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Monthly Tourism Newsletter from India |
September - October 2006 |
| Permanent Feature - GOA | Contest |
| Special Feature | |
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Diwali Greetings from Goa!
With India being voted as one of the top four tourist destinations this year ahead of hot spots like US, France, Singapore, Thailand and South Africa, the tourism industry is bursting with optimism. Capitalizing on this trend, both the airline and hotel industry, in the domestic as well as international sectors, are staking a bigger market share. While most airlines are adding to their fleet and scheduling smaller and unfrequented sectors on their charts, hotels are acquiring new properties or upgrading and expanding the new ones. Close on their heels are the Airbus and Boeing Co. planning to set up maintenance and training centers in India. With the launching of its novel scheme “Incredible India Bed & Breakfast Establishments” the government is paving the way for the tourists to now enjoy India up close and personal. Actually living with Indian families, the foreigners have a chance to experience authentic Indian culture and cuisine first hand.
A fascinating culture, hospitality superb quality resorts and an unforgettable experience, no wonder India is on every sophisticated travelers itinerary. See you in India! |
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AIRLINES UPDATEINDIAN AIRLINES RESUMES KHAJURAHO AND KATHMANDU FLIGHTS: Indian Airlines started operating flights on Delhi – Khajuraho – Varanasi – Khajuraho - Delhi and Varanasi – Kathmandu - Varanasi routes w.e.f. 15th September, 2006 flights on Delhi - Khajuraho - Varanasi being operated with Airbus A-319 aircraft and Varanasi - Kathmandu route with Airbus A-320 on daily frequency as per the following schedule. Air Dravida to commence operations soon: Air Dravida, the regional carrier of Chennai-based Premier Tours & Travels and Zircon International, is expecting to fly in the Indian skies shortly, with its application for grant of NOC as a scheduled air services operator is in the final stage of processing. The maiden fleet of Air Dravida will consist of four aircraft, Bombardier CRJ -200 (Regional Jets) with an all economy class and capacity of 50 passengers.
IndiGo - A NEW AIRLINE ON INDIAN HORIZON: Indigo Airlines has started commercial operations from August 4 on the Delhi - Guwahati route. It is India's 13th scheduled airline and the fourth low-cost carrier (LCC). IndiGo took delivery of its fourth brand new Airbus A320 aircraft from Airbus Industrie in Toulouse, France and will have six airplanes by the end of 2006 and an additional nine next year, taking the fleet size to 15 by the end of 2007. It commenced daily services from Mumbai to Vadodara with a same flight-continuation to Delhi and back, and from Mumbai to Nagpur from October 18, 2006. IndiGo will serve Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Guwahati, Imphal, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, Nagpur, Pune and Vadodara.
Jet AIRWAYS UPDATES: Code share with Qantas: Jet Airways has entered into a code share agreement with Australian airline Qantas. The tie-up will allow passengers from five Australian cities including Perth, Adelaide and Sydney to connect with the Jet Airways flight from Singapore to Delhi.
PLANS INDIA CHINA USA SERVICE: Jet Airways has also announced plans to launch services ahead of the 2008 Olympics to China, from where it plans to fly to the US next year. The airline plans services from Bombay and Delhi to Shanghai and Beijing and from there to USA. Jet unveils Delhi Singapore service: Jet Airways launched new New Delhi – Singapore service operated with the new generation B737-800 aircraft effective September 06, 2006. This direct service to Singapore is the third direct non-stop flight operated by Jet Airways from India to Singapore. The airline already operates daily direct flights from Chennai and Mumbai to Singapore. Economy class return airfares range from Rs. 14,500 to Rs. 31,655.
Kingfisher may fly global if eligibility norms are relaxeD: Kingfisher Airlines may finally be able to fly international routes on its own as the Civil Aviation Ministry is seriously considering relaxation of eligibility norms for domestic airlines to three years from the current five years for flying foreign routes. In case the norms are relaxed, Kingfisher Airlines will be able to fly international routes by 2008. As a fallback arrangement, the airline is in talks with American Airlines and MaxJet to use their rights to fly US – India sector. It plans to fly A340-500 between San Francisco and Bangalore and New York-Mumbai by the first quarter of 2008. It also plans to operate A330-200 between London-Mumbai and Hong Kong-Mumbai during the same period. The aircraft will have super first class, ultra business class and the Kingfisher class configuration of seats.
Air Sahara adds Trivandrum to its network: With effect from October 5, Air Sahara has further expanded its network by adding Trivandrum to its network. Air Sahara will offer daily return flights from New Delhi to Trivandrum via Cochin and a direct Trivandrum-Delhi service making it the only airline to offer a direct Trivandrum-Delhi flight. Air Sahara has also become the only airline to operate a direct return service between Delhi and Cochin. AIR DECCAN UPDATES: AIR DECCAN CELEBRATES 3RD ANNIVERSARY: In a very short span of 3 years, Air Deccan has achieved yet another milestone. It has garnered a market share of 21.2%, thus surpassing Indian Airlines, to rise to the 2nd largest carrier in the domestic skies. AIR DECCAN commences flights to kullu-manali: This LCC has also started daily flights, with a 48 seater aircraft, connecting Delhi and Kullu. The air service targets high end tourists traveling to the scenic stations of Kullu and Manali. AIR DECCAN online bookings for goa-ahmedabad and goa-delhi (via ahmedbad): In another scheme to boost flights on the Goa – Ahmedabad - Delhi sector, Deccan Air have commenced online auction-bookings. The bids commence at Rs.6 for the Goa-Ahmedabad - Goa Sector (dep. 16.40 and 14.20 hrs), and Rs. 1974 for the Goa-Delhi-Goa via Ahmedabad (dep. 16.40 and 12.10). For bookings log on to www.airdeccan.net. New Bangalore International Airport to be ready by April 2008: Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) expects the new airport in Bangalore to be ready by April 2008. A study estimated a traffic volume for the new Bangalore International Airport in the opening year (2008) at 6.7 million passengers. The present airport will be closed once the new airport starts operations.
