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Tourist footfall to Bodh Gaya likely to increase soon: Vietnam ambassador

Vietnam's Ambassador to India, Pham Sanh Chau, has expressed hope that footfall of domestic and international tourists to Bihar's Bodh Gaya will increase soon. The Mahabodhi Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage site, reopened on August 27 after remaining closed since April this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Addressing members of Bodh Gaya Temple Advisory Board (BTAB) on Saturday, he said, "The Mahabodhi Temple is a matter of pride for the people of Bihar. Bodh Gaya is one of the most important Buddhist pilgrimage centres in the world. We are quite sure that footfall of both domestic and international tourists will soon increase." Ambassadors and consulate generals of the embassies of Bhutan, Thailand, South Korea, Myanmar and Sri Lanka also attended the BTAB meeting which was chaired by the Vietnam ambassador. The previous BTAB meeting was held on November 22, 2019. "Issues such as security and development of Mahabodhi Temple and tourist facilities, promotion of tourism and increase in pilgrim footfall to Bodh Gaya, and air connectivity with Buddhist countries were discussed in the meeting," a senior official of the Bihar government said.

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French ski resorts reopen after 2020 Covid write-of

French mountain resorts are starting to open for the first time since Covid made last season a write-off, with winter sport enthusiasts and sector professionals hoping that no fresh virus wave will spoil the fun. Val Thorens, Europe's highest winter sport resort at 2,300 metres (7,500 feet) and hugely popular with Britons, was the first of France's Alpine resorts allowing skiers back on the lifts and slopes on Saturday. Others will follow over the coming weeks. "Amazing, we're the first," said one skier testing the slopes with a group of friends. "It's a bit cold, but we'll be fine," the skier added. Some 10,000 people descended on the station on Saturday, local media reported, with the snow in good shape and favourable weather. France's resorts are the world's third-most popular skiing spots in the world, after those in the United States and in Austria, and an economic lifeline for many regions. "This year will be important for us, crucial even," said Olivier Simonin, in charge of ski lifts in Val d'Isere which is to open next Saturday. "Our future is at stake and we can't imagine not having a winter season, so we did everything possible to make sure we'd have one," he told AFP. Last winter, Alpine skiing was almost impossible in France as ski lifts were shut to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus. Hotels were allowed to open and other winter activities such as snow-shoeing and cross-country skiing were authorised, but the lack of downhill skiing caused a collapse in income. "We're so happy to be able to restart the ski lifts and get back do doing our jobs at 100 percent," Val Thorens ski patrol member Emmanuel Laissus told AFP. Franck Feyeux, a cabin lift driver, added, "We've been impatient for customers to return, a lot of people's livelihoods are at stake." The tiny station of Porte-Puymorens meanwhile was the first resort in the southwestern Pyrenees to reopen, with others in the region to follow suit by early December. "Demand is incredible," Porte-Puymorens resort director Eric Charre told AFP. "The economic engine is restarting." Demands on skiers linked to Covid are relatively light at the resorts, with mask wearing required in queues and onboard ski gondolas. But the government has already warned that it could tighten the rules, notably by introducing a health pass obligation, if Covid cases rise strongly. The health pass, required in French restaurants, cafes and many cultural venues, certifies that a person is fully vaccinated, has recently recovered from Covid, or has tested negative for the virus.

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Heritage Week: ASI and INTACH officials emphasise on plight of unprotected structures

