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Lakshadweep Tourism Dept plans Rs 806 crore projects to position it as a visible global brand

Lakshadweep Tourism Department has planned Rs 806 crore projects as part of positioning it as a visible global brand in Tourism. Under the aegis of NITI Aayog, Lakshadweep Tourism Department has been pursuing to develop high end eco- tourism projects at Kadmat, Minicoy and Suheli Islands through Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode, sources said on Sunday. For the tourism projects, the department has identified 8.53 hectare of land in Minicoy, 5.55 hectare in Kadmat and 3.82 hectare in Suheli for building resorts, where land will be given for 75 years of lease period for investors. Projects worth Rs 319 crore will come up in Minicoy, Rs 240 crore in Kadmat and Rs 247 crore in Suheli. Uniqueness of the eco-tourism programme is that the first ever 'Water-Villa' projects in India will come up in Lakshadweep, which is also one of the best destinations for Scuba diving and other Water Sports in India. A total of 145 Beach Villas and 125 Water Villas will be the major attractions of the three islands. At present, tourism activity is restricted to only government operations and also entry permit (travel manifest) is mandatory for all the tourists. There are only five resorts in the islands out of which Bangaram Resort is well known in the country. In 2019-20 about 8489 tourists had visited Lakshadweep. Only 4, 3 and 2 firms have applied respectively for the eco-tourism projects at Suheli, Kadmat and Minicoy islands, out of which only two firms are qualified each for the Suheli and Kadmat projects and no firm have qualified for Minicoy project.

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High tourist footfall in hills; traffic jams in Mussoorie

After a long period of quiet, tourist activity in the state’s hill stations has picked up pace. The weekend rush in Mussoorie led to a large influx of tourists from Delhi-NCR, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh resulting in long traffic jams on Saturday evening as well as on Sunday. The hotels reported almost full occupancy. “It is good to see the rush. We had nearly 100% occupancy on Saturday and around 70% on Sunday,” said Sanjay Aggarwal, secretary of Mussoorie Hotels Association. "There were long traffic jams on Gandhi Chowk in Landour and at Picture Palace. Both tourists and locals were stuck in traffic jams," complained a local resident. Police officials said that considering the weekend rush, additional police force had been deployed to man the traffic, 90 wrongly parked vehicles were challaned and several persons were fined for violating social distancing norms. For the second consecutive weekend, thousands of tourists also flocked to Nainital. Every famous tourist spot like Mall Road, Band Stand, Pant Park and Tibetan market were brimming with tourists and the pleasant weather made many opt for boating on Naini Lake. Locals said that for the first time since March-end, they have seen tourists in such high numbers. “Even last week, most of the tourist spots were full but this weekend, the number has increased substantially. Throughout the day, dozens of boats were dotting the Naini Lake while every restaurant saw a large queue and several hotels were full,” said a resident. The tourists meanwhile also said that they had been waiting for months to visit the hill stations. “The intermittent rains and the pleasant weather have only added to our joy. We had been waiting to visit Nainital since April. However, we wish that the restaurants allowed people to dine in as it is difficult to eat while walking,” said Prithijit Roy, a tourist from Kolkata. However, some of the locals also complained that many tourists were flouting the Covid norms and were not even wearing masks properly. “We understand that tourism is the backbone of the town but many places like the Mall Road got overcrowded and people were not even wearing masks properly,” said Ranjit Sinha, a local.

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Boost to Madhya Pradesh tourism! After being closed for 80 days due to COVID, Mahakaleshwar temple to reopen today