Master plan for Mumbai Airport: Mumbai International Airport (MIAL), the joint venture between GVK-SA consortium and Airports Authority of India, has announced their master plan for Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA). The master plan has been designed to expand and upgrade the infrastructure at CSIA to cater to traffic of 40 million passengers per year and 1 million metric tonnes of cargo per year.
E-TICKETING CATCHING UP IN INDIA facility: Most of the airlines in India have started e-ticketing including Jet Airways, Air Sahara, Air India Express, and of course a whole lot of low cost carriers. Also in the fray is SriLankan Airlines, which has extended its e-ticket facility to tickets purchased through most travel agents. A printout of the booking combined with a valid passport is all passengers need to present at the airport. With an e-ticket it is also impossible to lose or damage one's ticket, since a new printout can be easily obtained from any computer or fax machine.
AIR INDIA EXPRESS FLYING HIGH AS PROFIT SOARS: Air India Express, Air India’s low cost subsidiary, has made a net profit of US$ 438464 (Rs. 20 million) in its first year of operation ending March 2006. This is in contrast to the losses declared by Air Deccan (US$ 74 million (Rs. 3400 million) for 15 months ending June 2006) and Kingfisher Air US$ 52 million (Rs. 240 million). Air India Express seems to be the only no frills carrier to luck the trend. The airline that flies mostly to the Gulf is planning a huge expansion next year, as the 6 new Boeing 737-800s arrive in March 2007. Flights, Madras-Singapore, Pune - Dubai, Chennai - Kuala Lumpur and Madras - Dubai are set to take off soon.
RAK Airways plans to start Indian operations by early 2007: UAE-based RAK Airways is planning to start its Indian operations by first quarter of 2007. The carrier is looking to fly to destinations like Mumbai, New Delhi, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram and Chennai. It will use two Boeing 757-200 aircraft for its weekly service.
Sapphire Airways plans Indian foray: US-based Sapphire is planning to fly to India by October 2007. In what will be the first US LCC (Low Cost Carrier) to fly to India, the carrier is going to make a start-up investment of $100 million. The airline is currently holding talks with Boeing and Airbus to purchase aircraft.
TRANSAERO STARTS AMRITSAR – MOSCOW SERVICE: A private Russian carrier Transaero has started operating twice a week Amritsar – Moscow - Toronto from 4 October with the Russian ambassador to India flagging off the inaugural flight. Transaero also has flights Moscow - Goa and Saint Petersburg. For the first time in the history of relations between the two friendly nations, the direct regular flight would link Russia and its capital with Amritsar, which is world centre of the Sikh religion and culture. Since 2003 and 2005 it has been operating direct flights to Goa from Moscow and St. Petersburg respectively.
EMIRATES TO ADD BANGALORE TO ITS ROUTE MAP: Come 29 October, Emirates will launch its service to Bangalore with eight flights a week. This will increase its footprint in the South from its present 31 weekly flights to Madras, Hyderabad, Cochin and Trivandrum to 39 weekly flights.
AIRASIA PLANS ITS FLIGHTS TO INDIA: If everything falls in line, Malaysia-based airline, AirAsia will be commencing its operations in India. AirAsia has recently received the green light from its government for air access to India and hopes to enter into the Indian market in the near future. Distribution channels of the airline consist of online bookings at their website - www.airasia.com, travel agents, airport sales counters and call centres.
Lufthansa all set to start services from Kolkata: Some 25 years after it stopped scheduled flight operations from Kolkata, Lufthansa is all set to commence a thrice – a - week flight on the Kolkata – Frankfurt - Kolkata sector from December 1, 2006. With this, the number of Lufthansa flights out of India from six destinations will go up to 45 per week.
FINNAIR TO START HELSINKI – DELHI – HELSINKI SERVICES: Finnair is planning to start services to New Delhi from Helsinki from October this year. Initially there will be three services a week which is likely to be increased to a daily service probably next year. The airline is also looking at other Indian cities. This will be the tenth Asian destination for the airline.
BOEING AND AIRBUS INVEST IN INDIA: Boeing Co. and Airbus plan to invest heavily in India to build maintenance centers and training facilities as the rival aircraft makers compete for a larger share in one of the world's fastest growing markets for commercial aircrafts. TOP
HOTELS NEWSGINGER HOTELS FROM TAJ GROUP: Roots Corporation Ltd, a 100 per cent subsidiary of the Tata Group controlled Indian Hotels Company (IHCL), will set up 30 “smart basics” hotels across the country under the brand name "Ginger" by 2007-08. Their objective is to build 100 basic hotels in the country. Recently they inaugurated the Ginger hotel at Bhubaneswar. It is the third property in the chain, while the other two hotels are currently operating in Bangalore and Haridwar. The number of Ginger hotels would swell to 10 by the end of this fiscal, including that in Pune, Mysore, Thiruvanathapuram and Durgapur. These hotels are now under various stages of completion while work has commenced in Goa, Nasik, Pondicherry and Agartala. The company also intends to start work on hotels in Tirupur, Varanasi, Pantnagar, Baroda, Ahmedabad, Paradip, Puri and Konark. Park Hotels acquires land in Hyderabad and Mumbai: The Park Hotels recently acquired land in Hyderabad and Navi Mumbai. The property in Hyderabad is a 240-room hotel scheduled to be ready by the end of 2008, whereas the property in Navi Mumbai is expected to become operational by the end of this year. Keeping in line with the other hotels of the group, the upcoming projects are also going to be luxury boutique hotels and will cater to the business travellers. Also, the group recently re-launched The Park, Vishakhapatnam with new rooms, a new restaurant and a poolside relaxation space. Boutique treats in India: In a recent issue of Sunday Times (London) Alastair Sawday chose Raheem Residency as one his 'seven top places to stay in India'. Alastair Sawday, an expert on Europe’s character hotels, is now publishing his Indian A list. Here, he exclusively reveals the best sleeps on the subcontinent. RAHEEM RESIDENCY Alleppey (Kerala): is a tasteful colonial house on a quiet beach on the outskirts of Alleppey. It’s been painstakingly converted into a very intimate experience by Bibi, a twinkle-eyed Irish and a former TV journalist who fell in love with the building while on holiday and had to buy it. It used to be owned by the Raheems, a wealthy family with links to Gandhi. Bibi also bought a lot of their furniture, such as the grandfather’s bed. It’s mahogany with inlaid marble hearts — which she describes as ‘so romantic.’ The rooms are all cool and high ceilings, there’s lovely carved wood everywhere, lots of antiques, inlaid coloured glass, bathrooms that open on to the stars. This is proper understated luxury, right at the gateway to Kerala’s wonderfully lush backwaters. For bookings, please contact us. IHHR Hospitality launches new brand of business hotels: IHHR Hospitality recently announced the launch of Ista, its new brand of business hotels. The first Ista is located in the heart of the central business district of Bangalore. The 143- room property offers tea and coffee making facility, electronic safes, LCD TV with space for a DVD player and a two line direct dial phone with high speed broadband connectivity to meet the needs of the business travellers. The hotel also offers a health club and fitness centre equipped with state-of-the-art imported equipment, a climate controlled swimming pool and a heated outdoor Jacuzzi. In addition, the hotel features a round-the-clock ‘Executive Centre’ and its facilities include a boardroom, meeting room, workstations and secretarial services. The group is also planning to open five more hotels under the brand over the next three years in primary business cities including Hyderabad, Pune and Ahmedabad. THE LEELA PALACE, BANGALORE: This property will add another 132 rooms & suites and an international restaurant to the existing hotel. The construction of an additional wing to house the Royal Club Tower, commenced in May 2005, will be operational by December 2006. CARLSON HOTELS ASIA PACIFIC TO EXPAND ITS PORTFOLIO: Carlson Hotels Asia Pacific is on a major expansion mode as 23 hotels under the Carlson umbrella of brands are under various stages of development. This includes 15 Radisson Hotels, seven Country Inns & Suites by Carlson and a Park Inn. The locations at which these properties are being built include Alibaugh, Kumarakom, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Agra, New Delhi, Manesar, Amritsar, Mumbai, Pune, Ludhiana, Udaipur, Kolkatta, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Faridabad, Cochin, Chennai, Lahore, Kazakhstan, Tashkent, Goa, Nagpur and Indore. KAMAT GROUP TO SET UP CONVENTION CENTER, HOTEL IN NAGPUR: The Kamat Group owner of Orchid brand is planning to set up three projects in Nagpur, Maharashtra including a three star hotel and convention centre. The hotel and convention centre will be located near the Airport while the catering college near Chhatrapati Square in the city. MARRIOTT OPENS SEVENTH PROPERTY IN INDIA: Marriott International recently expanded its portfolio in India with the opening of the 297-room Hyderabad Marriott Hotel. The hotel, seventh Marriott property in India, has opened after an extensive renovation and expansion of the former Viceroy Hotel. Primarily targeted at discerning business travellers, the hotel features one of the largest convention centres in India and provides state-of-the-art business services. It also offers 3,083 sq m of space for conferences and social events, consisting of a 968 sq m ballroom and 14 additional meeting rooms. EAST INDIA HOTELS TO START 12 NEW PROJECTS: Four new company owned projects will be located in Goa, Bombay, Bangalore and Raigarh (near Khajuraho). EIH will have minority stake in properties in Maldives, Cambodia and Hyderabad. The managed-properties include a 250-key Oberoi brand luxury hotel and 40 service apartments at Business bay in Dubai. The hotel is expected be operational by early 2009. The Hyderabad property would be a 250-key Trident Hilton Hotel and would have 50 service apartments located at Hitech City. In Calcutta, EIH will start a flight kitchen for which a five acre plot has already been acquired near the airport. EIH-NILE CRUISER: Apart from the hotels, a Nile Cruiser, another managed property, which is under construction in Egypt, will commence operation in 2007. It will be a luxurious cruiser on the Nile with 30 cabins and four therapy suites. EIH-LUXURY TRAIN: The Oberoi Group of Hotels is also planning to start a luxury train on the pattern of Palace on Wheels, in collaboration with Rajasthan Tourism and Indian Railway. The train will ply from New Delhi- Jaipur – Jodhpur – Jaisalmer – Udaipur – Ranthombore – Agra - Delhi and is likely to cost 50% more than the Palace on Wheels. TAJ GROUP OF HOTELS PLANS 3 NEW PROPERTIES IN DELHI: Indian Hotels Company (IHCI), owner of the Taj Group of Hotels, has announced plans to build three new properties in Delhi & National Capital Region which is hosting Commonwealth Games in 2010. The Taj is also looking to increase its presence in Thailand, Qatar and South Africa. Club Mahindra plans 4 new resorts countrywide: Club Mahindra Holidays is planning to set up theme-based resorts in Kumbalgarh (Rajasthan), Lonavala (Maharashtra), Kollam (Kerala) and Corbett (Uttaranchal). This expansion would culminate in increasing the number of Club Mahindra resorts from the current 15 to 19. Club Mahindra’s property at Lonavala will consist of 125 fully furnished rooms and have a village setting theme in its décor and architecture. The Kumbalgarh resort will include 53 well appointed rooms with a Rajasthani theme from the Mewar region. The resort at Kerala will be set against the impressive backwaters and rich foliage of the region, and will be designed to reflect the flavours and character of Kerala. At Corbett, a 50 room resort will be set amidst the sights and sounds of the surrounding wildlife. WARBUG PINCUS INVESTS IN LEMON TREE HOTELS: Lemon Tree Hotels will further expand the Lemon Tree network and enhance the company’s pan-India presence. Warburg Pincus is also investing in Red Fox Hotels, a new company being promoted by Patu Keswani, CMD, Lemon Tree Hotels. The company proposes to set-up limited service, economy hotels across India at a price range of Rs 800 - 2,000 per night. The first three Red Fox Hotels, aggregating 500 rooms and targeted at extremely price conscious business and leisure traveller, are under development and are expected to open in Mumbai, Jaipur and Hyderabad by late 2008.
