News

Sensorise launches travel eSIM for consumers

Sensorise, a machine-to-machine service producer on Friday announced consumer travel eSIM for consumers, targeted at corporate travellers, leisure travellers, and students, offering a costcompetitive alternative to traditional telecom international roaming solutions. The company said the eSIM will be available across 190 countries through the Sensorise mobile app. "This innovation represents a significant leap forward in global travel connectivity for Indians. The eSIM solution is not only a testament to our technical solutions, but also a reflection of our commitment to creating solutions that simplify and enhance the lives of individuals. We envision a future where seamless connectivity is a fundamental part of every traveller’s journey," said Karn Nagpal, President, Rosmerta Technologies which acquired Sensorise Digital Services in 2022. Sensorise said the eSIM is offered at a sub-$10 price and users can download and start using it within 30 seconds. The company has over 1000 customisable plans.

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Royal Highland Festival in Bhutan boosts Layap incomes with homestays, boosts tourism

During the recent Royal Highland Festival, more than 500 visitors stayed in the homestays. The festival attracts many domestic and international tourists. The Royal Highland Festival is transforming the lives of indigenous people, known as Layaps, by offering homestay opportunities for extra income, The Bhutan Live reported. This annual celebration of Bhutanese culture is not only a source of pride but also an avenue for Layaps to welcome travellers, share their heritage, and improve their financial prospects. During the recent Royal Highland Festival, which attracts many domestic and international tourists, more than 500 visitors stayed in the homestays as there are no hotels in the area, making homestays the preferred lodging option for visitors, as reported by The Bhutan Live. One of the key attractions of these homestays is their modern amenities. This level of comfort impressed visitors like Rinchen Dema from Sakteng Gewog, who shared, "I came to Laya in the past as well. There is no problem with accommodation here. And the homestays have clean toilets. Moreover, all the rooms are neat and clean. I did not find any problem." Talking to The Bhutan Live, Gyembo Tshering, a visitor from Lunana Gewog, echoed the sentiment, stating, "House owners are serving us the meals as per our desire. I am happy. Moreover, this year, the footpaths are also well maintained, which is convenient." It is a win-win situation where the visitors are welcomed with satisfying services, and the homestay owners can earn thousands of ngultrum. "It has been three years since I started the homestay. I had eight guests this time, which earned me around Nu 25,000. The guests were saying that they were happy with the service compared to the past few years," Tshering Pemo, a homestay owner said. To provide support and enhance the living standards of these homestay owners, the government has allocated funds for essential infrastructure. This includes funds for constructing toilets, proper horse stables for guest safety, and concrete footpaths within the villages. "In the second phase, along with the local leaders and engineer, we carried out a survey to construct the concrete footpath connecting all the houses. We proposed around Nu 20 million in the 130th Lhengye Zhungtshog, which was approved. The Cabinet Secretary also ordered the district administration to complete all the works in the 2024-2025 financial year," said Tenzin, Khatoed-Laya MP.During the 12th Five-Year Plan, the Bhutan government invested Nu 6 million in these initiatives, with an additional Nu 3 million contributed by the Department of Tourism for the construction of flush toilets, The Bhutan Live reported. Laya Gewog, situated at an elevation of over 3,800 meters above sea level and home to approximately 1,200 people, continues to shine as a destination that combines natural beauty with warm hospitality and modern amenities.

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Qatar Airways starts flying to AlUla in Saudi Arabia

Qatar Airways has launched service to AlUla, an emerging Saudi Arabian tourism destination. Qatar made its first landing at AlUla on Sunday and will fly to the northwestern oasis city twice weekly from its Doha hub. Flydubai also flies twice weekly to AlUla, from Dubai. AlUla is the home of Hegra, Saudi Arabia's first Unesco World Heritage site. Alula is also one of the locations the Saudi Public Investment Fund has marked for Saudi Arabia tourism development as part of its Vision 2030 plan, which is to involve hundreds of billions of dollars of investments toward the country's goal of receiving 100 million annual tourists by 2030.

