Page 3 - Tourist

India emerges as top inbound tourist market for Nepal in February

India has emerged as Nepal's top inbound tourist market in February, the tourism authority here said on Saturday, as the key sector in the Himalayan nation is gradually witnessing recovery from the onslaught of the coronavirus pandemic. Of the total 97,426 tourists arriving in the country by air route last month, 25,578 were from India, followed by China with 9,180 and the US with 9,089 visitors, according to data published by the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB). Thailand is in fourth place with 4,799 inbound visitors, while the UK and Bangladesh ranked fifth and sixth in the list with 4,571 and 4,099 tourists respectively. According to NTB Director Mani Lamichhane, though the data showed over 25,000 Indians visiting Nepal in February, the actual number is much higher as a large number of tourists from India visited the country via land route. In January, Nepal received 18,041 visitors from India. The number of tourists arriving via air route in Nepal in February is 33 per cent up from

Iran announces visa-waiver for Indian tourists for maximum of 15-day stay

Iran on Tuesday announced a visa-waiver programme for Indians entering the country by air for tourism for a maximum stay of 15 days. The visa-free entry has been rolled out for Indian citizens from February 4 subject to four conditions, the Iranian embassy said. In December, Iran approved a new visa-free programme for India and 32 other countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Japan, Singapore and Malaysia. The Iranian readout said individuals holding ordinary passports will be allowed to enter the country without a visa once every six months, with a maximum stay of 15 days. "It is important to note that the 15-day period cannot be extended," it said. "The visa abolition only applies to individuals entering the territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran for tourism purposes," it said. It said Indians wanting to stay for a longer period or make multiple entries within a six-month period or requiring other types of visas must obtain necessary visas fro

Nearly 180 million domestic tourists visited Rajasthan in 2023: Govt

Nearly 18 crore domestic and about 17 lakh foreign tourists visited Rajasthan last year, the state assembly was informed on Monday. According to a government reply in the Rajasthan Assembly, about 32.44 crore domestic tourists and over 22.20 lakh foreign tourists came to the state from January 2020 to December 2023 to visit its heritage sites. In the year 2023, more than 17.90 crore domestic tourists and about 16.99 lakh foreign tourists visited Rajasthan, the government said in its reply to a question raised by BJP MLA Kalicharan Saraf. A total of 1,51,17,239 domestic tourists and 4,46,467 foreign tourists visited Rajasthan in 2020, 2,19,88,734 domestic and 34,806 foreign tourists in 2021 and 10,83,28,156 domestic and 39,684 foreign tourists visited in 2022, the government said. Notably, the Covid pandemic had affected the tourism industry during the period from 2020 to 2022. MLA Saraf had asked for year-wise details of domestic and foreign tourist visits made in the state from .

Eying more tourists, CM Sukhu sanctions Rs 100 crore for Shimla infra

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Wednesday sanctioned Rs 100 crore for enhancing and strengthening the infrastructure of Shimla town with an aim to increase tourist footfall and facilitate the local people. "Rs 55 crore would be spent on underground power cables in Shimla which would ensure proper ducts facilities," the chief minister said in a press note issued here. He noted that the move will help provide uninterrupted power supply to the consumers even during heavy snowfall and adverse weather in the town. Sukhu said the Himachal Pradesh government would also spend Rs 45 crore for improvement and widening of Circular Road in the state capital. He said the decongestion of the road would go a long way in facilitating the local public and tourists and ensuring smooth flow of vehicular movement. He directed the Public Works Department (PWD) to remove all the bottlenecks on this road for the convenience of the commuters. "The present state government had .

