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‘Meghalayan Age’ a big boost for tourism: Jitendra Singh

Union Minister of State DoNER Dr. Jitendra Singh on Monday said, “The Meghalayan Age is an event that would go a long way in positioning the State of Meghalaya as a much sought after tourism destination.” Singh said this while attending “The Meghalayan Age” Tourism Conclave at Thadlaskein, near Jowai, which was attended by tourism stakeholders and government officials. Expressing gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Dr. Singh said, “In the last five years, the Government of India has provided adequate thrust for creating better infrastructure and promote the development of the Northeast. It is through a synergistic approach of the government and the right motivation from the States, the vision of the Prime Minister would be accomplished.” Dr. Singh said that under the leadership of Modi, the Ministry of DoNER’s budget was increased two-fold. “Prior to the formation of the NDA government, the budget for NEC was roughly around Rs 700 crore. However, we have today increased the budget to about Rs 1,400 crore. We have different plans to promote and ensure the welfare of the region,” Dr. Singh emphasized. Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma in his address, said that the Government of India has accorded top priority to the Northeast and this is paving the way for concerted development and growth of the region. The Chief Minister said, “The Meghalayan Age is an attempt by the Government to provide an opportunity for visitors to experience Meghalaya.” “We had big plans for the event. However, due to the health advisory on coronavirus, we restricted the event for invited stakeholders, which comprised of media professionals, tour operators, bloggers, etc., who will share our stories to the world.” Talking at length about the ‘Act East Policy’ the Chief Minister stressed the need to explore the possibility of working collaboratively with India’s neighboring countries in the field of tourism, boosting cultural and economic ties. “We as a government have realized the potential we have with our immediate neighbor Bangladesh. The country is moving very fast; they have a growth rate of almost 8 percent; its GDP is about 400 billion dollars. We have to look at the opportunity next door and build relations that would economically benefit our people.” On initiatives Meghalaya has taken to take the State forward, the Chief Minister said that emphasis is being laid to attract investments and ensure sustainable development model of growth in sync with nature. “We are blessed with nature and we want to work on initiatives that would be economical for our people as well as promote growth and development,” the Chief Minister exhorted. Talking about tourism being one of the priority sectors, the Chief Minister said that the government is working on models to boost high-end tourism in the State that would be remunerative for the people and also ensure that Meghalaya is labeled as the sought after tourism destination not only in the country but globally. During the 10-day event, renowned cave explorer Brian Kharpran took selected guests on a unique caving experience. Kharpran, who spoke during the conclave today said that in the past two decades they have explored 1,700 caves of about 514 km, which has led to discoveries of unique and exclusive species, the latest being the discovery of the largest cave-dwelling fish. Rothell Khongsit from the Khongthong, popularly known as the ‘whistling village’ talked about the uniqueness of their culture and lifestyle of the people. He said that the event has given them the platform to tell there to stories to a very wide audience.

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Turkey has excellent potential to further develop tourism

