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Monthly Tourism Newsletter from India |
July 2005 |
| Permanent Feature - GOA | Contest |
| Special Feature | Enjoy Goa in the mosoon rains!! |
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Greetings from sunny & rainy Goa!
While we are slowly overcoming the so-called off season and suddenly people star wondering why they did not travel in those months. Besides aviation front, hotel industry is also all set to adding the infrastructure enabling it accommodate the huge demand.
India is in the big league now. And even the superpowers acknowledge it. World now has a changed perception of our country and there is a new sense of awareness about India and its emerging strengths. The shift in perception stems from the economic profile of the country which has already made it an influential player in this part of the world. India’s achievements in various fields like knowledge sector, bio-technology, pharmaceuticals, its standing in the oil market and its ready adoption of an open sky policy have all impressed the world. India is moving ahead and opening out despite pressure from the Left parties. Tsunami was also a turning point for the country in more ways than one. It proved that India had the capability to deal with situations of great magnitude. See you in India! |
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AIRLINES UPDATEAir Sahara code-shares with American Airlines: On 12 July, Air Sahara has entered a code-share agreement with American Airlines and the two airlines will jointly market their services. This will see the two carriers opening up daily non-stop air travel between India and the US (Chicago) from 15 Nov. Commenting on the recent media reports that Kingfisher is attempting to buy out Air Sahara, Rono Dutta, Air Sahara’s president dismissed them as “rubbish” and said that the airline is now focusing on expanding its domestic and international network. Jet AIRWAYS set to fly Africa, China within a year: Jet Airways is planning to start operations to Africa, China and new destinations in Europe, and strengthen its existing international routes in the next one year. In a presentation to the travel trade, the airline has said it will operate to Nairobi, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Frankfurt, Brussels and Kuala Lumpur by September 6. The airline that is already operating a daily flight on the Mumbai-London route, plans to move to twice daily from this winter. Jet Airways chooses Singapore as hub (Source: Travel Weekly): Privately owned Indian Jet Airways plans to use Singapore as its hub for its East-Asian operations, having enjoyed good traffic growth on its Mumbai-Singapore and Chennai-Kuala Lumpur services. Jet Airways intends to operate flights to Bangkok and Hong Kong and is planning to apply for services between Singapore and KL to other Indian cities. The carrier which operates 2000 weekly flights to 42 destinations will soon start flights to Brussels and Newark, New Jersey. Paramount to start ‘upper class only’ budget airline: India’s already crowded domestic aviation market is set to witness the entry of another new airline - Paramount Airways and a new concept - only upper class air travel. It is promoted by Madurai based textile manufacturer Paramount group, Paramount Airways has decided to start domestic airline operations in August with a fleet of five Embraer jets that will offer seats only in Business Class and First Class configurations with Coimbatore as its headquarters. It will be a full-service, low-cost airline that will offer business class travel at a price lower than an economy class air ticket on the same route by other full-service airlines. The airline has inked a $135 million deal with Brazil’s Embraer for five small jets to start domestic services. Source: The Times of India, 16.6.2005 INDIAN CARRIERS STUN PARIS SHOW WITH NEW AIRCRAFT ORDERS: Indian carriers, Jet Airways, Kingfisher, Paramount, IndiGo and others stunned the world aviation industry by placing orders for more than 200 new aircraft with Boeing, Airbus, Embraer and ATR at the Paris Air Show. IndiGo alone is buying 100 aircraft from Airbus Industrie and hoping to start domestic services later this year. Of the 280 Airbus Industrie aircraft sale announced at Paris Air Show, 135 are being purchased by Indian carriers. The state owned airlines, Air-India and Indian Airlines are also buying new aircraft worth several billion dollars from Boeing and Airbus Industrie. Airbus Industrie has raised its estimate of aircraft requirements in India to 400 from 220 by 2023. AIR-INDIA introduces direct Kolkata-London flights: With the introduction of its first London-Kolkata direct flight recently, Air-India has gone ahead with plans to provide such services to passengers from cities other than Mumbai and Delhi. The aim is also to make the national carrier’s operations less Mumbai-centric and ease the pressure on the country’s busiest airport. Air-India has now started international flights from 11 other cities—Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Goa, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kozhikode, Lucknow and Thiruvananthapuram. Kolkata