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Most Salcete shacks shut over price rise, no foreign tourists

Several beach shack operators along the Salcete coastline have begun shutting down operations much before the stipulated date of May 31, attributing the move to a loss of business due to the code of conduct in the run-up to the assembly elections, a sudden rise in the prices of commodities following the polls and a lack of foreign tourists. A number of them wound up business in March. Shack owner Jack Cortes said that while the first two months of the year were pretty good, the steep rise in prices of commodities was disastrous. “With inflation, I cannot serve the same menu. The rise in the cost of gas cylinders, chicken and other items in the middle of the season caught us unawares and I cannot increase the prices of food all of a sudden,” he said. Another shack owner claimed that the code of conduct affected business as domestic tourists had to return earlier due to curtailed service timings. “Although it was a so-so season, another month of operations would have enabled us to break even,” he said. A shack owner in Sernabatim, who brought the shutters down on his operations, also observed that plenty of destination weddings are being held along the coastal belt and thta although a large percentage of tourists are invited, they are accommodated as part of a complete package, dispensing the need for them to visit the shacks. Edwin Baretto claimed that, for the first time, South Goa has seen a large influx of domestic tourists, “We are more accustomed to foreign tourists. Business with charter tourists is far more different for trade — they stay for longer periods, which ensures steady business and money flow,” he said. Baretto is one of the many shack owners to have wound up operations at Cavelossim. He said that during the months he operated his shack, his profits were marginal, even as he hoped for a better season next year. “The overall tourist footfalls will paint a rosy picture for the state, with hotels and restaurants gaining. But seasonal shack owners are just a small part of the entire tourism portfolio and most are suffering,” a shack owner said.

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Relish ten budget-friendly bites under USD 10 in Qatar

Scheduled to take place between November 21 and December 18, the 2022 FIFA World Cup will be held in an Arab State, i.e., Qatar for the first time. Known for its luxurious lifestyle, the country boasts of locales and delicacies that one cannot resist. With the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 bringing in fans from around the world, Qatar Tourism reveals the budget-friendly restaurants best for big appetites without breaking the bank. For less than USD 30 a day, fans can taste authentic Middle Eastern flavours, or any international cuisine, at breakfast, lunch and dinner, along with local teas and “qahwa” coffee to boost energy levels in preparation for the match excitement. Chief Operating Officer of Qatar Tourism, Berthold Trenkel, said, “Sometimes, all a traveller wants is a quick, affordable, but delicious meal to get them through the day. In Qatar, visitors can grab a shawarma with meat fresh off the grill, or dip warm falafel into tahini for just a few Qatari riyals. With a never-ending portfolio of pocket-friendly bites on every street corner, sometimes the simplest meals are the best. Football fans should get ready to be wowed with our low-cost sweet and savoury sensations.” While Qatar excels in luxury offerings, the country also allows for budget dining without scrimping on quality. Here is a list of places that one can visit to relish budget friendly treats! Petra Visitors can drop by any Petra location for a taste of the Middle East. With all sandwiches under USD 2, this is a trendy destination for a bargain bite. Popular choices include the falafel and chicken sandwiches. Top tip: order two, no one stops at just one. Marmara Istanbul Restaurant Guests can mark ‘eating shawarma in Qatar’ off the checklist with one of the best at Marmara. Priced at USD 3.50 and USD 2 for large and regular-sized shawarma respectively, this restaurant is always buzzing with people at all hours of the day and night. Top tip: the restaurant is open from 9 am to 4 am. Sabah W Masa At USD 5.20, this Lebanese restaurant serves some of the greatest falafel in town. Fresh Lebanese cuisine is available on-the-go from a wide menu suitable for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Top tip: one main menu order is good for two people. Ali Al Naama Café Visitors can dine amongst the hustle and bustle of Souq Waqif at this local eatery. Adorned with traditional seating, the Ali Al Naama Café has become a crowd favourite for its quick service and low-priced menu with most items under USD 4. Top tip: the combination of the egg and cheese paratha and a cup of karak make the perfect meal combination. Biryani Corner Visitors in the mood for some south-Asian cuisine can grab a hearty plate of biryani for under USD 5 from this local eatery. The selection includes vegetable, egg, chicken and mutton biryani to fulfil everyone’s appetite. It’s best for a quick takeaway. Top tip: order a side of papadum, pickled veggies and yoghurt to make any meal a feast. TeaTime With an extensive menu available 24/7 and most items under USD 4, TeaTime is a night owl’s dream. With branches all over the city, visitors can grab a burger, wrap, snacks and its famous karak everywhere they go. Top tip: most branches do not have dining areas, so it’s best for a quick takeaway. Shay AlShomous Located in a corner of Souq Waqif, Shay AlShomous is owned and actively run by a renowned Qatari woman called Shams Al Qassabi. With all menu items priced under USD 7, it’s a must-visit location for authentic Qatari food. Top tip: the restaurant is known for its breakfast rush. Chapati & Karak It's always tea time at Chapati & Karak. Located in Katara Cultural Village, this establishment serves an assortment of flavoured chapati and innovative teas to quench both sweet and savoury cravings, for under USD 2. Top tip: perfect for a quick mid-day snack. Karak Mqanes Karak Mqanes serves traditional Qatari cuisine with a hint of local charm. With more than 20 locations serving recipes shared through generations, Karak Mqanes is known for its Qatari breakfast, desserts, and authentic karak. Most of the menu items are priced under USD 5. Top tip: make sure to leave room for dessert. Turkey Central Restaurant Located in the heart of the city, Turkey Central is known by both locals and expats for its mouth-watering menu, generous prices and prompt service. The menu options start from USD 1 upwards, with plates big enough for two to share. Favourites from the restaurant include mixed mezze (USD 8), mixed grill (USD 9), half grilled chicken (USD 7) and the renowned lamb chops (USD 10). Top tip: be sure to arrive early, as it’s first come first serve and always packed with customers.

