Category: News

Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea project said it will offer visas on arrival for overseas visitors following the creation of a company to deliver the ambitious project. The project marked a milestone recently with its incorporation as a standalone closed joint-stock company, The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC), wholly owned by the country’s Public Investment Fund (PIF). The newly-incorporated company will now move forward with the creation of its Special Economic Zone, with its own regulatory framework, it said in a statement. The framework will be separate from the base economy, with a special emphasis on environmental sustainability, and will be offering ... Read more

Egypt’s tourist sector achieved humongous growth as the revenue for first quarter touched $2.2 billion, recording a rise of 83.3 per cent. The report also reveals that the Arab nation had a tourist footfall of almost 2.383 million tourists, recording an increase in visitors by 37.1 per cent. The report also suggests that tourist nights reached $23.8 million in the same period. As per the report of Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS), the country has received around 7,30,000 tourists in February 2018, registering a 35 per cent increase compared to the same period last year. Rania al-Mashat, ... Read more

Saudi Arabia’s king has offered to pay the visa fees for first-time pilgrims to Hajj and Umrah. “The cost of first entry for pilgrims to Umrah and Haj will be covered by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman,” said Minister of Haj and Umrah, Mohammed Bin Saleh Bentin. The minister announced the same during a coordination meeting with the Presidency of the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques. “Our partnership is aimed at removing all the obstacles that may face the Hajj and Umrah pilgrims and facilitate their arrival to the Two Holy Mosques in Makkah and Madinah,” he told ... Read more

According to reports of regional authorities, Southwest China’s Tibet Autonomous Region had a tourist footfall of around 40,000 from January to April. This registers a growth by 50.5 per cent in tourist arrivals, when compared to same period last year. The regional tourism development committee confirmed that the region earned $ 26.7 million as tourism revenue during the period, recording an increase of 50.7 per cent. In the same time, Tibet has received nearly 2.7 million domestic tourists, recording a rise of 63.5 per cent when compared to last year. The winter tourism on the highland is less popular than ... Read more

The annual water carnival in Nepal was attended by almost 500 locals and foreigners. The 30th Annual Rafting Festival 2018 was organized by the Nepal Association of Rafting Agencies (NARA), an umbrella organization of rafting agencies, under the theme “Let’s Protect our Rivers for Tourism and Environment.” White water rafting was organized in Benighat-Phisling section of Trishuli River, some 40 km away from the capital city. The event also aimed to raise awareness on the need of preserving and protecting the rivers for environmental conservation and tourism development. “Being enriched with water resources, Nepal has a huge prospect for water adventures. Thus, ... Read more

Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Department is planning to implement a Management Information System (MIS) in order to keep an eye on the speed and real-time development of progressing works. This is an initiative by the tourism department to speed up the various ongoing projects under the Government of India and state government schemes. As per reports, the National Informatics Centre (NIC) has been given the task to develop a Programme Monitoring and Evaluation Software with some exclusive features. Around 50 officials in various departments of the tourism department would be given separate login id and passwords so that they can ... Read more

Etihad Cargo, the cargo division of Etihad Airways, has launched its first humanitarian freighter missions as part of the group’s extensive Year of Zayed programme, which will take place throughout 2018. The specially branded Year of Zayed Boeing 777 freighter aircraft departed Abu Dhabi – first to Almaty in Kazakhstan and then to Hyderabad in India – carrying special provisions to be distributed to those in need during the Holy Month of Ramadan. The humanitarian missions are taking place throughout the year in collaboration with the Khalifa Foundation, the Red Crescent, and His Highness Sheikh Sultan Bin Khalifa Al Nahyan ... Read more

The stall set up by Southern Railway has bagged the first place among the Central government stalls at the recently concluded 44th India Tourist and Industrial Fair 2018 at Island Grounds. The Southern Railway General Manager R K Kulshrestha congratulated and sanctioned a cash award of Rs 10,000 to staff from Carriage and Wagon Works, Golden Rock Workshop, (Tiruchi), Mechanical Branch of Chennai and Salem divisions, RPF wing of Chennai division and the Public Relations department (PR) of Southern Railway for having put up the exhibits and bagging the first prize. Principal Chief Mechanical Engineer A K Kathpal and Principal ... Read more

