Category Archives: States

The 35th annual convention of the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) was inaugurated at the Biswa Bangla Convention Centre in Kolkata. The association is organising the convention in Kolkata after 17 years with the theme, ‘Is Tourism Thriving? Challenges and Opportunities’. The Day 2 of the convention will mark the opening of India Tourism Fair 2019. The convention was graced by Goutam Deb, Tourism Minister, West Bengal, Indranil Sen, Minister of State, Dept. of Information & Culture Affairs and Tourism, Government of West Bengal, Jyoti Prakash Panigrahi, Minister for Tourism, Odia Language, Literature and Culture and Atri Bhattacharya, Principal Secretary Tourism, Government of West Bengal apart from many stalwart of the travel trade were present during the glittering opening ceremony. Apart from highlighting the host state, West Bengal, who was seen promoting Durga Puja, as the part of theme, IATO Convention will play host to 13 other states and Union Territories, who will showcase their tourism products and offerings. On the theme of Durga Puja, there will also be a live demonstration of idol-making. The IATO Hall of Fame Award for 2019 was given to Patu Keswani, CMD, Lemon Tree Hotels. IATO Run for responsible Tourism will be organised on the last day of the convention on September 14.

The Madhya Pradesh Tourism Department Corporation (MPTDC) has issued global tenders to sell seven hotels, which the corporation handles in the state, including the well-known Ashoka Lake View hotel in Bhopal apart from Ujjain’s Hotel Avantika, Pili Kothi in Umariya and a tourist motel in Mandla. The department has also planned to rent heritage sites in the state for marriage celebrations during the upcoming season. This is not the first time that private players have been roped in by the MP Tourism Department. In 2016, the then-government gave many state-owned hotels and motels like those in Datia, Neemuch, Khajuraho, Katni and Pipariya to private operators. It had then made a provision in the state tourism policy to give hotels to private operators under the condition that the company taking the hotel will operate it and pay the lease money annually to the government. Any violation of the agreement lead to the hotel being taken back by the tourism development corporation.

The 4th Odisha Tourism Conclave is going to be held on 18 September at Bhubaneswar.  Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India Prahlad Singh Patel will be attending the inaugural ceremony along with the Minister of Petroleum, Natural Gas & Steel- Dharmendra Pradhan, State Tourism Minister- Jyoti Prakash Panigrahi, Secretary Tourism, Govt. of Odisha- Vishal Dev, IAS and Governor of Odisha Ganeshi Lal. The day long function will conclude with Hon’ble Chief Minister of Odisha Sri Naveen Patnaik doing the Valedictory Ceremony along with State Tourism Minister Sri Jyoti Prakash Panigrahi, Hon’ble Minister, Industries, Govt. of Odisha, Sri Dibya Shankar Mishra, Chief Secretary, Govt. of Odisha Sri Asit Tripathy, IAS and Secretary Tourism, Govt. of Odisha Sri Vishal Dev, IAS.

As part of the week-long Onam celebrations, Kerala Tourism is all set to host the State Tourism Ministers’ Conclave, to be inaugurated by Chief Minister, Pinarayi Vijayan on September 16 in Thiruvananthapuram. Kadakampally Surendran, Tourism Minister, Kerala said that the conclave will deliberate on key issues likes sustainable tourism, challenges faced by the industry, and branding and promotion of State Tourism Boards apart from showcasing the story of Kerala’s post-flood resurgence. Prahlad Singh Patel, Minister of State for Tourism and Culture will be the chief guest at the meet at Leela Raviz, Kovalam. Last year, Onam Week Celebrations were dropped as the state was overwhelmed by the devastating floods. This year, the celebration kicked off from September 10, showcasing the state’s vibrant classical and folk dances, modern art and performing traditions at multiple venues in the state capital and various District Centres.

