Page 138 - Hospitality Recreation

Himachal govt plans Heli-Taxi facility at tourist places: official

To boost the tourism sector, Himachal government would make all possible efforts to encourage 'Heli-Taxi' services at major tourist destinations, a senior official said today. Presiding over a meeting of the officials of aviation companies including Pawan Hans Limited, Skyone Airways, Ind Jet and hospitality sector bodies, Additional Chief Secretary, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Manisha Nanda said at present the state had three functional airports at Gaggal, Shimla and Bhuntar. Work was in progress to facilitate the tourists and common people at Rampur and Jhakri in Shimla, Baddi in district Solan, Pandoh in Mandi and Manali in Kullu under Uddan-II scheme, she said. Nanda assured full cooperation of the state government to air-taxi companies in the tourism sector.

Youth's death could be last nail in Kashmir's tourism coffin: Industry

The fragile tourism industry in Kashmir has taken another blow with the death of a tourist hit by stones, and the sector fears that the incident may further affect the already falling footfall in the troubled Valley. The killing of the Chennai youth could be the proverbial final nail in the coffin of tourism in Kashmir, Ashfaq Siddiq, president Travel Agents Association Kashmir (TAAK), said today. The tourist. 22-year-old R Thirumani, was critically injured in a stone pelting incident at Narbal yesterday and died later in the day of head injuries, triggering outrage and concern. This is a sad incident which should not have happened. Unfortunately, we feel that it will have an impact on tourist arrivals to Kashmir. I think it will be the final nail in the coffin, Siddiq told PTI. Tourism in the state has already suffered because of prolonged periods of unrest in the Valley, hoteliers said. There has been a steep fall in the number of domestic tourists since 2016, when the killing of ..

Targeting visitors will hurt Kashmir's tourism-dependent economy: JK BJP

BJP national vice president Avinash Rai Khanna said today the death of a tourist who was targeted by stone-pelters in Kashmir was an attack aimed at hurting the economic activities and the vibrant tourism sector in the state. R Thirumani, a 22-year-old resident of Chennai holidaying in the Valley with his family, died in a stone-pelting incident near Narbal in Kashmir yesterday. "This attack has come at a time when the tourist season is just commencing and all stake-holders linked with the tourist industry were keenly waiting the arrival of tourists in large numbers," Khanna said. "Such incidents come as a shock for all, including the tourists," he said, adding that tourists have planned their visit in advance and booked hotels, lodges and houseboats. Khanna said it goes without saying that a large number of people from different parts of the country and abroad come to enjoy the natural beauty of the Kashmir Valley every year. He said right from hotel owners to houseboat owners, ...

Killing of Chennai tourist in Kashmir widely condemned

The killing of a tourist from Chennai in a stone pelting incident has been widely condemned in the valley, with both mainstream politicians and the separatist leaders criticising the attack that took place in Jammu and Kashmir a day ago.

California Walnut Commission hosts festival in Bengaluru

California Walnut Commission in association with Smoor hosted its first ever California Walnut Festival in Bengaluru today. Addressing the gathering were Kanchan Achpal, Head of Marketing, Smoor and Chef Nikhil Naibagkar who shared their views on how walnuts have a flavor profile that pairs beautifully with a variety of seasonal foods.Showcasing the usage and versatility of walnuts, Chef Nikhil Naibagkar curated an exciting Indo-Western fusion menu made exclusively with California Walnuts. The month-long festival, will offer some delectable appetizers and lip-smacking walnut desserts such as Bruschetta with California walnuts pesto and vegetables, California walnuts and potato croquettes and Raspberry and lychee sundae with roasted California walnuts to the discerning consumers in Bangalore.Pamela Graviet, Sr. Marketing Director, International at California Walnut Board and Commission said, "The California Walnut Festival is the city's first edition of the walnut festival dedicated to

Build fond memories with right family trips

Everyone needs rest to rejuvenate themselves. Plan a family trip that suits the larger interest.

