News

Madhya Pradesh to get country’s largest tiger reserve

In a significant development, Madhya Pradesh is set to get the country’s largest tiger reserve in Damoh district. This was informed by an official in the know-how from the forest department. This move comes in the wake of a groundbreaking initiative that stems from the central government's recent notification, which approved the proposal of merging the Noradehi Sanctuary with the Durgavati Sanctuary in Damoh. This creates a vast tiger reserve that spans across an expansive 2,300 sq km, wherein the focal point will be the Jabera area of Damoh district. Anticipating positive outcomes, officials are of the view that the creation of this vast tiger reserve will not only prove beneficial to the local economy, but will also provide a boost to tourism. Referring to this, MS Uikey, the Forest Divisional Officer in Damoh, added that this reserve will also serve as a secure haven for the existing tiger population, currently numbering 16. Further, he added that the merger of two sanctuaries will act as a magnet, which will help in drawing more tigers to the area and thereby amplify its significance in terms of conservation efforts. Uikey is optimistic about the transformative impact of the tiger reserve on Damoh's socio-economic landscape. He added that this step will prove to be a significant boon for Damoh. Despite being part of the backward areas in Bundelkhand, Damoh's name will gain nationwide recognition, and that the establishment of this tiger reserve will further lead to the district's development prospects. Further elaborating on the potential benefits, Uikey stated that the tiger reserve is poised to attract tourists from all corners of India and beyond, which will boost the local economy. Reports further add that the Forest Department is actively engaged in all the necessary works to set up this tiger reserve, and try to open it for the public within the next two to three months.

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Rajasthani cultural extravaganza at Kumbhalgarh Festival

Get ready for the vibrant annual Kumbhalgarh Festival from Dec 1-3, where you will get to experience the best of Rajasthani culture and heritage, surrounded by the majestic Kumbhalgarh Fort. The fort, also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, serves as the majestic backdrop for this cultural extravaganza. Kumbhalgarh Festival is a great time to experience the legacy of the Mewar dynasty and tales of the Rajasthani valour. Kumbhalgarh Festival takes place in Rajsamand district, which is nestled amidst the rugged Aravalli Hills. This annual festival is usually celebrated for three days in the month of December, when the temperature is cool and comfortable. Visitors from all over the country and the world flock to the fort to be a part of this vibrant festival. One of the most stunning features of the festival is the cultural evening, which often takes place against the backdrop of the majestic Kumbhalgarh Fort. Visitors can see performances of various renowned artists from all over the world. The performances from the local artists are always the crowd favourite every year. One can expect to see traditional performances like Ghoomar, Kalbeliya, and Bhavai here. If you are in love with the sound of the traditional Indian musical instruments, this festival will win hearts. The melodies of traditional instruments, such as the sarangi, tabla, and dhol, fill the evening air, creating a beautiful memory for the visitors. Apart from the cultural performances, one can also indulge in the haats that open up during the festival in the fort premises. These pop-up markets are great places to get traditional Rajasthani trinkets and a lot of cool souvenirs. Check out the fares of the local artisans. The handicraft items are everybody’s favourite. When at the festival, one can also grab some delightful Rajasthani dishes. From the iconic dal baati churma to the rich flavours of laal maas (red meat curry), you will be spoilt for choice at the festival.

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Thailand allows night clubs, karaoke bars to stay open for two extra hours in popular tourist destinations

Entertainment venues, clubs, karaoke bars in Bangkok, Phuket, Pattya, Chiang Mai and Samui, Thailand's popular tourist destinations to stay open 2 extra hours Thailand's cabinet has approved a ministerial regulation that extends the opening hours of night clubs and entertainment venues in a bid to draw in more tourists, a government spokesperson said on Tuesday. Entertainment venues, clubs and karaoke bars in Bangkok, Phuket, Pattya, Chiang Mai and Samui, popular tourist destinations, will be allowed stay open two extra hours until 4 AM, Traisulee Traisaranakul said. Thailand's Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin had previously said the new rules would start on December 15. The tourism industry is a key driver of the economy, which has seen sluggish growth compared with regional peers, and which Srettha's government is keen to revive with stimulus measures. The decision to allow entertainment venues to stay open longer is the latest step taken by the government to boost foreign arrivals after the government in September waived visa requirements for Chinese visitors, a key source of tourists for Southeast Asia's second-biggest economy. Thailand has so far welcomed 24.5 million foreign tourists this year and is forecasting 28 million arrivals for the full year. Before the pandemic, Thailand booked a record 39.9 million arrivals, with 11 million from China. This year, the government expects just 3.5 million arrivals from China.

