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Karnataka Tourism organises roadshow in Chandigarh

With an aim to increase domestic footfalls from Chandigarh capital region, Punjab and Haryana, the Department of Tourism, Government of Karnataka along with Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation Ltd. (KSTDC) organised a Roadshow at Taj Chandigarh here to promote tourist places, hotels, resorts, homestays and service providers from Karnataka amongst north Indians. A performance of ‘Puja Kunita’, an ancient art form of Karnataka was organised to showcase the vibrant cultural heritage that Karnataka is known for. The roadshow brought together different aspects of Karnataka tourism such as nature, wildlife, adventure, pilgrimage, heritage, and many more. T. Venkatesh, IAS, Director, Department of Tourism said, “Karnataka is home to a large and exciting portfolio of globally acclaimed tourist attractions like UNESCO World Heritage sites, splendid wildlife and resplendent nature, virgin beaches, etc. It is an around-the-year tourist destination. The roadshow series will provide impetus to domestic inbound travel and would enhance the marketing efforts of Karnataka Tourism to promote the state’s destinations to prospective tourists and the travel trade of north India.” Karnataka Tourism’s main objective behind the event was to promote the state as a tourist attraction for leisure tourism, MICE – meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions, adventure and wildlife tourism and as a wedding destination. KSTDC is the nodal agency to conduct the roadshows in various cities of India. The state also offers an avid traveller a vast range of tourism landscapes such as archaeology, religion, ecotourism and handicrafts. G. Jagadeesha, IAS, Managing Director, Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation said, “Karnataka with its diverse range of tourism products is fast emerging as one of the most interesting and productive states for both leisure and business travel. Domestic tourism being the backbone of the tourism economy has a lot of potentials that needs to be tapped. Post-pandemic, these roadshow activities will be an excellent occasion for our stakeholders in the travel trade as well as tourists.” The roadshow had B2B interactions and presentations that showcased the destination and also opened up new avenues to showcase Karnataka in a new light to the travel and trade community. Some of the stakeholders, who exhibited at the roadshow included KSTDC, Jungle Lodges and Resorts, The Serai Resorts, Intersight Tours & Travels (P) Ltd, Mookanana Resort – Chikmagalur, Paul John Resorts & Hotels, TGI Hotels & Resorts and Travel India Company. This exclusive B2B Roadshow had over 10 stakeholders from Karnataka and over 100 discerning trade partners from Chandigarh.

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Turkey witnesses tourism heat up, stoking hopes of economic recovery

The number of foreigners arriving in Turkey last month more than tripled from a year earlier, data showed on Monday, reinforcing expectations that a rebound in the sector will help repair an economy battered by a weak currency and high inflation. Sector representatives expect tourist numbers this year to return to around 2019 levels, leaving the 2020-21 coronavirus slump behind despite fallout from the war in Ukraine. Foreign arrivals in April leapt 225.6% from a year earlier to 2.57 million, Tourism Ministry data showed. In the southwestern resort city of Bodrum, mayor Ahmet Aras said foreign visitors would hit 1.5 million, exceeding the 1.3 million in the pre-pandemic year of 2019. Aras said Britons, Germans and the Dutch would be back, attracted by lira weakness, compensating for declines in Russian and Ukrainian visitors due to the war. "We are really a cheap destination now. Not only Bodrum but Turkey itself, which has again become a very attractive destination because of the weak lira," he said. The lira has halved in value over the last year, attracting notice in countries that have previously been only small sources of Turkish tourism. Piotr Henicz, president of the largest Polish tour operator Itaka, said bookings had tripled from last year. "In a word: great value for money," he said. Last year, tourism revenues doubled to almost $25 billion - still below the $34.5 billion in 2019, when 45.1 million foreigners visited Turkey. A currency crisis late last year largely sent inflation to a two-decade high of 70% last month. The government says foreign income will help steady the currency and ease price rises, even as the trade balance has dipped further into negative territory. TALE OF TWO HOT SPOTS According to a World Travel & Tourism Council report, Turkey is set to be the fourth most popular European destination this summer. Yet east of Bodrum in the major Mediterranean hub of Antalya, the war's impact is more acute. Russians and Ukrainians were the country's first and third biggest sources of visitors last year, and they both favour the area. Antalya is expected to lose around 3 million Russian and 1 million Ukrainian tourists this year, or about two thirds of its total, said Recep Yavuz, NBK Touristic General Manager. "Antalya is not able to fill its 600,000 bed capacity without Russians," he said. Ulkay Atmaca, head of the Professional Hotel Managers' Association, said hotels in Kemer have postponed season openings until June. Still, Nirvana Hotels chief executive Korhan Alsan said that with bookings flowing in all European markets, the country should reach 2019 levels. "I estimate Turkey will get tourism revenue worth $32 billion and host 39 million tourists," Alsan said.