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Afraid to fly with unmasked passengers? Call your airline

Airlines say they are offering options - including refunds in some cases - for people worried about flying now that other passengers aren't required to wear face masks. However, the airlines aren't providing many details. Customers could find themselves at the mercy of workers at airline customer-service centers. Many people who will be flying in the next few weeks bought their tickets before a federal judge in Florida on Monday struck down the requirement to wear a mask in airports and during flights. That requirement, designed to limit the spread of Covid-19, was due to expire anyway on May 3. United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said that his airline will be flexible with people who have a weak immune system or are concerned about mask-optional flying for any other reason. "We are working with those customers ... to find another option, give them a credit, or if they just don't ever want to fly again, (we are) actually willing to give them a refund," Kirby told NBC. A United spokesman said customers except those on the lowest-priced "basic economy" fares can delay their travel plans for any reason with no extra fee. He said passengers with special circumstances should call the airline's customer-service number. American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said Thursday that the airline hasn't fielded many refund requests yet. "But like we do in all these events, we are taking a look at our policies and... asking them to get in touch with our reservations office, and we will make sure that we accommodate them in an appropriate fashion," Isom said. An American spokeswoman pointed to the airline's policy, which allows refunds for refundable tickets - those usually cost more - and credit for the value of unused non-refundable tickets. However, people who bought "basic economy" tickets since April 1 are not entitled to a refund or to change their ticket. A Delta Air Lines spokesman said customers who wish to cancel a trip should contact the airline. Decisions about how to handle those requests are made on a case-by-case basis, he said. Southwest, Alaska, JetBlue, Spirit and Frontier did not reply to inquiries. On Thursday, the Justice Department said that it would appeal the Florida judge's ruling striking down the mask mandate, which was put in place by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and enforced by the Transportation Security Administration. However, as of late Friday afternoon the administration still had not asked any court for an emergency stay of the Florida ruling. Legal experts said that the White House appeared mostly interested in appealing the Florida ruling to prevent it from becoming a precedent that could limit the CDC's power to impose pandemic-related measures in the future.

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Bengaluru-Vijayawada greenfield NH to cut travel time

The Centre has cleared the long-pending proposal for the BenguluruVijayawada greenfield highway. While the previous Chandrababu Naidu government had proposed the greenfield highway from Anantapur to Amaravati, the Jagan Mohan Reddy government changed it to the Benguluru-Vijayawada highway. The proposal, which has been pending with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) since 2017, finally secured clearance last week. The NHAI cleared the project connecting Kadapa in YSR district. The highway is now called Bengaluru-Kadapa-Vijayawada (BKV) expressway. The proposal saw light after Union minister Nitin Gadkari’s visit to the state, where the chief minister had placed a charter of demands. The BKV expressway is one of the proposals that Gadkari cleared for the state. According to sources, the expressway will have only 12 exits and entries and will not have access to villages and towns. Vehicles from Benguluru, Kadapa and a few major towns in the state only would have access to enter the expressway at the given point. Sources say the NHAI had left the responsibility of forming service roads on both sides of the highway to the state government. The approach roads to the highway would also be the responsibility of the state government, an official said. The highway would allow a speed up to 120 km per hour. The present travel between Benguluru and Vijayawada takes eight hours, while this highway, once completed would take a maximum of five hours, officials said. NHAI officials are set to begin the survey and alignment work for the national highway that also connects some existing state and national highways. Sources said NHAI officials were asked to coordinate with district collectors in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka for identification of land to be acquired. The highway would pass through YSR, Sri Satya Sai, Nellore, Prakasam, Palnadu and Guntur districts before reaching Vijayawada. The state government has also sent communication to respective district collectors to work in coordination with NHAI in land alignment and identification of land to be acquired.

