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Sharjah flight a ray of hope for Srinagar tourism industry

Srinagar, Oct 24 (UNI) A ray of hope has been rekindled for the fledgling tourism industry here following months-long lockdowns induced by Covid, as Union Home Minister Amit Shah flagged off the first Srinagar-Sharjah flight on the first day of his visit since revocation of special status to Jammu and Kashmir. The general feeling among the stakeholders is that the air connectivity between Srinagar and Sharjah would increase foreign tourist arrivals to Kashmir. “I am very optimistic that the Srinagar-Sharjah flight is going to help us in the long run,” said the president of the Travel Agents Association of Kashmir (TAAK), Farooq Kuthoo. Kuthoo said it was a long pending demand which has been finally met. “I am sure the SrinagarSharjah flight is going to have a good impact on the Kashmir tourism industry,” he added. 'Go First', formerly known as 'GoAir', would operate four flights a week between Srinagar and Sharjah. The flights will be on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. An official of the airline said that 139 adults and three infants boarded the first flight which takes nearly four hours to reach Sharjah. Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Sheikh Ashiq said it was a much-needed initiative. “Though it got delayed by 10 or 11 years it is a very welcome step. It will not only ease travel in the coming days but will open trade links directly. So hopefully trade avenues will open for people who intend to export. This will encourage others and we may have more direct flights to other destinations,” Ashiq said. However, there is fear among a section about the commercial viability of the flight and if it can sustain for a long time as a similar effort was made over 12 years ago when the first international flight from Srinagar to Dubai was started in 2009, by Air India Express. The service, however, was discontinued due to low demand and also Pakistan did not allow use of its air space. “The resumption of air connectivity is a welcome step but my only concern is if it will be sustainable,” said General Secretary All J&K Hajj Umrah Tour Organisers Association, Umar Nazir Tibet Baqal. “For tourism to get a boost, it is necessary that we should have stability here as no one wants to enter disturbed territory.” There are nearly one lakh Kashmiris, who are working or are settled in the UAE and this flight is going to help them a lot, J&K Tourism Secretary, Sarmad Hafeez, said, adding the international flight would help not only tourism but also other sectors. “The international flight is going to be of great help not just to tourism, but will help move cargo, the Kashmir handicrafts and Kashmir produce to a great extent. And soon we will have new international flights,” he said

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Data | Indians can travel visa-free to only 58 countries

The Indian passport is ranked 90 out of 199 countries in 2021 The 'strength' of the Indian passport has weakened in the last decade, according to the Henley Passport Index for 2021. The index ranks normal passports (non-diplomatic, not issued for emergency or temporary use) of countries according to the number of destinations its holders can visit without a visa or can avail themselves of a visa, a visitor's permit, or an electronic travel authority on arrival. The more such destinations for a country's passport, the 'stronger' the passport. India is ranked 90 out of 199 countries. In 2011, its rank was 78. Between 2011 and 2021, only five destinations were added to India's visa-free access list. Where India stands Indian passport holders are allowed visa-free travel to 58 countries as of 2021. Japan and Singapore are the two top-ranked nations — their passport holders are allowed visa-free travel to 192 countries. Passport holders of Japan, Singapore, Germany and South Korea can visit at least 190 destinations without a visa, according to the 2021 rankings. Afghanistan passports are at the bottom of the table — it has visa-free access to only 26 countries. Ranking over time India's latest rank is its lowest since 2011. Between 2011 and 2021, India's best ranking was in 2013 when in stood 74th among 199 countries. The chart depicts India's ranking over the past 10 years. hange in rank The chart plots a country's rank in 2021 against the change in its rank from 2011. India's rank fell 12 positions in this period. Among other BRICS nations, China is ranked 72 in 2021, advancing 18 positions between 2011 and 2021. Brazil also rose five places and stands 20th now. On the other hand, South Africa and Russia dropped by 11 and three positions, respectively, in this period. The U.A.E. jumped 49 spots in the 2021 ranking compared to 2011. Change in access The chart plots the total number of visa-free destinations for a country in 2021 against the change in such destinations for the country from 2011. Between 2011 and 2021, only five countries were added to India's visa-free access list, the lowest among BRICS nations. China added 39 such countries while Brazil and Russia added 30 and 29 such countries, respectively. South Africa added 11 countries.

