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Gujarat's Tent City Kutch To Reopen To Tourists Before Diwali

The Tent City-Kutch is set to welcome guests on Dhanteras has put in place protocols to ensure the safety. The safety protocols, covering the vehicles to ferry the guests, reception area at Bhuj, the entire Tent City at Dhordo near the White Rann of Kutch, the common areas, and others will be implemented throughout the duration, which is from Nov 12 to Feb 28. “The safety protocols are already in place. They include new cleaning and disinfection procedures, increased focus on common areas, and adequate availability of hand sanitizers, face masks, and other protective equipment, and a team of well-trained professionals to ensure 100% compliance with the protocols. We have left no room for any error, and guests have no reason to be worried about getting an infection. In spite of the elaborate measures, it will be ensured that guests do not have to face any inconvenience,” said Bhavik Sheth, Finance and Operation Manager, Lallooji & Sons. Some of the measures that have been put in place include disinfection of the reception area at Bhuj on a regular basis, thermal screening of guests, compulsory use of masks and gloves by the staff, medical checkup of staff every fortnight, masks and sanitizers for guests, among others. Kutch, which has 350 tents, offers a unique chance to visit one of the most beautiful and breath-taking locations in Gujarat, the White Rann of Kutch, which is spread over 7,500 sq. km and is one of the largest salt deserts in the world. Besides visiting the mesmerizing White Rann and experiencing the grandeur of the sunset in the salt desert, the Tent City-Kutch also offers an opportunity for guests to visit places such as the Kalo Dungar (Black Hill), other nearby historical monuments, and places off the usual tourist trail. The guests also get to attend folk dance and music programmes, to watch artisans at work, and buy unique handicrafts directly from them.

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Himachal Pradesh resumes Shimla-Delhi bus service

Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) has resumed Shimla-Delhi bus services from November 4. The bus services were suspended for several months due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Reportedly, Ramanand Thakur, in-charge of HRTC, told the press that only five buses will be run from Shimla to Delhi for now. The buses have been resumed mainly for the festive season as several passengers need to commute between the two destinations. News has it that all necessary precautions have been taken to ensure hygiene level is not compromised amid the ongoing pandemic. All passengers and staff members will be wearing masks and buses are being sanitised properly. Meanwhile, the Kalka-Shimla train (Himalayan Queen) and Kalka-New Delhi Shatabdi have also resumed their passenger services. The Himalayan Queen, however, will run from October 20 to November 30 for now. On the other hand, news has it that Delhi’s weather has become colder than that of Shimla, Kangra, Dalhousie and Kasauli even though parts of Himachal Pradesh such as Lahaul valley and Keylong have received the first snow of the season. Consequently, the snowfall has led to the closure of Manali-Leh highway, which is crossed by several vehicles on a daily basis.

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Kerala Tourism wins award for exemplary activities during Covid- 19

Kerala Tourism has been bestowed the coveted 'Highly Commended' Award by World Travel Mart London, as a recognition for its remarkable activities aimed at promoting Responsible Tourism amid pandemic. Kerala has been bestowed the coveted 'Highly Commended' Award by World Travel Mart London, as a recognition for its remarkable activities aimed at promoting Responsible Tourism (RT) during the challenging times of COVID-19 pandemic. Kerala's Responsible Tourism (RT) Mission received this recognition in the category of 'Meaningful Connections.' The RT Mission received the award for its innovative work on 'Wok at Home Videos' and storytelling audio and video series produced and presented by various Mission units in the state during the pandemic that has posed multiple challenges to the tourism sector, an official statement said here on Friday. The Work at Home Videos have been developed by RT Mission entrepreneurs with a message to stay home safely during the lockdown but not to despair and to adopt measures to effectively prevent the spread of the COVID-19. The videos also make an impassioned appeal to tourists visiting Kerala to see their activities as soon as the pandemic-triggered issues are brought under control. "The award proves that the RT Mission is becoming a driving force in sharing innovative ideas and ensuring public participation in the tourism sector," Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran said. Tourism Secretary Rani George said the Mission has played a significant role in the tourism sector during the pandemic. "This is a morale-boosting recognition that celebrates the best-in-class of the global travel and tourism industry," she added. Tourism Director P Bala Kiran congratulated all the RT Mission unit members in Kerala for this achievement and sustainable tourism activities in the most adverse circumstances. The RT Mission had instructed the members of various units to wash their hands with sanitizer or soap and start their work. They were presented as a video document to engage them during the lockdown period. Besides becoming a marketing tool, it also became an instant hit in national and international platforms. This was followed by storytelling audios about each area and its festivals, followed by the videos on various traditional musical instruments and other folk art forms. State RT Mission Coordinator K Rupeshkumar said the Mission received a total of 1,048 audios and videos, all of which were produced and edited by the unit members. These were viewed by thousands of people through various social media platforms. During World Folklore Day, these videos were aired at the 'Folkkathone' programme for 90 minutes. "The uniqueness of this recognition is that the RT Mission units are proving that life-affirming activities need to be presented live without exaggeration to be evaluated and recognised by the world," he added. The award jury said it was the most popular intervention in the world to give confidence to entrepreneurs and tourists who are reeling from the epidemic. "The move sends a message that any crisis can be overcome by working with one mind," it noted. This is the 5th International Award for the Responsible Tourism Mission since its formation in 2017. The Mission has also won three National Awards. There are currently 20,017 units operating in Kerala under the RT Mission with more than one lakh beneficiaries as part of its activities. The units under the mission earned revenue of Rs 35 crore in three years. One of its salient features is that 80 per cent of the total units are headed by women. The Mission, which also runs 140 experiential tour packages, has so far imparted training to 7,000 people. Also, 48 new tourism destinations have sprung up through the Mission's flagship projects Pepper and Model RT Village, the statement added.