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Portugal now open to Indian tourists

Portugal welcomes all visitors independently of the country of origin or purpose of travel. Portugal is the perfect holiday destination year-round, with its mild climate, 3,000 hours of sunshine per year and splendid contrasting landscapes within its seven regions, plus superb cuisine, fine wines and hospitable people. Visitors travelling from India to mainland Portugal will be required to provide the following documents as a mandate, and there will be no quarantine requirement upon arrival. The documents include- A negative RT-PCR test (or similar NAAT test) – 72 hours before boarding, or a negative Laboratorial Rapid Antigen Test- 24 hours before boarding (according to the European Commission list). Exception, children under 12 do not need to present a certificate or test. Combining a Mediterranean influence with the coolness of the Atlantic Ocean, Portugal is known for its mild, sunny climate and diverse landscapes that go from the magnificent coastal beaches to the golden plains of the Alentejo, the verdant mountains of the interior to the peaceful, lush nature of the Azores and Madeira islands. It is also known for its long history and for its imposing heritage, for its culture, which is always dynamic; for its unique, comforting cuisine full of flavours and aromas and always for its relaxed, simple, and unmatched setting, with open arms for those visiting and coming back. Portugal is the home of the world’s oldest demarcated wine region – the Douro, a World Heritage Site, where Port Wine is produced – and one of Europe’s oldest universities, the magnificent University of Coimbra, established in the 13th century, also classified by UNESCO. The land of the Discoveries, of Fado, of age-old traditions tied to its vast sea. “India has always been a strong source market for us, and in the pre-COVID period, we saw a significant increase in tourists from India. We can’t wait to welcome back Indian visitors to Portugal,” says Claudia Matias, Director, Visit Portugal India. We are one of Europe’s oldest nations, with over eight centuries of history and a happy mixture of cultures and traditions. Portugal is a modern, cosmopolitan country with countless options for leisure and places to visit and explore with your family, your partner or on a solo adventure.

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Hotels across China brace for May holiday bust as COVID lockdowns weigh