Turkey has excellent potential to further develop tourism from the beaches of the Mediterranean to the lakes, mountains and other natural beauties of the country, according to the Austrian trade commissioner in Istanbul. The country has some difficulties to develop its mountain areas as summer tourism centers, but it can be overcome with a little investment and new ideas, Georg Karabaczek, the head of Austria's commercial office in Istanbul -- Advantage Austria -- told Anadolu Agency. While Austria has a population of only 8 million, it hosts 50 million tourists annually, Karabaczek said, adding: "This success doesn’t come over night and it's not easy to stay on top". He noted that the tourism sector requires substantial investment because tourists are very demanding, demanding excellent accommodation, good services and entertainment. Karabaczek stressed that the sector has to invest a lot, but also must earn money first, and said: "This is only possible if the seasons can be made longer -- and summer and winter be used efficiently by the resorts." He also said Turkey has very well-known winter resorts like Uludag, but have difficulties attracting tourists in the summer seasons. "But with a little investment and new ideas it should be possible to overcome the problems,” Karabaczek noted, adding that Turkey has many opportunities for receiving foreign investment from Austria. Referring to the Infrastructure Sector of Winter and Mountain Tourism summit in Uludag organized early March by Advantage Austria, he said it brought the Austrian companies and Turkish authorities, as well as tourism service providers together to exchange ideas and discuss concrete projects. "I am very happy to hear that the discussions went very well and good ideas and projects were developed," he added. "Uludag summit was a first for us. We have been planning this event for the last 2.5 years. We were asked to organize it again to facilitate the exchange of ideas between all participants and help develop the tourism sector in our countries." Last year, more than 45 million foreigners visited Turkey, up from nearly 39.5 million in 2018, and the country's tourism income reached $34.5 billion in 2019. Austrian firms active in Turkey Mentioning Austrian companies' investments in Turkey, he said Austria, of which investments reached $10 billion in Turkey so far, is a big investor in the country. These investments were in energy, packaging, building material, insurance and banking, and 250 Austrian companies are active in Turkey, he said. "Every year we support more than 1,000 Austrian companies wanting to do business in Turkey, we also organize specialized events or participation in trade fairs. “Winter Tourism summit on Uludag falls into this category," he highlighted. He also reminded that Turkey has a trade surplus with Austria, with €1.8 billion ($2 billion) exports, and €1.15 billion imports last year. "If we add foreign trade with services, we see a trade volume of approximately €4 billion. "I believe it could be more, the potential is there. Unfortunately, the last few years were quite difficult for the business communities, but I am sure it will develop in the next years," he added. Turkey important partner for Austrian companies :- Karabaczek stressed that Turkey is among the top 20 markets for Austrian companies and a big one with a promising future in Austria's vicinity. "It is a market with a young, well-educated population, which promises high growth rates in the future, but Turkey is also a natural partner for third country ventures," he said. Turkey is an important partner for Austrian companies in carrying out projects in third countries and providing source products, he noted. He also said Austria, which has a good location, can also be a good hub for Turkish exporters to Europe or the Balkans. "We firmly believe that the business potential between our countries is much bigger and worth developing. "None of the Austrian companies in Turkey left despite the difficulties in the last few years," he said, stressing that many more will start business in the country following the economic reforms and normalization of the situation.

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NE tour operators’ meet organized

Tour operators from all eight northeastern states participated in the first ‘North East India Tour Operators Meet’, hosted here in Nagaland from 24-25 February by Nagaland Tourism, with support from the North Eastern Council (NEC). Arunachal was represented by a five-member team of the Arunachal Pradesh Tour Operators Association (APTOA), led by its secretary Bengia Mrinal. Addressing the inaugural function, Nagaland Tourism, Art & Culture Advisor, H Khehovi Yepthomi, informed that tourism generated 9.2 percent of India’s GDP in 2018, supporting 42.7 million jobs, “and is predicted to grow at an annual rate of 6.9 percent, thereby contributing upto 9.9 percent of India’s GDP.” Describing tour operators as the “image-builders of the country,” Yepthomi said the programme’s purpose was to create “better coordination and understanding, building relationship, promotion of Northeast states to the outside world, and doing business through B2B.” Additional Tourism Secretary, Martha R Ritse, said the rich cultural and natural heritage of the Northeast has “aptly become our unique selling point,” while Nagaland Tourism Director Akhale Vizol said the meet was organized to “create a stronger, healthier relation in business environment and for the growth of tourism in the Northeast states in the right manner.” Tour operators from all eight states presented their views, as well, with Mrinal saying that “the tour operator fraternity should share respective product among its members from different states and work as one team to promote the region.” He said the tourism industry in the Northeast “should focus on niche products and “should emphasize on quality tourism, not quantity tourism.” Mrinal also spoke about Arunachal’s huge tourism potential with its rich cultures, traditions, flora and fauna. “Cultural tourism, wildlife tourism and adventure tourism will play a major role to develop and bring in revenue for the state and the region,” he said, and advocated establishing a common platform of all eight states of the region to “market together as one brand in both national and international travel fairs and festivals.” The umbrella organization of tourism stakeholders in the Northeast, the North East India Tourism Confederation, will be revived, he said, and sought “equal participation of stakeholders to work in the interest to develop and market tourism of Northeast India.” The delegates also went on a familiarization tour of Kohima, visited Kisama heritage village and the World War II cemetery, and attended Sekrenyi festival of the Angami tribe, where they met with Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio.