is the latest city to come on the Air-India map. The new flight originates from Delhi, goes to Dhaka, comes to Kolkata and then flies non-stop to London taking the reverse route (London-Kolkata-Dhaka-Delhi). AIR-INDIA ADDS MORE FLIGHTS TO EAST ASIA: Air-India (AI) has launched fourteen additional flights effective July 7, 2005 to Bangkok, Singapore, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and Osaka from India. After the commencements of these services, AI has 47 flights a week to these destinations. AI is also resuming services to Seoul after a gap of six years with four services a week from Bombay via Delhi and Hong Kong. Bombay will now be connected with non-stop flights to Singapore, Hong Kong, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur. While capacity has been doubled on the India-Shanghai sector effective May 2005, flights to Osaka will increase from two to three. Air-India will now have 16 flights a week to and from Singapore with non-stop services from four Indian cities, viz, Bombay, Delhi, Madras and Hyderabad. AIR-INDIA TO LAUNCH DIRECT MAURITIUS FLIGHTS FROM 12 SEP: Air-India firmly on its growth path, is scheduled launch the direct Mauritius flights from 12 Sep and shortly thereafter to South Africa. QATAR AIRWAYS STARTS DELHI – DOHA FLIGHTS: Qatar Airways has launched its daily flight from Doha to New Delhi on July 15, 2005. Delhi becomes Qatar’s fifth destination in India. It also marked the first stage of capacity increase on selected routes to India. This summer, the airline will increase the capacity to India with 11 additional flights a week, taking the number of services to 30 across five Indian cities. Air Arabia introduces 16 extra flights to Middle East: Air Arabia, that started its India operations in Mar’05, recently announced the introduction of 16 extra flights between Mumbai and Sharjah starting July 2, 2005. The prices of these newly-introduced flights would be as low as US$ 54. The airline will operate two flights daily between UAE and India. US WANTS A-I TO FLY TO HOUSTON: Houston, the fourth largest US city after New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, has launched an intense lobbying campaign to get Air-India to include the city as a flight destination. It has also initiated talks with Jet Airways. The Houston Airport has already sent two high level delegations to meet top officials in the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Air India at Mumbai and New Delhi, urging them to ‘‘consider’’ the city as their next destination. Aviation experts have termed the development as an indication of emergence of India as an economic power and the fact that the country was now considered one with maximum growth potential for air passengers. Air Canada to introduce daily service to Delhi: From October 30, 2005, Air Canada will be serving Delhi via Zurich on a daily year-round basis from Toronto. The transfer of flights to India via Switzerland will allow Air Canada to re-introduce year-round service to Zurich while improving its schedule to India with an increase to daily flights from its current three times weekly non-stop service from Toronto.
EMBRAER BECOMES LEADING REGIONAL JET MANUFACTURER: Empresa Brasileira de Aeronautica SA. (EMBRAER) is set to overtake Canada’s Bombardier Inc as the leading maker of regional passenger planes shortly. Embraer has become the world’s fourth-biggest aircraft maker it specializes in regional jet aircraft that carry 70 to 120 passengers. Jet-Blue Airways Corp of USA has placed an order for 100 such aircraft. TOP HOTELS NEWSSAROWAR PARK PLAZA ON EXPANSION SPREE: The famous group will have a new hotel in Delhi near airport with 71 rooms by 2006, in Mumbai 226 rooms by the end of 2005 and a no frills Hometel in Bangalore by the end of 2005. They will also have hotels in Pondicherry (already there), Badrinath, Ranchi & Jodhpur. ITC Hotels likely to renew contract with Starwood: ITC Hotels’ 30-year-old franchise for the Sheraton brand of the US-based Starwood Hotels Group comes to an end in December ’05. However, both the hotel chains may re-negotiate the contract on new terms and conditions as Starwood Hotels & Resorts is planning a massive expansion in India. ITC Hotels had first signed the franchisee agreement for the Sheraton brand with Starwood Hotels in December 1975. The ITC Hotels co-branding for the Sheraton brand with Starwood Hotels is considered to be the longest and a highly successful contract in Asia. Source: Travtalk Leela drops Bekal resort project in Kerala: Hotel Leela Ventures has dropped plans of developing a beach resort at Bekal in Kerala citing infrastructure reasons. Peter J Leitgeb, president, Leela Palaces and Resorts, said the group was reviewing the prospects of investing in Bekal. “Right now our priority is to develop hotels in Udaipur, Hyderabad, Chennai, Bangalore and Thiruvananthapuram. Bekal does not fit into our focus area at the moment,” he said. The group is in the process of acquiring Ashok Beach Resort in Kovalam. Radisson opens its eighth property in India: Carlson Hotels Asia Pacific has opened the Radisson Hotel Shimla, the eighth Radisson Hotel in India. The property, in