Followed by the successful implementation of Responsible Tourism in some of the destinations in the state, the RT Mission is all set to develop eight more RT model villages across Kerala. Also, the People’s Participation for Participatory Planning and Empowerment through Responsible Tourism (PEPPER), an innovative integrated tourism project of the RT Mission that ensures whole-hearted participation of the people in the particular locality, will be extended to 10 more centres. At present RT is implemented in Kovalam, Kumarakom, Thekkady, Vythiri, Ambalavayal, Bakel and Kumbalangi. The RT Mission is planning to implement the same in Poovar, Dharmadom, Fort Kochi, Varkala, Muhamma and Alappuzha this fiscal. These ... Read more

The much famed Tea and Tourism festival begins in Ooty. The tea and tourism festival, which used to be held during autumn season, was included in the Ooty summer festival this year. The festival was introduced in 1994 to hold it in winter holidays to bring more tourists to the hills. The two-day event was inaugurated at the Research Centre for Tribal Culture building in Ooty on Saturday. This year the festival boasts 10 stalls and, on display are tea-ice cream and a variety of flavoured teas.

In an initiative to make ‘Kovalam’ a better destination to visit and live, Uday Samudra Leisure Beach Hotel & Spa, with the support of other hoteliers in Kovalam and local people, is conducting the event ‘MY RESPONSIBILITY TOURISM’. The event focuses on creating awareness to the local vendors, taxi and auto drivers, localites and everyone regarding the importance of tourism in Kovalam. The event will be held on 29th May (Tuesday) at KJJM Animation Centre, Kovalam by 3 pm. “The event is to make people understand that promoting and safeguarding Kovalam is everyone’s responsibility. This initiative is done with the ... Read more

The Government of India is planning to reshape its foreign tourism offices into eight regional hubs for greater efficiency. Union Tourism Minister K J Alphons said the ministry is likely to shut seven of its 14 overseas tourist offices, including the ones in Paris, Amsterdam, Toronto and London. The offices in Milan (Italy), Sydney (Australia) and Johannesburg (South Africa) are also likely to shut shop. “In today’s digital world, having these many overseas offices are not required. The plan is to reshape these 14 offices into eight regional hubs for greater efficiency,” said the minister to IE. The offices in Toronto and Los Angeles are the ... Read more

Arunachal Pradesh recorded a leap in the number of tourist arrivals as around 26,00,000 domestic and 52,000 visited the state in the year as compared to the same period last year. The members of Arunachal Pradesh Tour Operators’ Association (APTOA) have contributed around 17 crores as revenue to the state treasury. Chief Minister Pema Khandu believes that the number of tourists will reach record number if the tourism potential of the state is completely exploited , which is next to only yet to be fully used hydro-power potential. Chief Minister pins his hope high on tourism sector, which he believes to ... Read more

Aruba Airlines has launched what can be called one of the shortest flights in the world. The airlines has introduced a flight connecting Venezuela and Aruba, which can be reached in 10 minutes. Just 50 miles (80 km) separate the two airports in Aruba (AUA) and Punto Fijo (LSP) in northern Venezuela. The two countries, however, are separated by only 15 miles (24 km). The flight, which was inaugurated late last week, will operate twice weekly on Mondays and Fridays, with connections to Curacao, Bonaire and Miami. Prices for the short journey starts at $215. In January, Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro had ... Read more

As a way to bring in major growth in tourism sector, Indonesia is eyeing France, a major force in European tourist market by associating with French travel organizers. Deputy Tourism Minister Nia Niscava, who also oversees the marketing growth in Europe, said the association with local French travel agents and organizers will definitely result in the increase of French tourists to the country. The ongoing talk with the French travel agencies and organizers have already resulted in surveying places and accommodations in Bali from July to August by them to bring in considerable number of French tourists to the much ... Read more