News

IRCTC’s tourism package to Gujarat

The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has announced the launch of a tourism package covering important tourist destinations in Gujarat. The “Hari Hara Darshan with Statue of Unity" train will commence its journey from Madurai on December 10 and in order to benefit the passengers from the region, the tour has boarding points at Bengaluru, Tumakuru, Arsikere, Davangere, Hubballi and Belagavi. An IRCTC release said Central/State Govt employees can get LTC for this tour and booking has commenced at the IRCTC counters while online booking is provided through the website www.irctctourism.com. People in Mysuru region interested in the tour may also contact the IRCTC at the Mysuru Railway Station on 8595931294 The 10-day 11-night package will cover the major pilgrim/tourist destinations of Ahmedabad- Akshardham- Nishkalank Mahadev Sea Temple- Dwaraka- Bet Dwaraka- Nageshwar- Somnath- Omkareshwar- Mahakaleshwar and Statue of Unity and the package cost is ₹11,435 per person. The package includes train journey by sleeper class; night stay/fresh-up at dharmashalas/hall/dormitories on multi-sharing basis, morning tea/coffee, breakfast, lunch, dinner and 1 litre of drinking water per day, non-AC road transfers, tour escort and security and travel insurance, the release added.

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Kerala Tourism launches STREET project for experiential tourism

In a pioneering initiative to take tourism deep into the state's interiors and rural hinterland, Kerala Tourism will launch the 'STREET' project in select spots in seven districts, which would help visitors experience the diversity of offerings in these locales. In the first phase, the project would be implemented in Kadalundi in Kozhikode, Thrithala and Pattithara in Palakkad, Pinarayi and Ancharakkandi in Kannur, Maravanthuruthu and Manchira in Kottayam, Valiyaparamba in Kasaragod, Kanthalloor in Idukki and Chekadi in Wayanad. The project, conceived by the Responsible Tourism Mission, is inspired by the 'Tourism for Inclusive Growth' slogan of The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), an official statement said here. The STREET is an acronym for Sustainable, Tangible, Responsible, Experiential, Ethnic, Tourism hubs. Green street, cultural street, village life experience street, experiential tourism street, agri-tourism street, water street and art street are the themes that have been planned as part of the project, it said. These streets will be in tune with the peculiarities of each of these locations and would focus on experiential tourism. Tourism and Public Works Minister P A Mohammed Riyas said the project offers a huge potential for growth in the tourism sector and would usher in significant changes. "It aims to present the unique identity of our state before travellers. It will foster mutually beneficial organic relationships between tourism development in the state and the ordinary lives of people," he added. The STREET project would be implemented in the Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode and would have local bodies and residents of these locations as stakeholders. Joint venture projects with local bodies have also been envisaged. In every chosen location at least three such streets would come up. V Venu, Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Tourism, said the project is a model for decentralized tourism development and it would help bring little known rural destinations to the mainstream and create more jobs. Tourism Director V R Krishna Teja said the new product offering would open more avenues of growth for the state. It would also help rural destinations develop their basic infrastructure, he said. Responsible Tourism state mission coordinator K Rupesh Kumar said the project would help further democratise the tourism sector in the state and present new experiences to visitors. Elaborating, he said three types of tourist centers have been envisaged under the STREET project. These are locations that have so far not found a place in the tourism map and are unknown but hold the potential to be developed. Secondly, there are locations where tourism activities take place and can be developed in future as major destinations, the statement said. The STREET project would have a time-frame of four years for implementation. Around 1,000 local units connected to the sector would also be set up as part of the project. Separate projects under the scheme for enterprises by women and other marginalized communities and in sectors like agri-tourism have also been envisaged, it added.

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You will likely need a COVID booster shot to visit Europe in 2022

As per the latest reports, some European nations are witnessing a rise in COVID cases, despite successful vaccination campaigns. As a result of this, the European Commission has now proposed that EU residents, who are keen to travel to another nation in the bloc without quarantine or tests, would need to get COVID-19 vaccine booster jabs. Referring to this, EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides stated, “For everyone to travel and live as safely as possible, we need to reach significantly higher vaccination rates – urgently. We also need to reinforce our immunity with booster vaccines.” The EU executive also proposed to approve all vaccines that have been recognised so far by the World Health Organisation ( WHO). This will further allow non-essential travel to European nations from all over the world, even for those who are inoculated with Chinese and Indian vaccines. Reports state that several residents in the European Union countries have already received their final vaccine doses during the second and third quarters of 2021. This means the immunity coverage of these vaccines will likely expire by mid-2022. As such, the authorities are considering focusing more on booster doses. Reportedly, Greece recently proposed that people who have been jabbed with a dose in the past six months, will be allowed to travel freely in the nation. And as per the recommendation of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, all adults, especially those aged above 40, should receive booster doses.

