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MUMBAI
AIRPORT HAS A NEW DEPARTURE TERMINAL 1B:
Mumbai
International Airport (MIAL) opened a new departure section at Terminal 1B of
Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA) on October 20, 2006. The
security-hold area has been equipped with four x-ray machines and six gates for
boarding. Opening of the new departure area will help in reducing the waiting
time for passengers for the security check and boarding procedures at Terminal
1B.
SALE OF
DUTY-FREE ITEMS NOW ALLOWED:
The duty-free items purchased by the passengers would be handed over only at the
gate from which the flight is departing. In order to ensure that a flight is not
delayed due to duty-free items sold not reaching the gate in time, the duty-free
shops will stop sale of goods 30 minutes before the departure of the flight. The
ban on carrying liquids and gels in handbag still remains in force.
AIR DECCAN TO
LAUNCH DIRECT FLIGHT BETWEEN MADURAI AND BANGALORE:
Low cost
carrier Air Deccan has launched a direct non-stop flight between Madurai and
Bangalore from October 30.
AIR DECCAN –
FLY BACK IN TIME (FLIGHTS TO HAMPI FROM GOA & BANGALORE):
Special return flights, from November, have been scheduled from Goa to Bellary,
Bellary to Bangalore and Goa to Bangalore, which commence at Rs. 6 on the Goa -
Bellary Sector and Rs. 274 on the Goa - Bangalore route.
Air Deccan
inaugural flight from Bangalore to Hampi took to the skies recently. It has
brought the World Heritage site Hampi closer to people by the introduction of
daily flights from Bangalore & Goa.
AIR DECCAN
LAUNCHES DELHI-PATHANKOT DAILY FLIGHTS:
Air Deccan has also
launched daily flights between Delhi and Pathankot. The new flight will commence
operation from November 22, 2006. A 48-seater ATR-42 aircraft will be deployed
to serve this route. For bookings log on to
www.airdeccan.net.
SPICE JET NEW
FLIGHTS:
SpiceJet Ltd commenced new flights to Goa and Chennai from October 25, with an
additional flight to Mumbai, and unveiled its plans to connect Ahmedabad to
Jaipur, Kolkata, Pune and Hyderabad by December this year with the induction of
more aircraft to the fleet. For bookings long on to
www.spicejet.com
JET AIRWAYS
SINGLE FARE FOR FOREIGNERS AND INDIANS:
In a very welcome &
significant move, Jet Airways has dropped the separate fare tables for foreign
nationals and Indians. With effect from November 7 the same Indian Rupees fares
will be applicable to both categories.
JET AIRWAYS
VOTED INDIA’S BEST AIRLINE AT THE TTG TRAVEL ASIA AWARDS:
Jet Airways was
voted India’s best airline for the third consecutive year at the 17th Annual
Travel Awards function of TTG (Travel Trade Gazette) Travel Asia at Pattaya,
Thailand on October 12.
JET AIRWAYS
LAUNCHES KOLKATA-PORT BLAIR FLIGHT; ADDITIONAL FLIGHT TO DELHI:
Jet Airways plans to
operate a daily flight to Bangkok from January 2007. Effective November 11,
2006, Jet Airways is now operating a daily flight to Port Blair. The Boeing
737-700 flight 9W 629 will depart at 0500 hrs and reach Port Blair at 0700 hrs
and on the return leg 9W 630 will leave Port Blair at 0735 hrs and reach Kolkata
at 0935 hrs.
PARAMOUNT TO
EXPAND HYDERABAD OPERATIONS:
Paramount Airways has commenced operations from Hyderabad to Bangalore, Tirupati,
Visakhapatnam, Cochin and Coimbatore from October. The airline has two daily
flights from Hyderabad to Bangalore, one each to Tirupati, Visakhapatnam, Kochi
and Coimbatore.
GOAIR
ANNOUNCES NEW FLIGHTS TO GOA, BANGALORE, PUNE:
The Wadia group has announced an addition to its daily flights to Bombay and
Madras. The airline operates four aircraft servicing 13 cities and will add
another three aircraft to their fleet by the end of November.
GOAIR, SBI
CARD AND VISA CREDIT CO-BRANDED CREDIT CARDS:
GoAir, State
Bank of India have announced the launch of a feature packed co-branded credit
card in association with VISA. Targeted at value conscious GoAir Smart Fliers,
the GoAir-SBI card offers a unique reward programme that entitles card holders
to 4 reward points on every Rs.100 spent on tickets bought with the card. These
points in turn can be redeemed against subsequent GoAir ticket purchases.
INDUS AIRWAYS
HITS INDIAN SKIES:
The new full
service carrier Indus hit the Indian skies this October end. The airline is
based in Delhi and connects cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Chandigarh, Jammu,
Pathankot and Allahabad. The carrier has a single class configuration and
operates through two 50-seater CRJ-200s.
INDIAN OFFERS
FLIGHTS TO TIRUPATI & KATHMANDU:
Indian has scheduled daily flights on the Varanasi – Kathmandu - Varanasi route
after it resumed services to Khajuraho & Kathamndu last month. Delhi – Tirupati
services started on 29. It is also offering a special Tirupati Darshan (visit)
package for this pilgrimage town.
INDIAN MULLS
GUJARAT - UK FLIGHT:
The Indian diaspora living in the interiors of the UK could soon have the option
of flying with another Indian carrier. Indian is evaluating the option of
operating to Birmingham with the leased Airbus A-330 aircraft that are to soon
be inducted into its fleet.