WELCOMHERITAGE CHAIN ADDS RANTHAMBHORE FOREST RESORT: WelcomHeritage recently added Ranthambhore Forest Resort Sawai Madhopur, to its chain. Located next to the popular wildlife sanctuary, the resort offers 20 spacious and well-appointed rooms and suites. It also provides 5-hole golf course and courts to play volleyball, tennis, badminton and lawn tennis. Besides plenty of indoor games, the hotel provides separate swimming pools for children and adults. With this the chain has a presence at most of the National Parks in North India. The first jungle lodges to join the chain were at Kanha and Bandhavgarh, followed by Ramganga Resort at Corbett. Sariska Tiger Heaven followed 3 years later and two months ago WelcomHeritage signed up the Kikar Lodge located near the Ropar wetland and India’s only ‘Private Forest Reserve’. WelcomHeritage has also recently added Windsor Hotel and Lodge in Ranikhet, Uttaranchal. TAJ HOTELS SET TO ACQUIRE PROPERTIES IN CHINA AND US: The Taj Hotels are eying Ningbo city in the eastern mainland of China, near the Yangtse river to set up a business hotel. Taj plans to build the property as a joint venture with a Chinese partner. With the Ningbo Government building an International Trade Mart, visitors to the city will rise to 40,000 daily as 10,000 international traders will also set up branches in the city. The Taj group is in the fray to buy the Ritz Carlton in Boston (for approximately $ 170 million). The 79 year old Ritz Carlton is Americas longest continuously run hotel and a Boston landmark. TOP PUNE FESTIVAL: The 18th Pune Festival commenced on September 1. Like every year, the festival awards were presented to people whose accomplishments and commitment have earned them repute in their respective fields. This year, the awards were given to lyricist Javed Akhtar, social worker Dr. Baba Adhav, actress Sulochana and Indian shooter Samaresh Jung. The inaugural ceremony was as spectacular as always with performances by dancers and other renowned artistes. The grand finale featured choreographer and dancer Shaimak Davar and his troupe. An added attraction this year was the spectacular acrobatics performed by 60 Chinese acrobats who have come all the way from Beijing to commemorate the Sino India Friendship Year. And ‘Sound of the Valley’ featured solo and jugalbandi performances by the renowned Pt. Shivkumar Sharma and Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia. KERALA TRAVEL MART FROM 28-30 SEPTEMBER 2006 IN COCHIN: The Kerala Travel Mart (KTM), a biennial travel trade event that showcases Kerala was held at the Le Meridien International Convention Centre in Cochin from September 28-30, 2006. It is the only tourism event in the subcontinent that brings together the business fraternity and entrepreneurs behind the tourism products and services of Kerala. It is the largest gathering designed, planned and scheduled to facilitate meetings involving Buyers, Sellers, Media, Government Agencies and others interested in promoting Kerala. Besides, seminars, pre/post mart FAM tours and cultural evenings, it gives the participants a first-hand experience of the destination. Launched in the year 2000 as KTM 2000, marts were conducted in 2002 and 2004 with Buyers participate from around 50 countries and other parts of India. INDIA INTERNATIONAL BOAT SHOW IN COCHIN FROM 20 - 22 OCTOBER: The India International Boat Show (IIBS) was held in Cochin at Le Meridien International Convention Centre, Cochin from 20 - 22 October 2006. IIBS brings together the entire boating, marine and aqua tourism industry from South Asia and Middle East. Since its inception 4 years ago, IIBS has charted a continuous success story catering to the demands of the recreational boating industry in the region. The IIBS has been enhancing awareness levels, encouraging innovations and in general aiding the development of the nascent Indian leisure boating and marine equipment industry.LEISURE BOATING: The event has been organised by Kerala Tourism to provide a platform for players in the sector to interact, share ideas and strike deals, and to promote leisure and marine boating in the country. Over the years, the show has become one of its kind in South Asia. Traditional boats will take the pride of place. Sources said the South Indian Federation of Fishermen Societies would bring two catamarans - one wooden and the other built of thermocol and composite material. A traditional boat building yard would come up with an almost finished boat and display the skill of workmen in giving finishing touches. A houseboat made of composite material and a steel chundanvallom (snake boat) too will be on show.SHARADOTSAV CELEBRATED BY GUJARAT TOURISM: The October full moon or Sharad Poornima is associated with Lord Krishna and his gopis. Gujarat Tourism celebrated it with a cultural program featuring the traditional dances of Garba and Dandia Raas and great food. VASCO DA GAMA RALLY, GOA: The highlight of this year's show was the arrival of six sail boats which were participating in the Vasco Da Gama boat rally from Greece to Goa. The Kochi visit was not part of their itinerary, but they decided to sail down on coming to know that the port city would host the international boat show. The rally had been organised by Lodewiyk Brust, a Dutch sailor, who travels the globe on his yacht, along with his two dogs. He is among those who will speak at a seminar on marine tourism at the show. KAPURTHALA HERITAGE FESTIVAL 27-29 OCTOBER: INTACH (Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage) and the Punjab Government are organizing the Kapurthala Heritage Festival once again at the Jagatjit Palace 27-29 October. The highlight of the festival will be the famous French style Jagatjit Palace which is being restored by INTACH conservationists. ANANYA PRESENTS FESTIVAL OF DANCE AT PURANA QILA: The ruins of Purana Qila (Old Fort) once again reverberated to the sound of music and dance as Ananya in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism presented a feast of traditional and contemporary dance from 12-16 Oct. 42ND FHRAI ANNUAL CONVENTION IN CHANDIGARH: The annual convention of Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Association of India (FHRAI) is being held in Chandigarh from November 10 to 12, 2006 at Hotel Mountview, Chandigarh. This