Page 12 - Tourism

Artificial lakes in Himachal to be developed as tourists destinations: CM

The Himachal Pradesh government is contemplating to develop artificial reservoirs as vibrant tourist destinations offering a range of adventure activities like water sports, angling, bird watching and eco-tourism, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said on Saturday. In a statement issued here, he said rules are being formulated to govern the operations of these activities with an objective to prolong the stay of tourists besides offering them a variety of memorable experiences. The hill state is endowed with bountiful lakes and reservoirs, mainly with glaciers as their source. The state government has plans to explore the possibility of giving a fillip to lake tourism to empower local community by promoting home stays, street food corners, restaurants, resorts and hotels in close proximity to these artificial water bodies, he said. The chief minister said the state also intends to promote water based attractions such as house boats, cruises, yachts as well as water sports in its

Govt to construct Rs 4,500-cr National Maritime Heritage Complex at Lothal

National Maritime Heritage Complex is expected to boost tourism in the region and contribute to economic development, the ministry said

Will the Titanic sub disaster tank the submersible tourism industry?

They use propellers to drive the vessel under water, rather than having to fall like a rock and using ballast tanks for stabilization, as with the Titan

G20 events will boost tourism sector further in Goa: CM Pramod Sawant

The G20 events hosted in Goa has offered the coastal state an opportunity to showcase its natural beauty and rich cultural heritage to the world which will boost its tourism sector in the long run, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has said. Dubbed as 'Pearl of the Orient', Goa's scenic beaches, sunny skies and sand draw tourists by hordes from various parts of the country and abroad. The coastal state just hosted two back-to-back crucial G20 events -- fourth Tourism Working Group (TWG) meeting (June 19-20) and Tourism Ministerial meeting (June 21 -22), taking the total number of G20 meetings hosted so far in Goa to seven, while two more G20 events are slated to take place here in July. "We are hosting altogether nine meetings of the G20, Sawant said in an interaction on the sidelines of the meetings. Addressing a gathering of G20 delegates here in the inaugural session of the fourth and final TWG meeting of the influential bloc, he said the crucial meeting would ensure in shaping a ...

Nepal hosts massive event to mark International Yoga Day, promote tourism

The event, organised by the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu, in association with Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), lasted for over an hour

Foreign tourist arrivals increasing in India: Kishan Reddy at G20

Union Minister for Tourism and Culture G. Kishan Reddy on Tuesday said that foreign tourist arrivals during the period of January to April 2023 were 166 per cent higher than compared to last year.

India will become number one destination for tourism by 2047: Reddy

"By 2025, we will be in a better situation and by 2047, India will become the world's number 1 destination in the tourism sector," he said

'Work from Goa' to make state creative capital of India: Minister Khaunte

Addressing the G20 Tourism Working group meeting near here, he said tourism plays a vital role in Goa's economy by creating jobs and boosting sectors such as hospitality, transportation, handicrafts

India has immense potential in cruise industry: Tourism Minister Reddy

Union Minister of Tourism G Kishan Reddy on Monday said that with an extended coastline of 7500 km and home to large rivers, India has immense growth potential in the cruise industry

Rajasthan govt announces Rs 13.48 cr aid for boosting religious tourism

The Rajasthan government on Monday sanctioned Rs 13.48 crore to promote religious tourism at Nagaur, Jaisalmer and Alwar regions of the state. A spokesperson said the state government has been continuously working to promote religious tourism and develop various facilities for pilgrims at these places. Under the initiative, Rs 3.10 crore has been sanctioned for Butati in Nagaur district, Rs 1.65 crore for Ghatveshwar Mahadev Temple, Rs 1.61 crore for Harmal Das Ji Maharaj Temple and Rs 1.36 crore for improving facilities at Dargah Hazrat Samman Badi Khatu. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has approved funds worth Rs 1.50 crore for developing Shri Kaledungar Rai Temple complex, a historical religious tourist place located in Jaisalmer. Besides an aid of Rs 4.24 crore has been sanctioned for the development work of Mataji Mandir and Ganga Mata Mandir, Talvriksha located at Bansur Fort in Alwar district. Notably, the announcement in this regard was made in the 2023-24 budget. The desert

Tamil Nadu sees record number of tourist arrivals till May, says govt

Tamil Nadu has witnessed a multi-fold increase in the number of tourist arrivals to the state till May, to become the top-ranked tourist destination in the country, Minister for Tourism and Tourism Development Corporation K Ramachandran said on Friday. The increase in the number of tourists visiting the state has been recorded in both domestic and overseas segments, he said. The Minister on Friday chaired a review meeting of his department and said on account of various measures taken by Chief Minister M K Stalin, the government has witnessed a surge in tourist arrivals. Giving some statistics, he said, tourists from overseas countries which stood at 57,622 in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic had grown to 4,07,139 in 2022 while it further increased to 4,42,337 till May. On the domestic tourists visiting the state, he said it also increased from 11,53,36,719 in 2021 to 21,85,84,846 in 2022 and till May it witnessed 12,21,38,238 arrivals. To be specific, during April-May, as many a

