Tourism

Singapore arrivals two-thirds pre-Covid level as Indian visitors surge 350%

This is 62 per cent of 2019's first quarter figure of the 4.7 million people who visited Singapore in the first quarter of 2019

Himachal to undertake infrastructure development to boost tourism: CM Sukhu

The Himachal Pradesh government plans to undertake huge infrastructure development in an effort to encourage tourism and boost the state's economy, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Saturday. The government will also ensure that the state remains open to tourism during all seasons, he said in a statement issued here. Sukhu was referring to the closure of tourism activities in some scenic locations in Himachal Pradesh's tribal and remote areas following snowfall in the winter. The government is focussing on developing Kangra as the state's 'tourism capital', Sukhu said, and will spend Rs 390 crore allocated by the Asian Development Bank to strengthen the district's infrastructure. Kangra, which is home to the Dhauladhar mountain range and several historical temples, has immense tourism potential, he said. Sukhu said the government has already devised blueprints for various projects in the district to improve the experience of tourists and provide them with modern amenities.

127,999 regular tourist visas issued from Oct 2021 to Mar 2022: Centre

The government issued 1,27,999 regular tourist visas and 2,27,225 e-tourist visas from October 6, 2021 to March 31, 2022, the Parliament was informed on Monday. Union Minister for Tourism G Kishan Reddy said this in a written response to a query in Lok Sabha. In response to another query, he said the government has promoted green initiatives to advocate responsible tourism in the country during G20 meetings in partnership with states and industry. "The venues hosting G20 meetings adopt various green initiatives, including non-use of single use plastic, conservation of water and energy apart from other initiatives," Reddy said. The ministry had also launched Swadesh Darshan 2.0 scheme which will focus on sustainable and responsible development of tourist destinations. Greening of tourism sector for a sustainable, responsible and resilient tourism sector is one of the five key priorities of the Tourism Working Group. Asked if after the pandemic of COVID-19, the government has star

Government has prepared atlas of adventure tourism activities: Official

The government has prepared an atlas of places where water, land and air based adventure tourism activities can be performed in the country, a senior official said on Sunday. The atlas of water-based adventure tourism activities has already been notified while preparations are in final stages for land and air based activities, the senior official of the tourism ministry said. "We have prepared and notified one atlas for 21 water-based activities.... For example, we have identified all the places where kayaking is being practised in 20 states and UTs. For each activity, we have a map. An atlas for water sport activities has been notified while those for air and land based adventure tourism are in the final stages of notification, he told PTI. He said the atlas in one glance will give whole information about water sports in an area. "Its uniqueness is if you open an atlas and look for river rafting, in one glance you can see in which part of the country it is being offered, he said.

G20 Sherpa's meeting: Negotiations to begin on leaders' statement

There have been differences between the two groupings over the language used to criticize Russia's invasion of Ukraine

Strong demand to boost profits of travel operators by 6-7% in FY23,: Report

Leading travel and tour operators are expected to witness 6-7 per cent growth in operating profit and recover 90 per cent revenue in this financial year, mainly driven by efficient cost structure, a report said on Wednesday. After having reported losses for the past two fiscals due to Covid pandemic induced travel restrictions, travel and tour operators are expected to witness 6-7 per cent operating profitability in FY23 and FY24, Crisil Ratings said in a report. The revenue is likely to be 90 per cent of the pre-pandemic levels or FY20, mainly buoyed by strong recovery in both corporate and leisure travel segments in India and abroad, it added. "We expect operating margins to sustain at these levels next fiscal due to implementation of cost optimisation and automation initiatives undertaken by travel operators commencing from the pandemic period, even as revenues are expected to pass pre-pandemic levels next fiscal," the report stated. This marks a significant turnaround from ...

Indian Himalayas hub for spiritual seekers, religious practitioners: Report

The Indian Himalayas is a hub for spiritual seekers and religious practitioners, attracting a plethora of religious figures over time

Thailand targets 2 million Indian tourists in 2023, same as pre-Covid

In 2022, India was the second largest source of tourists to Thailand after Malaysia. Almost a million Indians visited Thailand last year out of a total of over 11 million foreign visitors

Is Venice, Maldives, Tundra on your travel bucket list? Make a move before it's too late

Tourism has same potential in India as agriculture, infrastructure: PM Modi

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister remarked that the new India of today is moving forward with a new work culture

Indians spent a record amount on foreign travel in 2022. Here's how much

An analysis of tourism data shows that India earns significantly more from foreign tourists coming to India than what Indians spend abroad

PM to address post-budget webinar on developing tourism in mission mode

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a post-budget webinar on 'Developing Tourism in Mission Mode' on Friday, officials said. It is part of a series of 12 post-budget webinars being organised by the government to seek ideas and suggestions for effective implementation of the initiatives announced in the Union Budget. Prime Minister Modi will address the participants via a video conferencing link. The Union Budget has stated that promotion of tourism will be taken up in mission mode, with active participation of states, convergence of government programmes and public-private partnerships. At least 50 destinations will be selected through challenge mode and developed as a complete package of tourism. Sector specific skilling and entrepreneurship development will be dovetailed to achieve the objectives of the 'Dekho Apna Desh'. The post-budget webinar being organised by the Ministry of Tourism will have six breakout sessions covering the priority areas identified in the Union ..

