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Monthly Tourism Newsletter from India |
December'04 - January'05 |
| Permanent Feature - GOA | |
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We wish you all a happy new year, albeit with a heavy heart as this was not the way that any one would ever expect a year to go by. It makes us realize though that the nature will always remain a super power and how helpless we could feel at times…! We must be ready to expect unexpected and probably it is also a time for introspection. Are we moving in the right direction? We must learn lessons from it and should give its due respect to the mother nature. Somehow, it has brought the entire world community closer and human bond seems to get stronger. Entire travel fraternity and people from all walks of life have come together and tried to overcome the after effects quiet efficiently. Tourism of course is going to bounce back soon in the worst affected countries, in India it is already back to normal since the extent of damage was much less than many other countries. We pray for all the families who lost some one or the other and wish peace for the departed souls. |
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AIRLINES UPDATE
FOREIGN SKIES OPEN FOR PRIVATE AIRLINES IN INDIA: India has allowed its private airlines to fly to overseas destinations (except Gulf countries). Both Air Sahara and Jet Airways have announced plans to fly to South East Asian destinations and European countries including London in the near future. A minimum of five years continuous experience and 20 aircraft in their fleet would be allowed to operate to foreign destinations.
KINGFISHER AIRLINES TO ACQUIRE 30 AIRBUSES: The UB group-promoted Kingfisher Airlines has signed a contract worth Rs 8,100 crore to acquire a total of 30 new Airbus A320 aircraft by 2008, taking the entire fleet strength to 34. Kingfisher Airlines has already leased four aircraft from Debis Air Finance and plans to commence domestic operations from April 2005.
INDIAN AIRLINES launches
direct flight
on Guwahati -
Bangkok route: Jagson Airlines breaks airfare barriers: Committed to serve new destinations with fares that are pocket friendly, Jagson Airlines launched six-days-a-week flights to Rajasthan on November 21, 2004. Breaking all airfare barriers the carrier has billed the fare from Delhi to Jaipur at Rs 850, which is around Rs 1,900 less compared to any other airline on the same route. The Delhi - Udaipur fare is around Rs 1,100 cheaper than other airlines.
Air Deccan to add more destinations: Air Deccan is all set to not only add more flights but also more destinations to its route network. The two brand new aircraft Airbus A-320 would be deployed to launch flights on the Kolkata-Delhi and Kolkata-Mumbai sectors, apart from enhancing connectivity between various cities, including the Bangalore-Delhi sector. Besides, the airline will also place the smaller ATR aircraft in Kolkata to launch operations into the northeastern parts of the country (also Kolkata-Jamshedpur and Kolkata-Guwahati sectors). Airline officials added that a large percentage of seats on offer would be within the price band of Rs 500 to Rs 2,500. Second liquor czar enters airline biz with Indus Air: After UB’s Vijay Mallya, Mohan Meakins chief Kapil Mohan became the second liquor czar to step into the airline business with his new low-cost carrier Indus Airways. Mohan Meakins recently announced the launch of his budget airline with an investment of Rs 100 crore. The airline, floated together with a group of NRIs, is set to take off in April, 2005. The airline would initially be positioned as a feeder carrier connecting smaller towns in the country. It will have a nation wide network in a phased manner. (Source: Trav Talk) AI INTRODUCES ADVANCE CHECK-IN FACILITY AT BOMBAY AIRPORT: Air-India (AI) has introduced advance check-in facility at Bombay (Mumbai) International Airport. Passengers can now check-in a day prior to the departure of their international flight leaving between 10.00 p.m. and 9.30 a.m. One member of the family or group can check-in with luggage between 11.00 a.m. and 6.00 p.m. boarding passes will be issued, at the time of advance check-in, so that passengers can then report only 90 minutes before their flight's scheduled departure time, for immigration and customs.
INDIA AND USA REACH AGREEMENT ON OPEN SKIES: India and U.S.A. have reached an understanding on air services between the two countries. This will result in more commercial airline flights and cheaper fares, under an "open Skies" agreement. Air-India is likely to be a big beneficiary and may open more gateways like San Francisco, Houston and Washington in U.S.A. Air-India is currently flying to four gateways in U.S.A. New York, Newark, Chicago and Los Angeles with 25 services a week.