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Kashmir travel guide: What to do and where to eat, drink and stay in the Switzerland of India

The default backdrop for every cosy Bollywood romance of the 80s, the snowy vales and kaleidoscopic flowerscapes of Kashmir are every bit as cinematic as the silver screen promises. Whether you experience it in a state of full bloom come spring/summer, or bear witness to its ensorcelling winter beauty, there’s always magic to partake of in Kashmir. Where To Stay Starting at the capital always bodes well; and the arresting scapes of Srinagar have plenty of wonderful places you could temporarily call home. There’s the Vivanta Dal View, Srinagar, decadent in its sprawling Kralsangri hill estate and wintertime views of the snow-tipped peaks of the Zabarwan range, best enjoyed over private dinners or over kahwa at the tea lounge. The LaLiT Grand Palace, Srinagar, is also deliciously opulent, ensconced as it is by the glimmering lake and the Himalayas. Their restaurant, The Chinar, is famously considered one of the foremost in Kashmir. If you’re after something more authentically Kashmiri, Mascot Houseboats make for a great change of pace. Moored near the clear waters of Nageen Lake, these old-school houseboats give you a five-star experience–on the water. You can get boats that go up to five bedrooms, so it's fairly large-family friendly. When you move to Gulmarg, The Khyber Himalayan Resort & Spa should factor high on your list of bases–for its magnificent setting (8,825 feet above sea level in the Pir Panjal Range of the Himalayas), Spa by L’Occitane and golf course (the world’s highest). The Heevan Retreat Gulmarg has the kind of cosiness you’d associate with cabins in the frosty climes of Kashmir. The primo location also gives you quick access to the Gondola rides, pro ski slopes, and myriad nature trails; for when you’re not sipping saffron-laced kahwa at their tea lounge, Samavar. Where To Eat and Drink To call the state a veritable smorgasbord for the meat lover would not be an understatement. While the best discoveries are often found on foot by the side of forgotten roads, with downtown bakeries making fresh sheermal or baqerkhayn, or family-run dhabas doling out piquant yakhni and goashtaba. To not partake of the local fare is criminal, but there are several restaurants that’ll do you a nice sit-down as well. In Gulmarg, the Nedous Dining Room is an icon, with the likes of Mahatma Gandhi, Nehru, Jinnah and Mountbatten planning history-making moves over a hot, wooden-log Bukhari. The Hunter’s Bar, part of the same hotel, is ideal for a post-dinner whisky. Also, bookmark the Igloo Café–built entirely of snow–for an Insta-worthy evening that makes it to the grid. When in Srinagar, prepare yourself for options–butter chicken by the boulevard at Stream, Tabak Maz at the famous Ahdoo’s Restaurant, Chicken Tawook at Ground Zero Grill & Café, yakhni at Linz Café, and roast duck at Lhasa all warrant repeats. For a coffee, try the sun-dappled wooden interiors of Books & Bricks Cafe, but if you’re team tea, the stunning pastel and pop-hued Chai Jaai is a must-visit. Where To Shop Gulmarg certainly has a round-up of interesting shops–think Faiz Shawls, Shahab Textiles for authentic outfits and fabrics, and Ladakh Art Palace for its handicrafts and jewellery–but Srinagar is the holy grail of shopping in Kashmir. Famous for pashminas, spices, carpets and walnut wood, the local markets are a salmagundi of touristy takebacks. We’d suggest Saklain's Coterie for essential oils and handmade soaps, M Sadiq & Sons for papier-mâché crafts, Amin-Bin-Khalik for dry fruit, Suffering Moses for wooden carvings, spices and Kahwa at Kashmir Store, and Woodfort for walnut furniture. What To Do The sublime state really is a land for all seasons. If you’re going in the spring or summer, activities abound. You could take a shikara ride in Dal or Manasbal lake, play a round at The Gulmarg Golf Club, go Short Lidder River Rafting at Pahalgam, take a heritage walk through Old Srinagar, or make a day trip to the Floating Post Office or Strawberry Valley. In the fall or winter, the city is blanketed in white, making it ideal for a ‘Gondola’ cable car ride (the Kongdoori to Apharwat Peak route is lovely), skiing in Gulmarg and snowboarding in Sonamarg or Pahalgam. Never a dull moment.