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Goa: Tourist cars will be provided ‘special stickers’ for hassle-free travel

Travelling to Goa is all set to become hassle-free. As per the latest reports, special stickers will now be provided at Goa’s borders, which will indicate the fact that visitor’s car and travel have already been checked at the entry. This move comes in the wake of providing ease to travellers, who complain of being harassed by traffic police with their random checks. Referring to this development, State Tourism Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar recently told the media person that tourists are being harassed by police, who randomly stop them and impose fines; he further stated that tourists should not be fined, and those wearing helmets should not be stopped. He further added that while those found drunk or violate rules should be taken action against, other tourists should not be subjected to random checks and harassment. He also stated that from now on, documents of cars not registered in Goa will be checked at the entry points of the border and a sticker would be stuck on the screen. The State Tourism also mentioned that the special stickers would mean that the vehicle has been checked once, and that all the travel documents have been checked. This also means that the cars bearing those stickers will no longer need to go through unnecessary stops, as that ‘destroys the idea of a holiday’. Goa has four entry points, i.e., Keri in Sattari, Patradevi, Pollem and Molem. Hundreds of vehicles, including those of the tourists, enter the state every day during the peak tourist season. It is expected that with this move, tourists will be spared of unnecessary harassment, and it might also help boost tourism here.

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Expo 2020 Dubai: Visitors from India, Saudi, Philippines to increase significantly

The number of visitors from some of the UAE’s top source tourism markets will increase significantly in 2020 and 2021, fuelled by travellers who will be coming to the country mainly for the Expo 2020, according to the latest analysis. The research from Colliers International forecasts that there will be 770,000 more Indian visitors coming to the UAE, while Saudi Arabia will register 240,000 additional travellers, the Philippines and the UK both 150,000 and Pakistan 140,000 during the same period. The figures were released ahead of the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2020, which will be held in Dubai next month. "Not only will Expo 2020 increase international arrivals to the UAE and showcase the country as a major global tourism hub – it has also provided the country with the opportunity to expand its world-class hospitality offerings; upgrade its airports and transport infrastructure; and develop an expansive array or new retail, leisure and entertainment facilities as well as diversifying its key source markets by reaching out to new and emerging markets,” Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market (ATM) said. The Middle East and Africa region remains the top source market for the UAE, but the Asia pacific market is set to become the largest source of arrivals with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.8 percent until 2024, the report said. Data from research firm STR showed that Dubai has more than 120,000 hotel rooms as of February 2020, with a goal of completing 160,000 hotel rooms by October 2020 as the emirate gears up to meet the anticipated demand generated by Expo 2020, with 25 million visitors expected. Average occupancy rates reached 73 percent in the first nine months of 2019. Despite that, Dubai Tourism reported a decline in revenue per available room (RevPar) to 295 dirhams in 2019 from 337 dirhams in 2018, primarily driven by softening average daily rate (ADR), which dropped to 400 dirhams in 2019 from 451 dirhams in 2018, the report said. “The introduction of a new multi-entry five-year tourist visa will not only drive more frequent travel to the country and longer stays but it will also allow for a whole host of new airline routes, making the country more accessible to a host of first time tourists from emerging markets – providing a boost to overall tourist spend and further stimulating the UAE’s GDP impact,” Curtis said.

