Page 190 - Hospitality Recreation
Holidaymakers in India heading to tropical destinations, says survey
As winter sets in across the country, holidaymakers in India are looking to beat the freezing temperatures by heading out to tropical, warm-weather destinations for their winter holidays.According to travel data and analysis by Kayak.com, a leading travel search engine, Dubai continues to top the charts for the second year running, witnessing a 20 percent surge in searches from users compared to last year.Singapore and Bangkok also feature in the top three destinations, with a 155 percent and 131 percent rise in searches respectively, replacing last year's trending destinations Kochi and Bali.The pattern seems to indicate that Indian travellers are consciously seeking out moderate climates when picking out their winter holiday destinations."Winter always brings with it the opportunity to travel, with the Christmas and New Year holidays, along with a lean period at work, often providing good excuses to book a trip. As the coldest period of the year approaches, we are witnessing a spike
Hospitality sector to witness accelerated growth in 2018
With 2017 coming to an end, the hotel industry and travel sector looks poised to finish the year strong and bolstered by growing arrivals of tourists from all across the world.Echoing the likes of the biggest tax reform of the year 2017, the Goods and Services Tax Bill (GST), many top notch travel companies and hotels have hailed the decision of the Modi-led Government to introduce the reform for a structured tax compliance.Hailing the same, Regional General Manager, North and West India, IHG, Greesh Bindra in an email interview to ANI said, "GST has brought about a unified tax structure that is followed across the board at the hotel.""The tax reform has simplified the procedure for our internal teams as well as assists our guests in understanding the tax structure as compared to the multiple taxes levied earlier," he added.Highlighting the benefits of the input tax credit, he said that certainly the benefits will be passed to both the business as well as the customers."We are looking
PM Modi inaugurates Delhi Metro's Magenta line
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday inaugurated a stretch of the new Magenta line of the Delhi Metro.Prime Minister Modi, along with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, also travelled on a patch of the new route - from Noida to the Okhla Bird Sanctuary station.Prime Minister Modi will shortly address the gathering at the Botanical Garden Metro Station after taking ride.The 12.64-km stretch runs between Kalkaji and Noida's Botanical Garden and accounts for a travel time of 19 minutes, thus facilitating easy access for commuters from South Delhi to Noida, and vice versa.The coaches will reportedly have an LED display, power charging capacity and colourful seats, while the stations will portray themes of nature, yoga, and cultural landmarks. Further, driverless trains are to be introduced along with the Communication Based Train Control (CBTC) signalling technology, which would facilitate the movement of trains within a frequency of 90 to 100 seconds.The Magenta Line also ...
Modi inaugurates Metro's Magenta line section
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday inaugurated the new 12.64 km section of Delhi Metro's Magenta Line and along with Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took a ride in the train.
Health conscious and dare to explore? Head for North East Flavours (Foodie Trail: Delhi)
Want to try some fresh fish from a river in the hills of Nagaland topped with aromatic herbs? Or maybe a chicken curry cooked in Tripura style with natural herbs and sour tomatoes? Else, what about some Bai, a seasonal vegetable stew with organic natural herbs and spices from Mizoram?
Heritage exhibition attracts locals, tourists alike in Srinagar
A heritage exhibition in Srinagar showcasing the culture of Kashmir concluded on Sunday here after enthralling locals and tourists alike.Sanskrit and Farsi manuscripts, antique ornaments, coins, rugs, paper, and utensils, among other valuables were put on display for the visitors during the three-day exhibition at Sher-e-Kashmir Indoor Sport Complex."The aim of the exhibition is to tell people of our bygone culture. We get to know it from books but do not see it in real life," organiser Zameer Masoodi told ANI on Sunday.Fascinated by the exhibition, Saif Ahmad, one of the visitors, said, "It took me 30 years back to the time when we used to have these items at our homes.
Delhi: Bike-borne men snatch diplomat's phone
Two bike-borne miscreants snatched away the mobile phone from Eenam Gambhir, India's First Secretary in the Permanent Mission of India to the UN in Delhi's Rohini area.The incident took place on Saturday night when Gambhir was out for a walk with her mother near her house.A case has been registered in this regard.Diplomat Gambhir, who is posted in New York, is home for a vacation.
