News

Tripura rising on India’s tourism map.

The Tripura government is all set to unveil a new tourism policy with a focus on public- private partnership (PPP) model to boost footfall of tourists, officials said on Thursday. The state has witnessed an upward trend in tourist arrival during the past three years and increased the scope in creating job opportunities, they said. Tripura, which has tremendous potential in tourism segment is yet to flourish due to poor infrastructure facilities, lack of accommodation facility, connectivity and shortage of professional manpower. Unakoti, an archeological site, Tripureswari Temple, Chhabimura, Jampui Hills, Dumbur Lake, Sephajala Zoo and Trishna Wildlife Sanctuary could be major tourism attraction in the state. The department has already rope in a Shillong-based hotelier to set up star category hostel to provide better accommodation facilities to the tourists. Besides, Sagar Mahal, a state government-run tourist lodge situated near Neermahal has been handed over to the group. The official said the forest department which has so many tourism spots has agreed to allow tourists visiting two eco tourism spots- Barmura and Tepania and Sepahijala Zoo. The government has already made a policy decision to establish a helipad at Narikel Kunja, one of the most attractive tourism places surrounded by water bodies near Dumbur lake.

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Serbia to offer visa-free travel for Indian citizens.

Given the number of Indian tourists visiting the country, the Government of the Republic of Serbia has announced visa-free travel to Indian travellers and tourists. It was recently decided by the country’s administration that visa will be exempted for Indian nationals along with Iranianas with ordinary passports. With this, Indian nationals now won’t require a visa to explore the gorgeous southeastern European country. They can stay in the country without a visa for 30 days only from the date of entry (within a period of one year). According to a government official, “Undisturbed arrival of tourists from these countries, as well as potential investors, in order to create a more favourable business environment and bring bilateral relations with these countries to a higher level”. As per reports, the annual transaction between Belgrade and New Delhi amounts to $150 million, which is huge. In the same report, the trade between Iran and Serbia was mentioned between $20 million. Serbia with its rugged terrains, ancient architecture, and great mountains is known for its natural beauty. The country is also among one of the least explored destinations and makes a perfect holiday escape for those who believe in taking roads less travelled.

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IndiGo Operates 1500 Flights Per Day.

According to a report in cnbctv18.com, the airline hit the 1,500 domestic flights per day figure earlier this month. It now has a departure approximately every one minute. In a statement, IndiGo’s chief executive officer, Ronojoy Dutta said; “We are pleased to be the first Indian airline to touch 1,500 daily departures, with one flight taking off every minute. IndiGo has only been operating for 13 years. With the demise of Jet Airways, it is now the biggest airline in India in terms of fleet size and passenger numbers. It now has 249 planes (the majority being from the A320 family) and carried over 64 million passengers in the last financial year. IndiGo flies to 60 domestic and 23 international destinations.Whilst IndiGo launched new international flights to Istanbul, Jeddah, Chengdu, Yangon, Hanoi, Riyadh, Ho Chi Minh City and Guangzhou, it was a raft of new domestic destinations that drove growth in flight numbers at the airline. Indigo commenced domestic operations to Shillong, Gaya (from both Kolkata and Varanasi), Jodphur, Belgaum, Silchar (from Kolkata), Shirdi and Mysore. Also, Indigo started a swathe of domestic flights from the new Kannur Airport to Bengaluru, Kochi, Goa, Hubli, Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram.

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Nusa Penida tops list of backpacker travel destinations in 2020.

The island of Nusa Penida off Bali's east coast has beaten stiff competition from Thailand and Slovenia to be crowned Hostelworld's number one travel destination for backpackers in 2020. The Dublin-based hostel reservation platform compiled a list of the top 20 locations around the world for backpackers across the next 12 months, based on the biggest growth in bookings throughout 2019. Nusa Penida was one of three destinations from South East Asia to make it into the top ten, with Thailand's Surati Thani coming in at number two, while Siargaro Island in The Philippines was in ninth position. Hostelworld noted there was "no end of magical experiences to be had". "From attending prayer service in a sacred cave halfway up a mountain, to hiking to an abandoned treehouse turned insane lookout point and then swimming with playful giant manta rays, every moment is an adventure on Nusa Penida," it says. "Throw in those legendary Indonesian sunsets and plenty of ‘warungs’ serving delicious local food for pennies, and it’ll soon become obvious why it’s our number one backpacker hotspot for 2020." Nusa Penida is a district of Klungkung Regency that includes the neighbouring small island of Nusa Lembongan.

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Malaysia Airlines partners Starbucks and Kenny Rogers for holistic travel experience.

Malaysia Airlines (MAB) has partnered with Starbucks Malaysia and Kenny Rogers Roasters Malaysia as part of the wider Fly Malaysia campaign, and aims to help promote Visit Malaysia 2020 by offering the best possible travel experience. MAB is offering passengers a 20% discount on handcrafted beverages at Starbucks and all chicken meals at Kenny Rogers Roasters, applicable 48 hours after departure date and time. MAB’s group chief marketing and customer experience officer Lau Yin May said “This will create memorable experiences with Malaysia Airlines, and with all Malaysia has to offer. We believe that Malaysian Hospitality begins when the passenger has made the decision to Fly Malaysia up until we care for them to their destination of choice, and this partnership only further deepens this philosophy we have,” Lau added that the partnership only serves to strengthen the nationwide push for Visit Malaysia 2020, and allows it to further make the case for Malaysia as the premier travel and holiday destination for the new year and decade to come. Meanwhile, group CEO of Berjaya Food and managing director of Starbucks Malaysia and Brunei, Sydney Quays, its partnership with Malaysia Airlines aims to deepen the shared moments of connection by allowing travelers to settle themselves, and enjoy a beverage or a meal from its Starbucks and Kenny Rogers Roasters stores around Malaysia. MAB is certainly doing its bid in attracting tourists ahead of Visit Malaysia 2020.

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Jerusalem’s Old City gets $57 million cable cars and pylons to promote tourism.

The ramparts of ochre stone stand out against the sky, framed by hilltop buildings and olive trees — but the view of Jerusalem’s Old City could soon include cable cars and pylons. But archaeologists, architects and city planners say the scheme, if completed, will be a blight on Jerusalem’s ancient heritage. The Western Wall is directly adjacent to the Al-Aqsa mosque, one of the holiest sites in Islam, but also located on the Temple Mount, the most sacred place in Judaism. The cable car is to start at the preserved, but no longer functioning, Ottoman-era railway station in west Jerusalem, where a two-story glass terminal will host 3,000 passengers per hour. A first stop will be on Mount Zion, a hill where Christians believe Jesus and his disciples met for the Last Supper and also revered by Jews as the burial place of biblical King David. From there, the cable cars will pass above the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan, a frequent flashpoint between Palestinian residents and Jewish settlers. In Silwan, the cable cars will pass over about 60 homes, at some points just 14 meters above the rooftops, said Fakhri Abu Diab, director of the local residents’ association.Israeli tour guide Michel Seban enthuses about the cable car, which he says will ease access to the densely packed Old City with its narrow cobbled lanes. In a petition, they wrote that “a cable car is not appropriate for ancient cities with a skyline preserved for hundreds or thousands of years.” The Palestinian Authority has denounced the project as another attempt to increase Israeli presence in east Jerusalem.

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