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IRCTC starts Divya Kashi Yatra pilgrimage tour

Indian Railway Catering & Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), the premier travel and tourism company under the Ministry of Railways is also one of the largest operators of mass tourism in the country. The company has been operating a number of tourist trains on the various theme-based tourist circuits identified by Ministry of Tourism under the ‘Dekho Apna Desh’ scheme to promote the growth and development of domestic tourism in the country. With the aim to promote religious tourism in the country, IRCTC now offers a ‘Divya Kashi Yatra’ pilgrimage tour by ‘Dekho Apna Desh’ AC Tourist train to showcase the prominent sacred places of divine city Varanasi. Varanasi is a city in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, the spiritual capital of India, the city draws Hindu pilgrims who bathe in the Ganges River’s sacred waters and perform funeral rites. Along the city’s winding streets are some 2,000 temples, including Kashi Vishwanath, the ‘Golden Temple,’ dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva. This 04 Nights/05 Days Divya Kashi Yatra (Total 156 Seats) will start today from Delhi Safdarjung Railways Station and Cover the visit of Sarnath Monuments, Kalbhairav Temple, Ghats of Varanasi, Kashi Vishwanath Temple & Corridor, Ganga Aarti, Sankat Mochan temple, Tulsi Manas Temple, Durga Temple, Bharat Mata Temple, Five Famous temples of Panch Koshi Yatra (panch padavs): Kardameshwar, Bhimchandi, Rameshwar, Shivpur & Kapileshwar. IRCTC is offering standard and comfort category facilities in the packages. While the standard category package on 1st AC is priced at Rs. 29,950/- per person and the comfort category package on 2nd AC is priced at Rs. 24,500/- per passenger. Package Price covers train journey in AC class, accommodation in AC hotel, veg meals, all transfer and sight-seeing in AC Vehicles, Travel Insurance and services of IRCTC Tour Managers, etc. All necessary health precautions measures will be taken care of by providing safe and healthy travel during the tour.

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An immersive exhibition on the Mona Lisa is to open in France

An immersive Mona Lisa exhibit is coming to enchant art lovers across the globe. A first of its kind, the art exhibition is going to be in similar lines with other exhibitions in the past that involved artworks of artists such as Frida Kahlo, Monet, and Vincent Van Gogh. The digital show is going to be a collaboration between the Louvre and the Grand Palais, which is going to be held at the Palais de la Bourse in Marseille, France. The exhibition is going to be called La Joconde, and will be held from March 10 to Aug 21, 2022. The painting is going to feature six themes revealing the history of the painting, and the genius of its creator. The experience is going to be a unique one, and the audience will get a chance to learn about the painting, its composition, how it inspired other artists, and the technique of da Vinci. Such immersive exhibitions have become quite popular amidst art fans of late. The Grand Palais is going through renovation currently, and is going to be completed by the 2024 Paris Olympics. It is going to have a permanent place for digital shows. Similar projects are being developed in Venice and Prague with the goal to create digital exhibitions that are relevant to our time, with a combination of creativity, and new approaches to art histories. The Mona Lisa was completed in 1504 by Leonardo da Vinci, and is said to be a portrait of the wife of a wealthy Florentine citizen, Francesco del Gioconda.

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Switzerland: Fully vaccinated travellers not required to present Covid-19 test report before entry

In a news worth cheering for outbound travellers heading to Switzerland, the Swiss authorities have announced that fully vaccinated travellers are not required to present a Covid-19 test report as a mandatory requirement to enter the nation. The Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) has said that those who are not vaccinated or have not recovered from Covid will have to take the tests to enter. Sharing the information in a tweet, the Consulate General of Switzerland in Mumbai mentioned that the new order is effective January 22 and fully vaccinated or persons recovered from Covid-19 will no longer be required to present a negative PCR or Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) report before entering Switzerland. However, due to limited testing capacity, such unvaccinated or infected travellers will no longer be required to take follow-up tests four to seven days after arriving, meaning that the '3G' rule (proof of vaccination, recovery or a negative test report) applies to enter Switzerland. If PCR test is required, it should not be older than 72 hours or the Rapid Antigen Test should not be older than 24 hours on arrival. The Passenger Locator Form (PLF) will only have to be completed by those travelling to Switzerland by plane or on a longdistance bus service. Requirements to enter Switzerland Anyone who has not been vaccinated or recovered from Covid are now only required to present a proof of vaccination, recovery or a negative test report entering Switzerland. In addition, the must fill the PLF form online before arrival. The QR code received post the completion handy for inspection in Switzerland. There is currently no quarantine requirement when entering Switzerland. Anyone who has a Swiss passport, or a valid Swiss residence permit can enter Switzerland at any time. All travellers must take note of the health-related measures at the Swiss border. No Covid-19 test is required for children under the age of 16. Certain category of people are also exempted in case of medical emergencies and people transiting without stopping.

