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MP saw rise in tourist footfall from neighbouring states last year

Claiming to be the ‘safest and well-connected destination’, the Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board said the state witnessed a jump in footfall from bordering states within a period of one month. During its virtual roadshow on Friday, the board said with Covid-19 protocols in place and due to transit accessibility, several places in the state are ideal travel destinations. “Moving a step ahead from the mindful tourism we offered, we have become a heartfelt tourist destination. Contrary to what we expected, we witnessed higher footfall within a period of one month. Between December 15, 2020 to January 15 this year, we have had an estimated 2.25 lakh visitors. It was 1.5 lakh in the same time period in 2019. It is an optimistic sign and people are travelling to unravel,” said Sheo Shekhar Shukla, Principal Secretary of Tourism in Madhya Pradesh and Managing Director of the Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board. Highlighting new point of interests, Shukla said the tourism board strives to establish a strong emphasis on rural tourism and economic activities in the state’s small pockets. “With 150 new home stays, we hope to offer tourists and travellers an authentic cultural experience, via regional handicrafts, art and cuisine.” Although the heart of India, which proudly holds the title of ‘The Tiger State of India’, due to a rich tiger population in six tiger reserves, Madhya Pradesh has added a new feather to its cap, said Shukla. “We are very delighted to now be the leopard as well as the gharial state of the country. So, even if people visiting the jungles are unable to catch a glimpse of a tiger, they will definitely have a sighting of leopards, as, at over 3,000, their numbers are the highest in the country.” With a visual presentation, Deputy Director Events and Marketing Yuvraj Padole pointed out that within wildlife hotspots, there has been a rise in visitors between October and December, 2020. “While it stood at 35,385 in 2019 for Pench in 2019, it reached 40,806 in 2020. Meanwhile, Kanha experienced a footfall of 55,806 tourists last year compared to 49,672 in 2019.” Apart from religious, wildlife and heritage tourism, Shukla said Madhya Pradesh has added an assortment of attractions– from emphasis on rural tourism to creating astro-parks for astronomy enthusiasts and avid stargazers. “There has been a shift in the reason why people travel to MP, and we wish to cater to the changing tourist needs of short-haul visits from nearby states. People not only want something to see, but also want something to do. We have modulated itineraries in a way that not only people enjoy the sites but also have various activities to do. For example, we have a low-height hot air balloon rides in Bandhavgarh, buffer spaces in national parks and sanctuaries during monsoons, 30 camping spots, 22 water bodies with 13 boat clubs, cycling trails and marathons in Satpura and Khajuraho. We also have a cultural calendar, with the Mandu festival and Khajuraho dance festival scheduled in mid-February,” said Shukla.

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Heritage tours of BMC headquarters begin this weekend; CM takes first trip

Mumbaikers will now be able to take heritage tours of the BMC building. Chief Minister Uddhav Thackrey on Thursday inaugurated its new initiative to boost tourism, heritage tours of Mumbai’s iconic Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation building. The heritage tours curated in collaboration with the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) and BMC will begin this weekend. People willing to take the hour-long tour can book tours via MTDC’s platform. A local tourism agency Khaki Tours has curated the heritage tours in the BMC building. The tours will only be conducted during the weekends. Starting from gate no 2 of the BMC headquarters, the tourists will be taken to the chowk inside the premises. The tourists will get to see the various offices of BMC leaders, mayor’s office, the commissioner’s office, the general body hall and also the museum on the second floor. Thackeray, along with Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar ministers Balasaheb Thorat and Aaditya Thackeray, and BMC Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal took the first tour of the headquarters on Thursday. Remembering his first visit to BMC, Thackeray shared that he was 13 years old when he first visited the building and came to the general body hall. He viewed the then mayor’s election through the viewing gallery where the important discussions were held and decisions were taken.

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IndiGo: Flights between Kurnool and three cities start from March 28

IndiGo on Friday said it will start direct flights between Kurnool and Bengaluru, Visakhapatnam, and Chennai from March 28 onward under regional connectivity scheme Udan. As per the airline's press release, Sanjay Kumar, Chief Strategy and Revenue Officer, IndiGo said, "It will strategically enhance regional connectivity in southern India, as Kurnool will be one of three capitals in the state of Andhra Pradesh, as well as the node for the upcoming Hyderabad-Bengaluru Industrial Corridor." Flights on all three routes -- Bengaluru-Kurnool, Visakhapatnam-Kurnool and Chennai-Kurnool -- will operate four times per week under the regional connectivity scheme, the release noted. Under the Udan scheme, financial incentives from the Centre, state governments and airport operators are extended to selected airlines to encourage operations from Unserved and underserved airports, and keep airfares affordable. The release said Kurnool will be the judicial capital of Andhra Pradesh and its increased accessibility will not only help tourists but also government officials travelling to and from the city.

