Page 177 - Hospitality Recreation

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars 2017: The year of Bespoke

The Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Bespoke department is an extraordinary collective of designers, engineers and craftspeople, who bring the marque's discerning and influential patrons' most ambitious and personal visions to reality.Over the course of the brand's illustrious history, India has been the destination for some of the most Bespoke Rolls-Royce cars ever built, delivered to Maharajas and other wealthy Indian clients.Today, almost every motor car that leaves the home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood, England, is Bespoke.2017 was the year that Rolls-Royce elevated Bespoke to unprecedented new levels, resulting in one of the most significant years for Bespoke in the 114-year history of the brand.What follows is a snapshot of some of the finest examples of Bespoke design and craftsmanship to be completed by the luxury house over the past 12 months.'Sweptail'Rolls-Royce 'Sweptail', the realisation of one customer's coachbuilt dream.Premiered in 2017, 'Sweptail' is a compelling representation ..

Traffic restrictions to be in place for India-ASEAN summit

Traffic restrictions will be in place for the India-ASEAN commemorative summit here on January 25 which will be attended by leaders of the 10 countries of the grouping, police said today. The traffic police has also urged Google to show and inform people on 'Google Maps' about the traffic restrictions and alternative routes that will be in place for the Republic Day parade. To ensure uninterrupted passage for the heads of states to various places like Rashtrapati Bhawan, Rajpath and Hotel Taj Place, traffic will be stopped on certain roads, the Delhi Traffic Police said in an advisory. Commuters have been advised to avoid Satya Marg, Shanti Path, Teen Murti roundabout, South Avenue Road, Dara Shikoh Road, Akbar Road, Krishna Menon Marg, Vijay Chowk, Mother Teresa Crescent Road, Sardar Patel Marg, Panchsheel Marg, San Martin Marg, Kautilya Marg, Tyag Raj Marg, Safdarjung Road, Kushak Road and K Kamraj Marg from January 25 to 26. The advisory said that the commuters can ..

Create own leadership, Yunus tells youngsters

The young generation should create its own leadership and encourage the natural instincts to build a new world, Nobel laureate and economist Muhammad Yunus said here on Monday.

Black pepper eases in lacklustre trade

Black pepper eased further in an otherwise lacklustre spices market here today following lower demand from stockists and retailers. Rest all other spices ruled steady in absence of necessary buying activity. Black pepper rd moved down by Rs 5/10 per kg to Rs 435/520 from last Saturday's close Rs 440/530. Following are today's closing rates (in Rs with previous rates in brackets): Black pepper (per kg) 435/520 (440/530), ginger unbleached (per kg) 125 (125), copra office Alappuzha (per quintal) 14,700 (14,700), copra office Kozhikode (per quintal) 14,600 (14,600), copra Rajapur Mumbai (per quintal) 17,000 (17,000), copra edible Mumbai (per quintal) 16,000 (16,000).

Plans afoot to make Malshej Ghat a world class tourist spot

The Thane district administration is planning to develop the picturesque Malshej Ghat here into a tourist spot of international standard. The Malshej Ghat is a mountain pass in the Thane and Pune districts of Maharashtra. The site, which is home to hundreds of different kinds of flora and fauna, is nestled in the rugged hills of the Western Ghats. Thane collector Dr Mahendra Kalyankar said today that the district administration has proposed to allocate Rs five crore as a part of the first phase of development of the ghat. In view of the increasing number of visitors, it has been decided to develop it as a world class tourist spot, he said. Under the development project, a skywalk and a gallery are proposed to be set up for allowing the visitors to enjoy the panoramic view of the green surroundings, he said. The development proposal has been sent to the state government for approval, Kalyankar added.

'Pray for me': Kabul hotel guest's plea during siege

As gunmen went on a night-time rampage through Kabul's Intercontinental Hotel, Aziz Tayeb posted a desperate plea on Facebook: "Pray for me. I may die." The telecom executive hid behind a pillar as six heavily armed attackers stormed the luxury hotel and began spraying terrified guests and staff with bullets. At least 18 people were killed, including 14 foreigners -- six of whom were Ukrainian -- in the 12-hour ordeal as the attackers engaged in a fierce gunfight with Afghan security forces. "I saw people who were enjoying themselves a second ago screaming and fleeing like crazy, and some of them falling down, hit by bullets," Tayeb told AFP today, hours after his traumatic experience. One colleague, who had been stranded on the fifth floor of the six-storey building throughout the attack, told Tayeb that some areas of the hotel resembled a butcher's shop with blood everywhere. The attackers were eventually killed. Tayeb, a regional director for Afghan Telecom in the ...

