Page 8 - Travel

Tourists to be allowed to visit Sikkim from Friday after Oct flash flood

The popular north Sikkim tourist destination, Lachung, which was affected by flash floods in early October, has been made accessible after the restoration of road, an official said on Thursday. The tourist spot will be open for visitors from Friday, he said. "Lachung is now accessible after successful completion of road restoration efforts. The scenic destination can be reached through an alternative route via Dzongu-Shipgyer and will be open for tourists from December 1," Tourism and Civil Aviation Department Secretary Prakash Chettri said. Extending a warm welcome to all tourists intending to visit Lachung-Yumthang in the northern part of Sikkim, he said that the alternative route, via Dzongu-Shipgyer, will have an additional 16-17 km to reach Lachung. He, however, said the Lachen-Gurudongmar point would remain closed until further notice as restoration work in the region was underway in the aftermath of the flash floods. The decision to allow tourists to visit Lachung comes nea

Uttarakhand govt to bear travel expenses of relatives of trapped workers

The Uttarakhand government will bear the travel, food and lodging expenses of relatives of the 41 workers trapped at the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi district for over a week. Assuring the families of the trapped workers that they will be rescued soon, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Monday said officials have been asked to stay in touch with the relatives of the trapped workers so that they do not face any inconvenience. The state government will bear the expenses of people who want to visit Silkyara to enquire about their well being, he said. Psychiatrists have also been roped in to maintain the morale of the trapped workers, the chief minister said. Rescue operations are being carried out on a war footing since portions of the tunnel collapsed following a landslide early on November 12, leaving 41 workers trapped behind a huge mound of debris. The Silkyara tunnel, about 30 km from the district headquarters of Uttarkashi and a seven-hour drive from the Uttarakhand capital

Signing off for Diwali: The best holiday destinations for the season

As winter sets in and large parts of India battle smog, people are taking a short break in places that offer respite

Winter Travel: Destinations, tips and safety measures for travellers

Whether you take a flight or travel by road, some safety tips for winter travel can be extremely handy. The people who are driving must make sure to read these tips for managing the issues in winter

Planning a solo trip? Here are the top 3 travel destinations for Indians

Thailand's capital city Bangkok has become the most popular destination for solo travelers from India, according to a report by digital travel platform Agoda

Global travel, tourism industry to achieve $15 trn mark in 10 yrs: WTTC

The travel and tourism sector has marked a robust bounce back to the pre-pandemic levels would generate USD 10 trillion by the end of 2023, and become a USD 15 trillion economy in the next 10 years, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) said here. Speaking at the opening press conference of its 23rd Global Summit, WTTC President & CEO Julia Simpson said the latest data highlights that the sector, which was badly hit during the COVID-19 pandemic, is now recovering faster than anticipated. We are in 2023 and I am delighted to say that we have recovered, and by the end of this year, the industry will be worth nearly USD 10 trillion. Despite China's full recovery potential yet to be realised, the sector's performance is exceeding expectations. But, we are practically there, Simpson said as the Summit commenced on Wednesday. In the next 10 years, the industry will go way ahead of the USD 10 trillion mark. This sector will be worth nearly USD 15 trillion, Simpson said. Though ...

Thailand, Srilanka and more: Countries where Indians can travel visa free

According to the latest Passport Index by Henley and Partners 2023, Indian passport holders can travel to up to 57 countries without a visa.

94% Indian travellers plan trips influenced by hit shows, says report

The report reveals that 94 per cent Indians are inclined to take a trip to a destination that they have seen on screen, to immerse themselves in the iconic location of their favourite shows

Indians can travel to Thailand without visa from Nov 10 to May 10

Indians can travel to Thailand without a visa from November 10 to May 10, 2024 as the Southeast Asian country looks to boost tourism. India is one of the major tourism sources for Thailand. Indians can travel to Thailand without visa during the period from November 10, 2023 to May 10, 2024. On one entry, a person can stay for up to 30 days, Siriges-A-Nong Trirattanasongpol, Director of Tourism Authority of Thailand at New Delhi Office, told PTI on Tuesday. Thailand is looking to boost tourism, including from India.

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

UP govt to install CCTV, panic buttons in buses and cabs to ensure safety

A total of 21,155 buses, Ola and Uber have been identified to install panic buttons along with CCTV cameras to strengthen the safety of women and elderly people

India to resume some visa services in Canada from Thursday: High Commission

India on Wednesday said it will resume some visa services in Canada with effect from Thursday. In a post on X, the High Commission of India in Canada said that services for entry visa, business visa, medical visa, and conference visa will resume from October 26. The development comes days after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Sunday that India is looking at resuming visa services for Canadians "very soon" if it sees progress in the safety of its diplomats in Canada. The ties between India and Canada nosedived after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged on September 18 that there was a potential link between Indian agents and the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia in June. New Delhi strongly trashed the charges. Days later, it announced temporarily suspending issuance of visas to Canadian citizens and asked Ottawa to downsize its diplomatic presence in India.