KINGFISHER
ENTERS INTO ARRANGEMENT WITH DELTA AIRLINES:
Kingfisher
Airlines will carry, within the country, passengers of Delta Air Lines of the
United States, which has commenced a direct non-stop flight between John F
Kennedy Airport in New York to Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in
Mumbai. The Delta began its non-stop flight on November 1, 2006 clocking 14
hours travel time. A major feature of the arrangement between the two airlines
is that Kingfisher's flights to Delhi, Chennai, Ahmedabad and Bangalore from
Mumbai will start within two hours of the Delta flight arriving in the city.
KINGFISHER
AIRLINES COMMENCES SERVICES TO THREE NEW CITIES:
Kingfisher Airlines has launched daily services connecting Delhi to Hyderabad,
Hyderabad to Bhubaneswar and Delhi to Bhubaneswar via Hyderabad. With the launch
of this new sector, the carrier now operates 116 flights daily across 19 Indian
cities. Also,
Kingfisher Airlines is the first domestic airline in India to introduce the
Airbus 321 aircraft which landed at Dabolim Airport via Mumbai on November 8.
The Airbus A-321 (much bigger than the airbus A320) has created a record by
making its first landing at Dabolim Airport.
AIR-INDIA
LAUNCHES PLATINUM JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS:
Air India's platinum Jubilee was inaugurated on 15 October with a specially
designed laser show beamed on the landmark Air India building at Nariman Point
Bombay. A specially designed emblem was also unveiled. It was on 15 October 1932
that the legendary JRD Tata flew in a Puss Moth from Karachi to Bombay and Air
India was born.
AIR SLOVAKIA
FLIES IN WITH PUNJABI FLAVOUR TO AMRITSAR:
Harjinder Singh Sidhu bought Air Slovakia and brought in the first flight from
Cologne (Germany) via England to Amritsar, with 112 on board, to pay obeisance
at the Golden Temple. The Airline (3 Boeings at present with plans to add on 6
more aircraft.) will have a "Punjabi Flavour" with Punjabi food, films and
Punjabi speaking hostesses dressed in traditional outfits. Two new flights -
London to Amritsar and Cologne to Amritsar have started operating.
AIR INDIA
EXPRESS INTRODUCES CHENNAI-SINGAPORE:
Air India Express commenced operations on the Chennai-Singapore and
Chennai-Dubai sectors effective from October 29 and October 30 respectively. Air
India Express would operate five times a week to Singapore and three times a
week to Dubai.
AIR ARABIA
STARTS DAILIES TO CHENNAI AND TRIVANDRUM FROM NOVEMBER 2006:
Air Arabia is starting
daily operations to Chennai and Trivandrum from November 2006 and to Ahmedabad
from March 2007. With the launch of its Chennai and Trivandrum services, Air
Arabia now connects six Indian stations to the Gulf - Mumbai, Nagpur, Jaipur,
Kochi, Chennai and Trivandrum.
AIRBLUE EYES
INDIA: Airblue,
a Pakistan-based low-cost carrier (LCC), says it hopes to fly to India once it
gets the flying rights. The carrier has six aircraft in its fleet and it
connects seven cities in Pakistan. Airblue, which currently operates flights to
Dubai, has plans to fly to the UK. (Source:
Travel Weekly)
TIGER
OPERATES MORE FLIGHTS TO SOUTH ASIA:
Singapore’s Tiger
Airways is launching flights to Trivandrum, Goa, Kochi, Kozhikode in Southern
India and Colombo in Sri Lanka. The airline also has rights to operate flights
between Singapore and Kolkata, but has yet to start the service.
(Source: Travel Weekly)
AIR CHINA TO
FLY DIRECT BEIJING - NEW DELHI:
Air China launched the first direct Beijing - New Delhi flights on 30 October
which will operate 3 times a week on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
FINNAIR
STARTS DIRECT FLIGHTS BETWEEN DELHI AND HELSINKI: Finnair began its new fast route to Delhi with the first
flight from Helsinki landing Delhi on October 31, 2006. Initially, the flights
are operating three times a week using Boeing MD-11.
AIR SOUTH
ASIA GLUES EYES ON INDIAN MARKET:
The year 2007 will
witness one more LCC hitting the Indian skies with Sri Lanka based LCC, air
South asia beginning operations here. To begin with, the carrier will be
functioning through one Airbus 320 aircraft and will add four aircraft in the
near future. Initially, the carrier will connect this island state to
South-Indian states.
VIVA MACAU
PLANS INDIAN FORAY:
Macau-based
airline, Viva Macau, is all set to fly high in the Indian skies by early 2007.
As part of its worldwide route expansion, the carrier has chalked out a
three-phase plan.
THAI AIRWAYS
TO ADD THREE NEW DESTINATIONS IN INDIA:
Thai Airways
unveiled its plans to start operations to three new destinations in India.
Adding flights to holy cities of Gaya and Varanasi effective October 30, 2006,
the airways is flying Bangkok-Gaya-Varanasi-Bangkok three times a week on
Monday, Wednesday and Saturday operating B-737-400 aircrafts. Another new
destination to Thai’s network to India, i.e. Hyderabad commenced from October 30
operating A300-600 thrice a week - Monday, Wednesday and Friday - non-stop to
Bangkok.
TOP
TAJ-CC AFRICA
LAUNCHES BANDHAVGARH LODGE ON NOVEMBER 1, 2006:
Taj Hotels Resorts and
Palaces and CC Africa opened their first lodge – Mahua Kothi on November 1, 2006
in Bandhavgarh National Park, Madhya Pradesh. This will be followed by the
launch of the second lodge – Baghvan – on the border of Pench National Park,
southern Madhya Pradesh in February 2007. The lodges are developed to provide
wildlife enthusiasts and high-end travellers with distinctive, interpretive
wildlife experiences in India based on proven and sustainable eco-tourism model.
