India's tourism industry hit hard by citizenship law protests.

India's tourism industry has been hit by a wave of violent anti-government protests across the country against a new citizenship law, with at least seven countries issuing travel warnings. Officials estimate that in the past two weeks, about 200,000 domestic and international tourists cancelled or postponed their trips to the Taj Mahal, one of the world's most popular tourist attractions. A group of European tourists travelling across India said they now planned to cut short their 20-day trip.The Taj Mahal, situated in the town of Agra, attracts more than 6.5 million tourists every year, generating nearly $14m annually from entrance fees. A foreign tourist pays 1,100 rupees (about $15) to enter the grounds, although nationals from neighbouring countries get a discount. Jayanta Malla Baruah, the head of the Assam Tourism Development Corporation, said the state, home to the world's largest concentration of one-horned rhinoceroses, is visited on average by 500,000 tourists during December.

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Last-minute Winter getaways with Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines.

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ sailings departing over the next couple of months…with enticing prices, from a five-night European city break, with fares from as little as £629 per person to island-hopping Caribbean adventures, there is bound to be an itinerary to capture the imagination. The following five Fred. Olsen sailings all depart between January and February 2020: – Braemar’s 14-night M2003 ‘Western Caribbean & Central America’ fly-cruise, ex London Gatwick / Manchester on 30th January 2020, via La Romana, Dominican Republic, returning to Bridgetown, Barbados.Prices start from just £1,907 per person. Port calls: La Romana, Dominican Republic (overnight stay) – Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic – Cozumel, Mexico – Belize City, Belize – Puerto Limon, Costa Rica – Colon, Panama – Cartagena de Indias, Colombia – Willemstad, Curaçao, Netherlands Antilles – Bridgetown, Barbados For further information: See ‘Western Caribbean & Central America’ – M2003 – Black Watch’s 14-night W2003 ‘Northern Norway with Sami National Day’ cruise (adult-only), ex Southampton on 31st January 2020. Prices start from just £1,399 per person. Port calls: Southampton, UK – Ålesund, Norway – Trondheim, Norway – Tromsø, Norway (overnight stay) – Alta, Norway (overnight stay) – Kristiansund, Norway – Southampton, UK For further information: See ‘Northern Norway with Sami National Day’ – W2003 – Black Watch’s five-night W2004 ‘City Break in the Netherlands & Belgium’ cruise, ex Southampton on 14th February 2020. Prices start from just £629 per person, based on an Ocean View Room. Port calls: Southampton, UK – Cruising North Sea Canal, The Netherlands – Amsterdam, Netherlands (overnight stay) – Antwerp, Belgium (overnight stay – Southampton, UK For further information: See ‘City Break in the Netherlands& Belgium’ – W2004 – Boudicca’s 28-night D200405 ‘Ancient Sites of Oman, Jordan & the Med’ fly-cruise, ex London Heathrow / Manchester / Scotland on 20th February 2020, via Dubai, United Arab Emirates, returning to Dover, UK. Prices start from just £2,899 per person. Port calls: Dubai, United Arab Emirates(overnight stay)– Muscat, Oman – Salalah, Oman – Aqaba, Jordan (overnight stay) – Cruising the Suez Canal, Egypt (overnight) – Ashdod, Israel – Limassol, Cyprus – Heraklion, Greece – Piraeus, Greece – Valletta, Malta – Palma, Spain – Cartagena, Spain – Malaga, Spain – Leixões (for Oporto), Portugal – Dover, UK For further information: See ‘Ancient Sites of Oman, Jordan & the Med’ – D200405 – Braemar’s 30-night M200506 ‘Caribbean, Central America & the Azores’ fly-cruise (adult-only), ex London Gatwick / Manchester on 27th February 2020, via La Romana, Dominican Republic, returning to Southampton, UK. Prices start from just £3,257 per person. Port calls: La Romana, Dominican Republic (overnight stay) – Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic – Cozumel, Mexico – Belize City, Belize – Puerto Limon, Costa Rica – Colon, Panama – Cartagena de Indias, Colombia – Willemstad, Curaçao, Netherlands Antilles –Bridgetown, Barbados – Castries, St. Lucia – Basseterre, St Kitts – St John’s, Antigua and Barbuda – Philipsburg, St Maarten, Netherlands Antilles – Ponta Delgada, The Azores – La Coruña, Spain – Southampton, UK All prices shown are based on two adults sharing an Interior Room, unless stated otherwise, and include accommodation, and all meals and entertainment on board, plus port / airport taxes, flights and transfers, as applicable. Fred. Olsen is so committed to helping guests to enjoy the perfect getaway from the moment that they book, without having to worry about the uncertainties of Brexit, that it has launched its pioneering ‘Brexit Promise’, believed to be the first of its kind within the industry. If a cruise is cancelled owing to the UK leaving the European Union, Fred. Olsen guarantees to give guests a full refund on that sailing, PLUS a free cruise.

