Dhaka Journal: Five Things to Do in the ‘Concealed’ City
By Tripti Lahiri

Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, may have been named after a local tree or a 16th-century temple. Or the name may come from the Bengali word that means “covered” or “hidden.”

That’s an apt name for a city whose charms, as is often the case with large South Asian cities, are not immediately visible to the naked eye. Not that there are hordes of visitors trying to uncover those charms, although Bangladesh is ... Read More

Would like to be brand ambassador of Kerala: Patki
- Jisha G.Nair

Kottayam: Mesmerized by the beauty of back waters in Kochi, Amruta Patki expressed her great excitement to be in Mollywood. The former Miss Earth Air was in Kochi for a two- day shoot of an upcoming Malayalam movie 'Paisa paisa'.

Amruta Patki, hailing from a middle class Maharashtrian family, bagged the beauty pageant 'Miss India Earth' award in 2006. She was adjudged Miss Earth Air 2006 amongst contestants from 82 countries. She has since ... Read More

Indians largest chunk of tourists to Sri Lanka
R. K. Radhakrishnan

(Picture: A cultural extravaganza by Sri Lanka Tourism campaign in Hyderabad.)

Indian tourists far outnumber those from other countries visiting Sri Lanka. This has again been confirmed after the September 2012 numbers were compiled and put out by the Sri Lanka Tourism.

In September this year, a total of 71, 111 tourists visited Sri Lanka. Of this, 13,888 (19.5 per cent) were Indians. The next largest group, country-wise, was from the United Kingdom, 8,586. ... Read More

Five Reasons to Visit Jaipur
By John Krich

Jaipur can disappoint at first glance. The obligatory first stop on tours of North India's so-called Golden Triangle — and the entry point to Rajasthan's legendary desert — is swathed in dust and modernization's haphazard sprawl. It's easy to lose sight of an Old City created by farsighted 18th century maharajas as the country's first urban grid. And the facades of this so-called Pink City (it was painted as such for a ... Read More

Taj Mahal replica planned in Dubai
DPA

A local company in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) plans to build a replica of India’s famed Taj Mahal in Dubai, officials said on Wednesday.

Salim al-Musa, the chairman of the multi-purpose development Falconcity of Wonders, said the monument is to be called Taj Arabia and will be similar to the massive mausoleum in Agra but several times bigger.

The structure will also house apartments and shopping malls, including bridal shops, and will be surrounded by Moghul-style ... Read More

Lee to promote Australian tourism in India
According to 'The Daily Telegraph', Lee has been named a "Friend of Australia" under Tourism Australia's advocacy program.

As part the promotion, he would be welcoming over 70 Indian travel agents and take them around the famous Melbourne Cricket Ground on Wednesday.

The tour operators are here to participate in a six-day India Mega Family and Workshop and are also visiting Sydney and the Hunter Region in NSW, the Gold Coast in Queensland and Perth and Fremantle ... Read More

Travel to Jaipur in double-decker train
New Delhi, Aug 24 (IANS) Now travelling to Jaipur will be easier, with the Indian Railways Friday starting its second double-decker air conditioned train from Delhi to the Rajasthan capital.

The double decker coaches can carry 120 passengers, up from 78 in the normal ones.

The first AC Double Decker train was introduced between Howrah-Dhanbad in 2011, Railway Minister Mukul Roy said after flagging off the train from Sarai Rohilla station here.

The minister said the AC Double ... Read More

Exploring Galle, Sri Lanka
The sights and scenes in Galle, an ancient town in Sri Lanka that was granted Unesco World Heritage status in the late '80s.

Three years after the end of a brutal, 26-year civil war, those predictions may finally come true. The travel sector already has witnessed a comeback: Compared with 438,000 arrivals in 2008, 1 million tourists are expected to visit this year. By 2016, the government is targeting 2.5 million tourists, hotel industry sources say.