New high-speed railway to help upgrade Thailand's railways
The upcoming China-Thailand high-speed railway will help to upgrade Thailand's rail transport system and unleash economic potentials along the new route.Once the route connects the Thai capital Bangkok with China and other countries, it would help attract more foreign tourists and narrow down the regional economic disparity of Thailand, Xinhua reported.The construction of the first section of the railway line officially began on Thursday, with a ground-breaking ceremony in Nakhon Ratchasima, located in north-eastern Thailand.The first phase of the railway line will span around 253 km. It will link Bangkok and Nakhon Ratchasima respectively. China will be responsible for the design of the railway line and construction and manufacturing of trains and signal systems.The second phase will link Nakhon Ratchasima with Nong Khai on the Thailand-Laos border. It will also be further connected to the proposed China-Laos railway line, which will form an arterial railway line connecting Thailand,
Tourism logo to promote Brand Bengaluru unveiled
Based on a crowd-sourced design, a logo was unveiled on Sunday at the 'Namma Bengaluru Habba' fest to promote 'Brand Bengaluru' on the global tourist map.
'Christmas tourist arrivals in Goa have dropped by 30%'
Tourists usually throng Goa during Christmas but this year seem to have given the coastal state a miss, as both foreign and domestic tourist arrivals have dropped 30 per cent, a local industry association said today. Goa is known for its night-long parties which begin from Christmas (December 25) and continue till December 31 mid-night. "As far as Christmas is concerned, there has been drop in foreign and domestic tourist arrival by almost 30 per cent compared to last year," Savio Messiah, President, Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG), told PTI. Messiah claimed that the factors "like GST" have affected the high-end tourists while many have refused to come because of the "high air-fares" and "high cost of holiday" in the state. Messiah said the situation will hopefully improve during the New Year celebrations with more people arriving in the state. However, Goa tourism department claims the tourists have just begun arriving and the number would go up during the
Ten-day long Hot Air Balloon festival begins in Varanasi
Ten-day long Hot Air Balloon festival started on the bank of River Ganga in the spiritual city of Varanasi, on Sunday.A private tour operator - Tour Assistant India - in collaboration with the Uttar Pradesh (UP) Tourism department has taken the initiative in order to explore the scope of adventure tourism in the city.According to Vikas Narayan, Assistant Tourism Officer at UP Tourism, the project is on a ten-day test as a pilot project to check the feasibility to make it a permanent adventure to attract more tourists to the city."Varanasi has a large scope of adventure tourism and despite having river and many landscapes, it has not been explored yet. The Hot Air Balloon service is an initiative in this direction. It is on a ten-day trial as of now and after examining the response, it can be made permanent," said Narayan."It is very affordable and reasonable as the ticket is Rs 500 per head during the trial period. The Hot Air Balloon involves a lot of cost along with several ...
153 lakh tourists visited HP in first nine months of 2017
The state Tourism and Civil Aviation Department was conducting frequent inspection of hotels and implementing provisions of the HP Tourism Development and Registration Act, 2002, to provide better facilities to tourists, an official spokesperson said. The department registered 2880 hotels and carriedout 3748 inspections this year to ensure quality services, the official said, adding that a sum of Rs 23,37,775 was collected as penalties from erring units. "All out efforts are to promote tourism and allied activities and provide best possible facilities to tourists visiting the state," the spokesman said. Nearly 153.52 lakh tourists visited the state between January and September, including 150.05 lakh domestic and 3.77 lakh foreign tourists, he added. Tourism contributed 6.8 per cent to the Gross State Domestic Product and constant efforts were being made to increase it, the official said. The department had earlier urged entrepreneurs to register their hotels, guest ...