the country’s north, has 59 guest rooms, including four executive suites and eight deluxe suites across three four-storey sites. The hotel is 10 minutes from the centre of Shimla, a popular destination for both leisure and business travellers because of its close proximity to the Himalayas. The property also features extensive conference facilities including a banquet hall with capacity for 100 people, secretarial services, a business centre and audio-visual equipment. Accor signs management contract for Novotel, Hyderabad: Emaar Properties, the Middle East's largest real estate development company, has awarded Accor the management contract for Novotel, Hyderabad. The centre, India's largest and first purpose built convention centre, will open in December 2005 followed by the 300-room Novotel in March 2006, both in time for an Asian Development Bank meeting scheduled in Hyderabad in May 2006. The convention centre will offer 13,000 square metres of meeting space including a main hall which will accommodate up to 6,160 delegates. An additional 12 meeting rooms will also be available. Novotel, Hyderabad is the first new-built Novotel for Accor in India. Fomento to set up Rs 200 crore hotel NEAR GOA: In a first of its kind in India, a Rs 200 crore five-star deluxe boutique hotel that will offer a room with a view and a private swimming pool thrown in with each room will soon come up in the Konkan belt. Fomento Resorts Pvt Ltd, which owns the Cidade De Goa group of five star hotels, has snapped up a 100 acre plot of land from the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) that is located on a hill site 200 metres from the Aravali beach, in Sindhudurg district. The boutique hotel's USP will be a private swimming pool to go with every room. The project is also the first five-star hotel project in the Konkan region. The first phase will see the construction of around 20 rooms, each equipped with a private swimming pool, at a cost of around Rs 20 crore. The location of the project on the hillock that starts where the Aravali beach front ends, allows for a scenic sea-facing view. The Sindhudurg region boasts of 15 pristine white sand beaches, each having a beach length of six to seven kilometers. Hilton to manage Bangalore property: Hilton International has been awarded the contract to manage the 250-unit Hilton Residences, a five-star serviced apartment hotel in Bangalore. The property is also the only accommodation available within the 55 acre Embassy Golf Links Business Park and is surrounded by five million square feet of commercial space and overlooks a golf course. The Hilton Residences Bangalore, which offers one, two and three bedroom units, is scheduled to be completed in 2007. Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide and Vatika Group join hands: The Vatika Group has announced an agreement for Starwood to manage the Westin New Delhi Hotel, Gurgaon. Scheduled to open in 2007, the hotel will feature 300 rooms, five dining outlets, 1,600 sq metres of meeting and function space, an approximately 1,500 sq metres health and spa centre, as well as retail outlets. Located in Gurgaon, the Westin New Delhi Hotel will provide travellers easy access to key convention and commercial offices which have started to shift towards Gurgaon area due to lack of sufficient land for development of sizeable projects in the current New Delhi central business district. HINDUSTAN INTERNATIONAL TO HAVE HOTEL IN GOA & BANGALORE: Kolkata-based HHI Group of Hotels is upgrading its existing properties in Kolkata and Varanasi. HHI is expanding its horizons and will be setting up two properties in Goa and Bangalore. The construction for the Goa hotel has already started and is likely to be completed by this year-end. Located near the Varca Beach in South Goa, it will be a boutique hotel with 80-100 rooms. The Bangalore property is a non-operational four-star property and will be launched within the next six months. It is going to be a 186-room hotel. This will happen in the first phase of expansion. In the second phase, they plan to introduce no-frills hotel brand - in all set up 7-8 budget hotels in upcoming non-metros of the country like Ahmedabad, Pune, Raipur, Aurangabad, Jamshedpur and Siliguri. These will have one -two restaurants but no high-investment facilities like spas, banquet halls and swimming pools. TOP
NEHRU TROPHY SNAKE BOAT RACE 13 AUG PUNNAMADA BACKWATERS: Snake boat races are a common feature in the harvest season in Kerala, God’s Own Country. Nehru Trophy is the most prestigious of them, others being Champakulam Moolam Boat Race and Aranmula boat race. The Nehru trophy began in 1952 as an impromptu race to mark the country’s first Premier Jawaharlal Nehru’s visit to Alappuzha. A thrilled Nehru donated a silver trophy with this inscription: "To the winners of the boat race which is a unique feature of community life in Travancore - Cochin." It is held in the second Saturday in August on the Punnamada backwaters. The race course extends to a stretch of about 1370 meters. TARNETAR FESTIVAL IN GUJARAT SEP’05: The Tarnetar Fair is one of the most important fairs of Gujarat. Various tribes like the Kolis, the