News

Karnataka's alluringly luxurious train, the Golden Chariot, to be on tracks this January

Karnataka’s luxury train, the Golden Chariot, is ready to go on tracks again. Run by the Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation (KSTDC), the train was temporarily suspended last year due to the absence of enough passengers. Reportedly, early this year, the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) was tasked with renovating the train interiors. However, the work was halted owing to COVID-19, and the luxury train is now ready to resume operations though it was supposed to restart services during the summer of 2020. According to the KSTDC, the Golden Chariot has been equipped with upholstered furniture, refurbished rooms and bathrooms, new linen and cutlery. Every vestibule has a smart TV with Wi-Fi for streaming facility. In addition, safety features like CCTVs and fire precautions have also been upgraded in the train. Considering the ongoing pandemic, the IRCTC has also framed certain safety norms for the health safety of all passengers and staff members during the train journey. - Train coaches and passenger luggage would be disinfected at regular intervals during the trip. - Tour managers, drivers, guides and other personnel deployed by the IRCTC will go through regular thermal screening and medical checks. Staff members need to be equipped with sanitation kits, masks, gloves and sanitisers. - Information regarding protocols to be followed when visiting heritage sites and monuments—including guidelines and forms—will be supplied in advance to passengers. Vehicles used in the tours will have restricted seating capacity to ensure physical distancing among the tourists. Meal venues included in the tours will be checked for hygiene levels by the IRCTC staff. Minimal-contact buffet is also in the offing. In addition, the KSTDC has also laid down rules for all the passengers, tour directors, guides, drivers and other members of staff, such as maintaining social distancing (6 feet), wearing face masks, and carrying sanitisers. Golden Chariot luxury train packages The tour starts from January 2021 and will run till March 2021. The train will be to and from Bengaluru. Tickets can be booked through the luxury train’s official website. Itinerary 6N/7D – Bandipur National Park, Chikamangalur, Aihole, Mysuru, Halebid, Pattadakal, Hampi and Goa. 6N/7D – Mysuru, Thanjavur, Chettinad, Hampi, Mahabalipuram,Kumarakom and Kochi. 3N/4D – Bandipur, Hampi and Mysuru. Package inclusions The package cost includes meals onboard meals, beers and spirits, complimentary house wines, entrance fees for monuments and heritage sites, air-conditioned bus tours with tour guides and meals during tours.

Read more

Kalka-Shimla toy train back in service after gap of 7 months

After remaining suspended for seven months, a daily ‘toy’ train will resume service on the Kalka-Shimla railway track starting Wednesday, the Northern Railways said. The Kalka-Shimla Express Special, whose number has been revised to 04515/04516, will depart from Kalka at 12:10 and arrive in Shimla at 17:20 after stopping at 10 other stations en route. The down train will depart from Shimla the next day at 10:40 and reach Kalka at 16:10, said railway authorities. The train has seven coaches and will run daily. An official said that the train service is being resumed keeping in mind the festival season rush. Train services on the track were suspended in March when the country went into lockdown to battle the coronavirus. On September 6, a special train was run from Solan to Shimla for the benefit of candidates appearing for an examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission. Ultimately, it had carried only two passengers — a candidate and his parent — while the down train ran without any passengers. The Kalka Shimla Railway, part of the Mountain Railways of India, was included in UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 2008. The 96 kilometre-long railway line from Kalka in Haryana to Shimla passes through 102 tunnels, 988 bridges and 917 curves some of which are as sharp as 48 degrees, according to the Indian Railways. The longest tunnel near Barog is 1,143 metres long. According to Tourism Industry Stakeholders Association Shimla, the continued suspension of trains from Kolkata to Kalka has a direct impact on the occupancy of hotels and homestays in Shimla, especially during the Durga Puja holidays when tourists from Bengal come to Himachal in large numbers. The occupancy in hotels is 15 to 20 per cent this year as compared to usual 70 to 80 per cent during the festive season, said Mohinder Seth, President of the Association. Seth said tourists from Gujarat and Maharashtra also come to Himachal in large numbers during the Navratri holidays around Diwali, but are being deterred this time due to various reasons.

Read more

Mumbai Port Trust to start water taxis from domestic cruise terminal to Mandwa

The Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT) is looking to initiate water taxi services from the city’s domestic cruise terminal (DCT) at Princess Dock from next month. The MbPT is planning to operate water taxis between Mumbai and Belapur, Vashi, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) and Mandwa initially. Officials said that they had shortlisted around six agencies to operate the water taxis, of which, one or even two operators are likely to start services soon. The water taxis will facilitate reaching Navi Mumbai in around 30-40 minutes instead of close to one and half hour travel by road. Captain Bhabatosh Chand, Deputy Conservator, Marine Department, MbPT, said the charges for the services will be determined by the operator. In February 2020, the MbPT had started the roll-on/roll-off (Ro-Ro) passenger services from South Mumbai to Alibaug which proved to be a hit with passengers after it was resumed services in August 20 post the lockdown. According to M2M Ferries Pvt Ltd, which operates the services, more than 5,000 passengers, 1,200 cars, 270 two-wheelers and cyclists took a trip on the ferry between August 20 and the first week of September.

