News

India now has an air bubble arrangement with Japan

The Indian embassy tweeted this news, announcing that India and Japan are a part of the bubble system. According to a latest development, Air India is to start Delhi-Tokyo flights that can only be boarded by some permitted categories of travellers. Earlier, India had started air bubbles with other nations such as Canada and the Maldives. While the Coronavirus is still affecting lives, businesses are opening up with caution, and Standard Operating Procedures. Air India’s air bubble scheme with Tokyo has started from November 2, and shall be operational until December 28, 2020 while flights from Tokyo to Delhi will start from November 4, and shall be operational until December 30, 2020. This is, in fact, a glorious time to visit Japan as the autumn is in full bloom, and the famous cherry blossoms would be visible during this time. Autumn in Japan runs from mid-November to early-December. So, if you have always wanted to see autumn in Japan, this might be your chance to do so. However, do keep in mind that not all categories of travellers would be permitted to fly. There are certain rules and protocols in place for international fliers during the pandemic. The year-end is of course a great time to travel, but that seems to have slowed down this year. And, if you do decide to travel, always maintain social distance, and follow protocols.

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Himachal Pradesh government starts bus service on Kullu-Manali and Keylong route through Atal Tunnel

Ever since the Atal Tunnel has been thrown open for the tourists visiting Lahaul and Spiti in Himachal Pradesh, the state government has been noticing a growing rise in the number of visitors. According to the reports, the government of Himachal Pradesh has started eco-friendly electric buses between Kullu-Manali and Keylong. The Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) recently ran a bus on the aforementioned route but on a trial basis. Atal Tunnel is the longest in the world measuring 9.02 km and as high as 10000 feet is a major gateway to facilitating perennial access to Lahaul and Spiti. Mangal Manepa, HRTC Regional Manager, Keylong, confirmed to a leading news agency that the electric bus’ trial was successful. Atal Tunnel has been made under the Rohtang Pass in the eastern Pir Panjal range on the Leh-Manali Highway. It was inaugurated for public on October 3, 2020.

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Beaches, parks and museums in Kerala are now open

Beaches, parks and museums in Kerala have now opened for tourists, marking the resumption of tourism activities after they have remained shut for eight months. The move, as part of reviving the tourism sector following the outbreak of the pandemic, comes close on the heels of the opening of tourist destinations and services across the state on 10 October. In the first phase of unlocking, the state had earlier reopened hill station, backwater tourism, houseboats and adventure resorts. “Tourism Department officials are making extra efforts to ensure that the guidelines are followed to the last detail,” P. Bala Kiran, tourism director of Kerala said. Boards featuring dos and don’ts are being put up, and walkways, handrails and shelters are being sprayed with sanitisers at regular intervals. Tourism police will be posted, if necessary, to help Kudumbashree volunteers and lifeguards. A register will be kept at the entry for entering details of visitors. For parks and museums, online ticketing/SMS booking will be explored to the extent possible at gated entries. Vehicles will be allowed at parking areas for up to a maximum of one hour. Strict instructions have been issued to street vendors to follow COVID-19 protocol. Cleaning and fumigation of toilets and restrooms will be taken up at regular intervals. “It is significant that we are reopening our beaches, including destinations such as Kovalam,” tourism minister Kadakampally Surendran said. As per the SOP issued by the government, visitors will have to wear mask, use soap and sanitizer and follow physical distancing at destinations. Tourists coming for visits of less than seven days are exempted from quarantine but should register on the COVID-19 Jagratha portal.

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SpiceJet seaplane services sell 3,000 seats in 2 days; other routes for seaplanes under consideration