Lost in migration: 'Working abroad is not what it is cracked up to be'

Some are willing to go into a conflict zone because they could make five times more money than they would at home

Rajasthan govt likely to seek PM Narendra Modi's help to promote tourism

Tour operator Sanjay Kaushik said that Rajasthan is very famous for its heritage and the state has the highest number of heritage properties in the world

When 'development' is a zero-sum game

A combination of political ambition and religious nationalism is destroying Uttarakhand's potential, not least for the state's inhabitants

Indian tourist arrivals in Singapore up by 15.5% during Jan-Sept 2023

India is one of the fastest growing markets for tourist arrivals in Singapore post-pandemic, says Mark Shaw, Chairman of Orchard Road Business Association. In fact, we saw a huge surge of Indian tourists to the Republic this year, Shaw told PTI. Indian travellers come to Singapore to enjoy the country's many new attractions but we think they also find affinity in our Indian culture and heritage and feel at home here. Government data shows Indian visitor arrivals up 15.5 per cent to 792,935 for the first nine months of this year compared to the same period last year. Shaw said according to an industry survey Indian travellers are among the highest spenders globally. We are confident that members of Orchard Road Business Association will be able to delight them with a wide range of interesting and innovative product and service offerings, said Shaw, citing the upcoming festival season in the city-state, with Deepavali on November 12 and then from November 16 the Christmas light-up a

Sikkim flash floods: Over 3,000 tourists stranded in Lachen, Lachung

More than 3,000 tourists are stranded in Lachen and Lachung in Mangan district of Sikkim after flash flood hit the area and cut off all road communications are safe on Saturday, officials said. The Indian Air Force made multiple attempts to carry out rescue and relief operations by Mi-17 helicopters but was unable to fly from Bagdogra as well as Chaten due to the inclement weather, low-lying cloud cover and low visibility conditions in the Lachen and Lachung valley, they said. The roads to Lachen and Lachung are damaged. An alternative route to Chungthang via Dzongu is in the process of being opened for the rescue teams to move forward. Teesta Urja has also provided a chopper for the rescue of tourists and the supply of essential commodities to the Chungtang area. An ITBP team that reached the area is carrying out relief and rescue in Chungthang at the moment, officials said. The India Meteorological Department in a weather forecast with respect to Mangan district said light to ..

Long weekend spurs hotel occupancy in Shimla to 70%, recovery begins

The long weekend from September 30 to October 2 recorded over 70 per cent occupancy in hotels here, marking the beginning of the revival of tourism in the state capital. "The situation is improving. The room occupancy went over 70 per cent this weekend. We are hopeful that the tourist rush will increase in the coming days with the Shimla flying festival a paragliding accuracy competition which is going to be held in Junga in the suburbs of Shimla from October 12 to 15," Shimla Hotel and Tourism Stakeholders Association President MK Seth told The PTI on Tuesday. He said the starting of flights between Shimla and Amritsar on November 1 would further boost tourist footfall. Seth said he wants to advertise Shimla as a "treasure" of tourism activities and has plans to set up facilities for water sports in Sunni and adventure sports in Kufri. The opening of roads and resumption of the train service on the UNESCO heritage Kalka-Shimla railway has opened the floodgates for booking ...

Ladakh border residents demand development of tourist spots, internet

Border residents of Ladakh have demanded development of tourist destinations, internet connectivity and allocation of land for the construction of rest houses to support their livelihood. The demands were made during a recent visit of Atal Dulloo, the secretary of border management in the Union home ministry, to Chushul, Maan, Merak, Urgo, and Tangtse villages in the Pangong area. Dulloo visited these villages to assess the progress of Vibrant Villages Programme, a centrally sponsored scheme, an official spokesman said on Monday. The programme, launched on February 15 this year, is aimed at comprehensive development of select villages in 46 blocks in 19 districts in the northern border in the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand and the UT of Ladakh. Accompanied by Additional Director General of ITBP Manoj Singh Rawat and senior security and civil administration officials from Ladakh, Dulloo over the weekend engaged in discussions with members of ...