Read more

Covid-19 accelerates consumer preferences towards OTAs in APAC: Google

While the pandemic has brought about a complete shift in travel behaviour and demands, it has also increased complexities for service providers and accelerated consumer preferences towards OTAs in Asia Pacific region, said Hermione Joye, Sector Lead, Travel and Vertical Search APAC, Google, in her opening remarks at ITB Asia 2020 virtual edition. "Despite the pandemic, there is still demand for travel in APAC. There is a pent up demand in APAC for travel, and we see one in two consumers eager to travel." Throwing light on ‘Identifying Trends to Prepare for the Road Ahead’ Joye suggested effective communication with clarity, establishing and improving digital presence and monitoring and being with latest trends as key requirements for businesses. Leisure travellers now account for majority of travel demand, and there is a three times increase in search for staycations among Asia Pacific markets since January 2020, shared Joye. “The number one motivation for travel is family getaways. It is time to rethink messaging and focus on targeted traveller and promote service offerings that would make your brand top of mind. Priorities have changed and safety and flexibility are now prioritised over brand and loyalty. 5 out of 7 APAC markets have more consumers valuing flexible policies over travel brand reputation.” She said that in travellers from India, China, Japan and Indonesia still prefer hotels, while vacation rentals have gained popularity in Australia and New Zealand.

Read more

Ending longest shutdown, Assam’s Kaziranga national park opens for tourists

Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR) will reopen for tourists on Wednesday after a gap of over seven months because of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak in Assam. This is the longest shutdown for KNPTR in its 112-year history. KNPTR authorities said that the park famous for its one-horned rhinoceroses and tigers would be formally reopened at 11 am on Wednesday by Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal at a function. All five national parks and 18 wildlife sanctuaries in Assam, including KNPTR, which usually remains shut for around five months annually due to floods, were closed in March following the Covid-19 outbreak. “This is the longest period of closure for KNPTR. Usually, the park remains closed from the end of May because of annual floods. However, this year, it was shut for an additional two and half months due to Covid-19,” said P Sivakumar, director, KNPTR. “The usual precautionary measures such as wearing masks, using hand sanitisers and maintaining social distancing will be put to practise while allowing tourists to enter the park. We will also ensure that a limited number of jeep safaris are allowed at a time. The vehicles’ tyres will be sanitised after each trip,” he added. All tourists will have to go through a screening process and anyone detected with Covid-19-related symptoms such as high fever, cough and could will be segregated and handed over to local health authorities. The elephant safaris won’t be allowed to operate during the first few days of the park’s reopening and may resume from November. Initially, only the Kohora and Bagori ranges of the park, which is spread over 914 square (sq) kilometres (km), would be reopened for tourists, the authorities added.

Read more

Hawaii reopens after seven months; sees more than 8000 tourists on the first day

Hawaii has finally reopened its borders for oversea tourists after remaining in lockdown for nearly seven months. On the very first day, the US state recorded about 8000 tourists’ footfall. The latest Hawaii guidelines state that tourists can travel to Hawaiian Islands without going under a mandatory 14-day quarantine by showing a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of boarding their flight. If someone arrives in the state without a COVID-19 certificate, they have the option to not get tested and choose a 14-day quarantine. Also, travellers need to create a profile on Safe Travels website that will help the authorities to keep a track and enforce quarantines for such visitors. Hawaii’s pre-travel program is to kickstart the tourism industry in the state, which has suffered immensely due to the virus breakdown since March. According to local news, among 4000 restaurants, bakeries, and eateries, nearly 100 have closed permanently. Hawaii’s economy is mostly tourism based. On this note, Avi Mannis, the SVP of marketing for Hawaiian Airlines told a local news channel that it’s very important for the economy of the state to restart tourism. "And we’ve got to do it safely in a way that keeps our community safe, that keeps our guests and our industry workers safe," he said. Hawaii was quick to impose lockdown during the initial phase of the pandemic and mandatory quarantine was put in place on March 26. With these measures, the state successfully avoided the early spikes. However, this majorly affected the state’s economy. Every traveller's paradise, Hawaii is one gorgeous island destination in the US renowned for its pristine beaches, blue lagoons, emerald valleys and active volcanoes. The place is a paradise for beach vacation seekers. Some of the must-visit beaches in the state are the Hulopoe Beach in Lanai, Hapuna Beach, Kaanapali Beach in Maui, Kaunaoa Beach in Big Island and Lanikai Beach in O'ahu.

Read more