Sri ... Read More

Welcome to Kuttikkanam
Welcome to Kuttikkanam (on the way to Thekkady) - a mystical

village town of dew drops, tea leaves and hill stations. At an altitude

of 3500ft, you can idle away three days in the nadan or continental

food courts, buy hill products, share recipes, tour the sloppy-curvy

tea plantations and laugh to heart’s content viewing the stage

shows,enjoy fireworks...

An opportunity for NRIs (coming to Kerala for holidays but only

to be trapped in the labyrinth of duties and responsibilities) to empty

their ... Read More

Goa beaches head for makeover with shack policy
Panaji: Soon, no ducking behind a sand dune or a coconut palm to change in or out of your swimwear. The Goa beach experience is about to undergo a dramatic change with the state government formulating a shack policy, complete with freshwater showers and toilets.

Much to the delight of tourists and frequent visitors to Goa, the state government is in the process of finalising a policy for shacks as well as water sports, apart from ... Read More

Going on Faith
By DR.ABRAHAM VERGHESE

The morning I arrived in Trivandrum, the capital of the south Indian state of Kerala, I met my friend Vinita, a Hindu, who promised to accompany me on a visit to the Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple, a place that is generally off limits to nonbelievers. Though my family is from Kerala, we are Christians, a community dating back to A.D. 52 with the arrival of St. Thomas on these shores. “Doubting” Thomas converted Brahmins ... Read More

Kerala Tourism to hold first-ever road show in Saudi Arabia
Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Tourism is holding its first-ever road show in Saudi Arabia from Sunday in a bid to attract more tourists from the Gulf kingdom to the state, an official statement said Friday.

"Saudi Arabia is the biggest market for outbound tourists in the Gulf region. We want to invite travellers from Saudi Arabia to Kerala," said state Tourism Minister A.P. Anil Kumar in the statement here.

The first road show would be held in Jeddah on ... Read More

Thrissur's Pooram Festival attracts hundreds of devotees, tourists
In this annual festival, caparisoned elephants are the main attraction.

Sharing her views with the media on Tuesday, British tourist Quincott Fray termed the Thrissur Pooram as a beautiful and memorable experience.

"I am really having a marvellous time here seeing your Pooram and seeing these lovely elephants and festivities. You have a really great festival and a lovely city here," said Fray.

Artistes from the various parts of state also entertained the visitors with their performances.

As part ... Read More

Married women celebrate Gangaur Festival in Rajasthan
Gangaur is a significant festival of Jaipur, especially meant for the women. Gangaur festival is widely acclaimed and celebrated throughout the state of Rajasthan. The word Gangaur is derived from two words, 'Gan' and 'Gauri' which are synonyms of 'Siva' and his consort 'Parvati' respectively. The festival of Gangaur starts with the subsequent day of Holi and persists for about 2 weeks. Gangaur is celebrated in the honor of Goddess Gauri, who is considered as ... Read More

48 Hours in Bali
By Elaine Lies, Reuters

Bali - Lush tropical landscapes, intricate Hindu temples, long stretches of beach fringed with palm trees, and traditional dances both graceful and furious are all part of the charms of this resort island that keep visitors coming.

Yet venture away from the main tourist drag and it’s still possible to spend hours strolling through rice fields, stopping in villages along the way to chat with locals.

Reuters correspondents with local knowledge ... Read More

Tourism in Kerala
Sarah Zachariah

Kerala has the reputation of being the most beautiful state in India and its slogan, “God’s Own Country”, certainly reflects that! It has been named one of the “ten paradises of the world” by the National Geographic Traveler magazine and is one of the most popular tourism destinations in India. From beautiful backwaters to Ayurveda massages and tea plantations to beaches, it is obvious to see that all this popularity is for a very ... Read More

Brand Kerala shines at Spanish tourism fair
Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 24 (IANS) Visitors were swept off their feet as Kerala Tourism unfolded its mesmerising grandeur at the just-concluded International Tourism Trade Fair (FITUR) 2012 in Spain, with visitors and trade professionals showing tremendous interest in 'Brand Kerala', an official said here Tuesday.

