News

Work remotely from a Ferris wheel equipped with Wi-Fi!

Many of us are working from home during this pandemic, and our usual setups have been sofas and kitchen tables all this while. But what if you are given an option to work from an amusement park atop a Ferris wheel? Well, a theme park in Tokyo, Yomiuriland, is selling day passes for a new scheme that allows visitors to work from the poolside or from a Ferris wheel. Reportedly, those visiting the park will be able to work remotely in the theme park from October 15 onwards, which is a part of this theme park’s Amusement Workcation package. All you have to do is you will have to pay 1900 yen (INR 1312.56) for one person, and 3600 yen (INR 2486.96) for two. Also, visitors will be allowed to set up a working space in a poolside work booth, which will be complete with tables and chairs, and WiFi. The highlight of this creative package is obviously the Ferris wheel, which is WiFi equipped, allowing people to enjoy the option of spending up to one hour on it, along with carrying out their work. Apart from this, when the visitors are done wrapping up their work for the day, they can check out other attractions in the park, such as a haunted house, the botanical garden, a roller coaster, etc., for which they will be required to pay a little extra. However, certain guidelines have been laid out to ensure that the Coronavirus infection doesn’t spread among people. Just like other amusement theme parks in Japan, visitors will be asked not to scream while enjoying the rides. As per the reports, the East and West Japan Theme Park Associations, a group of theme park operators who oversee attractions like Tokyo Disneyland and Universal Studios Japan, have asked guests to keep their masks on and scream in their heart instead. Many exotic destinations around the world, particularly those whose economy primarily depends on tourism, have come up with innovative ways to lure visitors during this time of crisis. However, it seems that this Japanese park has taken its creative workcation idea to the next level to boost tourism.

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COVID India unlock: Kedarnath helicopter service back in business

Kedarnath is one of the most prominent pilgrimage sites in the country, and has now resumed its helicopter services after a long gap due to COVID-19 pandemic. The helicopter service for Kedarnath started on Friday, with a total of 890 people making use of the service on the very first day. The helicopter service is once again in demand; according to the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA), as many as 2500 pilgrims have already made bookings for availing the services. The helicopter service to the holy place is currently operated by seven aviation companies. Visitors can choose any of the seven available services to reach the site. According to Ashish Kumar Chauhan, the CEO of UCADA, “Those who come on helicopters do not stay in the temple area and hence, are exempted from the daily limit. We expect a maximum of 400 people to avail the helicopter service for Char Dham every day.” You can take a chopper ride two way between Guptkashi to Kedarnath for INR 7750 INR; between Phata for INR 4680, and between Govindghat for INR 5950. This is the only way to book, as booking for one-way rides is not available. The Kedarnath Temple, located high in the Garhwal Himalayan range, is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is open from April to November each year. Being high up in the Himalayas, the location goes through extreme weather conditions during the winter months. It is one of the 12 jyotirlingas, and is one of the most important shrines dedicated to Lord Shiva.

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Arunachal gets set for its first airport by Nov 2022

An airport to connect the capital city of Itanagar is a long-felt need of the local community, as it will also serve as the primary gateway to the state of Arunachal Pradesh. Presently, the closest airport to Itanagar is the one at Lilabari, located at a distance of 80km in the state of Assam. Travel from Lilabari airport to Itanagar takes around three hours by road. In an effort to establish this much-needed air connectivity in the region, AAI has undertaken the work of constructing a greenfield airport at Hollongi, 15 km from Itanagar. The tentative date for completion of the project is November 2022. Estimated at a cost of INR 650 cr, the project involves development work, including construction of airport pavements, air side work, terminal building and city side works. The domestic terminal building of the Hollongi Airport is expected to handle 200 passengers per hour, during peak hours. Equipped with eight check-in counters, the terminal building will have all modern passenger facilities. The terminal will be an energy efficient building provisioned with a rain water harvesting system and sustainable landscape. The development work also includes construction of an ATC tower cum technical block, fire station, medical centre and other ancillary works. At present, soil testing and field survey works are completed and site clearing work is in progress. Substructure works have already been completed and superstructure fabrication is under progress. The building’s design is influenced by the surrounding landscapes. Moving away from the strict geometry of straight lines and angles, the roof form is organic and establishes instant connection with the viewer. The building interior is designed to emanate a sense of calm to the passengers. This is achieved by providing free-flowing spaces, hidden service core and a glass façade that links the eye to the panoramic scenic beauty of the Himalayan foothills.