Out-of-box thinking, long-term vision to take tourism to new heights: Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said "out-of-the-box thinking" and "long-term vision" can take tourism to new heights, and added that villages in far-flung areas of India have now come up on the map of tourism. Addressing a post-budget webinar on 'Developing Tourism in Mission Mode', he also pitched for devolving apps which will have information in multiple languages of India, besides multi-lingual signage at tourist sites. The prime minister elaborated on how this year's Union Budget would help the tourism sector and create many economic opportunities for the youth. "This webinar is for transformation of the tourism sector, and when all stakeholders come together, we reach desired results and within the time frame," he said. "An out-of-the-box thinking and long-term vision can take tourism to new heights," Modi said. He also emphasised that rejuvenation of religious sites has boosted tourism, and seven crore people visited the Kashi Vishwanath Dham last year. "Some people

PM to address post-budget webinar on developing tourism in mission mode

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a post-budget webinar on 'Developing Tourism in Mission Mode' on Friday, officials said. It is part of a series of 12 post-budget webinars being organised by the government to seek ideas and suggestions for effective implementation of the initiatives announced in the Union Budget. Prime Minister Modi will address the participants via a video conferencing link. The Union Budget has stated that promotion of tourism will be taken up in mission mode, with active participation of states, convergence of government programmes and public-private partnerships. At least 50 destinations will be selected through challenge mode and developed as a complete package of tourism. Sector specific skilling and entrepreneurship development will be dovetailed to achieve the objectives of the 'Dekho Apna Desh'. The post-budget webinar being organised by the Ministry of Tourism will have six breakout sessions covering the priority areas identified in the Union ..

Priority for tourism through development of Banavasi: Karnataka CM Bommai

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Tuesday said that by taking up the overall development of the historic Banavasi, yatra and historic tourism will be given importance

Himachal govt approves setting up of eight heliports in 2023: Officals

The Himachal Pradesh government has given clearance for setting up of eight heliports in different districts of the state this year and work for their construction will start soon, officials said on Monday. The decision of the state government is aimed at promoting tourism and giving a boost to its economy, officials said. Deputy Commissioners have selected land for the construction of heliports in six districts and Pawan Hans will start the consultancy work related to the heliport from March 1, an official spokesman said. He said the Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) were being sent to the Centre for getting funds. The Centre will allocate the budget to the state for the construction of the heliport as per prescribed parameters. Presently, out of five heliports in the state, three are being used commercially. There is a plan to build a heliport in each district, but considering the high potential of tourism in tribal areas, more than one heliport will be built in those areas. Heli

OYO asks govt to probe FHRAI's 'illegally-run' executive committee

Claims committee's actions hurting small hotel owners; constant friction with organised players discouraging SMEs and entrepreneurs from moving ahead with the times and with technology

Goa Tourism Accelerator lets start ups rethink sector with innovations

Solutions for queue management for museums and other sites to an Artificial Intelligence-based one-stop initiative that provides the best travel experience are among the various ways start ups are rethinking tourism as part of the Goa Tourism Accelerator programme that started in the coastal state on Friday. It has been jointly initiated by Goa Tourism and Start Up incubator Forum for Incubation Innovation Research and Entrepreneurship (FiiRE) at Don Bosco Campus in Fatorda in South Goa. A total of 13 start ups working in areas waste management, customer experience, new payment solutions, mobility and sustainability are taking part, one of the organisers said. Goa Public Service Commission chairperson Jose Manual Noronha, who inaugurated the programme, said technology-based solutions must be found out for the environment and waste if tourism is to get a boost. While young entrepreneur Harshvardhan Ample introduced predicting analytics and process automation for global hospitality

Record surge in tourism in J-K, politicians also enjoying in Kashmir: Reddy

After a "record surge" in tourism in Jammu and Kashmir, some politicians are also having a leisure time in Kashmir and other parts of the Union Territory, Union minister G Kishan Reddy said on Thursday. He made the remarks while addressing a gathering at an event here, without naming anyone. Recently, videos of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi skiing in Gulmarg in north Kashmir, and he and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra enjoying a ride on a snow scooter there went viral on social media. "After Independence, the tourism footfall in Jammu and Kashmir has seen a record surge. If we look at figures for one year, in 2022, it was about 1.8 crore tourists in J&K," the Union tourism minister said. Reddy said earlier there were "hardly any tourists", but today some politicians are "also playing there" and having a leisure time in Srinagar and other parts of Jammu and Kashmir. "It is a good thing, people must go, it is part of our India. That is the situation today, people are eager to visit

Renewed focus on tourism in Rajasthan to drive economic growth

The Budget has proposed to set up more meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibition centres in Jaipur, Udaipur, Jodhpur, and Ajmer