To improve the connectivity between the mega tourist destination/ circuits,
a pilot project on seamless travel will be undertaken on the golden triangle tourist circuit (Jaipur-Delhi-Agra) from 1st December 2009. In a meeting held on Wednesday under the chairmanship of Shri Brahm Dutt, Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, it was decided that vehicles registered in one state would collect tax on behalf of the three other states lying on the circuit. Thus, Delhi will collect tax on behalf of Rajasthan, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. Likewise, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh would collect taxes for themselves and two other states and Haryana (which is on transit). This would prevent harassment and undue time delay faced by commercial tour operators. Tax would be collected a day or two in advance. A formatted sticker, designed by Ministry of Tourism, will be issued to the vehicles indicating the period for which the permit will be valid. The scheme would be valid only for the tour operators authorized by the Ministry of Tourism. Those misusing the permit would be de-registered by the Ministry of Tourism. Continue reading »
Orissa government has signed an MoU with Aditya Birla Group for setting up
of a 10 MTPA capacity sea port at an investment of Rs1500 crore.
The port to be established at Chudamani in Bhadrak district, would have 3 mtpa capacity in the phase-1, said ABG’s executive president Ravi Kastia. Continue reading »
IRCTC’s ticketing revenue has seen an increase of 462 per cent over the past three years. From Rs 704.9 crore in 2006-07 and Rs 1,744.7 crore in 
2007-08, the corporation got Rs 3,966.98 crore from sale of online tickets last year. The impressive sales figures have led many officials to believe IRCTC will cross the Rs 5,000-crore mark in online ticketing sales this year.
And, experts feel with the Unique Identification project of the government, the market for online ticketing will only increase tremendously.
The corporation has, to this end, collaborated with 81 organisations and 11 state governments to operate multi-utility kiosks, which provide online ticketing services. IRCTC has further tied-up with Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat Petroleum Corporation and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation to provide e-ticket reservation facilities to people through their chain of petrol pumps and retail gas agencies. Ticketing sales data from the corporation recorded between April and September 2009 reveal that online ticket reservation services have had a good response from people of lower income groups.
With an aim to project India as a global health care destination, the 
government is organising events abroad to increase the footfalls of medical tourists in the country.
The Union Minister of State for Tourism Sultan Ahmed told that they had recently organised a road show in the Middle East to promote medical tourism in the region.
“I recently led a Indian delegation comprising tour operators, hospitals and medical professionals to UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar on a marketing road show to promote medical tourism, including tourism in general, in the region,” Ahmed said.
The Minister added that he wanted to project India a global health care destination through medical tourism.
For sustainable management of all wetlands of Orissa, Orissa Government is 
constituting a State Wetland Management Authority, a first of its kind in the country.
Announcing this at the Management Planning Workshop of Chilika Lake here, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said the State Government is also working in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment and Forests to establish an institute on management of wetlands and coastal ecosystem.
The Wetlands International South Asia (WISA) is currently formulating the management plan on Chilika with support from Chilika Development Authority (CDA).
The plan, now in draft stage, was laid for consultation before experts of national and international repute during the workshop.
After inaugurating the workshop, Naveen suggested some important issues to be incorporated in the plan. Check of silt flow into the lake through proper catchment treatment should be given utmost priority in the management plan.
It should be extended to Mahanadi basin as 90 percent of the silt flow into the lagoon is from Mahanadi river system.
The Chief Minister was of the view that both eco tourism and biodiversity conservation should be accorded priority in the management plan.
Destructive fishery practices and freeing the lagoon from prawn gheries need attention, he said.
The Karnataka govt will soon announce a new tourism policy for a period of
five years — 2009-14 — with several changes and industry-friendly schemes. The policy, approved by the state cabinet, is under print and will be made public within a week, a senior government official said.
K Jyothiramalingam, principal secretary, department of tourism, said that the new tourism policy will encourage the development of tourism infrastructure in the most backward taluks of the state. The government proposes to provide a cash subsidy up to Rs 35 lakh or a maximum of 35 per cent of the investment being made by private sector for setting up hotels among other things, he said.
“For the first time, we have incorporated in our new tourism policy, a cash incentive scheme for the development of hotels in the backward areas of the state. We have also made a provision of similar incentives to those who come forward to promote heli tourism, medical tourism or wellness tourism in the state. Though the policy has not made a mention on the incentive for development of heli tourism, there is a provision for the same and the exact details will be announced while floating the tenders for specific projects,” he said.
Speaking at a seminar on ‘Trends in Tourism’, organised by the Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI), here, he said the state government will invite private participation in the forthcoming infrastructure development works for promotion of tourism in the state.
The new policy will also include accreditation guidelines for promotion of wellness tourism and medical tourism in the state. The state intends to give thrust on these forms of tourism, which help attract large number of tourists to the state, he said.
G Janardhan Reddy, minister for tourism and infrastructure, who was conferred the ‘Tourism Person of the Year’ award by FKCCI, said the state government was in the process of developing 10 helipads and 13 new airports across the state for promoting tourism and industry.