From Dutch-era Patna Collectorate to iconic 86-year-old Asiatic Building in Bengaluru, thousands of architecturally and historically significant heritage buildings stand unprotected presently, many of which are "facing decay or demolition" amid rapid urbanisation, say experts. A top-level official of the Archaeological Survey of India on Sunday lamented the situation, saying the ASI has "several constraints" in taking up new sites, but just because a building or a monument is not listed under the ASI or any other agency, "it does not mean that the particular structure has no heritage value". As the World Heritage Week is being marked across the globe from November 19-25, heritage custodians, INTACH officials and other experts highlighted the plight of unprotected heritage buildings" of the country, which often get "overshadowed by well-protected and much-celebrated cultural sites" year after year. Centuries-old Patna Collectorate, which is spread over 12 acres and despite being one of the last surviving signatures of Dutch architecture in Bihar and endowed with high ceilings, huge doors and hanging skylights, is not protected under the ASI or the state government. The Bihar government had in 2016 proposed to dismantle the collectorate located on the banks of Ganga, and replace it with a new complex, a move that had triggered a public outcry, with appeals to save the landmark coming from India and abroad, including the then Dutch ambassador. A Supreme Court stay since September 18 last year has halted the bulldozers. Several iconic buildings, including over 100-year-old Gole Market, old Baoli Hall, 1885-built Anjuman Islamia Hall, District and Sessions Judge Bungalow, Civil Surgeon's Bungalow, City SP Bungalow, New Police Lines, have already been demolished in the past several years by the state government authorities. The Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH), started in 1925 as Prince of Wales Medical College, Bihar and Orissa's first medical college, is also proposed to be razed for a new state-of-the-art hospital complex, despite appeal from historians, heritage lovers and INTACH to preserve its historic buildings. The college, which evolved out of the Temple Medical School set up in 1874, is not a protected site under any agency. The Asiatic Building, designed by noted German architect G H Krumbiegel, which opened in 1935, was proposed to be demolished few years ago, triggering protests, and later in 2019, the Karnataka High Court put a stay on it on a PIL filed by INTACH (Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage) Bangalore Chapter. "Isn't it an irony that people have to go to a court to save our heritage buildings," said a heritage expert, who did not wish to be identified. The issue of unprotected heritage buildings had also come up during the recently-held conference of culture and tourism ministers of the southern region in Bengaluru, with Union Culture and Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy as its chief guest. For any site to be listed under the ASI, it has to be "at least 100 years old, and of "national importance, noted the senior ASI official. "The ASI had its own constraints, and we are managing a large number of sites, despite shortage of staff. But, in case of centuries-old buildings like Patna Collectorate or other old structures in other states, the responsibility to protect buildings of high significance should be of the state, or any local body can also notify them," he said. At present, over 3,600 monuments and 50 museums across India are protected by the ASI, which comes under the Culture Ministry. Various states have their own state-level listing of protected monuments and many protected structures fall under the ambit of local urban bodies. Asked if the ASI can intervene to protect significant old buildings, the official said, "Ideally, the proposal to bring any state-owned site under the ASI should come from the state authorities, as it's a federal structure in India. They can also approach us for technical assistance, which we offer. The ASI can also appeal to a state or local authority if the structure is really significant, but the onus will lie with them, as we cannot interfere in a state issue". Also, ASI listing brings its own constraints, and owners of such heritage buildings, whether state government, or academic institutions or any other agency, "may not want those restrictions in an around a building" he said. Delhi-based INTACH undertook a project- SoBHI (State of Built Heritage in India) from 2015-2017 to document a large number of old buildings and structures across India, which are historically or architecturally significant, but unprotected, leaving them vulnerable to decay or demolition amid rapid urbanisation, a senior official of the heritage NGO said, lamenting the plight of such buildings. SoBHI only did a "representative mapping" of such sites, across various parameters, but the estimated number of unprotected buildings will be overwhelming, given that Indian cities, from Delhi to Indore and Kanpur to Kochi, are literally filled with old structures from big streets to narrow lanes, the officials said. "Of the several thousands of unprotected sites that were included as contributed cases and secondary source information for SoBHI study, there were about 1,600 representative sites that were taken up for primary surveys (that were undertaken with extensive inventory forms)," she said.

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New special trains by IRCTC in collaboration with Central Railways

Special trains are going to be operated by the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) during Christmas and New Year this December. The IRCTC has announced a number of such special trains, in coordination with Central Railway. The tickets can be booked at every Passenger Reservation System (PRS) counters, and on the IRCTC website. You can already book your tickets for these special trains as the bookings opened from November 20. The details of these special trains and here they are below. You have Madgaon Junction-Panvel Special that will leave from Madgaon Junction every Sunday at 4 pm. The special train will be in operation from November 21, 2021 to January 2, 2022, and will reach the Panvel station at 3:15 am on the following day. This train number is 01596. The Panvel-Madgaon Junction Special train on the other hand (train number 01595), will leave at 6:05 am every Monday from November 22, 2021, to January 3, 2022. It will reach Madgaon Junction at 6:45 pm on the same day. The following railway stations will be the stoppages for these special trains - Karmali, Thivim, Sawantwadi Road, Kudal, Sindhudurg, Kankavali, Vaibhavwadi Road, Rajapur Road, Adavali, Ratnagiri, Sangameshwar Road, Sawarda, Chiplun, Khed, Mangaon and Roha.

