel category. With the new partnership, ixigo users are now be able to search, view and book a Treebo accommodation on its apps and website. The ixigo-Treebo partnership will enable business travellers and AC-class train passengers to find the best accommodations, not only in metro cities but also in tier ... Read more