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'Iconic Week' festival begins in J-K to promote tourism, culture; Bollywood celebrities to perform

The Week long Iconic festival got a astounding start in Jammu marked by a scintillating inaugural function held at Kala Kendra. Mayor Jammu Municipal Corporation, Chander Mohan Gupta, who was the chief guest on the occasion, inaugurated the Iconic Week celebration in presence of Director Tourism, Vivekananda Rai. The artists presented breathtaking open air performances featuring Folk Music and Dance including Bangra, Haran, Jattar, Chajja dance, Kud dance amid heavy rainfall. The morale of the artists was so high that even rain was not able to stop them from presenting astonishing performances. The second part of the celebration was organised at General Zorawar Singh Auditorium where the Mayor inaugurated a photo exhibition organised in collaboration with Directorate of Information and PR, Basohli Art paintings and Cultural Carnival. Commencing the celebrations at General Zorawar Singh Auditorium, the artists presented stunning performances demonstrating Dogri, Gojri, Pahari, Punjabi culture and patriotic items. Speaking on the occasion, Mayor Chander Mohan Gupta highlighted various development projects and said that J&K UT is going to be the next tourist destination for national and international tourists. He listed several projects like Ring Road, Artificial Lake, Tawi River Front, expansion of Jammu Airport, Gandola, Parade at Suchetgarh Border, Jumbo Zoo etc which, he said would play a crucial role in boosting the tourism sector in J&K. He said that 1200 Kanal land has been allotted for the expansion of Jammu Airport, while a string of development works have been sanctioned under Smart City Project. Div Com Dr Raghav Langer, Additional Secretary JKAACL Arvinder Singh Amn, Natasha Kalsotra, Joint Director Tourism, DD Adm. AmarJyoti Raina, DD Publicity Naresh Kumar, Dr Rehana Bijli Dy Director Information Jammu, DD Planning Dr. Neha Mahajan, ADT Umesh Shaan, ADT Ambika Bali, AO Rahul Mahajan, ADT Sheena Sahni were also present on the occasion. Another event was organised at Indoor Sports Stadium Akhnoor. The main attraction of the event was Karwa Chauth Celebrations, Theatrical play Bawa Jitto, Gulabgatha and folk performances presented by local artists. Evening Arti was also performed at Jia Pota Ghat Akhnoor. BDC chairperson, Kiran Pawar; DDC Member Bhalwal Brahmana, Bhushan Bral; SDM Akhnoor, Navneet Mann; SDPO Akhnoor, Varun Jandiyal; Tehsildar Akhnoor, Surinder Singh; Assistant Director Tourism, Vijay Sharma beside other officers and officials were also present in the event. People from all sections of Akhnoor participated in the event. In Srinagar, Mayor Srinagar, Junaid Azim Mattu inaugurated “Spirits of J&K” a sufi festival at SKICC Srinagar. Secretary, Tourism and Culture, Sarmad Hafeez, Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar, Mohammad Ajaz Assad, Director Tourism Kashmir, Dr G N Itoo were present on the occasion. On the occasion, programme “Aghaaz-e-Nishast”, a discourse on mysticism, was organized in collaboration with Academy of Art Cultural and Languages. Also, a mystic gallery was set up where traditional artifacts and manuscripts and rare copies of Quran and Bhagwat Gita besides rich Sufi literature, 19th century copper, brass ware and musical instruments were showcased. Speaking as the chief guest, Mattu stressed on preservation of both physical and cultural heritage of J&K collectively for the posterity, adding that “success of nation depends on what we inherit from ancestors and what we pass on to our next generations.”He said that J&K has rich cultural treasure and there is no parallel to it in the entire world adding that there is need to understand the importance of valuing our heritage and make it part of day to day life. Sarmad Hafeez, who presented vote of thanks, said that the Iconic Week is being organized to promote J&K as all season tourist destination. He said that during the weeklong celebrations a variety of programmes showcasing our art, culture, food, artifacts, manuscript and religious tourism shall be held at various tourist destinations across J&K. He added that the government shall also organize sufi festivals at 75 virgin tourist destinations for tourism promotion. During the festival, panelists including Dr Darakshan Andrabi, Chairman Waqf Development Committee, Dr Afaq Aziz, Dr Ghulam Nabi Haleem and Dolly Tikoo presented a sufi talk lecture on mysticism/ sufism. Vusat Iqbal and Satish Vimal moderated the programme. “Peer- Waer” a documentary on “A journey through Mystic Kashmir” was also presented on the occasion. Later, the panelist and other guests were felicitated and presented mementos.

