Category Archives: States

Tourism Minister of Uttarakhand, Satpal Maharaj has said that comprehensive strategies of state governments will bring tourism back on track. He added, “We have worked on a two-pronged strategy in our state. On the one hand we have provided Rs200 crore relief package to respective stakeholders related to the tourism industry, and on the other hand rolled out various schemes to encourage self-employment opportunities for the local youth.”

In a bid to bring some much-needed relief to its tourism industry, the Andaman & Nicobar administration has announced that all tourist activities in South Andaman and North & Middle Andaman district have re-opened. Tourists will only have to undergo quarantine at hotels till the availability of their RT-PCR report; a free test will be conducted on arrival at Port Blair.

Meghalaya Tourism Director, Cyril VD Diengdoh, said that the state has seen a steady growth of tourist arrivals from Bangladesh over the years. He said, “In order to enhance the experience of tourists, the state government is following the three fundamentals – right pricing, carrying capacity and zero waste. Meghalaya Tourism has come up with a mobile app that provides a one-stop solution to tourists who wish to plan a trip and helps in contactless check-in at their hotels following the safety protocols.”

The Karnataka government has passed an order making RT-PCR negative tests mandatory for people entering the state from Kerala and Maharashtra. However, airlines allowed those with vaccination certificates to travel until Sunday. From now on, passengers flying in from these two states will not be issued boarding passes if they don’t produce negative RT-PCR test at the port of boarding.

In his opinion piece on Moneycontrol.com, Suman Billa, Director, Technical Cooperation & Silk Road at UNWTO, advised, “Enable travel in a predictable and hassle-free manner. A national committee with the Ministries of Tourism, Civil Aviation and Health along with representatives from the states and industry should be set up to prescribe and harmonise travel restrictions across India.”

Directorate of Tourism (DOT) Maharashtra is conducting ‘Special 5 days Guide Training Programme’ for tribal communities, at Karnala Sanctuary and Phansad Sanctuary in Raigad district from today till August 6. These will be offline trainings. Dhananjay Sawalkar, Director, DOT Maharashtra, says, “To make the visit enjoyable, tourists need good guides to provide authentic and relevant information.”

In a re-shuffle of the state cabinet, the Odisha government has posted Surendra Kumar, who was the Principal Secretary – Steel and Mines, in the General Administration department with the additional charge of the Tourism department as its Principal Secretary. Vishal Dev, who was the Principal Secretary of Tourism, Sports and Youth Affairs in the Odisha government, has been appointed as the new Principal Secretary of the Finance department.

Gurpal Singh Chahal (IAS), Deputy Commissioner – Ferozepur District, Government of Punjab, informed that recently Punjab Government has sanctioned Rs 5 crore for developing light and sound show at the National Martyrs Memorial at Hussainiwala Border. The Indo-Pak Retreat Ceremony at Hussainiwala Border is a popular activity and can be witnessed from as close as 100 feet from the Zero Line. If developed and marketed properly, this can outshine the retreat ceremony at Wagah Border.    

Amadeus’ latest Travel Trends report says that Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru are still the most searched destinations in India in 2021, the same as 2019. Mani Ganeshan, its Head of R&D, Asia Pacific, says, “This suggests that Indian travellers are looking to explore closer to home, albeit cautiously. However, in 2021, the travellers’ duration of stay is lengthening which tells us the desire to travel never falters, and that travellers are creatively making the most out of their travel and taking advantage of the new hybrid working model we are seeing unfold.”

The Directorate of Tourism, Jammu is now trying to promote a little-known destination in the UT called Kishtwar. Rupinder Brar, Additional DG, MoT, said that Kishtwar is blessed with beautiful geaography and rich culture, and has immense potential with regard to several types of tourism, ranging from nature to ethnic tourism. She said, “We need to work with the local administration and develop connectivity to the destination, hospitality units workforce quality and marketing strategy for Kishtwar. We are planning roadshows and other promo activities to promote the region extensively.”