The Goa International airport is set to welcome e-Tourist Visa (eTV) arrivals from the second list of 31 countries enlisted for this facility by the Centre recently, a move that will boost tourism during monsoon.  The airport at Dabolim has already made adequate arrangements for catering to citizens from 75 countries, availing of ETV facility.

New airport at Kadapa, Andhra Pradesh

India will get its new airport at Kadapa in Andhra Pradesh. The airport will open for traffic in the presence of Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Raju and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu. The Airports Authority of India has invested Rs 42 crores for the airport which sprawls along 520 acres of land given by the state government. Kadapa airport can handle three ATRs at a time with a capacity to take care of 100 passengers

eTV for Sweden & Tanzania soon

India will soon extend e-Tourist Visa facility to Swedish nationals, President Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday said as he invited the Nordic country to be a part of government’s flagship programmes like the ‘Make in India’ initiative.

Terming Tanzania as an important component in the India-Africa partnership, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has conveyed to Tanzania President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete that India will soon extend e-Tourist Visa scheme to Tanzanian tourists .

West Bengal gets new brand logo

West Bengal Tourism has revealed its new brand identity, ‘Experience Bengal’. The state is re-branded as ‘the sweetest part of India’ which is now keen on promoting tourism beyond Kolkata and Darjeeling. To compete with the state and international stalwarts, West Bengal Tourism appointed ad agency, Ogilvy & Mather (O&M) to come up with something very unique. The new logo will be used for all promotional and marketing purposes henceforth.

HOTEL NEWS

Holiday Inn debuts in Chandigarh

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has opened its first Holiday Inn in Chandigarh Panchkula. It is the 10th Holiday Inn hotel in India. Located on the Kalka Shimla Highway, the hotel provides easy access to a number of tourist attractions as well as commercial hubs, making it a great choice for both business and leisure travellers.

The 127-room hotel is set at the foot of the Morni Hills, an area well-known for its views of the Himalayas, and next to the Panchkula Golf Course. The hotel has easy access to tourist attractions such as Sukhna Lake, Rock Garden, Cactus Garden and Sector 17 market which is ideal for shopping and dining. For guests travelling for business, the hotel is located near the business districts of IT Park, Mohali, Baddi and Zirakpur. Chandigarh Airport and Railway Station are both within a short drive from the hotel. With eight meeting rooms and event spaces, the property is a great choice for business meetings as well as large scale events, for up to 500 people. A well-equipped fitness centre, spa and an outdoor swimming pool completes the experience for guests.

Key hotels debuts in Kochi

With special rooms for women travellers and differently abled guests, Keys Kochi opens doors offering breathtaking view of Kerala’s famous backwaters. This is Keys Hotels & Resorts second hotel in Kerala and 16th hotel across India. Hotel Keys Kochi offers breathtaking views and coupled with its proximity to MG Road, Fort Cochin and the Info Park proves to be an ideal option for both business and leisure travelers. The hotel has 151 rooms, many of which offer breathtaking views of the backwaters.The hotel further gives special consideration to the safety of guests, especially women travellers. The Keys Kochi has 10 rooms which have been designed to cater to the specific needs and requirements of a woman traveller. They are located on a separate floor, dedicated to rooms for single women travellers, which is under 24/7 CCTV surveillance. Additionally, video door phones installed in each of these rooms help guests identify the person at the door before letting them in.

Sarovar’s new hotel for pilgrims in Tirupati

Sarovar Hotels & Resorts has opened a new property, Marasa Sarovar Premiere hotel in Tirupati. This new property intends to attract pilgrims visiting the city. Its design is based on the images of Lord Vishnu. It offers 121 rooms and suites, a fitness centre, swimming pool, indoor games area, vegetarian restaurant, cafe and three meeting rooms. The holy hill of Tirumala is mostly filled with thousands of devotees, many of whom have endured long journeys to see Lord Venkateshwara here, at his home.

AIRLINES NEWS

Bengaluru becomes next destination for Vistara

Vistara introduces two daily flights connecting Bengaluru to New Delhi and Mumbai. Starting today, Vistara’s inaugural flight from New Delhi to Bengaluru took off at 6.40 am from Terminal 3 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport. The Mumbai bound flight took off from Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport at 10.10 am. Bengaluru is Vistara’s second destination in South India after Hyderabad and the tenth destination overall since it commenced operations in January this year.

Fly Imphal-Guwahati on AirAsia from June 25

AirAsia India has added Imphal to its network of destinations. The airline will start daily flights from Guwahati to Imphal, effective June 25. To celebrate the launch of the new route, AirAsia India is offering inaugural fares from as low as Rs 900 from Guwahati to Imphal and vice versa. Flyers can grab this special offer on www.airasia.com until June 7 for the travel period from June 25, 2015 to May 31, 2016.
Mihin Lanka’s Kolkata-Colombo direct flights from June 17

Mihin Lanka, Sri Lanka’s national low-cost carrier will launch direct international flight from Kolkata to Colombo with effect from June 17, 2015. The airline introduced an Airbus A319 to its fleet in March 2015, and the new aircraft will service Kolkata and will also support increasing frequencies to some of the airline key routes – Dhaka, Madurai, Lahore, Gaya and Varanasi. The inaugural flight will bring media and the top travel agents and tour operators of Sri Lanka who will promote Kolkata as a starting point for Buddhist Pilgrim tours and also as a gateway for the North Eastern States of India. Ticket sales have commenced from 1 April 2015 onwards and special promotions will take place during the upcoming Durga Puja & Diwali holidays, giving our passengers the chance to fly and experience Mihin flights from Kolkata to Colombo.

Vistara connect Mumbai to Goa

Leisure travellers on the Mumbai-Goa route can now look forward to more joyful weekend getaways with Vistara announcing the launch of weekend flights on the route effective July 17, 2015. The flights will operate daily from September 14, 2015. Travellers can now book these flights through the Vistara website and travel partners. With the addition of the Mumbai-Goa flights, Vistara now operates 243 weekly frequencies connecting ten destinations, including Delhi, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Bagdogra, Guwahati, Goa, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Mumbai and Pune.

Events & Festivals in August 2015

15Aug- Independence Day (The 69th Independence Day Celebrations)
18Aug- Ganesh Chathurthi (Ganesha Chaturthi is celebrated by Hindus all over the world as the birthday of Lord Ganesha)
19Aug– Nag Panchami (Women worship Nag Devta (god of snakes) and offer milk to snakes on this day. Women also pray for the wellness of their brothers and family.)
29Aug- Raksha Bandhan (Rakhi is basically a sacred thread of protection embellished with the love and affection of a sister for her brother)