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Trans Bhutan Trail is reopening for travellers after 60 years

For the first time in 60 years, the Trans Bhutan Trail is reopening to travellers. The 402 km trail connects 9 districts, 28 local governments, 2 municipalities, one national park, and 400 historic and cultural sites. The trail is opening from April 2022, and will allow travellers from across the world to walk this breathtaking trail. The restoration work of the Trans Bhutan Trail has been funded by the Bhutan Canada Foundation, which is the principal donor of this project. Travellers will be able to explore 18 major bridges, and even climb 10000 stairs, besides being able to take mountain bikes through the route. The trail will take you through the incredible eastern Himalayan region. It is an opportunity to explore the scenic beauty of Bhutan, something that not travellers don't get to explore in their Bhutan trips. The trail has a 500-year old history, with historic and cultural sites all along the route. It used to serve as a pilgrimage route for Buddhists who were looking to explore sacred destinations in Tibet and the western part of Bhutan. Tourists can take guided walking and biking tours on the trail, the proceedings for which will go to the communities here. You could explore the entire trail by foot, which will take over a month's time. For adventurers, photographers, and birdwatchers, this can be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Moreover, the trail is going to be a major hit among pilgrims, and travellers who are looking for spiritual and wellness experiences.

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Iran foreign minister to travel to Hyderabad during India visit

Iran's foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian will be travelling to the southern Indian city of Hyderabad during his India visit on Tuesday. Iran has a consulate in Hyderabad. It will be his first visit to India after taking charge last year. The Iranian foreign minister will hold talks with Indian external affairs minister Dr S Jaishankar on Monday in Delhi after arriving on Sunday. On the table will be a number of issues on connectivity, trade and Afghanistan. Both the ministers spoke on January 8 on a number of issues including Afghanistan. The Iranian side offered to transfer India's humanitarian aid to Afghanistan including wheat, medicine to the country. India is developing the first phase of Shahid Beheshti port at Chabahar. After operations began at the Chabahar port in December 2018, the port has handled more than 8,200 TEUs and 1.28 million tonnes of bulk cargo. The port also provides Central Asia connectivity with India. Amid the COVID-19 crisis, regular exchanges have been taking place with New Delhi sending out supplies of Covaxin to the country. Ahead of the visit, Iran's FM had extended his greetings on India's Republic day. He said, "Will continue to work towards further expansion of all-out relations, bilaterally, regionally and at international fora." After his India visit, Iran's FM will travel to Sri Lanka. The Iranian foreign minister's visit to Colombo comes a month after both sides concluded an agreement under which Sri Lanka will pay off its oil import bill with tea, a deal dubbed as tea-for-oil pact.

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Let’s open up more shrines to pilgrims, India proposes to Pakistan

NEW DELHI: Even as bilateral ties with Pakistan remain in deep freeze, India is looking to build on the goodwill created by religious tourism by expanding the agreed list of shrines pilgrims from both sides are allowed to visit. India proposed the same to Pakistan in a note verbale Friday saying that pilgrims be also allowed to travel by air. The government said Friday it had a positive approach to the issue and was willing to engage Islamabad. India believes an early implementation of the proposal will help both Sikhs and Hindus who are keen to visit pilgrimage centres in Pakistan. The foreign ministry also confirmed Friday India will begin supply of wheat to Afghanistan via Pakistan soon. "Let me underline that India has a positive approach on this matter and is willing to engage the Pakistani side," he added. The official also said that, as the pandemic situation normalised, India expected this time to be utilised for discussions under the bilateral Protocol. "It is our hope to facilitate early exchange of visits to all shrines of interest to pilgrims," he said. Both countries have been looking to facilitate visits by pilgrims since the Kartarpur Corridor reopened last year. Pakistan had last month issued visas to 112 Indian pilgrims allowing them to visit a Hindu temple in Pakistan Punjab. Religious tourism and humanitarian issues have kept diplomats on both sides occupied even in the absence of any substantive bilateral engagement between the 2 countries. Visits by pilgrims under the 1974 Protocol have continued despite the occasional disruption like in 2018 when India denied visas to Pakistani pilgrims following the strife over the Kulbhushan Jadhav case. A mechanism to facilitate religious tourism was among the 5 agreements that PM Narendra Modi had reached in 2015 with his then counterpart Nawaz Sharif in a bilateral meeting in Russia. India is currently also working with Pakistan to supply wheat to Afghanistan through the Attari-Wagah land route. The government said Friday it was hoping to begin the delivery soon and that it remained committed to providing humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan. "The process to procure wheat and to arrange its transportation is currently underway. Naturally, this takes some time. We will share the updates as soon as we have them. We hope to be able to do it shortly," said Bagchi.

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A wildlife corridor connecting Ranthambore to Panna and more

A wildlife corridor is all set to be developed, according to Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia. The idea is to create a wildlife corridor that starts from Ranthambore in Rajasthan, covering national parks in Madhya Pradesh. The wildlife corridor will uplift tourism in the state, and also help in development activities. The corridor will cover Madhya Pradesh’s Madhav National Park in Shivpuri district, Kuno-Palpur wildlife sanctuary in Sheopur district, and Panna Tiger Reserve in Panna district. Scindia said in a statement, "There is a plan to make a wildlife corridor connecting Ranthambore (which houses a national park), Kuno-Palpur (Sheopur), the Madhav National Park (Shivpuri) and the Panna Tiger Reserve. This will result in economic and tourism development of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and also MP's Bundelkhand region." There is however a delay in bringing cheetahs from South Africa to the Kuno-Palpur Sanctuary due to the coronavirus pandemic. Earlier the cheetahs were supposed to reach in the month of March, but now there is a delay of about four weeks. The minister also chaired a meeting to review the situation of coronavirus. The effect of the Omicron variant has been limited due to rapid vaccination. However, people have been asked not to lower their guard against the pandemic. Madhya Pradesh is a wonderful wildlife destination with some of the best national parks and sanctuaries in the country. Connecting these destinations with Rajasthan’s famed Ranthambore National Park is a great move to create a wholesome wildlife travel experience.

