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Himachal gears up to welcome tourists as long G20 weekend triggers travel rush

Himachal Pradesh is expecting an increase in tourist footfalls over the coming weekend in view of public holidays in the national capital from September 8 to 10 due to the G20 Summit. The upcoming G20 Summit in New Delhi, scheduled for September 9-10, has brought about a pleasant surprise for the tourism industry in Himachal Pradesh. As the event draws near, Delhi residents are anticipating an extended weekend, with many choosing to venture out to the picturesque hill station. The sudden influx of tourists travelling to Himachal has also been a cause for celebration among the local business community, who have reported a significant surge in hotel bookings and inquiries. It has brought a much-needed respite for Himachal Pradesh, which has been dealing with disaster caused by incessant rains in recent times.

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Visakhapatnam gets International Cruise Terminal

The coastal city of Visakhapatnam gets a state-of-the-art International Cruise Terminal. With this, it is safe to say that Visakhapatnam is on its way to become the hub for leisure cruise and cargo services in India. With the opening of this International Cruise Terminal in Visakhapatnam, the eastern coast in India will have a number of domestic and international cruise options. The swanky terminal building comes equipped with services like lounges, customs, immigration, quarantine counters, baggage handling facilities, scanning, concourse, restaurant, entertainment, shopping, health, business exhibitions, money exchange outlets, parking space and more. There is also easy road connectivity that travellers may find conducive. The International Cruise Terminal will not serve as a cruise terminal for the whole year. From November to March, the International Cruise Terminal will serve as a Cruise Terminal operating cruises from all over the world. From April to October, the terminal will be used for Coastal Cargo operations. As of now, India’s domestic cruises or river cruises are fast becoming a trend. From Indian coasts, there aren’t many international cruises, except from port cities like Mumbai, Kochi and Kolkata. With Visakhapatnam, we will soon have plenty of options. This is great for those looking at cruise options for their holidays. At present, there are cruises operating from Kochi to Maldives. The journey takes you through stunning coral atolls and crystal clear waters of the Indian ocean surrounding the luxury destination Maldives. Mumbai to Dubai is also another route that cruise enthusiasts love to take. The cruise takes you from Mumbai, traversing the Arabian Sea, to Dubai, which is located in the southeast coast of the Persian Gulf. Ganges River Cruise does not traverse the high seas, but it does navigate the Ganges’ river system spread across India and Bangladesh. The cruise starts from Kolkata and ends in Varanasi, while making a quick detour in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

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Indian Railways: Good news for government employees! Now government officials can travel in these express trains for official tours, notification issued

Indian Railways Update: Now government employees can travel in Humsafar Express along with Vande Bharat Express for their tour, training, transfer and retirement. Vande Bharat Express: The government has given a big gift to the government employees. From now on, government employees can also travel in Vande Bharat Express. Now government employees can travel in Humsafar Express along with Vande Bharat Express for their tour, training, transfer and retirement. Earlier these employees were allowed to travel only in Shatabdi and Rajdhani trains. Finance Ministry gave information Information regarding this has been given by the Finance Ministry by issuing an office memorandum. According to the official notification, from now on government employees can also travel in Vande Bharat train for many works including their tour and training. Let us tell you that government officials can use it during their official visits. After consideration, the department gave approval According to our associate website Zee Business, Vande Bharat Express and Humsafar train can be used for official visits. A notification in this regard has also been issued by the Finance Ministry. The Expenditure Department of the Finance Ministry has approved it after consideration. Capital facilities will be available The Finance Ministry has issued a notification saying that after this order, government officials will get all the facilities in Vande Bharat train as well as Humsafar Express which they have been getting in Rajdhani or Shatabdi trains. Notification was issued a year ago Let us tell you that to reduce the losses incurred by the country’s first private train Tejas, the government had taken such a step, which benefited the Railways. Let us tell you that the Expenditure Department of the Finance Ministry had issued an order on 12 September 2022 stating that Tejas Express train can also be used by government officials.

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Oman Air and Salam Air Launches New Flights to Kerala