Challenge looming despite go-ahead for Trump wall in Ireland
US President Donald Trump's golf course in Ireland has been given the green light to build a defensive wall, though environmental campaigners said today they were planning to launch a challenge. Initial plans for the sea wall, intended to prevent coastal erosion at his golf resort in Doonbeg on the west coast, involved 200,000 tonnes of rock to build a barrier more than three kilometres long and more than four metres high. The authorities rejected the proposal but yesterday gave the go-ahead for a scaled-down project. The new wall will use 38,000 tonnes of rock and be divided into two sections, totalling one kilometre in length. However, Tony Lowes, spokesman for Friends of the Irish Environment, told AFP today that they wanted to go before the Planning Appeals Board, calling it a "case of public importance". He fears that neighbouring beaches and wildlife will be put at risk. The construction work has the support of the local community, which stands to benefit from 300 ..
Toyam Industries provides business update
Toyam's Cafe located at Andheri, Mumbai renamed as CROM LOUNGE
In a league of its own but long way to go for Goa's Serendipity Arts Festival (Review)
Cultural and literature festivals are quite the trend these days. While good festivals count on a good format, the popular ones draw huge crowds by looping in celebrities but the just concluded Serendipity Arts Festival here falls in a league of its own.
Incredible India organizes 'The Great Indian Blog Train'
It's time for all travel bloggers to pack their bags and get set to go on a journey that is as spectacular as the destination.The Ministry of Tourism, Government of India in association with the tourism departments of the States of Karnataka, Maharashtra and Rajasthan and the Indian Railway Catering & Tourism Corpn. Ltd. is organizing 'The Great Indian Blog Train' that will allow travel bloggers from across the world experience a train journey befitting the royal past of a land varied, rich and expansive in its grandeur, India.So, if you got the zing to write and love to travel, you can get yourself registered starting now till 5 January, 2018 and the selection list will be published on 7 January, 2018.The journey will have four luxury trains - Palace On Wheels, Deccan Odyssey, Golden Chariot and Maharaja's Express, that will take 60 bloggers on a 7N/8D journey across India's finest historical destinations spread across Delhi, Goa, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan
Board of Shree Metalloys approves shifting of registered office
At meeting held on 22 December 2017
Kaley Cuoco, fiance love horse riding
Actress Kaley Cuocos fiance Karl Cook says the couple bonded over their love of horses.
Parab-2017 takes off in Koraput
Parab-2017, the three-day annual cultural extravaganza showcasing the rich cultural heritage of tribal Koraput began at the stadium ground here today. The festival was inaugurated by minister of tourism and culture Ashok Chandra Panda. Braving the cold, people in large numbers including foreign tourists, enjoyed cultural programmes, till late in the evening. "Over 500 artistes from across the country will perform reflecting the tribal art and culture of their areas. However, the traditional dance and music of undivided Koraput district would be under the spotlight during the three-day celebrations, said collector (Koraput) Anupam Saha. A five-day Pallishree Mela is also being organized at the festival ground where a variety of handicrafts are on display. The festival, featuring a number of competitive sports, tribal dance, songs, music and art was launched at the shrine of Goddess Sankuli Devi of B Singh Pur in the district on November 19 and was celebrated in blocks ...
Iconic Hard Rock Cafe debuts in Kolkata
Global restaurant chain Hard Rock International has set foot in the city with its first cafe in Park Street area. "The opening of Hard Rock Cafe, Kolkata marks our eighth location in India," Anibal Fernandes, vice-president of Franchise Operations, Hard Rock International, said today. Hard Rock Cafe Kolkata's menu comprises signature dishes such as the 'Jumbo Combo', 'Classic Nachos', the 'Legendary Burger' and a variety of beverages and cocktails, it said in a release. The menu also highlights the tastes of the city with a range of flatbreads and many local vegetarian favourites, the release said. Hard Rock International has presence in 74 countries, with 179 cafes, 24 hotels and 11 casinos. JSM Corporation Pvt Ltd is the franchise partner for Hard Rock Cafe in India. The Kolkata cafe's 'Rock Shop' will offer rock 'n' roll-inspired items, as well as collectible Hard Rock Cafe merchandise, the release added.