Page 174 - Hospitality Recreation

GoFro, Dept of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi to support the rising interest of Indian travellers

India's foremost online holiday marketplace GoFro has partnered with Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi (DCT) to support the rising tourism in the country.Abu Dhabi, which is now becoming one of the preferred choice for Indian travellers with steep rise in tourism is last two years, welcomed over 3, 50,000 Indian visitors last year.The Abu Dhabi Tourism Board is expecting to a significant increase in number of tourist this year with new attractions coming to the destination. The average length of stay for Indian visitors is 2.8 nights, which shows that people are keen to explore Abu Dhabi.DCT partnered with GoFro, to leverage company's unique travel marketplace model with packages and customised travel option from all leading travel companies of the country.The partnership will enable travelers to get travel advice from local travel experts from Abu Dhabi and help them to customize travel plans. GoFro has been successfully offering best travel solutions for offbeat travel ..

2 men arrested in 2010 Key West gold bar theft

Authorities say two men have been arrested in the 2010 theft of a museum's 17th-century gold bar, valued at USD 550,000. A US Department of Justice statement says 41-year-old Richard Steven Johnson, of Rio Linda, California, and 32- year-old Jarred Alexander Goldman, of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, were arrested today and charged with conspiring to steal and stealing the gold bar from the Mel Fisher Maritime Heritage Museum in Key West. Both await arraignment. It wasn't known if they have lawyers. The 74.8-ounce (2.1-kilogram) bar was found in 1980 on a 1622 Spanish galleon wreck off the Florida Keys by the late shipwreck salvor Mel Fisher. Authorities say it hasn't been recovered. The artifact was long displayed in an acrylic museum case, allowing visitors to touch and lift it.

Multi-pronged strategy to make JK global tourist destinations:

Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Minister Tassaduq Hussain Mufti said today the state government had adopted a multi-pronged strategy to harness the tourism potential of the state and position it as the leading global destination. He also gave details according to which during 2017, over 12.27 lakh tourists including foreigners visited Kashmir, over 9.22 lakh to Jammu and over 2.30 lakh to Ladakh region. "The idea is to make tourism sector the principal engine of the state's economic growth," Mufti said winding up the discussion on demands for grants of tourism and allied departments for the year 2018-19. In his maiden speech in the legislative Assembly, the minister, who is the brother of Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, said the government's endeavour was to frame a tourism policy for not just creating jobs but to ensure better livelihood for the people. "We should not ignore the environmental consequences while creating infrastructure and exploring new destinations," he said .

Raisina Hill: Kaleidoscopic lights replace incandescent glory

At the end of the Beating Retreat ceremony today, the iconic Raisina Hill complex did not break into a blaze of incandescent glory, but instead it was a riot of kaleidoscopic lights dazzling the majestic buildings. In a break from tradition, the imposing Rashtrapti Bhawan, and the twin North Block and South Block were bathed in a dynamic LED display, evoking a different aura of the landscape. "Every year, we are used to seeing the countless bulbs lighting up brilliantly towards the end of the Retreat ceremony, and people would let out a huge cheer. This time, its a new lighting and hence that hurrah reaction was not quite there," a security personnel on duty, who did not wish to be named, said. The Beating Retreat ceremony is similar to an annual pilgrimage for many Delhiiites and some visitors even come from nearby places, just to see the dazzling lights, but this year, they were in for a colourful surprise. In the Rashtrapati Bhawan complex, the central dome towered ..

Forex revenue from tourism touches $27.7 bn in 2017:Eco Survey

Foreign exchange earnings (FEEs) from tourism grew 20.8 per cent to USD 27.7 billion in 2017, helped by the initiatives taken by the government for the sector, the Economic Survey said today. As per the provisional data of Ministry of Tourism, foreign tourist arrivals (FTAs) stood at 10.2 million during 2017, a growth of 15.6 per cent. FEEs from tourism were at USD 27.7 billion, witnessing a growth of 20.8 per cent over 2016, it added. FTAs stood at 8.8 million and FEEs were at USD 22.9 billion in 2016, the Economic Survey 2017-18 that was tabled in Parliament today noted. The government has taken various initiatives to promote tourism. Recent measures include the introduction of the e- visa facility under three categories of tourist, medical and business for the citizens of 163 countries, it added. Other initiatives include launch of global media campaign for 2017-18 on various channels, launch of 'The Heritage Trail' to promote the world heritage sites in India, launch

Interior trends for 2018

From designer chairs with royal prints, wall coverings to sage becoming the new neutral colour tone, interior trends for 2018 have more to do with subtle elegance.