Virgin to set in motion daily Delhi-London services: Virgin Atlantic would be launching daily services between Delhi and London from February 1, 2005 and will be introducing new flights from Mumbai effective March 27, 2005. The airline is also negotiating with British aviation authorities to launch four weekly services from Bangalore this year.
Malaysia Airlines introduces return direct flights from Ahmedabad: Malaysia Airlines launched return direct flights from Ahmedabad to Kuala Lumpur on December 16, 2004. The thrice-weekly flights from Ahmedabad will operate on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. With the addition of the new flight, Malaysia Airlines will have direct connectivity from six different routes in India viz Chennai, New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and now Ahmedabad. Consequently, the seat capacity of the airline will increase to 8,128 seats from the present 5,844 seats per week and the total number of flights to 26 per week the present 23.
Cosmic Air launches Delhi - Kathmandu flight: Cosmic Air launched their maiden flight to India connecting Delhi - Kathmandu on December 1, 2004. With domestic revenue of $ 50 million, Cosmic Air is the only airline that provides a daily, two flights service between Kathmandu and Delhi offering its passengers a ‘buy one get one free’ offer at affordable fares. The airline is also planning to fly to other cities in India such as Mumbai, Bangalore, Lucknow, Varanasi and Bodh Gaya by early next year.
AIRBUS STRIKES GOLD IN INDIA, THREE AIRLINES SIGNING UP FOR AIRCRAFT: Airbus Industrie has struck gold in India. It has signed with Air Deccan for supply of 30 new A320 aircraft in next six years. Airbus Industries has also signed with a new airline start up Kingfisher Airline for supply of four aircraft next year and more later. Airbus Industrie’s Chief Commercial Officer Mr. John Leahy who is in India said they have doubled the projection of aircraft requirements in India to 400 in next fifteen years. Airbus is also likely to get a huge order from Indian Airlines. AIRBUS INDUSTRIE UNVEILS BIGEST AIRCRAFT: Airbus has unveiled the world’s largest passenger plane. The A380 super-jumbo jet is a twin-deck aircraft capable of carrying 555 passengers and orders have been placed by airlines for long-haul services around the world. TOP HOTELS NEWSCLUB ROOMS INTRODUCED AT LEELA, GOA: GHM is proud to announce the opening of its newest product, The Club at The Leela Goa, resting within an exclusive private estate in a breathtaking setting. The Club promises the ultimate experience in luxury and personalized service in India. The accommodation comprises of fifteen suites, leisurely spread throughout a substantial 75 acres of magical landscaping and gardens. The design of The Club suites have been developed with painstaking attention to detail to ensure the highest guest comfort. Each suite provides a spacious living room and bedroom, with lifestyle interior design creating an open and well-planned environment. Inside the suites, no expense has been spared to provide you with a luxurious experience. Furniture and fittings were designed exclusively for The Club by Jaya Ibrahim and other individual touches include the provision of an Espresso Machine and a Bose music system. LCD and flat screen TV, cable programming and a DVD player in each suite providing visual entertainment. Another touch of pampering is the inclusion of a full mini-bar and fine liquors, breakfast in your suite or Club lounge, afternoon tea and snacks, evening cocktails, plus daily laundry and dry cleaning and two-way limousine airport transfers. PONDICHERRY RESTORING HERITAGE PROPERTIES AS HOTELS: The French colonial heritage of Pondicherry has been restored under the Asia – Urbs program. Besides this Francis Wacziarg (of Neemrama fame) has restored and converted an 18th French villa into the 18 room, Hotel De L’orient. Another couple restored two 19th century French architecture buildings and opened 2 French style boutique hotels; Villa Helena and Hotel de Pondicherry. Now Dilip Kapur known for his up market leather line HiDesign has opened Le Dupleix with a restored 18th century, 9 room French colonial Mayor’s villa. In another 2 months he will launch a 40-room hotel on the seafront. So now besides Auroville, French heritage Hotels are set to draw tourists to Pondicherry.