For the Fengxi Inn guest house, China's annual May Day holiday is usually a sell-out period, with guests booking out its rooms weeks in advance due to its location nestled in the green lush hills of the country's southwestern Guizhou region. But it is expecting much fewer visitors this year for the upcoming holiday, even after slashing room rates and blasting promotions on social media, as China fights its largest outbreak since the virus emerged in Wuhan in late 2019 with lockdowns and curbs on movement. "We only have guests on May 1st and 2nd, after that we have few guests," said Fengxi Inn manager Chen, only gave her surname. "People won't travel because they need to take multiple COVID tests." Hotels across the country are bracing for what is expected to be one of China's leanest holiday travel periods since early 2020. The May holiday from April 30 to May 4 is traditionally one of China's busiest tourist seasons as spring moves into summer.Hotels from Beijing to Sanya have slashed prices by up to 50%, with room rates in many Chinese cities hitting a five-year low for the holiday period, according to travel search engine Qunar.com Research by Gavekal Dragonomics estimated that 57 of China's 100 biggest cities were under some form of COVID curbs as of last week, including the most populous city Shanghai. Many others have imposed restrictions, such as multiple COVID tests or quarantine on arrival for travellers. Passenger volumes across air, road and rail is expected to fall by 62% year-on-year during the five days, an official from the Ministry of Transport said on Thursday. Travel company Trip.com Group said over half the bookings on its platform for the holiday were from travellers looking to stay close to home within their province. Some cities are urging residents not to leave at all. Shenzhen has offered 500 million yuan ($75.21 million) of electronic shopping vouchers to residents to spend in local shops and restaurants from May 1. Ningbo city on the east coast is doing something similar. "With people shelving travel plans over this May long weekend, we are expecting tourism-related spending to shift to people buying more consumer goods online," said Jacob Cooke, co-founder and CEO of WPIC Marketing + Technologies, an e-commerce consulting firm based in Beijing. ($1 = 6.6483 Chinese yuan renminbi)

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Malaysia to resume visa-on-arrival facility for Indian travellers

Great news for all those planning a trip to Malaysia. Reportedly, Malaysia is all set to reintroduce the option of visa on arrival for Indian travellers. This move is seen as a step to attract more and more travellers from India. If reports are to go by, the Southeast nation is also gearing up to relax all mandatory COVID relaxations to facilitate the travel of international tourists. As such, not only will the COVID curbs be relaxed, e-visas will also be issued within a few days now. Malaysia is now on the path to reviving its tourism industry and, because of this, a delegation representing Tourism Malaysia is also in India to promote travel to the country. While addressing the mediapersons at an event in Bengaluru, Manoharan Periasamy, Senior Director of Malaysia's International Promotion Division (Asia & Africa), informed that the country has already lifted all travel curbs from April 1, and added that they now have around 76 flights a week from India to Malaysia, out of which 59 are from South India. He added that Bengaluru is a key place from where travellers arrive, and while visa on arrival remained suspended because of the pandemic, it’s all set to restart again in two months. Meanwhile, e-visas, mainly for tourists, will be processed in 2-3 working days, he added. As regarding relaxing COVID travel rules, the Southeast Asian country has announced relaxing of mandatory virus tests on incoming fully vaccinated travellers beginning May 1. Till now, the exemption was only enjoyed by visitors from Singapore. Moreover, the country has also lifted other restrictions including social distancing, whereas facemasks are optional and not mandatory in public places.

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Goa government appeals to visitors to wear masks in public places

As a precautionary measure to prevent another COVID-19 wave in the state, the Goa state government has issued an advisory asking people to follow the mask mandate when in public places. The state has faced tremendous loss where the economy is concerned ever since the pandemic hit the whole world in 2020 with tourism, one of the major contributors to Goa’s economy, taking a nosedive. Slowly, like the rest of the country, Goa is also opening its doors to tourists. With travel back in the scene, many domestic and international travellers have started coming in. It is imperative to take necessary precautions in order to prevent another catastrophic Coronavirus pandemic wave. After the third wave, as the COVID-19 situation in the country eased up a little, the mask mandate was lifted along with all travel restrictions in and around the state. Now, the present situation points towards another possible wave of COVID-19, and the state government is advising the locals and all tourists to continue with the mask mandate in public places. Beaches like Baga and Calangute in North Goa are known for large crowds of people. Similarly, in South Goa, beaches such as Agonda and Palolem are known to pull big crowds of tourists. Perhaps, it is best for the time being to stay away from these crowd pullers. Alternatively, one can head to the less crowded options such as Ashwem beach for a quiet picnic, Cavelossim for some beachside fun, a trip to Goan spice village in Ponda, exploring the quiet street of Fontainhas and visit to the Aguada Fort in the North. While you are at it, explore the local Goan cuisine by visiting cafes that serve local Goan food.

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