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Maharashtra Tourism to organise week-long events to mark World Photography Day

To mark the World Photography Day on August 19, Maharashtra Tourism will organise a week-long photography contest, followed by heritage walk and live workshops on food photography, travel photography and story-telling.. The event is being organised to bring together budding content creators and create a buzz in and around Maharashtra on the importance of photography in travel. Starting August 11, the Directorate of Tourism Maharashtra World has commenced an open to all #MaharashtraThroughMyLens photography contest on Instagram and Facebook. Participants can post an image, capturing any aspect of Maharashtra, including but not limited to wildlife, landscape, adventure, rural & urban life, heritage, culture, food etc. on their Instagram and/or FB handle with the (hashtag) #MaharashtraThroughMyLens, tagging Maharashtra tourism’s official handle, to enter the contest. The photos will be judged on the basis of innovative style of photography, framing and composition, editing skills and their engagement on social media. Last date of submission is August 18, 2021 and results will be declared online on August 19. The winner will receive a cash award of INR 25,000/-. The first and second runner up will be awarded a prize money of INR 10,000/- and INR 5000/- respectively. 20 other entries will be rewarded with INR 1000/- each. The second activity in the campaign will be a closed group heritage walk in South Mumbai headed by a senior photographer and attended by 20 photography enthusiasts on August 19, 2021 from 7am to 10 am. They will get an opportunity to visit various heritage buildings and capture them with different perspectives. These images must be uploaded on their social media handles using #MaharashtraThroughMyLens and tagging Maharashtra Tourism’s official social media handles. The photo walk will end with a meet and greet event. This will be followed by live workshops on the evening of the World Photography Day on Maharashtra Tourism’s instagram handle www.instagram.com/maharashtratourismofficial. Three instagram live workshop sessions based on food photography, travel photography and storytelling of 30 minutes each will be conducted for budding creators to learn from industry experts. Valsa Nair Singh, Principal Secretary, Tourism, Maharashtra Tourism said, “With every new initiative we are moving a step closer to our masses. We have run photography contests before but this time it’s a little different because there isn’t any specific theme to be followed. This opens up doors for all the budding photographers who have ever captured Maharashtra and its beauty. Secondly, Mumbai is known for its hustle bustle and nightlife but Maharashtra Tourism has been giving importance to the heritage aspect by initiating activities like heritage walks. There are several heritage sites within Mumbai, some of which will be explored with this heritage walk and, with social media it will gain the attention it deserves.”

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Delhi airport declared the best airport in India and central Asia

Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) has been declared the Best Airport in India and Central Asia. With this, the airport has been adjudged as the best airport for the third consecutive year. The airport was declared so by Skytrax World Airport Awards. Considered to be the most significant award for the airport industry, Delhi has been adjudged after votes by customers in the survey. Skytrax is known to assess customer service and facilities over 550 airports across the world. The IGIA airport was established in Delhi back in 1986, and today is a major airport for international connectivity in India. The Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) CEO Videh Kumar Jaipuriar said, “Our agile and effective response to the pandemic and crisis preparedness has led us to be recognised by Skytrax." He further said that by adopting the new-normal, DIAL is looking to boost its efforts in providing the best airport experience to all its passengers. The Delhi airport has also received the COVID 19 Airport Excellence Award. Its ranking has also improved, moving up to 45 in the World’s TOP 50 Airport in the year 2021. The IGI airport was at rank 50 last year. An interesting development at this award was that Singapore’s Changi International Airport is not on the top ranks that it held for the last nine years. The best international airport award was given to Hamad International Airport, Doha.

