Page 5 - Tourists

China expands visa-free initiatives to lure tourists amid economic woes

The Chinese Foreign Ministry expressed optimism about the mutual visa exemptions, stating that it "serves the fundamental interests of both peoples," as per reports

After floods, tourists have started turning towards Himachal once again: CM

CM Sukhu thanked all the tourists coming to the state

Shimla records 50-60% occupancy on New Year's Eve, 'lowest in 40 years'

Prediction of weekend snow and the chief minister's directions not to be harsh with drunk revelers on New Year failed to woo tourists to Shimla which recorded 50-60 per cent occupancy, "the lowest in the last 40 years". Last year, Shimla had recorded more than 80 per cent occupancy on New Year. The hotel and allied industries were pinning hopes on 'white New Year' but chances of snowfall appear very bleak. While, the Mall Road and The Ridge in the heart of the city are abuzz with tourists as winter carnival turned the place into a fair with lights and cultural bonanza being organised but tourist footfall has not converted in room occupancy in hotels, said Shimla Hotel and Tourism Stakeholders Association president M K Seth. The occupancy is about 50-60 per cent which is the lowest in the last 40 years and even during the Covid-19 pandemic, the tourist rush on New Year was more than this time, he told the PTI. Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had directed to ..

HP revives after disastrous floods, tourists visit for Christmas, New Year

He asserted that Himachal will soon stand up from the aftermath of the disaster and as a testimony of fact, today the state is all ready to welcome the tourists

Christmas cheer: Spot airfares on major domestic routes remain in check

This month, the priority is to maintain fares at a reasonable level to ensure consistently high load factors

Indian Army rescues over 1,200 stranded tourists in Sikkim due to snowfall

The Indian Army has rescued 1,217 tourists stranded in high-altitude areas in eastern Sikkim due to snowfall and inclement weather, officials said on Thursday. The rescue mission by the Trishakti Corps of the army continued till late in the night on Wednesday, as the tourists were moved to safer areas and provided with shelter, warm clothing, medical aid and hot meals, they said. Arrangements are being made for their return to state capital Gangtok, the officials said. Soldiers even vacated their barracks to enable the accommodation of the stranded tourists, they added.

Except for extreme northern parts, all other destinations open: Sikkim govt

The Sikkim government has said that all popular destinations in the Himalayan state are open for tourists, except for extreme parts of North Sikkim. Sikkim government's Tourism and Civil Aviation Department, Additional Secretary, Bandana Chettri said that all the regions of the state under different districts, namely Gangtok, Namchi, Soreng, Pakyong and Gyalshing are safe to visit and the weather conditions in these areas are very soothing in this festive season. "Except for the extreme Northern part of Sikkim which is not accessible, all other destinations of the state are open for tourists and there is no untoward situation as the impact of flood in Teesta has since normalised," said an advisory on Monday. She urged tourists to visit the Himalayan state, which is known for its pristine natural beauty. The Himalayan state was hit by a flash flood in the Teesta river, triggered by a cloudburst in the early hours of October 4 in which 40 people were killed. Over a million tourists

Bharat Gaurav Tourist Train: Indian railways starts train from Mumbai today

The motive behind the theme-based circuit Bharat Gaurav Tourist Train by Indian Railways is to offer smooth and inexpensive services to people willing to visit various parts of the country

Three tourists killed in J-K's Dal Lake houseboat fire incident, 8 rescued

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday condoled the loss of lives in the Dal Lake fire incident

Three Bangladeshi tourists 'burnt beyond recognition' in Kashmir's Dal Lake

Three foreign tourists, believed to be from Bangladesh, were charred to death in a major blaze in a houseboat on the famous Dal Lake on Saturday, officials here said. Burnt beyond recognition, the tourists' bodies were retrieved from the debris of the gutted houseboats near ghat nine on the lake, a popular attraction for tourists visiting Jammu and Kashmir's summer capital, the officials said. The cause of the fire, which engulfed five houseboats and as many huts attached to those, was not immediately known. The officials said preliminary investigations suggested that the fire broke out in one of the houseboats in the early hours due to malfunctioning of a heating appliance. The victims' DNA samples were extracted to establish their identities, the officials said, adding they are believed to be from Bangladesh and included a woman, according to the records being maintained by the houseboat operators. The bodies will be identified through DNA samples with the family members of the .

Sikkim flash flood: Death toll at 34, IAF begins rescuing stranded tourists

Thirty-four bodies, including those of 10 army jawans, have been recovered so far from the slush and debris of the flash flood in Teesta river that devastated Sikkim, while the search continued for the over 105 people who are still missing, officials said on Monday. The Indian Air Force has started rescue and relief operations in the Himalayan state, airlifting the first batch of stranded tourists from Lachen to Mangan in North Sikkim. Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang held a review meeting with Chief Secretary VB Pathak, Chief of Army Staff General Manoj Pande, who has reached Gangtok, and other officials for coordinated relief and rescue operations along with armed forces. Apart from the 34 fatalities reported in Sikkim, the Jalpaiguri district administration in adjoining northern West Bengal said that 40 bodies have been fished out from downstream Teesta. However, officials warned that there might be some duplication in the toll reported by the two states. In Sikkim, Pakyong ...