Lemon Tree to invest Rs 850 crore on capex in 3 years

Lemon Tree Hotels Ltdtoday said it will be investing Rs 850 crore in the next three years for expanding its footprint in the country. President of Lemon Tree Hotels, Vikramjit Singh saidthey have earmarked a total of Rs 1,700 crore for adding1,500 rooms,which are currentlyunder constructionand expected to be completed by financial year 2021and spent half of the total budget. "The total capital that will be deployed in these 1,500 rooms will aboutRs1,700 crore. Of this roughly half of it has already beendeployedand another half of it will be deployed near completionby FY21. All the1500rooms are availableby Fy 21,"Singh told reporters here. The mid-priced hotel chain presently operates 4,907 rooms in 49 hotels including managed ones across 31 cities and aims to operate 78 hotels with 8,152 rooms in 54 cities by 2020-21, he said. He further said 64 per cent of Lemon Tree's rooms are company-owned, while the rest are owned by others and managed by the company. It also plans

Dubai Tourism launches Dubai Pass to experience best attractions

Dubai's Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) is launching a new way for visitors to enjoy the city's exciting range of attractions, experiences and tours.Announced at Arabian Travel Market (ATM), Dubai Pass, an all-inclusive pre-paid card, grants cash-free access to 33 key events and venues across Dubai, making it the perfect way for tourists to explore the city's world-class destination proposition.It will be available to redeem from 16 May 2018.Starting at AED399, the pass offers 'Select' and 'Unlimited' packages, with a specially-curated list of popular attractions and experiences.These include Burj Khalifa, Dubai Parks and Resorts, IMG Worlds of Adventure, Wild Wadi Waterpark, Ski Dubai, Desert Safari Tours, and many more.With every purchase, visitors will also receive a 50 percent discount on tickets to La Perle - the city's one-of-a-kind live entertainment show with acrobatics and aerial stunts - by simply presenting their Dubai Pass when buying a ticket .

Being fit should include both mind, body: Celebrity trainer

Celebrity fitness trainer Shivoham, who has worked with superstar Aamir Khan in his film "Ghajini" along with a few other stars like Ranveer Singh and Kangana Ranaut, says that fitness should not just be restricted to a fit body as it is important to have a fit mind too.

Signet Industries updates on business

Secures order from the M P Jal Nigam

Giraffe kills filmmaker at wildlife facility in South Africa

A giraffe has killed a South African filmmaker who was on assignment at a wildlife facility northwest of Johannesburg. Filming agency CallaCrew says Carlos Carvalho was filming a feature on Wednesday at the Glen Afric farm in Broederstroom when he "had a fatal run-in with a giraffe on set." The agency says Carvalho was flown to a Johannesburg hospital and died there of injuries that night. South African media say Carvalho was near the giraffe when it swung its neck and knocked him over. The Glen Afric website promises tourists that "you can get up close and personal to a number of our resident wildlife." The British television series "Wild at Heart" was filmed at Glen Afric, which invites visitors to tour the area where filming occurred.

Maha plans to develop Mumbai-Aurangabad-Nagpur as tourism

The Maharashtra government is planning to develop the 'Mumbai-Aurangabad-Nagpur' triangle as a tourist circuit to attract visitors. The Mumbai-Aurangabad-Nagpur belt will be developed on the lines of the Jaipur-Delhi-Agra Golden Triangle tourist circuit, principal secretary (tourism) Vijay Kumar Gautam told PTI. A detailed project report will be prepared in three months and global tenders will be floated to appoint a consultancy firm for the purpose, he said. The state has immense tourism potential and the need of the hour is to attract more visitors, Gautam said. "Despite being a large state, we still lag behind in terms of tourism though we have a long coastline, tiger safaris and naturally rich tourist destinations," he said. To popularise the Mumbai-Aurangabad-Nagpur tourist circuit, it is necessary to upgrade the transport and infrastructure facilities in these three cities as well as nearby areas, he said. The aim is to develop the tourist circuit in a way that ...

Padma Lakshmi poses for naked photo shoot

India-born supermodel Padma Lakshmi posed with pizza slices in a bathtub for a naked photo shoot.