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Maharashtra: With long weekend over Independence-Day, tourism boom in region

In an added attraction for tourists visiting Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR), the buffer zone will start kayaking facility at lakes in Mohurli and Gondmohadi from Thursday. A ‘treasure hunt’ has also been organized in MP Pench. A kayak is a low-to-the-water, canoe-like boat in which the paddler sits facing forward, legs in front, using a double-bladed paddle to pull front-to-back on one side and then the other in rotation. Deputy director (buffer) G Guruprasad said, “Buffer is drawing crowds like core area owing to regular tiger sightings. Tourists have been reporting regular tiger sightings in Nimdhela, Sikada, Alizanjha, Dewada, Agarzari and Junona safari areas. On August 3, a tigress with three cubs was sighted in Agarzari zone too.” “All online bookings are full. Besides, there is demand for discretionary quota too. As there are no rains in the past few days, people have been enjoying safaris in a landscape that has turned beautiful,” said Guruprasad. The kayaking facility seems to have been introduced keeping in mind the influx of tourists during the weekend. Most of the tourists are flocking to wildlife destinations, mostly Tadoba and MP Pench, with three consecutive holidays from August 14-16 ensuring a full house for resorts. “August 14 is a Saturday followed by Sunday and Parsi New Year on Monday. All accommodation facilities in the buffer zone are almost full in Mohurli and Kolara,” said naturalist Himanshu Bagde. Not only wildlife areas, there have been visitors like Swapnil Ajne, whose group of 11 members will be visiting Chikhaldara hill station, though there is no room there. “No hotels and lodges are available in Chikhaldara from August 14 to 16, but we still plan to go and stay at Paratwada, 40km away. Similar is the situation in Pachmarhi, where last-minute travellers are facing difficulty in getting accommodation.” “After being at home for long due to Covid-19 restrictions, most of the visitors are from Vidarbha region. Tourists are avoiding long-distance travel to other states owing to corona fears. A number of tourists are visiting TATR from Hyderabad also,” said Bagde. MP Pench Local Advisory Committee (LAC) member Sandeep Singh said in Pench almost all the resorts and lodges are booked during the three-day vacation. “To attract tourists, a group of dozen resorts has organized a treasure hunt on August 15, to villages in the buffer zone,” he said. “The resorts have tied up with safari vehicles, who will take tourists 70-80km around forested villages in the buffer, to showcase the uniqueness of the villages. It may be art and culture, folk dance, delicacies, historic monuments etc. The guests will win prizes for exploring these activities,” said Singh. Wildlife lover Nikhil Abhyankar says, “Resorts have been receiving many inquiries at short notice for bookings. People are booking two safaris with one night stay. Apart from safari, there is a need to start other attractions like cycling and machan stays.”

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Canada to issue vaccine passports for international travel

The Canadian government has announced that it will issue proof of vaccination or vaccine passports, for international travel. The document may be released this fall. A release from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada said the government “recognises” that proof of vaccination credentials will support the “re-opening of societies and economies” and that Canadians were looking for a “more reliable and secure way to demonstrate their Covid-19 vaccination history to foreign and Canadian border officials”. In that context, it noted that Ottawa is “collaborating with the provinces and territories to develop a proof of vaccination that will facilitate cross-border travel, while reducing the risk of spread and importation of Covid-19.” It also said the attempt was to take “a secure pan-Canadian approach” based on advice from the country’s public health officials. With the country gradually and cautiously reopening, Canada’s minister of immigration, refugees and citizenship Marco Mendicino said “many Canadians are contemplating doing something they haven’t done in over a year and a half: travelling. Our work with the provinces and territories to provide a consistent proof of vaccination is a key step forward in ensuring Canadians will have the documents they need once it is safe to travel again”. While the focus is on a digital proof of vaccination, the passports will also accessible to those unable to avail of them in that form. The passports, the release said, will provide foreign border officials with the traveller’s vaccination history while also providing a “trusted and verifiable credential for when they return home”. Canada is participating in an international dialogue on such passports, including with the World Health Organization and the International Civil Aviation Organization, and through the G7. The statement said while currently there is “no international consensus on an acceptable proof of vaccination”, Ottawa was “working with international partners to recognise proof of vaccination credentials issued in Canada.”

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Wow! This Airline Allows Passengers to Book Cabs Mid-Air.

