News

J-K to develop 7 new trekking routes in wildlife protected areas

Travellers on their next trip to Jammu and Kashmir will not just get an opportunity to explore more trekking routes but will also get a chance to stay at accommodations located in quaint places amidst pristine nature. Jammu and Kashmir will be developing seven new trekking routes in various wildlife protected areas and to further promote sustainable tourism, the existing infrastructure and resources of the Forest Department, including rest houses and inspection huts, would also be opened to tourists and wildlife enthusiasts. Providing a major push to eco-tourism in the region, the Administrative Council, under the chairmanship of Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha, has approved this development through which they hope to promote tourism in the forest hinterland without disturbing the ecological balance in the protected areas. The decision would allow online booking of 29 forest rest houses and inspection huts in Kashmir and Jammu divisions under a common brand and logo from May 1, 2021. The Forest, Ecology and Environment department has also been directed to put in place a user-friendly online portal for booking identified rest houses on a first-come, first-serve basis and another batch of 58 rest houses and huts would also be opened to tourists by July 1, 2021. Hitherto, these accommodations were reserved for forest officers on official tours. Meanwhile, the Administrative Council also approved development of new trekking routes in Bahu Conservation Reserve, Sudhmahadev Conservation Reserve, Thein Wildlife Conservation Reserve, Tral Wildlife Sanctuary-Dachigam National Park-Overa-Aru Wildlife Sanctuary, Thajwas Wildlife Sanctuary, Khrew Wildlife Conservation Reserve-Dachigam National Park-Khonmoh Conservation Reserve, and Khrew Wildlife Conservation Reserve. The trekking avenues range from short day-long treks up and down mountain slopes, to long-trans-mountain traverses involving a week of trekking and camping in the wilderness. These trekking routes pass through scenic splendors, with wild fauna and flora.

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DGCA approves 18,843 flights per week for summer schedule

Aviation regulator DGCA on Tuesday said it has approved 18,843 flights per week from 108 airports for the summer schedule, which begins on the last Sunday of March and ends on the last Sunday of October. The number of flights for this year's summer schedule has been approved keeping in mind that airlines are permitted to operate not more than 80 per cent of their pre-COVID flights. "It may be noted that 18,843 departures per week have been finalised to/from 108 airports. Out of these 108 airports, Bareilly, Bilaspur, Kurnool and Rupasi are the new airports proposed by the scheduled airlines," the Directorate General of Civil Aviation said on Twitter. It said IndiGo's 8,749 weekly flights and SpiceJet's 2,854 have been approved for the summer schedule. GoAir's 1,747 flights, Air India's 1,683, Vistara's 1,288 and AirAsia India's 1,243 have also been approved. India resumed domestic passenger flight operations on May 25 last year, after a gap of two months due to the coronavirus-triggered lockdown. At that time, airlines were permitted to operate a maximum of 33 per cent of their pre-Covid flights. This was gradually increased to 80 per cent.

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Uttarakhand restricts entry of visitors from 12 states

In the light of rising cases of Covid across the country, Uttarakhand government has decided to impose travel restrictions on visitors from 12 states in the country. Persons travelling from states like Maharashtra, Kerala, Punjab, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Rajasthan by road, air and train, have to carry negative RT-PCR test report obtained within 72 hours of the arrival time in Uttarakhand. The advisory also states that people visiting from outside the state and the residents of the state have to strictly adhere to the restrictions of safety and social distancing. Persons above 65 years of age, with co-morbidities, pregnant women and children under the age of 10 are advised to avoid travelling unless necessary. The district administrations have been directed to conduct random testing of visitors arriving by rail, air and by road at all entry points and isolate people found with symptoms of the virus.

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SpiceJet introduces 'zero change fee' offer on domestic flights

SpiceJet has introduced a 'zero change fee' offer under which passengers can modify dates or names on the ticket, at least seven days prior to the date of departure, without any charges. This offer will be applicable to all bookings done between March 27 and April 4 for travel period between March 27 and June 30, said the airline's press release. "The offer thus aims to extend significant flexibility and cost savings to all its passengers in these unprecedented times...Fare difference will be applicable for flight changes and shall be payable by the customer," the release noted. This new offering allows passengers to modify tickets with one-time waiver of the charges, it said.

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Kashmir to host Tulip Festival to promote tourism from April 3

Kashmir is all set to host the famous Tulip Festival that will begin from April 3 to celebrate the arrival of spring and promote tourism in the state. This six-day festival will also see a lot of cultural activities to familiarise visitors with the valley's rich old traditions. As per an official, the fest will be inaugurated by Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha. Deputy Director, Tourism and Publicity, Ideel Saleem said, "All arrangements are in place for the festival and we are looking forward to it". Informing more about the festival, he said that there will be musical evenings, wherein national and local artists will also participate. There will be nearly 25 stalls that will display and promote the rich culture, cuisines and crafts of Kashmir. Preparations for sound and lighting systems near the Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre are already under process. The Hari Parbat Fort will also be illuminated on the occasion. Another tourism department official said that this is the perfect opportunity to display the diverse culture and cuisine of the valley. There will be a live exhibition of handicraft and handloom products all day long. The official also said that promotional activities have already begun across the country to attract and inform tourists. Campaigns regarding the same are being held at all the prominent places such as metro stations and travel marts, among others. The tourism department is planning another event, which will be a houseboat festival in the month of May. "Houseboat is an icon of tourism and is one of the main attractions of the visitors to the valley. The festival will showcase the houseboats at the famous Dal Lake and promote them," the Deputy Director said.

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Maldivian to start first direct flight linking Mumbai-Maafaru

Maldivian, the flag carrier of the Maldives, will launch its first direct flight connecting Maafaru with Mumbai, proving a boon to Bollywood, business and leisure travelers, an official said on Tuesday. Starting April 13, Maldivian will operate three flights a week on Sundays, Tuesdays and Fridays to Maafaru, with a flying time of around two-and-half hours. Maafaru International Airport is located on the picturesque Noonu atoll of north Maldives and was opened for tourism in 2019, said an official. Currently, Maldivian operates three flights from the Indian Ocean island country's capital Male to Thiruvananthapuram, two to Kochi besides Chennai, with Mumbai set to join next month. Dotted with some of the most sought-after luxury resorts and guest houses, the region offers over 10,000 tourist beds spread across four atolls making this new sector a winner in the leisure markets. Maldives, comprising 1,190 coral isles forming an archipelago of 26 major atolls, is among the top favourite global shooting destinations for Bollywood with scores of films having been shot there. This year, so far more than 50,000 Indian tourists, including a large number from Mumbai, have travelled to the island nation which straddles the Equator and offers a year-round mild climate with natural beauty of the sea, sun and sand. Last month the country's Minister of Tourism Dr Abdulla Mausoom announced plans to welcome around 1.50 million tourists this year - nearly five times the country's population of around 339,000 - as tourism is the main revenue source.

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