News

India to develop water villas in Lakshadweep, and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

The Indian Government’s think tank, Niti Aayog, along with UT administration has issued Rest for Qualification documents regarding plans to develop water villas at India’s popular island destinations, such as Lakshadweep and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The project is estimated at INR 150000 crore for both land and water villas. According to reports, new infrastructure would also be included, such as airports, sea places, floating jetties, and even helicopter services. According to the proposal by Niti Aayog, the water villas are to have 125 rooms, and they will be constructed on Minicoy, Suheli, and Kadmat Islands of Lakshadweep. On the other hand, 460 rooms have been proposed for land villas in the Aves Island, Smith Island, Long Island, and Shaheed Islands in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Indian tourists have been travelling to the Maldives in search of an aquatic adventure because water villas are a big draw here. Now, with the new project in the pipeline, India could have its own water villa paradise for both domestic and international travellers.

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Airlines cancel flights to Guwahati, Dibrugarh; railways suspend train services to Tripura, Assam.

Multiple airlines have cancelled scheduled flights to several parts of Assam in view of the ongoing protest over the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill or CAB in the state. Prominent airlines, including Vistara, SpiceJet, IndiGo, and GoAir have already announced free rescheduling of travel date or free cancellation of flights following unrest in the region. Some of the airlines took to Twitter, such as Vistara, and stated, “As per government advice due to current disturbances in Assam, flight UK725 (IXB - DIB) and UK726 (DIB-IXB) are cancelled for today. We are offering free change/ cancellation to Guwahati and Dibrugarh flights through Sunday, December 15”. Further, railways have also suspended all passenger train services in Assam and Tripura, and also short-terminated long-distance trains to the region following protests in the two states over, a railway spokesperson told the press today. An official at Kolkata's Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport informed that all flights between Kolkata to Dibrugarh sector have also been cancelled due to the current tense situation in Assam.

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IRCTC’s Christmas in Vietnam package is too good to resist.

Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has yet again come up with an interesting tour package to make your Christmas amazing. This time, it’s a Vietnam package for travellers looking for budget-friendly options. The flight for the same will leave from Kolkata international airport. Package name: Exotic Vietnam Tour Ex Kolkata Destinations covered: Hanoi and Halong Bay Mode of travel: Flight Date of journey: December 23, 2019 Number of seats: 25 Hotel name: Hanoi: La Suite/similar, Halong Bay: Phoenix Cruiser/similar Meal plan: AP (B+L+D) Flight details (from Kolkata to Hanoi) : Flight no. - 6E 1396 (from Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata, CCU) Date: December 23, 2019 Departure time: 1:30 PM (from CCU) Arrival at Hanoi: 5:45 PM Flight details (from Hanoi to Kolkata) : Flight no. - 6E 1397 (from Hanoi International Airport) Departure time: 6 PM Arrival at Kolkata: 7:25 PM Cost per person (inclusive of to and from flight tickets) : Single Occupancy: INR 63500 Double/Triple Occupancy: INR 49100 Child With Bed (2 - 11 years): INR 42600 Child Without Bed (2 - 11 years): INR 36100 Package includes: -Airfare in economy class -Accommodation in a deluxe hotel -Meals as per AP (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner) -2 nights in Hanoi -1 night in Halong Bay cruise -Local tour guide in Vietnam -Transfers and sightseeing in AC vehicle -Travel Insurance up to 65 years only -Half litre 2 mineral water bottles per day

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More direct flights between Vietnam and Thailand.

Thailand is gearing up to welcome more Vietnamese visitors, with a number of airlines increasing direct flights between both countries and adding some new routes too. The Tourism Authority of Thailand says the additional routes should help boost the number of first-time visitors from Vietnam. The number of flights between Thailand and Vietnam now stands at 301 a week, up from 288 last year. Thai cities being served include Phuket, Chiang Mai, and Bangkok, with Thai Vietjet expected to launch a daily service from Ho Chi Minh to Pattaya’s U-Tapao airport from December 23. Vietnam Airlines, Thai Air Asia, and Bangkok Airways are also offering new routes. Meanwhile, two of the main South Korean carriers are also introducing new routes between Vietnam and South Korea, and increasing flights to over 403 a week. The number of Vietnamese tourists choosing South Korea rose to around 500,000 during the first ten months of 2019.

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Mumbai: Kanhoji Angre Island to be developed into a tourist spot.

The Central Government has approved the proposal of developing Kanhoji Angre Island. As per the latest developments, the island will be developed on lines similar to that of the famous Elephanta Caves. Reportedly, visitors will be provided staying facility on this newly developed island, unlike the Elephanta Caves, where visitors are not allowed to stay back at night. To ensure visitors enjoy a great stay in the island, makeshift restaurants and resorts will also be set up there. Referring to this development, around 12 acres of the land will be developed for tourism activities, whereas the rest will be developed for port-related activity. Although no construction is allowed on the island because of costal regulation norms, temporary tents, resorts, restaurants will be set up to. The official further added that this project will give a push to Mumbai tourism, as tourism-related activities have also been proposed by the port trust authority. It has also been reported that due permission has also been granted for a marina at Princess Dock in Mumbai to park yachts. To develop this high-end structure, it would cost approximately INR 350 crore, which will be able to park around 300 yachts. Also, once it is ready, all yachts and ferries parked at the Gateway of India will be shifted here.

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30 more trains cancelled by Eurostar, train chaos continues in France.

More than 30 trains have been cancelled by Eurostar on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday between 11-13 December. Between London St Pancras and Paris one can find the vast majority and some services to Brussels and back are also axed.Eurostar mentioned that there will be major disruption to Metro and RER services in Paris and connecting trains to all destinations within France. According to the cross-Channel train operator said that the strike action will impact their ability to deliver the usual timetable as we expect disruption to signalling along all routes. Until December 13, as a result they will now run a reduced timetable. A full refund or re-book can be claimed by passengers whose trains are cancelled on another Eurostar service up to 60 days from the date of journey. Until Friday morning almost all Paris Metro lines will be closed. On Wednesday at least three-quarters of long-distance domestic trains in France are expected to be cancelled. The Foreign Office has warned of significant industrial action is continuing across France. This is primarily affecting transport and public services, with ongoing cancellations and severe delays to train, Metro, bus and tram services. On 5 December the strikes began in protest against planned pension reforms – even though the prime minister, Edourad Philippe will not spell out detailed proposals until Wednesday.

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