Rabaris, the Bharwards, the Khants, the Khanbis, the Charans and the Kathis, get together to celebrate the famous legendary marriage of Draupadi with Arjuna, thereby retracing its origin to the times of the Mahabharata. This fair is held every year on the 4th, 5th and 6th day of the Shukla Paksha (Aug-Sept) in Tarnetar (a village near the industrial town of Thangadli) in Surendranagar district (Saurashtra region). Also known as the Trinetreshwer Mahadev Fair, this three-day festival is held at the 14th century Temple of Shiva (Destroyer in the Hindu Holy Trinity of Creator-Preserver-Destroyer), or Trinetreshwer (Three-Eyed God) who is also popularly known as Tarnetar. This fair is basically an important matchmaking fair where the tribal youths appear elegantly dressed in their best dhotis (drape for menfolk), waistcoats, holding large colourful umbrellas embroidered by them over a period of one year, and which reveal their bachelorhood. According to popular belief, this was the very place where Draupadi had her swayamvara (a ceremony where an Indian princess chooses husband from amongst many eligible suitors invited to her father's court). Source: Gujarat Tourism MANGO FESTIVAL CELEBRATED IN NEW DELHI: Delhi Tourism in association with APEDA and National Horticulture Board organized the 17th Mango festival from July 2-3, 2005 at Talkatora Stadium. The two day festival had almost 500 varieties of mango from various parts of the country on display including Alphonso, Daseheri, Banganpalli, Kesar, Chausa, Swarnekha Vanraj and Totapari. A Mango eating competition was also held in which participants had to eat three kilograms of mangoes in three minutes time to win. Krishna Janmashtami (Krishna's Birthday) 07 SEP’05: Mathura & Mumbai along with other parts of India, celebrate the birth of Krishna, one of the cheekier Hindu gods, with lots of pots of yoghurt....and human pyramids.The Malabar Tourism and Travel Mart Sep 2005: will be held from September 1-4, 2005, informed Mr. K. C. Venugopal, Minister for Tourism. The Mart is held to market the tourism potential of Malabar internationally. Around 250 international delegates and 100 domestic delegates would participate in the mart. A tour will be arranged for the delegates to destinations at Kannur, Kasaragod, Wayanad, Thrissur and Palakkad. The venues for the programmes are Kadavu Resort at Kozhikode (1st – 3rd Sept.) and Vythiri Resort in Wayanad (4th Sep). TOPNEWS MEANS GOOD NEWS (India)DUAL CITIZENSHIP FOR INDIANS: With the recent okay from the Cabinet, the long wait for acquiring dual citizenship seems to be almost over for people of Indian origin. The ministry of overseas Indian affairs (MOIA) is finalizing and notifying a one-page application form for the process. First applications will be processed by August 2005 and dual citizenship will be granted to applicants. A new simplified one-page form will be issued by the overseas missions and consulates from August this year to members of the Indian diaspora who qualify and want to apply for dual citizenship. The process for obtaining the dual citizenship would take just two weeks in normal and straightforward cases. The visa will be valid for life. The applications, which will be processed in two weeks in straight-forward cases, will be decided at the consulates concerned and the passports or applicants will not need to come to India. While applicants will be charged $275 for the entire process, PIO card holders will have to pay only $25. In case of refusal to grant dual citizenship, the applicants will get a $250 refund. EXPERTS SAVE BODH GAYA’S HOLY BUDDHIST TREE: A 110 year old Bodhi tree in Bodha Gaya – where Lord Buddha attained enlightenment 2,500 years ago – has been saved after three years of painstaking effort by scientists and has now borne new leaves. The tree grew directly from the original Mahabodhi tree here, a branch of which was taken to Anuradhapura in Sri Lanka and then a sapling brought back to Bodh Gaya. Pilgrims visiting Bodh Gaya carry leaves buck from this sacred tree. HERITAGE WALKS INTRODUCED IN DHARAMSHALA: Tourists to Dharamsala and neighboring areas will be able to take to heritage walks to get a better feel of the cultural wealth of the area. There will also be performances by local artistes from McLeodganj, Bhagsunag and Naddi Dharamsala is better known as the headquarters of Dalai Lama. FORD SCION’S SKI VILLAGE PROJECT GETS INITIAL CLEARANCE: Himachal, Ski Village, a tourism project planned by Alfred Ford, great grandson of Henry Ford, has made critical headway with the Himachal Pradesh Government give a 8o ahead to accept a feasibility repot for setting up 300 cottages. The project’s promoters have now set about doing the ‘detailed feasibility report’, that would be expected in three months. