Page 173 - Hospitality Recreation
Ministry of Tourism concludes cultural extravaganza "Bharat Parv"
'Bharat Parv' concluded at the Red Fort (Lal Quila), Delhi today in the presence of K.J. Alphons, Minister of State (I/C) for Tourism and Dr. Mahesh Sharma, Minister of State (I/C) for Culture.The Parv was organized by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India at the Red Fort, Delhi from 26th to 31st January, 2018.During the closing ceremony, under "Adopt a Heritage: Apni Dharohar, Apni Pehchaan" project, Letters of Intent for 40 monuments to nine agencies of Phase-II and Letters of Intent for 22 monuments to eight agencies of Phase-III were handed over by the Minister of Culture and the Minister of Tourism.Ministry of Tourism in collaboration with Ministry of Culture and Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), state/UTs governments and local bodies launched "Adopt a Heritage: Apni Dharohar, Apni Pehchaan" project to preserve the rich cultural and natural heritage and to promote tourism across the length and breadth of our country.In addition, the MOUs were signed with Adventure ...
Super Blue Blood Moon enthrals visitors at Desert Festival
The grand finale of the three-day annual Desert Festival here coincided with the appearance of the rare Super Blue Blood Moon, providing spectators an experience of a lifetime. Nestled in the golden sand dunes in the outskirts of Jaisalmer, the mesmerised audience watched as the rare, eclipsed full moon rose in to the night sky while Rajasthani folk dancers and musicians showcased the diverse culture of the 'Golden City'. The annual Desert Festival is usually scheduled so that it ends on a full moon night. During a supermoon, the full moon appears slightly larger and brighter than usual. It is called a blood moon when during an eclipse the moon appears red. "I come for the festival every year, but this was the first time we saw the moon this way," Sumer Singh Bhati, a local resident who attended the grand finale with his family, told PTI. From the popular Drag Queen Harish, who enthralled the audience with his dance, to the local music troupes, the performance brought ..
Focus on border infra, tunnel to be constructed near Tawang: Jaitley
The government will focus on developing infrastructure in the border areas, and a tunnel will be constructed under the Sela Pass in Arunachal Pradesh to promote connectivity and tourism, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said in his Budget speech.
Letters of Intent Under 'Adopt a Heritage' Project Handed over to 17 Agencies for 62 Monuments
In addition, the MOUs were signed with Adventure Tour Operators Association of India (ATAOI) and State of Jammu & Kashmir for 2 natural sites: (1) Mt Stok Kangri trek route, Laddakh, J&K; and (2) Gangotri Temple Area & Trail to Gaumukh, Uttarakhand.
Kourtney takes cider vinegar shots
Reality TV personality Kourtney Kardashian tries to stick to a healthy diet, which she enjoys alongside apple cider vinegar drinks, probiotics and other supplements.
Sachin to be star attraction in Kolkata Full Marathon
Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar will be the star attraction in the IDBI Federal Life Insurance Kolkata Full Marathon here on Sunday.
Ker to re-brand itself as 'Land of Adventure tourism'
Kerala is aiming to re-brand itself as a 'Land of Adventure' to increase tourist arrivals--both foreign and domestic in the nextfive years. The state was targetting the increase of foreign and domestic tourist arrivals by 100 per cent and 50 per cent respectively in the next five years, a tourism department press release said. Kerala showcased its unexplored destinations and adventure tourism hot spots at the silver jubilee edition of SATTE-South Asia's leading travel and tourism exhibition at New Delhi today. On the rebranding of Kerala,Tourism minister Kadakampally Surendran said that over the years, the industry had changed rapidly with vistors preferring to go beyond the historic temples, monuments and modern sights. Tourists prefer to explore hills, waterfalls and forests by indulging in adventorous activities, he said, adding that hencefourth the state aims to be re-branded as the 'land of adventure' to woo the younger generation by offering activity and water ...
