Category Archives: States

Department of Tourism, Government of Maharashtra signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Archaeological Survey of India, Ministry of Culture, Government of India to have an understanding for smooth execution of various projects for development and creation of tourist facilities and amenities in and around centrally protected monuments/sites in Maharashtra. This is the first MOU the Archaeological Survey of India has signed with any tourism board in India. The MOU was signed by Dr. K.H. Govinda Raj IAS, Managing Director – Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation and Sharad Sharma, Additional Director General (ASI Delhi) in presence of Dr. Mahesh Sharma, Union Minister Tourism; Jaykumar Jitendrasinh Rawal, Hon’ble Minister of Tourism, Government of Maharashtra; Valsa Nair Singh IAS, Principal Secretary Tourism and Culture, Government of Maharashtra and other officials of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)Mumbai and Aurangabad Circle. MOU was signed in a meeting at Trident BKC on 23rd August, 2016. Government of Maharashtra shall arrange requisite funds for all the projects from Central Financial Assistance (CFA), State Govt. agencies, Corporate Social Responsibility Fund (CSR) of Private Companies or through Public Private Participation (PPP). ASI shall not have objection for any kind of fund raising by Govt. of Maharashtra. Initially, the tenure of this agreement shall be 10 years. The agreement shall be extended for further period of on mutual consent of the parties mentioned herein. Rawal said, “This is great step to develop infrastructure for the use of tourists in and around centrally protected monuments and sites under jurisdiction of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in Maharashtra. As per the policy of PPP declared and promoted by   Govt. of India, Director, Govt. of Maharashtra or MD, MTDC shall explore the possibility of PPP …

Kerala Tourism is inviting participants for a regional competition for local chefs, the qualification rounds for which will be held from September 1-8. Entries are open to both professional chefs and amateur enthusiasts. Standout contestants – selected by a judging panel of culinary professionals – will compete in the finals at Bolgatty Palace and Resorts in Kochi on the last day of the Spice Route Culinary Festival, which runs from September 23-26. The festival’s highlight is an international competition that will feature chefs from 31 Spice Route nations whipping up dishes representing the cuisine of their home countries, but with a dash of spices from Kerala added in. Speaking at a press conference at the Secretariat, Minister for Tourism, Government of Kerala, A.C. Moideen said, “The culinary festival is a great opportunity to refortify our ancient links with the 31 countries along the historical Spice Route. It will provide a space for exchanging and understanding different cultures and traditions and also help facilitate trade opportunities with these countries.” “The regional competition intends to identify and promote Kerala’s culinary talent. It will showcase both the strength of public participation in Kerala and its fabled cuisine. This worthy initiative will highlight the spirit of people to people links and Kerala’s role as the hub of tourism and trade,” the minister added. The winning entrant and two runners-up will be felicitated during the culinary festival’s valedictory session. All contestants will be issued certificates of participation by Kerala Tourism. Held under the aegis of the Spice Route project, an ambitious initiative by Kerala Tourism in partnership with UNESCO, the Spice Route Culinary Festival is a first-of-its-kind celebration of flavours and friendship that will see …

Kerala will honour the two Indian medallists at the Rio Olympics with bespoke rejuvenating sojourns in ‘God’s Own Country’ following the Games. As a gesture of gratitude and appreciation for bringing glory to the nation, Kerala Travel Mart Society and Kerala Tourism will invite badminton star P.V. Sindhu – the country’s first woman silver medal winner and the youngest Indian medallist, and Sakshi Malik, the first-ever Indian female wrestling medallist, to relax in and enjoy the state’s scenic beauty. The duo will also be honoured at the upcoming ninth edition of the Kerala Travel Mart (KTM), which will be inaugurated on September 27. The largest gathering of tourism stakeholders in the state, KTM 2016 – organised by the KTM Society in association with the Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala – runs from September 28-30. “This invitation to see the very best of what Kerala has to offer with carefully tailored tour itineraries across the state is our way of thanking the country’s newest sporting heroes for doing us proud. We’ll pull out all the stops to ensure their stay here will be as memorable as their performances,” said KTM Society President Abraham George. From the healing touch of authentic Ayurvedic therapies to the peace and quiet of a hill station, a tranquil cruise along the backwaters or enjoying splendid unspoiled beaches, the champion athletes are assured of some well-deserved rest and relaxation. “Besides the stresses faced by high-performance athletes, the rigorous training they would have put in over the past few years in the run-up to the Olympics, Kerala will be the ideal destination for them to recoup their strength. Our much- sought after Ayurvedic massages, in particular, will aid …

The Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) has opened bookings at the famous tiger reserves – the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve and Pench Tiger Reserve – for tourists this monsoon. Satish Soni, Joint Managing Director, Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation said, “In India, Monsoons may bring disappointment for wildlife lovers because many parks get closed in this season. But considering that monsoon only further enhances the picturesque beauty of these forest areas and more people are demanding to experience this wildlife experience in the monsoon season MTDC has given them an opportunity to take a nature trail in this season too.” MTDC has its resorts at Moharli Gate located on the edge of Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve and MTDC Jungle Resort in Pench, Sillari, respectively. The gates for Pench Tiger Reserve will be open from Sunna and Mathani entrance points until Tipeshwar Resort.

A delegation from Wakayama Prefectural Government, Japan, met Jayakumar Jitendrasinh Rawal, Minister of Tourism, Government of Maharashtra, on August 8, 2016, in Mumbai to renew the MoU between Wakayama Prefectural Government (WPG) and the Government of Maharashtra that was signed in October 2013. As part of the MoU, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is funding the Ajanta – Ellora Development Phase 3 and showcasing their full support towards development of tourism in Maharashtra. The MoU also highlights the joint efforts of both parties to enhance mutual economic growth, promote agro and food processing between local enterprises through existing framework that the both the Governments have established. Jayakumar Jitendrasinh Rawal, Minister of Tourism, Government of Maharashtra, said, “The renewal of the MoU term and this association will help increase tourism inflow in Maharashtra and Wakayama through the agreement. It has been a great platform for us to increase our global footprint and put Maharashtra on a World map. It has strengthened bilateral trade between India and Japan and has mutually benefitted these two countries to strengthen their respective tourism prospects. I propose the establishment of a Japanese village near Ajanta-Ellora to further attract tourist footfalls from Japan and welcome our Japanese brothers with better warmth and hospitality. Would like to offer land for the establishment of this village. We must also organise special Japanese tours in Maharashtra.” The Minister also invited the Japanese delegation to attend the planned Buddhist Conference in Aurangabad in October. Wakayama Prefecture delegation proposed their plans to promote Ajanta Visitor Centre and a clean-up camp at the World heritage site with locals at Ajanta.

Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) in association with Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) has launched its special Mumbai Darshan Tours starting on August 11, 2016. The tours will start from Rs. 499 (silver package) and go to Rs 725 (gold package). For foreign nationals, it will be at Rs 1,430. It will be inaugurated by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus. The Mumbai Darshan Tour will be divided in two tours, with different pick up and drop points, covering all the iconic places of Mumbai. Jaykumar Rawal, Tourism Minister, Government of Maharashtra, on this initiative said, “The launch of the Mumbai Darshan Tours is one step closer to advance the current tourism scenario in Maharashtra. Through this initiative we are not only aiming at highlighting the heritage that Maharashtra has to offer but also give a new outlook and revive the tourism sector in the state. The project development team has done a great job of creating and hand picking the destinations that will be covered in this tour to ensure each tourist gets a wholesome experience of what Maharashtra has to offer.”

Kerala Tourism has rolled out a taxi campaign in Dubai targeting Arab travellers, showcasing the state’s features on taxis on the Dubai roads. Around 200 Kerala-branded taxis carry the message of ‘A Faraway Land Four Hours Away’– with visuals featuring hill stations, backwaters, waterfalls and also Ayurvedic therapies. The campaign will see the cabs take to the streets sporting wrappings aimed to promote the state’s Monsoon getaways. “Apart from the favourable climate, the relative proximity and excellent air connectivity between Kerala and the cities of the Middle East make it easier to attract holiday makers to the state,” said Dr. Venu V, Principal Secretary Tourism, Kerala. “Dubai, being the hub for air travel in the region, was the logical choice of location for the marketing campaign. The exposure and footfalls gained by Kerala will bear this out.” The campaign, inspired by the previous highly successful branding efforts on London taxi cabs and the Mumbai metro, will run until August 15. Besides serving to augment Kerala’s destination pull, it is an acknowledgment of the growing importance of the Middle East outbound tourist market. Kerala received more than one lakh visitors from the region in 2015, with some 20,506 tourists from the UAE alone. The majority came from Saudi Arabia with 51,149 Saudi nationals visiting last year, while Oman accounted for 18,763 footfalls. “As the holiday season in the Middle East coincides with the Monsoon season here, Kerala is well-positioned to benefit from the influx of travellers looking to trade in the sizzle and dust for cooler climes and greener pastures,” said U.V. Jose, Director, Kerala Tourism.

Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) participated in India International Travel Mart (IITM) at Chennai Trade Centre, Nandambakkam, Chennai from July 29 to 31, 2016 for promotion of Maharashtra Tourism amongst the B2B, travel trade and media fraternity of Chennai. MTDC also held a road show on July 29, post exhibition to promote the state and enthrall the Chennai trade. Swati Kale, General Manager, Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation said, “Tamil Nadu is one of the most developed states of India with a large class of educated and affluent society. Maharashtra has rich tourist destinations to satiate the needs of tourists from Tamil Nadu. With Chennai being an important market from tourist point of view it is imperative for us to showcase Maharashtra and its best products to the B2B, Travel Trade fraternity, stakeholders and media. From exotic beaches to historic forts, scuba diving to fort trekking, heli tourism to deccan odyssey, delicious cuisine to culture and heritage monuments there is a lot to explore in Maharashtra. The list is endless and that is what we aim to showcase through these road shows.” On these initiatives, Minister of Tourism, Government of Maharashtra Jaykumar Jitendrasinh Rawal commented, “The Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis has declared the year 2017 as the ‘Visit Maharashtra Year’ as part of its tourism development strategy. In view of the same, Department of Tourism, Government of Maharashtra, planned to organize a series of roadshows, events, festivals and cultural programmes throughout India to promote the state’s tourism attractions. The objective of MTDC’s participation at IITM is to promote Maharashtra as the world-class tourist destination, and offer opportunity to travel & tour operators to interact with foreign buyers, retail buyers, …

Sikkim has added another feather to its cap with the recent addition of the Khangchendzonga National Park to the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites as India’s first ‘Mixed World Heritage Site’. The UNESCO recognition will give a further push to eco-tourism in our state, while also helping us to regulate the high influx of visitors to more popular destinations with only a minimal negative impact of tourism,” said Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling. “This is important since tourist arrivals to our state more than doubled to 38,479 in 2015 and our target is around 12 lakh visitors by 2025,” he said in a statement. The park was initially commissioned in August 1977 with a declared area of 850 Sq km and was extended to 1,784 sq.km some years later. Khangchendzonga National Park had been on the Unesco’s tentative list of World Heritage Sites since 2006, and has among the sharpest altitudinal variations for any site in the world — from a low of 1,220 metres to 8,586 metres — within a small aerial distance of 42 km.

The Department of Tourism, Government of Karnataka has unveiled the newly formed Bengaluru Tourism Advisory Committee (BTAC) under the chairmanship of Priyank Kharge, Minister for Tourism and IT & BT. The scope of the committee is to provide quick action plans for developing Bengaluru region as a tourist destination by creating Brand Bengaluru, identifying different circuits and trails, offering tourism technologies, drawing a calendar of events, promoting art and culture, attracting PPP projects and engaging in inter-city-cooperation concepts. Understanding the tourism potential of Bengaluru and to brand it as a global city and the most favourable urban tourism destination, BTAC was formed after a month of brainstorming sessions and deliberations. Further the committee will help in positioning the state capital as a well connected holiday destination by involving local talent pool and the effective development of local employment and subsequent revenue generation. The committee will also be responsible in enhancing positive perceptions about the city through engagements with travellers across the world which, in turn, will help drive tourism, thus making Bengaluru a SMART global city. The committee will consist of the top officials in the Tourism Department and also experts from verticals such as heritage, urban, landscape, hospitality, architecture and conservationists who can contribute towards branding Bengaluru. As per the statistics provided by the Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru (KIAL), the international airport alone received 18 million travellers during 2015. Yet, Bengaluru has not been able to convert these travellers’ figures into tourists. It is estimated that with at least 25% of KIAL travellers spending one day in the city, a minimum revenue of $450 mn per year can be generated.