Tag Archives: Department of Tourism

The third luxury train in Rajasthan run by Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation (RTDC) – Heritage Palace on Wheels (HPOW) – departed from Durgapura Railway Station in Jaipur for its maiden voyage, with 27 domestic tourists and a foreign tourist from South Africa. The passengers were given a warm reception up on arrival at the Gandhinagar Station with music and traditional garlanding along with a gala celebration by the RTDC and the Department of Tourism. This train, which departed on December 30, 2017, will run with two itineraries – first three nights (Golden Triangle) Delhi-Jaipur-Sawai Mahdopur-Agra-Delhi and four nights (Desert Triangle) Delhi-Churu-Bikaner-Jaipur-Agra-Dholpur-Delhi. The train can also be booked for facilities like conferences, board meetings and even pre-wedding ceremonies. Pradeep Bohra, General Manager, HPOW, informed that the train arrived at Jaipur’s Gandhinagar Station on the last leg of its ‘Golden Triangle Circuit Tour’.

In a bid to tap the South Indian market, the Department of Tourism, Jammu & Kashmir organised a familiarisation tour for the travel agents from Chennai and Bengaluru who visited Pahalgam, Gulmarg, Yusmarg and Srinagar city. The department is planning an aggressive marketing campaign, including roadshows and seminars in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka this month to counter negative media publicity which has affected tourist flow to Kashmir. The hosted travel agents were all praises for the hospitality they experienced during their visit to the state. The visit included recce to budget, high-end properties and houseboats, the valley’s main USP. Source: UNI

Anticipating a significant increase in Indian arrivals into the Philippines, the Department of Tourism (DOT), Philippines signed a Memorandum of Agreement with Singapore International Airlines (SIA) on December 12. Through the one-year collaboration, DOT and SIA will undertake joint marketing initiatives that will implement activities to promote the Philippines to the Indian market through social media, familiarisation tours, roadshows, among others. The agreement was signed by Benito Bengzon Jr., Undersecretary, DOT  and Campbell Wilson, Senior Vice President for Sales and Marketing, SIA at the Makati Diamond Residences, Philippines. “The India market is growing at a very fast rate. In fact, we are expecting to reach 100,000 arrivals by end of 2017. This joint agreement is envisioned to sustain and further strengthen this growth in the coming years,” said Bengzon. He also disclosed that the department is not only looking at the headcount but also with the revenue it would generate. According to Wilson, this mutually beneficial agreement will pave way for a positive impact on the country’s tourism industry. “We are confident we can increase visitor arrivals; it is an honour to bring our passengers anywhere in the Philippines,” he said.  

With an aim to promote the tourism avenues of Uttar Pradesh in the world, Government of Uttar Pradesh is set to organise International Conclave from February 20-22, 2018 in Lucknow. A meeting of stakeholders chaired by Akhand Pratap Singh, IAS, Special Secretary, Department of Tourism, Govt of UP & Managing Director, UP State Tourism Development Corporation Limited was held on November 29 at Paryatan Bhawan, Lucknow. Surendra Kumar Jaiswal, President, Uttar Pradesh Hotel & Restaurant Association (UPHRA) who is also Hony. Secretary of FHRAI and HRANI along with fellow hoteliers and stakeholders attended the meeting to discuss the roadmap of the event.

The Government of Karnataka, Department of Tourism, announced the inaugural edition of ‘Karnataka International Travel Expo’, in Bengaluru from February 28–March 2, 2018. The inaugural edition of ‘Karnataka International Travel Expo’, is set on a B2B platform with over 400 registered buyers and media from over 25 countries exploring business opportunities for discerning travel and tourism products, which will make the event one of the most sought-after travel events in the country and enhance the marketing efforts of the state to promote Karnataka as a destination which is diverse, fascinating and safe. Priyank Kharge, Minister for Tourism, IT & BT, Government of Karnataka, said “Karnataka is home to a large and exciting portfolio of globally acclaimed tourism products with UNESCO World Heritage Sites, splendid wildlife and resplendent nature, virgin beaches to adorn. ‘Karnataka International Travel Expo’, being held for the first time will provide the impetus to the inbound travel and tourism industry and would enhance the marketing efforts of Karnataka Tourism to promote our destinations to the travel trade from all over the world.” The event is supported by major travel trade and hospitality associations in India such as ADTOI, ATOAI, IATO, TAAI, SKAL, FICCI, Karnataka Tourism Forum, Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Association of India (FHRAI), among others. The 2018 event will showcase both the rich cultural heritage and high-tech features of the city of Bengaluru in the state of Karnataka. “Karnataka with its diverse range of products is fast emerging as one of the most interesting and productive states for the travel trade industry both for leisure and business travel. A globalized one-stop sourcing platform is vital for stakeholders within the tourism industry to effectively reach out …

To accelerate the growth of tourism in Kerala, the Department of Tourism has launched a three-year long Continuous Tourist Survey 2017-20 (CTS). The Government of India will provide financial assistance of Rs. 25 lakhs, for the survey. During 2010-13, Kerala Tourism had conducted a similar Continuous Tourist Survey (CTS). One of the key findings of that survey was that a foreign tourist stays an average of 18 days in Kerala, while spending Rs. 81,000 on average. The Continuous Tourist Survey (CTS 17-20), conducted in collaboration with Datamation Consultants, intends to study in depth the interest of tourists, their age and demographic details, reasons for visit and nature of tours undertaken. A mobile application will be used by the enumerators of Datamation Consultants to collect various details. The survey will cover not only tourist destinations but also hotels, house boats, home stays, Ayurveda centers, restaurants, tour operators, etc. The Minister for Tourism Kadakampally Surendran, said, “Through the data obtained from the survey, the Tourism Department will evaluate the growth of tourism. The survey will provide us an accurate picture of tourists, likes and dislikes and help us to plan accordingly.” He added that Kerala has been following a comprehensive tourism development plan to double the number of domestic tourist arrivals and increase foreign tourist arrivals by 50%, by 2021. Speaking about the growing popularity of Kerala as a tourism destination, Dr. Venu.V, IAS, Principal Secretary, Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala stated, “With over 1 million foreign tourists and 13.1 million domestic tourist arrivals, Kerala has been witnessing tremendous growth in tourist traffic since the last couple of years. Kerala has now become a trendsetter in the Indian tourism industry and we …

Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala won the prestigious Pacific Asia Travel Association Grand and Gold Award 2017 for the Film Tourism Brochure in Marketing Media – Consumer Travel Brochure category. P Bala Kiran, IAS, Director, Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala received the award at the 32nd edition of the PATA Awards as the committee recognised its marketing strategy, which boosted Kerala as a must-visit destination. The PATA awards were presented to the best entries in four categories – Marketing, Education and Training, Environment and Heritage and Culture. PATA had received 220 entries from 77 organisations and individuals from different corners of the world for the category that Kerala Tourism bagged the honours. After receiving the award, Bala Kiran said, “The award has given us the opportunity to showcase the picturesque locations to a global audience that Kerala has to offer. Picturesque backwaters, pristine beaches, dreamy hill stations & exotic wildlife are the key attractions to shoot any form of media. This award is a testimony of the innovative marketing initiatives and promotional activities undertaken by the tourism department of Kerala.” “Film tourism also contribute to the overall economic development of the respective destination through income generation, investment, job creation, etc. We at Kerala Tourism are committed towards promoting tourism in a responsible manner,” he concluded.

The 52nd FHRAI Annual Convention is underway at Shangri-La Hotel, Bengaluru. At the three-day event, being held between September 14 and 16, delegates will get a chance to attend panel discussions on relevant topics and be able to network with fellow hoteliers. The theme chosen for this year’s convention is “Hospitality 2025 – The Future is NOW”. The inauguration ceremony was presided over by Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, who blessed the function. Ananth Kumar, Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers; Ashok Chandra Panda, Minister of State, Department of Tourism, Government of Odisha; R.V. Deshpande, Minister for Large & Medium Industries & Infrastructure Development, Government of Karnataka, and many other dignitaries are also present at the event. Speaking at the ceremony, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar said, “Hospitality is in the DNA of Indians just like teamwork is in the DNA of Japanese, precision in that of the Germans, etiquette in the English, and marketing in the Americans. India is still lagging behind and needs improvement in infrastructure. We need to have Greece as the benchmark where tourism is soaring. We should host food festivals more often. Also, there is a need for more and more hotels. We do not necessarily have to ape the Europeans, we can set our own standards; an indigenous touch is always welcome. Apart from this, India needs more colleges to train youngsters.” Addressing the audience at the convention, Deshpande said, “Tourism is the highest employment generator but India’s biggest concern is employment as automation is taking over the human touch. Infrastructure has to be definitely looked at and we are getting there. Karnataka has the best connectivity in the entire country with some of …

Banking on its agricultural heritage, Punjab tourism department has authorised 60-plus properties for the purpose of farm stays. They signed an MoU with MakeMyTrip so all these farm stays and B&B are available online. Punjab has been so far one of India’s best-kept tourism secrets, believes Shivdular Singh Dhillon, Special Secretary and Director, Department of Tourism, Cultural Affairs, Archeology, Museums & Archives, Punjab and CEO, Punjab Heritage & Tourism Promotion Board. In order to tap experiential travellers who visit Amritsar, the tourism board is promoting farm tourism. “We have come up with farm stays in the outskirts. Agriculture has been Punjab’s backbone so what better place than here to create this experience. The department has so far authorised 60-plus properties for farm stays. For this, we have just signed an MoU in August 2017 with MakeMyTrip so all these farm stays and B&B are online for everyone to book. Travellers don’t look at Punjab as a tourist destination and this perception will change now,” Dhillon adds.

In an attempt to boost tourism Odisha Government has set a target to attract new investments to the tune of Rs 20,000 crore in the tourism sector by 2021. The tourism sector is one of the six focus sectors that the Odisha Government has identified for attracting new investment. The state has also set a target of 23.84 million tourist arrivals and the creation of 2,500 star-category hotel rooms by 2021. According to tourism officials, more than 12 million tourists visit Odisha every year and this number is growing by 9-10 per cent per year. The state aims to create 200,000 jobs, set up five convention centres and establish direct flight connectivity to five international destinations. It also aims to create a land bank of 2,000 acres to facilitate investors to get land for tourism projects. “According to Economic Survey done by the state government, the state has the potential to attract Rs 20,000 crore new investments in the tourism sector. We are making concerted efforts to achieve the target by 2021″, Nitin Bhanudas Jawale, Director and Additional Secretary, Department of Tourism, Government of Odisha reportedly said. Adding to the same, J K Mohanty, Chairman, Hotel and Restaurant Association of Odisha and Chairman and Managing Director of Swosti Group, reportedly said, “Odisha has much more tourism potential compared to its neighbouring states to develop its tourist spots and pilgrimage places to showcase before the world. But, the state has the lowest number of star category of hotel rooms. We are sure that with the new tourism policy of the Odisha government announced in 2016, we can add about 5000 hotel rooms in the next three years.” Source: Business Standard