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Long weekend trips emerged as the most popular travel trend across geographies: Oyo’s midseason Global Holiday report

Travel is back in a big way and consumers are excited to make up for lost holidays over the past two years. With a steady rise in vaccination coverage across geographies, combined with the easing of restrictions across regions, travellers have embraced the spirit of travel wholeheartedly, especially during holidays and festive long weekends in India, the US, the UK and Europe. As per OYO’s booking analysis, consumers across the world are increasingly opting for short-haul destinations and making last-minute bookings over planned trips. In India, the long weekends of Gandhi Jayanti and Dussehra were ranked as the topmost holidays for travellers in 2021. Across Europe, summer travel saw the highest bounce back in demand. Whereas, Americans travelled the most during the Labor Day long weekend of September 4 - 6, 2021. For Indians, festive long weekends are nothing less than sweet escapes In India, some of the most popular holidays for travellers took place in the second half of this year, starting with Janmashtami in August, followed by Ganesh Chaturthi and Dussehra which saw a spike in bookings. This optimism around travel can be attributed to higher vaccination coverage and the opening up of several states for tourism in comparison to early 2021. Indian travellers preferred spending their holidays across tourist destinations such as Jaipur, Goa, Visakhapatnam, Kochi and Udaipur during the festive season. Interestingly, short-haul destinations continue to be the go-to option for travellers across the country over long weekends. Some of the top short-haul destinations are Lonavala, Pondicherry, Shimla, Mysore. All of these destinations sit close to mainstream cities of Mumbai, Chennai, Chandigarh, Delhi and Bangalore, indicating that city folks are looking for respite closer to home The long weekend of Dussehra saw a hike in demand, with an increase in trips to nearby destinations for a quick break. In India, last-minute bookings continue to be on the rise. Not surprisingly, Indians travel to destinations known for their festive cheer. During a festival, the preference for destinations well-known to celebrate the festival with great vigor witnessed a spike in bookings. Europe's holiday mode all year round in 2021 In 2021, Ascension Day, Halloween, Pentecost, Easter emerged as Europe’s favorite holidays to travel. Denmark tops charts as Europe’s most popular travel destination for a majority of public holidays. Europeans book an average stay of approximately five nights to celebrate the holiday and experience local offerings. In 2021, Halloween saw an overall uptick of 71 per cent in comparison to 2019. Denmark, Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and France are the top five destinations for the holidays of Ascension Day, Halloween and Pentecost. However, a majority of these were last minute bookings considering the evolving local restrictions across European countries. For the upcoming holiday season, there’s a peak in bookings for homestays with spa, sauna, pool, alternative accommodation options in resorts and holiday parks. Coastal hotspots popular in USA Labor Day, New Year’s, Martin Luther King Jr Day, Memorial Day and Thanksgiving are America’s most travelled holidays. Coastal hotspots such as Seattle and Miami have been wildly popular during public holidays, followed by California’s Nevada City, Houston and Dallas. Summer & Spring school holidays in demand in the UK In the UK, May & August bank holidays are usually considered as the peak holiday season. Summer and Spring school holidays respectively have topped the UK's most travelled holiday’s list. London, Bath, Blackpool, Scotland and Great Yarmouth were the most travelled destinations during these holidays. In the UK, the average stay period during holidays was approximately two nights. Long weekend trips and school holiday travel are the most popular travel trends among the British. London, Bath, Blackpool, Scotland and Great Yarmouth remain the top 5 destinations for travellers throughout all holidays.

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Nagaland gears up for Hornbill festival from Dec 1

The Nagaland government is all set to organise the popular Hornbill festival from December 1 to help artisans and entrepreneurs associated with textile, agriculture and allied sectors, state tourism advisor Khehovi Yepthomi said on Friday. The 10-day programme, which boosts the local economy, will be held at Naga Heritage village Kisama, about 12 km from the state capital, Yepthomi told the assembly. Hornbill Festival showcases the culture, heritage, food and customs of Naga tribes and people from these tribes come together to celebrate their traditions with colourful dance performances. Termed the Hornbill event as the "festival of festivals", he said the annual programme brings all the 17 tribes of the state on a platform and facilitates promotion of their culture to the rest of the world. "Nagaland is known as the land of festivals as each tribe has its own traditions, language and culture and these are celebrated throughout the year during different seasons of the agricultural calendar. This festival is not only an annual cultural affair but also a window to experience the unique identity and legacy of our rich Naga traditions," the tourism advisor said. The Hornbill festival has been showcasing the culture of Nagaland for the last 21 years and providing opportunities for entrepreneurs to grow, he said. It has promoted the state's tourism and related businesses, he said. Over 1.12 lakh tourists came to Nagaland during the Hornbill festival in 2016, while 2.82 lakh travellers visited in 2019. The festival was celebrated virtually last year, amid the surge in Covid-19 cases in the country. Citing a study on the economic impact of the festival, he said an investment of INR 7 crore in the 2018 Hornbill festival translated into a revenue generation of INR 45 crore. The total turnover from spending on transportation, food, accommodation and local products was at INR 100.73 crore in 2019, and the government pumped in around INR 11.52 crore for the 10-day gala in that year, the tourism advisor said. The annual festival has not only placed Nagaland on the World tourism map but has helped Nagas strengthen their bonding with culture and heritage and fostered inter-tribal interaction. It generated a growing interest among people about the diverse and vibrant cultures of North East India, Yepthomi said.

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European Union to propose a 9-month validity on COVID vaccines for travel

In a recent travel development, the European Union (EU) will propose a nine-month validity or time limit on Coronavirus vaccines for travel. The EU will also recommend prioritising vaccinated travellers. According to an official report, the European Commission will recommend its members to continue welcoming vaccinated travellers with shots approved by the bloc. The announcement comes after the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) suggested that vaccine boosters should be considered for all adults for travel. On Thursday, EU Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders said that a new internal EU travel framework will be prepared that will focus on individuals' vaccination or recovery status than on caseloads in the countries they are travelling from. The proposed updates will set a new time limit for the validity of vaccines and make booster shots an important thing for travelling to Europe. However, the EU is still not ready to propose a time limit for booster shot certificates. The commission also wants to extend its rules on the EU digital certificate beyond next summer. The new revised rules will allow kids between 6 and 17 years with a negative PCR test travel to the EU nations even if they're unvaccinated. However, the EU nations could ask for additional testing, quarantine or self-isolation after arriving in the country.

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