Page 6 - Tourism Sector

Pak's Karachi ranked 2nd-riskiest city for tourists, only behind Caracas

Karachi has been ranked as the second-riskiest city for tourists, with a rating of 93.12 out of 100, according to a July 11 Forbes Adviser list, reported Dawn.The July 11 Forbes Adviser list of three of the riskiest cities highlighted that Karachi was second just behind Venezuela's Caracas, which had a score of 100, while Myanmar's Yangon ranked third with a score of 91.67 out of 100.According to the ranking, the city had the highest personal security risk, reflecting risk from crime, violence, terrorist threats, natural disasters, and economic vulnerabilities.It added that Karachi had the second-worst (level 3, reconsider travel) travel safety rating from the US State Department, as reported by Dawn.Moreover, Karachi has the fourth-highest infrastructure security risk, reflecting the availability and quality of city infrastructure, according to the report.To uncover the most and least risky cities for tourists, Forbes Adviser said that it compared 60 international cities across seven

Tourism sector witnessed revival, foreign arrivals went up: Eco Survey

Public policy should pay particular attention to boosting the tourism sector, Survey notes

19.2 mn foreigners visited India in 2023, up from 1.05 mn in 2021: Govt

A total of 1.92 crore foreign tourists visited India last year, a jump from 10.54 lakh in the pandemic year of 2021, according to the Tourism ministry. Responding to a question in Lok Sabha, Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat gave data of foreign tourist visits (FTVs) to India from 2021 to 2023. According to the data, 1,92,45,817 foreign tourist visits were recorded in 2023, while the number stood at 85,87,562 in 2022, and 10,54,642 in 2021. Delhi saw a remarkable rise from 1,00,178 FTVs in 2021 to an estimated 18,28,116 FTVs in 2023. Similarly, Goa's foreign tourist arrivals jumped from 22,128 in 2021 to 4,52,692 in 2023. Maharashtra experienced one of the highest increases, with FTVs growing from 1,85,643 in 2021 to an estimated 33,87,739 in 2023. Smaller states and UTs also reported significant growth. The Andaman & Nicobar Islands saw an increase from 1,687 FTVs in 2021 to 9,025 in 2023. Arunachal Pradesh, which had only 182 FTVs in 2021, welcomed 4,496 i

New Maharashtra tourism policy to attract significant investments: HRAWI

A section of hotel and restaurant owners on Saturday welcomed the Maharashtra government's Tourism Policy 2024, which is aimed at positioning the state as a premier global tourist destination. This progressive framework, aimed at positioning Maharashtra as a premier global tourist destination, is a game-changer for our industry, the Hotel And Restaurant Association (Western India) - HRAWI said in a statement. The policy's strategic initiatives and incentives are set to attract significant investments, HRAWI president Pradeep Shetty said. Additional Floor Space Index (FSI), relaxed building restrictions to expedite projects, capital subsidies, SGST reimbursement, electricity duty exemptions and interest subventions on loans are some of the key requirements of the industry and once implemented, will give a big boost to the state's tourism and hospitality sector, Shetty said. "We eagerly anticipate its effective implementation within the stated objectives and the Ease of Doing Busines

Qutub Minar dethrones Agra Fort as tourist magnet in historic shift

Draws 220,017 foreign visitors to become second most visited monument

Foreign exchange earnings from tourism at 12-month low, shows data

Number of Indians travelling abroad at a multi-year high, shows government data

Uttar Pradesh govt to add 200,000 hotel rooms to tourism inventory

In 2023, around 480 million domestic and foreign tourists visited UP, an increase of over 50 per cent, compared to 2022. The annual footfall is estimated to touch 850 million by 2028

Indians travelled close to 1,000 cities across world: Uber app usage data

Indians have been breaking all travel records over the past couple of years, according to Prabhjeet Singh, President, Uber India and South Asia

Rajasthan tourism industry optimistic about state's civil aviation policy

Tourism expert Mohan Singh Mertiya says the projects listed under the policy will improve aviation in the state, "which will be a big support to the tourism industry"

