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After row, Delhi Development Authority defends plan for eco-tourism at Sanjay Van

The DDA recently invited expression of interest (EOI) from companies to develop Sanjay Van in south Delhi, the 783-acre green lung of the national capital, as an ecotourism destination, with facilities for activities such as rock climbing, aerial trails (canopy tour or ziplines), forest safari, cycling, picnic and camping spots, among others. Following criticism from environmentalists and citizen groups, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has clarified that its proposal to develop an eco-tourism project at Sanjay Van is aimed at creating awareness and providing recreational facilities to people living near it. The DDA recently invited expression of interest (EOI) from companies to develop Sanjay Van in south Delhi, the 783-acre green lung of the national capital, as an ecotourism destination, with facilities for activities such as rock climbing, aerial trails (canopy tour or ziplines), forest safari, cycling, picnic and camping spots, among others. “Sanjay Van, an integral part of South Central Ridge, attracts tonnes of visitors for daily leisure activities. DDA’s current proposal of introducing activities related to nature based eco-tourism aims to create environmental awareness and recreation amidst a natural setting in an eco-friendly manner using locally available resources. The activities proposed, like rock climbing, forest leisure cycling, camping, star gazing activities, guided nature tour etc have been included keeping their nature of application and natural context,” read the statement by DDA. DDA official said that the purpose of EOI is to “encourage community participation to sensitise the public towards environmental awareness via knowledge dissemination through nature walks, educational tours etc”. The project will be developed on a public-private partnership, and a private concessionaire will have to develop and operate the proposed facilities, said a DDA official. The land-owning agency said that under the PPP model, the concessionaire will also ensure development, operations and maintenance, said a senior official. “The idea is to allow more and more users from different age groups to visit and appreciate this gem in the heart of the city. After careful site analysis, designated zones for each of the activity will be earmarked in areas already open to public with minimal or no intervention in the existing habitats. The intention is not to create a tourist spot in a natural forest but to give the opportunity to the public to feel connected with such natural heritage available in the domain of the urban fabric of the city of Delhi,” said a DDA official. DDA officials said they are not planning any major constructions in the area, since it is part of the Ridge, which is a reserved forest area where all non-forest activities are curtailed.

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International Travel On The Road To Revival With Significant Passenger Traffic Jump: Easemytrip

International Travel is witnessing a steady growth compared to last year. With the easing of Covid-19 restrictions, there is a significant improvement in passenger demand and traffic for international travel, which is expected to grow further in the upcoming festive season. According to IATA, India is one of the few large markets to show a month-to-month passenger traffic improvement. According to data from EaseMyTrip, there has been a 50 per cent jump in international travel bookings in the current period as compared to the start of the year between January-March, 2021. The online travel company notes that Maldives, Dubai, the UK, and France are the most preferred international destinations, with Dubai and Maldives being the most-booked destinations by Indians, Dubai alone contributes to more than 60 per cent of international travel. Travel to the UAE is mostly being driven by leisure and business travellers. The Expo 2020 Dubai and the T20 World Cup are set to further drive leisure travel towards the region. Dubai has shown strong growth since the reopening and the region currently accounts for more than 40 per cent. Most of the international travel is being undertaken by travellers from Delhi, Mumbai, Gujarat, Kerala, and Punjab. EaseMyTrip further notes that the most searched option while booking accommodation and flight options has been ‘Flexible Cancellation policy’. The fares were up across flights and hotels, with international airfares up by nearly 3 times for the past few weeks. The data further shows that bookings for popular destinations such as UK and USA are majorly driven by students who have to join universities, and business travellers. While villas and homestays are more preferred for domestic travel, hotels and apartments are the most preferred mode of stay for international travel. As per company data, users are prioritising sanitisation and safety measures than room rates. While there is a growing interest among people to travel to Europe for destination weddings, there is also a significant. Speaking on the rise of international travel demand, Nishant Pitti, CEO and Co-Founder, EaseMyTrip, says, “The travel sentiment is strongly reviving as we are witnessing an increasing demand for international travel amidst the easing of restrictions. We are also witnessing a rise in average spend for international vacations which we believe is a strong testament to the pent-up travel demand. The company is optimistic as many international borders are gradually opening for Indians along with a significant fall in cases and a rise in vaccination numbers. This will boost the travel confidence of people who wish to explore international destinations. We are also upbeat about the upcoming festive season which will further drive demand for leisure travel. Currently, we are receiving an increasing number of queries for destinations that are expected to open up soon. We are optimistic that travel bookings will pick up exponentially, and will contribute significantly to the recovery of the industry.”