Taxi operators call off strike after meeting with Goa CM

Taxi operators called off their strike in Goa on Sunday after meeting with state Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar.Taxi drivers had been opposing the mandatory installation of speed governors in the taxis."We were opposing speed governors. We were given assurance in this regard. Earlier, we were not getting fitness certificate (for the vehicles) until we had speed governors installed but now from 24th (January) onwards, we will get fitness certificate," North Goa Taxi Owners Association General Secretary Vinayak Nanoskar told ANI.Many tourists and commuters were left stranded in Goa yesterday as taxi drivers went on a strike, demanding the state government to exempt them from the Supreme Court's order of installing speed governors.

Khandu inaugurates World War II Memorial Museum in Arunachal

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Sunday inaugurated the World War II Memorial Museum here in the state's Changlang district bordering Myanmar.

Goa tourist taxi strike called off on third day

Goa's tourist taxi operators on Sunday withdrew their strike following a written assurance that pending fitness certificates would be issued to all tourist taxis by January 24 and the government would stop installation of speed governors on their vehicles.

Goa tourist taxi operators call off strike

Three days after they went on a strike to protest against a rule to compulsorily install speed governors, tourist taxi operators in Goa today withdrew the protest on an assurance from the state government. BJP legislator Michael Lobo brokered peace between the agitators and the state government. According to the North Goa Tourist Taxi Owners Association, a delegation of taxi owners, led by Lobo, met Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar this afternoon and secured the assurance that fitness certificates would be issued for taxis by January 24, without installing speed governors. The tourist taxi operators have been on a strike since Friday to protest the government's rule making it mandatory for their vehicles to have speed governors. The BJP-led government had refused to exempt the tourist taxi operators from the rule citing a Supreme Court order. The government had said that taxis without the speed-limiting gadgets will not be issued fitness certificates by the Transport ...

Jammu to be showcased as pilgrimage tourist centre : Dy CM

Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh said today that sustained efforts were underway to make Jammu division a major pilgrimage tourist destination. Necessary mechanism has been put in place to upgrade the infrastructure besides creating awareness about it in the rest of the country, Singh said after inaugurating Mathwar festival at Akhnoor here. "Akhnoor area is of great historical and cultural importance in the whole of Indian sub-continent and we have already set in process a mechanism that would not only preserve its historicity but also ensure development on modern lines especially in tourism and other related sectors," he said. He added that the prime minister's development package envisions holistic development of tourism and focus is on ensuring that the Jammu division comes up as a major destination of pilgrimage tourism. Efforts are on to bring unexplored areas on the tourism map, he said. Singh also inspected the pace of work on the Maharaja Hari Singh Park here

Goa to move SC on speed governors

In a bid to appease Goa's striking tourist taxi drivers, the government will approach the Supreme Court to seek relief regarding fitting of speed governors on their vehicles.

Ongoing tourist taxi strike worries Goa's tourism industry

With the strike by taxi operators in Goa entering the third day today, the tourism industry is worried about facing a backlash from travellers. The tourist taxi operators in Goa are on a strike since Friday to protest the state government's rule making it mandatory for their vehicles to have speed governors. The BJP-led government has refused to exempt the tourist taxi operators from installing speed governors citing a Supreme Court order. Taxis without the speed-limiting gadgets will not be issued fitness certificates by the Transport Department from February 24, it has said. Several tourists who arrived in the state were stranded at the airport for hours together as their holiday package included pick-up and drop facility. In the absence of tourist taxis, hotels have failed to arrange for any transport for their guests, who have to manage on their own to reach their destinations. A few tourists complained of over-charging by autorickshaws and other transport services ...

Cops introduce 'tourism policing' in Naxal-hit Bastar

The Chhatttigarh's Bastar police, which is already fighting the Naxal menace, has now taken up the task of also providing information about the tourist destinations in the region to visitors. The aim is to create a positive perception about Bastar in the country and across the globe. As a part of the 'tourism policing' concept, the security personnel will provide the required information and other assistance to the tourists via the help desks to be set at the tourist places. But, the policemen will not act as tourist guides, a senior official said. The first such help desk, named as 'BEST COP' (Bastar ensures safe tourism through community-oriented policing), has been set up at a police outpost near the state's famous Chitrakote waterfall. "Next time when you come to Bastar's Chitrakote waterfall, walk to the police help desk set up at the Chitrakote police outpost if you need to ask questions about the routes, destinations, transportation and other facilities," Deputy .