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the project was signed between the promoters and the State Government last month. AUTHOR GEORGE ORWELL’S BIRTHPLACE IN INDIA TO BE RESTORED AS HERITAGE SITE: Legendary author George Orwell’s (The Animal Farm, Nineteen Eighty Four) birth place in India will soon be a heritage site and the house in which was born is being converted into a museum. Restoration and renovation work of the dilapidated house, of the writer, in the small town of Motihari of Bihar is set to begin shortly. He was born on June 25, 1903 in India and died in London Jan 21, 1950. LOST CITY UNEARTHED IN KASHMIR: Archeologists have discovered a lost city during excavations in Anantnag district Kashmir. They found the remains of a bustling ancient urban settlement with tiled pavements stamped in colourful human and animal motifs and inscriptions in ancient script Karoshti. INDIAN RAILWAYS DEVELOP A TRAIN THAT RUNS ON CNG: Indian Railways have developed a train that runs on compressed Natural Gas (CNG). A four-compartment modified DMU Diesel Multiple Unit is being test run in New Delhi by the Railways. In New Delhi all public transport including buses are being run on environmental friendly CNG. LOST PALACE OF KHAN-E-ALAM NEXT TO TAJ MAHAL DISCOVERED IN AGRA: The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) while working on the conservation and repair of structures adjacent to the Taj has discovered the palace of Khan-e-Alam, the first Governor of the Taj Mahal, just beside the monument. Because of a long period of disuse the structure got buried under more than three meters of river silt. The ASI plans to restore the place to its organized gloomy.
NEW INTERCITY
TRAIN BETWEEN AGRA & JAIPUR OPERATIONAL FROM 03 JULY: Jaipur 06:00 Hrs Bandikui 07:45 Hrs Bharatpur 09:00 Hrs Agra 10:20 Hrs From Agra to Jaipur Time Table Agra 18:00 Hrs Bharatpur 18:58 Hrs Bandikui 20:55 Hrs Jaipur 22:30 Hrs ADDITONAL ROUTE ON DELHI METRO IS THROWN OPEN: Vintage old Delhi and the commercial hot spot of Central Delhi — Connaught Place Rajiv Chawk, got a vital linkage through the Central Secretariat-Kashmere Gate underground section of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) early July. The 7-km stretch was inaugurated Ms. Sonia Gandhi. She thanked the Japanese government for its cooperation in the project and said other cities had also shown interest in having a metro style system. Work on the section had begun in April 2001 and finished eight months ahead of schedule. More than 1.5 million commuters would use the section daily, and it would ease the load of around 1,000 buses. Once the 32 km Indraprastha-Barakhamba-Dwarka (line III) gets completed by December 2005, it would help ease traffic equivalent to 2400 buses. The already functional Rithala-Kashmere Gate section, is line I of the first phase and is 22 km long. Commuters would now be able to travel from Central Secretariat to Kashmere Gate in 14 minutes flat, beneath the bustling traffic of the city. INDIA’S LAST ACTIVE VOLCANO ERUPTS IN ANDAMANS: Smoke and lava are spewing from India's last active volcano on an uninhabited island in the Andaman and Nicobar chain. There is no danger as Barren Island is uninhabited. There is no big threat as the volcano is surrounded on all sides by the sea so the lava rolls into the sea. Indian Coastguards had reported smoke and lava pouring out of the rim of the crater on Barren Island, which is located some 135 km north-east of the capital Port Blair. FAST MODERNISATION OF DELHI & MUMBAI AIRPORTS: The civil aviation ministry has proposed sweeping changes in the bid document for restructuring of Mumbai and Delhi airports. The successful bidder would now have to commence work in 15 months after signing the transaction documents from the originally fixed 27 months. The date of completion is proposed to be advanced to October 2008 from March 2010. FLEMINGO DUTY FREE SHOPS: Flemingo the only private sector duty free shop commenced its business in Delhi with the opening of its four shops at Indira Gandhi International Airport, two at the arrival and two at the departure terminals. In very short span Flemingo launched a major promotion in collaboration with UDV-Diageo. Flemingo is offering schemes and discounts on various products including Johnnie Walker scotch, perfumes, cigarettes, Sony products etc. Apart from Delhi Flemingo operates in Ahemdabad, Amritsar, Bangalore, Calicut, Chennai, Goa, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Lucknow, Tichy and Trivandrum. BEKAL FORT AREA TO BE DEVELOPED IN KERALA: The State Government has given administrative sanction for projects worth Rs. 9.990 million for the beautification of the Bekal Fort beach in Pallikkara. The works include setting up electric lights, water distribution system and construction of lawn. The National Transportation Planning and Research Centre (NATPAC) has identified eighty stretches of roads leading to major tourist destinations for development in the state. In the first phase a total distance of 441 km across the 14 districts would be developed at an estimated cost of Rs. 1900 million. The suggested improvements include provision of lighting and signage, utilities, roadside amenities and sufficient parking facilities. (Source Kerala Tourism) Kashmir is as safe as New York – INDIAN TOURISM MINISTER: Minister of state for tourism, Renuka Chowdhury expressed hope that the UK will soon follow Italy and lift its negative travel advisory against Jammu and Kashmir. She also said that the valley is as safe as New York and Bangkok. She said that a special package for