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Turkey seen among safest travel destinations still free from coronavirus

As governments rev up efforts to battle a looming global pandemic of COVID-19 – the novel coronavirus – amid its rapid spread across Europe, the Middle East and Asia, Turkey is seen among the safest tourism hotspots as it remains free from the coronavirus. Flights to affected regions have been gradually canceled and fears of the fatal virus have been a cause for concern for those with vacation plans. This has particularly been the case for many Britons who are gearing up for vacation as the Easter holiday approaches. In addition to the fact that it is already a popular destination for British tourists, Turkey remains unaffected by the virus. Travel expert Nicky Kelvin – director of content at The Points Guy U.K., express.co.uk – listed Turkey among the short-haul and long-haul hot spots that remain free from the coronavirus. In addition to Turkey, Kelvin suggested Poland and Hungary among short-haul destinations, and Barbados, Jamaica and Mexico among long-haul destinations. Resort towns such as Antalya and Muğla have been among British tourists’ favorites in recent years. Just last year, some 2.5 million tourists from the U.K. arrived in Turkey. What’s more, Turkey holidays are about to get a lot cheaper for Brits, as the country announced last week that it will lift visa restrictions for citizens from six countries, including the U.K., starting March 2. British citizens will no longer have to pay a fee of approximately 27 pounds for the visa. The new regime will allow entry for up to 90 days per 180-day period. Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) has recently listed Turkey as one of its favorite destinations for winter sun. Post Office Travel Money’s recent report has also found Turkey to be the home of the cheapest resorts out of 42 destinations surveyed. “No city in the world compares to Istanbul,” Kelvin told British daily Express, as he called the large metropolis that spreads across two continents the cultural heart of Turkey and full of history. He also suggested the Aegean province of İzmir and its Selçuk district – a gateway spot full of history and culture – to British citizens. “The city of İzmir might be the axis of Turkey’s mid-Aegean region, but the nearby town of Selçuk has all the charm without the city crowds. Selçuk has wide boulevards lined with orange trees and ancient ruins sprinkled throughout the town center,” he said. Turkey's tourism enjoyed another buoyant year in 2019 with more visitors and soaring revenues. Tourism revenues hit $34.5 billion last year, a record high. This is a 17% increase compared with the sector's revenue of $29.5 billion in 2018. According to the Culture and Tourism Ministry, the number of foreigners visiting the country surged 14.1% on an annual basis, surpassing 45 million last year. Turkey was the sixth most-visited country in the world last year, according to the U.N. World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). In 2018, 39.5 million international visitors came to Turkey. Measures revved up to battle looming pandemic In the meantime, the coronavirus’ rapid spread around the world left alarmed governments and people across the globe rushing to implement emergency measures. The outbreak has wreaked havoc on global aviation and tourism as airlines cancel flights, countries ban visitors from hot spots and nervous passengers put off travel. The coronavirus has mainly battered China, causing more than 80,000 cases and nearly 2,800 deaths. Turkish Airlines (THY) Thursday said it was reducing flight frequency to South Korea’s capital Seoul and has temporarily suspended flights to Azerbaijan's autonomous Nakhchivan region as part of measures. The carrier’s chairman İlker Aycı said if necessary, the company could initially reduce flights to Rome and Milan, and later on, could suspend them. THY earlier this week canceled its flights to Iran, along with flights to China. Saudi Arabia early Thursday temporarily suspended entry for individuals aiming to perform the Umrah pilgrimage or to visit the Prophet's Mosque in Medina over concerns of the spread of coronavirus. Turkey brought a number of Turkish citizens home from Iran on Tuesday on a specially arranged evacuation flight carrying 142 people, including crew members, and placed all under quarantine in the capital Ankara. None of the 142 people tested positive for coronavirus, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said. Turkey has already closed its land border with Iran as a precaution to stop the potential spread of the coronavirus. Visiting eastern Ağrı province Thursday where he was investigating measures against coronavirus at Gürbulak-Bazargan customs gate between Turkey and Iran, Koca informed that the Turkish citizens living in Iran will have to undergo a 14-day compulsory quarantine period in case they want to return to Turkey. Koca noted that Turkey started thermal screening of all passengers coming to the country even before the warnings of the World Health Organization (WHO) on the issue. The WHO has declared the outbreak an international health emergency.

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