TAJ HOTELS
ENTERS INTO MANAGEMENT CONTRACT FOR A TAJ BUSINESS HOTEL IN GOA:
As part of its domestic expansion strategy, Taj
Hotels, Resorts and Palaces has entered into a management contract with Kamat
Constructions and Resorts for a new hotel under development at Panjim, Goa. The
proposed hotel with 154 rooms and suites will be unveiled by the end of 2007.
TAJ HOTELS TO
BUY BOSTON'S RITZ-CARLTON:
Taj
Hotels Resorts and Palaces has entered into a definitive agreement to purchase
The Ritz-Carlton, Boston from its current owner, Millennium Partners. The $170
million transaction is scheduled to close on January 11, 2007, the day Taj
Hotels will assume management of the hotel. The hotel will be renamed the Taj
Boston upon closing the purchase. The hotel, which has 273 rooms, is located
next to the famous Boston Public Garden and the city's premiere retail district.
The Taj Boston will become the company's second hotel in the United States,
after The Pierre, on New York's Fifth Avenue.
TAJ HOTELS
ANNOUNCES ITS 5TH HOTEL IN BANGALORE:
Taj recently announced its plans to launch a new business hotel in
Bangalore. The Taj has entered into a licensing agreement with Naveen Hotels for
a new property at Yeshwantpur, Bangalore. Located approximately 15 km from M. G.
Road and 25 km from the upcoming international airport, the hotel is scheduled
to open by April 1, 2009 and will be operated under the Taj Business Hotels
brand.
TAJ BOOSTING
JHARKHAND TOURISM:
Jharkhand is gearing
up to welcome more tourists to the state. The Taj Group is soon to set up a
property in Ranchi, which will surely benefit tourists coming to Ranchi and
nearby cities. Also, as many private aircraft are starting service to the state,
Ranchi will be well-connected by air.
RESORT FOR
PETS ON DELHI'S OUTSKIRTS:
The Resort at 32nd Milestone in Gurgaon will soon open the doors of its Bow Wow
club so you can bond with your pet over a candle light dinner. There will be a
special doggie menu and professional dog trainers will feed and look after the
pets.
GURGAON TO
HAVE 20 LUXURY HOTELS BY 2010:
Gurgaon, (close to Delhi), will have 20 three and five star hotels by 2010 with
about 10,000 rooms in all. As Gurgaon will be connected to the capital by the
Metro train and super fast Expressway, tourists will be able to stay in Gurgaon
and commute to see the capital's sights and witness the Commonwealth games.
LEMON TREE
HOTELS ON MAJOR EXPANSION SPREE:
Lemon Tree Hotels
will be launching two more hotels in 2006 in Goa and Pune. In addition, seven
more hotels aggregating 1300 rooms are under development across cities like
Chennai, Delhi, Goa, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Mumbai and Pune. The Lemon Tree Amarante
Beach Resort, Goa, will be the first and is slated to open in November 2006.
NEW HOTEL
RAMADA IN VARANASI OPENS:
Ramada plaza JHV, which was
thrown open recently in the temple town of Banaras (Varanasi), offers 120 guest
rooms, including 9 suites complete with contemporary and stylish décor. All the
hotel guest rooms feature a view of the garden or the swimming pool and marble
bathrooms with a deep soaking bathtub. Additional amenities include: Work desk
with high-speed Internet access; Multi-channel LCD flat-screen television;
Deluxe bathroom amenities; Non-smoking rooms; Dual-line telephone in all Ramada
Plaza JHV accommodation and suites; In-room electronic safe; Deluxe bathroom
amenities; Rooms for physically challenged guests, etc
AGRA IS ON
WELCOMHERITAGE MAP NOW AS THE GRAND IMPERIAL OPENS:
An old heritage property has
been renovated and added to the Welcomheritage chain, adding to the total
inventory in Agra. Now fully operational, it offers following facilities: 30
rooms and suites; Swimming pool; Health Club and Spa; Running hot and cold
water; Bar; Multi-cuisine restaurant; 24-hour room service and Conference and
banquet facilities.
ITDC TO BUILD
5 NEW HOTELS AND COUNTRY'S LARGEST CONVENTION FACILITIES IN THE CAPITAL:
The India
Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) is to build 5 new star category hotels in
the capital as joint ventures with private parties. A five star property of 165
rooms will be built next to the Ashok Hotel. A hotel will also be built next to
the Janpath hotel and another one to be built near the Qutab Hotel. The
Convention Center will come up between the Ashok and Samrat Hotels and will
accommodate 3800 delegates.
WESTIN SETS
FOOT IN INDIA, 3 PROPERTIES TO COME UP BY 2008:
Westin, a
Starwood Hotels and Resorts’ brand, will soon be making its debut in India. On
February 21, 2007, Westin Sohna will open its doors to the public. Spread over
35 acres of lush green surroundings, the resort features 100 rooms comprising 52
guestrooms, 45 one and two bedroom cottages and one presidential cottage.
Meanwhile, the Westin brand will also make its foray into Gurgaon with a Westin
Spa and Resort, which is scheduled for opening sometime late next year. In
addition to these two, the third Westin property will open up in Bangalore in
2008.
TOP
FESTIVALS /
MARTS & EVENTS
CHATTH
CELEBRATED 28-29 OCTOBER:
Chatth is a festival
celebrated 6 to 7 days after Diwali (28 and 29 October this year) Prayers are
offered to the rising and setting sun while standing in water (river pond or
sea). It is a thanksgiving for life’s many bounties while seeking the blessings
of Nature’s great forces – the sun, earth and rivers. This is widely celebrated
in the regions of Uttar Pradesh & Bihar.