'For long weekend lined up, Indians prefer exploring foreign destinations'

Indians are making the most of the chance to explore international destinations, says a research by a travel search engine Kayak

Coloured denims: Get the style right

Get experimental with denims and choose a coloured pair to stand out. But ensure you choose one which flatters your body type and which looks suitable for the place you may be heading to, suggest experts.

Delhi govt trying to make Burari vehicle test centre

The Delhi government's Transport Department is making efforts to convert its fitness test centre for vehicles at Burari into a fully automated facility, an official said. A proposal in this regard has been sent to the government for approval and work for upgrading the centre will begin after it, the Transport Department official said. Currently the fitness of smaller vehicles such as auto, taxi, rural transport vehicles is done manually at the Burari centre. If the proposal sees the light of day, the centre will have five corridors equipped with sensors to test fitness of the vehicles, the official said. The test centre, currently, sees around 300 vehicles for coming in for fitness checking. The first automated fitness test centre in Delhi has been set up in Jhuljhuli for bigger vehicles that include buses and trucks. Automation will improve the accuracy of the fitness test as various parameters such as brakes, clutches headlights, suspension among others will be checked

Sushmita Sen to be Kotwara's showstopper at LFW

Former beauty queen Sushmita Sen will add panache to the Lakme Fashion Week (LFW) Summer/Resort 2018 ramp as the showstopper for brand Kotwara by Meera and Muzaffar Ali.

Weekend planning made simpler with these apps

Weekends give one some time to let their hair down so that they can be refreshed and energised during the week. But with so many options to choose from, the task of what to do could be daunting, and can even take up the whole weekend.However, technology has made everything look easier, with a number of apps offering varied choices for weekend plans, right from choosing what movie or TV show to watch, to events or parties happening in the vicinity.Here are some apps to help you craft the perfect weekend plan:RoposoRoposo's 'Near You' allows one to find out events happening in the city. One just needs to follow the channel regularly to be updated on events happening near them and accordingly plan their day.NearifyNearify, an event discovery platform segregates the information of the events available based on multiple criteria such as distance from the current location and genre of entertainment. One just needs to type their requirements on the application and identify an event best ...

Tourism and the changing face of a barren land

The tourism boom driven by the annual Rann Utsav being celebrated since 2005 has changed the financial landscape of the 25-odd villages in this barren salt pans of the Rann of Kutch. These barren villages bordering the Pakistani sand dunes on the West and the marshy coastal patches to the East leading to the town of Bhuj in Gujarat, were reduced to heaps of debris after the January 26, 2001 earthquake that left over 12,000 people dead and tens of thousands maimed. And the steady rise in the number of tourists reflects the increasing economic well-being of these sparsely populated villages. In 2017, as many as 2.23 lakh tourists visited the Rann Utsav compared to 2.01 lakh in 2016, recording a decent 11 per cent growth, according to data from the Gujarat Tourism. The festival, celebrated from November 1 till mid- February every year, has helped rejuvenate the nearby 25-odd tiny villages, mainly housing culturally rich semi-nomadic tribes who were hit hard after the ...

Koli cuisine: Adding 'tadka' at fisher-folk weddings

Weddings, across India, are a food extravaganza, and such occasions in the Mumbai's famous fisher-folk Koli community are no exception. So while the Kolis may love a thin fish curry and rice as their staple meal, their weddings showcase assorted dishes mostly cooked by their womenfolk, as caterers or hotels specialising in this communitys cuisine are hard to find. Koli in Marathi means spider, presumably because the fishermen use a net to catch fish as a spider builds a web to catch its prey. The ethnic and one of the oldest communities in Mumbai not only dominates the sea but also maintains its signature food style, including their Koli masala a blend of around 18 spices. Even as they keep their food habits simple, a Koli wedding is the best amalgamation of their tradition and passion for food be it for making the 'ghari' (a savoury doughnut of boiled rice) or the 'ghol' fish, a large size croaker for which fishermen have to venture into the deep sea. Their food ...

