Page 126 - Hospitality Recreation
What to keep in mind while selecting travel bags
Always opt for padded backs and check if the backpack has a lot of storage space, say experts.
Chhattisgarh: Water crisis forces tribals to walk to MP village
With wells and natural water sources dried up, tribal people in Chhattisgarh's Pendra village are forced to make a 10-kilometer round-trip to a neighbouring village in Madhya Pradesh on foot to cater to their needs.With Chief Minister Raman Singh in his 'Vikas Yatra' hailing the development the state has undergone because of his efforts, a fair reflection of its shortcomings can be seen in the hardships that around 60 families of the indigenous Baiga tribe have to go through every day.For more than two months now, the wells and other natural water sources in the area have remained dry, while the one handpump, supplied by the government, provides only up to five buckets of water."We have to at least collect drinking water and for that we go to Paura (a village in Madhya Pradesh), walk around 5 km daily on an unpaved road," a local told ANI.Meanwhile, Pendra Janpad CEO OP Yadav said the matter has been conveyed to the Secretary of the Sarpanch (head of the panchayat), along with a ...
Declined rainfall, snowfall causing water crisis: Himachal CM
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Saturday cited the decline in rain and snowfall in 2018 for the acute water shortage in Shimla."This year we have received less snowfall and rain in Himachal Pradesh. The water level in the traditional water resources in Shimla has gone down. The water level which was around 36 MLD (millions of litres per day) in 2015 has gone down to 22 MLD this year," Thakur told ANI."It's tourist season and the population of Shimla has also increased leading to such crisis. Our government has taken measures to resolve the issue. Yesterday's rain has brought some relief as the water level has increased to 28.4 MLD," he added.Owing to the water crisis, the tourism industry in the hill station has been massively hit, with tourists cancelling their trips.The tourists are also complaining of overcharging for the services rendered to them.Bottled water prices in the town have inflated sharply due to the crisis, and the hotels have resorted to supplying ...
Shimla civic body snaps water connection to 20 hotels
The Shimla Municipal Corporation (SMC) today snapped water connections of 20 hotels, two days after the high court ordered the civic body to disconnect supply to the hotels that fail to clear their water bills within 48 hours. Some of the defaulting hoteliers did not pay their bills within the deadline set by the Himachal Pradesh High Court. SMC Commissioner Rohit Jamwal said directions have been issued to officials to snap connection of all defaulting hoteliers and submit a compliance report by tomorrow evening. Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur reviewed the situation through a video link and asked officials to ensure that water is supplied as per the schedule announced by the corporation.
SC refuses to interfere in Hotel Taj Mansingh's auction
The Supreme Court on Friday refused to interfere in the auction of the Delhi's Taj Mansingh Hotel by the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC).The Indian Hotels Company Ltd (IHCL) had approached the apex court seeking a stay on the auction.However, the top court said that it will not interfere in the NDMC procedure for the auction of the property.Earlier, the Delhi High Court had dismissed a plea by the Tata Group-owned IHCL which challenged the tender procedure of the proposed auction of the iconic hotel.The property, owned by the NDMC, was given to IHCL on a lease of 33 years, following which IHCL was running the property on several temporary extensions.Earlier, the IHCL had filed an appeal with a divisional bench of the Delhi High Court challenging the public auction of the hotel.
Auctioning of Taj Mahal hotel; Tata group firm withdraws plea from SC
Tata Group-owned Indian Hotels Company Ltd (IHCL) today withdrew from the Supreme Court the plea challenging the Delhi High Court order which had upheld the tender procedure for the proposed e-auctioning of Delhi's iconic Taj Mahal Hotel by civic body NDMC. IHCL took back its plea after a vacation bench comprising justices L Nageswara Rao and M M Shantanagoudar indicated that it will not entertain the appeal as the e-auctioning of the hotel has not taken place. "Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Mohan Parasaran, senior counsel appearing for the petitioner (IHCL) seek leave of this court to withdraw the special leave petition at this stage. The special leave petition is permitted to be withdrawn," the bench noted in its order. At the outset, the Tata group firm assailed the Delhi high court order and said the tender issued by New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), inviting bids for grant of leave and licence of the hotel situated at No.1, Mansingh Road here, should be quashed as it did not ...