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The Leela Palaces, Hotels And Resorts To Open The Leela Bhartiya City Bengalaluru

The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts announced the opening of their second hotel in the Garden City, The Leela Bhartiya City Bengaluru. Spread across 125 acres, the hotel is strategically located on Thanisandra Road, just at a 30- minute drive from the international airport. The hotel also provides easy access to the MG Road and Outer Ring Road connecting the IT corridors of Bengaluru and some of the city’s iconic locations. Speaking on the occasion, Anuraag Bhatnagar, Chief Operating Officer, The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts said, “We are pleased to open doors to yet another splendid Leela property in the vibrant and welcoming city of Bengaluru. The Leela Bhartiya City Bengaluru seamlessly blends contemporary chic with the timeless Leela aesthetic to create one of the most gracefully designed properties in the city. We are delighted to partner with Bhartiya on this visionary project and create a unique experience for the modern traveller in North Bengaluru.” “Bhartiya City is a unique place that celebrates local history and environment and has become a landmark in Bengaluru today. We are pleased to welcome The Leela to Bhartiya City to join us in our vision of providing space and legendary luxury to our customers. We hope that this launch will be a step in redefining the future of hospitality.” added Snehdeep Aggarwal, Founder-Chairman, Bhartiya. 281 lavishly appointed guestrooms and suites offer breathtaking views of the verdant Bhartiya City Four Food and Beverage venues cater to different moods, occasions, and taste buds. Falak, the authentic Indian dining restaurant and lounge offers an open-air quaint ambience with a gorgeous view of the city lights. The Lotus Oriental located next tothe pool brings home flavours from across Asia. The all-day dining restaurant – Quattro is an ideal choice to satiate your cravings for casual dining at any time of the day with an alfresco area to experience the beautiful Bengaluru weather. Last but not the least, is the signature, The Library Bar known for some of the most premium beverages along with the coveted labels of whiskey. Leisure facilities including a pool, a spa and a state-of-the-art. With one of the largest convention centres in Bengaluru, sprawling over 60,000 square feet, including a Grand Ballroom, a Royal Ballroom, The Terrace, The Board Room, and other meeting rooms, the hotel offers extensive choice and flexibility for bespoke events as well as iconic celebrations. From intimate gatherings to extravagant galas to business meetings of any scale and size, to elaborate weddings, personalised services and state-of-the-art technology offer both comfort and convenience.

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Malaysia could reopen to international tourists in November, says tourism minister

Malaysia aims to reopen to international tourists in November, and travelers from neighboring Singapore could be among the first to be allowed into the country, the Malaysian tourism minister told CNBC. The minister, Nancy Shukri, said she’s meeting officials from Singapore next week to discuss resuming cross-border travel between the two countries. She added Malaysia would be opening up to Singapore “very soon.” “We are open (to) Singapore as long as Singapore is open to us as well,” Nancy told CNBC’s “Street Signs Asia” on Thursday. When asked when an arrangement with Singapore will be worked out, the minister said she’s “very optimistic that it should be by November.” CNBC has reached out to the Singapore government for comment, but has not heard back. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, more than 300,000 people crossed the Malaysia-Singapore land border each day, while the air route between Singapore and Malaysia’s capital city Kuala Lumpur was one of the busiest globally. Currently, Malaysian citizens working in Singapore, and Singapore citizens working in Malaysia can cross the land border under a bilateral arrangement — called the Periodic Commuting Arrangement — if they meet certain requirements. Outside of that scheme, people allowed to enter Malaysia include its citizens, those with diplomatic passports and those with approval from immigration authorities. All arrivals must undergo a seven-day quarantine if they’re fully vaccinated, and 10 days if they’re partially or not vaccinated. Meanwhile, Singapore has opened up quarantine-free travel — with conditions — to vaccinated travelers from some countries such as the U.S. and the U.K. — but not to those from Malaysia. Singapore groups countries and regions into four categories based on the risk of Covid transmission, and sets its border measures accordingly. Malaysia is placed in category IV, which comprises places deemed to have the highest risk. Ensuring Malaysia is not ‘left behind’ Malaysia’s tourism ministry has proposed to the government to allow fully vaccinated international visitors into the island resort of Langkawi starting next month, said Nancy, the minister. “That’s what we’ve proposed, we will have to wait for the announcement from the government,” Nancy told CNBC. “We hope that they will take it up from there ... we’re very optimistic that they’re going to agree with that.” Langkawi reopened to vaccinated domestic tourists last month. As of Oct. 16, more than 128,000 people have travelled to the island either by ferry or flight, said Nancy. Malaysia has had to battle a sharp surge in Covid infections this year, with daily reported cases hitting a peak of over 24,000 in August. The number of infections has trended downward in recent weeks as vaccination rates increase. Around 71.2% of the population has been fully vaccinated as of Wednesday, official data showed. Neighboring countries including Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia have eased some border restrictions to international visitors. And Malaysia doesn’t want to lose out, said Nancy. “We are observing what other countries are doing and see where we can fit in, try to make sure that we are not left behind,” she said. But the minister said people should remain cautious when moving about the country while Covid is still spreading. She added that Malaysian authorities are working on a set of measures including quarantine rules in preparation for the reopening of borders.

