Category: News

Kerala Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran launches the state’s first complete and dedicated, travel and tourism news portal, Tourism News Live. “Tourism News Live would be able to resist and fight against the negativities that are spread against the God’s own country,” said Kadakampally Surendran while inaugurating the launch function of Tourism News Live web portal. “The false propaganda of people with vested interests is tarnishing the image of the state, especially that of the tourism sector. It is very important to fight against these issues. It is in this context that the state’s first complete, dedicated travel portal Tourism News ... Read more

Kerala will focus more on farm tourism, eco, medical, cruise and adventure tourism segments, said Kerala Governor P Sathasivom while addressing the 14th Kerala Assembly today. The government proposes to set up cultural corridors called ‘Natarangu’ in villages and towns where suitable open spaces are available. “There will be amphitheatres where local artistic and cultural performances could be held,” informed the Governor. A new Tourism Regulatory Authority Kerala (TRAK) will be set up to ensure quality services for tourists and curb unhealthy practices in the sector. The governor also commented that the state’s economy is heavily dependent on agriculture, tourism, ... Read more

Kerala tourism to put forward new techniques to market eco-tourism spots leveraging information and communication technology (ICT) tools including micro websites and promotional videos. The government has approved Rs 1.95 crores for the project proposal led by Invis Multimedia, Kerala state Tourism Department’s official web developers. Photo Courtesy:keralatourism.org As the importance of visual marketing is growing rapidly, the website will post 15 new promotional films on eco-adventure, and e-brochures followed by a new format of centralised online booking system for preferred eco-tourism destinations. “Several ecotourism centres have own websites and the activities there are also being promoted by both tourism and ... Read more

In an attempt to help travellers and the travel/tourism business fraternity, Association of Tourism Trade Organisations India (ATTOI), is all set launch Tourism News Live today. Tourism News Live is a 24 hours complete travel and tourism news portal, a one-of-its-kind attempt from Kerala. Hon. Minister for Tourism, Kadakampally Surendran will launch the website. The event is scheduled to be held at 3 PM on January 22, 2018 at Hotel South Park in Thiruvananthapuram. Kerala Tourism Director P Balakiran, KTDC MD R Rahul, CKTI Chairman E Najeeb, Kerala Travel Mart Society President Baby Mathew Somatheeram, Trivandrum Press Club G Rajeev, ... Read more

Prime Minister Narendra Modi to exhibit Indian desi cuisine and yoga as part of the annual meeting of World Economic Forum at Davos in Switzerland. The 48th World Economic Forum will be attended by over 3000 global leaders as well as people in the field of politics, art and academics. Indian delegates will be the largest in number with over 130 representatives present. picture courtasy: DNA@dna The summit themed ‘Creating a Shared Future in a Fractured World’ will be inaugurated by WEF Chairman Klaus Schwab. WEF also represents annual ‘Crystal Awards’, and the winners of this year are superstar Shahrukh ... Read more

According to the Central Bank of Jordan (CBJ), the tourism revenues in 2017 increased by 12.5 per cent, up to $4.6 billion, compared to $4.1 billion in 2016. The report says that the increase was mainly due to an 8.7 per cent rise in the total number of tourists in 2017. In December 2017, the Kingdom’s revenues from tourism went up by 9.1 per cent, reaching $340.9 million, compared to the same month in 2016, as the result of the increase in the total number of tourists by 6.2 per cent compared to the same month in 2016, the statement ... Read more

Sushma Swaraj inaugurating the 60th Post Office Passport Seva Kendra at Karaikal, Puducherry, in a function presided over by Shri V. Narayanaswamy, CM of Puducherry. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Monday said that the ministry had decided to reduce the cost of Passport fee for 10 per cent. “Children and senior citizen would be the main beneficiaries,” she added. “We are committed to simplify the entire process of passport services with a view to processing all applications in a speedy and transparent manner and have taken a series of reforms,” she said after inaugurating a POPSK (Post Office Passport ... Read more