TAJ LEISURE OPENS RESORT IN KOVALAM: Taj Leisure is the only big hospitality group to have a Kovalam resort. It has signed a management deal with the Muthoot Papachan Group for the Taj – Muthoot Papachan Green Cove Resort. Set in 10 acres it has 54 hillside cottages and 10 two bed room suites with private pools and sundecks each. The resort has a floating Ayurvedic spa “Jeeva” The resort offers the entire geographical spectrum of beachfront, backwaters access and hillside. Taj Leisure recently signed a joint venture agreement in Bhutan.
UMAID BHAWAN PALACE JODHPUR TIES UP WITH TAJ GROUP: Former Maharaja Gaj Singh of Jodhpur has signed a management agreement for his Umaid Bhawan Palace Hotel with the India Hotels Company (who runs the Taj Hotels). At the celebrations held at the signing, “Palaces of Rajasthan”, a book by Antonio Martinelli and George Michel was also released. TOP
SURAJKUND CRAFTS FAIR, NEAR NEW DELHI: The 19th Surajkund Crafts Mela will be held from 1 to 20 February this year with Chhattisgarh as the theme state. Over 375 crafts persons will converge on Surajkund from different parts of the country, with a large contingent from Chhattisgarh. They will display and sell their crafts. There will be a food section and folk dances and music at the chaupal or village center. The popularity of the event has encouraged the organizers Haryana Tourism to extend it to 20 days duration instead of 15 days.
LEADING WOMEN TO
PARTICIPATE IN BANGALORE CONFERENCE 4 TO
6 FEB’05:
Leading women will gather in Bangalore from 4-6 February 2005 for a unique
conference “Strength of the women: Celebrating success”. The Art of Living
Foundation is organizing the conference. Many high powered women including Nobel
laureate Shirin Ebadi and Hillary Clinton, the former First lady and present New
York Senator have been invited. The conference of 800 women from around the
world, will give a fillip to the aspirations of women by highlighting women’s
efforts to promote global peace, human rights as well as values and ethics,
while carrying on commercial activity.
ROCK STAR
STING TO PERFORM IN INDIA in FEB’05:
The Rock star, Sting will come to India in his private jet with 16 tonnes of
equipment and an entourage of over 35 persons including 10 musicians of his
band. Sting will present 2 high voltage concerts in the Palace Grounds in
Bangalore on 4 February and then arrive for a much awaited concert at Delhi on 6
February. He will donate a part of the proceeds for the Tsunami victims. This is
the first time he will perform alone in Delhi as he came in the 80's with Bruce
Springsteen as part of the Band "Police" and again in 1997 to receive an MTV
award. He will visit Haridwar and Varanasi (Benaras) where his wife and children
will join him. Sting and his son Joe love going to Benares and generally travel
by train to get a feel of the country. HERITAGE CUM TOURISM FESTIVAL, MUMBAI (07 – 16 JAN’05): Bombay was to imbued into festival mood from 7 to 16 January 2005. Programs covering 9 categories were planned: art and heritage, children, craft, entertainment, film, food, music, shopping and sport. The art and heritage section’s highlight was a 60 ft Wish Wall painted by the city’s noted artists. There was music at Gateway of India and heritage buildings were lit up.
HERITAGE FESTIVAL
IN JAIPUR FROM 14 TO
23 JANUARY 2005:
The 2nd Jaipur Heritage International festival exhibited traditional
arts and crafts and local industries from 14 to
23 January 2005. The festival
was held at 50 different venues within the city with the 10 day festival
involving 300 craftsmen, 250 folk artistes and 100 other performing artistes.