ANNUAL PHOOL WAALON KI SAIR, 02 NOV, DELHI:
The famous Phool Waalon ki Sair was held on
November 2. This festival has a presentation of floral fans (pankhas)
offered at the Mausoleum of the Sufi Saint Khwaja Baktiar Kaki and the Hindu
Goddess Yogmaya. It has been celebrated since Mughal times and stresses communal
harmony and has many cultural programs taking place every year.
PUSHKAR FAIR A HUGE DRAW WITH VISITORS (02 – 05 Nov):
The week long celebrations and camel trading at Pushkar began on 21 October. The
Fair is held every year in the lunar month of Kartik and culminates with a dip
in Pushkar lake on the day of the full moon. (5 November this year). Over
500,000 visitors attended, 15,000 of which were foreigners.. Buying and selling
of camels and camel races and cultural evenings were the highlights of the
Pushkar Fair.
SHIVPURI FESTIVAL FROM 25 - 26 NOVEMBER:
Shivpuri Festival will be celebrated here from 25 - 26 November with music and
dance. Shivpuri in Madhya Pradesh is close to Gwalior (2 hours away) and is
better known for the Madhav National Park, a wild life reserve.
CHANDIGARH
FESTIVAL ON NOV 25:
The Chandigarh Carnival will be celebrated on November 25 to 26. The two themes
of this year's Chandigarh Carnival would be ''Singapore'' and ''Rural Tourism''.
The Chandigarh Sangeet Natak Akademi, Lalit Kala Akademi and Sahitya Akademi
would put up their exhibits depicting the various streams of art. The College of
Architecture, Government Arts College, Home Science College and Government
Museum would contribute to Chandigarh Carnival. There would be two musical
evenings on November 25 and 26 at Leisure Valley.
HAMPI FESTIVAL
HELD WITH GREAT FANFARE 3-5 NOVEMBER: This year the Hampi Festival (3-5 November) at the World
Heritage site was held with great pomp as it coincided with the 50th anniversary
of Karnataka State. Besides daily sound and light shows at the Vithala Temple,
mud wresting and other folk activities were the attraction. About 3000 artists
participated. Artists from Tanzania, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Fiji
showcased their talent.
22ND INTERNATIONAL
HOT AIR BALOON FAIR HELD IN DELHI:
Hot air balloon teams from
Spain, India, Switzerland, Holland and America took off on a race on 29 October
from New Delhi. The inauguration was held on the 28th October when people were
treated to joy rides. The grand finale was on 11 November when races and a
special show were organised where each balloon had try to hit a target on the
ground.
BODHAMAHOTSAV,
TAWANG, ARUNCHAL PRADESH 5 NOVEMBER: The 6th Bodhmahotsav at the monastery town of Tawang was
celebrated on Nov 5 in Arunachal Pradesh. This year the Bodhmahotsav has special
significance as it is the 2550th year of Buddha’s Parinirwana.
PURI BEACH
FESTIVAL 23 – 27 Nov:
The Puri Beach Festival, a festival of the art, craft, culture and cuisine of
the state will take place at Orissa from 23rd to 27th November 2006. This year
exposure to budding new artists, especially traditional artists from Orissa
would be given more emphasis. The main purpose of the festival is to promote
Orissa on a national and international platform through it’s rich cultural
programmes, handloom & handicraft exhibitions, traditional cuisine and the
hospitable nature of the people of Orissa and above all meet face to face with
the "Lord Jagannath" and demand fulfillment of all one’s desires.
ELEPHANTS DECKED UP AT SONEPUR FAIR 5 NOVEMBER:
All roads led to Sonepur in Bihar for the Kartik
full moon (5 November this year). This is when a huge livestock Fair takes
place. There is a special section for buying and selling of elephants. Tourists
enjoy elephant rides and even playing with elephants.
BOLTA BANDANA UTSAV A SAILING FESTIVAL OF ORISSA:
Orissa celebrated Bolta Bandana Utsav – a festival of setting adrift small
handmade boats on the water. It is to commemorate the brave Kalinga Merchants of
yore who sailed to neighboring islands for trade. The practice dates back to the
5th century AD. Thousands of people in Orissa celebrated the festival on Kartick
Purnima (5 November) by flocking to the banks of rivers. It was Kalinga who
sailed to Indonesia, Java, Bali, Sumatra and Sri Lanka to establish maritime
relations and spread Indian culture. As per legend the wives of traders would
worship boats and pray for the safety of their husbands.
TRIBAL CRAFTS EXPO AADISHILP AT DILLI HAAT:
A fortnight-long national tribal crafts expo titled "Aadishilp" was held at
Dilli Haat organized by Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of
India Limited (TRIFED). The expo provided a platform for tribal artisans to
showcase their rich and ethnic art and crafts and also gave them a chance to
interact with the discerning urban customers to understand their preferences,
tastes and to adapt their products accordingly.
UNIQUE
‘CONVENTION BOAT’ HOUSE AT KOCHI BOAT SHOW:
JALA SAMRAT, a unique air-conditioned houseboat that can host large conventions,
the first of its kind in India, was the pick of the India International Boat
Show at Kochi recently. The Jala Samrat, a double storied houseboat being
touted as a ‘Convention Castle’ has a fully air-conditioned conference hall on
the first floor with a seating capacity of 150. The lower floor of the boat has
three bedrooms with attached toilets, a lobby, and is fitted with
state-of-the-art audio, visual and telecommunication facilities. Interestingly
the houseboat has been built from a single 1350 cuft anjili tree which took
nearly 9 months to complete.