Union Minister Shripad Naik reviews preparations for G20 meets on tourism

Union Minister of state for Tourism Shripad Naik on Friday conducted a comprehensive review of the preparations for the fourth G20 Tourism Working Group meeting and Tourism Ministerial meeting in Goa. The meeting is scheduled to be held from June 19-22. The Union minister expressed satisfaction with the arrangements made for the important gatherings, a government spokesperson said. Senior officials Venkatesan Dhattareyan, regional director of the western and central region at IndiaTourism Mumbai Office, and Sanjit Rodrigues, the G20 nodal officer for Goa government, were present for the review. The Tourism Working Group meeting and Tourism Ministerial meeting will provide an excellent opportunity to showcase Goan traditions and cultures to the world, the official said. During the review, Naik highlighted the significance of each delegate serving as an ambassador for their respective countries. Tourism ministers from 13 nations will be in attendance, and they will have the chance

Framing new tourism policy to promote lesser-known places: Himachal CM

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu on Thursday said the government was actively considering framing a new tourism policy to promote lesser-known destinations.

Tourism in Rajasthan tiger reserves to be closed on every Wed from July 1

Tourism activities in all four tiger reserves in Rajasthan will remain closed every Wednesday from July 1, officials said. The one-day week-off was announced on the basis of an order by the National Tiger Conservation Authority, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Chief Wildlife Warden Arindam Tomar said. "It will be implemented in all the four tiger reserves of the state from July 1," Tomar said. He also said that tourists who had made any advanced bookings in any of the tiger reserves for any Wednesday after July 1 will be given a refund. Ranthambore Tiger Reserve (Sawai Madhopur), Sariska Tiger Reserve (Alwar), Mukundra Tiger Reserve (Kota) and Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve (Bundi) are the four tiger reserves in the state.

G20: Side events on cruise tourism, circular economy of plastics in Goa

Promoting cruise tourism as a "model for sustainable and responsible travel" will be one of the focus areas among the side events at the two crucial G20 meetings on tourism next week in Goa, officials said on Wednesday. The fourth G20 Tourism Working Group (TWG) Meeting and the G20 Tourism Ministerial Meeting are to be held in Goa from June 19-22. Interacting with reporters here, Union Tourism Secretary V Vidyavathi said while India's G20 Presidency is only for a year, a "dashboard" is also being developed through which good practices and case studies on sustainable tourism by participating countries will be shared. "It will be a dynamic dashboard which will serve as a learning platform for various countries, and these case studies will continue to be uploaded on it for the next three years," she said. The official reiterated that there will be two key deliverables after the Goa meet. "At the end of our working group meeting and the ministerial meeting, we are going to declare a G

Kerala to woo women tourists with app detailing tailored packages

As more and more women are travelling solo and in groups of their own, Kerala Tourism has decided to launch a mobile application listing women-friendly tourism packages, women tourist operators and guides, as well as suitable amenities, to make the visit to the state more pleasant and hassle-free for women travellers. The State Responsible Tourism Mission (RT Mission), the nodal agency for implementing the 'Women-Friendly Tourism' project, has been asked to prepare the content of the app, which will have all location-specific information and images including the socio-cultural features of various places of Kerala, the tourism department said on Tuesday. In a release, Tourism Minister P A Mohamed Riyas said creating a "conducive ambience for women tourists" in the state is a policy priority of the government. "We are living in a world where it has become a trend for women to travel to far off places in groups of their own or individually... The app on women-friendly tourism project .

G-20 summit will spur growth in India's tourism sector: EAM S Jaishankar

The G-20 summit is about "getting India ready for he world and the world ready for India," External Affairs Minister and BJP leader S Jaishankar said on Friday claiming the international event will spur tourism growth of the country. Jaishankar made the remark while addressing students at a Delhi University's Aryabhatta College as part of a BJP outreach campaign underway to highlight the nine years' achievement of the Narendra Modi government. He said benefits of hosting the summit will accrue to the country in the next 5-10 years. "This India which we are getting ready for the world is very important for all of you because this India that we are getting ready for the world is your India," he said. "Whatever we are doing right now regarding G-20 is in a way India laying foundation for what Modiji has called Amrit Kal, the next 25 years before us and those are your years. "Our job is to lay the foundation and it is our hope that you will build on that foundation to realise the drea

What is visa shopping and here's why one should avoid this practice

With a limited supply of appointments, tourists applying for Schengen visas are often tempted to apply for countries wherever appointments are available

Touts spoil tourist areas, action must be taken against them: Goa minister

To discourage their activities, the Goa Police have decided to create a 'database' of the arrested touts to take further action against them

Odisha govt wants to boost tourism with launch of direct Int'l flights

With the launch of direct flights connecting Bhubaneswar to Dubai, Bangkok and Singapore under the Viability Gap Funding scheme, the Odisha government is hopeful of doubling its foreign tourist arrivals in the state by 2025 from its pre-pandemic levels, a tourism official said on Monday. A "Viability Gap Funding" (VGF) is a government grant provided to airlines to bridge the gap between the cost of operations and expected revenues. "The target is to double the foreign tourist arrivals by 2025 to 2.5 lakh from the pre-Covid peak of 1.2 lakh witnessed in 2019," Sachin Jadhav, Director of Tourism Odisha, said. The Odisha government has allocated Rs 660 crore in its budget for the current financial year for the tourism sector. With the launch of direct flights with these three cities, we expect a surge in international tourists taking onward flights to Odisha, Jadhav said during the Odisha Tourism Roadshow here. We have shown a more proactive approach in starting direct flights to ...