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Singapore to allow Indians to enter country from 26 Oct: Details here

‘All travellers with a 14-day travel history to Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka prior to departure to Singapore will be allowed to enter and transit through Singapore from 11.59 pm on Oct 26,’ Singapore's Strait Times quoted its health ministry.' Singapore's health ministry on Saturday announced the resumption of travel for India and certain other countries, including Pakistan and Bangladesh, from 26 October. “All travellers with a 14-day travel history to Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka prior to departure to Singapore will be allowed to enter and transit through Singapore from 11.59 pm on Oct 26," Singapore's Strait Times quoted its health ministry. However, the ministry also stated these travellers will be undergoing the tightest of the quarantine rules. As per the statement, “travellers from these countries will be subject to Category IV border measures. They will still be required to serve their 10-day stay-home notice (SHN) at dedicated SHN facilities." The ministry said in a release that it has reviewed the Covid-19 situation in the six South Asian countries it was previously closed off to. Addressing a virtual press conference, health minister Ong Ye Kung said the situation in these countries has stabilised for some time. "There is no longer a need for strict rules that prevent travellers from these countries from landing here," the Straits Times quoted Ong as saying. Earlier, Singapore had allowed fully-vaccinated travellers from 15 more countries to enter without having to quarantine in dedicated facilities. They include Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and the United Arab Emirates. Singapore also allowed entry to more domestic workers on condition that they are fully vaccinated before arrival to meet urgent needs of local households. It has also announced several new measures taken by the multi-ministry task force on Covid-19. The announcements came after the task force said on Wednesday that the tighter curbs currently in place - including restricting group sizes for dining in to two people - will be extended for a month till November 21, 2021, the Straits Times reported. Among these, from Jan 1, 2022, only employees who are fully vaccinated, or have recovered from Covid-19 within the past 270 days, can return to the workplace. “Unvaccinated employees will not be allowed to return to the workplace unless they have tested negative for Covid-19 before returning, and they will need to pay for the costs of these tests," MOH said, as per the report. Singapore elected to start reopening and to shift from targeting zero cases once its vaccination rate topped 80%. But infections started climbing soon after some curbs were eased in August. The city-state this week decided to keep virus restrictions in place for another month and warned the current wave could challenge its health-care system. Back in India, a senior civil aviation ministry official has indicated that the government is unlikely to lift the restrictions on international flights immediately, saying current frequencies under air bubble arrangements are adequate to meet the demand. Scheduled international passenger flights to and from India remain suspended since March last year amid the coronavirus pandemic. India has air bubble arrangements with more than 25 countries for operating international flights.

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Israel poised to welcome fully vaccinated foreign tourists back to country

The decision, which still requires formal government approval, comes as Israel emerges from a fourth wave of coronavirus infections. Israel in July began an aggressive booster-shot campaign, offering a third dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to virtually anyone over the age of 16. That campaign appears to have brought the outbreak under control. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's office said that foreigners who were fully vaccinated less than six months ago, or who have received a booster shot more recently, will be eligible to enter the country. People who recovered from COVID-19 less than six months ago may also visit. The rules recognize most internationally recognized vaccines, including Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca, Sinovak and Sinopharm - but not Russia's Sputnik. Bennett's office said people coming from “red” countries with high outbreaks would not be permitted, while officials will monitor new variants, including a strain identified in Israel this week. The decision could give a boost to the struggling tourism industry, which has been hit hard by the lack of tourists. It comes just ahead of the busy Christmas season, when tens of thousands of foreigners visit holy sites in Jerusalem and Bethlehem, in the occupied West Bank. Senior Cabinet ministers, along with health, tourism, economic and security experts, took part in Thursday’s decision. Some details, including whether foreigners will have to be tested or undergo quarantine upon arrival, were not immediately announced. Throughout the closure, Israel has allowed some foreigners to visit, including people with close relatives in the country and people coming for work or study. It began allowing organized tour groups in September. Those visitors must take coronavirus tests before their incoming flights, upon arrival and before they fly out of the country.

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