Ayurveda
Houseboats:
Another exclusive piece at the Boat Show was the Ayurveda Houseboats where
people are administered the traditional herbal health treatment as the boat
moves through the beautiful backwaters of Kerala.
VASCO DA GAMA
YACHT RALLY TO TOUCH COCHIN:
The International Vasco Da Gama Yacht Rally (from Greece to Portugal via Cochin)
sailed from Greece and touched Cochin in the third week of October. The rally
had a total of 16 yachts with sailors from different nationalities. It was on
the Malabar coast that the Portuguese traveler, Vasco Da Gama, landed in 1498.
TOP
TOURISM
MINISTRY PROMOTES INDIA AS A 365-DAY DESTINATION:
The ministry of
tourism in an effort to promote India as a 365-day destination launched three
CDs on MICE, adventure sports and cruises. The ministry is showcasing India as a
world-class MICE destination with many convention halls coming up in the line of
Hyderabad International Conference Centre (HICC). The CDs also give details
about all the adventure sports facilities available in the country and the many
cruising options that are coming up.
TOURISM
MINISTRY ISSUES GUIDELINES FOR ADVENTURE SPORTS:
The ministry of
tourism recently issued special guidelines for adventure sports activities in
the country. The guidelines are regarding land activities like mountaineering
and trekking; water sports like river running; and air sports like parasailing,
paragliding and bungee jumping. The ministry has laid down the basic minimum
standards for adventure tourism related activities that are undertaken in
different parts of the country.
KERALA
TOURISM TO REVIVE THE URU / ARAB DHOW:
Kerala Tourism has plans to start URU cruises to replicate the spice route
travel of the 16th century. The uru is a home made colossal sailing vessel made
out of timber which used to ply the Indo Persian routes in times gone by. It is
the Indian equivalent of the Arab Dhow. When launched they will operate on the
Bekal - Cochin sector.
Helicopter tourism service in Kerala:
God's Own Country Kerala will be luring tourists by
launching a ''Helicopter tourism'' service. Visitors will be taken from one
tourist spot to the other in a seven-seater helicopter to save time and also
discomfort on the roads. A number of cost-effective packages have been designed
in the helicopter tourism segment like ''Capital by Air'', ''Backwaters by
Air'', ''Fly the Hills'' and ''Shoreline Flights''. The ''Capital by air''
offers sightseeing trips around Thiruvananthapuram. The backwater trip takes
tourists around Kumarakom, while the ''Fly the hill'' provides tourists a taste
of the hill stations at Thekkady and Munnar. It will also touch Kochi and
Kumarakom. The ''Shoreline'' flights offer sightseeing to Kanyakumari along the
picturesque coastline.
PALACE ON
WHEELS ADDS SEVERAL LUXURIES:
The second Palace on wheels to be launched in
Rajasthan early next year will have a dance floor, a massage center, a
conference room and bars. It will be the third tourist train to be operated by
Rajasthan Tourism after Palace on Wheels and Heritage on Wheels (on the
Shekhwati sector). The second Palace on wheels will also have special suites.
MEDICAL
TOURISM BROCHURE RELEASED:
The Ministry of Tourism is aggressively promoting India as a global healthcare
destination and has recently released the ‘Incredible India Brochure on Medical
Tourism’. The government has also started issuing M (medical) visas to the
medical patients, and MX visas to the dependent accompanying them, which are
valid for a year. Around 200000 medical tourists visited India last year, and
the figure will grow by 50% this year.
GARIB RATHS
(PLUSH TRAIN FOR POOR):
The Indian Railways has introduced the ''Garib Raths'', a maiden scheme to
provide plush rail services to the poor at affordable rates, and plans to link
all state capitals with express trains, with the induction of 24-coach trains.
The success of the Garib Raths, can already be seen in the rail operating
between Saharsa (Bihar) and Amritsar (Punjab) which is a boon to the traveler
especially during the festival season.
TRAIN TO
KASHMIR HITS THE HIGHWAY: Ever
heard of a train running on a road? It does in Jammu and Kashmir. Set to chug in
Kashmir's bewitching landscape in snowy February 2007, the first-ever trial
train to Kashmir took off for the Valley on November 7, not on traditional
tracks but on the 300 km-long Jammu-Srinagar national highway. It has added
another chapter to the history of Indian Railways and Kashmir's national rail
project, as the first trial diesel mobile unit coach, a 36 tyre wheeled train
pulled by a 460 HP engine, drove up the Jammu-Srinagar Highway at 0700 hrs and
headed toward Kashmir's Budgam railway station by taking a road route and not a
train track.
FAIRY QUEEN
BEGINS DELHI-ALWAR-DELHI RUN FROM 11 NOVEMBER:
Built in 1855, the Fairy Queen is the oldest steam engine in working condition.
Every year it takes visitors on a Delhi-Alwar-Delhi trip. This year the schedule
has been announced. It will ply twice a month (beginning 11 November) in
November, December 2006 January and February 2007.
JAIPUR TO
SELL HERITAGE LIQUOR:
Shops all over Rajasthan will sell heritage liquor, made from age old recipes of
Rajasthan Royals. It is made from dry fruits, nuts, herbs and spices with a
touch of saffron sometimes. To begin with, shops in Jaipur, Jodhpur, Kota,
Bikaner, Ajmer, Udaipur and Bharatpur will sell the special liquor.