New Delhi: Budget carrier SpiceJet's chairman and managing director of SpiceJet, Ajay Singh said the airline on the first day of beginning operations in Gujarat, received an “overwhelming” 3000 bookings for the route between Sabarmati riverfront and Statue of Unity. Ajay Singh, Chairman & Managing Director, SpiceJet, said, “The launch of our first seaplane service will be remembered as one of the most notable events in the history of Indian aviation. We at SpiceJet feel proud to have played a role in fulfilling our Prime Minister’s vision of connecting the remotest parts of the country by air. Our seaplane service between the Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad and Statue of Unity in Kevadia will cut down travel time to just about half an hour and will be a unique, exhilarating flying experience that would immensely boost travel and tourism. Seaplane makes a splash in the Sabarmati On 31 October, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a seaplane service between the Statue of Unity near Kevadiya in Gujarat's Narmada district and Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad. He inaugurated the service by boarding the twin-engine plane from pond-3 close to Sardar Sarovar Dam near Kevadiya. PM Modi boarded the 18-seater plane from a pond near Sardar Sarovar Dam and landed at Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad on Saturday afternoon after covering the distance in about 40 minutes. New routes for the seaplane service under consideration Other routes and destinations that are under consideration for the seaplane service are Port Blair to Havelock, Delhi to Haridwar, Delhi to Rishikesh, and Naini lake, Udaipur, Dal lake, Leh and backwaters in Kerala, Spicejet Chairman and Managing Director Ajay Singh said. While under the first phase, trials of the landplane were conducted in Nagpur and Guwahati, the second phase involved the amphibious aircraft for which trials were held at Mumbai’s Girgaum Chowpatty. "SpiceJet has secured 18 seaplane routes under the UDAN which includes – Ahmedabad-Kevadia (Sabarmati River Front to Statue of Unity, Sardar Sarovar), Agatti-Minicoy, Agatti-Kavaratti among others," the company said in its statement. What is a seaplane? Seaplanes are typically fixed-wing aircraft with a much fewer number of seats and can take off from, and land on, water. They have been in use since the 19th century. Seaplane flies at a very low height, has a manual system for all the operations. Ahmedabad-Kevadiya route details Seaplane service between the Statue of Unity near Kevadiya in Gujarat's Narmada district and Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad will do 4 flights daily as of now. The all-inclusive one-way fares will begin from as low as Rs. 1500/- under the UDAN scheme and tickets will be available on www.spiceshuttle.com. SpiceJet will be using a 15-seater Twin Otter 300 aircraft for these flights.

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E-passes no longer needed for travel, Tamil Nadu government tells High Court

The Tamil Nadu government on Wednesday informed the Madras high court that e-passes are no longer required for travel within Tamil Nadu or for domestic and international travellers to the state. However, an e-registration is required for travellers to hill stations in the state and also those coming to Tamil Nadu from other states and countries. In the e-registration system, only basic details of the travellers are recorded and permission is given by the automatic system to everyone who registers. Tamil Nadu's advocate-general Vijay Narayan submitted in the court that under the e-registration process, the traveller should provide only his basic details like the address and contact number for the purpose of contact tracing in view of the COVID-19 situation. The e-registration process is automated and no prior approval is needed for such travel, he added. Advocate-general Vijay Narayan also submitted that the state has passed a government order doing away with the mandatory requirement of an e-pass for intra-state travellers. The first bench of Chief Justice AP Sahi and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy was hearing the plea moved by KR Ezhil Nadhi challenging the restriction imposed by the government prohibiting travel to hill stations in the state. The advocate-general submitted, “The state government has passed a government order on October 27 modifying the restrictions for movement of the public in view of the pandemic.” According to the counsel for the petitioner, Abishek Jebaraj argued that the Union ministry of home affairs guidelines were issued on September 30 which restrains states from imposing lockdowns outside containment zones. The bench recording the submissions orally observed that the government had substantially solved the problem by the order and closed the plea.

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PM inaugurates tourism attractions at Statue of Unity

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a two-day visit to Gujarat, inaugurated four new tourist attractions near the Statue of Unity at Kevadiya in Narmada district on Friday. The prime minister inaugurated Arogya Van, Ekta Mall, Children''s Nutrition Park and Sardar Patel Zoological Park/ Jungle Safari. He was scheduled to launch 17 new projects, including a seaplane service, on Friday and Saturday. Modi first inaugurated Arogya Van (`health forest''), spread over 17 acres with a wide range of medicinal plants. The sprawling garden, which boasts of five lakh plants of 380 species, also highlights the importance of Yoga, Ayurveda and meditation, an official release said. It also has a `yoga and meditation'' garden, souvenir shop and a cafeteria serving "Ayurveda foods". Modi also visited a digital information centre and an indoor plants garden inside Arogya Van. The prime minister then inaugurated Ekta Mall, a unique store near the Statue of Unity where tourists can buy handloom and handicraft products from various states. The two-storey air-conditioned complex is spread over 35,000 square feet and houses 20 emporia, said the government release. Modi, accompanied by Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, visited several emporia. The prime minister spent significant time at stalls selling traditional items from Jammu and Kashmir and the North-East. He showed keen interest in the processes involved in making them, an official said. The PM next inaugurated a Children''s Nutrition Park, dubbed as the world''s first such technology-driven theme park developed over 35,000 square meters. Its primary objective is to make children understand the importance of nutritious food, officials said. The park has 47 attractions providing "infotainment" to children with the underlying theme of "Sahi Poshan Desh Roshan". Modi then inaugurated Jungle Safari, a state-of-the- art Zoological Park spread across 375 acres and seven levels. It houses over 1,100 indigenous and exotic birds and animals of more than 100 species including tigers, lions, giraffes, zebras and leopards. The Safari also boasts of two world''s largest geodesic dome aviaries. The prime minister visited the aviaries and allowed parrots to sit on his arm. Jungle Safari also has a Petting Zone, where visitors can touch and pet animals. The PM would be staying at Kevadiya overnight, the release said.

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