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Air India to launch direct flight service from Mumbai to Melbourne on Dec 15

Air India on Tuesday said it will launch direct flight service from Mumbai to Melbourne in Australia, on December 15, as part of its global route network expansion plans. The flight services on the new route will be operated three-times-a-week and will add nearly 40,000 seats per year into the Australian state of Victoria, Air India said in a statement. Air India currently operates daily flights to Melbourne and Sydney from Delhi, flying 28 times every week between India and Australia. Victoria state is estimated to have over 200,000 Indian diaspora, constituting about 40 per cent of the total Indian diaspora in Australia, as per the private airline. The new services aim to respond to the growing demand to visit friends and relatives as well as to capture demand for business and leisure travel to the region, it said. "We look forward to launching the only non-stop flight between Mumbai and Melbourne. This is a great step forward in our ongoing transformation programme, which among other aspects aims at connecting India to more of the world with non-stop flights," said Nipun Aggarwal, Chief Commercial & Transformation Officer at Air India. According to the airline, travellers from 17 Indian cities can take convenient, one-stop connections to and from Melbourne via Delhi or Mumbai. The new Mumbai-Melbourne route, will be operated by Air India's Boeing 787- 8 Dreamliner aircraft in two class configuration -- 18 flat beds in business and 238 seats in economy class -- further enabling seamless two-way connectivity between London Heathrow and Melbourne via Delhi and Mumbai, Air India said. "We're very excited that the first direct flights from Mumbai to Australia will land in Melbourne. This new route will boost tourism, create local jobs and open more pathways for Victorian businesses to reach one of the world's fastest growing economies," said Natalie Hutchins, Minister for Jobs and Industry, Victoria State Government, Australia.

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After Sri Lanka, Thailand announces visa-free entry for Indian tourists from Nov 10

In a good news for travellers, Thailand will allow visa-free entry for tourists from India and Taiwan for a period of six months from November 10 to May 10, 2024. The decision has been taken with an objective to draw in more tourists as the tourism season approaches, a Thai government official told news agency Reuters. Those arriving from India and Taiwan can enter Thailand for 30 days, according to Thai government spokesperson Chai Wacharonke. He added the authorities hoped that the scheme would attract 1.4 million extra tourists, generating additional 55 billion baht or $1.5 billion in revenue. "We will provide visa-free entry to India and Taiwan because a lot of their people like to travel to Thailand," Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin was quoted as saying by news agency AFP. As of now, Indian and Taiwanese tourists have to apply for a 15-day visa-on-arrival at immigration checkpoints, present bank statements and proof of accommodation. In September this year, Thailand had waived tourist visa requirements for Chinese nationals. China was Thailand's top pre-pandemic tourism market with 11 million of the record 39 million arrivals in 2019.Thailand is the second country to announce visa waivers for Indian globetrotters. Sri Lanka also recently announced visa-free entry for visitors from seven countries including India and China as part of a pilot project to shore up the island nation's tourism till March 31, 2024. From January-October 29, there were 22 million visitors to Thailand who generated revenue worth 927.5 billion baht or $25.67 billion, as per the government data. Of this, nearly one million Russian tourists have arrived in Thailand since the beginning of 2023. This year, Thailand is eyeing roughly 28 million tourist arrivals as the government hopes that the travel sector can offset weak exports that have adversely impacted the country's economic growth. Thailand's tourism sector contributes almost 20 per cent of the overall GDP but it has struggled to recoup ever since the COVID-19 pandemic. Around 1.2 million Indians visited Thailand from January-September 2023, the fourth highest after Malaysia, China and South Korea, as per tourism ministry data.

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Tehri Acro Festival: India’s first international aerial acrobatic show in Uttarakhand

Come November 24-28, Tehri in Uttarakhand will host Acro Festival, which is also India’s first International Aerial Acrobatic Shows. If you have an adventurous bone in you, this festival is one that you must block your dates for. The Tehri Acro Festival will host 150 world-renowned paragliders. This festival is a great way for all paragliding enthusiasts to take part in aerial competitions and acrobatic shows. The festival will mark the beginning of paragliding in Tehri. So what we are looking at is Tehri's entry as India’s newest paragliding destination, for both leisure and training programmes. The event will also see some of the best paragliders from India. The festival is expected to kickstart paragliding training programmes for those interested, especially the locals, in order to boost chances for employment. This step towards sustainable tourism in Tehri is one of the major steps undertaken by the Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board. The main aim is that by the end of this year, Uttarakhand will have 100 pilots in paragliding, if not more. About Tehri Tehri is one of the fast-developing tourist destinations in Uttarakhand. It is known for its natural beauty and cultural richness. The main highlight of Tehri Garhwal district is the massive Tehri Lake, which is also a hotspot for water adventure sports and activities. The enchanting town is surrounded by lush green forests and hillocks. On a clear day, you can even see the distant snow-capped mountains. The Tehri Lake is the result of the construction of the Tehri Dam. Outside the lake area, the rest of the town may look unremarkable at a first glance, but is an interesting place to those who can take out time to explore the local culture and traditions. Tehri is a gateway to various trekking and adventure opportunities, and its tranquil ambiance attracts travelers seeking a peaceful retreat amidst nature.

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