Category Archives: States

Around 2.82 lakh passport verification applications were cleared and only 805 rejected in the past three years, Jammu and Kashmir Police said as it defended “deep vetting” of activities of several sections, including politicians and scribes, noting it was needed to curb “anti-India propaganda machinery”.

Prem Krishnan, Additional Director, Kerala Tourism, stated that Caravan Tourism has been recently launched and is gaining momentum. As part of the initiative, 14 tourist hubs are planned to be established along with caravan parks. Private players interested in investing in the caravan business are being offered incentives by the government.  

Nikhil Kumar, Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Andaman Tourism said, “Efforts and synergy between the private and public players is necessary to transform Andaman into a hub for island tourism. We propose to establish ourselves as a yacht destination and are also looking for approval that will allow us to have offshore casinos.” 

Nilesh Shah, President, TTAG, has suggested a series of recommendations for Goa’s 2023-24 budget for the improvement and streamlining of the tourism sector in Goa few of them which were mentioned in budget. “One of them is no increase in fees and taxes in tourism-related activities. We also hope to see proper implementation and enforcement of all the measures announced so that all businesses are on a level playing field,” he said.

The Goa Tourism Department, in partnership with Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) India Chapter, is organising its first-ever Roadshow across Europe. The roadshow will start on 18 April from Frankfurt, 20 April Zurich, Vienna on 24 April, and will end in Paris on 26 April.

Syed Abid Rashid Shah (IAS), is the new Secretary, Tourism & Culture, Jammu & Kashmir. He has served as DC Kulgam, DC Anantnag, DC Pulwama and DC Srinagar and has contributed immensely with his capacities of head and heart for the overall development of the UT of J&K. He was CEO ERA and smart city project as well.

K. S. Srinivas IAS, Principal Secretary – Tourism & Fisheries, Government of Kerala, has said that the carrying capacity of each destination should be considered and tourists should be allowed accordingly. He was speaking at the post budget webinar organised by MOT recently.

The two-day upcoming Global Investors Summit beginning in Visakhapatnam on March 3 will witness the signing of MoUs worth ₹20,000 crore and more in tourism sector alone. Top brands in hotels, resorts, temple tourism, adventure sports, water sports, cruises and ropeways are expected to come up in different parts of the state to make Andhra Pradesh a major destination in south India. Several US brands too are looking at Andhra Pradesh for big investments in hotels and resorts.

Jitul Mehta, Chairman, Western India Chapter, TAFI, says, “TAFI is focusing a lot on domestic and Inbound tourist, as it is a good way to generate revenue for our members. There are lot of new domestic destinations and products training sessions in the pipeline. We recently showcased the National Museum of Indian Cinema in Mumbai to our members where they took a tour and learnt about the history of cinema.”  

Manipur CM N. Biren Singh said that a US-based company will spend USD 500 million in the state’s tourism sector with several other foreign investments on the cards. He added, “The state will receive an investment of 500 mn dollars in tourism from a company based in the US.” Citing the willingness of several other foreign investors, particularly from Argentina, Peru, and Bangladesh, to invest in the state, he said Manipur will witness development in all sectors.