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Saudi Arabia To Operate Domestic And International Flights At Full Capacity

Saudi Arabia has decided to go ahead and allow its airports to operate at full capacity for both domestic and international flights. The Saudi Arabia General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) announced on Sunday that airports are already operating at full capacity without any COVID 19 restrictions. Saudi authorities have issued a circular to all airlines that are operating in the country’s airports announcing the same. The GACA has also sent out a tweet issuing instructions to all airlines. It has however been mentioned that while all domestic and international flights are operating in full capacity, the basic rules must be followed. This means that physical distance should be maintained, and masks remain mandatory in places where health status checks are not applied through the Tawakkalna app. The Tawakkalna app will continue to be used to verify vaccination status. The country's domestic air travel market has already witnessed a sharp recovery. It is incredible that passenger numbers are actually quite close to the pre-pandemic levels in Saudi Arabia. It is interesting to note here that Saudi Arabia is the largest domestic air travel market in the entire Gulf region. To open the airports and allow full capacity travel is a good move for travel recovery. Saudi Arabia has also relaxed its restrictions on public gatherings, and is planning to lift the mask mandates for fully vaccinated people.

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Northeast gets 6 new routes to boost aerial connectivity

In a move to provide greater aerial connectivity for Northeast India, flight operations will commence on six routes from today that will connect Kolkata – Guwahati, Aizawl – Shillong, Guwahati – Aizawl, Shillong – Aizawl, Guwahati – Kolkata, and Aizawl – Guwahati. Union Minister of Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia while virtually flagging off these routes, said, “Mizoram is the gateway to Northeast India. The city has an immense amount of importance for its tourism and economic sector. We are committed to giving wings to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of making it possible that every state’s uniqueness must be experienced by all citizens of the country. I assure you that MoS General VK Singh (Retd.) and I will personally visit Mizoram very soon.” As such with new flights added on six routes, those travelling from Aizawl, Guwahati, and Shillong will now have multiple options for onward connectivity to the rest of the country. The flights will expand the aerial connectivity of the Northeast by connecting multiple states that were not earlier connected via flights. Further, this move will offer smooth aerial access options for travellers, nature lovers, and tourists. Scindia, while elaborating that Alliance Air’s most ATR aircraft are deployed on the Northeastern routes, he added, “Today, we are further establishing seamless connectivity across Northeast India by connecting four cities with one flight. This underlines the due importance given to the Northeast by the Ministry of Civil Aviation. Under the UDAN scheme, we have connected cities that had no mention on the aviation map of the country. We have already started 60 airports, and 387 routes, out of which 100 routes are awarded in the Northeast alone, and 50 are already operational. Moreover, In 2014, only 6 airports were operational in the Northeast, now we have grown to 15 airports in a short span of 7 years. Therefore, this further highlights the due importance of the Northeastern states. In addition to this, under the KRISHI UDAN Yojna, we have identified 16 airports to enhance the export opportunities of the region establishing dual benefits of enhancement of cargo movements and exports.”

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