Kerala launches campaign to woo tourists during Monsoon
Kerala Tourism has rolled out a campaign to attract visitors to the state during the rainy season. As part of the 'Come out and Play' campaign, the state offers the vactioners a chance to re-discover nature, rekindle relationships and reconnect with life by indulging in various activities like trekking, ayurvedic massage and river rafting, Kerala Tourism Director P Bala Kiran said. Kerala Tourism has been inviting travel enthusiasts to participate in #COMEOUTANDPLAY challenge, he said. Tourist arrivals during the monsoon season ie from June-October last year, was 6,142,190. There was an increase of 5,06,623 travellers as compared to 5,635,567 tourist arrivals during the monsoon season in 2016, he said. The campaign's main objective is to divest vactioners of their 'career selves' and 'pre-occupations' with devices, careers and various routines of everyday life, the official said. The campaign idea mainly focuses on 'PLAY' in the context of families and in-turn it ...
Bajaj Allianz Life announces one-time bonus for policy holders
Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance Company today announced a one-time special bonus at 1 per cent of the base sum assured, which is payable at the time of claim, for all its policyholders who have participating policies as on March 31, 2018. The one-time bonus is over and above the compounded reversionary Bonus declared for respective participating plans, the company said in a release here. Along with the one-time Special Bonus, Bajaj Allianz Life has also declared the yearly compounded reversionary bonus that is computed on the sum assured and all accumulated bonuses. ************ Royal Orchid Hotels opens property in Dahej, Gujarat * Royal Orchid Hotels today announced the launch of its new 4-star property Regenta Central Hestia in Dahej, Gujarat, featuring 69 rooms. "Regenta Central Hestia is our ninth property in the state. We have already embarked on our journey to add 15 new properties in India with focus on the tier II and III cities," Chander K Baljee, managing ...
Japan store bars wine from Golan Heights after protests
A major Japanese department store has quietly removed a vendor specialising in wine from Israel's occupied Golan Heights after protests from citizens' groups boycotting products from the region amid escalating violence there. Daimaru store said it withdrew its offer for Naturael, a Tokyo-based importer specialising in wine from the Golan - highly valued among connoisseurs - to participate in a fair in May. Naturael said the wine is produced and imported legally and that Daimaru's decision could lead to anti-Israel sentiment. Daimaru said the decision did not reflect any political stance and was only for the May 9-15 "Mediterranean gourmet and wine fair" at its Tokyo store. It said wine from elsewhere in Israel was sold at the fair and that Daimaru has no policy against Israeli products in general. But a spokesman acknowledged that Daimaru took into consideration activists' concerns about the wine's origin. "Today we cannot ignore geopolitical issues," said Satoshi Nishio, a spokesman .
Decks cleared for Hotel Taj Mansingh's auction
New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) can go ahead with the auctioning of the Taj Mansingh hotel after Supreme Court on Friday refused to interfere with a Delhi High Court order permitting the e-auction of the iconic five-star hotel.
Panchayat decides to close Goa's Betalbatim beach at night
More than a week after a 20-year-old woman was gang raped at Betalbatim beach in South Goa, a local panchayat has decided to prohibit the entry of visitors to the beach stretch after evening.
Simple cheesy treats for a perfect evening
Cheese is a versatile ingredient and can be used to cook up different evening snacks like a tart or a cheese potato stick.
Make way for Indigo prints, pastel shades this Summer (Lead, correcting para 8)
Summer means a clear blue sky, brighter days and sunshine that are perfect ingredients for happy mind and indeed a happy home. And just like your wardrobe, your home also needs seasonal change, which not only reflects your personality and style but also latest trend so how about opting indigo print and pastel shades.
Make way for Indigo prints, pastel shades this Summer
Summer means a clear blue sky, brighter days and sunshine that are perfect ingredients for happy mind and indeed a happy home. And just like your wardrobe, your home also needs seasonal change, which not only reflects your personality and style but also latest trend so how about opting indigo print and pastel shades.