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Bijnor pitches for heritage tag for 4 bldgs to boost tourism

Bijnor: The district administration has identified four buildings that are to be accorded the heritage status in Bijnor. These are the district magistrate’s residence and palaces of Sahanpur, Shyau and Tajpur. In December, two additional gates for Amangarh tiger reserve (ATR) are proposed to be opened at Afzalgarh Rehar Road. Plans are also afoot to introduce a hot air balloon facility from Vidurkuti to Ganga Barrage. All these proposals are aimed at giving a boost to tourism in the district that spans 4,049 square km. A major cane-producing district, Bijnor has several places with historical, religious, and cultural significance. Its lush forests are home to several species of wildlife, including tigers, elephants and swamp deer. Criss-crossed by seven rivers, including the Ganga and its tributaries, it has a variety of rich aqua life, including dolphins, otters, gharials and turtles, some of which are endangered and attracts flocks of migratory birds in winter. Talking with TOI, executive engineer, PWD, Sunil Sagar, said, “With the help of other departments, we have prepared a proposal to develop 11 spots in the district as tourist places.” Sagar said, “The 150-year-old DM's kothi (house) built during the British Raj is proposed to be declared a heritage museum. The archaeological department has inspected it. If all goes well, it will be converted into a museum housing artefacts of the bygone era.” He said efforts are also underway to convert three palaces in the district into heritage hotels on the lines of Rajasthan. “The proposal to convert the palaces of Sayau, Raja's Tajpur, Sahanpur into heritage hotels has been completed. Owners of the palaces themselves will develop these palaces into heritage hotels,” said Sagar. Owner of Takpur's palace, Raja Inderjit Singh, said, “Heritage hotels are running well in Rajasthan. If the proposal is approved, the palace will be protected and will pave the way for development in the surrounding areas." M Semmaran, Bijnor forest divisional officer (DFO) said, “We are awaiting funds to open two gates for tourists in Amangarh next year. The new gate will be opened this month.”

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Tourism seeing signs of recovery after Covid-19 pandemic

Thailand’s reopening hasn’t quite caused an avalanche of tourists pouring into the country, but the tourism industry is seeing some recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic with a steadily increasing stream of arrivals gaining momentum. The CCSA reports that nearly 60,000 international travellers have entered Thailand in the first 16 days of the reopening program. With the increasing daily arrivals, November may hit the 100,000 tourist goal that the Executive Chairman at Kasikorn Research Centre had hoped to see. He felt that figure would be a reasonable goal that indicated moderate success in the early stages of the reopening, the first in Southeast Asia while others are now beginning to follow suit. He believes the numbers may not be enough to suddenly save all the tourism businesses decimated by the Covid-19 pandemic, but are an encouraging sign for a slow and steady recovery over the next year or two. The National Economic and Social Development Council estimated this week that 257,000 foreign travellers will have arrived here by the end of 2021, and forecast that 5 million tourists will arrive next year. It would be a huge improvement over this year, but be a bit less than the 6.7 million visitors Thailand saw in 2019, mostly before the grip of Covid-19 took hold. Thailand’s economy is heavily dependent on tourism revenue; it has made up as much as 20% of the gross domestic product before the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2019, domestic tourism generated 1.1 trillion baht while international tourism produced 1.9 trillion baht in revenue. Thai tourists are expected to make 66.7 million trips, down 26.3% from last year, but are expected to grow next year, to an estimated 109 to 155 million trips, generating nearly 700 billion baht. As popular tourist destinations are beginning to come back to life, Maya Bay is set to reopen in January after being closed since 2018 to rehabilitate the nature damaged by the overwhelming popularity of the location. Before its closure, 7,000 people a day visited, but the reopening will limit visitors to 2,000 per day. While Thailand’s Covid-19 situation has been stable around 6,000 to 7,000 infections per day and vaccination rates growing steadily – great news for the economy – the situation in other countries affect tourism recovery as well. China’s strict rules that mostly forbids its citizens from travelling abroad leaves a huge hole in Thailand’s tourism plans. They were the biggest demographic travelling to Thailand before the pandemic and now cannot come to the country. Meanwhile, Europe is struggling with a surge in Covid-19 infections, with Austria going into lockdown on Monday and Germany is tightening restrictions in hopes of avoiding their own lockdown.

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