Delhi Metro to sell 'Tourist Smart Cards' from Sept 4-13 at 36 stations

Anticipating increased footfall of passengers owing to the upcoming G20 Summit here, Delhi Metro will sell 'Tourist Smart Cards' through dedicated counters at 36 stations from September 4-13, officials said. These are available in two categories -- one-day validity and three-day validity cards -- offering "unlimited rides" in the metro network. These 'Tourist Smart Cards' are available on regular days too, but in view of the G20 Summit, dedicated counters have been opened which would start selling these cards for a period of 10 days starting Monday, a senior official said. The G20 Leaders' Summit is slated to take place in New Delhi from September 9-10. These dedicated counters have been provided to "facilitate G20 delegates and international visitors who might be interested in exploring the prominent tourist places of the capital city as they arrive in Delhi, owing to the upcoming G20 Summit," he said. The one-day validity Tourist Smart Card will be available for Rs 200, whereas,

CAG report flags shortcomings in Tourism Ministry's Swadesh Darshan Scheme

The Swadesh Darshan Scheme of Tourism Ministry was launched despite "objection of the Planning Commission/Ministry of Finance" and the ministry "did not act" upon the recommendation of a committee to formulate an umbrella scheme by merging the projects having overlapping objectives, a CAG report has found. The Performance Audit Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) on Swadesh Darshan Scheme, covering the period from its inception in January 2015 to March 2022, was tabled in Parliament on Wednesday, according to an official statement. The Swadesh Darshan Scheme, launched in January 2015 with an initial outlay of Rs 500 crore, is a central sector flagship scheme of the Tourism Ministry for the development of tourism infrastructure in the country. The ministry identified 15 tourist circuits for development under the Scheme, namely Himalayan circuit, North East circuit, Krishna circuit, Buddhist circuit, Coastal circuit, Desert circuit, Tribal circuit, Eco circuit, Wildlif

New York City expects to host over 300,000 Indian travellers this year

New York City is hoping to welcome 3.06 lakh travellers from India this year as the city witnesses economic recovery that has helped the growing momentum in tourist footfalls, New York City Tourism and Conventions EVP, Global Communications, Tiffany Townsend has said. "The pace of tourism's rebound helps fuel New York City's economic recovery, having supported approximately 3,40,000 jobs in the full leisure and hospitality sector, more than USD 40 billion in direct visitor spending and approximately USD 60 billion in total economic impact for 2022. NYC expects to welcome 11.4 million international visitors this year, including 306,000 travellers from India," Townsend told PTI in an emailed interaction. In 2019, New York City welcomed a total of 66.6 million visitors the City's 10th consecutive year of record tourism growth, she said, adding that this included 13.5 million international travellers, with 3,36,000 hailing from India. She said that India has always been an important ..

Himachal minister reaches Chandertal to aid rescue of 290 stranded tourists

Himachal Pradesh minister Jagat Singh Negi and Chief Parliamentary Secretary Sanjay Avasthi on Thursday reached Chandertal in Lahaul and Spiti district to evacuate 290 people, mostly tourists. About 300 people, mostly tourists, have been stranded in Chandertal since Saturday and seven sick people, including two elderly and a girl, were airlifted to Bhunter on Tuesday. "Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi reached Chandertal around 2 am Thursday. The first batch of the stranded tourists started from Chandertal around 8 am and reached Kunzum pass. They are expected to reach Losar after 10:30 am," Deputy Commissioner Lahaul and Spiti, Rahul Kunar told PTI. "Food and medical supplies will be provided to the tourists at Losar before taking them to Kaza," he said, adding that the SP is supervising the rescue operation. Officials said Negi reached Chandertal after almost 18 hours as the road rescue teams struggled to clear the route, covered under three to four feet of snow, through Kunzum p