Foreign tourists to get a taste of big fat Bengali weddings

The West Bengal government is planning to promote theme-based packages for foreign tourists who wish to know about the culture and traditions of the people here. Besides jazzing up the Durga Puja celebrations - which happen to be a major crowd puller - the state tourism department is preparing a 'bridal tourism' package to showcase the rituals of Bengali marriages to the foreigners and seek their participation in the event. "The bridal tourism package will offer foreigners a chance to witness the colourful rituals of a Bengali marriage. They will find it interesting as they are not accustomed to anything like this three-day long gala at Bengali homes," West Bengal Tourism Minister Gautam Deb told PTI. The nitty-gritty of the package, such as ways to connect the tourists to the households where marriages would be held, are being chalked out at the moment, Deb said. The guests will be able to witness from close quarters the 'haldi' or 'gayey halud' ceremony (turmeric ...

TN real estate sector comes to standstill due to sand crisis

Real estate sector in Tamil Nadu has come to a 'standstill' due to acute scarcity of river sand, delaying delivery of construction projects and affecting those dependent on the industry, city-based realtors said. Lack of availability of river sand has forced property developers to look at alternative mechanisms like gypsum and M-sand, House of Hiranandani, Chairman and Managing Director, Surendra Hiranandani said. "The real estate sector has come to a standstill due to dearth of river sand, thereby affecting the construction of on-going projects and taking a toll on the livelihood of hundreds of those dependent on the industry," he told PTI. Citing the crisis, Hiranandani said, some of the "small scale developers" have stopped their projects. On the initiatives taken up by House of Hiranandani to tide over the problem, the company MD said, "We have pioneered the use of Gypsum Vermiculate Plaster (GVP) since 1994 for internal walls as a replacement to sand cement plaster ..

At least five dead in Kabul hotel attack: officials

Gunmen have killed at least five people and wounded eight others in an ongoing attack on Kabul's Intercontinental Hotel, officials said today, as panicked guests were seen climbing over balconies to escape. More than eleven hours after the assault began Afghan security forces were still clearing the hotel, with at least one of the four gunmen on the loose, a security source said. "Five Afghans are dead," interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish told reporters near the hotel, adding 100 hostages, including 16 foreigners, had been released. At least two of the attackers have been killed, Danish said. Dramatic images broadcast on Afghanistan's Tolo News showed thick black smoke and flames billowing from the top of the six-floor hotel. Several people could be seen climbing over a top-floor balcony using bedsheets to escape, with one losing his grip and plunging to the ground. Four gunmen burst into the hotel on Saturday night, opening fire on guests and staff and taking ...

At least six dead as Kabul hotel attack ends: officials

Gunmen stormed a luxury hotel in Kabul killing at least six people, including a foreigner, sparking a twelve hour fight with security forces that left terrified guests scrambling to escape and parts of the building ablaze. Afghan security forces killed four attackers during the night-time siege, interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish told Tolo News, during which people trapped inside the landmark hotel were seen climbing over balconies to escape. "The attack is over," he said. "Five Afghans and one foreigner have been killed," interior ministry deputy spokesman Nasrat Rahimi told AFP, adding around 150 people were rescued, including more than 40 foreigners. "The body of the foreigner, a woman, was recovered from the sixth floor as the last attacker was being killed," he added. But an official with Afghanistan's spy agency told AFP the attack was "not over yet" with attackers "still shooting on security forces". Dramatic images broadcast on Afghanistan's Tolo News ...

Five killed after gunmen storm luxury hotel in Kabul

At least five people have been killed and six others injured in an attack on a luxury hotel in Kabul after it was stormed by militants, officials said on Sunday.

Kabul hotel attack: Two gunmen killed

At least two of the four attackers who launched an attack on Kabul's Intercontinental Hotel are dead, as per several media reports.The Afghan officials have confirmed that at least four gunmen had launched the attack.The gunmen stormed the hotel on Saturday evening, shooting at guests and detonating grenades.They targeted staff and guests before special forces were called in.The number of casualty and injured is unclear as of now.The Intercontinental Hotel, located on a hilltop and heavily protected like most public buildings in Kabul, is one of two main luxury hotels in the city and had reportedly been due to host an information technology conference on Sunday.In 2011, a similar attack on the hotel left at least 21 people dead, which also included nine attackers. The Taliban had claimed responsibility for that attack.The attack comes just days after the US embassy in Kabul issued a warning about hotels in the city.