Tag Archives: Myanmar

The Myanmar government has introduced new regulations to facilitate easier access for tourists to visit the country. Indian nationals can now enter Myanmar with visa-on-arrival (VOA) at Yangon, Mandalay and Nay Pyi Taw International Airports . This means that for these passport holders, no pre-arranged approval is required and on arrival they can apply for a visa which will be granted instantly. The fee for the visa on arrival is 50 USD. The timing of granting visa on arrival to Indian nationals could not have been better as President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, recently visited the country. In early October, Japanese, South Korean, Macau and Hong Kong tourists were granted visa-free entry while Chinese nationals from the mainland were also granted VOA into Myanmar in a move to attract more Asian tourism into the country.

India has decided to offer visa on arrival to South Korean nationals, a home ministry official said. Like the Japanese nationals (who have been getting the privilege since March 2016), the facility to South Korean citizens include double entry visit for a period not exceeding 60 days for business, tourism, conference and medical purposes for entry through six designated international airports – Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Hyderabad. According to an estimate, around 2 lakh Indian visas are issued to South Korean nationals every year, of which 80 per cent are tourists. On an average, 600 South Korean nationals arrive in Delhi daily. Though visa-on-arrival facility was earlier offered to citizens of 12 countries — Cambodia, Finland, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Luxembourg, Myanmar, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam and South Korea — it was discontinued in November 2014 after the launch of e-Tourist Visa scheme. The e-visa facility now covers practically all the countries of the world, 166 as of now, and foreigners can arrive at any of the designated 26 airports and five seaports in India without interacting with any official before checking in at the immigration counter. Under the e-visa scheme, an applicant receives an email authorising him or her to travel to India after it has been approved. The tourist can travel with a printout of this authorisation. On arrival, the visitor has to present the authorisation to the immigration authorities who would then allow entry into the country. Source: PTI

President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated the International Buddhist Conclave (IBC), 2018 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi  in the presence of KJ Alphons, Minister of State (I/C), Tourism; Rashmi Verma, Secretary, Tourism; Satyajit Rajan, Director General, Tourism; ministerial delegates from Bangladesh, Indonesia, Myanmar and Sri Lanka. Travel trade representatives from India and various other countries were also present for the conclave. Addressing the audience, Kovind said, “India is the land of Buddha and this initiative by Ministry of Tourism would attract visitors from around the world to come to India and experience the Buddhist destinations in the country.” The first day of the conclave also included presentations by the Ministry of Tourism and state governments on Buddhist tourism prospects in the country. An investor’s summit was also going on alongside the conclave to look for investment opportunities in the Buddhist tourism sector in the country. A B2B session was also conducted between foreign and Indian tour operators along with a panel discussion on ‘Role of Living Buddhist Heritage in the Contemporary Society’. The Conclave is being organised by the Ministry of Tourism in collaboration with the state governments of Maharashtra, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh from August 23-26, 2018 at New Delhi and Ajanta (Maharashtra).

Vietnam’s low-cost airline, VietjetAir has appointed Bird Travels as its GSA in India. Vietjet has been expanding its flight network in Vietnam and will continue to spread its wings to new destinations in the Asia Pacific region and around the world. Vietjet’s flight network covers Vietnam extensively and includes connections to Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Korea, Taiwan, Myanmar and eight destinations in China. It is operating a fleet of A320s and A321s having an average age of 3.3 years.

Cox & Kings launched Trip 360º as a one-stop-shop for all adventure travel in India. The company is offering adventure seekers a mix of 200 itineraries which include Diving with Sharks in Maldives to Skiing to the South Pole, Cycling trips in the Northeast India to some of the most remote corners of Laos, Cruising parts of Galapagos Islands and other parts of Central America to trekking the Vinson Massif in Antarctica and Sahyadri Ranges in Maharashtra. It will also launch new routes and trips to offbeat destinations like Myanmar, Papua New Guinea and sections that remain untouched by other tour operators. Rohan Prakash, Business Head, Trip 360º said, “Trip 360º is the first adventure specialist which will operate as both, an aggregator and tour operator. Our selected partners are locals from the area or specialists in their respective fields with an in-depth knowledge of the region and the local environment. We aim to consolidate their expertise with ours and create a platform for travellers to live and achieve their outdoor dream in a safe and healthy environment.” The company would offer tailored itineraries which will vary from soft, medium and hard adventures and would cater to all levels of adventure travellers. “We have handpicked and trained expert guides, leaders and suppliers to offer different adventures of international standards. We will be introducing activities like scuba diving, cycling, diving, biking and trekking and more exciting experiences within and outside India,” adds Prakash. Speaking at the launch, Karan Anand, Head-Relationships, Cox & Kings, said, “With increasing number of travellers shifting focus to experience-oriented vacations, there is an increase in the demand for the adventure travel services. The adventure travel business is …

Destination Management Company Sen Travel Group has appointed Absolute Hospitality Services as its sales office in India and looks forward to servicing the Indian clients. The group services tour operators and travel agents worldwide. It specialises in tailor-made travel itineraries for both individual and group of travellers seeking to provide authentic experiences in Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar. The founder of Sen Travel Group, Tran Thi Xuan Nguyen is passionate about travelling and has turned this passion into business. The company aims to provide top quality and great value travel products to tour operators and travel agents in India. Team at Sen Travel Group is professional, dedicated and good at what they do. Their local knowledge and first-hand experience enables them to customize and create the most suitable products, itineraries and experiences as demanded by agencies partners and their guests. People still view Vietnam through the lens of war, however Tran says, “in reality Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos are blessed with fascinating natural beauty; tranquil village life, ravishing coastline, emerald-green mountains, breathtaking national parks, dynamic cities, outstanding cultural interest and above all the world’s best cuisines.” Anuradha Singh and  Randhir Narayan – Directors of AHS, welcome Sen Travel Group to the portfolio of International DMCs. Anuradha commented “we are always excited to introduce new destination & new experiences to Indian Travel Trade ”.