Category Archives: States

Digital travel platform Agoda has found a preference amongst Indians to head West and South to celebrate Diwali this year with Goa, Ooty, Pondicherry, Mumbai and Bangalore emerging as the top five destinations to revel in the festivities. These locations have replaced the previous year’s Northern hotspots – New Delhi and NCR, Jaipur, and Udaipur. Agoda insights also reveal a 13% increase in searches for travel around Diwali compared to 2022. Each of the Indian locales provides a unique canvas to honor the Festival of Lights – Goa and Pondicherry boast of beautiful beaches, Ooty is renowned for its pleasant climate and picturesque landscapes, and Mumbai and Bangalore embrace a cosmopolitan culture, offering a plethora of diverse experiences. Krishna Rathi, Country Director India, Sri Lanka, and Maldives at Agoda: “It’s great to see the increase in domestic travel for this Diwali season. Travellers choosing Agoda can see the world for less with our great deals for travel to India’s beautiful coastlines and bustling cities, or internationally to the world beyond. The long weekend means more people are taking advantage to travel with family and friends to enjoy the festivities together.” When it comes to international preferences, the five most popular international destinations are Bangkok, Dubai, Singapore, Pattaya, and Kuala Lumpur respectively. The Southeast Asian destinations offer rich cultural experiences, culinary adventures, and a mix of landscapes, while Dubai entices with its vibrant nightlife, luxurious lifestyle, and modern marvels. During this Diwali season, Agoda has also observed an increase of tourists coming to India, with the highest number of visitors arriving from the United States, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Australia, and the Netherlands.

Goa Tourism Minister, Rohan Khaunte has revealed that a new homestay and caravan policy will be launched within a month. The move will position Goa as a year-round destination that can be explored beyond its beaches and nightlife. He also shared that the vision of ‘Goa Tourism 2.0’ emphasises on ‘quality over quantity’ and responsible and sustainable practices that respect nature and are in consonance with local culture.

Tamil Nadu announces its first tourism policy to grant industry status to the sector and attract ₹20,000 cr investment. It will benefit tourism projects and stakeholders, leading to increased employment opportunities and training, according to TamilNadu Travel Mart Society.   

Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board is organizing two new mega festivals in the coming two months for the tourists of the country and the state.  Principal Secretary Tourism and Culture and Managing Director Tourism Board Shri Sheo Shekhar Shukla said that Kuno Forest Festival is being organized for the first time from December 1 to celebrate the rich culture and diverse wildlife of the state.  Before this, the second edition of Gandhi Sagar Floating Festival will be organized from 27th October.  There will be cultural programs and an unmatched experience of exciting activities in the festivals being organized by the Tourism Department and Forest Department in collaboration with Lalluji & Sons.  The tent city has been developed to provide a luxury glamping experience, along with various activities to promote local art and culture.  On this occasion, Chief Wildlife Warden Aseem Shrivastava said that the message of wildlife conservation will be spread through these festivals.  The message of wildlife conservation will make more and more people aware through a chain reaction.  Through these festivals, people will get to know the wildlife closely and understand their important role in the eco system of nature.

R Arjun, Managing Director, West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation (WBTDC) said, “COVID had led to lot of disruption and one among them was the celebration of Durga Puja. This year, we are free from any hassles. We have developed 65 tour packages, which cover the main and important tourist destinations in all the 23 districts of West Bengal.”

Rajasthan’s tourism is steadily advancing which is evident in the increasing influx of both national and international visitors, surpassing 10 crore by September this year. The state’s ranking has gone from 11th to 7th position on the national and international tourism scale this year.

The Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, is researching to identify unique niche experiences India can offer. Pastoral tourism has been identified as an emerging trend, especially in Gujarat, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh. A Camel Product Processing Utilisation centre was recently inaugurated in Bikaner.

Speaking about some of the long-term side effects of the pandemic, Harmandeep Singh Anand, MD, Jagsons Travels, says, “The number of travel agents in Nagpur and the surrounding tiered cities has reduced as they have left the industry, leading to a huge shortage of trained staff. And it will take some time for this gap to be filled.”

R. Arjun, Managing Director, West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation (WBTDC), says that they have plans to develop artisan cluster villages on the way to major tourist destinations. “This way tourists can have a small stopover to find out some of the important artisan products.”

Minister of Tourism, Govt. of Goa, . Rohan A. Khaunte, held the 11th Empowered Committee Meeting in the presence of Suneel Anchipaka, IAS, Director Tourism Goa, Girish Kulkarni, Founder of Temple Connect and the members of the empowered committee, to announce the state’s plan to establish Goa as a premier spiritual destination by highlighting various efforts made by the Department of Tourism, Goa wherein visitors from all over the world could seek spiritual experiences  across the state. Khaunte stated “Today the 11th Committee Meeting took place with a main focus on Marketing and Public Relations to ensure that people who visit can see the spiritual side of Goa along with wellness activities. Direct flights from Mopa Airport for locations such as Uttarakhand, Dehradun, Nagpur, and Guwahati will bridge the travel divide between Uttarkashi and Dakshin Kashi, to enhance tourism and connectivity and will attract more tourists in Goa.”