UP okays TATA Sons' Rs 650 cr proposal for 'museum of temples' in Ayodhya

The Uttar Pradesh cabinet on Tuesday approved a proposal from the Tata Sons to build a 'museum of temples' in Ayodhya at a cost of Rs 650 crore, officials said. Sharing details about the decision, Tourism Minister Jaivir Singh said the tourism department would provide the company land for the international-level museum on a 90-year lease for a token money of Re 1. "Tata Sons had proposed the project through the Central government, offering to build the museum at a cost of Rs 650 crore under its corporate social responsibility fund," Singh said at a press meet here after the cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The cabinet also okayed the company's proposal for other development works in the temple town for additional Rs 100 crore, he added. Tata Sons is the principal investment holding company and promoter of Tata companies. Other proposals approved during the cabinet meeting included the launch of helicopter services in Lucknow, Prayagraj an Kapilvastu unde

Affluent Latin Americans, tourists draw hotel investments to Madrid

The home of the Real Madrid stadium and the Prado museum is now ranked the second most-attractive city in Europe for hotel investments behind London

Rajasthan govt plans ropeway to connect Amber, Jaigarh, and Nahargarh forts

Amber Fort is the most visited tourist spot in the state attracting 2 million sight-seers in 2023-24, up from around 1 million in 2021-2022, according to the state government

Why has Japan blocked the iconic view of Mount Fuji? All you need to know

The plan garnered headlines in April when officials, frustrated by the constant influx of mainly foreign visitors littering, trespassing, and breaking traffic rules, announced it

As spiritual tourism rises, hotels and resorts queue up to pay obeisance

As spiritual tourism rises, hotels and resorts queue up to pay obeisance with properties, aartis, meditation, and more

Goa top summer destination; Puri, Varanasi lead in pilgrims: MakeMyTrip

Among international destinations, while Dubai remains the top choice, Baku in Azerbaijan, Almaty in Kazakhstan, and Nagoya in Japan are recording the highest growth in searches

Emirate of Ajman records 7% growth in tourism revenue in Q1 of 2024

In 2023, October recorded a 5 per cent increase in tourism activity, leading to a significant 11 per cent rise in visitor numbers

Singapore aims to cross pre-Covid levels of Indian tourist arrivals: STB

Singapore is hoping to cross the pre-Covid level of tourist arrivals from India this year, with a strong focus on family, MICE and film tourism segment, a top official of the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has said. In 2023, Singapore saw a footfall of 1.07 million visitors from India, which is 76 per cent of the pre-Covid era. During January-March, 2024 over 2,45,380 Indians have already visited Singapore, which is 81.8 per cent recovery from the pre-Covid period. The 'Garden City' had received 2,99,990 Indian tourists during January-March 2019. "It's not difficult to achieve (pre-Covid levels of tourist arrivals from India this year) with an increase in the number of Indian passports, the rise of the middle class and strong connectivity between both the countries," STB's regional director - India, Middle East, South Asia and Africa, Markus Tan told PTI over a telephonic conversation. Singapore Tourism Board (STB) is also focusing on Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibition

Add colour to tourism via Holi events: Trade body to Rajasthan govt

If Holi events were organised properly at 50 destinations, more than 10 million people from outside could visit Rajasthan within five years, says a travel agent

Uttar Pradesh govt eyeing investment of Rs 32K cr in hospitality sector

The state is focusing on ramping up hospitality units in tourism hotspots such as Varanasi, Ayodhya, Prayagraj, and Agra

Vrindavan's 70-storey skyscraper temple would boost Indian tourism: ISKCON

A skyscraper Krishna temple in Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh would emerge as a major display of Indian culture internationally and would boost tourism in India and local economy, a top ISKCON leader said. There can't be a broken infrastructure for spirituality and temples can't be in perpetual disrepair, Chanchalapathi Dasa, vice chairman and co-mentor of the Global Hare Krishna Movement and senior vice president of ISKCON Bangalore told PTI in an interview. Being built at a cost of USD 80 million, Vrindavan Heritage Tower will be 70 floors high and 210 metres. And another example, I'll tell you, our honourable prime minister has been making a statement, giving a call to the Indian diaspora. Please bring five Americans from America to bring them to India and show them India. When you bring them to India, of course anybody who's coming from any part of the world, when they're coming to India, they're looking for spirituality," he said. Of course they may see good airports. All those thin