News

In Azerbaijan, tourism service providers to get tax benefits.

In Azerbaijan, those who are offering travel services in tourism are hoped to get tax benefits, the CEO of Azerbaijan Tourism Board (ATB), Florian Sengstschmid, has said. Sengstschmid said this at the 2nd General Assembly of the Azerbaijan Hotel Association organized in Baku on December 4th, local media reports. The event is all set to present the yearly reports of the Azerbaijan Hotel Association and plans for the national classification system for hotels (stars), information on the strategy for 2020, etc. Sengstschmid highlighted that the application of tax benefits may encourage the additional development of the country’s tourism businesses. Sengstschmid also observed that positive changes are hoped to start pouring in from 2020 after the adoption of Law on Tourism. He informed that the consequences of surveys in Shaki and Lankaran regions show that the respondents were not at all quite happy with the airfares, the local travel market (tours) and the quality of the transport system. Sengstschmid further mentioned that the flow of incoming tourists from Iran to Azerbaijan has grown considerably. He also added that the number of incoming Russian, Saudi and Chinese tourists is growing as well. He went on to say that in 2020, the execution of infrastructure projects is designed in Khinalig and other major touristic sites. He noted that in future, the construction of the Mud Volcanoes Guest Center will start.

Read more

Tripura welcomes UDAN-0.4 to open 30 airports in NE.

Agartala, Dec 7 (UNI) Tripura government welcomed the move of the Ministry of Civil Aviation to open six underserved and 24 unserved airports in the Northeast, including three in Tripura, to boost tourism and business in the region. Deputy Chief Minister Jishnu Dev Varma said the Central government processed the fourth round of bidding under the UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik) or regional air connectivity scheme three days ago, which aims to connect unserved and underserved airports and to make affordable for flying. In order to boost tourism, the ministry attempted to start Umrangso Reservoir of Assam as a water aerodrome.

Read more

France faces second day of travel chaos as strikes continue.

France is facing a second day of travel chaos and school closures after unions said there would be no let-up in nationwide strikes against Emmanuel Macron’s proposed changes to the pensions system. The far-reaching strike, which brought more than 800,000 people on to the streets on Thursday, is seen as the greatest test yet for the centrist president, who has promised to deliver the biggest “transformation” of the French social model and welfare system since the immediate post-war era. Rail workers, air traffic controllers and teachers walked out, leaving transport paralysed and many schools shut. Some schools reopened on Friday, but many classes and canteens were still disrupted. Friday’s transport stoppages will run into the weekend, with almost all high-speed train services cancelled, most of the Paris metro shut down and hundreds of flights axed.

Read more

Chinese airline plans to introduce direct charter flights from Guangzhou to Halifax.

The tourists from China will be able to fly directly to Nova Scotia starting next fall. Premier Stephen McNeil said that this direct charter flight from Guangzhou to Halifax will arrive in next September and another in early October next year.The passengers will fly from Guangdong province’s capital with China Southern Airlines. McNeil credited the partnerships with Governor Ma Xingrui, China Southern Airlines and GZL International Travel Service for being critical to the venture. There are about 5,000 Chinese tourists visited Nova Scotia in 2018. The province’s target is to attract 50,000 Chinese visitors a year by 2024. On average, a visitor from China spends $2,850 in Canada.The China Southern Airlines planes will carry 271 passengers. They will have the option of buying travel packages through GZL, which is 60 per cent owned by the Chinese government. The packages are still being worked out but GZL representatives toured Nova Scotia, P.E.I. and New Brunswick in September to come up with possibilities. China also has come under fire for the mass detentions of its Muslim Uighur population. McNeil reiterated past comments that Nova Scotia can’t impose its values on another country.

Read more

Indonesia to turn East Jakarta lake, reservoirs into tourism destinations.

The Jakarta administration has planned to conduct various events next year at Rawabadung Lake in Cakung, East Jakarta, to get potential tourists to visit it and other lakes in the city. East Jakarta Tourism and Culture Agency head Iwan Henry Wardhana said the agency had long aimed to hold entertainment activities as part of efforts to transform Rawabadung Lake into a local tourist destination. “We have prepared different activities to increase the tourism potential of Rawabadung. Besides entertainment activities like festivals, there will also be some bazaars there,” said Iwan on Tuesday, as quoted by a website. He went on to add that the events were aimed at drawing people’s attention to the lake, which had potential for tourism, thanks to its fishing spots and wisata apung (floating huts for entertainment and eateries). To transform the site into a tourist destination, Iwan said, the East Jakarta administration would collaborate with various stakeholders in the local community. “The plan to make Rawabadung a tourist area was initiated by the locals themselves. They were the ones who first believed that Rawabadung was worth preserving,” Iwan said. He further said that, besides Rawabadung Lake, the administration was also eyeing about 25 reservoirs and lakes in East Jakarta that had similar potential to become local tourist magnets.

Read more

Telangana tourism has developed tourism facilities in Somalisa.

Telangana Tourism is taking new initiatives to promote eco-tourism and tourism in general in the state. The state tourism body has opened an air-conditioned two-storey ferry, and ten three-star cottages at the backwaters of Krishna River towards this initiative. Located in Somasila, Kollapur, which is about 250 km away from Hyderabad, these tourist facilities were inaugurated by Srinivas Goud, Tourism and Culture Minister of State. The three-star cottages have splendid views of the river, and have been constructed in room and dormitory-style. The air-conditioned ferry, on the other hand, has an open-air cafe and an air-conditioned restaurant on the upper deck, so it is set to attract tourists. According to reports, the tourism body is soon going to start a package service from Somasila to Srisailam. According to reports, the authorities are also looking to identify trek routes and water-sports zones that can be developed in the area. You can book an air-conditioned room at Somasila for INR 999, and a non-ac room for INR 500.

Read more