2,525 trains to be cancelled for work between Khar-Goregaon till Nov 6

As many as 2,525 suburban services will remain cancelled till November 6 due to a block undertaken for works that began on October 7 in connection with the construction of 6th line between Khar and Goregaon stations, Western Railway said on Monday. At least 230 to 316 Up (towards Churchgate) and Down (towards Virar/Dahanu) suburban trains will remain cancelled everyday, while 93 locals will be cancelled on November 4 and 110 on November 5, a WR release said. Due to non-interlocking work in connection with construction of 6th line between Khar and Goregaon stations, these 2,525 suburban services will remain cancelled, the release said. Sumit Thakur, WR chief public relations officer, said the block was meticulously planned to ensure minimum disruption to rail traffic and least inconvenience to passengers. Western Railway has undertaken the work of fast-tracking sixth line project between Khar and Goregaon stations, an 8.8 kilometre stretch, from October 7 and the work is progressing

Namo Bharat ridership to cross 10,000-mark on inaugural day: NCRTC

Services on a priority section of India's first Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) corridor began on Saturday and the ridership is expected to cross the 10,000-mark on day one, a senior official of the NCRTC said. The much-anticipated commencement of commercial operations on the 17-km section of the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS corridor began amid excitement among passengers. The inaugural 'Namo Bharat' train journey kicked off at 6 am, and the services received an "overwhelming response" from commuters, some of whom had arrived as early as 4.30 am, eager to be a part of this historic journey, even from nearby areas like Muradnagar and from far-off areas in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, a senior official of the NCRTC said. Vinay Kumar Singh, Managing Director of National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) also took a ride on the inaugural day of the 'Namo Bharat' train services. He welcomed the first set of passengers of India's first 'Namo Bharat' train in the morning, and a

Common card for travel promises transport revolution in the country

The National Common Mobility Card will prompt the use of public transport, reduce the need for private vehicles and help the environment

'Travel for LiFE' fantastic initiative, worth replicating: PATA chairperson

India's 'Travel for LiFE' campaign is a "fantastic initiative" and worth replicating as it addresses both the demand and supply sides of the sector, the chairperson of Bangkok-based Pacific Asia Travel Association said here on Wednesday. PATA chief Peter Semone was addressing a large number of delegates who have gathered in Delhi for the 46th edition of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Travel Mart being hosted at Pragati Maidan from October 4-6. At a formal opening of the global travel conclave, he congratulated India and the Ministry of Tourism for the 'Travel for LiFE' initiative. The opening ceremony was held at Hotel Ashoka here. The Ministry of Tourism, on the occasion of World Tourism Day on September 27, had globally launched the sustainable programme of 'Travel for LiFE, under the aegis of 'Mission LiFE', targeted towards the tourism sector, promoting tourists to follow responsible behaviour while travelling. "First of all I would like to congratulate the Governm

From paperwork to passport: Atlys' digital leap in visa processing

Mohak Nahta's Atlys is streamlining visas, winning travellers and investors alike

IRCTC North East packages: Visit Guwahati, Shillong for 10 nights/11 days

IRCTC is offering 10 nights and 11 days northeast travelling packages via trail. All the travel lovers who want to explore northeast can leverage this package

Child travel norms: Railways earned over Rs 2,800 cr more in 7 years

Indian Railways has earned an additional revenue of more than Rs 2,800 crore from child travellers in the last seven years by revising child travel fare norms, an RTI response has found. The response from the Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS) under the Right to Information (RTI) Act further indicates that the financial year of 2022-23 alone earned Rs 560 crore due to the amended norms making it the most profitable year. CRIS, an organization under the Ministry of Railways, provides IT solutions in core areas such as ticketing and passengers, freight services, train traffic control and operations, among others. On March 31, 2016, the ministry announced that the railways would charge full adult fare for children of age 5 years and under 12 years if they opted for separate berths or seats in a reserved coach. The revised norm was made applicable from April 21, 2016. Earlier, the railways used to offer separate berths to children between 5 and 12 years while charging only h

59% growth in TOEFL test takers in India post-pandemic, rise in share: ETS

TOEFL test takers in India have grown by 59 per cent since international travel resumed following suspension during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Educational Testing Service (ETS). Corresponding with the trend, Indians accounted for 12.3 per cent of the total test takers globally in 2022, up from 7.5 per cent the previous year, showed data from the Princeton-based ETS which conducts the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and Graduate Record Examination (GRE). According to data exclusively accessed by PTI, there was a 53 per cent growth in Indian TOEFL test takers in 2021 compared to the previous year. In 2022, the number of test takers saw a 59 per cent rise over 2021. "The numbers are clearly indicative of the rising aspirations of Indians in exploring foreign shores. The growth in Indian test takers is in sync with the rise in the number of Indians moving abroad for studies or immigration purposes. "The trends show that the interest is no longer limited to the US