The Madhya Pradesh government is formulating a new tourism policy to ensure better air connectivity to visitors and to provide jobs to local youth, said Surendra Singh Baghel, Tourism Minister of Madhya Pradesh. He also said the new policy will help promote scenic locations and heritage hotels in the state as wedding destinations. “We are framing a new tourism policy which is more employment-oriented, especially for local youths. We will also provide better air connectivity and chopper facilities to domestic travellers for visiting different tourist destinations in the state. MP Tourism will also organise activities with tour operators for promoting tourism in the state,” said the minister. Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, Secretary & Commissioner (Tourism) and MD, MP Tourism Development Board & MPTDC said that the government is also working on schemes to promote tourism in forest areas and to provide better medical facilities to visitors.

Aviation firms offering helicopter services at places identified under the UDAN scheme will get additional subsidy from the Uttarakhand government, Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat said recently. Rawat also said that the state has great potential for expansion of heli services. He says, “Companies which offer heli services in areas identified under the UDAN Yojana will get subsidy from the state government in addition to the subsidy given by the Centre.” The first-of-its-kind summit based on the theme of expanding connectivity through helicopters was organised here jointly by the Civil Aviation Ministry, the state government and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FICCI).

MAYFAIR Hotels and Resorts has opened its 11th Resort- MAYFAIR Lake Resort in Raipur. The Group now runs 11 properties across 9 destinations- Bhubaneswar, Darjeeling, Gangtok, Goa, Gopalpur-on-Sea, Puri, Rourkela, Kalimpong & Raipur. The resort is a 124-room property offering Executive Rooms, Deluxe Suites and a Presidential Suite. MAYFAIR Group widely acknowledged and admired for its architectural concept of low rise properties that highlights plush greenery, was founded by Dilip Ray in 1982, with its first property at Rourkela.  Over these years, the Group has earned a unique niche for itself in the Hospitality industry for its personalised services, luxurious accommodation, designer properties and eco-friendly environment that welcomes guests to a truly unforgettable experience. The property is designed to cater to the requirements of the growing MICE Segment and will be a key player in the development of a new Central Indian Travel Circuit. It has a number of indoor and open air venues with capacities of hosting 15 to 2000 guests. The hall with elegant decors and exotic wedding venues, that exude regal charm, makes it an ultimate address for Destination-wedding and MICE events, promising a flawless picture-perfect event experience. Conveniently located the property is just a 15 minutes’ drive   from Swami Vivekananda airport and is well connected by Road and Railways also.  

In a recent interview, Atul Jain, Chief Operating Officer, Best Western Hotels & Resorts, India, Bangladesh & Sri Lanka, says, “By the end of this year, 6 more Best Western-branded hotels are on track to open their doors. This include Best Western brand in New Delhi, Nawanshahr and Goa;  Best Western Plus brand in Vijag and Gurgaon. We look forward to introducing guests the exciting new brands of Best Western in the future, as we continue to develop a collection of high-quality hotels in key cities and resort locations, all across India, Bangladesh & Sri Lanka.”

Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) has proposed two resorts – one in Pahalgam in Kashmir and the other in Leh, Ladakh, to boost tourism in the two destinations. The state cabinet has approved the proposal and set aside a token amount of Rs 2 crore. The Maharashtra government will either seek land or ask the local government if they have land and want to construct a resort or if there is a hotel, which they want them to run. A land survey to identify the location will be undertaken in 15 days, Maharashtra tourism minister said he will visit the area in the next 15 days and decide on the proposal. Maharashtra is likely to be the first state in the country to propose investments in J&K after the abrogation of Article 370.

Tamil Nadu will soon see an influx of buyers from within India and other countries to attend CII Tamil Nadu Travel Mart (TTM) scheduled from September 19-22 at Chennai Trade Centre. Participants can also opt for one of four post-event tour programmes that will take them to the inner regions of Tamil Nadu. Most of these tours are already getting booked, T Nataraajan, President, Tamil Nadu Travel Mart Society & CEO of GRT Hotels & Resorts claims. “Our Society’s objective is inbound tourism. Tamil Nadu can offer all forms of tourism and is already well-known across the world. The TTM Society is now projecting hitherto unknown aspects of Tamil Nadu spread across its various districts,” he adds.