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The Leela Palaces, Hotels And Resorts Opens Property In Bengaluru

The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts opened their second hotel in the Garden City, The Leela Bhartiya City Bengaluru. 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 most iconic locations. A part of the immaculately designed Bhartiya City, a next gen tech park, home to leading global technology clients, theatre, entertainment, Bhartiya Mall of Bengaluru, Nikoo Homes as well as The Leela luxury private residences are only steps away from the hotel. 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.” Snehdeep Aggarwal, Founder-Chairman, Bhartiya, added, “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.” 281 guestrooms and suites offer views of the verdant Bhartiya City, luxuriant comfort and intuitive amenities. Four Food and Beverage venues cater to different moods, occasions, and tastebuds. 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 to the pool brings home flavours from across Asia with the quiet calmness of the orient. 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 fitness centre. 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, personalized services and state-of-the-art technology offer both comfort and convenience. The Leela Private Residences overlooking lush green Central Park are magnificently attached to the hotel. Defined by a sophisticated sense of style and luxurious finishes, these residences are serviced by the legendary Leela hospitality. The residents will have access to all hotel facilities and services.

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Indian Hotels Sees Uptick In Leisure Travel; Surge In Advance Bookings For Diwali, Christmas

The just ended 3-day long weekend of October 15-17, gave anecdotal evidence of a huge spike in holidaying. Unnamed sources said airline bookings went up 60 percent this weekend as airlines were allowed to book full capacity. Media reports also claim that hotel chains like Oberoi, ITC, Taj and Lemon Tree Hotels were fully booked out in certain locations. The traffic on expressways for people going out of Mumbai on Friday was also a testimony to revenge holidaying. In an interview to CNBC-TV18, Chhatwal spoke at length about whether normalcy is returning and about the remainder of Q3 and Q4 looks like for the hotel industry. “Leisure travel has been leading the charge and it is expected to lead the charge with most of the properties. I would say majority of the properties are above the pre-COVID level in terms of revenue. However, the industry is waiting for corporate and business travel to come back, which we are expecting post-Diwali,” Chhatwal said. On Diwali and Christmas bookings, he said, “As the pricing power increases, as the number of opportunities available decreases in leisure destinations, the booking window has started increasing. However, retail rates are still at the highest level and that’s because international travel is shut and even that configuration will slowly start changing post-November 15 when we open up and if international travel starts coming back in the last quarter of this year.” Chhatwal said Indian Hotels will see Q4 (FY22) going back to pre-COVID levels. He further said that the bounce-back has been a lot stronger than anticipated.

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India And Bangladesh Enhances Air Connectivity, Increases Flight Frequency To 21 Per Week Under Air Bubble Agreement

In a recent update, the government of India and Bangladesh have announced to increase the frequency of flights under the air bubble arrangement from 7 to 21 per week per country effective October 15 looking at the number of decreasing Covid-19 cases in both the nations. The move is set to benefit passengers travelling for medical and business purposes. In a tweet, the High Commission of India in Bangladesh shared details and said, “Frequency of flights between India & Bangladesh to increase! India & Bangladesh have mutually decided to increase frequency of flights under Air Bubble arrangement from 7 to 21 per week per country. Will come into effect from 15/10/21. Will benefit passengers travelling for medical & business purpose.” Earlier, the High Commission had announced that it will now issue tourist visas to individual tourists planning to fly to India on all air bubble flights that are scheduled on or after November 15. It started the tourist visa services from October 12. Tourist visa on chartered flights is only valid for group tours. The freshly issued tourist visas are only valid for entry in India via air or sea routes. Land routes entry for tourists is currently suspended. Flights between India and Bangladesh under the bilateral air bubble pact resumed in September 2021 after four months of suspension due to the Covid-19 pandemic. With scheduled international passenger flights to and from India remain suspended since March 2020, New Delhi has entered into air bubble arrangements with various countries, including Bangladesh, for operating flights.

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Travel alert! Cambodia cuts down quarantine time for fully vaccinated travellers from today

The Cambodian Government has decided to reduce the quarantine period for those who are fully vaccinated travelling to the country from today onward. This was recently announced by the Ministry of Health in a statement. As per the statement, technical experts, foreign investors, cooperation project managers, diplomats, as well as Cambodian officials returning from overseas missions will now be required to undergo a three-day quarantine only. However, general inbound passengers, both foreigners and Cambodians, will be required to undergo quarantine for seven days. Reports have it that those who are not fully vaccinated or have not received a jab yet, they will be required to undergo full 14-day quarantine. The statement further stated that the foreign travellers will still be required to provide a medical certificate for a negative COVID-19 test that they have undergone 72 hours prior to their arrival in Cambodia, and they must carry a certificate indicating their full vaccination status and vaccination date or carry a vaccination card. Also, travellers will have to show proof of accommodation during the quarantine period, and need to hold a COVID-19 insurance policy that has been issued by Forte Insurance (Cambodia) Plc, which is the insurance consortium, the statement added. The statement further stated that visas on arrival are not being offered at this moment, and that all visas must be requested at Cambodian embassies abroad. This move comes after the kingdom managed to administer at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine to 84.9 per cent of its 16 million population, according to the MoH. Of them, 78.3 per cent have been fully inoculated with two shots, while 8.5 per cent have even received a third or booster, added the MoH.