FITUR 2012 show at Madrid, a meeting point of tourism professionals from all over the world, is considered the second biggest gathering of travel and tourism players with around 13,000 exhibitors ... Read More

Rs. Five Crore for Kottayam Tourism Development Schemes
The Heritage Zone stretch at Thazhathangadi where the new walk will come up as part of the beautification project. Photo: Special Arrangement.

Half a dozen tourism projects are being implemented in the district at a cost of Rs. Five crore, district Tourism Promotion Council this year.

Top on the agenda is the Thazhathangadi Beautification Project, being taken up at a cost of Rs.72.23 lakh. According to Jijo John, secretary DTPC, the project will be implemented ... Read More

Oprah visits the Taj
-IANS

US talk show queen Oprah Winfrey visited the Taj Mahal Thursday, spending more than an hour while her camera crew captured the 17th century marble marvel from various angles for her new talk show.

She was followed by scores of journalists and camera persons, which made her security a daunting task for her bouncers.

At Vrindavan, she made an unscheduled stop at the Ma Dham widows' home. This caused quite a ruckus between her security personnel ... Read More

Celebrities Toast God’s Own Country in Twitter Chat
(PictureM Meg Matthew with Sarah Luis)

New Delhi, January 18: The chatter in the twitter world is becoming unabashedly flattering in celebration of God’s Own Country.

A host of British celebrities, who were wowed by the exotic destinations of Kerala while holidaying there, have beckoned their followers on the social networking site to visit the state and savour its ethereal beauty.

British actor and fashion czarina Sadie Frost leads the list. “Its bin amazin. spice boat cruise on ... Read More

Turkey wants more tourism, cultural exchanges with India
New Delhi, Jan 9 (IANS) Stating that India has strong relations with Turkey, Turkish ambassador Burak Akcapar Monday said tourism and cultural exchanges between the two countries need to be boosted.

'Our countries have had strong bilateral relations for a long time but the tourism and cultural exchange between the two countries needs to be boosted,' said Akcapar at an event organised by the Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) to announce the Indian Travel ... Read More

Can foreign tourists help US economy?
The 22-year-old Argentine recently dropped more than $5,000 on food, hotels and clothes in Las Vegas during a trip that also took her to Seattle's Space Needle, Disneyland and the San Diego Zoo. But she doubts she will return soon.

“It is a little bit of a headache,'' said Ocampo, a student who waited months to find out whether her tourist visa application would be approved.

More than a decade after the federal government strengthened ... Read More

India looks to Buddhism to boost flagging China tourism
Ananth Krishnan

Eyeing China's fast expanding outbound tourism market, which has, so far, largely bypassed India, the Indian government has launched a tourism campaign targeting the world's fastest-growing Buddhist population with a direct sales pitch: visit India and reconnect with your faith.

Indian officials hope that promoting the ‘Buddhist circuit train' in China, which has been in operation since 2007 and stops along several pilgrimage sites in northern India, can help boost the low numbers of ... Read More

Centre to promote tourism in Ayodhya
Uttar Pradesh, November 7, 2011: The central government has said that it would spend rupees 10 crore for the financial year 2011-12 for promoting religious tourism in Ayodhya, the birth place of Lord Ram.

Union Minster for Tourism Subodh Kant Sahay yesterday said that rupees 5 crore have been sanctioned for development of the city on the basis of proposal submitted by the state government.

He said that the remaining was still pending because the state government ... Read More

Fatima Bhutto vows to return ‘home’
New Delhi, October 22: Kerala’s ‘love affair’ with international celebrities is on an upward swing.

Pakistani writer Fatima Bhutto, renowned Israeli playwright Motti Lerner, and `Israeli writer of the year’ Savyon Liebrecht are the newest additions to the growing fan list of God’s Own Country among top celebrities.

