News

Indonesia asks airlines for cheaper tickets to Bali for tourism revival

The Indonesian government has urged airline companies to entice domestic tourists with special discounts for flights bound for some of Indonesia’s top tourism destinations as part of the country’s strategy to cope with declining foreign tourist arrivals amid China’s coronavirus outbreak. “Through the Transportation Ministry, the government has initiated giving special discounts for domestic flights to Bali, North Sulawesi and Bintan Island,” Presidential Chief of Staff Moeldoko said Thursday. Adita said that it would be the airlines’ prerogative to decide how big the discounts would be. “The Transportation Ministry has given the instruction, the application is up to each of the airlines,” she said.

Read more

The founder of JetBlue just launched a new US airline, aimed at routes that others have left behind

JetBlue founder David Neeleman launched his fifth start-up airline on Friday, announcing that the new carrier will be called Breeze. With Breeze, Neeleman plans to follow essentially the same strategy, launching point-to-point flights in markets that bigger airlines have either overlooked, or didn't consider to be worth the effort.According to Neeleman, the opportunity exists because, as costs increase for airlines, they have a tendency to retrench their network to focus on their hubs and operate larger planes. They leave behind smaller, less trafficked destinations, creating opportunity. "We think there's a market where you can go with a smaller plane with a lower trip cost and service these cities that have been forgotten or neglected," he said."I would be very surprised if a single Moxy" - now Breeze - "route had non-stop service competition. There are literally hundreds and hundreds of city pairs that are crying out for non-stop flights."

Read more

Doon-Mussoorie ropeway to be one of the longest in the world

Very soon the gorgeous hill station of Mussoorie will be connected via ropeway to the capital city of Dehradun. The ropeway project is being called one of the longest in the world. With the ropeway, the travel time between the two destinations will be cut down by 10 to 15 minutes. The ropeway is being counted as one of the five largest ropeways in the world. Also with the ropeway, it is being expected that tourism in the state will improve dramatically. The ropeway will be capable of taking 1000 to 1200 people at a time. The starting point of the ropeway will be connected to ISBT, railway station, and the airport in Dehradun. The project will also solve parking problems in Mussoorie that the hill station faces throughout the year. Things get absolutely worse during peak season.

Read more

Booze in Goa to become costlier from April

Come April 1, and your booze might get a bit pricier in Goa. Chief Minister of Goa Pramod Sawant recently said in the assembly that liquor is all set to cost up to 50 per cent more from the coming financial year. While presenting his maiden budget, the Chief Minister moved to make property and booze pricey in Goa. The increase in tax rates is expected to yield INR 250 to 300 crore additional revenue, which would be used to complete the ongoing infrastructure works in the state. Sawant increased the excise duty on Indian foreign liquor (IMFL), which includes blended whiskey, beer and rum. Further, the most interesting part is that the government has also increased the excise duty on feni, thereby making this most popular local drink pricier by INR 100 to 200, depending on the retail selling price of the bottle. However, what will bring you a sigh of relief is that despite the recent hikes, booze available in Goa would continue to be cheaper than that in other states. The Chief Minister even promised to come down heavy on black-marketing by proposing to introduce a unique hologram on each bottle, which would help authenticate the liquor.

Read more

Bhutan ends free travel for Indian passport holders. Add Rs 1,200 per day to your trip

Bhutan for long has been an idyllic destination for Indian travellers. With its mesmerising beauty, stunning landscapes and the fact that it is just a stone's throw away, Bhutan has been a favourite destination among Indian tourists. And more importantly, you had to pay nothing as fees to enter the country. But now, a new scheme by the Bhutanese government is set to change that. Ending the provision of free entry for Indian tourists into the country, Bhutan recently announced that it will levy a daily fee of Rs 1,200 per person from July 2020. Other countries included in the scheme are Maldives and Bangladesh. As for children between the age of 6 and 12 years, a fee of Rs 600 needs to be paid.The fee, called a Sustainable Development Fee (SDF), is a provision recently introduced by the Bhutanese government to help regulate the heavy tourist traffic in the country.

Read more

Greece is all set to find out new ways to perk up tourism from India

The tourism ministers of Greece and India have decided to fortify air connectivity between the two countries along with increasing cooperation in tourism-orientated investments. Theocharis disclosed that the drafting of a new strategic plan for pulling tourists from India is under way: “We believe that luxury tourism, conference tourism and wedding tourism are the main domains where Greece has a lot to offer to Indian visitors, who are quality tourists, so we are focusing our actions on these forms of tourism,” he said. In the world, India is one of the biggest emerging tourism markets. In last year, the number of Indian tourists going abroad increased 30 percent from 2018, and Patel expressed his optimism that “the rise will be even greater in the coming period.”

Read more