Page 10 - Tourism

Punjab to host three-day tourism summit from September 11, says CM Mann

The state government will organise the Punjab Tourism Summit on September 11-13, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann said on Sunday. The summit in Mohali will witness detailed deliberations on boosting the state's tourism sector, Mann said in an official statement. Deliberations will be held on topics such as Amritsar as a tourism destination, heritage tourism, eco and farm or homestay tourism, food and culinary tourism, wellness tourism and media and entertainment tourism, he said. The event will showcase the indomitable spirit of bravery, sacrifice, revolution, hard work and hospitality inherited by the Punjabis in front of the world, the AAP leader said. The chief minister added that Punjab is renowned all over the world for its warm hospitality and no stone will be left unturned to welcome the guests during these events. The state government has made elaborate arrangements for a hassle-free summit, he said.

Delhi Metro to sell 'Tourist Smart Cards' from Sept 4-13 at 36 stations

Anticipating increased footfall of passengers owing to the upcoming G20 Summit here, Delhi Metro will sell 'Tourist Smart Cards' through dedicated counters at 36 stations from September 4-13, officials said. These are available in two categories -- one-day validity and three-day validity cards -- offering "unlimited rides" in the metro network. These 'Tourist Smart Cards' are available on regular days too, but in view of the G20 Summit, dedicated counters have been opened which would start selling these cards for a period of 10 days starting Monday, a senior official said. The G20 Leaders' Summit is slated to take place in New Delhi from September 9-10. These dedicated counters have been provided to "facilitate G20 delegates and international visitors who might be interested in exploring the prominent tourist places of the capital city as they arrive in Delhi, owing to the upcoming G20 Summit," he said. The one-day validity Tourist Smart Card will be available for Rs 200, whereas,

Moscow makes bid to woo tourists, Foreign Tourist Card in the works

To woo tourists from across the world, the Moscow City Tourism Committee is taking several measures and to address payment-related issues the Russian government is planning to come out with a virtual 'Foreign Tourist Card', that will enable cashless payments for various services. During the Covid pandemic the tourist flow to Moscow had dropped significantly. However, the number of Indian tourists visiting Moscow is slowly witnessing an uptrend and with tourist-friendly measures like e-visa this number is likely to grow in the coming months. "We are still on our way to restore the flow of Indian tourists in Moscow like it used to be before the pandemic. Before the pandemic, there was very steady growth like 12-15 per cent on a y-o-y basis," said Bulat Nurmukhanov, Head of International Cooperation Division of Moscow City Tourism Committee. Travelling to Moscow has now become easier as tourists from India and 54 other countries can apply for an electronic visa to enter Russia from ...

Delhi's Town Hall gets facelift, mayor says tourists must witness heritage

Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi on Monday visited the iconic British-era Town Hall and Ghalib ki Haveli in the Walled City and said tourists who will come to Delhi during the G20 Summit time should be able to see the rich heritage of the city. Mayor Oberoi accompanied by Delhi Urban Development Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj visited the sprawling heritage building situated in the Chandni Chowk area. Town Hall, the over 160-year-old landmark -- and the original headquarters of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi -- has received a basic facelift in the last few months. They also went to the historic Ghalib ki Haveli in Old Delhi's Ballimaran area where poet Mirza Ghalib once lived. India is hosting the G20 Summit in Delhi which is a matter of pride for all of us. Roads and parks (under the MCD area) are being cleaned and beautified, and tourists coming here during the G20 Summit time will be able to see the rich heritage of the city and go back with fond memories," she said. The summit is slat

MICE centre in Jodhpur likely to give tourism a boost in Rajasthan

MICE tourism, rapidly expanding in Rajasthan, offers numerous opportunities in the tourism industry

G20 Summit: 'Tourist Police' trained in soft skills to assist visitors

Around 400 police personnel specially trained in soft skills will be deployed at prominent tourist hubs, airport, railway stations and ISBTs to help delegates and other visitors during next month's G20 Summit, officials said on Saturday. These personnel, moving in multipurpose vehicles labelled 'Tourist Police', will be deployed at 21 locations such as monuments, popular markets, memorials, airport terminals, interstate bus terminals (ISBTs) and railway stations, the officials at the Lt Governor's Office said. Each team comprising one Indo-Tibetan Border Police commando, a gunman and a driver will be accompanied by probationer sub-inspectors as in-charges, they said. Every Tourist Police unit member underwent a task-oriented training progamme in association with Delhi Tourism and other agencies during which they were trained in soft skills; effective communication, including speaking in English; topography and city landmarks; and firing practice, they said. According to the officia

