Category Archives: Breaking News (All Categories)

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.

The CIEO Global Summit, conceived and organized by Council of Indian Exhibition Organizers (CIEO), will now be held during 25th and 26th January 2022 in UAE. The event is concurring with republic Indian Day as India celebrates it’s 75 years of independence. The decision on the new dates was taken in the CIEO Steering Committee meeting held in New Delhi. The summit was earlier scheduled on 1st & 2nd of December 2021. The two-day international summit will witness the combination of more than 200 trade fair organizers, MICE professionals and dignitaries from more than 15 nations. 25th January 2022, The Summit The debut two-day International Summit will be first of it’s sort at the India Pavilion, Expo 2020; among the 192 participating countries- India Pavilion is one of the biggest country Pavilions at the World Expo where Fifteen states and nine central ministries are participating in during the Expo. 25th January 2022, The Luncheon The Luncheon at Iris, will see Indulgence of Summit delegates with an unparalleled experience at Expo 2020. Iris, Dubai’s lounge and restaurant brand has its own venue at Expo 2020 Dubai in a prime location. The two-story venue features a large wrap-around terrace offering a sublime view of the entertainment stage. 26th January 2022, The Networking The networking dinner is for the CIEO members at Atlantis, The Palm, for an enthralling cultural evening and partnership opportunities with International Organisers. CIEO members will have all free access and tickets to the Expo 2020, guided visits to selected country pavilions at Expo 2020, Summit at India Pavilion, Luncheon at Iris at and networking dinner at the Atlantis, The Palm. The two-day event will also witness series of cooperation MOU’s signing …

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.

From November 1, 2021, Thailand’s Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has confirmed that fully vaccinated foreign tourists, including returning Thais and foreign residents, from authorised countries/territories would be able to enter the Kingdom by air with no quarantine restrictions. Thailand will also accept fully vaccinated tourists from countries that are not on the list, with fewer restrictions. Travellers can choose from 17 ‘Blue Zone’ destinations for their first 7-night required stay before moving on to other parts of Thailand.