strengthening tourism infrastructure in the state has been worked out jointly by both the state and the central governments. The ministry has released financial assistance in the form of subsidy to the tune of Rs 16 crore for houseboat owners, hoteliers, shikarawalas, ponnywalas and other people associated with the trade. Construction work would soon start for skiing in mountaineering complex at Gulmarg. PUNJAB, ANDHRA TO LAUNCH RURAL TOURISM: Punjab Tourism is taking a leaf out of neighbouring Haryana’s book and launching rural tourism. Farm cottages are being identified and will be licensed where tourists will be able to enjoy rural experience and cuisine. Andhra Pradesh has also announced that a rural tourism project in Chinchchinada village in East Godavari district will show the vibrant lifestyle of their area with its typical fish and prawn culture ponds and dense coconut groves. Palace on Wheels attracts record bookings: Rajasthan's luxury train Palace on Wheels has bookings stretching for the next five years. According to Usha Punia, minister of tourism, the train has been almost fully reserved till 2009-10. For the 2005-06 tourism season, out of the 3,500 seats in the train, 3,392 have already been booked. For the 2006-07 season, the train, which brings alive the luxury of princely travel, is almost fully booked. For 2008-09, 2,864 bookings have been confirmed. During the period 2004-05, Rs 65 million was earned through the train, which is rated amongst the top 10 luxury trains in the world. NEW BOOK ON GOLD - Tee off in India: People, Places and Golf, the first-ever golf travel guide to India which was recently released is on book stalls now. The lavishly illustrated 128-page guide is the most comprehensive book available on the burgeoning golf scene in this country. More than two dozen prime courses are profiled in depth with tee tips included at the end of each chapter. A comprehensive list with contact details of 140 golf courses is included. The glossy book also includes a wealth of travel information about major tourist destinations in India and specialized features on diverse topics such as transport, heritage hotels, handicrafts, Indian cuisine, wildlife and houseboats. BIGGEST GAS DISCOVERY IN GUJARAT: Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation Ltd (GSPCL) has made the country’s biggest gas discovery - 20 trillion cubic feet (TCF), worth $50 billion - in the Krishna-Godavari (KG) basin in Andhra Pradesh. Announced on 26 June, it was described as a historical moment for the entire hydrocarbon sector in the country. The initial testing results indicate estimated reserves of 20 TCF of natural gas with a value of approximately Rs 2 lakh crores ($50 billion). In 25 years, a 1,000 mw plant consumes one TCF of gas. TOP NEWS MEANS GOOD NEWS (International) ITALY LIFTS TRAVEL ADVISORY ON JAMMU & KASHMIR, UK MAY DO SO IN NEAR FUTURE: This could be one of the best examples how tourism can assist in killing terrorism! A glowing apotheosis comes from Jammu & Kashmir region which had been suffering from terrorism since 1988. Tourism already picked up two years ago, last year it broke all the records of past years. And this year many foreign tourists from Italy, Israel, Switzerland and groups from Thailand and other parts of South East Asia could be seen. Though the place still may have some minor incidence sometimes, by and large it is quiet safe now and Ministry of Tourism is quiet optimistic that the negative advisory by UK will be lifted soon. SINGAPORE TOURISM TIES UP WITH INDIAN FILM MAKER RAKESH ROSHAN: TSTB announced a tie-up by signing an MoU with Rakesh Roshan’s Filmkraft Productions India Pvt. Ltd. for his new film Krish On 6 July. As per the understanding, he will shoot 60 per cent of movie in Singapore at various locations. The film will have casts as Hrithik Roshan, Priyanka Chopra, Rekha & Naseeruddin Shah. The film will allow Singapore to showcase various facets of unique island country. Indian cinema has such strong following across India that it is an extremely powerful force in shaping the view of the population – said Mr. Lim Neo Chian, the deputy chairman of STB. Olympics win worth £2 billion to British tourism: Britain`s tourism industry has welcomed the announcement that the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games would be held in London, proclaiming it the biggest ever opportunity for UK tourism. Industry leaders believe that between 50 - 75% of Britain’s net benefit of staging the Games, measured over a 7-10 year period, will accrue through tourism. Based on Sydney’s example, the Games could be worth well over £2 billion to our visitor economy. A TAIWANESE RESTAURANT THEMED ON TOILETS IS A HUGE SUCCESS: Marton theme restaurant, named after the Chinese word Matong for toilet in Taiwan’s second largest city is a huge success since its founding in May 2004. Displaying fancy toilet seats studded with flowers and shells, colourful bathtubs, faucets, mirrors and shower curtains it looks more like a bathroom shop. However this unusual theme is proving a great draw Customers eager to eat food off plates and bowls shaped like Western as well as eastern style “squat toilets”.