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Indian Railways: You can now book or cancel your train tickets 5 minutes before departure

You can now book railway tickets five minutes before departure; this new development by the Indian Railways will probably help thousands of travellers in times of emergency. Not only this, but you can also cancel your tickets five minutes before departure. The new rule has already come into effect. After months of lockdown and insurity, the Indian Railways has now also returned to its original ways by preparing a second reservation chart 30 minutes before your departure. Currently, the Railways is running special trains across the country, and has come up with new guidelines in line with Standard Operating Procedures for COVID-19. The first reservation chart is prepared four hours before departure, while the second one comes out 5 - 30 minutes before departure. Henceforth, you can book your train tickets until the second reservation chart has been prepared. You can book online, or through the Passengers Reservation System (PRS) counters until the second chart is prepared. You will get a seat if there has been a cancellation. This announcement comes amidst ongoing reopening of businesses, and transportation in the country. The Indian Railways has also launched 39 special trains for the upcoming festive season in India. All this points to the fact that travelling could return in the country; however, it may take some time to go back to the old days of travel.

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India becomes first nation to be awarded Blue Flag certification for 8 beaches in a single attempt

Operated by Foundation for Environmental Education, Denmark, Blue Flag is an iconic voluntary award for beaches, marinas and sustainable boating tourism operators which is awarded to those that meet and maintain the criterias of a series of stringent environmental, educational, safety and accessibility. In a first, eight of India’s beaches including Shivrajpur (Dwarka-Gujarat), Ghoghla (Diu), Kasarkod and Padubidri (Karnataka), Kappad (Kerala), Rushikonda (AP), Golden Beach (Odisha) and Radhanagar (A&N Islands) got the eco-label of Blue Flag in a row. Taking to his Twitter handle, Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar broke the news of not just India getting international recognition for cleanliness and coastal development but also becoming the first Blue Flag nation to be awarded for eight beaches. He tweeted, “An outstanding feat, as no #BLUEFLAG nation has ever been awarded for 8 beaches in a single attempt (sic).” He added, “Proud moment for India; all 8 beaches recommended by government gets coveted International #Blueflag Certification (sic).” While interacting with the media, Javadekar shared, “The #Blueflag certification accorded to India’s 8 beaches by an international jury comprising of @IUCN, @UNWTO, @UNEP etc. is also a global recognition of India’s conservation and sustainable development efforts (sic).” A statement released by Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change revealed that India has also been awarded a third prize by the International Jury under the “International Best Practices” for pollution control in coastal regions. While Japan, South Korea and UAE have been conferred with a couple of Blue Flag beaches in a time frame of about 5 to 6 years, Javadekar stated that India is the first country in “Asia-Pacific” region which has achieved this feat in just about 2 years’ time and is now in the league of 50 “BLUE FLAG” countries.

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Hong Kong Tourism Board introduce standard hygiene protocol for the safety of tourists

The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) has launched a cleaning certification program for all the tourist attractions and hotels to ensure visitors’ safety from COVID-19. HKTB along with the Hong Kong Quality Assurance Agency (HKQAA) have prepared a list of hygiene standards for hotels, restaurants, and tourist hotspots to keep people informed about the Coronavirus protocol. The protocol aims at providing a standardised guidelines on hygiene measures for tourism-related industries. Dr YK Pang, Chairman of the HKTB, said, “The COVID-19 pandemic has brought a new normal to the tourism landscape, and public health and safety have become a priority for visitors. Many international travel and tourism organisations have already put in place hygiene and anti-epidemic guidelines, and standardising hygiene measures for each sector can spread to visitors the message that different sectors across Hong Kong value their commitment to hygiene and safety.” The protocol will be applicable on hotels, restaurants, malls, stores, tourism attractions, and more. The businesses need to follow these hygiene and anti-epidemic measures and after they pass the assessment, details of the businesses will be uploaded on a dedicated website of the HKQAA. This will help visitors and locals too in understanding which outlet is safe to visit. Meanwhile the HKQAA will conduct random inspections if the protocol is being followed. The best part is around 1800 businesses and outlets have shown interest in registering for the program, including the Hong Kong Disneyland. Disneyland in Hong Kong was reopened last month and visitors are required to make advance reservations to visit. They are also required to sign a health declaration form, and follow all the mandatory rules including social distancing and face masks. Till now, Hong Kong has recorded 5176 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 105 deaths.

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