will be accompanied by a trade show Hospitality India 2006 at the convention venue, Mountview Chandigarh. TOP NEWS MEANS GOOD NEWS (India)INCREDIBLE INDIA BED & BREAFAST SCHEME: A unique scheme called “Incredible India Bed & Breakfast Establishments” was launched by India Tourism on October 18 to provide comfortable home-stay facilities of world class standards to the tourists. A double edged advantage which will not only help overcome acute hotel room shortage but also empower the women to earn an income while staying at home. The scheme will enable foreign tourists to stay with an Indian family to experience local customs and traditions and relish authentic ethnic cuisine at affordable rates. A set of guidelines have also been issued to regulate the participating homesteads. They would be categorized as ‘Silver’ and ‘Gold’ depending on the degree of comforts provided. KASHMIR SHIKARAS TO FEATURE ON MAP PORTAL - MAPMYINDIA.COM: The houseboats and Shikaras of Kashmir will soon become a part of MapmyIndia.com. The only maps portal for India, unveiled v-2007, its easier-to-use, futuristic version was launched recently at a press conference held at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi. MapmyIndia v-2007 exploits the web 2.0 platform to introduce a number of features, not yet offered in India. MapmyIndia provides detailed maps at zoom levels on the net and blends them with futuristic offerings - mapsearch, e-location, driving directions and local search – to offer an exhaustive array of location-based solutions centring India. These facilities are also available on mobile. LONGEST TRAFFIC TUNNEL IN ASIA: A three-kilometre long double-laned traffic tunnel on the Manali-Kirtpur Highway, the longest of its kind in Asia, was inaugurated on August 6. The horse-shoe shaped tunnel, with a diameter of 10.5 metres links Aut and Thalot in Larji hydro-power project area, 40-km from Mandi. GALILEO INTRODUCES 'VIEWTRIP' IN INDIA: Galileo has announced the launch of the ‘new look’ and enhanced Galileo ViewTrip in India. Galileo ViewTrip is a widely used tool by the travel agents and their customers, and has now been enhanced in its applications and usability. The all-new ViewTrip is accessible 24 hours a day via any Internet ready device. This gives the consumers the ability to access itinerary information and print the itinerary, e-ticket or electronic expense receipt online. CASA DE LA INDIA: A unique historical building which is home to the rich Indian culture - will open its door to the Spanish people on November 11, this year where the bust of Tagore will be unveiled. The gala evening will also see performance by Anushka Shankar and the inaugural week will feature a Bollywood Film Festival wherein seven popular films of Satyajit Ray will be shown to the people of Spain. 500 RAILWAY STATIONS SET FOR WI-FI CONNECTIVITY: 500 railways stations will soon be Wi-Fi enabled, a great help to laptop using travelers. In addition, “Call centers” will be set up at 14 stations to provide faster train arrival and departure information by dialing 139. This facility already exists at Bangalore and Patna. HOLLYWOOD STARS ANGELINA JOLIE AND BRAD PITT TAKE PUNE & GOA BY STORM: Pune was in a tizzy as Hollywood’s “hottest” couple Angelina Jolie and Brand Pitt, were in town for the shooting of “Mighty Heart” based on the life of assassinated American journalist Daniel Pearl of the Wall Street Journal. The couple stayed at the Le Meridian and in spite of tight security, took time for an auto rickshaw ride to take in the sights. They also came to Goa and stayed at Kingfisher Villa of M.P. Vijay Mallaya of Kingfisher fame. NOW VISA-FREE TRAVEL WITHIN ASEAN REGION: Recently ASEAN's foreign ministers signed a visa-free initiative, under the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Visa Exception. The initiative groups the bilateral arrangements within ASEAN into a standardised rule, allowing visits to member nations for up to two weeks without the need for a visa. Along with plentiful options of cheap air travel, this move is seen as a major boost to tourism in the region. BOMBAY HAAT: FORCE (Foundation of Research and Cultural Exchange) will set up a rural flavored traditional bazaar “Bombay Haat” similar to the highly successful Dilli Haat in New Delhi It is likely to have a Living Heritage Centre (LHC) to showcase the essence of India, offering diverse activities like boat ride along the ghats of Varanasi, or relive a slice of Mughal history through a virtual reality set up. The state government will also invest in the project and provide the land for the haat and the LHC. The Haat and Food court will be spread over 5 acres and the entire project including the LHC will cover 28 acres. The project will cost about US Dollars 40 million. RAJASTHAN PLANS TO HOLD CONVENTION ABOARD LUXURY TRAIN: Rajasthan apart from being a land of forts, palaces and desert beauty is moving ahead towards hosting more conventions and events. According to government sources, Palace on Wheels luxury train, which is the jewel of Rajasthan tourism, may soon boast an extra saloon for hosting conventions and meeting. This would give tourists the pleasure of conducting business in style. HOLY SHRINE OF KEDARNATH CLOSES 24 OCTOBER FOR THE WINTER: The holy shrine of Kedarnath will close for the winter on 24 October. The Badrinath shrine will close on 16 November. MARK SHAND, IN INDIA TO PROMOTE CARTIER ELEPHANT POLO CUP: Mark Shand brother of Camilla Parker Bowles (married to Prince Charles) is better known as the man who bought an elephant “Tara” and traveled on her across India and wrote a book “Travels on my elephant”. He was in the capital to promote the Cartier Elephant Polo Cup to be played in Jaipur, November 18. He has visited India several times and works for the Conservation of the Asian elephant. FOREIGN TOURIST ARRIVALS REGISTER 10.5% GROWTH IN AUGUST: Foreign Tourist arrivals registered a rise of 10.5% in August with the arrivals reaching 299,211 (up from 270,779 last August). From January to August the number of foreign tourist arrivals is 27,85,328 an increase of 13.5% over the previous year. Foreign exchange earnings are up 16.2%. PONDICHERRY TOURISM TO DEVELOP FORMER FRENCH ENCLAVE KARAIKAL: The Pondicherry Tourism Development Corporation has drawn