When mountaineer Arjun Vajpai had to spend night in a helicopter (Adventure)
This is no ordinary village. Located at an elevation of 3,870 metres, it lies on the route to Kanchenjunga and treks can take you to either India or Tibet. Clouds here can come up suddenly, covering the two quaint guest houses in snow-white opaqueness, restricting vision to your immediate surroundings. Helicopter sorties in the area can be tricky because of the weather and the terrain.
Shimla water crisis: Officials cracks down on illegal connections
As Shimla is witnessing acute water shortage for the past few days, authorities have ordered to snap illegal water supply to normalise the crisis in the city.Speaking to ANI, Shimla Deputy Commissioner Amit Kashyap said, "I received a couple of complaints regarding the illegal connections of water and they were correct. So, I have ordered the seizure of the same and have told the concerned people to take appropriate action against the culprits."He said that he was directed by the Chief Minister and Chief Secretary of the state itself to take stern action against this."I myself visited some spots in order to take a stock of the situation. Investigation in the case has been ordered and the culprits will not be spared," he added.Angry local residents complained that the crisis has now touched the eighth day."We are not receiving adequate amount of water. We can hardly fill a bucket of water," said a local resident, Om Prakash.Meanwhile, the tourism industry in Himachal Pradesh's Shimla ..
Tourism Minister launches the guidelines by government on Adventure Tourism
Releasing the guidelines, the Tourism Minister said India has immense potential for adventure tourism ranging from the Himalayas to the coastal regions. Shri. K. J. Alphons said that these guidelines are a beginning to building adventure tourism in India and extended whole support to all stakeholders for developing this niche sector so as to tap the whole potential offered. The Minister also added that for India to be a well sought after destination, the facilities and support staff should be developed to global standards.
Govt releases adventure tourism guidelines
In a first, the government today came out with guidelines for adventure tourism in the country, governing activities such as mountaineering, bungee jumping and scuba diving to ensure that they are conducted in a safe manner. The guidelines cover 15 land-based, seven air-based and seven water-based activities. Ministry of Tourism, along with the Adventure Tour Operators Association of India (ATOAI), has formulated the guidelines which will standardise the safety and quality norms for adventure tourism in India. "70 per cent of Himalayas are in our country and we have 8,000 km of coastline, we have tropical forests, deserts and beaches. Why can't we have a share of the pie of adventure tourism? We have to make these activities safe and secure for tourists," Tourism Minister K J Alphons said while releasing the guidelines. The 170-page document covers land, air and water based activities which include mountaineering, trekking, bungee jumping, paragliding, kayaking, scuba diving, ...
'Party city' Amsterdam warns rowdy Brits they may face fines
Amsterdam today warned rowdy British and Dutch tourists who "party excessively" in the city that they could face stiff fines, in the latest campaign to halt drunken mayhem on the streets. The campaign specifically targets men aged between 18 to 34 years, who are increasingly attracted by the freewheeling Dutch capital's beer-drinking and soft-drug culture, as well as the salacious draw of its red light district. Enticed by cheap travel, groups of young men -- mainly from elsewhere in the Netherlands or Britain -- frequently roam the inner city's canal-lined streets at weekends, on elaborate pub crawls or to celebrate noisy stag parties. "All too often the result is drunkenness, noise in the street, litter and public urination," Amsterdam Marketing said, launching its "Enjoy & Respect" campaign. It warned that there was a "high price for bad behaviour". Under existing laws, those caught peeing in the streets can be fined 140 euros (USD 160), the same fine as for raucous late-night .
Paramotoring event to mark Telangana Formation Day
: A three-day paramotoring event will be organised in Secunderabad from June 3 as part of the fourth anniversary of Telangana Formation Day, a senior official said today. "We are bringing the paramotoring festival to Hyderabad which is a first-of-its kind in the state. Ten expert pilots, who represented India in World ParaMotoring Championship will take part in the event," Tourism Secretary B Venkatesham told reporters. The 'Telangana Formation Flight-2018' includes flag-towing, flower shower and joy rides. The Tourism department will facilitate joy rides for common public at a price of Rs 2,500 and they shall be guided by expert teams from take-off to safe landing, he said. "Adventure sport enthusiasts, aviation lovers, students, and youth can experience the spirit of para-motoring as a sport and explore how it is useful in real life for linking places during calamities and medical crises," he said. A slew of cultural and literary programmes, food festival, colourful ...