New Delhi-based experiential and adventure tour operating company Holiday Moods Adventures Pvt Ltd has been appointed distributor in India by the Havila Kystruten Operations AS (Norway) for its Havila Cruise bookings. Havila is a family-owned Norwegian shipping company that has started sailing the classic coastal voyage between Bergen and Kirkenes with environment-friendly ships from December 2021 onwards. Havila Voyages is part of the Havila group that dates back to the 1950s, and Havila is now a group operating in shipping technology, offshore, transportation and tourism. Tejbir Singh Anand, MD, Holiday Moods Adventures Pvt Ltd, said, “It’s a great honour and…
Author: Disha Ghosh
The Atout France office in Middle East organised the 8th edition of its B2B showcase ‘Marhaba 2022’ last month held on the occasion of the Dubai Expo 2020. This edition was a special one as the showcase hosted 120 professionals from 11 countries, including the Middle East, and for the first time delegates from India and Israel had the opportunity to meet and interact with 61 tourism professionals from France. A delegation of 17 key members of the travel trade fraternity pan India represented India at Marhaba 2022. The two-day event at the Expo 2020’s Pavillon France and the Raffles…
Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand have come out in support of Tamil Nadu’s (TN) stance that whenever the Central government privatises an airport in a state, the state government should get a share in the revenue. In a policy note issued earlier this month, Tamil Nadu said that if the state government acquires and transfers land to the Centre-run Airports Authority of India (AAI) free of cost, and if the AAI or the Centre transfers that land to a third party, the value realised or revenue accrued thereby must be proportionately shared with the state government “reflecting the huge investment in land…
Saudi Arabia will host the 22nd World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) Global Summit in Riyadh from November 29 to December 2 this year. It was announced at the global summit’s closing session in Manila, according to a statement. “We are excited to welcome the world to experience the excitement and the energy of Saudi (Arabia). We promise you that the next summit will be fresh, inspiring, and rewarding,” Saudi Tourism Authority CEO Fahd Hamidaddin said. In Manila, some of the world’s business leaders and government officials across the global travel and tourism sector had gathered to discuss ways on…
India has suspended tourist visas issued to Chinese nationals, global airlines body International Air Transport Association (IATA) told its member carriers on April 20. India has been raising with China the plight of approximately 22,000 Indian students enrolled in Chinese universities who are unable to go back for physical classes. However, the neighbouring country has till date refused to let them enter. These students had to leave their studies in China and come to India when the COVID-19 pandemic began in the beginning of 2020. In a circular issued on April 20 regarding India, IATA said, “Tourist visas issued to…
The Archaeology Survey of India (ASI) has drawn up an ambitious plan for their regular methodical conservation and upkeep, reports Parvez Sultan for The New Indian Express. To make a difference, the agency will carry out an annual assessment of its 3,693 historical sites and structures including monuments and forts to ascertain restoration requirements. This is for the first time in decades; the Survey has planned a comprehensive scheme to improve efficacy of restoration and conservation interventions undertaken at various sites throughout the year but in silos. Officials, privy to the matter, said that the proposal for yearly review of…
Leaders of the global tourism industry praised the Philippines’ successful hosting of the 21st Global Summit of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) as it closed with high hopes for an industry battered by two years of the pandemic. “I’m not often stumped for words, but I am now. Wow! What an amazing summit. We really have rediscovered travel,” said Julia Simpson, President and CEO of the WTTC, who considered the “extraordinary Philippine welcome” as her personal highlight of the two-day summit. “That warmth, that passion, that generosity, that smile. I haven’t walked out one corridor without people saying…
With little more than a week to go for the commencement of Chardham Yatra, the number of online registrations has picked up in the state. Over a lakh registration have taken place so far for the period May 3 to 31. For the first time, registrations for the Chardham Yatra have been made mandatory for all the pilgrims coming to visit the shrines of Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri and Shri Hemkund Sahib. The registration facility is available both online and offline. Those going for advance registration can avail the online facility while those arriving without registration will have to…
Malaysia Tourism is hoping to welcome 1 million tourists from India by 2024, having resumed its marketing activities here with multi-city roadshow after reopening of borders. Prior to Covid in 2019, Malaysia recorded 706,000 Indian tourists. Addressing the press at the Mumbai leg of the roadshow, Manoharan Periasamy, Senior Director, International Promotion Division, Asia/Africa, said, “We are hoping to welcome 1 million tourists from India. This will be supplemented by improved air connectivity from various destinations from India as airlines have expressed interest in opening new routes and frequencies between the two countries.” Currently, IndiGo, Malaysia Airlines, AirAsia, Malindo Air,…
Thailand’s Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) has approved the lifting of the RT-PCR testing requirement for international arrivals beginning May 1, 2022, and introduced two new entry schemes specifically customised for vaccinated and unvaccinated travellers. TAT Newsroom will be providing updates in detail via www.tatnews.org once the official directives have been announced in the Royal Thai Government Gazette. International travellers who are fully vaccinated will no longer be required to show proof of a pre-arrival negative RT-PCR test nor undergo an arrival test. They are still required to register for a Thailand Pass (via https://tp.consular.go.th/) with a Certificate of…