up an ambitious plan to develop tourism infrastructure in the state and also the temple town of Karaikal. Karaikal, a former French enclave, is known for the Sufishrine and Shanishwara temple, the only one in the country is located 135 km / 85 miles away from Pondicherry. INDIAN RAIL PLANS SEVERAL ‘PALACE ON WHEELS’ CLONES: Indian Railways, buoyed by the spectacular success of high-end luxury train ‘Palace on Wheels’, is all set to launch several such trains in various parts of the country. They are geared up for the launch of two luxury trains, one each in Rajasthan and Karnataka circuits, by April 2007. While the second luxury train in Rajasthan would cater to the growing demand from tourists on the same route, the ‘Palace on Wheels’ in Karnataka would cover Mysore, Rangnathittu and many places in and around Bangalore. . Palace on Wheels type trains are also planned for Karnataka, Kerala and the Punjab. Rajasthan Tourism started the Heritage on Wheels to cover the Shekhawati area. Maharashtra Tourism has its Deccan Odyssey and Gujarat the Royal Orient. UNESCO LAUNCHES HERITAGE PASSPORT PROGRAMME IN 4 STATES: At the recently held seminar on Heritage Tourism in India, in the Capital, the Indian Heritage passport program was launched as a collaborative effort of UNESCO, the Union Tourism ministry and the State governments of West Bengal, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan. Practices, to preserve the cultural diversity, successful in other countries will be replicated in India to help preserve the country’s cultural and natural resources. Activities proposed are, the mapping of local cultural resources and tourism facilities, development of themed itineraries such as Buddhist route, Legends of Shiva, yoga and Ayurveda healing etc Public and private partnership schemes will be encouraged. RELAXATION OF STAY OF CHARTER TOURISTS AND OTHER PROVISIONS: To give tourism a fillip, the civil aviation ministry has removed all restrictions on the minimum and maximum number of days that chartered foreign tourists can stay in India with effect from October 10 this year. Earlier, charter tourists could not stay for less than one week and not for more than four weeks. While Goa and Kerala have traditionally been the favourite destinations for chartered flights originating from Europe, Uttaranchal is also expecting to host at least 50,000 chartered foreign tourists. The ministry has also relaxed penal provisions by liberalising the tourist charter guidelines. The move is expected to result in a 10-15% increase in chartered tourist arrivals. In 2005, chartered foreign tourist arrivals stood at 2.25-2.50 lakh (1 lakh = 100000), against total foreign arrivals of 3.5 million. As far as penal provisions are concerned, earlier the pilot was held responsible for the failure to meet any charter guidelines. Under the revised guidelines, tour operators, and not pilots, would be held responsible. The directorate general of civil aviation would cancel the operators’ licence and he would be automatically de-recognised by the tourism ministry. For outbound charters, the ministry has also done away with the 2:1 condition - that requires a tour operator to bring one tourist to India for every two tourists flown abroad. The civil aviation ministry has agreed to allow foreign (scheduled) airlines to come directly to Goa. Air India will also be granted permission to introduce more flights on Kuwait-Dubai-Mumbai-Goa sector as soon as its new fleet arrives. HOMECOMING OF SUPERSTAR LIBRA TO MUMBAI PROMISES MORE EXCITING CRUISE HOLIDAY OPTIONS: Star Cruises has announced the homecoming of SuperStar Libra to Mumbai for another season of exciting holiday options in India. The return marks a second season for the ship following an inaugural home-porting season from September 2005 to May 2006. A series of one-night international water cruises will kicked off the new season from October 18 to 22, 2006 followed by the first destination cruise to Goa on October 23, 2006. SuperStar Libra will also offer regular two and three-night cruises to Goa and Lakshadweep respectively. For the new season, more one–night cruises from Mumbai have been introduced to allow first–timers to enjoy a holiday with a difference. One-night cruises from Goa have also been introduced on selected dates. TEMPLE TOWNS: The tourism ministry has proposed to promote the ''temple towns'' of the country into ''tourist spots'' by providing adequate infrastructure facilities. Developmental activities would be undertaken with the help of local population and complying with the norms prescribed by the ASI as many of the ''heritage structures'' were protected by the agency. DOUBLE DECKER BUS “Hop on Hop off” SIGHTSEEING BUS in Bangalore: A unique open air double-decker bus sight-seeing service with 'Hop on Hop off' facility has been introduced in Bangalore by Concepttree Creation private limited under the brand, City Swaps. This would provide tourists an opportunity to explore the city at a flexible pace. Tourists will be provided with a day pass to travel on any of the fleet of buses that cover Bangalore’s tourist attractions, and spend as much time as desired in each place and then get on the next coach. TOP NEWS MEANS GOOD NEWS (International) INDIA PARTNER COUNTRY AT ITB, BERLIN: On World Tourism Day (27 September) an agreement was singed by the Union tourism Ministry and Messe Germany making India the partner country at the ITB Berlin to be held 7-11 March 2007. The ITB Berlin is the largest Tourism Fair held in Berlin Germany each year. As partner country India would be in a position to showcase its tourism products to 5 to 6 million people for the duration of the Fair. As the partner country India would be represented by the organizers in all ITB advertising and at all press conferences and trade shows where ITB is promoted. India would also have exclusive rights to conceptualize and organize the opening ceremony at ITB 2007. RAIL EUROPE PLANS SUBSIDIARY IN INDIA: Rail Europe (a joint venture between the French and Swiss national Railways) has plans to set up a subsidiary in India to attract greater numbers of Indian tourists. The company also plans to tie up with the Indian Railways to promote its rail passes online. It will also tie up with major travel agents to sell its tickets.
