The Ministry of External Affairs will organize the country’s first SAARC Tourism Summit in Aurangabad, Maharashtra, in the second week of  October. The FDI under Make in India and Make in Maharashtra schemes, are also being looked at an opportunity to tap during this two-day summit. The chosen destination Aurangabad makes the fit, since it […]

Representation and marketing company, RARE has added four new hotel partners in 2016. “We are thrilled to introduce these fresh off the boat properties for the year 2016. Call us RARE 50 as we endeavor to be a curated collection of 50 of the most unique concept oriented properties,” says Sowmya R Vijaymohan, Partner, RARE […]

Given that fuel charges and taxes have been on the rise, economizing flying costs is something that all airlines think of. Homegrown brand, Jet Airways has imposed a new cost structure for cabin baggage. Starting July 15, the airlines will be charging Rs 900 for extra cabin bag for passengers flying from the six metros […]

Effective August 1 , 2016, all airlines will have to pay up to Rs 10,000 per flyer for cancelling/delaying a flight beyond two hours. Previously, the compensation under both circumstances amounted to Rs 4000. Naturally, there are some caveats to this rule, but the news comes as a respite for passengers who have to suffer […]

As compared to FTAs (Foreign Tourist Arrivals) of 5.12 lakh during the month of June 2015, FTAs during the month of June 2016 were 5.50 lakh, registering a growth of 7.3 per cent. FTAs during the period January-June 2016 were 41.86 lakh with a growth of 8.9 per cent as compared to the FTAs of […]

There has been a proposed fee hike for all the Archeological Survey of India managed monuments in the last few months. The decision has been made on this and the hike has been curbed. The Ministry of Tourism (MOT) has decided that the increase in ASI monument fees will only be 50 per cent of […]

Three new hotels mark the expansion plan for Keys Hotels – Keys Hotels in Vishakhapatnam, Keys Hotels Malabar Gate in Calicut and Keys Lite Om Niwas in Jaipur will be the three new addresses. The company also plans to open 8-10 new management contract hotels in the next 12-18 months by adopting assets light strategy. […]

The Fern Hotels & Resorts announced the opening of The Fern Hillside Resort at Bhimtal. This is pegged as a premium resort located in the hills of Bhimtal and overlooking the central lake of the town. The resort offers 30 spacious rooms with a contemporary aesthetic. The room rates start from Rs 2250 plus taxes. […]

Srinagar has become more accessible to travellers, effective June 15, 2016. GoAir announced that flights G8-228 and G8-229 took off from Srinagar at 18:40 pm to Mumbai and Delhi, respectively. The newly introduced evening flights help keep up with the demand from tourists, and the increase in flights will aid in keeping the prices competitive […]

Al Sawari Holding will be joining hands with Leela to establish a 100-room property near the Taj Mahal. Another management agreement has been signed with AIANA Hotels and Resorts, a global hotel management company, to operate a 150-room Aiana Hotel on the same plot of six acres. “We are delighted to partner with Al Sawari […]

Golden Tulip Hotels South Asia announced the launch of its first property in the eastern region of India – in the city of Kolkata. Golden Tulip Salt Lake Hotel Kolkata is a four-star contemporary luxury hotel will offer 55 rooms. It also offers a multi cuisine restaurant and a coffee shop for both in house […]

Accor Hotels and Brigade Group, Bangalore announced the opening of Grand Mercure Mysuru. The hotel has 146 spacious rooms and suites and is located within close proximity of all major tourist attractions as well as the central business district. The sixth floor of the hotel features a viewing gallery overlooking the Dasara procession, which happens […]

Preferred Hotels & Resorts expands its partnership with Fortune Hotels by announcing the addition of seven new properties to its portfolio, bringing its partnership with the group to a total of nine properties across key destinations in India. These include Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Gurgaon, Navi Mumbai and Noida. The association between Preferred Hotels & Resorts […]

In order boost the state’s tourism, Odisha Tourism has planned to organise the ‘Odisha Travel Bazaar’ on the lines of the Great Indian Travel Bazaar (GITB) and Kerala Travel Mart (KTM). Dr. R K Pattanayak, Tourist Officer, Department of Tourism, Govt of Odisha, said, “We are still on the verge of finalising this but we […]

Tamil Nadu tourism is all set launch a helicopter service for tourists on the temple trail of the state. The Commissioner of Tourism & Managing Director, Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC), said, “Hopefully, we will be coming up with adventure tourism products like helicopter services. Right now we are planning these services between Madurai- […]

Gatimaan Express, India Launches its first semi high speed train, was flagged off on April 5th, 2016. The train can touch the maximum speed of 160 kmph and has a GPS-based passenger information system with sliding doors in the coaches. A live TV service is part of infotainment system. There is a focus on good […]

India Tourism has been conferred with the 3rd position of the ‘Best Tourism Destination of Asia’ at ITB, Berlin. The award was collected by Vinod Zutshi, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism along with the members of Indian team. This is an added gem in the repository of awards and accolades given to the country in the […]

Effective March 27, India’s premier international airline, Jet Airways will operate three daily non-stop flights from Amsterdam to Mumbai, Delhi and Toronto. Together with codeshare partners KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and Delta Air Lines, Jet Airways will offer one stop codeshare access between India and 30 destinations across Europe and 11  destinations in the United […]

Given that the country was able to witness a growth of 6.8 per cent in Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) during  January 2016, Vinod Zutshi, Secretary – Tourism, Govt. of India, is not over ambitious to expect inbound tourism to flourish in 2016. “We are aiming at a 10 per cent growth in FTAs this year. […]

Chandigarh has a new address of luxury. Hyatt Regency has opened its door to the public from April 2, 2016, and is the first Hyattbranded hotel to launch in the city. There are 211-rooms in the hotel and are available at an opening offer starting from Rs 5,999 avg/night. The standard rates start from Rs. […]

Though this may not be great news, but as tour operators, one must factor these developments in the costing. Effective from April 1st, 2016, the entry fee for 32 World Heritage Monuments in India has been increased from Rs 250 to Rs 500 per head. For Indians and visitors from SAARC and BIMSTEC countries, as […]

The Telangana State Tourism Development Corporation (TSTDC) has amped up the holidaying experience in the state by launching two new  catamaran yachts on the Hussain Sagar Lake at Lumbini Park in Hyderabad, amidst a large cultural show. These have been sources from USA and boast of immaculate quality. Priced optimally at Rs 100 per person, […]