Category: News

The District Tourism Department planning to introduce outdoor sports promotion facilities on the Kozhikode beach. Plans are that a football and volleyball courts to be developed along the beach. There will also be an exclusive track for cycling. Looking at the developments, it is sure that the department is planning to convert the famous Kozhikode beach into the first modern sports beach in the state. Two private companies, The Earth and Space Art, would prepare the master plan for the project and other allied tourism development plans in the city, they said. A water tourism circuit linking Elathur, Canolly Canal, ... Read more

The long-awaited ‘neelakurinji’ season is all set to begin from August to November.  Munnar town and nearby areas are preparing to receive the tens of thousands of visitors who would be flocking the hills of Munnar to experience the ‘neelakurinji’ season. As per the official data, around eight lakh visitors are expected in Munnar during the ‘neelakurinji’ season. To control the traffic, regulations will be imposed in Munnar town between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. The Munnar grama panchayat and the police have already removed the roadside vendors and traffic barriers have been constructed on the two sides. The visitor’s vehicles ... Read more

Sharjah has launched its first English language radio station Pulse 95 Radio on Monday. The opening ceremony, held under the patronage of Sheikh Sultan Bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Chairman of Sharjah Media Council (SMC), was held at the Al Majaz Amphitheatre. The channel can be accessed on 95 FM or from the Sharjah Media corporation’s (SMC) web and mobile application. The Pulse 95 Radio station has Emirati, Arab, and international presenters. Sally Mousa, Sara Al Madani, Ana Schofield, Amna Roberts, Omar Al Busaidy, Hassan Dennaoui (Big Hass) and Iman Al Majali are the presenters. Sheikh Sultan Bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, who took ... Read more

Republic of Albania, located in South-eastern Europe, has recently announced that the citizens of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman and Qatar can enter Albania visa-free. Albania, having a pristine natural beauty with Mediterranean climate has attracted over 5.2 million tourists back in 2017. Tourism Albania mainly markets the rich culture and heritage of the nation, along with natural tourism products like mountains and beaches. “The citizens of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman and Qatar can enter Albania without a visa from April 1 to Oct. 31, 2018.” said Sami Shiba, Albanian Ambassador. Albania has a coastline of over 450 km, well known ... Read more

H H Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Department of Transport, has inspected the specially-designed Etihad Airways’ “Year of Zayed” A380 at Etihad Airways Engineering’s facilities in Abu Dhabi. H H Sheikh Theyab was joined by H E Mohamed Mubarak Fadhel Al Mazrouei, Chairman of Etihad Aviation Group, and Tony Douglas, Group Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Aviation Group, as well as members of the Etihad senior leadership team. The A380 in “Year of Zayed” livery is just one component of Etihad’s extensive initiatives taking place throughout 2018 which are based on the four “Year ... Read more

Marriott International has opened the first Element-branded hotel in Dubai. The 168-room property features studios and one-bedroom suites. “A recognised industry leader in the eco-space, Element promotes a life in balance with its emphasis on wellness and sustainability and we are excited to debut the brand in a city like Dubai where sustainability remains a key focus across all sectors,” said Alex Kyriakidis, president and managing director, Middle East and Africa, Marriott International. Marriott International appointed Stuart Birkwood as cluster general manager for its properties in Dubai: Aloft Me’aisem, Element Me’aisem, and Aloft Dubai South. Located in Dubai Production City, ... Read more

Tourism in India is rapidly growing on the rise, as the new investment opportunity, as well as market, widens with over US$91.3 billion (Rs 5,949 billion) revenue generated in 2017. Previously, over US$26 billion (Rs 1,961 billion) spending from the foreign travellers was generated, that further widens the human resource and foreign direct investment to the sector. Online International and national key players in the tourism and hospitality industry are nowadays emerging with customisation option namely AirBnb, Makemytrip, Cleartrip, Yatra, Goibibo, and OYO Rooms. As per the new prediction, around 18 million international tourist arrivals are expected by the ministry ... Read more