8000 DRUMMERS
TO DRUM UP A RECORD IN MEGHALAYA:
A band of 8000 drummers is set to break a record for 5 minutes of
synchronized drum beats set by Hong Kong. The band will play a newly composed
piece, "Positive Vibration" to enter the Guinness Book of World Records. The
ensemble will play at Meghalaya's autumn festival which expects to have
entertainers from Australia as well.
TOP
NEWS MEANS GOOD NEWS (International)
VIRGIN'S SIR
RICHARD BRANSON TO CO-PRODUCE RAMAYAN:
Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Comics and Toronto based Kahani World will
co-produce a full length animated feature inspired by the Indian epic Ramayan.
"Secrets of the seven sounds" will be targeted at children 7 years and above.
LONDON
CELEBRATES DIWALI AT TRAFALGAR SQUARE:
The Mayor of London and the Diwali Committee in London Group hosted Diwali
celebrations at Trafalgar Square transforming London's famous public area into a
mini India. Visitors joined in the celebrations festivities in a fair like
atmosphere.
NASDAQ ALSO
CELEBRATES DIWALI AT TIMES SQUARE IN NEW YORK:
The landmark Nasdaq (market index) building at Times Square was lit up in
colours of the Indian flag as was the Empire State Building, all to celebrate
Diwali, India's festival of lights. As usual a fair was held at the South Sea
Seaport in New York The White House also hosted a Diwali party on 19 October.
NO MORE
CREDIT CARD SURCHARGE IN THE PHILIPPINES:
Philippine government banned the surcharge on credit card purchases, which took
effect recently.
In the past, a 4.5 percent
surcharge was added on ticket credit card purchases. The two pronged advantage
is that more people are willing to use the credit card for travel and more deals
are finalized.
GUJARATI
EXPATS OWN 42% OF US HOTELS:
In the 1970s the Patels moved in to buy motels in the US, so much so, these
motels were often referred to as "Potels". Some three and a half decades later
the same Gujarati (mostly Patels) own 21,000 of the 53,000 hotels and motels in
the US; a staggering 42% of the US hospitality market with a combined worth of
$40 billion.
YOGA GURU
RAMDEV INVITED BY KOFI ANNAN TO ADDRESS UN ON POVERTY ISSUES:
On 15
October Guru Ramdev delivered a lecture on poverty alleviation at the UN
headquarters as part of the world body's anti-poverty drive. It is the first
time a yoga guru has been invited by the UN to play a leading role in one of its
campaigns He was invited by Kofi Annan, the Secretary General.
15TH ASIAN
GAMES DOHA TORCH RELAY AT TAJ MAHAL:
Bhim Singh, former Indian high jumper, held the torch for the 15th Asian Games
Doha 2006 Torch Relay at the Taj Mahal in Agra on 12 October. The relay is the
longest in the history of the Games, traveling 50,000 kms to 15 countries and
regions in 55 days and then returning to Doha for the opening ceremony.
SRI LANKA
TOURIST BOARD TARGETS INDIAN FILM INDUSTRY:
In its first
ever-joint initiative, Sri Lanka rolled out the red carpet for the Indian film
industry by targeting the Indian film producers. It will cater to Bollywood
producers’ budgetary needs. Destination, close proximity with India, good
air-connectivity from all key Indian metros, Indian rupee competitiveness in Sri
Lanka, close cultural-economic ties, historical annals and mythological lineage
are few of the multifarious factors benefiting both Sri Lanka and Indian
producers.
DUBAI TOURISM
ALSO WOOS BOLLYWOOD:
Dubai's Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) is focusing its
marketing initiatives on wooing Bollywood to project a positive image about
Dubai. DTMC is also promoting the Dubai shopping festival slated for early next
year. DTCC has tied up with over 20 leading tour operators to promote the Dubai
shopping festival (26 December 2006 - 4 February 2007).
LUXURY CRUISE
VESSEL PACIFIC PRINCESS CALLS AT NEW MANGALORE PORT:
Pacific Princess a luxury cruise vessel called at New Mangalore Port. With 634
passengers with a large number from the USA and 384-crew the vessel’s last port
of call was Phuket, Thailand. New Mangalore is the ship’s first port of call in
India and many passengers visited the large number of attractions in Karnataka.
THAR EXPRESS
TO RESUME SERVICE:
The ''Thar Express'' train connecting Munabao in Rajasthan and Khokhrapar in
Pakistan's Sindh province, which was suspended due to floods, would resume
service from December 23. The running of Thar Express would remain suspended
till December 16 as restoration work is still being carried out on the Munabao -
Jodhpur section. However, train operation would restart from December 23.
TOP
SPECIAL FEATURE
PARLIAMENT
MUSEUM INAUGURATED IN DELHI:
A hi-tech story
telling museum depicting the continuum of India’s Democratic heritage was
inaugurated by the President in the capital recently. The unique Museum, which
interacts, speaks and involves the visitors through period settings with
sound-light-video synchronization, large screen interactive computer multi-media
and emissive visualization with multi-screen panoramic projections, virtual
reality and animatronics are the major attractions for tourists visiting New
Delhi.
OUR NATIVE
VILLAGE, AN ECO RESORT NEAR BANGALORE:
India’s only hundred percent eco resort, is now open at Hessarghatta, 40 km from
Bangalore, near the dance village, Nrityagram. What makes it unique? It is
constructed from bricks made with the soil excavated for the foundation and
generates all electricity using solar, wind mills & bio gas. Sixty percent of
its water requirement is harvested through rain water. It treats, processes and
reuses all human, animal and food wastes. Most of the vegetables are grown on
its own organic farm and used in its restaurant. They also grow herbs and
medicinal plants for use in its spa. It has the region’s first natural swimming
pool, where aquatic plants (rather than chemicals (like chlorine) are used to
purify the water. It uses fully natural, organic, hand made soaps and shampoos.