PRAVASI BHARATIYA DIVAS Jan 7-9, 2005 in Mumbai: The largest reunion of the global Indian family - the Third Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, was held from January 7-9, 2005 in Mumbai. It had high-level participation from the Central and state governments, and Indian political and business leaders, eminent professionals, scientists, innovators from the Indian Diaspora across the world. Apart from providing a unique networking opportunity, the Third Pravasi Bharatiya Divas strengthened India's engagement with its Diaspora through focused activities across sectors. ELLORA AURANGABAD FESTIVAL 11-13 DECEMBER: The third Ellora Aurangabad Festival adjoining the historic Sohneri Mahal presented a feast of culture from 11 to 13 December. Visitors got an insight into the city’s rich art, culture and heritage through its classical and folk traditions. World renowned artists such as the flutist Hari Prasad Chaurasia and vocalist Pandit Jasraj performed. SONEPUR CATTLE FAIR 25 NOVEMBER TO 15 DECEMBER: Still relatively undiscovered by tourists, the Sonepur Cattle fair on the banks of the Ganges near Patna is one of Asia’s largest cattle fairs. The Pushkar Camel fair is now established firmly on the tourist map but Sonepur made a beginning with 300 foreign tourists from Britain, France, Spain and the Netherlands attending the 20 day event. Besides cattle and horses a great attraction at Sonepur are the elephants, Sonepur being the world’s oldest elephant market. KONARK FESTIVAL OF DANCE 1-5 DECEMBER, PURI: The 13th century Sun Temple at Konark formed the backdrop for the Dance festival held there for 5 days beginning 1 December. This World Heritage site has a dance pavilion (Natyashala) with exquisite carvings of nymphs in various dance mudras (poses). The Konark dance festival, an annual event, features Manipuri, Bharatnatyam, Odissi, Kathak and Chhau dance performances. BUNDI FESTIVAL TAKES VISITORS TO THE CHAMBAL: The 3 day Bundi Festival 30 November to 2 December included a boat race on the Chambal River. Bundi famous for its unique style of miniature paintings was once the capital of the Hadauti region of Rajasthan. The music and folk of the region including famous Kalbelia (gypsey) dances, folk arts and folk sports and a procession led by caparisoned elephants was colourful and a unique treat for visitors. 5th WTTC Summit moves to New Delhi: New Delhi will be the setting for the 5th Global Travel & Tourism Summit, according to a World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) report. The summit will see the top brass of the travel and tourism industry including senior government officials from around the world confront issues challenging the industry under the theme ‘Realising the Potential’. “As one of the fastest growing tourism economies in the world today, India is the ideal ground to hold the summit,” said Jean-Claude Baumgarten, President, WTTC. HANG GLIDING IN HIMACHAL: As in other years Himachal Pradesh Tourism organized a four day International Hang Gliding Championship from 6 to 9 November at Billing. Over 90 pilots from all over the world, from USA, UK, France, Switzerland, Israel Sweden and Germany, participated in the championship. According to them the atmosphere is good for gliders in the Billing Valley as gliders can remain in the air from 3 to 7 hours. 16TH DECENNIAL EXPOSITION OF ST FRANCIS XAVIER IN GOA: The 16th Decennial Exposition of the sacred relics of St Francis Xavier took place at the Basilica of Bom Jesus in Old Goa from November 21, 2004 to January 2, 2005. Over 3 million devotees attended the same. Revered as the patron Saint of Goa, St Francis Xavier (1506-1552) holds a special place in the hearts of the people. The preserved body of Saint Francis Xavier for many years was exposed for veneration each year on his birthday (3 December). From 1878 the frequency of exposition was reduced to once every 10 years. TOP NEWS MEANS GOOD NEWS (India)TAJ MAHAL OPENS FOR NIGHT VISIT: The shrine, which has just celebrated its 350th anniversary, was closed at night because of security worries. But now the Supreme Court has ruled the famous monument to love can open 5 nights a month including the full moon (with 2 nights before & after). A maximum of 400 people are allowed to visit each night. The white marble mausoleum, situated on the banks of the river Yamuna, is sometimes known as a teardrop on the cheek of time. Tourists will only be allowed to view the Taj Mahal from a red sandstone platform some 350 yards from the monument. It was designated a World Heritage site in 1983.
Ministry of tourism unveils “Atithi Devo Bhava”: Ministry of tourism launched an ambitious domestic campaign to sensitise the nation towards inbound tourists. The campaign Atithi Devo Bhava will provide training and orientation to taxi drivers, tourist guides, operators, immigration officers, tourist police and others who maintain a direct interaction with foreign tourists. The campaign will be rolled out in a phase manner over a period of three years. In the first phase, Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur, Goa and Aurangabad would be covered. This campaign with an initial budget of 5 crores would also undertake massive media campaign to spread messages among the masses about how to treat foreign tourists.