Photo Courtesy: Royal Zambezi Lodge, Lower Zamberi Zambia and Spain signed a Memorandum of Understanding with an aim to boost cooperation in the tourism sector. The MoU was signed on the sidelines of the ongoing International Trade Fair for Tourism in Madrid. Minister for Tourism and Arts, Charles Banda signed on behalf of the southern African nation while his counterpart Matilde Pastora Asian Gonzalez signed on behalf of her country. The agreement was aimed at further cooperation in the areas of wildlife management and combating illegal wildlife hunting, development of meetings, conferences and events, development of sports tourism , cultural ... Read more

Social media giant Facebook-owned platform Instagram introduced the active status to users through the new feature showing “Active At” of the user’s Insta friends. The new Instagram feature is very similar to the “Last Seen” on WhatsApp. photo courtesy:instagram This feature is available with the people whom we frequently message as well as people whom you don’t follow. Anonymous reports state that Instagram is now testing text-only stories as well as screenshot alert that notifies the user about an unidentified privacy breach. Text-only stories are gaining more popularity nowadays besides multimedia contents, as Instagram is currently testing new filters to ... Read more

Representational image The Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) gears up for the proposed strike by tourist taxi operators on Friday, and assure its members of extending help with regards to their transport requirements for guests on that day. It has also asked stakeholders to let it know about their needs in this regard. This will be the third tourist taxi strike since 2012. “TTAG has spoken to Drishti Marine to arrange for ferry service to transport guests from the airport to Panaji and Verem,” assures Savio Messias, President, TTAG.  TTAG will set up help desks in North and ... Read more

Crowne Plaza, Kochi Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India, issues fresh guidelines with aim to streamline hotel classification, to make them simple, transparent and time-bound. Liquor shops and stores on the premises of a hotel other than bars will not be considered for classification under star hotels “with alcohol” category, to remove any ambiguity. Besides, all hotels will now have to mandatorily display their classification status prominently at the reception and on their websites under a separate icon on the opening page, which will display the order of classification issued by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India. Unlike previously, ... Read more

  Madavoorpara. Photo-Courtesy: Praveen-Kattayikonam Kerala State Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran inaugurates the Rs. 7 crore historic Madavoorpara tourism project, on the outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram. “Madavoorppara would become a major tourist centre in the district once the Rs. 7 crore development work by Uralungal Labour Cooperative Society completes. The project is expected to be completed in a-year-and-a-half,” says the minister. The 300-ft-high natural wonder at Chenkottukonam would be having cottages, adventure zone, amphitheatre, cafeteria, walkways, and green huts.  The cave temple at ‘Madavoorpara’ is believed to have been built around the 8th century A.D. The site, at present, has a children’s ... Read more

Web Desk Sao Paulo   The World Health Organization warns travellers to Sao Paulo stating the destination is at risk for yellow fever. WHO is also recommending that all international visitors to the state be vaccinated. However, Brazil’s Health Ministry said in a statement that things are not that worse and updated map of at-risk areas, which includes only certain parts of the state and city. The ministry said that the WHO’s more-cautious recommendation for foreigners was made in light of the fact that it is impossible to know where visitors might travel once they arrive in Sao Paulo state. ... Read more

Web Desk Mövenpick Resort & Spa Boracay Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts has announced its plans to open a third property to its portfolio in the Philippines. Located in Metro Manila, the Mövenpick Hotel & Residences Quezon City, is scheduled to open by Q4 2021. The new hotel will have 350 guestrooms and suites as well as 250 residences. All 600 units will offer state-of-the-art technology and upscale amenities, making the hotel ideal for both short and extended stays. The new Manila hotel will also feature two upscale restaurants serving Chinese and international cuisine respectively, plus a chic rooftop restaurant and ... Read more

Web Desk Photo Courtesy: India.com In what can be called as a historical statement, the Deputy Speaker of the Goa Assembly and BJP MLA Michael Lobo states that the state of Maharashtra is falling short of tourist revenues because it does not allow bikinis in its territory. Lobo made this statement while speaking at one of the events held to mark the Opinion Poll day, where he justifies that bikinis are allowed in Goa because of the Opinion Poll of 1967. At a time when Goa was liberated from the Portuguese rule in 1961, a historic referendum was held in ... Read more