They entertain guests with traditional games like spinning a top, gilli danda,
marbles, flying kites. Guests are taken on peacock, jackal and rabbit trails and
are shown how to do rangoli, make bangles, etc. and are invited to try their
hand at milking cows and churning butter. It is the first (and possibly the
only) institution in the world to issue bullock cart driving licenses. TOP
NATURE DOES MATTER
RAJASTHAN TO
DEVELOP ECO TOURISM:
Rajasthan tourism plans to develop eight eco tourism sites to give visitors
a glimpse of the flora and fauna of the state The Jhalna and Nahargarh
biological parks will be developed in Jaipur as will sites in Mount Abu,
Jaiselmer and Udaipur. The “Shikargahar” (hunting lodges) of former
royal will be used for tourists as also tented accommodation.
SRI LANKA'S
ENDANGERED TURTLES HEAD FOR INDIA'S FIRST MARINE PARK:
In a ground-breaking project with the BBC, the Marine Conservation Society (MCS)
has for the first time satellite tracked the migrations of endangered nesting
green turtles from a wildlife sanctuary on the south coast of Sri Lanka to
Asia's first marine protected area off Tamil Nadu on the east coast of India.
MCS and their local partners, the Turtle Conservation Project (TCP), and the
Department of Wildlife Conservation fitted satellite tags to six female turtles
after they nested at Rekawa Turtle Sanctuary on the south coast of Sri Lanka in
August this year. The Sanctuary was declared in May 2006 as the country's first
Wildlife Sanctuary for marine turtles.
OLIVE RIDLEY
TURTLES KEEP THEIR DATE WITH ORISSA END OCTOBER: The Olive Ridley Turtles Swim for thousands of miles to
come each year to Orissa end October for breeding. They have been sighted end
October, like clockwork, at the Devi river mouth near the coastal waters off the
Ganga Devi beach in Puri district. The Orissa coast is the nesting ground for
more than half the world’s population of Olive Ridley turtles, the other two
being Costa Rica and Mexico.
DANCING BEARS
FROM DELHI – AGRA HIGHWAY RETURN TO THE WILD:
Dancing bears
familiar on the Delhi-Agra Highway will no longer be dancing to their masters’ (qalander)
tunes thanks to the intervention of the Agra Bear Rescue Facility (ABRF).
Training these bears to dance involves a brutal practice. The ABRF has devised
a successful programme to rehabilitate performing bears, treating them for both
physical and psychological trauma. Once rehabilitated, they
are released
into the wild again. The qalandars are also rehabilitated with an
alternative means of livelihood and a cash incentive of Rs.50000.
TIGERS SET TO
RETURN TO SARISKA:
Sariska in Rajasthan from where big cats have disappeared is poised to see their
return thanks to a rehabilitation progamme proposed by the Rajasthan
government. They will bring a four to five year old tiger and two 3 year old
tigresses from the Ranthambore National Park and Panna Reserve to Sariska.
DOOR BELLS TO
THE RESCUE:
In a
novel move, wild life experts are now recommending the use of a doorbell as an
effective tool to check marauding elephants from entering into human territory,
a method which has been successfully implemented in Assam. The technique
involves a cell, switch and bell connected to a high fence built with nylon
strings. Every time an elephant trips on the fence, while trying to cross, the
bell rings giving the people enough of time to flee or thwart the animal. TOP
PERMANENT FEATURE - GOA
SEASON’S
FIRST CONDOR FLIGHT ARRIVES IN GOA:
November 2
saw the arrival of the first scheduled flight of Condor from Frankfurt, Germany
into Goa. Condor would operate two flights per week to Goa, one each from
Frankfurt on Thursdays and other one from Munich on Sundays. A total of 238
tourists arrived by the first flight.
SRILANKAN
AIRLINES LAUNCHES FLIGHTS TO GOA:
SriLankan Airlines
commenced flights to Goa from Colmobo on 30th October. The famed resort became
SriLankan’s 10th destination in India, and also its 50th globally. Goa will
initially have two flights per week, on Mondays and Saturdays, with an A320
aircraft. Flying time is approximately two hours’ duration, departing Colombo at
0530 and arrives in Goa at 0730. Return flights leave Goa at 0830 and touch down
in Colombo at 1030. Also to commemorate the launch two special packages are on
offer, which will be available till December 15, 2006 – please contact us for
the same.
IFFI TO RAISE
CURTAIN IN GOA NOV 23:
Noted actor,
producer and director, Shashi Kapoor will inaugurate the 37th International Film
Festival of India on November 23, while renowned actress- director Aparna Sen
will be the Chief Guest at the concluding ceremony of the festival on December
3. Academy Award Winner, Lord Richard Attenborough is being invited to attend
the special screening of ‘Gandhi’ a film directed by him in 1982 which won
multiple Oscars. The screening is to coincide with the centenary year of
‘Satyagraha’ launched by Mahatma Gandhi. Hollywood heartthrob is also likely to
attend. The 11 day event will screen a total of 40 films – 20 in feature and
20 in non-feature. The festival will also present a selection of timeless
classics from the Indian silver screen under two sections – tribute and homage.
ST. FRANCIS
XAVIER’S FEAST ON DECEMBER 3:
The Government is once again gearing up to meet the heavy influx of tourists
expected to arrive for the Feast of Goa’s revered and Patron Saint, St. Francis
Xavier on December 3rd.
