All posts by Swagata Basu
Flood hits Kashmir tourism
August 8 (TravelAndy): A series of cloudbursts and landslides have hit tourism in the beautiful Himalayan valley of Kashmir.
Scores of tourists have cancelled their trips following the flash floods and landslides, said reports.
Tourism in Kashmir went smoothly between 2011 and 2014. But following the devastating flood of April 2014, the number of tourists fell. This year’s flash flood is feared to have added to the already problematic scenario. Continue reading Flood hits Kashmir tourism →
Flash flood hits Leh tourism
August 7 (TravelAndy): A flash flood in the pristine Leh district of India has hit tourism.
Twenty-three British trekkers, who were stranded in Leh because of the flash flood, have been rescued, said reports.
At the moment, the tourist season is at its peak in Leh, which attracts a large number of visitors from across the country and abroad.
Abu Dhabi woos Indian tourists
August 6 (TravelAndy): Abu Dhabi intends to attract an increased number of Indian tourists during the second half of 2015.
Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority (TCA) is offering customised tour packages for Indians.
With Etihad Airways and Jet Airways are offering close to 200 flights every week from 14 Indian destinations to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) capital of Abu Dhabi, tourist foot fall is expected to increase. Continue reading Abu Dhabi woos Indian tourists →
United Airlines resumes Belfast-NY flight
August 5 (TravelAndy): United Airlines has decided to restore year-round flight services between Belfast in Ireland and New York, from 2016.
This will mark the only direct air link between Northern Ireland and the US.
This route between Belfast airport and Newark Liberty airport in New York existed previously. The services were temporarily stopped between January 6 and March 31, 2015. Continue reading United Airlines resumes Belfast-NY flight →
Andhra plans monastery boulevard
July 31 (TravelAndy): In an attempt to attract international tourists to its state capital Amaravati, Indian state Andhra Pradesh is planning to set up a monastery boulevard similar to Bihar’s Bodh Gaya, said reports.
Chief minister of Andhra Pradesh N Chandrababu Naidu discussed the setting up of monastery boulevard in a meeting held on Tuesday.
Apart from this, 13 heritage spots were identified by state government that can be developed as tourist destinations. Continue reading Andhra plans monastery boulevard →
India extends e-tourist visa to China
July 30 (TravelAndy): India has decided to extend e-tourist visa (e-TV) to the citizens of China, Hong Kong and Macao from today.
With the latest move, the number of nations enjoying Indian e-TV facility becomes 77.
Australia, Brazil, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Mauritius, Mexico, Myanmar, New Zealand, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and the US are among the 74 countries that are already in the e-TV list. Continue reading India extends e-tourist visa to China →
Paperless train travel on Delhi-Palwal route
July 29 (TravelAndy): Passengers travelling on trains between New Delhi and Palwal in Haryana will be able to book unreserved tickets through their Android and Windows phones from next month, reports said.
Users will have to download the Unreserved Ticketing System (UTS) application to benefit from this service.
Tickets can be purchased by using credit card, debit card and net banking. Continue reading Paperless train travel on Delhi-Palwal route →
Kerala denies dog cull decision
July 28 (TravelAndy): The tourism minister of the south Indian state of Kerala has denied allegations of the authorities planning to cull stray dogs across the state.
Over the past few weeks, Kerala has faced strong criticism on social media against its alleged decision to cull all street dogs across the state.
Animal-lover groups had been urging tourists to shun Kerala, known for its backwaters, to register their protest against the move. Rallies have been organised in Mumbai, Kolkata and other cities in protest against the alleged decision. Continue reading Kerala denies dog cull decision →
Phuket-Hat Yai direct flights from Oct 2
July 27 (TravelAndy): Thailand-based Bangkok Airways is set to resume flights between Phuket and Hat Yai, the largest city in south Thailand, from October 2, said reports.
Four flights a week will operate on this route on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.
The airline has not yet confirmed the timings of the flights. Continue reading Phuket-Hat Yai direct flights from Oct 2 →
Solar phone chargers at Tokyo tourist spots
July 26 (TravelAndy): Tourists visiting Tokyo might soon get to charge their smartphones free of cost at the city’s popular sight seeing spots, said reports.
The Tokyo metropolitan government recently announced that the first solar-powered battery charging station will be functional by October, 2015.
Tokyo Tower and Toranomon Hills business complex will be the first two tourist spots to get these charging stations. Continue reading Solar phone chargers at Tokyo tourist spots →
Spanish trains await India debut
July 25 (TravelAndy): The Indian government has given an in-principle nod to Madrid-based locomotive makers Talgo to trial run their lighter and faster trains on the Mumbai-Delhi railway route.
If the plan works out, this could potentially decrease the train travel time between the two cities to 12 hours from the current 17.
The shipping process of trains from Spain to India awaits an official go-ahead from India, said Talgo CEO Jose Maria Oriol after a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Continue reading Spanish trains await India debut →
Automatic refund for cancelled trains
July 22 (TravelAndy): The ministry of railways in India has decided to make the refund of confirmed and RAC e-tickets automatic in case of cancellation of trains.
Passengers would not be required to cancel or fill in ticket deposit receipts for refund of online tickets if the trains are cancelled.
This automatic refund system came into effect from July 13, said the ministry said in a statement. Continue reading Automatic refund for cancelled trains →