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Temple circuit fuelling tourism revival

Post-Dasara, pilgrimages and temple tourism has kept the travel and hospitality sector afloat even as stakeholders are upbeat about the increase in visitors’ footfall in the current season. There is demand for rented cabs and taxis for private visits to pilgrim centres not only in and around Mysuru but to other places such as Dharmasthala, Subrahmanya, Sringeri, Horanadu, Udupi, Kollur, Melkote, and Srirangapatna. The long weekend starting Durgasthami celebrated on Thursday followed by Ayudha Puja and Vijaydashami has seen a veritable rush to some of the major temples that were out of bounds for many devotees after the onset of the pandemic. “There is an increase in enquiries and bookings for cabs and cars on rentals from tourists visiting Mysuru for their onward journey to cover places such as Nanjangud, Melkote, M.M.Hills, Chamarajanagar, and Madikeri besides locals keen to visit temples outside the region as they were pending since at least 2 years now’’, said B.S.Prashanth of Safe Wheels Group. He said the bookings for both vehicles and hotel accommodation have breached the 60 per cent mark and at this rate, is expected to reach the pre-pandemic levels by December. The just-concluded Dasara festival saw a surge in the tourist traffic and the stakeholders were dismayed that the government did not allow more visitors to view the Jamboo Savari. Mr. Prashanth pointed out that though the district administration had stated that not more than 400 people would be allowed to view the Jamboo Savari at the palace, there were thousands to witness the events on Friday. Had they foreseen such a situation and lifted the curbs, perhaps more tourists would have visited Mysuru, he added. Meanwhile, the number of visitors to the Mysuru palace was high on Saturday a day after the Jamboo Savari, and there are perceptions that these are early signs that the tourism sector is in for a quick revival. The lighting and illumination was a big draw this year and this has increased the tourist footfall and the stakeholders are thankful to the government for extending the period of illumination till October 24, said Narayana Gowda of Mysore Hotel Owners Association. The increase in footfall to the palace is underlining the steady inflow of tourists not only from Karnataka but also from other parts of the country, he added. However, the tourist inflow from Kerala has dwindled and this is expected to be a temporary lull due to the pandemic and is bound to improve in the months ahead, according to Mr. Prashanth. Tourism and hospitality sector in Mysuru generates 80,000 to 100,000 jobs and not less than 3.5 million tourists used to visit the city every year on a conservative estimate. The sector collapsed after the onset of the pandemic and there is a perception that if there was no surge in the COVID-19 cases in the next few days post-Dasara, then the fear of the third wave will also subside and the sector could witness a further revival.

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Tourist influx in Kashmir increasing gradually after Covid-19 pandemic

The influx of tourists in Kashmir has started rising gradually months after the tourism sector came to a halt following the Covid-19 pandemic that hit the country last year. With relaxations in the COVID norms, people from across the country are heading to the union territory for a leisurely experience. Before the pandemic, people from across the world visited the union territory proving it standing as a "paradise" tourist destination. "We are seeing surge in high-end tourists. Almost all three and four stars hotels are sold out till December. Unfortunately, the lower-end market segment is not picking up," President of Travel Agents Association of Kashmir Farooq Khutoo told ANI. Rauf Trambu, a renowned tour and travel operator reiterated the increased footfall of tourists and said that in the last 10-12 days, the number of tourists in the valley increased. "There is a gradual increase in the number of tourists. In autumn and winter, we are expecting that the tourism sector will be flooded with tourists," he said. A houseboat owner at Dal lake Ghulam Nabi Sheikh also echoed the same opinion that tourists are now heading to the valley. "People have started coming. In autumn we are expecting more people. Biker tourists are heading to Ladakh," he said. Preeti, who arrived in Kashmir from Jaipur a few days ago, expressed her love for the mesmerising beauty of the valley. "There are a lot of places to see. It is a heaven on earth," she said. Deep Kumar Singh, a tourist from Uttar Pradesh, said, "After the monsoon season, nature has worn a beautiful look. We have come to see this only. Kashmir is very beautiful. I am coming here for the third time and every time I see a new side of Kashmir."

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