A pilot project of the campaign is already going on in Delhi and 250 airport taxi drivers have been trained in Hyderabad. Around 1,000 people related to the industry have been trained so far and the campaign aims to train 26,000 people by April 2006. Moreover, under the Atithi Devo Bhava campaign, MOT has introduced a logo, which will make it easy for the tourists to identify quality service. Ministry of Tourism also launched her Ministry's redesigned website www.incredibleindia.org INDIA NOW NO 5 TRAVEL DESTINATION AT iEXPLORE.COM: The Chicago based company iExplore.com affiliated with National Geographic has placed India at No. 5 while unveiling its top 10 destinations. iExplore is Forbes # 1 adventure travel site for the past 5 years. Peru heads the list followed by Egypt and China. iExplore tells it warts and all and warns visitors of the assault on the senses which a trip to India entails with its heat and dust and camels, cows and rickshaws and chaotic traffic. Yet it says, "Most travelers will find these well worth the rewards as India remains an incomparable travel experience". GOLDEN TEMPLE AMRITSAR TO BE ILLUMINATED BY ANDRE: World famous light designer Andre Tammes is known the world over for lighting up such prestigious structures as the Sydney Opera House, Durham Cathedral, Trafalgar square, Dome of the Rock etc. He will "illuminate" the Golden Temple, Amritsar which he says is different from lighting it. He will bring out the "inner light" of the Sikh Faith using manual and natural light so much so that people won’t even know where the light is coming from. THE XI TH TRIENNALE HELD IN DELHI WITH WORKS OF 167 ARTISTS FROM 34 COUNTRIES: 167 artists from 34 countries participated in the XIth Triennale which opened at the Crafts Museum Pragati Maidan in Delhi. 300 works of art are on display from across the world. The Indian section displayed 49 works of art. The theme of the Triennale is that of current happenings around the world, making it very relevant.
NASA contest winner donates prize money for tsunami hit: Aaina Jain, a city girl who was part of the group whose design of a space settlement project for NASA was judged the best, donated her award money totalling Rs 21,000 for tsunami victims. The award money had recently been given to each member of the group by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). The girl, who has been pursuing Electronics and Communications Engineering at Thapar Institute of Technology, Patiala, told the Tribune that she would send the money to the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund. Aaina was part of the group of 18 school and college students from Budha Dal School, Patiala, and the institute that had taken part in a space settlement design competition held in Kennedy Space Centre, Florida, in the USA. Tribune News Service TOURIST ARRIVALS CROSS 3 MILLION SANS FANFARE: The tourist arrivals in India crossed the 3 million mark with 3.3 million visitors between January and December 2004, an increase of 23.5% over the same period last year. The foreign exchange earnings reached the $ 4.8 billion figure an increase of 36.1%. India has been declared the second fastest growing tourist destination by the WTTC (World Tourism and Travel Council). Rural tourism will get a push with village tourism centers being developed. Pochampalli (of Ikat saree fame) and Konaseema in Andhra Pradesh will be developed to showcase rural lifestyle, art, culture and heritage while preserving the village ambience. Similar centers in Orissa, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal will be developed to showcase rural India to visitors.
LODHI GARDENS, DELHI “ASIA’S BEST URBAN OASIS” SAYS TIME: Time Magazine has rechristened New Delhi’s Lodhi Gardens as “Asia’s best Urban Oasis”. This should be heartening to those who have worked hard to preserve it and ensure it is kept clean and green. It is the venue of hundreds of walkers and joggers, yoga practioners and “laughing” clubs among others. It is a picturesque sight with gardens and monuments dating back to the Lodhi Dynasty. Their project design, Bellivisate, was adjudged the best. The design also included a tourist attraction to be built on moon.
CRUISING THE
BRAHMAPUTRA:
An Indo-British joint venture the Assam Bengal Navigation Company has started
operating 4 to 10 night cruise trips, on a 300 mile stretch of the Brahmaputra
River between Guwahati and Dibrugarh in
Assam. The cruise, only one season old, makes stops at
Majuli (the world’s largest
River Island) and Kaziranga
National Park (famous for the one horned rhino) and lucky visitors can catch a
glimpse of tribal life along the river.