America-based online tourism and hospitality chain Airbnb has announced an association with Sydney based Australian startup Hometime. The new tie-up aimed for new marketing platforms like community meeting and increasing client listings. Hometime, on the other hand, has associations with traditional accommodation providers like boutique hotels, local youth hostels with bed and breakfast. “As we continue to see demand for this kind of travel, we’ll keep seeing the number of hosts in Australia increase. We know people have been coming to the platform and not finding what they look for, but Hometime provides that one-on-one hospitality our hosts have looked for in ... Read more

Surfing, one of the oldest water sports adventure, was marked with a new award in the name of Rodrigo Koxa. The award named ‘Biggest Wave Award Big’ is the title given for the largest wave ever surfed by a contestant. Rodrigo Koxa, a professional wave surfer hailing from Brazil, achieved the title back in 8th November at Nazare beach in Portugal. He surfed at over 80 ft that overtook the previous record put by Garrett McNamara in 2011. Meanwhile, the Best Women’s Overall Performance award was given to Paige Alms, a Mauian surfer for the third time. “Thank you to my ... Read more

After setting the cricket pitch afire with super star batting in IPL, the West Indian star performer Chris Gayle is cooling down in the tranquil backwaters of Kerala. Enjoying a holiday with his family at The Raviz Kollam, he was trying his hands in fishing in the Kerala backwaters. Gayle is accompanied by his wife, daughter, and mother-in-law. He did check in to the hotel on April 29 and would be staying in the hotel for a couple of days. The cricketer and his family went for a joyride with his family on a houseboat in the backwaters. He is also ... Read more

AccorHotels has signed an agreement with Mövenpick Holding and Kingdom Holding to acquire Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts, for an amount of CHF560 million (€482 million). “With the acquisition of Mövenpick, we are consolidating our leadership in the European market and are further accelerating our growth in emerging markets, in particular in Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific. The Mövenpick brand is the perfect combination of modernity and authenticity and ideally complements our portfolio. Its European-Swiss heritage is a perfect fit with AccorHotels. By joining the Group, it will benefit from AccorHotels’ power, particularly in terms of distribution, loyalty-building and development. This ... Read more

Oman Air has unveiled its new and exclusive premium lounge at the Muscat International Airport. Oman Air passengers travelling in First Class and Business Class can now take advantage of the airline’s new premium class lounge. Spread over a two story, the lounge offers guests a wide array of food and beverage services, including dining areas and bars, luggage room, entertainment area, a smoking room, prayer rooms, business centre, kid’s room, nap area, shower facilities, baby changing facilities and a wellness area. Covering 429.35 square metres with an overall capacity of 100 people, the area designated for First Class guests ... Read more

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that Government is taking initiatives to develop infrastructure for Buddhist tourism in an attempt to connect Southeast Asia to the important Buddhist sites in the country. “We are developing infrastructure for Buddhist tourism, which is going to connect Southeast Asia with the important Buddhist sites of India. I am also very pleased that the government is a partner in the restoration of many Buddhist temples which also includes the centuries old Anand Temple in Bagan, Myanmar,” Modi said in his monthly radio programme “Mann Ki Baat”. The Prime Minister said the country has inherited Lord ... Read more

With an aim to bring more tourists from India,  Japan  is planning to conduct an exhibition, ‘Japan Calling’ in Gujarat. The event is organised by Ahmedabad Management Association (AMA) in association with Indo Japan Friendship Association (IJFA) and Japan Innovation and Study Centre (JISC). “Bilateral ties between India-Japan and Gujarat-Japan have grown over the years on the business and cultural front. This is for the first time that a full-fledged exhibition focused on Japan tourism is being organized in Ahmedabad,” said Mukesh Patel, president, IJFA. The main objective of the exhibition is to promote the culture and heritage of Japan, ... Read more

Do you wish to enjoy rain all throughout the year? Then, The Rain Room at Al Majarah, near Buhaira Corniche in Dubai, is your perfect destination. The Rain Room by Random International, uses 1,200 litres of self-cleaning recycled water that provides an immersive experience of continuous rainfall. His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, inaugurated the Rain Room,  in the presence of Sheikha Hoor bint Sultan Al Qasimi, president of Sharjah Art Foundation (SAF). The Rain Room, is built on an area of 1,460 square metres, will not get you drenched in the rain. ... Read more