The famous Mahakaleshwar temple at Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh will reopen for devotees on Monday after a gap of 80 days, a member of its management committee said. The temple was shut for the public on April 9 this year following a rise in daily COVID-19 cases in the state. It had to be closed for the second time during the pandemic that broke out last year, he said. “It will reopen tomorrow at 6 am,” the temple’s assistant administrator R K Tiwari told PTI over phone on Sunday. However, the entry to the temple’s sanctum sanctorum and Nandi hall would not be allowed, he said. “Devotees have to take online permission for the deity’s ‘darshan’ at the temple. Those who have received at least one shot of vaccine against coronavirus would have to show its certificate to enter the temple, or else, carry an RT-PCR negative test report issued 48 hours before entering the religious premises,” he said. The official further said 3,500 devotees would be permitted to enter the temple between 6 am and 8 pm in a day. There will be seven time slots of two hours each and 500 people will be allowed to enter the temple in each slot. Tiwari said COVID-19 appropriate behaviour would be strictly followed at the temple. “Devotees will have to adhere to all safety measures, like physical distancing and wearing masks,” he said. Before the outbreak of COVID-19, around 20,000 people used to visit the temple every day, he said. The temple, located about 175 km from the state capital Bhopal, is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is one of the 12 ‘jyotirlingas’ in the country. On Saturday, Ujjain district did not report any new COVID-19 case or death, according to state officials.

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Assam Unlock: No Covid Testing Required on Arrival for Fully Vaccinated

The Health & Family Welfare Department of Assam announced on Twitter (@nhm_assam) that from today onwards fully vaccinated people need not to undergo mandatory testing on arrival at airports & railway stations in Assam, provided they produce a valid certificate highlighting the fully vaccinated status of two doses of Covid -19 Vaccine. As per the orders by Governer of Assam, dated 25th June 2021, it stated- "No. HLA.264/2020/21: Whereas, vaccination drive is going on in the state of Assam with full swing at par with other states; and Whereas, positivity rate has also gone down substantially in the state of Assam, and also other parts of the country; Therefore, in partial modification of this office earlier Order No HLA.301/2020/175 dated 13/04/2021, it is hereby ordered that people who have been vaccinated with two doses of COVID vaccine, shall be exempted from mandatory testing on arrival at airports or railway stations in Assam from outside the state provided they produce a valid certificate depicting the fully vaccinated status of person with two doses of COVID vaccine. This order comes into force with immediate effect."

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Switzerland eases entry restrictions for vaccinated travellers; no testing required

The Swiss Federal Council has now approved a proposal that will relax entry requirements of those arriving from the Schengen Area and third countries. As per the latest reports, the decision will come into effect on June 26, after which, those entering Switzerland from any of the Schengen Area countries will no longer be subject to entry restrictions upon arrival. Apart from this, vaccinated travellers arriving from these countries will also enjoy exemption from the requirement of showing negative COVID-19 test results. Reportedly, only those who haven’t taken the vaccination jabs will have to present negative COVID-19 test results. As per a press release issued by the Federal Council, to simplify the current Coronavirus containment measures, those arriving by plane, vaccinated as well as non-vaccinated, will be required to provide their contact details. The press release further notes that along with easing the entry restrictions, the list of countries issued by the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) has also been amended accordingly. Meanwhile, the Federal Office of Public Health will be revising the current list of high-risk countries, which will include only those regions and countries that are still dealing with the worrying virus variant. However, reports have it that travellers from these countries will also be permitted to enter Switzerland without testing and quarantine, if they have recently recovered from the virus or have been vaccinated against COVID-19. Rest, will have to produce a negative PCR test or rapid antigen test, and will also have to undergo quarantine on entry. Referring to the said decision, the Federal Office explains that it has been taken after the Swiss health authorities asserted that “the vaccines used in Switzerland are only slightly less effective against the Delta variant and thus still offer a very high level of protection.”

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Hampi opens for tourists after two months

After a gap of two months, the world heritage site Hampi opened its doors to tourists from Thursday. For the first time in many weeks the tourists were able to get a glimpse of famous monuments such as Vijaya Vittala Temple complex and Kamal Mahal. The Archaeological Survey Of India and Hampi World Heritage Area Management Autyhrority together have chalked out safety plans for the visiting tourists. Firstly it’s now been made mandatory for the tourists to carry a government issued identity card with them. This apart, a health check up van will be stationed at Hampi for the benefit of the visitors. The health clinic will also have Covid19 testing facility and an ambulance attached to it in case of any emergency. “During the unlock period similar arrangements were made. But this time we have instructed the teams to register the visitors upon arrival. The central ASI had announced the opening of monuments last week itself. But due to the lockdown in some parts of the state made us postpone the opening of Hampi monuments for the tourists.,” said a senior official from the HAWAMA.

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