Private dining spaces are a new hit amongst partygoers in Delhi-NCR

With the Indian hospitality industry growing at a fast pace, the Delhi- NCR market has a decent share of expansive outlets that are mostly preferred by the partygoers as well as regular visitors.Restaurateurs, however, are focusing on providing a complete entertainment experience to the guests by offering private dining spaces.Here are some of the outlets that are a hit with the partygoers:Ministry of BeerThis outlet in Gurugram is spread over an area of 27,000 sq ft records an annual footfall of 8000 people. A bigger space has come helpful to provide a wholesome entertainment experience."Setting up the biggest brewery, we wanted to explore into multiple private dining spaces. This sets us apart from our competitors. With a huge we have been able to incorporate everything," said Director, Rishabh Raizada, Ministry of BeerTime MachineTime Traveller's pub in Noida, a sprawling area of 15,000 sq ft has 4 private dining spaces. The outlet records a monthly footfall of over 8000 people. ...

NutrioBox expands offerings to Gurgaon

After capturing the Delhi market, NutrioBox is all set to conquer the food lovers of Gurgaon.NutrioBox, an F&B venture in delivery and retail model of serving healthy food and drinks, has recently expanded its operations to Gurgaon region.Initiated by Satvik Ahuja and Aayush Yadav, NutrioBox offers healthy, fresh and tasty food."These days being healthy and fit is a new rage and need of the hour. Most of the corporates are also opting for healthy food delivering options as most of them have sitting jobs and less of workout time. Due to erratic work schedules, health concerns are increasing at a very high rate. NutrioBox provides an affordable and expansive platform offering healthy, fresh and great tasting dishes with adaptive and flexible ordering options for people to fulfill their daily healthy diet requirements," said co-founder, NutrioBox, Satvik Ahuja.NutrioBox aims to be an umbrella organization in the health and lifestyle sector with complementing fitness assistance and ...

Of 111 whiskys and a 60-foot-long bar (Foodie Trail-Gurugram)

Innovation is the name of the game when an eatery jostles for space in a complex that houses some 50 other outlets and The Whisky Bar in this tech hub has done it in style with 111 brands of the amber brew and a 60-foot-long bar complete with a conveyor belt.

Food that promotes sleep

Food plays an important role in getting a restful night. Paying attention to what you eat can go a long way towards getting a good sleep, say experts.

Hotel rooms by the hour or the minute

Most hotels already offer quick checkout. Now, a growing number are selling briefer stays, too. Through an app called Recharge, some 50 hotels in San Francisco and New York offer rooms by the minute at 40 cents to USD 2 per minute, depending on demand and time of day. That means the opportunity to take an hour nap in a comfortable bed for USD 24 to USD 120 before the usual taxes and other fees collected by hotels. That isn't exactly a bargain. For instance, two of the participating hotels recently were offering full-night stays for USD 269, before taxes. That works out to about USD 12 per hour, assuming a regular check-in and check-out time. But it's a savings over the full-night rate for those who don't need the full night. Recharge says its app has drawn interest from travellers needing a nap after an overnight flight and from nursing mothers looking for some privacy and comfort. Although the hotel still needs to pay for cleaning and administrative tasks, it's extra money for a ...

IRCTC website down for few hours

People could not book tickets for around two hours today on the IRCTC website due to a technical glitch. The website of the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) was down between 10:57 am and 12:50 pm with passengers unable to book or cancel any tickets at that time. "It was a technical glitch and it has been resolved," said IRCTC spokesperson Siddharth Singh. The most affected were passengers who were trying to book tickets under the Tatkal scheme and kept waiting for the website to go live. Sources say that the problem was at the railway's end and during that time passenger enquiry number 139 was also hit.

Indian owned Hero Cycles unveils new Insync bike range for UK market

The world's biggest bicycle manufacturer, Indian owned Hero Cycles on May 3 launched its keenly anticipated new range of bikes for the UK and European market under the new 'Insync' brand in Manchester.The Insync range of 75 new bikes is the first designed by Hero's new design team operating from the £2 million Hero Cycles Global Design Centre (HGD) in Manchester, which opened in January 2017 following Hero's investment in the Manchester based distribution house Avocet Sports Limited.Top bike names including three-time BMX world champion Shanaze Reade, from Crewe, will showcase the new Insync range to an audience of dignitaries and industry leaders at Old Trafford football ground, home of Manchester United.The Ludhiana-headquartered operation is using its UK base as a spring board into mainland Europe integrating cycling into major projects involving smart cities, carbon emission reduction and traffic management.Avocet Sports Limited's CEO Sreeram Venkateswaran hailed the Insync launch