FORD
SCION
PLANS
WORLD
CLASS
SKI
VILLAGE IN
INDIA:
Alfred Ford great grandson of Henry Ford and financial contributor to the Hare
Krishna sect is planning to set up a ski resort in India, most likely Himachal
Pradesh. “HOP ON – HOP OFF” BUS FOR TOURISTS IN DELHI: In a bid to emulate the famous London sightseeing bus, where visitors can hop on and hop off between places of tourist interest, Delhi Tourism launched two buses but without the open upper deck. One of the buses will take visitors from the Coffee Home in Connaught Place to Red Fort, Dilli Haat, and the National Museum and ply every two hours. The other bus will travel from Connaught Place to Qutab Minar, Bahai Temple, Humayun’s Tomb, and Safdurjung Tomb. For Rs 100 (approximately US $ 2.2) tourists can travel on the complete circuit. TOP
NEWS MEANS GOOD NEWS (International)
TOURISM FEE IN NEPAL: The Nepalese government has decided to charge a one-time fee of NRs 565 from each tourist at the airport. This will go towards the Tourism Service Fee (TSF) that is collected by the government to promote tourism in the country. Earlier the inland revenue department of the government used to raise TSF through a 2 per cent levy on all tourism-related expenditures in hotels, restaurants, travel, trekking and rafting. This will now be clubbed with Passenger Service Tax — popularly regarded as the airport tax — whose rates have been hiked to NRs 791 from NRs 700 for tourists travelling from the SAARC countries. Tourists from other nations will have to shell out NRs 1,130. (Source: Trav Talk)
AUTO-RICKSHAW AT LONDON MUSEUM: The 'notorious' three-wheeler auto-rickshaw of India has found a place in London's science museum for its energy efficiency. The gleaming yellow and black vehicle is placed right at the entrance of the second floor. The Bajaj auto-rickshaw is a familiar sight in the streets of Indian cities. It has only a 145 cc two-stroke engine but can manage 68 miles per gallon even when carrying a driver and three passengers, says a plaque placed before it. (PTI report in Herald)
200 YEAR OLD BHIMSEN TOWER OPENS TO VISITORS IN KATHMANDU: The two centuries old, nine storied Dharahara Tower was built by the then Prime Minister Bhimsen Thapa in 1825. Hence it is also known as the Bhimsen Stambha. This tower was destroyed during the 1933 earthquake which devastated large parts of Kathmandu, Nepal’s capital. The tower has been restored and rebuilt and was thrown open to visitors on 14 January For those willing to climb 213 steps to the top lies the reward of getting one of the finest views of Kathmandu, a city built over 300/400 years ago.
WORLD’S TALLEST BUILDING OPENS IN TAIPEI WITH COLOURFUL CEREMONY: The world’s tallest building, Taipei’s 101 was declared open on New Years Eve – a grand new year’s present to the world. Artists from a traditional Taiwanese opera troupe performed in front of the building lending colour to the ceremony. The world’s tallest skyscraper has 101 storeys and is 508 meters (1,667 feet) tall. It is now the tallest in the world, relegating the erstwhile reigning building, the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) to second place.
INDIAN Visa on arrival for Pak seniors & kids: Delhi's Christmas offer for the first time, India is willing to put in place a visa-on-arrival scheme and of all the countries, the inaugural offer was made to Pakistan during the Foreign Secretary-level talks. It's learnt that New Delhi is ready to grant visa on arrival to all Pakistani nationals above the age of 65 and children below 12. TOP
BABY TURTLES RELEASED:
Around 180 baby turtles
were released off the Galgibag A BIRD WATCHER’S DELIGHT – PONG DAM WELCOMES VISITORS: The Pong Dam wetlands in the Himalayan foothills have attracted over 10,000 migratory birds this year. The birds have flown hundreds of kilometers from China, Siberia, Central Asia and Ladakh to get there. With the early onset of winter many more birds are expected, representing over 50 species; from the ruddy shell ducks to the bar – headed geese, mallards, coots, pochards, pintails and the rare red necked grebe and gulls etc. The Pong Dam reservoir water body occupies an area of over 18,000 hectares and attracts thousands of birds, much to the delight of bird watchers. TOP
BEACH BAR GOA" A SWEDISH TV REALITY SHOW: The "Drop Anchor" restaurant and bar on Baga beach has become the venue of a Swedish reality TV show. It is the venue for "Beach Bar Goa" which is to be aired on Swedish TV Channel TV3 over the next three months. "We love Goa. It is like paradise to us during the winter" says Robert Aschberg the host of Strix Television A B Sweden as he begins his interactive program where viewers and Net surfers can join the action. Over 25 web cameras installed in the bar and in the contestants apartments are online 24 hours a day. People can drop by for a drink at the bar and talk to the contestants. 12 contestants will be divided in 2 teams to work in the restaurant each trying to outsmart the other with viewers deciding who stays and who goes. The winner will get half a million Swedish kroner. Participants however are not really playing for the prize money but the fun and enjoyment in Goa.
