Remarkable Rwanda, which is home to the mountain gorilla, has in recent years, also become the MICE Hub of the EAC region. The country is now poised to register a sharp increase in religious tourism arrivals, to mark the 40th Anniversary of the Marian Apparitions at KIBEHO on November 28, 2021. The Holy Land of Kibeho is situated in the Southern Province of the country and it is about five hours away from the spotlessly clean capital  city of Kigali. It was on November 28,  1981, when the Blessed Virgin Mary first  appeared to a young teenager, Natalie, saying  “I am the Mother of the Word” . This first Apparition was followed by several others, when not only Natalie, but two other teenagers, Alphonsine and Marie Claire also saw the Blessed Virgin Mary. They were implored to tell the people to mend their evil ways, repent for their wrongdoing and forgive one another.  If not, they were warned that Rwanda would become a “river of blood”. Unfortunately, no one in the country took these three teenagers seriously and just brushed off their apparitions as dreams and fantasies. Thirteen years later, Rwanda witnessed one of the worst genocides in the history of mankind – the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. Within a short span of just one Hundred days, over one million innocent men, women and children were brutally massacred, turning the country, as they were warned, into a “river of Blood”. To commemorate the 40th Anniversary of the Marian Apparitions,  a Virtual Adoration Service will be live streamed from St. Michael’s Church,  Mahim, where every Wednesday, before the lockdown  in March 2020, thousands of people from all communities and from …

The Tourism Office of Spain – Mumbai will conduct a one-hour virtual panel discussion on Spain (Schengen) visa for travelers from India, Nepal and Sri Lanka on Tuesday, Nov 9 at 3pm IST. Speakers include José María Ridao, Ambassador of Spain in India; Fernando Heredia Noguer, Consul General of Spain in Mumbai; Helena Escorial López who is the Head of the Consular Section of the Embassy of Spain in India, Ambica Shrestha, Hon. Consul of Spain in Nepal; Priya Jayawardena, Hon. Consul of Spain in Sri Lanka; and Director of Turespaña in India – Elisa Robles. To register, please visit https://event.webinarjam.com/register/327/n7kngavw or write to jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com or call on 9650196532.

Jammu & Kashmir’s gets its first-ever open-air floating on the Dal Lake. The theatre was inaugurated by J&K chief secretary Arun Kumar Mehta, and is aimed at attracting more tourists to the region. On this occasion, a Shikara rally, adorned with shining lights passed through Nehru Park to Kabootar Khana with local artists singing and dancing to Kashmiri songs which entertained guests and passersby. Old Indian film ‘Kashmir ki Kali’ was screened during the festival.

Aaditya Thackeray, Tourism & Environment Minister, Maharashtra has said that in the post COVID world, tourism sector will be our sponge industry which will absorb the highest number of employment growth, highest revenue for the state, and it will have a ripple effect on the country’s economy.

Ali Hassan Al Shaiba, Executive Director of Tourism and Marketing at DCT Abu Dhabi, has said that as per the Global COVID-19 Sentiment Survey conducted by DCT Abu Dhabi, 65% of Indian travellers’ decisions depend on low COVID-19 case numbers in the destination of their choice and 43% of Indian travellers perceive Abu Dhabi as an ideal holiday destination for families. “Taking this sentiment into account and the understanding that Indian travellers are more likely to take short haul flights than mid-long-haul flights, Abu Dhabi is ready to welcome business and leisure travellers from India,” he adds.

Uttarakhand is working towards setting up a cave tourism circuit in Gangolihat, Pithoragarh. It is a set of nine underground caves, which were recently discovered and have the potential to be a great tourist attraction. MPS Bisht, Director, Uttarakhand Space Application Centre (USAC), said in a statement, “These are natural heritage sites, which we are going to protect and eventually they will be opened for tourists. The central government has already given a nod. Slovenia earns almost 30 per cent revenue through cave tourism. We, too, can generate good tourism income this way.”

Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, Union Minister of Civil Aviation inaugurated the IndiGo flight between Kanpur – Bengaluru. Scindia said that this new route will not only enhance connectivity to/from Kanpur but will also promote trade, commerce and tourism between these cities. Flights between Kanpur and Mumbai & Hyderabad have also started. In addition, he recently inaugurated first direct flights on Indore-Prayagraj, Indore-Jodhpur, Indore-Surat routes, in a bid to boost regional connectivity.

Waxpol Hotels & Resorts has won the Trav Talk -WTM World Travel Leaders Award, given based on key themes of this year’s WTM London: Reconnect. Rebuild. Innovate. The hospitality group was given this honour because it set up a COVID taskforce to help its teams to stay safe, providing access to medical care if needed, and extending additional financial support. There have been no lay-offs or pay cuts. The company has also supported local schools by providing separate toilets for girls; desks and chairs for classrooms; library and sports facilities; screens with internet connectivity for digital education; and playground equipment. Furthermore, it worked with others in the industry to develop Covid-19 guidelines and training for homestays, camps, resorts and hotels.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has prepared the Guidelines for Sustainable Ecotourism in Forest and Wildlife Areas-2021. The overall goal of these Guidelines is promoting better understanding of nature and wildlife conservation while generating income and opportunities for the local communities in an ecologically, culturally and economically sustainable manner. The States Union Territories may take further action, as appropriate, in this regard.

Embassy of India, Muscat has informed that the Government of the Sultanate of Oman has added Covaxin to the approved list of COVID-19 vaccines for travel to Oman. The Civil Aviation Authority issued a notification on 27th October regarding this. All passengers from India who have received two doses of Covaxin at least 14 days before the estimated arrival date will now be able to travel to Oman without the requirement of quarantine. All other COVID-19 related requirements/conditions, such as pre-arrival RT-PCR test shall be applicable for such passengers. This notification will significantly ease travel to Oman for Indian nationals who have taken Covaxin, Passengers, who have taken AstraZeneca/Covishield are already permitted to travel to Oman without quarantine.