Category Archives: Breaking News (All Categories)

Tejas Express, IRCTC’s first private train is all set to start operations on October 4, 2019 between Delhi and Lucknow. This is also India’s first private train that will be operated, run and managed by the IRCTC. The train will run on all six days of the week except Tuesdays. The train will have facilities and convenience similar to an airline for the passengers. According to reports, after the first few runs and services, IRCTC might give operation controls of Tejas Express to private players. Also, the tickets for the trains can be booked 15 days prior to the journey. As far as ticket prices are concerned, a dynamic fare model might apply for the Delhi-Lucknow Tejas Express. The executive class passengers will get lounge facilities at the stations, for which they’ll have to pay a marginal fee. The lounges at the stations will be well-equipped with all the modern conveniences similar to airports. In addition, passengers can also organise business meetings inside the lounge. Tejas Express will have a train driver, guards along with RPF (Railway Protection Force), which will be provided by the Indian Railways. The ticketing staff, housekeeping and catering inside the train will be controlled by IRCTC. It is expected that IRCTC will soon invite tenders for private firms to take over Tejas Express services.

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.

Welcoming 106,200 Indian visitors between January- July 2019, Japan has registered a 14.3 per cent year-on-year growth in terms of arrivals from India. The East Asian country also witnessed a 6.2 per cent month-on-month growth in 2019 when it witnessed 13,200 Indian tourist arrival in July. The Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) is eyeing to receive 2 lakh visitors from India in 2019. Yusuke Yamamoto, Executive Director for India, JNTO said, “I am hopeful for reaching the 2-lakh-visitor-arrival-mark from India this year. As of July 2019, we have already seen 106,200 Indian visitors to Japan since January in comparison to 92,937 during the same period in 2018. India is a huge market and therefore we are focusing on Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru and Ahmedabad,” JNTO conducted its annual ‘Visit Japan Roadshow 2019’ in Mumbai and Ahmedabad last month.

International tourist arrivals grew 4% from January to June 2019, compared to the same period last year, according to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer published ahead of the 23rd World Tourism Organization General Assembly. Growth was led by the Middle East (+8%) and Asia and the Pacific (+6%). International arrivals in Europe grew 4%, while Africa (+3%) and the Americas (+2%) enjoyed more moderate growth. Destinations worldwide received 671 million international tourist arrivals between January and June 2019, almost 30 million more than in the same period of 2018 and a continuation of the growth recorded last year. Growth in arrivals is returning to its historic trend and is in line with UNWTO’s forecast of 3% to 4% growth in international tourist arrivals for the full year 2019, as reported in the January Barometer. So far, the drivers of these results have been a strong economy, affordable air travel, increased air connectivity and enhanced visa facilitation. However, weaker economic indicators, prolonged uncertainty about Brexit, trade and technological tensions and rising geopolitical challenges, have started to take a toll on business and consumer confidence, as reflected in a more cautious UNWTO Confidence Index.

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).

NIMA has recently launched its Southern Region office in Vizag. K Vijay Mohan was nominated as the co-ordinator for the Southern Region. The Commissioner of Police, Vizag, Rajeev Kumar Meena graced the occasion. Former MLA Malla Vijay Prasad, Entrepreneur Pyda Krishan Prasad, Raja Babu of Sunray Resorts and Naresh Kumar were other dignitaries present during the launch.  NIMA’s National Coordinator Gajesh Girdhar, Rakesh Arora and Jagdeep Bhagat were present too. The State Chapters for Telangana with Siraj Ansari as it’s State Coordinator and Andhra Pradesh with Dheeraj Praharaju as it’s State Coordinator were also installed during the recent visit of NIMA’s National team to the region.

The Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport has started a three-month trial of bio-metric facial recognition entry system for domestic Vistara flyers out of Terminal 3. The participation in the trials is purely voluntary and at the discretion of the passengers, said the spokesperson of the Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL). With the facial recognition technology, passengers’ entry would be automatically processed based on facial recognition system at all checkpoints, including airport entry, entry into security checks, and aircraft boarding. “A suitable consent form will be signed by passengers. This trial will run for three months. Subsequent roll-out plans will be made. The enrolment process for passengers with valid flight tickets and government ID proofs will start at the registration kiosk. After this, their facial details will be captured by a camera.” he added. After successful completion of the trial, the facial recognition facility would be officially launched at Terminal 3, and subsequently at other terminals at the Delhi airport.

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.