News

Cruise tours to Nagarjunasagar from November

Hyderabad: The Telangana Tourism Development Corporation announced that road-cum-cruise tours from Hyderabad to Nagarjunasagar and Srisailam, as well as Hyderabad to Somasila and Srisailam, will start on November 2. These two cruise tours will operate every Saturday from Hyderabad to Nagarjunasagar, then to Srisailam, and back to Hyderabad. The tour packages are priced at Rs 2,000 per adult and Rs 1,600 per child for a single journey. For round-trip journeys, the prices are set at Rs 3,000 per adult and Rs 2,400 per child. Each package includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

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Western Railway issues luggage limit rules after Bandra stampede

Recently, Mumbai's Bandra Terminus experienced a stampede situation that left 10 people injured. In order to avoid future accidents, Western Railway has issued new rules to reduce overcrowding and add to passenger safety. It includes putting luggage limits, restricting platform tickets, and managing parcel stacking on platforms. These rules will be strictly followed during the festive season. Bandra stampede incident: The rule was introduced following a recent stampede accident at Bandra Terminus in Mumbai. Some 10 people were injured during the accident. Western Railway (WR) has introduced new regulations to help manage crowding at train stations. Luggage limits: Passengers travelling from WR must adhere to the allowed luggage limits for their respective travel classes. WR announced that excess luggage would incur penalties, stressing that compliance will help reduce congestion in station areas. Restrictions/Extra charges on some huge items: As per the WR, items like scooters, bicycles, or oversized consignments over dimensions of 100 cm x 100 cm x 70 cm do not fall under the free luggage category. These items will require additional charges, ensuring fair use of station resources and reducing obstructions. Avoid overcrowding: Western Railway has urged passengers to avoid crowding stations and only enter the premises as needed, according to their train schedules.

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Indian Railways revises ticket booking rules

In a major policy shift, Indian Railways has reduced its advance reservation period (ARP) for train tickets from the previous 120 days to 60 days. The change, which took effect on November 1, aims to make the booking process more efficient by reducing the high rates of cancellations and no-shows often seen with extended advance bookings. This decision arrives just as the winter travel season and end-of-year festivities are set to increase demand for train travel across India. The main reason behind this new policy is to curb the growing trend of passengers booking tickets far in advance without certain travel plans. As per reports, approximately 21% of reservations made between 61 and 120 days before the journey date usually gets. Add to that, about 5% of travellers neither cancel their tickets nor actually travel. This trend is also referred to as “no-shows.” With this revised ARP, Indian Railways hopes to make more tickets available for genuine travellers with confirmed plans. From now on, passengers looking to book train tickets will be limited to a 60-day advance booking window. Earlier, one could book four months or 120 days in advance. For those who have already purchased tickets more than 60 days in advance, their tickets will not be affected by this rule change. Their tickets will remain valid for their scheduled journeys. Also, the 365-day ARP limit for foreign tourists will also stay in place, allowing them to plan for long-term travel within India.

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China expands visa-free travel to 9 more countries

China, in a move to boost tourism and ease travel, announced visa-free entry to citizens from nine additional countries -- South Korea, Norway, Finland, Slovakia, Denmark, Iceland, Andorra, Monaco, and Liechtenstein. The new policy is set to take effect on November 8. Under this new visa policy, nationals of these countries will be allowed entry in China for business, tourism, family visits, or transit for up to 15 days without a visa. If reports are to go by, the visa exemption program will remain in place through December 31, 2025. The country has seen tremendous recovery in terms of international travel. If reports are to go by, China, in the third quarter of this year alone, received 8.186 inbound foreign travellers, marking a significant 48.8 percent increase compared to the same period last year. Reports also suggest that around 4.9 million travellers who visited China, entered through the already existing visa-free programme. Alongwith the expanded visa-free entry, there are additional measures put in place in order to streamline entry for foreigners. Measures such as reduced wait times for inspections, and the option for travellers to use overseas bank cards for subway fares, are going to make travel a lot easier when in China. By doing so, China will be making local transportation a lot more accessible to international travellers. The foreign ministry announced last month that it would continue optimising travel policies to make it easier for foreigners to visit and stay in the country. With the holiday season around the corner and an increasing interest in China as a travel destination, the expanded visa-free access is expected to encourage even more visitors in the coming years.

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Over 5.76 lakh travel by State buses during Diwali

In light of the Diwali festival, 5.76 lakh people have traveled via Tamil Nadu’s state transport buses over the past three days. The state operates eight major transport corporations, including those serving Salem, Coimbatore, Madurai, Villupuram, and Chennai, all of which arranged special buses for the holiday season. According to transport officials, 2,172 buses, including both regular and special services, were operated across these eight regions from October 28 to October 30. A total of 5,76,358 passengers utilized these services, with 1,50,510 passengers opting for advance booking. This special arrangement aimed to meet the increased demand for transportation as people traveled across the state to celebrate Diwali with their families.

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September Air Travel Reaches All-Time High Across the Globe

If you’ve traveled by plane during the month of September, then you’ve contributed to what the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has found to be the biggest September for air travel—ever. The demand for the month, which is measured in revenue passenger kilometers (RPK), increased 7.1 percent from September 2023. Capacity was also up 5.8 percent from 2023. What’s driving this historic shoulder season demand? International travel remains a big trend for travelers this year: demand rose 9.2 percent year-over-year, while domestic travel only rose 3.7 percent. Several months have hit all-time air travel records, including this past July. Airlines in the Asia-Pacific and Latin America regions saw the highest demand, with 18.5 percent and 12.4 percent year-over-year growth. The region with the least growth? North America, which saw only a 0.5 percent increase from last year. But which regions saw the biggest growth in RPKs from last year? That title goes to the Asia-Pacific region, which saw an increase of 37.1 percent year-over-year. Europe and North America followed with other high increases, at 27.1 percent and 24.2 percent, respectively. “The year’s peak travel season ended with demand at an all-time high. This is good news not just for passengers but also for the global economy,” said Willie Walsh, Director General of IATA. “Every flight creates more jobs and trade. But the air travel success story is bringing challenges. We will soon face a capacity crunch in some regions which threatens to curtail these economic and social benefits.”

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