Travel News
350K Game of Thrones fans visited Northern Ireland in 2018
Belfast (TAN): As many as 350,000 tourists came to Northern Ireland from across the world to see hit HBO series Game of Thrones shooting locations and spent a whopping GBP 50 million in 2018, a report in The Irish Times said.
Citing Tourism Northern Ireland figures, the report said every one in six international visitors during this time came for Game of Thrones tourism. Visitors in this category came from North America, Europe, India, Australia, China and elsewhere.
“It has been a phenomenal success and it has been fantastic for North Ireland to be associated with this worldwide success over the past 10 years. It has been so positive for Northern Ireland and HBO has been very, very good to us throughout this time,” the chief executive of Tourism Northern Ireland, John McGrillen, said. Continue reading 350K Game of Thrones fans visited Northern Ireland in 2018
US: Baseball season tourism rush in Fayetteville, North Carolina
Fayetteville, US (TAN): Spring is always an attractive time in Fayetteville, a city in Cumberland County, North Carolina, United States.
Downtown businesses have said they are seeing an increase in customers after the recent home opener of the city’s minor league baseball team, the Woodpeckers.
The Fayetteville Area Visitors and Convention Bureau said that tourism wise, the All American City has been on the upswing for a while, and the numbers are probably going to increase next weekend because of the annual Dogwood Festival. The event usually attracts around 200,000 visitors to the area. Continue reading US: Baseball season tourism rush in Fayetteville, North Carolina
Easter attack could ruin Sri Lanka’s tourism dept targets
Colombo/Kolkata (TAN): The travel industry is bracing for the impact of the horrific attack in Sri Lanka’s capital Colombo and Negombo, where the airport is located, on Easter Sunday.
The island nation had welcomed 2.1 million tourists in 2017 and had set the target to double that number this year.
To that effect, it had announced to offer free visas to citizens of more than 30 countries, including the US, UK, European Union and Thailand in an effort to attract tourists during the low Yala monsoon season. Continue reading Easter attack could ruin Sri Lanka’s tourism dept targets
Buddha Air to start Kathmandu-Kolkata nonstop flights from May
Kolkata (TAN): Nepal-based private airline Buddha Air will start operating nonstop flights between this east Indian city and Kathmandu from May 27.
The airline will operate three flights a week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays on this route.
The U4 163 from the Nepal capital will leave at 0800 hours and land in Kolkata at 0930. The return flight will depart at 1030 and reach Kathmandu at 1230. All are local time. Continue reading Buddha Air to start Kathmandu-Kolkata nonstop flights from May
Sri Lanka waives visa fees in low rainy season
Colombo (TAN): Sri Lanka is set to offer free visas to citizens of more than 30 countries, including the US, UK, European Union and Thailand in an effort to attract tourists during the low Yala monsoon season.
“We will start granting a free visa period for six months from 1 May 2019 for some selected countries during our off-peak period,” The Independent quoted the country’s tourism minister John Amaratunga as saying.
“In the next phase of this programme, we plan to set up a permanent system at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) to issue visas on arrival, as is the practice in many countries.” Continue reading Sri Lanka waives visa fees in low rainy season
Jet Airways cancels all domestic and international flights
Mumbai (TAN): India’s oldest private airline, the 25-year-old Jet Airways, cancelled all its domestic and international flights indefinitely on Wednesday.
It’s last flight, a domestic one, flew on Wednesday night. Continue reading Jet Airways cancels all domestic and international flights
French President promises to rebuild fire-ravaged Notre-Dame cathedral
Paris (TAN): French President Emmanuel Macron has vowed to rebuild the 850-year-old Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris that was ravaged by a massive fire on Monday evening.
The fire brought down the world-famous cathedral’s spire crashing to the ground as onlookers watched aghast.
“This Notre-Dame Cathedral, we will rebuild it. All together. This is part of our French destiny. I am committed to this: from tomorrow a national subscription will be launched, and far beyond our borders,” President Macron, who visited the site, tweeted in French. Continue reading French President promises to rebuild fire-ravaged Notre-Dame cathedral
Indonesia & Malaysia emerge top Muslim-friendly travel destinations
Jakarta (TAN): Indonesia and Malaysia share the top spot in the Mastercard-CrescentRating Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI) 2019.
The report, which was published this week, includes 130 destinations around the world, both within and beyond the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
Singapore continues to be the top Muslim-friendly travel destination among non-OIC destinations, followed by Thailand, the United Kingdom, Japan and Taiwan. Continue reading Indonesia & Malaysia emerge top Muslim-friendly travel destinations
India: Dal Lake in Kashmir gets a revamp to attract more tourists
Srinagar, India (TAN): The tourism authorities of north India’s Jammu and Kashmir state have decided to restore the beauty of Char Chinari Island in the famous Dal Lake here to attract more tourists.
The authorities are planting two chinar (also known as Oriental plane) trees on the island, once a favourite spot for the shooting of Bollywood films. Chinar trees are synonymous with Kashmir tourism.
The small island located in the Dal Lake has always attracted tourists, along with riding “shikaras”, narrow boats indigenous to this beautiful mountainous state. Two of the chinar trees on the island had been damaged over time, especially after the 2014 September floods, much to the dismay of photographers, for whom Kashmir, Dal Lake and Char Chinari Island have always spelt “paradise”. Continue reading India: Dal Lake in Kashmir gets a revamp to attract more tourists
Spend at night at the Louvre, thanks to Airbnb
San Francisco (TAN): Staying in a treehouse or a castle during a getaway might be fun, but nothing can beat the excitement of spending a night at the Louvre.
Yes, that’s right. Come April 30, you could check in to the world-famous Parisian museum for a night.
Global home-sharing platform Airbnb, in partnership with Louvre, has announced the museum will host the winner of the contest ‘Why would you be the Mona Lisa’s perfect guest?’, along with a friend for one night. Continue reading Spend at night at the Louvre, thanks to Airbnb
MCAS to blame for Lion Air, Ethiopian Airlines crashes, admits Boeing
Chicago (TAN): American aircraft-making company Boeing has admitted that the Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines crashes – both involving the 737 MAX aircraft – was due to the automatic activation of the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS).
Experts aware of this system have already been pointing out the problems with the MCAS system in the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft since the Lion Air Flight 610 accident in October, 2018.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Boeing chairman, president and CEO Dennis Muilenberg apologised for the lives lost in the crashes. Continue reading MCAS to blame for Lion Air, Ethiopian Airlines crashes, admits Boeing
India’s election is now a major tourist attraction
New Delhi (TAN): An increasing number of foreign tourists are developing an interest in experiencing the carnival that is Indian elections scheduled to be held in April-May 2019 as much as traditional tourist attractions such as the Taj Mahal.
The Indian tourism service providers are catering to the demand at a time the world is looking at its largest democracy to find out whether the sitting Prime Minister Narendra Modi wins another term or the Opposition registers a win.
Indian tour operators such as Akshar Travels, Sita Travels, Travel Corporation India and the like are ready with election package for potential international clients. On the offing are seven-day election tourism packages that would include regular tours apart from experiencing political rallies. Continue reading India’s election is now a major tourist attraction