A “SRI LANKA JAIL”
TO OFFER A UNIOUE TOURISM EXPERIENCE:
The Valle prison in Sri Lanka built in a centuries-old fort
that is now a United Nations World Heritage site – is being developed into a
hotel where guests would abandon their normal dress on check-in and would be
issued with prison uniforms. This guests will be allowed keep the keys to their
cells and they could move about at will. There will be no amenities like not and
cold running water etc. NEW 7 WONDERS OF THE WORLD: It's going to be a day to remember. On January 1, 2007, the New 7 Wonders of the World will be officially declared at a unique ceremony, broadcast live across the globe. The race to host the prestigious event is currently being fought out between several cities around the globe. Each is keen to play what will be a defining role in the making of modern history, when the result of the huge, worldwide vote to decide the New 7 Wonders is revealed. Between now and the end of 2006, hundreds of millions of people are expected to cast their vote as to which modern landmarks are worthy of the New 7 Wonder title, using the world's first ever global voting platform. (Read more). TOP INDIANS TRAVEL NOW Off the beaten track: In the past, family holidays almost always coincided with school vacations. But the last two years has seen the adventurous traveller going all out to explore exotic getaways during monsoons. Apart from typical destinations like Goa and Kerala, this year newer states like Chhattisgarh (which boasts of waterfalls like Chitrakote and Tirathgarh), Karnataka (especially Karwar, Mangalore and Jog Falls), Bangaram (a coral island in Lakshdweep), Udaipur and the valleys of Lahaul and Spiti in Himachal Pradesh are positioning themselves as enticing monsoons destinations. Most state tourism boards have recognised the power of the showers and are actively promoting their states. Goa's highly effective campaign called 'Go Goa' 365 Days' worked wonders. Kerala, too, is actively promoting Ayurvedic packages during monsoons to woo tourists from other states. Apart from exploring options beyond Maharashtra, Mumbaikars are also taking full advantage of places like Mahabaleshwar, Alibaug and Chiplun, apart from the conventional Lonavala and Khandala this year. Sir Edmund Hillary urges world governments to protect the Himalayas from climate change: Environmental campaigners, backed by Sir Edmund, want the World Heritage Committee to put the Sagarmatha National Park in the Himalayas on its danger list. This would mean governments are legally bound to protect it - which, they say, means cutting greenhouse gas emissions. In May 1953 Sir Edmund Hillary joined forces with Sherpa Tenzing Norgay on the first successful ascent of the world's highest mountain. Ever since, he has devoted much time to projects which help the peoples of the Himalayas. "The warming of the environment of the Himalayas has increased noticeably over the last 50 years," he wrote in a statement sent to the BBC. "This has caused several and severe floods from glacial lakes and much disruption to the environment and local people." In 1985, the Dig Tsho glacial lake burst its banks, releasing a mountainside deluge which rushed through villages, bringing down 14 bridges. Three years ago, a study by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) found more than 40 glacial lakes were filling so rapidly that a similar outburst was likely. Every year the committee can decide whether to award places of special natural, archaeological or cultural interest the status of a World Heritage Site, and whether to add any of those sites to its "danger list". By ratifying the World Heritage Convention, nations acknowledge that "such heritage constitutes a world heritage for whose protection it is the duty of the international community as a whole to co-operate". Source: BBC. TOP KOTA IN RAJASTHAN TO GET A BIRD SANCTUARY: The Rajasthan Government has decided to develop Ummedganj pond in Kota as a new bird sanctuary by removing encroachments, improving the water body's ecology and creating facilities for the winged guests. The environment of the wetland measuring 600 bighas will be improved and the expert advice on the project would be sought from ornithologists. A large number of birds inhabit the pond and plenty of others regularly visit the marsh. INDIAN AUTHOR DUBEY’S BOOK “BIRDS OF INDIA” LAUNCHED AT HOUSE OF LORDS LONDON: An Indian author Prakash Dubey’s coffee-table book, Birds of India, was launched at House of Lord, London recently. Lord David Steel of Aikwood, former leader of the Liberal Democratic Party, released the book at Cholmondeley Room of House of Lords in presence of Lady Cherie Blair, wife of the British Prime Minister and 120 Lords, Ladies and other distinguished guests. A Birds of India cover birds of Indian subcontinent and also covers conservation of their environment. TOP