Indian-origin skier dies in French Alps fall
An Indian-origin media executive and his childhood friend have died after falling several hundred metres down the icy, rocky terrain, with hard and compacted snow while skiing in the French Alps, French police has said. London-based Rajen Mahendra fell to his death at Chamonix-Mont-Blanc on Sunday along with Oscar Cassagneau- Francis. Both 26-year-old men, officially named in the UK this week, grew up in Cambridge and were experienced skiers. According to eyewitnesses, they crashed on a 45-degree slope on a notorious stretch of the le Couloir du Chapeau in icy conditions. "The two men fell one after the other. They fell independently but within a couple of minutes of each other. They fell several hundred metres. For sure these men were good skiers but the conditions are not good. It is icy there," said a spokesperson for the PGHM, the high mountain police in Chamonix, France. Reports from the Alps indicate that the slope should have been used only by extreme skiers using
'Medaram Jathara', mega tribal festival, starts in Telangana
The four-day mega tribal festival, 'Sammakka Saralamma Maha Jathara' or 'Medaram Jathara', started in Jayashankar Bhupalpally district of Telangana today. The state government's website describes the festival, held every two years at Medaram village in Tadvai mandal, deep inside forests, as the largest tribal religious gathering in the world. In-charge District Collector R V Karnan told PTI that the opening day has already seen a footfall of over 10 lakh, and some 15 lakh people are expected to visit through the day. "Over 1 crore devotees are expected to visit the festival this year. Over the past one week over 50 lakh people have already visited," he said. During the Jathara, declared a state festival by the Telangana government, tribal devotees offer obeisance to goddesses Sammakka and her daughter Saralamma. As per the folklore, the festival commemorates the fight of Sammakka and Saralamma against the oppression of Kakatiya rulers. On the first day, arrival of ...
'Appalling' Malaysian tourism logo to stay: tourism chief
A Malaysian tourism campaign logo featuring cartoon animals wearing sunglasses which was widely panned online will stay despite the criticisms, the tourism minister said today. The "Visit Malaysia 2020" logo features drawings of Malaysian animals -- including an orangutan wrapping an arm around the shoulders of a proboscis monkey -- set against garish, multi-coloured fonts with the slogan "Travel. Enjoy. Respect". Malaysian netizens have widely criticised the logo as dated and an eye-sore. But Tourism Minister Nazri Abdul Aziz has refused to budge. "I still stick to the same logo, no change," he told AFP in brief comments. An online petition has been launched on change.org to demand the tourism ministry to stop using the design. "The design is appalling. It looks cheap and does not represent the country, the people and its history," said the petition, which has garnered 9,873 signatures by Wednesday afternoon. "The public were not consulted. This petition is to STOP ...
JCB promotes cashless economy in Okinawa
Okinawa Prefecture is a popular tourist spot in Japan. Known for its natural and rich climate surrounded by beautiful sea, it has become a popular place to visit, recommended not only for the native Japanese but also for foreign tourists.The international payment brand, JCB, is planning to make visitors enjoy the various sightseeing spots of Okinawa more comfortably. To attract tourists, JCB, Okinawa Bank, Tourism Association among others have jointly initiated to offer gifts to tourists using JCB cards for shopping.This time, the promotion is taking place in the nature-rich "Motobu area" in the northern part of Okinawa."Many foreign tourists visit Okinawa. Last February, a direct flight between Okinawa and Bangkok, Thailand was launched. In November, a direct flight connecting Singapore was also launched. Now the importance of travel from Asia is increasing. Foreign tourists are basically paying with cashless cards, so I would like to increase the number of shops where JCB cards can .
New book makes cooking and baking everybody's cup of tea
A steaming bowl of soup is just what one needs on cold winter evenings, and chef and author Nirmal Khanna's new book is the perfect key to whip up delicious bowls of warmth right in one's personal kitchen. Khanna's book -- "Cook and Bake: The Easy Way" is a revamp of her earlier book of the same name, published 35 years back in 1982. It features over 100 recipes, including some favourites from the earlier edition. According to one of Khanna's soup recipes, some finely chopped mushrooms, a little butter, sauteed with onions and flour, in chicken or vegetable stock, is all one needs to make a comforting bowl of mushroom soup. She does not specify the kind of mushrooms, but adds a quick tip for the more adventurous cooks who might like to experiment with varieties like shiitake, morelle or chestnut, for an intense flavour. "...(the soup is) perfect for a special party dinner," she writes. To ensure that her recipes from the older book continue to cater to contemporary ...
Chef Vikas Khanna a 'Buried Seed' that bloomed (Book Review)
Title: Buried Seeds: A Chef's Journey -- The Story of Vikas Khanna; Author: Karan Bellani; Publisher: Wisdom Tree; Pages: 155; Price: Rs 345
US declares Laos casino operators a criminal network
The United States is declaring the Zhao Wei network that operates a casino in Laos to be a transnational criminal organisation. The Treasury Department imposed sanctions Tuesday on four individuals and three companies across Laos, Thailand and Hong Kong, freezing any US assets and prohibiting Americans from dealing with them. Treasury officials say the Kings Romans Casino is a hub for trafficking in drugs, people and wildlife. The department says the network stores and distributes heroin and methamphetamine, and smuggles endangered animals, including Asiatic black bears, pangolins, tigers, rhinos and elephants. The casino is reportedly a draw for gamblers from nearby China and sells food and other products derived from exotic animals. The sanctioned individuals include Chinese national Zhao Wei, co-owner of the three companies linked to the casino.