In a first-of-its-kind initiative, budget carrier SpiceJet has introduced mid-air cab bookings for its passengers. Yes, you heard us right! So, now what does this mean? Well, it means that now SpiceJet passengers will be able to book cabs for airport transfer during their flight, using the airline’s in-flight entertainment platform SpiceScreen. Isn’t this wonderful? SpiceJet recently took to Twitter to make the announcement and posted, “Want to know how to make a stylish entry in Delhi? Introducing Mid-air cab bookings for your convenience & safety!” According to the reports, this pioneer initiative, especially in the domestic aviation industry, would help the passengers avoid any waiting for their transport, post-arrival at the cab transfer area, the airline said. “With our latest offering, passengers will no longer have to carry their luggage to the cab departure area besides enjoying zero waiting time as cabs will now be available for them right outside the arrival gate,” PTI quoted Ajay Singh, Chairman and Managing Director, SpiceJet. How to book a confirmed cab on your flight mid-air? Step-by-Step Guide Firstly, connect to SpiceScreen on your smartphone. Then, go to the CAB section on the homepage. Now, enter your mobile number and confirm your cab. Only after the customer’s details are submitted, the cab booking is 100% confirmed. Interestingly, SpiceJet passengers can avail cabs with the lowest fares with up to a 10 percent discount. Also, no cancellation fee will be levied if the cab is not boarded. Your closest pick up point will be from the exit gate. Notably, the cab prices are fixed as per the kilometres. You can check the prices on the booking page. Cab Type: Sedan According to the reports, in the first phase of this interesting initiative, the new service will be available to those passengers arriving at the Delhi airport. Later, the airline will further extend the service to all major airports including Mumbai, Bangalore, Goa, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Pune and Chennai in a phased-manner.

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IRCTC announces 6-day tour from Mumbai to Kashmir

IRCTC Tourism is offering a tour package from Mumbai to Kashmir, the starting price of which has been kept at INR 27,300. As per the reports, the tour will be of five nights and six days to Srinagar, Gulmarg, Sonmarg and Pahalgam from Mumbai. Reportedly, the tour provided by IRCTC will start from Mumbai from September 25 and 26. As per the reports, travellers will be flown to Srinagar from Mumbai on an flight from Mumbai to Srinagar. Here is all that you need to know about the itinerary of this tour. Day 1 Mumbai - Srinagar Once you arrive at Srinagar, visit Shankracharya Temple, and then check-in at the houseboat. You can spend the afternoon in leisure, whereas in the evening, you can enjoy a Shikara Ride at Dal Lake (at own cost). Overnight stay and dinner will be in the houseboat. Day 2 Srinagar-Pahalgam After having breakfast, you will be going to Pahalgam . On the way, you will visit Betab Vally, Awantipura ruins, Chandanwadi, and Aru Valley. When you reach the valley, you will need to hire local vehicle on direct payment basis. If you want to enjoy pony ride, you will have to do it at your own cost. Dinner and overnight Stay will be in Pahalgam. Day 03 Pahalgam - Gulmarg - Srinagar After Breakfast, you will head toward Gulmarg. Local sightseeing of Gulmarg by Gondola Ride, the cost of which the guest will have to bear. Then you will return to Srinagar, have dinner, and enjoy an overnight stay at hotel in Srinagar. Day 04 Srinagar – Sonmarg - Srinagar After having breakfast, you will leave from Srinagar and drive towards Sonmarg. You can hire ponies for a trip up to Thajiwas glacier, which is a major attraction during the summer months. After that, you will return to Srinagar, have dinner, and enjoy an overnight in Srinagar at hotel. Day 05 Srinagar After breakfast, enoy sightseeing of Mughal Gardens, Nishat Bagh, Shalimar Gardens, and much more. Then visit the famous Hazratbal Shrine that is situated on the bank of Dal Lake. In the evening, you will have all the time by yourself to enoy shopping. Then proceed to hotel, have dinner, and enjoy overnight stay at Hotel. Day 06 Departure to Mumbai After having breakfast, you will have the morning to yourself to enjoy the way you want. Check out from the hotel, and then head to Srinagar Airport to board flight at 5:35 PM.

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