Goa to sell `rain drops` to nature lovers: State tourism department hopes to do away with the off season concept, lures tourists round the year. The state is selling the dream of staying in the peace and quiet of the lush green hinterland from next month. Goa has beautiful islands, waterfalls, lakes, dams and wildlife sanctuaries that can be enjoyed during the monsoons. The tourism department has now decided to encourage hoteliers to announce 'special monsoon packages'. During these four months (off season) - from June to September - room rents for private and government-owned hotels fall significantly. Even the taxi rates come down quite a bit. Foreign tourist traffic into the state has doubled to more than two lakh a year over the past five years. The number of domestic tourists has gone up 300 per cent to more than 25 lakh. Goa's economic backbone is tourism and this industry needs to be boosted further. The state government is planning to offer Kerala ayurveda as a product, which has found takers in all the hotels across Goa. The plan is to promote local feasts such as Sao Joao and Bonderam feast at the Divar Island across Old Goa held annually in August. The tourism department also plans to arrange special cultural programmes of Goan folk traditions every Saturday at the Kala Academy complex in Panaji for the tourists. Though the 'rain drops' would eventually be promoted world-wide, the tourism department hopes that the immediate tourist inflow will be domestic, mainly from West Bengal, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi. By Mayuresh Pawar
NEW MONSOON TIMETABLE BY KONKAN RAILWAY: The new schedule is in effect from 16 June until 31 Oct on this route. TOP
Just Answer Five Simple Questions to win a book:
1) Air Deccan is going to withdraw its service ex-Mumbai to which of the following destinations? a. Delhi c. Surat b. Goa d. Bangalore
2) Indian Railways network is ---- biggest in the world a. First c. Third b. Second d. Fifth
3) Which of these luxury trains was started the last? a. Palace On Wheels b. The Royal Orient c. Deccan Odyssey d. Fairy Queen
4) Which of the railways has come up with a new monsoon time table for about 4 months from mid June? a. North Eastern Railway b. Darjeeling Himalayan Railway c. Konkan Railway d. South Western Central
5) India is trying to get a membership of which of the UN bodies? a. Security Council c. UNDP b. UNESCO d. UNICEF
LAST DATE: 10 Aug’05 to send your entries at the email address pmaurya@vsnl.net
ANSWERS OF LAST CONTEST:
1) Taj Mahal is closed on which day of the week d. Friday 2) Which natural region in India is likely to get world heritage site status in near future a. Western Ghat Hills 3) Who is the architect of Taj Mahal a. No one knows 4) In which month does the Hemis festival take place and where In June (sometimes in July) near Leh 5) In which year Portuguese came to Goa c. 1510
WINNER OF LAST CONTEST: We had a great response this time from many participants from India and other parts of world. Though no one is really sure who the architect was for Taj Mahal, giving benefit of doubt, we have selected this time two lucky winners! Warm congratulations to Mr. Blair Letal from New Zealand and Mr. Wolfgang Reindl from Austria! They will shortly be sent some book on India! TOP
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NOTE: This newsletter is currently being sent to about 22000 select tour operators, individuals, friends, tourist offices, and other organizations. The news contents of this are compiled through various resources, newsletters, magazines, newspapers, books, etc and are being customized to suit our needs of balanced information in tourism and its related field. The newsletter itself does not carry any commercial value and the sole purpose is to increase the awareness and disseminate the available information in a fast manner to the people concerned in the trade. We try to provide the news as authentic and correct as possible, however, there might be errors sometimes. TOP |