The state government is also mulling the possibility of setting up a theme park in Bangalore, he said adding night safari will be introduced at Bannerghatta national park within a month.
Goa state cabinet has approved the beach shack policy for the 2009-10 season and said that shack allotment will be made on seniority basis. In 
2008, the tourism department had issued application forms in September while this year the forms were issued only on Tuesday.
According to the policy, 240 shacks will be permitted in the north coastal belt while 106 shacks will be allowed in the south.
The tourism department has specified that wherever the number of eligible applicants is more than the number of shacks permitted on any particular beach, the selection will be made by way of lots. The shack policy also specifies that 90% of the shacks will be allotted to applicants having past experience, while the remaining 10% will be allotted to new applicants, who have no experience, by draw of lots.
The run-up to the current tourist season also saw a stand-off between two rival shack associations the older Shack Owners Welfare Society (SOWS), and the new Traditional Goan Shack Owners Association (TGTSOA) and the row may threaten to derail the shack allotment process.
Tamil Nadu is a safe, all-season destination for tourists. It has much to offer – hill stations, beaches, temples, world heritage monuments, archaeological
sites, wildlife parks, botanical gardens, amusement parks, and so on. In December, Chennai, the State capital, comes alive with a festival of music and dance programmes organised by “sabhas” across the city. In January – during the Pongal season – the week-long Chennai “Sangamam”, a festival of folk music and dance, street plays, and martial arts, is held in the public parks in the metropolis.
Tamil Nadu Tourism is now focussing on popularising lesser-known destinations so as to decongest some of the popular destinations. As a result, places such as Yelagiri in Vellore district, Kolli Hills in Namakkal district, Taramangalam in Salem district, Pulicat and Periapalayam in Trivellore district, Sithannavasal in Pudukottai district, Valparai near Coimbatore, Kazhugumalai near Madurai, Meghamalai in Theni district and Tiruppudaimaruthur in Tirunelveli district have been getting more tourists.
The focus is also on making “Tamil Nadu an adventure hub of India”. Parasailing and waterskiing at Mudaliarkuppam near Chennai, and the paragliding festival at Yelagiri are a part of this endeavour. In Chennai, the “hop-on, hop-off” tours within the city and to 13 tourist spots on the East Coast Road up to Mamallapuram are a big draw. The TTDC offers an eight-day Tamil Nadu tour, a 14-day Sunny South tour, a rail-cum-road tour, and a seven-day Andhra Pradesh tour.
Of the 21 UNESCO-recognised World Heritage Monuments in India, five are in Tamil Nadu. They are the Mamallapuram complex; the Brihadisvara temple in Thanjavur; the Brihadisvara temple at Gangaikonda Cholapuram; the Airavatesvara temple at Darasuram; and the Nilgiri Mountain Railway train that runs between Mettupalayam and Ooty.
Tamil Nadu Tourism has brought out a booklet on Jaina monuments in the State. Among the sites mentioned are Tiruparutikunram near Kanchipuram, Vallimalai near Vellore, Tirunathar Kundru and Melsithamur near Gingee and Tirumalai near Arani.
The high court of Bombay at Goa, in an interim order ruled that there will be no water sports activities at Coco Beach, Nerul, till November 15. 
There are 23 water sports operators and 36 water sports vehicles doing business at Coco Beach. The court ruling has come after a case was filed by one Cajetan Pereira of Nerul who said that he was restrained by the Coco Beach Tourist Boat Association from carrying out his water sports business at the beach.
The government, which regulates the licencing of water sports activities in the state, told the court through the tourism department that in order to control and regulate water sports activities along the beaches of North and South Goa, the government had taken a decision to set up a kiosk system through the Goa Tourism Development Corporation.
The government also informed the court that licences to operate boats at Coco Beach will be effective from November 15. “The statement made is accepted and taken on record. It is made clear that till November 15, 2009, there will be no operation of the boats,” the high court ruling stated.
The Orissa State Government has decided to develop tourism infrastructure 
and tourist places in the Western Orissa districts by setting up a separate circuit.
The new tourism circuit will include Sambalpur, Jharsuguda, Deogarh, Bargarh and Sundargarh districts. Emphasis will be on development of tourism places in these places which includes ancient temples and water falls. Rural tourism will be given added emphasis to revive the village economy.
Emphasis will be on rural tourism and development of heritage places to attract foreign tourists to these areas.
Other tourist places to be identified for development include:
- Jogisarata
- Ranipur-Jharial
- Saintala
- Tureikela in Balangir district
- Debrigarh
- Raiseema
- Ganiapali
- Barpali
- Chikhidi and Deodhar in Bargarh district
- Pradhanpat and Kailash in Deogarh
- Gujapahar
- Kuilighugar
- Pikalaghugar and Bikramkhol in Jharsuguda
- Chiplima
- Huma
- Gujuda
- Hirakud
- Ushakothi and Khenda in Sambalpur
- Chhatriparbat
- Darjing
- Deodhar
- Ghogar
- Junagarh
- Khandadhar
- Mandira
- Miriglotha and Vedvyas in Sundargarh district.
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