OCEAN CRUISES
BRINGS 14-DAY CRUISE TO INDIA FROM OCTOBER:
Ocean Cruises has begun its Indian foray with the
14-day cruise from Goa on October 6, 2006, with two trips a month scheduled up
to April 2007. The 14-day trip will cover the uninhabited islands of
Lakshadweep, the Malabar Coast and Sri Lanka.
SUPERSTAR
LIBRA ARRIVED IN GOA:
On October 25,
Superstar Libra arrived from Mumbai, for a second consecutive year, with 1330
tourists, India as well as foreign. The Superstar has also scheduled a sight
seeing cruise to sail around Goan waters and arrive back at Mormugao Port every
Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. There is also a special cruise to Goa high on
the coastal belt every Monday night. In all the liner will make 61 trips this
season which will conclude in May 2007.
STAY AT
HERITAGE HOUSES:
The State Government is planning to acquire heritage houses around Goa in a bid
to restore these edifices which are going to ruin due to lack of maintenance.
They would pay the cost of the houses to the desiring owners, maintain them and
rent them out to tourists. Details of the same would be worked out through
interaction with the NRG/NRI participants at the Global Goans Convention to be
held in Panjim, Goa from 3 - 5 Jan 07.
GOA’S IVANA
LIFTS WORLD UNDER-8 CROWN:
Goa’s 7 year old Ivana Furtardo stole the thunder at the World Youth Chess
Championship lifting the World Under 8 Chess crown in Georgia on October 28.
Ivana’s feat is even more significant as this was the first time that the Under
8 category was introduced at the world level. She thus has the distinction of
being the World Champion in this category as well as the first India/Goan to win
a medal at this level. She had earlier, this year, won the Asian U-8 Silver
medal in Teheran.
MISS UNIVERSE
VISITS GOA:
Zulekya Rivera, the reigning Miss Universe, arrived in Goa on November 2 as a
part of a two-day AIDS awareness campaign in the State. She interacted with
children and adults infected with AIDS. She also walked the ramp with 13 other
international models on November 3, at Calangute as a part of the campaign. The
show was organized on the theme “Get tested for AIDS – its in fashion’. Zulekya
remarked that Goa reminded her of her own country (Puerto Rico), with
similarities to the nature and way of life of the Goan people.
DINDI
FESTIVAL:
The famous Dindi Festival of the Hari Mandir Devasthan,
Margao was celebrated on November 3, amid much pomp and splendour, with
thousands of devotees from all over Goa attending the feast. The entire city
looked colourful with buildings and shops and houses decorated. The festivities
commenced on October 29 and concluded on November 4. The festival started in
the year 1909 and is being celebrated in Margao for the past 96 years. The main
attraction of the festival was ‘Sangeet Bhaitakas’ staged by famous singer
Ramdas Kamat. The Dindi procession of Lord Vithal Rakumai which was accompanied
by Dindi groups was taken out on November 3. The festival concluded on November
4 with ‘dhai handi’.
DIWALI AND
NARKASUR:
In Goa, Diwali eve witnesses a procession of effigies of
the demon Narkasur and his eventual destruction by Lord Krishna signifying the
triumph of good over evil. A number of Narkasur contests were held throughout
the State. ‘Narak Chaturdashi’ as it is called is celebrated with great pomp and
festivities.
GOA FESTIVAL
IN DELHI: A
Goa Festival was organized from November 8-12 at Goa Sadan in Delhi under the
auspices of the Goa Government and Goenkaracho Ekvott. The Department of Art &
Culture, Handicrafts Corporation of Goa, Department of Rural Development Agency
and Goa Tourism all participated exhibiting various aspects of Goan life,
culture and cuisine.
TOP
CONTEST
Just Answer
Five Simple Questions to win a book
on India:
1)
Who is the new owner of Air Slovakia?
a.
Vijay Mallya
b.
Richard Branson
c.
Harjinder Singh Sidhu
d.
Vijay Amritraj
2)
Where is the Pet Club ‘Bow Wow’ being opened
a. Kolkata
c. Gurgaon
b.
Chennai d. Malegaon
3)
Where is the Arab Dhow (‘URU’) being made popular in India?
a.
Goa c. Gujarat
b.
Kerala d. Maharashtra
4)
Where is India’s 100% Eco Resort located?
a.
Ooty c. Madurai
b. Hessarghatta
d. Agra
5)
Which is the third highest mountain in the world?
a.
Mt. Abu c. Mt. Fuji
b.
Mt. Everest d. Mt. Kanchenjunga
LAST DATE:
10 Dec’06
to send your entries at the email address
pmaurya@vsnl.net
or
pmaurya@indiainvites.com
ANSWERS OF
LAST CONTEST:
1)
Which new airline started its operation to Andaman Nicobar Islands this
summer
ANS:
c. Air Deccan
2)
Which foreign steel company is likely to be taken over by Indian steel
giant Tata
ANS:
a. Corus
3)
Where did our earlier prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee spend his year
end in Kerala a few years ago
ANS:
c. Kumarakom
4)
Which great Indian monument celebrated its 350th anniversary
in 2004
ANS:
a. Taj Mahal
5)
Which famous festival takes place in Jaisalmer every year in February
ANS:
c. Desert Festival
WINNER OF LAST CONTEST: There were quite a few all-correct answers Ms.
Freda Coutinho,
Goa; Ms. Reshma Zafar, Wayanad; Ms. Daminana Fili; however Ms. Freda
Coutinho is the lucky winner! Warm congratulations!
We thank all of you for
your participation – better luck next time!!!
TOP |