Oman Air (WY) and Salam Air (OV), two prominent Omani airlines, have revealed plans to expand their flight services to Kerala. Catering to the rising demand between Oman and Kerala, the decisions mark a significant step forward in enhancing connectivity. These developments are slated to commence in October, marking a significant milestone for air travel between Oman and Kerala. Oman Air and Salam Air Kerala Flights Oman Air, Oman’s flagship carrier, plans to launch daily flights on the Muscat-Thiruvananthapuram route. This new service is scheduled to commence during the first week of October. Currently, Oman Air offers connection services from Muscat to Thiruvananthapuram in collaboration with Air India. The introduction of direct flights on this route promises reduced airfares, providing travelers with more budget-friendly travel choices. In parallel, Salam Air, a budget airline based in Oman, has unveiled plans to launch daily services on the Kozhikode-Muscat route from October 1. The ticket booking process for these flights has already commenced. Notably, the Muscat – Kozhikode route is already served by Oman Air with two daily flights and Air India Express with one daily flight.With Salam Air’s entry into this route, passengers from the Malabar region can anticipate more flight options and increased flexibility in their travel itineraries. Oman Air’s Transformation Plan Eng Saeed Al Mawali, Minister of Transport, recently revealed a comprehensive restructuring program for Oman Air, slated to span the next three to four years. This initiative aims to tackle persistent financial losses and the mounting debt issue. International experts are presently reevaluating the airline’s network and will make decisions regarding the continuation of specific destinations. Additionally, integrating with Salam Air is a top priority in the program.

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MEA To Streamline Visa And Passport Processes For Travellers To And From India

Planning a trip to India for NRIs and foreigners can be challenging due to numerous processes and documentation. In a bid to streamline these, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is tightening the rules for selecting partner visas and consular services for international visitors and Indians who have migrated abroad.Additionally, one of the measures taken by the MEA to make these services seamless is mitigating predatory pricing. This is being done to improve the country’s image in terms of getting visas and passports. How does MEA plan to smoothen visa, passport and consular services? The Ministry’s Indian Missions are the first touchpoints for those visiting the country. This includes Indian citizens or Person of Indian Origin (PIO) and foreigners travelling to India who live overseas. Talking about how the Ministry is looking to make the processes easier, Jyoti Mayal, President of the Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) stated, “The MEA has embarked on a transformational program to reform and strengthen its tendering and evaluation process in a holistic manner to select the right outsourced service providers. While the focus lies on L1 pricing, there is a strong emphasis on the four pillars of Quality Services, Sustainable and Viable Price, Data Protection and Security, and Ethical Practices and Integrity (sic),” according to ANI. The focus should be on offering cost-effective, efficient and superior services, as this forms the first impression of travellers visiting the country, she added. Mayal said that currently, India is positioning itself as a global leader in sectors such as trade, cross-border services and citizen services. Thus, focusing on the reliability, credibility and quality of the service providers (for visa, passport and consular services) is important “to ensure services are delivered effectively, efficiently, and in line with established standards, else failure in service levels can erode confidence and trust in the government’s capabilities, leading to public dissatisfaction,” she added. The focus on quality will also ensure that “public resources are utilised wisely and that citizens get the best value for their money,” she said.

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G20 Summit 2023: Heading To Delhi Airport During Summit? Read Delhi Police Advisory Here For Hassle-Free Travel

Delhi Police has released a video to help Delhiites who are heading towards Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI Airport) during the dates when the G20 Summit is being held. The authorities took to X and wrote, “What if, I have a flight on 08/09/10th September 2023, and I have to reach IGI Airport during G20 Summit? Don’t worry! Just follow the instructions in this video.” The video says, “You can use the metro services to go airport from your nearest metro station… Just visit the DMRC website… You can go anywhere in the capital city by using metro services.” “If you want to drive your car anywhere in the big capital city including IGI airport you can either use suggested routes as mentioned in the traffic advisory which is available on Delhi Traffic Police G20 virtual helpdesk or you can use an app called Mappls Map. This app will show you the best ways to go from your car or bike as per the latest traffic advisory by Delhi Traffic Police,” it says. To recall, the Delhi Traffic Police had earlier announced a slew of restrictions across the city ahead of the the full traffic rehearsal held on Saturday and Sunday. Roads including the Sardar Patel Marg, Panchsheel Marg, 11 Murti, Teen Murti roundabout, Barakhamba Road, Janpath, Kartavya Path, Vivekanand Marg, near the Lodhi Road flyover, Joseph Tito Marg, Press Enclave Road, Lal Bahadur Shashtri Marg, C-Hexagon, Mathura Road and Saleem Garh bypass were marked as places that were likely to experience traffic snarls due to the restrictions. Delhi Metro To Sell ‘Tourist Smart Cards’ Through Dedicated Counters from September 4-13 Anticipating increased passenger footfall for the G20 Summit, the Delhi Metro will sell ‘Tourist Smart Cards’ through dedicated counters at 36 stations from September 4-13, officials said. These cards will be available in two categories — one-day and three-day validity — offering “unlimited rides” in the metro network. The Tourist Smart Cards are available on regular days too but, in view of the G20 Summit, dedicated counters have been opened to sell these cards for a period of 10 days from Monday, a senior official said. The G20 Leaders’ Summit is slated to take place in New Delhi from September 9-10. The dedicated counters have been provided to “facilitate G20 delegates and international visitors who might be interested in exploring the prominent tourist places of the capital city as they arrive in Delhi, owing to the upcoming G20 Summit,” the official said.

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