News

Indian tourism board puts up signages in Mandarin to lure Chinese tourists.

Signages in Chinese language have cropped up at the Qutub Minar’’s Iron Pillar and five other tourist sites in Uttar Pradesh under the Tourism Ministry’s plan to attract more tourists from the neighbouring country. The five sites in Uttar Pradesh which have got sign boards in Mandarin include archaeological remains in Sarnath, Chaukhandi Stupa, Mahaparinirvana Temple in Kushinagar, Piprahwa and Sravasti which are visited by tourists from China because of their importance for Buddhists. The ministry has also taken a decision to put up signages in other foreign languages at major destinations as part of a plan to attract 20 million foreign tourists by 2020, officials said. Under the plan, the ministry has installed sign boards in Sinhalese, the language spoken by a majority of Sri Lankans, at the Sanchi Stupa in Madhya Pradesh, they said. The sign boards in Sinhalese have been put up after a survey indicated that over 30 lakh Sri Lankans visit the site annually. They are followed by about three lakh tourists from South Korea, the officials said. While 50 lakh Chinese tourists travel globally, India”s share currently is only 3.5 lakh per annum. The other sites which will be covered to include sign boards in Mandarin, a major language spoken in China, are Nalanda, Rajgir, Vaishali, Kesharia, Vikramshila, Kidhinagar, Kapilavastu, Bhashut and Satdhara. While Chinese tourists are the top priority, the ministry is also planning to put up sign boards in Sinhalese, Japanese and Korean at places like Sarnath in Uttar Pradesh and Bodh Gaya in Bihar.

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Christmas special: Him Darshan Express to be introduced on Kalka-Shimla track.

This Christmas, new Him Darshan Express will be launched that will run from Kalka Railway Station to Shimla. Latest reports suggest that this train will be chugging on the tracks for the next one year till December 24, 2020. This train will have seven coaches, including one first-class sitting cum luggage room coach (FCZLR) and six first-class AC vistadome coaches. Each vistadome coach will have the capacity to accommodate 15 persons, whereas the first-class coach will have a seating capacity of 14 passengers. This will be the first-ever train by the Indian Railways having all vistadome coaches that will run on a regular basis, that too on the concept of individual seat charter services via Passenger Reservation System (PRS) and various other online modes. Reportedly, fare for a single passenger will be INR 630 every single journey, and that is irrespective of age and boarding/de-boarding station of the passengers. While the train will start its journey at 7 AM from Kalka station, it will reach Shimla at 12:55 PM. Likewise, the train will depart at 3:50 PM from Shimla and reach Kalka at 9:15 PM. The Him Darshan Express will stop at Barog station en-route during both the journeys. Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Gurinder Mohan Singh said that the initiative was taken to woo more tourists. Also, as per sources, seats in all coaches will be adjustable (reversible), which will enhance the overall sight-seeing experience from inside the train. The coaches have been modernised in terms of lavatory provision, which is adequately equipped with enhanced features.

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Aeroflot and Brussels Airlines sign codeshare agreement.

The Russian flag carrier and Belgium’s national airline are joining forces to offer their guests even more choice, thanks to a newly established codeshare agreement. Сustomers can now book flights with Aeroflot or Brussels Airlines and travel between Brussels and Moscow from 20 January 2020. Booking a codeshare flight means that flights operated by one airline can be booked with either of the partners under the agreement. The new agreement allows travellers flying from Moscow easy connections to the entire Brussels Airlines network, while travellers from Brussels will enjoy better connections to the Russian capital and Aeroflot’s global routes. Aeroflot’s home base and major hub, Sheremetyevo International Airport, is a convenient choice for business and leisure travellers to the Russian capital, and close to Moscow city centre. Brussels Airlines relocated its Moscow operations to Sheremetyevo in June 2019. Brussels Airport, in the heart of Europe, offers direct connections to major leisure and business destinations. Convenient connections to the centre of Brussels and Belgium’s major tourist destinations make Brussels Airport a first choice airport for corporate guests and holidaymakers.

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Goa facing drop in foreign tourist arrivals this Christmas due to CAA protests.

Recently issued tourism advisories, issued by nations across the world, asking their natives to avoid visiting India has become a matter of concern for the stakeholders. The advisories have been issued due to the protests and riots occurring in India against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). According to the Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG), it is likely to witness a sharp fall in foreign tourists arrivals in Goa. Despite this being the Christmas season, which is one of the most profitable seasons for the tourism industry in Goa, the situation is quite grim as far as tourist arrivals are concerned. Messias said that Goa hasn’t witnessed protests like in other parts of the country, but there are chances that some tourists will defer their plans to visit India, and Goa too will see a dip in foreign arrivals. Among international tourists visiting Goa, Russians top the list. During the past two years, the number of Russian arrivals to Goa has dropped.

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Indian Railways to increase train fares this week to battle revenue loss.

The Indian Railways is all set to hike train fares this week by 5 to 40 paise per kilometer. The revised fares will apply across all categories be it AC coaches or unreserved or suburban monthly/quarterly ticket cost. In the month of November, the prime minter's office gave its nod of approval to the railways for the implementation of rail fare hike. Whereas, the total expenditure shot up by Rs 4,099 crore during this period to Rs 1.01 lakh crore, against a target of Rs 97,265 crore. Also, the railways saw an operating ratio of 98.44 per cent between 2017-18, the lowest in the last 10 years, as per a report by Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG). The Railways has not been able to achieve its operational cost of passenger services etc. About 95 percent of the revenue from freight traffic was used to make up for the loss incurred by the passenger and other coaching services.

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Qatar Eyes Luxury Travel From India.

Qatar National Tourism Council (QNTC), which opened its office in India last year, has witnessed a growth of 20 per cent in 2018. With a large Indian expat population, Qatar has been a popular destination amongst the VFR segment. “India is a key source market for us, and our commitment to the market is evidenced by the opening last year of a dedicated office to tailor our offerings to this market. Visitor numbers in 2018 grew by 20 per cent from the year before, while 2019 has seen a dip. We are also home to a large expat population from India, so we have existing ties which we continue to nourish. Qatar and India have historical ties as well. The Indian market thus remains important for Qatar, and short travel times as well as a host of offerings in hospitality, retail and beyond, aligned with Indian visitors’ preferences,” Rashed AlQurese, Chief Marketing & Promotion Officer, QNTC, said. With an increase in awareness about the destination in India, Qatar is now looking to tap the luxury travellers segment from India. Qatar also is home to some of the finest MICE venues in the region, and is now keen to target Indian MICE. Speaking about the new products for India market AlQurese said, “Some of the major projects that were opened this year are the National Museum of Qatar, Doha Metro and a revamped Doha Port that will serve as a waterfront tourist hub. New hotels, attractions, and experiences are under development, making the country an increasingly attractive destination for visitors of all stripes – whether stopover, weekend trips, or long-stay visitors.” Travel trade has been a key driver for the tourism growth from India to Qatar. The destination is organising a series of engagement programmes to further connect with the travel trade segment.

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