Punjab to hold tourism summit, travel mart in Mohali from Sept 11-13

The Punjab government on Wednesday said it will hold a tourism summit and travel mart in Mohali from September 11 to 13 to promote the state as the "most preferred" tourism destination. Five cities - Amritsar, Roopnagar, Ludhiana, Patiala, and Fatehgarh Sahib -- have emerged as top draws for foreign tourists and the Department of Tourism is working to ensure that the state becomes a leading international tourist destination by 2030, said an official statement. The tourism department inaugurated its first roadshow in Jaipur to showcase the initiatives taken by the state government to promote tourism. The next roadshow will be held in Mumbai (August 24), Hyderabad (August 25), and Delhi (August 26), said the release. "The Punjab government is working relentlessly to promote tourism in the state that will increase footfall from both international and domestic sectors. This in turn will provide maximum employment opportunities for women and youth," Anmol Gagan Mann, Minister of Tourism

Ministry launches campaign to project India as premier wedding destination

The Ministry of Tourism on Saturday launched an ambitious campaign to showcase India as a premier wedding destination globally. Officials on Saturday said the wedding tourism campaign also aims to unlock the potential of India's huge wedding industry. Building upon the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to developing tourism in a mission mode, the ministry has unveiled an "ambitious campaign aimed at showcasing India as a premier wedding destination on the global stage," according to an official statement. This campaign also envisions to explore avenues of great potential, for scaling tourism in India to new heights, the ministry said in the statement. It seeks to "expand India's wedding industry, by enticing couples from around the world to embark on a remarkable journey to celebrate their special day in India," it added. Launching the special campaign, G Kishan Reddy, Union Minister for Tourism, said, "Today marks the beginning of a remarkable journey. A mission to position

Mizoram moving ahead with responsible tourism policy: State sports minister

Mizoram is making headway with a responsible tourism policy that came into force from August 2020, state sports minister Robert Romawia Royte said. The policy, which was one of the political planks of the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) in 2018, envisages a sustainable development strategy, coordination, strengthening institutional framework and skill development, he said. The policy also focuses on making tourism a tool for development of villages and local communities, eradicating poverty and providing livelihood for the local population while upholding the principles of economic, social and environmental responsibilities, he said. The Mizoram Registration of Tourist Trade Act 2020 was also enacted to introduce proper regulatory framework for suitable development of the tourism sector, he said. The Act provides for registration of tourism service providers within the state. At present there are 70 registered hotels, 63 homestays, 10 tour operators, 40 travel agents, 657 register

Germany appeals strongly to Indian travellers: Senior executive

Country has natural beauty, innovative eco-tourism practices, and rich cultural heritage: Romit Theophilus

We must promote tourism but not at villages' cost: Union tourism secretary

Tourism should be promoted but not at the cost of villages, Union Tourism Secretary V Vidyavathi on Wednesday said as she held an interactive session with a group of sarpanches and gram pradhans from a large number of border villages. She said adventure tourism is an important segment for the tourism ministry and it has huge potential in the villages chosen under the Vibrant Villages Programme. Launched as a centrally-sponsored scheme, the programme envisages comprehensive development of identified villages in 46 blocks abutting the northern border in 19 districts of Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and the Union Territory of Ladakh. Vidyavathi held a session with 300 sarpanches and gram pradhans from the border villages chosen under the programme at Hotel Ashoka here, the tourism ministry said in a statement. On Tuesday, these village heads attended the 77th Independence Day celebrations at Red Fort. They were among the 1,800 special guests invited to the .

Adventure travel firm Intrepid expects to bring 12,000 travellers to India

Leading adventure travel company Intrepid Travel expects to bring more than 12,000 customers to India in 2024, returning to its pre-pandemic numbers, its CEO James Thornton has said. The company restarted operations in India in April 2022 and hopes to bring 8,000 customers to India in 2023. Expanding existing product ranges, notably in the premium space, and introducing new styles of travel like wildlife-focused trips will help its growth, Thornton told PTI in an interview. According to him, the new e-visa scheme is a big step forward, resulting in a significant increase in number of visitors to India. "By 2024, we expect to have returned to the inbound customer numbers we had pre-pandemic when we brought approximately 12,000 customers from Australia, Britain and North America to India. We expect to be able to reach 30,000 inbound customers a year by 2030," Intrepid Travel Managing Director Asia Natalie Kidd said. Thornton said that globally, the adventure travel market is valued

Roaring back from pandemic, Japan's economy grows by 6% in April-June

Japan's economic growth jumped at an annual pace of 6% in the April-June period, marking the third straight quarter of growth as exports and inbound tourism recovered. Real gross domestic product, which measures the sum value of a nation's products and services, grew 1.5% in the fiscal first quarter for the world's third largest economy, the Cabinet Office said Tuesday. The annualized pace shows what the growth would have been if what was marked during the quarter had continued for a year. The rate outpaced what analysts had forecast at 3.1% growth. The latest quarter showed the strongest growth since October-December 2020, when Japan's GDP grew 1.9% on-quarter, and 7.9% annualized rate. Exports grew 3.2% in the three months through June, according to the government. Auto exports have grown lately, after a period in which they had stalled on the shortage of computer chips and other parts. Production was crimped because of social restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Also