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UK forces airlines to fly more as economy reopens

Airlines must operate more flights in Britain this summer as demand recovers from the pandemic - or lose lucrative take-off and landing slots, the UK government warned Monday. Carriers operating in Britain are currently using about 50 percent of their slots as the sector continues to recover from the long-running Covid crisis. This has helped to ensure that airlines have avoided carbon-intensive "ghost flights" - with none or few travellers during pandemic restrictions. Carriers operating in Britain have traditionally been required to use 80 percent of their slots, but the target was suspended owing to Covid. From the end of March, carriers must use slots at least 70 percent of the time in order to keep them, the Department for Transport (DfT) said in a statement on Monday. But airlines will also "benefit from added flexibility over when they are justified not to use them", the DfT said. During the pandemic, the rule had been eased "to provide financial stability to the sector and prevent environmentally damaging ghost flights", added aviation minister Robert Courts. "As demand for flights returns, it's right we gradually move back to the previous rules while making sure we continue to provide the sector with the support it needs." Monday's news was welcomed by London airports. The move "strikes the right balance between driving recovery and promoting competition", said a Heathrow spokeswoman. The aviation sector was slammed by the Covid-19 health emergency that erupted in early 2020, grounding planes worldwide and decimating demand for air travel. Recovery has been hampered by frequent changes to travel restrictions and testing requirements following the emergence of the Omicron variant late last year. Plan to end tests - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday said the government is set to drop compulsory coronavirus tests for fully vaccinated passengers arriving in England. "To show that this country is open for business, open for travellers, you will see changes so that people arriving no longer have to take tests if they've been vaccinated," he told reporters on a hospital visit. Johnson did not specify a date for the change. He noted that this will apply only to arrivals who have been "double vaccinated". The government announcements failed to lift the sector, however, as share prices continued to be slammed Monday by worries regarding the impact of decades-high inflation on economic recovery. IAG, owner of British Airways, slumped 6.5 per cent by the close, while EasyJet shed 5.3 per cent

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Sri Lanka sees rise in tourist arrivals in January

COLOMBO, Jan. 24 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka attracted nearly 59,000 tourists during the first 22 days of January, local media reported Monday. According to the country's tourism ministry, this was a significant increase over the 1,682 arrivals recorded in January last year. According to official figures, Russia recorded the highest number of arrivals in January with 9,697 tourists, followed by India, Ukraine, Britain and Germany. Sri Lankan Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunga said that in an effort to increase the month-on-month growth rate of tourist arrivals, promotions will be launched by the tourism ministry and the national carrier SriLankan Airlines for foreign cities this year. The minister said these promotions will be carried out through social media, and at international conferences and exhibitions as well. Enditem

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RARE India Launches ‘Pinwheel Project’ To Promote Sustainable Travel

In an endeavor to inspire people to promote sustainable travel and ‘thinking’ destinations, RARE, which is a community of some of the finest conscious luxury hotels, palace stays, wildlife lodges, homestays and retreats in the Indian subcontinent, has launched The Pinwheel Project. Involving stakeholders like hoteliers, guides, destination experts and the RARE Community, The Pinwheel Project will re-look at destinations through the lens of sustainability and community engagement. Explaining the thought behind this project, Shoba Mohan, Founder, RARE India, said, “The Pinwheel Project is an all-encompassing initiative whose main aim is inclusion. Our hotels have been promoting their often-remote destination for many years now; their design and concept tell a story of their commitment and value creation, of taking the tough route to re-define the destination and the region. The Pinwheel Project is an initiative to tell stories of hotels they built - how a small key hotel has helped the destination hold on to its character, build value for the communities and uphold cultures, preserve heritage and protect the environment. It also highlights the travelers’ experiences and their role in shaping the destination’s destiny through their travel.” The Pinwheel Project will showcase the responsible tourism practices of the RARE Community hotels and the destinations they are located in so as to inspire the travel trade community as well as travellers to plan their travel itineraries in a manner that they can also contribute to responsible tourism. The Project will address the trade and media through training sessions and workshops, campaigns on social media and continue to build awareness with live chats, events and podcasts. The aim is to inspire and record every RARE Community hotelier’s journey, gauge the impact on the destination and urge travelers to explore differently and make earth-friendly, community focused choices. As part of the Pinwheel Project, interactive zoom sessions are going to be held to highlight various countries, states and micro destinations through their culture, history, community, nature and adventure. Attendees of these sessions will hear stories, explore unknown trails, festivals, wildlife and adventures. The month of January has been dedicated to Nepal wherein various country experts will showcase the adventure lovers’ paradise in a comprehensive manner, right from what one can do other than visiting Kathmandu and Pokhara to the culture, festivals and hidden travel gems of Nepal. From February onwards, the focus of the sessions will shift to various destinations in India where the RARE Community hotels are located.

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