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Citra Kebun Wisata turns into Batam’s new tourism destination.

Tourists visiting Batam in Riau Islands now have a new destination to explore. Fans of durian will especially enjoy going to the 18-hectare Citra Kebun Wisata (Citra Tourist Garden), which is home to more than 1,000 durian trees of various varieties, including musang king, ang he, jantung and kampung. After paying the entrance fee of Rp 15,000 (US$1.07) per adult and Rp 10,000 per child, tourists are allowed to freely explore the area. However those wanting to eat the fruits must pay extra depending on the type of fruit and amount. Citra Kebun Wisata manager Nina Sofiana recently said that the main target market for this destination was tourists from Singapore and Malaysia who enjoy durian but have never seen the actual trees. The garden was soft launched in Dec. 7 and is expected to hold a grand opening event in 2020 while the management prepares more facilities, including villas and cottages to accommodate tourists who want to spend the night, as well as facilities to support outdoor activities. Ali Ulai, the owner of Citra Kebun Wisata, said it cost Rp 50 billion to design the garden, including purchasing the land and supporting facilities such as road access. Animals that are legally permitted by the government to be maintained in such a site, such as deer and birds, will be brought to enliven the garden as well. According to the Association of Indonesian Tour and Travel Agencies (ASITA) head for Riau Islands, Andika Lim, almost 80 per cent of foreign tourists who came to Batam as well as the province were residents of Singapore due to close proximity, reliable transportation and purchasing power. Tourism contributes Rp 200 billion per year to the Batam city budget, which is around Rp 2 trillion in total.

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Arabian Travel Market 2018 to start on April 22 2020 at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

The Arabian Travel Market 2018 would start on April 22 2020 at the Dubai World Trade Centre. Celebrating its 25th year, the four-day event will display the largest exhibition of regional and global hotel brands in the history of ATM. More than 2,500 exhibitors and 40,000 industry professionals from 150 countries would be there to commemorate 25th edition of the largest travel and tourism event in the Middle East. Travel trade professionals from across the world’s hospitality industry will come to Dubai for the opening of Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2018, the region’s leading travel industry event.

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Japan Airlines to give away 50,000 domestic flights to overseas tourists for travel during Olympics.

Japan Airlines (JAL) will give away 50,000 domestic return tickets to international visitors in an effort to encourage tourists to "see Japan with fresh eyes" and "discover a new Japanese city". The Win a Trip with JAL campaign would enable visitors to "experience regional attractions", the airline added in a joint release with the Nomura Research Institute and NRI Digital. The campaign, which kicks off late February next year, lets passengers fly for free to select local destinations from Haneda Airport in Tokyo, as well as Itami and Kansai airports in Osaka. Participants must, however, be a JAL Mileage Bank frequent flyer member registered outside of Japan.Travelling period for the Win a Trip with JAL campaign will be between July and September 2020. More details will be announced in mid-January. The campaign is part of a larger tourism push by the Japan Tourism Agency and Japan National Tourism Organization. By boosting tourist travel to other parts of Japan, it is hoped that the campaign will help ease the shortage of accommodation expected in Tokyo over the Olympics and Paralympics period, according to the Nikkei Asian Review. The Olympics is scheduled to run from Jul 24 to Aug 9, while the Summer Paralympics will run from Aug 25 to Sep 6.

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Indian Hotels Company (IHCL) Signs Its Second Hotel In Gangtok, Sikkim.

Indian Hotels Company (IHCL), South Asia’s largest hospitality company, today announced the signing of a 50-room Vivanta hotel in Gangtok, Sikkim. This hotel is a management contract with Skipping Stones Pvt Ltd. Commenting on the signing, Suma Venkatesh, Executive Vice President – Real Estate & Development, IHCL said, “Sikkim is very famous for its ecotourism – trekking, mountaineering, river rafting and other nature oriented offerings. The signing of IHCL’s second hotel in Gangtok demonstrates our commitment to the region, taking our tally to 11 hotels across our brandscape.” The hotel is located at Pakyong, Gangtok’s neighbouring town and is a short drive from the new Pakyong Airport. Spread over 3.5 acres, it is situated amidst thick forests on a hill top with stunning valley views. The hotel has a distinctive design that showcases the region’s natural beauty. The spacious rooms are built around a large open air courtyard. The swimming pool is set amidst lush greenery. The other features include a multi-cuisine restaurant, recreation facilities and modern meeting spaces. It is a Brownfield project slated to open in mid-2020. The city is a gateway for all tourism in the region. Sikkim is famous for fascinating views of the Himalayas including Mount Kanchenjunga, numerous streams, meadows, lakes, hot springs and high altitude passes. It also boasts of around 5000 varieties of flowers and rare wild life. IHCL has eleven hotels in the North East region, West Bengal and Bhutan including five under development. The company is aiming at a Vivanta in every state capital with the brandscape expected to touch 25 hotels by 2022.

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