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Tamara Leisure Experiences acquires 167 room hotel in Coimbatore

Tamara Leisure Experiences (TLE), headquartered in Bengaluru, Karnataka, recently announced the acquisition of a 167-room hotel in the heart of Coimbatore, the second-largest city in the state of Tamil Nadu. Formerly operated under the Aloft brand, this hotel is located close to Singanallur, a major textile and engineering hub in South India. Speaking on this latest acquisition, Shruti Shibulal, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Tamara Leisure Experiences, says, "The acquisition marks the company's first in India and showcases our commitment to investing in the Indian tourism industry. O by Tamara is a brand that we launched in Trivandrum and found success with just two years ago. We believe the Outstanding Hospitality that we are now known for there will be welcomed and embraced by the city of Coimbatore. We will continue to look for suitable opportunities to expand our footprint across India and globally using our three signature brands - The Tamara Resorts, O by Tamara, and Lilac Hotels. Tamara Leisure Experiences acquired 167 room upscale business hotel at Singanallur, Coimbatore, as its first Indian hotel acquisition, now pushing past 1000 keys globally. With the acquisition complete, Tamara Leisure Experiences will be giving the hotel's service and guest areas a complete makeover. The hotel will be named O By Tamara Coimbatore, and both the facade and the rooms will be redesigned to give it a contemporary touch, catering perfectly to business and leisure travelers. The hotel's banqueting space will be enhanced, and the facilities will see the addition of signature restaurant, O Cafe, and include a bar, spa, and swimming pool. Tamara Leisure Experiences is a leading hospitality brand based in India, currently operating The Tamara Coorg, a luxury resort in a sprawling coffee plantation in Coorg, The Tamara Kodai, a luxury heritage resort in the hills of Kodaikanal, and O by Tamara, a luxury business hotel in the lively city of Trivandrum. Very recently, Amal Tamara, an Ayurvedic Wellness Centre, was launched in Alleppey. The company also operates Lilac, an affordable midsegment hotel in the heart of South Bangalore. Tamara Leisure Experiences' international properties include Holiday Inn Express Gutersloh, Prizeotel Hannover, Moxy Bremen, and Courtyard by Marriott Wolfsburg, all based in Germany. Responsible Hospitality has been at the core of every venture, making the organization an industry leader in the shift towards responsible and sustainable tourism.

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Flyers, agents seek more int’l routes, better services from revamped Air India

The return of flights on international routes out of Kolkata; better connectivity across domestic sectors; revival of world-class in-flight service; reliable and on-time performance: these are among multiple expectations flyers and travel agents have from the revamped Air India under the Tata group. Corporate executive and frequent flyer Shankho Chowdhury, who has travelled AI in its heyday and witnessed its decline, believes Tatas will be able to engineer a turnaround because there are emotions involved. “I believe there will be an extra effort to revive the airline’s glory. I look forward to better connectivity and service, perhaps a direct flight from Kolkata to Germany, or France in continental Europe, regularisation of the London flight and an onward connection to the US,” he said, pointing to the service excellence in the hospitality sector with its Taj Hotels chain. Corporate advisor Soumitra Ghatak felt the Maharaja that had lost its sheen over the past three-four decades could gradually regain it if it improved reliability and service orientation. “Reliability is a hygiene factor. That’s why so many people prefer IndiGo. The erstwhile Jet Airways had a feel-good factor. If AI is able to offer them both, it will be an airline to reckon with,” he said. Travel agent BT Ramnani of Vensimal World Travel became emotional speaking about the airline. After all, the company that his grandfather Vensimal Ramnani had set up in 1928 with offices in Mumbai and Karachi had supported AI when the Tatas started it in 1932. The Kolkata office was set up in 1933. “Until the 1970s, AI had flights to London, Tokyo, and Yangon. There is a lot of scope for revival of some of these flights and introduction of flights on new routes,” he said. Travel Agents Federation of India Chairman (East) Anil Punjabi hopes the airline will improve domestic connectivity with at least four daily flights to Delhi, three daily flights to Mumbai and Chennai, two daily flights to Pune, Bengaluru and Goa, and a daily flight to Cochin and Ahmedabad. Travel Agents Association of India Chairman (East) Manav Soni, though, warned that expectations are so high that managing them could pose a challenge. “There will be incremental improvements. But we must remember that the former glorious AI operated in an environment when there was no competition and only the rich and famous travelled,” said Soni. Recounting how Singapore and Hong Kong had taken cues from AI to shape Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific into world-class carriers, travel agent Manoj Saraf said the troika of AI, Vistara and AirAsia India could set new benchmarks in the Indian market. “One area where we definitely hope to see improvement is aircraft utilization. While IndiGo uses an aircraft to operate seven-eight flights a day, there were only five-six AI flights. We travel agents were frustrated with AI. During the pandemic, the refund took a year-and-a-half when all other airlines gave it in six months,” he said.

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