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Delhi to soon have Malcha Mahal, Tughlaq-era hunting lodge, on its tourist map

The Delhi government is mulling to bring Malcha Mahal, the 14th century Tughlaq-era hunting lodge located in the central ridge, on city's tourist map after renovating the heritage structure, official sources said. Malcha Mahal was the abode of self-proclaimed descendants of the Nawab of Awadh, and lies neglected since the death of the last of the royal family in September 2017. Hidden behind thick foliage in the central ridge along Sardar Patel Marg, the ancient structure is neither the ASI protected monument nor the state government has paid any attention to conserve it. The hope to conserve its heritage value has been rekindled as, the sources said, the state government's archaeology department is making effort to hire a consultant to prepare a detailed plan for its restoration. “A request for proposal is being prepared and it will be issued soon to hire a consultant for the restoration work of Malcha Mahal. We are planning to invite agencies who have expertise in this field to carry out the restoration work,” the sources said, adding that if everything goes as per plan the restoration work should begin in the next five-six months. After starting of the restoration work, it is likely to take a few years to complete the project, they said. The official sources said that most of the people are unaware about this hidden historical monument in the city so the government is also planning to put it on city's tourist map by developing tourist friendly activities there. They, however, said that this plan is in very nascent stage and it will be early to predict what sort of facilities or activities will be planned there for tourism purposes. Let us first work on the restoration of the heritage site then we can plan tourism activities there, the official sources said. According to officials, Malcha Mahal was built by the then Sultan Firoz Shah Tughlaq and was used as a hunting lodge by him.

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Meghalaya to bet big on casinos, on-line gambling and gaming for tourists

The picturesque north-eastern state of Meghalaya has drawn up big plans to bring in casinos and on-line gambling and gaming for tourists to rake in much needed revenues, top officials said. Taxation Minister James PK Sangma said the state government has come up with the Gaming Act following which the Gaming Rules 2021 will facilitate issuing of licenses to operators to conduct games of skill and chance both in online and offline version. “As we have seen in many states, this venture has positive impacts not just in terms of GST revenues but also in terms of generating a lot of employment opportunities from the vibrant tourism industry,” Sangma told PTI. The move to get into gaming in a big way comes some forty years after archery-based betting was first legalized in Meghalaya, raking in big revenue to the state’s exchequer The Khasi Hills Archery Sport Association conducts the well-known 'Shillong Teer', an archery-based lottery. A group of 12 archery clubs are part of the association where every day, 50 archers shoot 30 arrows each at 3:45 pm and 20 arrows in the second round at 4:45 pm. Bettors predict the last two digits of the total number of arrows that hit the target and they can place their bets in 1500 legalised teer counters across the state. An official of the taxation department said legal betting through ‘Shillong Teer’ generated ₹1.1 crore revenue during 2014-15 and nearly 2 crore in 2018-19. However, this time round the state will allow only tourists and visitors to participate in these gaming and betting counters after providing valid proofs of being travellers from other states or countries. While Meghalaya was one of the first states to legalize archery-based gambling, it will now become the third state in the northeast to legalise gambling - both online and off-line. Sikkim and Nagaland have also allowed regulated gaming and betting businesses. Discussions on how to make ‘Shillong Teer’ more profitable and widely accepted globally have taken place since 2012-13 onwards but the final push came when the Taxation Minister met representatives of the UK India Business Council and other business houses to discuss the possibilities. The UKIBC in its report to the state government, said the state is the most gaming-friendly state in India and concluded that lottery, poker, rummy, casino and fantasy sports would do well here. The new rules on gaming and betting, however, did not go well with everyone in the state. Newly formed political outfit, the Voice of the People said that most Meghalayans have always considered any form of gambling as a social evil, and protested the move to allow opening up of casinos and gaming bars. Former legislator and VPP president Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit said, “The aim of the state government to open casinos in the state and make the state famous for its gambling cannot be accepted as we all know the Meghalaya people have never accepted such games of chance.” Basaiawmoit instead suggested the state look at encouraging start-ups. Possibly to stem opposition from conservatives in the state the state government has decreed that the rules will allow only tourists to play big in the casinos it hopes to attract to the state.

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