MALAYSIA ANNOUNCES VISA ON ARRIVAL FOR INDIAN TOURISTS: The Tourism Minister of Malaysia announced “Visa on arrival” for Indian tourists visiting Malaysia at a charge of RM100. The facility will be available at 6 different entry points with the visa being valid for 30 days. AUSTRALIA INTRODUCES ELECTRONIC TOURIST VISA (E676) IN INDIA ON TRIAL BASIS: The first electronic visitor visa for an Indian national was granted on August 24, 2006. Visa applications are made over the Internet through selected PAS (Preferred Aussie Specialist) Indian travel agents who have been trained in the process and provided with the necessary access to the system. The e676 visa is stored electronically and replaces the need for a visa label to be placed in the passport. Consequently, eligible visa applicants will be able to apply for a visa and receive confirmation of the grant of their visa without having to visit or send documents to the Australian High Commission or Consulates. TOP MARRIAGES MADE ON INDIAN SHORES: The lavish spending on Indian marriages is giving several states knotty thoughts. In a bid to cash-in on the marriage fervour, a host of states — spread across the length and breadth of India — are now offering to play wedding planners for well-heeled Indians and foreigners. Rajasthan tourism ministry has already initiated dialogue with a number of tour operators and hoteliers to promote the state as the ideal spot to say your nuptial vows. On offer — as the ideal spot for tying the knot — are the scores of palaces dotting the state's vast landscape. According to rough industry estimates, the cost of organising such weddings starts from Rs 5 lakh. Industry insiders say the upper limit would depend on the place, arrangements and the number of people attending the event. Ancient palaces, heritage hotels, colourful traditions and the shahi costumes are the main attractions. Cities like Jaipur and Udaipur, which have big palaces, heritage hotels, serve as perfect venues. Add to that camels, elephants and ethnic jewelleries, and they make Rajasthan a hot destination for royal weddings. If Rangilo Rajasthan is betting on its maharaja-style shadi, others like Uttaranchal and Goa are hard selling their natural beauty to woo the wedding party. There are also a number of foreigners who come to Haridwar, Rishikesh and tie the knot in the ashrams there. TOP kurinji violet splendour in munnar again after 12 years: The high-altitude grasslands of Munnar are once again bathed in blue, after 12 long years. The meandering paths going up to the hills, part of the Western Ghats, have begun sporting countless Kurinji flowers, in their full violet splendour. A once-in-12-year phenomenon, it occurs in August-October over the Western Ghats in the Nilgiris, Anamalais and Palani plateaus. Once spread over about 1,000 sq km, it is now limited to the three protected areas of Eravikulam, Anamalais and Mukurti. The largest patch for the bloom will be the Eravikulam National Park in Munnar, home to the endangered NIlgiri Tahr goat. The state government is planning to create a Neelakurinji sanctuary covering areas where the plants exist outside the protected forest. This year, over half-a-million tourists expected to visit the Munnar area. According to ancient Tamil Sangham literature, Lord Muruga made a garland of these flowers to be adorned by Goddess Valli when he took her as his wife. So strongly is this story weaved into the local psyche that the plants are used as firewood only after it has completely dried and the seeds dispersed to ensure they germinate to bloom after a dozen years. BANDHAVGARH NATIONAL PARK: The Bandhavgarh National Park is in wonderful form with approx. With 11 new tigers ranging between 4 months to 18 months, eagerly waiting to earn their stripes this season. In the toiletries section, the soaps, shampoos, conditioners and moisturisers are 100% organic. Beyond the Bakery, Continental and Indian cuisine, Bandhavgarh’s kitchen is proud to have catered to its first Vegan guest. Along with the usual seasonal vegetables, lime, grapefruit, paw paw, orange, custard apple and lychee trees have been added to the kitchen garden. They promise to bear fruit by the second year, and guests can then enjoy picking and eating the fruits. Two units of non - profit accommodations have been set aside for anybody wishing to do conservation work or research in the Bandhavgarh National Park (at Jungle Mantra resort). These are available for a min of 2 weeks and max of 6 months. (News courtesy: Jungle Mantra) ELEPHANT SAFARI AT KNP BEGINS: The private elephant safari in Kaziranga National Park began on October 15 at Gagari range. The first tour was led by the experienced elephant ‘Raibahadur’ followed by ‘Lakshiprasad’, ‘Champa’ and ‘Nirumai’. The foreign tourists were from Germany, England etc. The tourist lodges have also been renovated to attract the tourists. The jeep safari association has imparted tourist guide training to the unemployed youths. It is pertinent to mention that the park will be opened for the visitors on November 1 next. BIOLOGICALLY SUSTAINABLE FORESTS FOR ELEPHANTS: A unique solution to resolve the elephant-human conflict, that could serve as a model for conservation elsewhere, is taking shape in Chhattisgarh. Under this, different forests will be linked by revitalising existing corridors and creating new ones in a three-phase project to protect affected tribals and earmark biologically sustainable forests for an elephant reserve. Helping Chhattisgarh in this mission is conservationist Mike Pandey, his Earth Matters Foundation (EMF), and a team of veteran elephant and habitat experts, including former Project Elephant chief Vinod Rishi. With 44 per cent forest cover, Chhattisgarh has been attracting migratory elephant herds displaced from Jharkhand due to mining and deforestation since the early nineties. Today, the state has about 130 elephants and this has led to frequent man-animal conflicts. Today, there are more than 430 affected villages There is good news for domestic elephants too: a rescue centre-cum-old age home for distressed and “retired” elephants in natural surroundings will be set up in the state. A pilot project will be launched soon. TOP CHARTER TOURISTS TO START ARRIVING ON OCTOBER 29: The charter flights carrying tourists will start arriving at Dabolim airport from October 29, with Monarch being the first flight to land in the state from United Kingdom (though 2 flights each already arrived on 15 & 22 Oct). Besides, three airlines, SriLankan Airlines, Condor and TransAir, will operate scheduled flights to the state beginning this month end. The charters would continue operation till mid-May, 2007. From this year onwards, Condor, which was operating charter flights from Germany, would operate scheduled flights from early November to April and that from next year onwards it would operate regular flights throughout the year. Similarly TransAir would also start operating from early November. Jumbo flights carrying tourists from Russia were also expected to land at Dabolim early