Promoting tourism in border villages for resident's extra income: Anurag

Union Minister Anurag Thakur on Tuesday said the government has embarked on a mission to provide road, telecom and power connectivity to border villages, and soon plans to open them for tourists to give residents an additional source of income. Addressing more than 350 elected panchayat members from border villages from four states and a Union Territory, he said the government has also resolved to ensure that border villages have access to radio and television programmes. "The government is serious about providing telecom connectivity to border villages. In the next one year, border villages will get 4G connectivity. We also have plans to strengthen radio signals in remote areas and provide DD Free Dish to households not connected to television," the minister for information and broadcasting said. He said under the 'Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat' initiative of the government, border villages were being connected to roads, telecom and piped drinking water. "Some villages have already go

Rising tourism, illegal construction straining Himalayas: Par panel

The tremendous increase in tourism and illegal construction of hotels and resorts is straining natural resources in the Himalayan region and the government should take urgent action to avert Joshimath-like disasters, a parliamentary panel said on Thursday. In its 135th report tabled in the Rajya Sabha, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Technology, Environment Forest and Climate Change also stressed the need for a thorough examination of the illegal structures in the ecologically fragile region in coordination with local authorities and strict action against illegal construction to prevent tragedies akin to the ones experienced in Kedarnath in 2013 and Joshimath earlier this year. "The committee also highlights the tremendous increase of tourist activities in these areas which has put the natural resources under pressure. This has led to over-exploitation of natural resources and illegal construction of home stays, guest houses, resorts, hotels, restaurants and other

Tripura CM asks officials to ensure uninterrupted power supply to the state

The CM further directed the department to play an active role to installing solar panels at GB Pant, IGM, and TMC hospitals

CAG report flags shortcomings in Tourism Ministry's Swadesh Darshan Scheme

The Swadesh Darshan Scheme of Tourism Ministry was launched despite "objection of the Planning Commission/Ministry of Finance" and the ministry "did not act" upon the recommendation of a committee to formulate an umbrella scheme by merging the projects having overlapping objectives, a CAG report has found. The Performance Audit Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) on Swadesh Darshan Scheme, covering the period from its inception in January 2015 to March 2022, was tabled in Parliament on Wednesday, according to an official statement. The Swadesh Darshan Scheme, launched in January 2015 with an initial outlay of Rs 500 crore, is a central sector flagship scheme of the Tourism Ministry for the development of tourism infrastructure in the country. The ministry identified 15 tourist circuits for development under the Scheme, namely Himalayan circuit, North East circuit, Krishna circuit, Buddhist circuit, Coastal circuit, Desert circuit, Tribal circuit, Eco circuit, Wildlif

Travel growth to drive luggage makers' revenue by 15% in FY24: CRISIL

Steady growth in tourism and corporate travel and preference for premium products will drive luggage sales in the current fiscal, helping manufacturers clock a 15 per cent growth in revenue, according to a report. This will be on the back of a 40 per cent rise in luggage makers' revenues in 2022-23, the report by Crisil Ratings said on Wednesday. Consumers' preference for hard luggage has driven up operating efficiencies and improved capacity utilisation of luggage makers in the organised sector, which will help expand their operating margin by 150-200 basis points year-on-year to 16 per cent this fiscal, the report said. The growth in margins and top line are aided by a 20 per cent fall in prices of key raw materials -- polypropylene, polycarbonate, and polyamide, it said. Raw material prices, largely driven by cost of crude, comprise 40-45 per cent of the cost for luggage makers, the report, which is based on 90 per cent of the organised luggage market, stated. Crisil Director J

Spiritual tourism has potential to boost development in Puducherry: Prez

President Droupadi Murmu on Monday said she was glad to find that spiritual tourism was getting a boost in Union Territory of Puducherry. Addressing a gathering at the civic reception accorded to her at JIPMER during her first visit to Puducherry, the President said Puducherry was a 'wonderful destination for spiritual tourism' and added that spiritual tourism was emerging fast as a global trend. Murmu further said, "spiritual tourism has the potential to boost socio economic development in Puducherry." She noted that the central government has taken several measures under Swadesh Dharshan scheme to promote tourism related activities in Puducherry. Earlier, after inaugurating the Rs 17 crore advanced linear accelerator equipment for treatment of cancer patients in JIPMER, the President said the facility would minimize radio therapy exposure. She virtually inaugurated the Rs 10.51 crore Ayush hospital set up in the neighbouring Villianoor and said it had come up under the National

3 dead, 17 missing in massive landslides U'khand's Rudraprayag district

Officials added that two roadside shops and dhabas were washed away in the heavy debris that came down from the mountain