Kerala Voted as Asia’s Best Tourist Destination
The readers of SamrtTravelAsia.com have voted Kerala as the best Asian holiday destination replacing past weeks favorites Bali, Phuket and the Maldives. Bali and Phuket were voted as second and third most favorite holiday destinations in Asia.
India, a safe place for foreign tourists
India is fast emerging as Asia’s top spiritual, medical and rural tourism destination and is a safe place for foreign tourists, Tourism Secretary Sujit Banerjee has said.
Orissa Travel Mart, to be held in August-September 2010
Orissa Tourism is planning to organize Orissa Travel Mart (OTM) this year. The proposed travel mart, according to
Debi Prasad Mishra, Minister of Higher Education and Tourism, Government of Orissa, will be organised some time in August/September, this year.
Karnataka to develop beach tourism
The southern state Karnataka budget has given special emphasis towards promoting tourism in Karnataka in general and its coastal districts in particular, said tourism minister Janardhana Reddy said.
New tourism campaign to woo Chinese tourists
India tourism, has stepped up its ‘Incredible India‘ campaign to woo Chinese tourists amid projection that over 54 million Chinese were expected to travel abroad this year to spend an estimated $6.86 billion.
Importance of Eram in Basudevpur, in the tourism map of India
Eram also known as the `second Jalianawala Bagh’ where the British forces killed 28 persons on September 28, 1942 was also very important as the only woman martyr of the freedom movement in Orissa, Pari Bewa, also fell to the British bullets there.
Egypt Tourism Authority starts tourism campaign in India
Egyptian envoy Mohamed Higazy says that India is a country with which Egypt shares cultural synergies and affinities that go far back in
history and this had prompted the launch here of a new tourism campaign.
Eco-friendly Colors to Night Tourism in West Bengal
The Kolkata night life will soon throb with music and the sights and sounds of history. The West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation (WBTDC) is preparing to take up a project to overhaul the existing son-et-lumiere at Victoria Memorial and replace it with an “intelligent 
dynamic light-and-sound show”. The newage eco-friendly system will have low power consumption, generate less heat, save energy and have a longer shelf life.
Also on the anvil are illumination of four heritage buildings Nakhoda mosque, Town Hall, St Paul’s Cathedral and Dakshineswar temple. Add to that another son-et-lumiere show at the Park Street Cemetery for which talks have started. Here, plans are to organize a light-and-sound show with a narrative on the city’s history, that of the cemetery and the personalities buried there.
Kamat Hotels to develop heritage hotels in Odisha
Kamat Hotels India Ltd (KHIL) has signed a lease agreement of sixty years with Orissa Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC). Likewise, Kamat Hotels has acquired the heritage palace ‘Mahodadhi Niwas’ in Puri and also the Eco Resort at Ramchandi, in Konark, in addition to the Parikud Palace and Rambha Palace, which are located near the Chilka Lake.
Of the three heritage properties acquired by Kamat Hotels, Mahodadhi Niwas opened for business on November 28, 2009. In the first phase, Mahodadhi offers 12 rooms and an additional 60 are expected to be developed over the next phase. KHIL is presently involved in restoring Parikud and Rambha Palaces, which will be commissioned in a phased manner in 2010.
Update 1: Manipur Tourism Festival 2009 – showcasing rich Manipuri culture
Manipur Tourism Festival 2009 has started with fanfare on Friday at Hafta Kangjeibung in Imphal.
The festival is one of the main platforms to display the uniqueness of the culture of Manipur. Manipur festival aims at promoting tourism in the north-east by showcasing the richness of the Manipuri culture and heritage, by portraying its art and culture and exhibiting crafts, indigenous sports along with tourist spots of the state.
In all, 300 stalls including representatives from outside the state have participated in the festival. The most attractive aspect of the festival this time is the participation from Thailand.
Easier clearance for hotel projects with Hospitality Development and Promotion Board
The tourism ministry has planned setting up of a single window clearance system under the guidance of the Hospitality Development and Promotion Board (HDPB). 
The HDPB Board, to be established will streamline permissions and clearances required for the hotel industry. Currently, 64 clearances that are required to set up a hotel.
The proposal is in the final stages and waiting for approval from the cabinet secretariat.
The decision comes at a time when India is under pressure to meet accommodation demands for Commonwealth Games 2010. With an estimated 30,000 rooms required, hotels have only contributed about 10,000 rooms.
Whale Shark Conservation Campaign in Gujarat coast
As a part of CSR Tata Chemical has funded a research programme to study shark migration in Gujarat coast. This will boost Gujarat coast as toursit spot for watching whale sharks. Around 60% of the whale sharks visiting Gujarat coast are female sharks and Gujarat could be one of the important breeding hub.
Foreign experts have taken up a research project to study feasibility of developing whale shark eco-tourism in the state. The research programme is being undertaken under “Whale Shark Conservation Campaign” jointly carried out by Tata Chemicals Ltd, Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) and the forrest department of Gujarat.
“As part of the research programme, Tata Chemicals will fund Rs 2 crore for five years research programme,” said Alka Talwar, head, community development, Tata Chemicals.
A five member team of experts from Australia and US have already started working on the study. “Australia and Philippines have developed tourism based on whale sharks. However, a lot more needs to be known about the accessibility whale sharks and the duration of their stay in Gujarat waters,” said Dr. John Keesing of Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO).
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Gujarat Toursim Policy to be Announced
Gujarat State Govt will unveil the new tourism policy in two months.
The new policy is aimed
- to place Gujarat as a top tourist location in the world in five years
India best value-for-money destination according to Country Brand Index Survey
India is the ‘best country brand for value for money’, according to this year’s Country Brand Index (CBI) survey done by FutureBrand.
The United States bagged the top spot in overall ranking ahead of Canada and perennial favourite Australia in the online survey, which was partnered by public relations firm Weber Shandwick’s Global Travel & Lifestyle Practice.
The survey, conducted among frequent international travellers from nine countries, also ranked India fourth best new country for doing business, behind Japan, US and the UK.
The survey compared 102 countries in diverse fields such as arts & culture, business, best place to raise a family, political freedom, nightlife and environmentalism.
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Kerala World’s 23rd Best Destination National Geographic Rating
Kerala has got the National Geographic rating its backwaters as the world’s 23rd 
best destination.
“We will make this new certification as our USP. We have now finished a series of road shows in Europe and our next round of road shows in Italy, France, and Australia will take place. We will make this certification our main campaign point,” Balakrishnan said.
Over the years Kerala’s tourism industry has recorded consistent growth. In 2008 there was 14.84 percent growth in tourism revenue while tourist arrivals grew 14.41 percent over 2007.
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