next year. Tourists from East European countries like Hungary, Czech Republic, Latvia and Serbia were also likely to come to the state. It is expected that the number of charter flights would go up to 850 as against 719 last year. With the largest number of tourists expected from United Kingdom, Russia and the Scandinavian countries. This is also largely due to the changes in the charter policy which has relaxed the duration of stay in the country and also allows the tourist the option of arriving at one airport and leaving from another airport from where the charter flights were operated. Further boosting this fact is that Goa has been made the permanent venue for hosting of the International Film Festival of India. EXPANSION OF DABOLIM AIRPORT: The Dabolim airport expansion plans are afoot with the stage being set for the transfer of land from the Goa government to the Airport Authority of India. This is likely to be executed before August 15. Similarly, work was also in progress for the transfer of nine acres of land from the Navy to the AAI. Dabolim airport would be made operational 24 hours from the ensuing tourism season, except for a small period in the morning for Naval exercises. In what also seems to be very interesting move, the civil aviation ministry has granted permission for commencement of a helicopter service in Goa. GOA’S FIRST FILM STUDIO AT CHANDOR: On Tuesday, 5th September this year, Goa inaugurated its first film studio at the picturesque village of Cavorim, Chandor. Nestled amidst lush green surroundings with an area admeasuring 6000sq mt. ‘FILM STUDIO 70 MM’ will basically provide all facilities under one roof which cater to the requirements of film producers. Facilities include furnished decorative rooms, conforming to film requirements, a swimming pool, daylight lighting and sprawling lawns. Besides this, there are also plans to set up a dubbing and editing unit here. The promoters will also offer packages for the filmmakers not only to avail of the studio but also to assist in outdoor shooting projects. Tuesday saw the shooting of a film produced by Karan-Arjun films. GOA SCIENCE CENTRE, MIRAMAR, PANAJI GOA: The Goa Science Centre is a Science & Technology Musuem functioning under the National Council of Science Museums, Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India. The Centre is located on 5 acres of land at the picturesque Miramar Beach leased by the the Govt. of Goa. The Centre has a beautiful landscaped Science Park full of interactive Exhibits on S&T. Inside the building there are two Galleries on "Science of Ocean" and "Fun Science". These galleries are replete with participatory exhibits and visitors can operate them to see exciting phenomena. The Centre also has a Mini Planetarium and Cyberlab. Various other programmes are also conducted daily for the visiting public. 3D FANTASY THEATRE OPENED AT GOA SCIENCE CENTRE: A new tourist attraction, the first of its kind in Goa, a 3D Fantasy Theatre, has started at Goa Science Centre. The Air-conditioned 140 seater Auditorium with 3D screening facility was inaugurated on 12th June 2006. Four shows of exciting 3-D films are screened every day for the visiting public. These movies are Sci-fi fantasy movies and visitors experience amazing 3-D effects as the scenes of the film come out of screen to give a real life experience. A fee of Rs. 10/- only per head is charged in addition to the entry ticket of Rs. 10/- per head with attractive group concessions for the Tour operators and Student groups and is open from 10.30 am to 6.30 pm. on all days expect holi and diwali. LEELA PLANS GOLF COURSE IN GOA: In addition to their existing property in Goa, the Leela’s are acquiring 250 acres of land to set up a Golf Course, Golf Academy and club houses in Goa. GOA BETS ON TOURIST DOLLARS AFTER CASINO GO-AHEAD: Goa, India's beach paradise, is set to become the country's gambling capital after local politicians said the state would allow 10 more floating casinos to operate offshore. Operators [of the new casinos] will have to get licences from a number of authorities and expect that within a year they will start. Next year a gambling website set up by businessmen will host the country's first big poker tournament in Goa. GOAIR TIES UP WITH GOA TOURISM TO PROMOTE GOA AS A FAVOURED DESTINATION: GoAir announced its tie-up with GTDC (Goa Tourism Development Corporation) to promote tourism to Goa and to develop a common brand 'GoGoa'. GoAir also announced the commencement of its new flights to and from Goa. The airline already started its Delhi - Goa flights a couple of months ago and is also looking at increasing the frequency of flights daily to and from Goa, from Mumbai. Through this tie-up, GoAir passengers will get special rates at prime GTDC hotels and winners of promotions on GoAir will win free stays in GTDC properties across Goa. TOP
Just Answer Five Simple Questions to win a book on India:
1) Which new airline started its operation to Andaman Nicobar Islands this summer a. Jet Airways c. Air Deccan b. Indian d. Jagson Airline
2) Which foreign steel company is likely to be taken over by Indian steel giant Tata Steel a. Corus c. Essilor b. China Steel d. Russian Steel Co.
3) Where did our earlier prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee spend his year end in Kerala a few years ago a. Munnar c. Kumarakom b. Periyar d. Kovalam
4) Which great Indian monument celebrated its 350th anniversary in 2004 a. Taj Mahal c. Red Fort, Agra b. Amber Fort d. Hampi Complex
5) Which famous festival takes place in Jaisalmer every year in February a. Cattle Fair c. Desert Festival b. Kite Festival d. Kolayat Fair
LAST DATE: 15 Nov’06 to send your entries at the email address pmaurya@vsnl.net or pmaurya@indiainvites.com ANSWERS OF LAST CONTEST: 1) Alleppey Boat Race trophy is given away after whose name, being held every year on the second Saturday of August in Kerala? ANS: Jawahar Lal Nehru
2) As per the latest news, Goa is trying to woo the tourists from which country in leaner period of summer & monsoon? ANS: Australia
3) Which Indian adventurer recently led a team to the North Pole on ski? ANS: Ajit Bajaj
4) Which airline is going to have two services per week from Europe to Goa as a scheduled carrier? ANS: Condor
5) In which city are the next Commonwealth Games scheduled to be held?
ANS: Delhi WINNER OF LAST CONTEST: There were quiet a few all-correct answers, however Damiana Fili from Italy is the lucky winner out of the lot! Warm congratulations! The other people with all correct entries are: Mr. K. Venu, Margao (Goa); Mr. Paul Fernandes, Australia; Mrs. Varalakshmi R, Bangalore; Mr. PC Vachaspati, Bangalore; Mr. Luc Schwarz, Italy; Mr. Gun Nidhi, Jaipur; Mr. Ashok Sharma, London; Ms. Marianne Langhans, Switzerland; Ms. Doreen, Singapore, Mr. Ashok Bakshi, Delhi & Mr. Vikas Sharma, Delhi all of you – better luck next time!!! TOP
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DISCLAIMER: This newsletter is currently being sent to about 4000 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 |