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2nd Economic Times Travel Conclave & Awards is all set to engage Travel Industry on Nov 30, 2023

The stage is set for the grand return of the 2nd edition of the Economic Times Travel & Tourism Conclave & Awards, an initiative by ETTravelWorld. Scheduled to take place on November 30, 2023, at the Eros Hotel New Delhi Nehru Place, this marquee summit promises an engaging and insightful experience for stakeholders in the travel, tourism, and hospitality industry. Bringing together corporate entities, government bodies, and tourism boards, both domestic and international, the Conclave is poised to catalyse discussions, innovation, and celebrate excellence within the industry. With a day-long program of insightful panel discussions, complemented by an evening of prestigious awards, the event aims to set new benchmarks. The event commences with the registration and arrival of guests, followed by a ceremonial inauguration with the lamp lighting. Subsequently, the proceedings open with a welcome address by ETTravelWorld’s Editor, Navneet Mendiratta followed by a special address by the Guest of Honour, Minister of State for Tourism, Shripad Yesso Naik. The event will officially kickstart with a keynote address by Arvind Singh, Former Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Govt of India & Former Chairman, AAI. Singh has also played a pivotal role as the Jury Chair for the awards leg of the event. With an impressive roster of speakers, this year's event is set to deliver a compelling series of sessions and fireside chats, showcasing thought leaders and experts from the industry. The agenda includes insightful industry overviews featuring Madhavan Menon, Executive Chairman, Thomas Cook (India) addressing Mapping the travel disruptions, Naasir Merchant, Co-Founder of Foxtrot presenting Growth possibilities in a new scenario (MICE), Akash Datta, Senior Vice President at HVS ANAROCK exploring the Hospitality sector's potential within India and beyond, Ranaj Biswas, Associate Vice President, Global Technology & Cloud at Amadeus Labs discussing Travel Technology On the other hand, the panels will cover crucial topics like building smart destinations, aviation growth, travel technology, AI engagement, online travel agencies, tech-led brand scaling, sustainability in destination management, financial services in travel, India outbound strategies, and creating luxury experiences while engaging the local community for a holistic tourism experience. The speakers for the 1st panel discussion “Building smart destinations: Integrating governance, innovation and sustainability” include Manisha Saxena, DG Tourism, Govt of India; Rakhee Gupta Bhandari IAS, Principal Secretary, Tourism & Cultural Affairs (Punjab); Dr. Syed Abid Rasheed Shah, Secretary, Tourism & Culture Department, Govt of J&K; Tejinder Gupta, Partner (Government Sector), Grant Thornton Bharat LLP. The panel will be moderated by Jyoti Mayal, President, TAAI. 2nd panel discussion “Engaging with the AI: The big shift from human interface to machine learning” will feature Vikas Sharma, CEO, Encalm Hospitality; Raj Rishi Singh, CMO & CBO, MakeMyTrip; Jyothi Plappara, Head of Engineering, Airport & Airline Operations, Amadeus Labs; Pankaj Periwal, SVP - Strategy, Rategain and will be moderated by Shilpa Rathnam, a seasoned media professional with over 13 years of experience. The speakers for the 3rd panel discussion “Growth: Scaling tech-led brands and business expansion” include Ankush Nijhawan, Co-Founder, TBO.com; Anshul Gupta, MD, Industry Lead for Travel & Hospitality, Accenture; Rakesh Negi, Head of Business Transformation, FCM Travel India; Manish Rathi, Co-Founder & CEO, IntrCity SmartBus and the moderator will be Chirag Agrawal, Co-founder, TravClan. The last panel “India outbound: One year into aggressive marketing and building direct connections. Is the strategy working?” will feature GB Srithar, Regional Director, India, Middle East, South Asia, & Africa, Singapore Tourism Board (STB); Mukul Sukhani, SVP, Business Development, Mastercard, Daniel D'Souza; President & Country Head - Holidays, SOTC Travel; Rohit Kohli, MD, Away & Co. The moderator will be Nitin Sachdeva, CEO, Venture Marketing & TCEB’s India Representative. Additionally, the conclave's engaging fireside chats are poised to spark essential dialogues within the industry, charting a course for growth in various tourism-related sectors. The sessions include Dhruv Shringi, the Co-founder & CEO of Yatra highlighting the complexities of achieving growth for online travel agencies amidst disruptions; Santosh Kumar, Country Head at Booking.com, offering a nuanced perspective on similar challenges in the Indian Sub-Continent & Indonesia and Anuradha Murthy, the Head of Partnerships & Alliance at PayU, speaking on the intricacies of "Innovative Financial Services" and their role in navigating growth during industry disruptions. Following the conclave, the evening will host an awards ceremony honoring exemplary achievements, celebrating excellence, and innovation within the industry. Notably, the winning candidates underwent a meticulous selection process facilitated by EY, the knowledge partner and overseen by a transparent jury, chaired by Arvind Singh, for this edition