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Mumbai to Hyderabad in less than 3.5 hours via bullet train!

This is incredible news for regular travellers between Mumbai and Hyderabad. In the coming years, travellers would be able to reach Hyderabad from Mumbai in less than 3.5 hours, thanks to the upcoming bullet trains in the country. As of now, it takes an overnight journey or more than 10 hours by existing trains to cover the 711 km distance between the two prime Indian cities. As reported by TOI, the National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) has issued tenders for preparation of Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the Mumbai-Pune-Hyderabad bullet train project. The project will cut down the travel time between the two destinations by 9.5 hours. The average speed of a bullet train is 320 km/hour while the existing trains run at an average speed of 80 km/hour to 120 km/hour. The incredible speed is going to save a lot of travelling time. According to news reports, there are several other bullet train projects underway and the Indian government is investing INR 10 lakh crore on seven other such corridors that will cover a distance of 4869 km. Achal Khare, managing director, NHSRCL informed the media, “The bullet train project will benefit the country and give a boost to the skill development sector. The government has asked for DPRs of all the seven new corridors. Capital costs can be decided only after taking into consideration things like terrains and route length.” The Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet rail corridor is another major project, which is expected to open in 2028. And among seven such corridors, Mumbai-Pune-Hyderabad, is another significant project and as per NHSRCL, the first pre-bid meeting for it will be held in November.

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Palampur’s famous picnic spot Saurabh Van Vihar opens for tourists

A famous nature park, Saurabh Van Vihar, which is based in Himachal Pradesh’s Palampur is ready to see tourists once again. The tourist attraction was washed away in flash floods about three years ago. According to the reports, the Van Vihar was rebuilt by the society that takes care of it, with cooperation from the Himachal Pradesh forest department. The first phase of restoration work will see a boating facility for tourists; other tourist offerings will also be kicked-off in the next phase. Saurabh Van Vihar was made in the memory of Captain Saurabh Kalia, a Kargil war martyr. It is located in the foothills of the Dhauladhars on the banks of snow-fed Neugel Khad in Kwat Village. It is flanked by lush green forests, which attract a wide variety of bird species to the location. Enthusiasts love visiting Saurabh Van Vihar for picnicking activities such as boating, birdwatching and bouldering due to its refreshing ambiance.

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Travel Booking Platforms See a Surge of 40 Per cent in Daily Check-ins For This Year’s Diwali Season

Travelling is innate to humans; and the young Indian travel enthusiasts are eyeing the upcoming festive season to step out to celebrate the festive time at home or home away from home, according to new data. Travel bookings on the Goibibo platform indicate an uptick of 40 percent in daily check-ins for this year’s Diwali season when compared to the average bookings made in October this year. With significant week-on-week travel booking growth, travellers including young couples and group of friends are set to take leisure trips during this year’s Diwali break, the platform shared. For the young Indians, the one thing that tops the wishlist is to hit the road or the sky or the trail or the waves again. It’s an overpowering sentiment that is seeing people especially young Indians venturing out while being mindful of their own safety and also that of the others, it said. As travellers’ sentiment shifts before the year ends, the travel platform shared some pertinent travel trends it observed – that gives a good glimpse into the shape of emerging travel trends: Yearning for Just Us’ time Having being deprived of taking a leisure break over the past seven months or more, one in every two young Indian is now actively considering travelling in the coming weeks, as revealed a survey conducted by Consumer Insights team at Goibibo. This trend is largely driven by millennials and couples who are eager to break away from the lockdown monotony and are looking to spend “Just Us” time with their partners or close friends away from home. Since unlock 4.0, there has been a significant uptick in bookings for long weekends and a proportionate spike in staycations during the week days. Booking trends indicate that the long-weekend in October saw 30-40 percent higher check-ins than other weekends with many making compulsive bookings within 72 hours of travel or less. Also, with people gradually getting comfortable with the idea of taking their first leisure flight for that much-deserved break post the pandemic there is a growing preference for bookings to distant destinations across Goa, Kerala, Coorg and Darjeeling among others.

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