HIGHEST PEAK OF GOA: Sosodurg or Sosogad in Sattari stands tall as the highest peak of Goa in the Sahyadri range. Half of it is in Karnataka. Sosodurg is a great asset of our natural heritage. At the foot of this great peak flow the majestic Mhadei, having her origins in the Degao village of Karnataka. Sosogad forms a beautiful part of Mhadei Valley of Sattari. The height of the Sosogad is 3,827 feet and 1019 metres. The height in metres was measured by wildlife expert Nirmal Kulkarni, director of the Wildernest. The second highest Sahyadri or western ghats peak in Goa also lies in Sattari. It is known as the Katlanchi Malli with a height of 3,633 feet. (Prajal Sakhardande in Panorama-NT) HINTERLAND WATERS: The Goa Cruises Pvt Ltd will shortly introduce a new concept in holding meetings, conferences, events and entertainment programmes on its houseboat "Spirit of Alison". The directors of the company, Mr. Bob Ryalls and Ms. Kay Ryalls, addressing a press conference recently, said that the vessel would travel along the 100-odd kms Mandovi estuary around the Tiswadi talukas, during its two half-day trips, regularly. (NT)
TEST TRIAL OF SKY
BUS SUCCESSFUL: After a gap of two months, the test trial Kite carnival gets underway: The third International Goa Kite Carnival was held from 09 - 12 December. A number of programmes were organised to commemorate the event. Local musical talent entertained the crowds on December 11 while on the closing night, The Music Company band will present a musical programme. The kite carnival based on the theme ‘One Sky One World’ is a part of the recently concluded International Film Festival of India, and is held in association with the Department of Tourism. Around 40 kite fliers, including stunt kite fliers and power kiting teams from USA, UK, France, Holland, Germany, Australia, Austria, Belgium and Singapore participated in the event. The kite-flier teams from Mangalore, Mumbai and Jaipur participated. Mr Babu Khan, a veteran kite-maker from Jaipur who is known for flying 200 kites on a single line, made by himself, was an attraction at the kite carnival. TOP
Just Answer Five Simple Questions to win a book:
1) Which place in India was practically unaffected by Tsunami on 26 Dec’04? a. Goa c. Chennai b. Pondicherry d. Kannyakumari
2) Which beach of Goa is famous for Olive Ridley turtles? a. Morjim c. Arambol b. Palolem d. Vagator
3) Which north eastern town just received snow fall in India after a gap of 15 years? a. Darjeeling c. Gangtok b. Guwahati d. Kalimpong
4) Which university in India is one of the biggest residential universities in Asia? a. Banaras Hindu University b. Delhi University c. Mumbai University d. Vishwa Bharti, Shanti Niketan
5) By which year, India plans to get itself one of the developed countries? a. 2025 c. 2020 b. 2015 d. 2010
ANSWERS OF LAST CONTEST:
1) In which country does the Mt. Cho Oyu peak lie? ANS: Nepal (at Tibet border)
2) Where was the number zero invented? ANS: India
3) Chhath festival is very popular in which state of India which comes 6 days after Diwali? ANS: Bihar
4) Shekhawati in Rajasthan is famous for what? ANS: Wall paintings
5) Name the places which form a desert triangle in India. ANS: Jodhpur, Jaisalmer & Bikaner
LAST DATE: 15 Feb’05 to send your entries at the email address pmaurya@vsnl.net
WINNER OF LAST CONTEST: - Mr. Luc Schwarz, Italy - he is being sent a book on India. Incidentally this is his second winning! 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 |