Sri Lanka eyes 4.4 lakh tourists from India in 2018: Official
Bouyed by growing number of tourists from India, Sri Lanka has now kept a target of 4.4 lakh travellers from the country this year, officials today said. Describing itself as 'a destination for all seasons', officials of the Sri Lanka Tourism, at a press conference here, also announced that a record 3,84,628 tourists arrived from India last year. "Understanding the unique offerings for Indian travellers, destination Sri Lanka now targets for 4,40,000 Indian arrivals, this year," the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau said in a statement. The Sri Lanka Tourism has recently been awarded as the 'Emerging Destination of the Year' by Conde Nast Traveller India and 'Asia's leading Adventure Tourism Destination of the Year' in 2017, it said. A survey conducted by the Sri Lanka Tourism, highlights that, 63.7 per cent of Indians opt for sightseeing excursions and nearly 50 per cent go for shopping. "37.01 per cent Indian travellers visit the historical sites in Sri Lanka, while .
French climber saved on Pakistan's 'killer mountain' flies
The French mountaineer who was saved in a daring night-time rescue on a Pakistan peak nicknamed "killer mountain" flew home today, vowing to come back to scale other mountains. Elisabeth Revol was rescued by an elite group of Polish climbers who scaled part of the 8,125 metres (26,660 feet) mountain Nanga Parbat in darkness overnight Saturday and Sunday to reach her. They were unable to reach a second climber, Polish national Tomek (Tomasz) Mackiewicz, however, making the "terrible and painful" decision to leave him behind. "Good bye Pakistan. I will come again to climb mountains of Pakistan but not Nanga Parbat," Revol said in a departure message shared by the Alpine Club of Pakistan. "Thanks to all official(s) including Pakistan Army, Alpine Club of Pakistan and local authorities," she was quoted as saying in the message. "Revol left Pakistan at 3:00 am local time on Monday night with an aim to come back soon," Karrar Haidri, a spokesman for Alpine Club of Pakistan, ...
Preferred Hotels and Resorts celebrates 50 years of inspiring travel
Fifty years after 12 North American hoteliers established Preferred Hotels Association as a referral organization, this week, the Preferred brand celebrates its 50-year anniversary of curating exceptional independent hotels that deliver authentic, memorable, and inspiring travel experiences.Over the past five decades, filled with expansion into every region of the world and the continued addition of experiential programs and technology, the company has evolved to become Preferred Hotels & Resorts, the world's largest independent hotel brand with more than 650 one-of-a-kind member hotels, resorts, and residences across 85 countries.To commemorate this major milestone, Preferred Hotels and Resorts has launched a year-long Golden Anniversary campaign that invites travelers to explore its vast portfolio of independent hotels through a series of consumer-driven initiatives.Among the celebratory activities launching today are an inspiring video series; a new social media campaign, ...
Police arrest alleged molester hours after US tourist complains on Facebook
Hours after a US tourist complained on social media of being molested during a bike ride, while on a holiday in Goa on Republic Day eve, Police on Tuesday arrested one Isidore Ferandes, 44, as a suspect for the alleged crime.
Men's fashion trends to look out for in 2018
Similar to women's fashion, men's fashion also keeps changing, but many men do not go overboard with trends and stick to their comfort while dressing. Now, they dont have to worry as 2018 brings a host of trends in mens clothing that will match up to their body type.
Desert Festival: A melting pot of Jaisalmer's pride
Shimmering ghagras, colourful turbans, gravity defying moustaches and majestically decorated camels defined the opening day of the annual Desert Festival being held here. The three-day festival which began yesterday and is organised by Rajasthan Tourism, and District Administration of Jaisalmer attracted thousands of tourists from all over the country and the world to the 'Golden City'. The festival brought forth a paraphernalia of the artistic and cultural riches of the desert amidst a crowd that immersed itself into the vibrant mood of the festival, despite the scorching heat. "There are 8,000 to 9,000 people at the venue at any given time, and the entire festival has over 40,000 people visiting," district administrator Bhagirath Singh told PTI. The festival kicked off with the 'Shobha Yatra' - a procession of folk dancers, musicians playing dhols and shehnais, and ornately decorated camels mounted by men handsomely dressed in the traditional Rajasthani attire. The ...