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Abu Dhabi Tourism to further expand Go Safe-Certified Destination programme

The Department of Culture & Tourism, Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) will be expanding its Go Safe Certification programme 100% across all retail, tourism and commercial establishments in Abu Dhabi. Since its launch in June 2020, and in collaboration with key authorities, DCT Abu Dhabi has certified 95% of hotels, as well as Yas Marina Circuit, four theme parks on Yas Island, 33 malls across the capital, and two cinemas, after conducting rigorous on-site inspections. The first step of the programme is guided self-assessments that establishments undergo as per guidelines and checklists provided by DCT Abu Dhabi, followed by thorough site inspections conducted by dedicated teams to ensure compliance to the highest standards of cleanliness. Those who meet the requirements are awarded the Go Safe certificate, which signals to consumers their readiness to receive visitors and maintain hygiene standards. With more establishments currently undergoing the assessment process, DCT Abu Dhabi aims to ensure the entire UAE capital is Go Safe certified. The ambitious and ground-breaking initiative has brought together the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED), the Department of Municipalities and Transport (DMT), Aldar Properties, Modon Properties (Modon), Yas Theme Parks and attractions, as well as Etihad Airways in a joint partnership created to combat the spread of Covid-19 and keep the local economy moving by reassuring visitors and residents they are safe to visit any establishment because of the stringent safety protocols in place. “DCT Abu Dhabi’s Go Safe campaign has underpinned Abu Dhabi’s efforts to safely reopen its attractions for domestic and international visitors. As we enter 2021, maintaining these high standards of safety and hygiene remains our top priority for protecting public health while empowering the economic contribution of our partners in the hospitality and entertainment sectors,” said HE Ali Hassan Al Shaiba, Executive Director of Tourism and Marketing at DCT Abu Dhabi. “With even more partners signed up to this rigorous certification programme, we look forward to implementing Go Safe effectively across the capital, to achieve our goal of a completely Go Safe destination.” Tony Douglas, Group Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Aviation Group, said: "Thanks to Abu Dhabi's rigorous testing and safety precautions in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, the capital has cemented its position as one of the safest cities for visitors. Etihad Airways has led the aviation sector in its efforts to curb the spread of the coronavirus with the introduction of Etihad Wellness, our health and hygiene programme.In addition, Etihad is the only airline in the world to ensure 100% PCR testing of all guests both before departure and again on arrival in Abu Dhabi, which gives complete peace of mind for everyone on board.”

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Maharashtra government gives approval for resuming Indian Railways Mumbai local trains for all from February 1

Good news for Mumbaikars! Soon, regular commuting will be easier and more comfortable as Indian Railways is likely to resume Mumbai local train services for the general public from 1 February 2021. According to a PTI report, for the local train services’ resumption for the general public with COVID-19 precautions, approval was given by the Maharashtra government, on Friday. An Indian Railways official was quoted in the report saying that the state government’s proposal has been conveyed to the competent authorities. Thus, a formal announcement on the resumption of Mumbai local train services for the general public is expected soon, he said. Sanjay Kumar, State Chief Secretary has asked the Chief General Managers of Central Railway and Western Railway zones to permit local train passengers to travel as per the laid down schedule. Due to the novel coronavirus outbreak, suburban train services have been off bounds for the general public since the month of March last year. The local train services were resumed in the month of June for the essential services workers, the report said. From today, i.e., 29 January 2021, Indian Railways started the operations of additional 204 local train services to the existing 2781 suburban train services in Mumbai, making it a total of 2985 local train services on the city’s suburban rail network. With the restarting of additional local trains, around 95 per cent of the total suburban train services are being restored. According to the national transporter, only those permitted by the Railway Ministry and the Maharashtra government are allowed to travel by these local trains. Meanwhile, the Central Railway zone recently said that the Mumbai Division had carried out maintenance works during mega block o­n suburban main line between Matunga and Mulund (Up and Down lines) fast lines and also o­n suburban harbour line between Thane and Vashi/Nerul

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More relaxations on international travel expected from next month

The revised list of guidelines for surveillance, containment and caution for Covid-19 by the Ministry of Home Affairs for the next one month, starting from February 1, 2021 has removed many restrictions imposed on various activities including air, rail and other modes of travel, exhibition, conferences and social functions, education and entertainment. The MHA guidelines for the month of February allows more relaxations on international air travel which the administrative, the Ministry of Civil Aviation can work out in consultation with the Ministry of Home Affairs based on the current safety situation. With this, the Ministry of Civil Aviation is expected to reopen new routes under the bilateral air bubble agreement with more countries. Similarly, the government has also relaxed restrictions on exhibitions, social, religious and other events. When the restrictions on B2B exhibitions had been relaxed a couple of months ago, and now, as per the new guidelines, the government has allowed all sorts of exhibitions to start with right SOPs and guidelines. The Ministry of Commerce & Industry has been asked to formulate revised SOPs for this. Social, religious, sports, entertainment, educational, cultural and religious gatherings have been permitted upto a maximum of 50% of the hall capacity, with a ceiling of 200 persons in closed spaces; and keeping of the size of the ground/ space in view, now such gatherings will be allowed, subject to SOP of the state/ UT concerned. Cinema halls and theatres have already been permitted upto 50% of seating capacity. Now they will be permitted to operate at higher seating capacity, for which a revised SOP will be issued by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting in consultation with MHA. Swimming pools had already been permitted for use of sports people. Now, swimming pools will be permitted for use by all, for which a revised SOP will be issued by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports (MoYA&S) in consultation with MHA. As far as interstate and intrastate travel is concerned, the MHA guidelines once again emphasised that there shall be no restriction on such movement of persons and goods including those for cross land-border trade under treaties with neighbouring countries.

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