Tourists enjoy snowfall at Gulmarg, steady business for sledge owners

Tourists both domestic and International are thronging the winter resort, Gulamrg which recently experienced its first snowfall.The professional skiers are skiing and some have come to train themselves in the sport.The tourism department in Jammu and Kashmir has organized an air trolley for the tourists to reach Gulmarg and enjoy the snowfall.A group of eight tourists from Delhi said that they are enjoying sledging and skating.Others said that they are enjoying the natural scenery.

Sea walkway opened at Malpe beach

Karnatakas first sea walkway has been inaugurated at Malpe beach in Udupi district by state Fisheries, Youth empowerment and Sports Minister Pramod Madhwaraj. The 480 metre walkway, constructed at a cost of Rs 53.5 lakh by the Malpe beach development committee, is located near the boat jetty in the beach. Inaugurating the walkaway yesterday, Madhwaraj said the government had spent over Rs 22 crore for turning Malpe beach into a world-class tourist destination.

Exhibition inaugurated at Indian Embassy in Brazil

To mark India's 69th Republic Day, an exhibition has been inaugurated at the Indian Embassy in Brazil.The exhibition, titled 'Uma Índia, DoisOlhares (One India, Two Views)' by noted Brazilian photographers Armando Correa and Sinisia Coni from Salvador, was inaugurated by charge d'affaires Abhay Kumar.The exhibition will be on display at the Embassy and open to visitors from 10:00 to 12:30 hours and 14:00 to 17:00 hours from Monday to Friday.The rich collection of colourful and striking photographs from India presented a fascinating glimpse of Indian culture to guests from both India and Brazil who attended the inauguration, the statement from the embassy read.

Beauty is beyond size: Ashley Graham

Model Ashley Graham says beauty is "beyond size" and has urged people to "stay loud" to encourage fashion and beauty brands to take more plus-size models on for their campaigns.

Iconic Fairy Queen rechristened as 69 Ganrajya Express

On the occasion of 69th Republic Day, the Railways has rechristened the iconic Fairy Queen rail engine as 69 Ganrajya Express.In an attempt to mark the solemn occasion, the Railways took its distinctive evocative trip to yonder years of steam-run trains on the national soil. The Fairy Queen hauled two coach trains from New Delhi railway station to Delhi Junction. Minister of State (Railways), Rajen Gohain took a ride in it.Marking the solemn and celebratory occasion of 69th Republic Day, the Railways took its distinctive evocative trip to yonder years of steam-run trains on the national soil. Bringing alive the magic of steam-hauled trains, Minister of State for Railways Rajen Gohain took a ride on the Fairy Queen hauled two coach trains from New Delhi railway station to Delhi Jn. Station amidst popular elation and enthusiasm with colourful fanfare as the Ganrajya Express chugged off from the platform, read an official note.The 69th Ganrajya Express celebrates the preservation of the .

Tourism ministry to host cultural gala to mark R-Day

Marking the 69th Republic Day celebrations, the Ministry of Tourism today launched 'Bharat Parv' at the Red Fort here. Rashmi Verma, secretary, tourism ministry, inaugurated the programme this evening. The event will be held from January 27 to January 31 between 12 noon to 10 pm for the general public for free. The ministry will display the Republic Day parade tableaux, performances by the armed forces bands (static as well as dynamic), multi-cuisine food court, crafts mela, cultural performances from different regions of the country and photo exhibition by the Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity (DAVP), an official statement said. The cultural performances include choreographed folk and tribal dances and music arranged through the North Zonal Cultural Centre as well as performances by cultural troupes from different states and Union Territories of the country. The food court will have stalls set up by the states/UTs, also the National Association of Street ...

Neral-Matheran train service, stopped in 2016, resumes

The Neral-Matheran narrow gauge train service, immensely popular with tourists, resumed today after it was discontinued in May 2016 due to safety concerns following two derailments. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who e-inaugurated the service at a railway function at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus here today, said that resumption of the service would boost tourism. "Railway is getting modern every day and we will see more advanced and cleaner railway stations in the days to come. Work on the CSMT-Panvel and Churchgate-Virar elevated corridors would also begin soon," Fadnavis added. During the function, Fadnavis also commissioned foot overbridges (FOBs)at Lokmanya Tilak Terminus, Thane, Neral, Tilak Nagar and Santacruz as well as an additional landing of an FOB at Vidyavihar and FOB extensions at Lower Parel and Borivali. Escalators at Thane and Dadar and lifts at Dadar, Mankhurd, Reay Road and Borivali were opened for public use. He also ...