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South East Asia's 1st Night Sky Sanctuary in Ladakh to boost astro, local tourism

With a tripartite MoU signed among the UT Administration, Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) Leh, and the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, the project a to bolster local tourism in Hanle and economy through science and technology initiatives Hanle, known for India's first dark sky reserve, offers excellent stargazing conditions due secluded location, high altitude and minimal light pollution. South East Asia's first Night Sky Sanctuary is set to make its debut in Ladakh, at Hanle village within the Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary. This Dark Sky Reserve, aided by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics Bengaluru, promises to boost India's astro-tourism, said Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh. Hanle, known for India's first dark sky reserve, offers excellent stargazing conditions due to its secluded location, high altitude and minimal light pollution. It will provide an optimal site for optical, infrared, and gamma-ray telescopes at an altitude of 4500 meters. In the context of India's space achievements, including Chandrayaan-3 and Aditya-L1 solar mission, the Dark Sky Reserve is anticipated to captivate enthusiasts, joining the exclusive ranks of 15 or 16 similar sites worldwide, said Singh. With a tripartite MoU signed among the UT Administration, Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) Leh, and the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, the project aims to bolster local tourism and economy through science and technology initiatives. The Minister informed that the Sanctuary is being set up with the help of Indian Institute of Astrophysics Bengaluru, which is affiliated to the Department of Science & Technology, Govt of India. Singh also spoke about the Snow Sculpture that was introduced in Ladakh last year in a big way from the winter season and is promoted as a tourist attraction, which will also create job opportunities for the locals. Addressing the gathering after inaugurating the exhibition ‘Ladakh’s Pride’ to mark the fourth anniversary of the establishment of the Union Territory, the minister also acknowledged Ladakh's uniqueness. He emphasised its status as India's youngest Union Territory with the oldest civilization. He also underscored Ladakh's commitment to becoming "Carbon Neutral," unveiling a INR 50 crore Special Development Package, a funding approach by the Central government for the region's diverse projects. The minister also praised Ladakh's cultural richness through the exhibition 'Ladakh’s Pride,' showcasing GI-tagged treasures of Ladakh like Seabuckthorn, Raktsey Karpal Apricots, Ladakh wood carvings and Pashmina wool.

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Sri Lanka implements free tourist visas to nationals from India and six other countries

India is traditionally Sri Lanka's top inbound tourism market. In October 2023, tourist arriv figures for India topped with over 28,000 arrivals or 26 per cent with the Russian tourists trailing at over 10,000 arrivals as the second largest group. The British tourists were place third with over 8,000 arrivals. Aimed at boosting the tourism sector, Indian tourists - the largest inbound group - to Sri Lanka, would receive free tourist visas with immediate effect, the Department of Immigration and Emigration has announced here. The facility follows a Cabinet decision from October to issue free tourist visas to travellers from India, China, Russia, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia, and Thailand amidst efforts to rebuild the debt-trapped island nation's tourism sector that had slumped since the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings. The pilot project to offer free visas for the first 30 days would be in force till March 31, 2024, the announcement said. The travellers would be given dual entry status on arrival and the visa validity would be limited to 30 days' stay in the island nation. India is traditionally Sri Lanka's top inbound tourism market. In October 2023, arrival figures for India topped with over 28,000 arrivals or 26 per cent with Russian tourists trailing at over 10,000 arrivals as the second largest group. The British tourists were placed third with over 8,000 arrivals. Tourist arrivals to the island nation had slumped since the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings that left 270 persons, including 11 Indians, dead and over 500 injured. Sri Lanka has been grappling with unprecedented economic turmoil, which has prompted an acute shortage of essential items like food, medicine, cooking gas and other fuel, toilet paper, and even matches. In March, the International Monetary Fund agreed on a USD 3 billion bailout to Sri Lanka to revive its ailing economy.

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