News

Medical travel potential to Amritsar, NW India

People associated with India’s medical profession in Amritsar, north-western India, are encouraging political parties and leaders to create a policy to build the city into a leading medical tourism destination. Local politicians have so far avoided promoting or developing medical tourism to Amritsar, arguing that, as a top religious destination, the city does not need it. Local medical professionals argue that this is short sighted, as the city must look at future development potential. Amritsar has a solid medical healthcare infrastructure, with multi-specialty hospitals and skilled sector workers. Local multi-specialty and super-specialty hospitals are equipped with treatment facilities for eye-surgery, cardiology, IVF, dental surgery, hip and knee replacement. This is supported by the presence of medical colleges, nursing colleges, pharmacy colleges and research institutions. The city has a vibrant hospitality sector with a large number of luxury, medium and small budget hotels. There is an international airport, four-lane road connectivity to Pakistan through the Attari-Wagah joint check post, and an international bus station. The Union Government has said it is looking to introduce more direct international flights to the city from Central Asian and CIS countries such as Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. Amritsar does currently attract medical travellers from as far away as the UK, USA and Australia but that is limited to Non Resident Indians. Most patients are from adjoining states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. One potential opportunity yet to be taken up is to offer medical visas on priority to Pakistani patients to visit Amritsar for treatment.

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Sundarbans to get new tourism infrastructure

West Bengal State Tourism Minister, Indranil Sen, told the Assembly that the West Bengal government is planning to improve tourism infrastructure in the Sundarbans. According to Sen, the state government is engaged with the private sector in planning a host of new infrastructure possibilities in Sundarbans. Infrastructures such as eco-friendly hotels, and entertainment arenas are two of the main things that are going to be developed in the forests of Sundarbans. The state of West Bengal has introduced a range of package tours in Sundarbans for travellers from the city. Among other things, the government has introduced vessels ferrying them to jungles and back. Now the government is looking at other avenues to develop further infrastructure in the area. According to reports, the government in West Bengal is looking forward to starting houseboat services in the Sundarbans in the next six months, much like the ones in Kashmir. The Sundarbans is a large mangrove forest that is one of the unique destinations in the country. It is home to the Bengal Tiger, and a host of unique species. There are about 400 of these majestic tigers here in the forest.The forest here is remote, and travelling to this destination must be on your West Bengal travel bucket list. A dreamy experience, with more developments in the region, your Sundarban experience is bound to be a lot more exciting, and rewarding.

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Get married in Italy’s Lazio province and receive €2000 wedding payment!

If you are someone who has been dreaming of a destination wedding (especially in Italy) but also worry about the cost, then the time has come to turn your dream into a reality! Lazio, a stunning province in Italy, is offering couples €2000 (nearly INR 1,68,000) to get married in the region. And the offer is available for both local and international couples! Sounds enticing, right? Couples can redeem the money on wedding things such as wedding dresses, flowers, decorations, cakes, food and photography, among others. However, the deal is only valid till 31st December, 2022 and the fund is limited to €10 million. Therefore only 5000 lucky couples will get a chance to take advantage of the offer. All couples need to do is reserve their spot by visiting the "Love in Lazio" website and complete the application in Italian. About Lazio Lazio is a dreamy place in Italy that has been attracting people from all over the globe since ages now. From here, people can enjoy impressive sights of incredible coastal beaches of the Tyrrhenian Sea and the Etruscan tombs of Cerveteri. The place makes for a perfect destination wedding spot, given its natural beauty and rich history. Now the Italian government is trying to bring weddings and visitors who come along back to Lazio with this offer in a hope to bring funds to the region.

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Good news for travellers! International air fares may come down by 50% as India lifts travel ban

In good news for travellers, international air tickets are expected to get as much as 40% cheaper with increased flights after the government lifted the ban on international commercial flights after two years. Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS), which is part of the Lufthansa Group, is expected to almost double flights in the coming months while Singapore Airlines plans to add 17% to capacity. Homegrown carrier IndiGo Airlines is also expected to resume over 100 international flights in the months ahead. In good news for travellers, international air tickets are expected to get as much as 40% cheaper with increased flights after the government lifted the ban on international commercial flights after two years. Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS), which is part of the Lufthansa Group, is expected to almost double flights in the coming months while Singapore Airlines plans to add 17% to capacity. Homegrown carrier IndiGo Airlines is also expected to resume over 100 international flights in the months ahead. As part of air bubble agreements signed with various countries to operate flights during the pandemic-induced travel restrictions, carriers were allowed to operate a limited number of flights. Airfares increased as much as 100% due to the restrictions on the number of flights due to a supply-demand mismatch during the pandemic. “With capacity coming back and with an increase in connectivity and more routes, we can expect international fares returning to pre-Covid levels,” Aloke Bajpai, group chief executive of travel portal Ixigo told Economic Times. The increased capacity will also help ease the impact of high aviation turbine fuel (ATF) on airlines amid a spike in global crude oil prices. ATF prices have rallied over and above the 100% hike witnessed last year. Prices would have escalated even further amid the reduced number of US carriers to India and other destinations, had it not been for bubble arrangements, said Rajesh Magow, group chief executive, Makemytrip. “However, with the decision to allow regular international flights and a resultant increase in capacity, prices will stabilise,” he added. But industry insiders warn that a sustained hike in ATF prices would reduce the possibility of a significant reduction in airfares. Others do not see a significant reduction in travel costs as increased capacity will be offset by rising fuel prices. “We are optimistic that this move, coupled with the expansion of Singapore’s Vaccinated Travel Lanes across India, will offer better and more convenient opt ions for Indian customers, for whom Singapore is a key destination and transit hub for international travel,” said Sy Yen Chen, general manager India at Singapore Airlines told Economic Times.