“I felt at home in Kerala. I would like to return,” says Fatima Bhutto, the granddaughter of former Pakistan Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, who visited the ... Read More

Kovalam the new Surfing sport
... Read More

Kerala tourism - a record arrival
Kerala tourism has again consolidated its position in the tourism sector by attracting a record 1.07 crore domestic tourists and 7.03 lakh foreign tourists to the sate during 2012. The total revenue both direct and indirect from the tourism taken touched 21125 crore in 2012 compared to Rs 19037 crore in 2011.
... Read More

INDIA’S FIRST INTERNATIONAL EVENT ON TRAVEL TECHNOLOGIES
... Read More

Goa bans drinking alcohol on beaches
PTI

Panaji: Goa government has banned drinking liquor on beaches in a bid to curb littering and nuisance caused to women tourists.

However, one can continue to enjoy drinks at designated places like beach shacks, Goa Tourism Director Nikhil Desai told PTI.

"The ban has been imposed under Goa Tourist Places (Protection and Maintenance) Act which gives the right to the state government to ban things which create nuisance in the tourism zones. The act envisages to protect ... Read More

KERALA MODEL OF TOURISM HAILED
UN Conference on Trade and Development in Geneva has hailed Kerala’s model of Responsible Tourism with ecofriendliness and inclusive as its main stay.

The meeting was attended by experts, policy makers and departments from the developing and developed nations as well as representatives of international organizations and civil society. Delegates from carribean and African countries showed interest to replicate RT model in their countries. Kerala has become a model for Tourism Development for the entire India ... Read More

SASI THAROOR IN THE ROLE OF QUIZ MASTER
Union Minister of state for Human Resource Development Shasi Tharoor will soon don the role of a quiz master to promote tourism in God’s own Country. The career diplomat turned politician represents Thiruvanthapuram constituency in the Lok sabha .The online video quiz for Kerala Tourism will kick off in May and go on for two months, contestants from any part of the world can join the show. The questions will be on kerala’s ... Read More

AWARD FOR KERALA TOURISM KUMARAKAM PROJECT
Kerala Tourism responsible tourism model at Kumarakam linking local community to the hospitality industry has won the national award for the best rural tourism project.
Kerala also bagged honors in three other categories at the National Tourism Awards for 2011-2012. Launched in 2008, kerala Tourism’s pioneering responsible tourism model in Kumarakam forged partnerships with Kudumbashree to sell fruits and vegetables to tourists in kiosks.run by its units and with hotels and restaurants in the area to ... Read More

India wins three prestigious travel awards
Source : IANS

New Delhi, Dec 13 (IANS) India has won three top tourism awards from the World Travel Awards (WTA), including for being the world's best destination.

Apart from winning the award for best destination, it also bagged the award for world's leading tourist board award for its "Incredible India" campaign and for world's leading tourist attraction for Taj Mahal, a world heritage site.

Accepting the award at an event here Wednesday evening, Tourism minister K. Chiranjeevi ... Read More

Kerala roadshow to woo tourists to shopping festival
Source : IANS

New Delhi, Nov 26 (IANS) Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi Monday flagged off a unique roadshow to woo tourists for the forthcoming Grand Kerala Shopping Festival (GKSF) beginning Dec 15.

The GKSF is being held to promote Kerala as an international shopping destination. State government officials said the road-show was planned to make GKSF popular with both the foreign and domestic tourists.

"Happening during our peak tourism season, the GKSF will aim to tap ... Read More

The eco friendly desert festival – Rajasthan
Meenakshi Sinha, TNN

It's the time for festivals and one's not talking about Diwali. As the capital braces for the many music and art festivals in the coming weeks, Rajasthan has already hosted the Jodhpur RIFF. Now its time for the first music, arts and culture festival set in the Thar Desert - titled 'Ragasthan' - an eco-friendly festival working towards sustainable collaborations with local artisans.

Endorsed and supported by the ICCR (Indian Council of Cultural Relations), ... Read More