ITBP rescues 56 people in North Sikkim, search continues for those missing

Fifty-six people were rescued in North Sikkim's Chungthang, one of the worst affected areas in the flash flood, the ITBP said on Sunday. Among those rescued were 52 men and four women, it said. "In another rescue operation, 56 civilians (52 Male & 4 Female) were successfully rescued via the ropeway made by the ITBP Rescue Team in Chungthang, North Sikkim," it tweeted. The search for the 81 people who went missing in the flash flood continued. So far, 30 bodies have been found, officials said. The flash flood triggered by a cloudburst in the early hours of Wednesday affected 41,870 people in four districts of the Himalayan state, with Mangan bearing the brunt of the calamity as a population of around 30,300 was hit by the disaster, according to the Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority (SSDMA). The other three affected districts are Gangtok, Pakyong and Namchi. Nineteen of the deaths were reported from Pakyong, six from Gangtok district, four from Mangan, and one from Namchi,

14 dead, 102 missing in Sikkim flash flood, 3,000 tourists stranded: Govt

Injuries and persons missing have been reported from Chungthang in Mangan district, and Dikchu, Singtam in Gangtok district and Rangpo in Pakyong district

Tourism in Himachal's Shimla booms amid festive season and weekends

Bengali tourists, who typically visit Shimla during the Navratri festival have started arriving in the town

Would like to organise competitions, develop culture of guides in Kashi: PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that he wants to organise Kashi Sansad Tourist Guide competition in the city so that people will know that a culture of guides is developing in Kashi

We are planning safari in Saisaipura area of MP: Project Cheetah chief

In an exclusive Interview with ANI, Project Cheetah head SP Yadav said that process is on for land acquisition for the project

G20: Town hall gets facelift, mayor says tourists must witness heritage

Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi on Monday visited the iconic British-era Town Hall and Ghalib ki Haveli in the Walled City and said tourists who will come to Delhi during the G20 Summit time should be able to see the rich heritage of the city. The over 160-year-old landmark -- the original headquarters of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi -- has received a basic facelift in the last few months. Mayor Oberoi accompanied by Delhi Urban Development Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj visited the sprawling heritage building situated in the Chandni Chowk area. They later also went to the historic Ghalib ki Haveli in Old Delhi's Ballimaran area where poet Mirza Ghalib once lived. India is hosting the G20 Summit in Delhi which is a matter of pride for all of us. Roads and parks (under the MCD area) are being cleaned and beautified, and tourists coming here during the G20 Summit time will be able to see the rich heritage of the city and go back with fond memories," she said. The summit is slated to be

Tourist inflow push occupancy, room rates back to pre-Covid levels: HAI

With high demand coming from the G20 summit in India and tourists coming to metros to witness happenings related to the event, hotel occupancy and room rates are back to pre-pandemic times, according to Hotel Association of India Secretary General MP Bezbaruah. Due to the existing demand-supply situation, room rates have been sometimes a little higher than the pre-pandemic, he told PTI in an interview. "I understand there is very big demand at this time from not only G20 but also from tourists and people who are coming to the metropolitan cities to see all this happening in the cities and for that demand is quite high," Bezbaruah said. Apparently, the prices also have gone up because it is primarily a demand and supply situation in the market, he added. He was responding to a query on what feedback Hotel Association of India (HAI) was getting from its members in terms of room rate tariffs and occupancy with regard to demand from the G20 Summit. On the impact of the high demand on

Hotel industry's contribution to India's GDP to hit $1 trn by 2047: HAI

The direct contribution of Indian hotel industry to the country's GDP is estimated to touch USD 1 trillion by 2047 driven by a significant jump in domestic tourist visits and international arrivals, according to a report. As per 'Vision 2047: Indian Hotel Industry' report by the Hotel Association of India (HAI) and Benori Knowledge, the direct contribution of the hotel industry to GDP was USD 40 billion in 2022 and is expected to reach USD 68 billion by 2027. By 2047, it will reach around USD 1 trillion, it added. The hospitality industry body also pointed out that for the sector to achieve its target, the accommodation growth will have to go beyond the metros to two and three-tier cities and also to the rural areas. The report, however, clarified that the total contribution includes aspects of services from corresponding industry verticals such as food and beverage, salon & spas but excludes consideration of services market growth and thus taking out scenario-based contribution ..

Nearly one-fifth of domestic tourists flocked to Uttar Pradesh in 2022

Over 318 million people visited UP in 2022 (chart 1). It was 540.6 million in 2019. But the 2019 figure included 240.5 million people who had visited it for Kumbh Mela, which happens every few years