Evacuation of stranded tourists from Chandertal a herculean task: CM Sukhu

Although the evacuation efforts and road opening work have gained pace, thousands of tourists are still stuck at various places in rain-battered Himachal Pradesh, according to reports. With over 850 roads still blocked, a large number of tourists have extended their stay in accommodations where they are residing or waiting for the situation to get better. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Wednesday called the evacuation of stranded tourists from Chandertal in Lahaul and Spiti a "challenging task". "We have sent a minister and Chief Parliament Secretary Sanjay Avasthi to Chandertal to take stock of the situation," he said after taking an aerial survey of Losar and Chandertal areas. He said state minister Jagat Singh Negi from Tribal Kinnaur district, who is acquainted with the harsh topography and tribal calamities, along with Avasthi will assist the rescue efforts in Chandertal. "They would reach Chandertal by Wednesday night," Sukhu added. About 300 people, mostly tourists

Tamil Nadu sees record number of tourist arrivals till May, says govt

Tamil Nadu has witnessed a multi-fold increase in the number of tourist arrivals to the state till May, to become the top-ranked tourist destination in the country, Minister for Tourism and Tourism Development Corporation K Ramachandran said on Friday. The increase in the number of tourists visiting the state has been recorded in both domestic and overseas segments, he said. The Minister on Friday chaired a review meeting of his department and said on account of various measures taken by Chief Minister M K Stalin, the government has witnessed a surge in tourist arrivals. Giving some statistics, he said, tourists from overseas countries which stood at 57,622 in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic had grown to 4,07,139 in 2022 while it further increased to 4,42,337 till May. On the domestic tourists visiting the state, he said it also increased from 11,53,36,719 in 2021 to 21,85,84,846 in 2022 and till May it witnessed 12,21,38,238 arrivals. To be specific, during April-May, as many a

Himachal's Pong Dam to be developed as major tourist destination: CM Sukhu

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Monday said the state government has allotted Rs 70 crore to introduce water sports and other activities at the Pong Dam in Kangra district to create job opportunities and develop it as a major tourist destination. The government intends to develop the dam, which has been declared a Wetland of National Importance in November 2002, by creating added infrastructure and even starting Shikara' in the backwaters of the lake, a statement issued here said. Famous as an abode for migratory birds, particularly the Siberian cranes and hundreds of other species from Russia and trans-Antarctic regions, the Pong Dam is a manmade reservoir on the Beas River in the wetland of Shivalik hills of Kangra district. Stretched up to an area of 24,529 hectares with few habited islands, the reservoir caters to the needs of fishermen in a big way and is the most important source of economy to hundreds of families engaged in the business. The state .

Tourism department plans tours of unexplored places in Delhi for students

The Delhi government's Tourism department will approach the Education department to take students on tours of places not often visited to increase footfall at unexplored sites, an official said. The Tourism department often assists schools during their tours and picnics at monuments in the national capital. "We have been conducting guided tours for quite a long time but we just provide assistance to the schools at present. They do it on their own. There are certain parts in the national capital that are not visited often. "We are planning to take it up with the Education department if they can send schoolchildren to these spots," the official told PTI. Among these unexplored places are Mirza Ghalib ki Haveli, the Mughal period Chor Minar, Bijay Mandal, Rajon ki Baoli, Adham Khan's tomb and the Bade and Chhote Khan tombs. The official said the department is also offering guided tours to "unexplored" Delhi. "The Haunted Heritage Walk that started with guided tours of Malcha Mahal i

Kerala govt orders probe into boat tragedy that claimed 22 lives

A day after the tragic tourist boat accident that claimed the lives of 22 people including women and children, Kerala government on Monday announced a judicial probe into the matter and decided to give a compensation of Rs ten lakh to the kin of the deceased. Addressing the media here after visiting Tirurangandi Taluk hospital and the Kunnummel family which lost 12 members, Vijayan termed the accident as a "tragedy" and said the government will bear the expense of those under treatment. Vijayan announced the probe and the compensation after an all-party meeting held at Tanur in which senior opposition leaders also participated. "The all-party meeting has decided for a judicial inquiry in this matter. The probe will cover the technical issues related to the boat's safety among other matters. A judicial commission comprising technical experts will be formed. A Special investigation team of the Kerala police will also probe the matter," Vijayan told the media. He also announced a ...