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India's first luxury cruise services by IRCTC

The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited (IRCTC), a public sector enterprise under the Ministry of Railways, has partnered with Cordelia Cruises, a private company, to provide luxury cruise services in India beginning September 18, 2021. "IRCTC has joined hands and signed an agreement with Cordelia Cruises, which is operated by Waterways Leisure Tourism Pvt. Ltd, for the promotion and marketing of the first indigenous luxury cruise in India," said an official statement from Indian Railways' catering arm. Those interested in taking a cruise can purchase tickets at www.irctctourism.com. First indigenous cruise liner This is India's first indigenous cruise liner and it will go into service on September 18. Domestic tourists will get a taste of luxury tourism as a result of this. The cruise will depart from Mumbai and visit Goa, Kerala, and the island of Lakshadweep. Furthermore, the railway PSU stated that it is committed to providing passengers with safety, luxury, and convenience. Regarding the collaboration IRCTC is entering the international and domestic cruise markets in order to tap the domestic market, which includes potential outbound guests. The luxury cruise service will benefit the tourism industry. IRCTC, an arm of the Indian railways, also provides hospitality, travel, and tourism services to rail passengers. Meanwhile, Cordelia Cruises, India's premium cruise liner, aims to promote cruise culture in the country. Meanwhile, Cordelia Cruises, India's premium cruise liner, aims to promote cruise culture in the country. Tourists planning a cruise to Sri Lanka can book their tickets through IRCTC beginning in September of next year. Guests onboard the ship will have the opportunity to sail to some of India's and the world's most beautiful destinations, including Goa, Diu, Lakshadweep, Kochi, and Sri Lanka. Cordelia Cruises will embark on its first voyage this month, sailing through Indian destinations from its base in Mumbai. Later, in May 2022, the cruise will be relocated to Chennai and will sail to Sri Lankan destinations such as Colombo, Galle, Trincomalee, and Jaffna. Cordelia Cruises' popular tour itineraries include Mumbai-Goa-Mumbai, Mumbai-Diu-Mumbai, Mumbai-At sea-Mumbai, Kochi-Lakshadweep-At sea-Mumbai, and Mumbai-At sea-Lakshadweep-At sea-Mumbai.

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Daily domestic air travel traffic increase to 324k, ATF prices soar 26% as crude oil prices globally continue to rally

According to a weekly review on the number of air travellers by ICICI Securities, the domestic aviation market in the country is continuing to see a strong recovery with the rising number of air passengers and travellers. The number of weekly average daily fliers stood at 324,000 in the week ended on March 5 in comparison to 315,000 fliers recorded in the week ended on February 26 last month. For the week ending on March 5, the average number of daily departures improved to 2,506 from 2,257 in the previous week, and the number of fliers per departure declined to 130 from 140. On the other hand, the Aviation Turbline Fuel Prices (ATF) prices have risen sharply in recent times due to various reasons and ongoing events across the globe. The prices continued to rise Quarter 4 for FY2022. Current ATF cost at INR 94,976 is higher than INR 71,028 per kl in August 2008. The price of crude oil in the international market has reached all-time high levels since 2008 as the price per barrel of crude oil has reached USD 147. As of March 7, Brent crude touched USD 130 cost per barrel. According to the company’s review of the domestic air travel passengers last month, the number of weekly average daily fliers stood at 293,000 in the week ended on February 19, 2022, vs 249,000 in the week ending February 12, 2022. For the week ending on February 19, the average number of daily departures improved to 2,124 from 1,870 in the previous week, and the number of fliers per departure increased to 138 from 133. Looking at the monthly traffic data in January 2021, Total passengers for the month came in at 6.4 million down 17 per cent Year-on-Year (YoY) on account of Covid curbs imposed by some state governments. However, February 22 has seen a sharp recovery

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