Category Archives: States

Nandini Chakraborty, Tourism Secretary, West Bengal, has revealed that the current occupancy at around 30 operational properties of West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation (WBTDCL) is 100%. “We have done extensive promotion on social and other media about our properties as well as the state, and the response has been phenomenal,” she commented. Hotels and guest houses at popular tourist destinations Bengal are seeing over 80% occupancy in the last 2-3 months, which is more than the average occupancy of 60-70% which these properties have recorded in the last 2-3 years. Source: TOI

The Government of India, the Government of West Bengal and the World Bank signed a US$ 105 million project to improve the inland water transport infrastructure in Kolkata, West Bengal. In the first phase, the project will enhance the capacity and improve the safety of the Inland Water Transport system; including rehabilitating existing jetties and buying new ferries.

With Chipi airport in the Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra set to be operational later this month, Government of Maharashtra plans to develop the region further as an alternative destination to Goa. This will help boost tourism in the coastal district, currently reached by tourists mostly via rail or road.

Yuvraj Padole, Deputy Director (Events & Marketing), Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board, says, “We are already in the process of conducting both virtual and physical roadshows. MP Tourism has also started organising virtual and physical events such as the Jal Mahotsav, and has started planning a virtual Madhya Pradesh Travel Mart to promote our tourism products.”

Bihar State Tourism Development Corporation has invited proposals from experienced companies in form of bids for allotment of 14 hotels across the state, where the successful bidders will be operating and maintaining the properties on ‘As is Where is’ system. Hotels will be allocated for 10/5 years of tenure.

To attract Cinema and Film making tourism, Maharashtra Tourism has launched Mumbai film city tour bus and curating tours to witness live shooting, informed Aditya Thackeray, Tourism Minister, Maharashtra government after flagging off the bus in Mumbai.

Maharashtra Tourism has joined hands with Things2Do to launch the Mumbai Festival from January 25 to February 14. The Festival aims to provide support to over 1000 enterprises in Mumbai.

The new tourism policy aims to attract large scale investments in the tourism and encourage organisations in the sector, Minister for Tourism Avanthi Srinivasa Rao. Releasing the ‘Andhra Pradesh Tourism Policy 2020-2025’ he said that four circuits (Rayalaseema, Coastal Andhra, North Andhra and Godavari) will be developed for which investor meets will be organised in the next couple of months. A restart package of Rs 200 crore for tourism is also being sanctioned.

India’s first hot air balloon wildlife safari in a tiger reserve has been launched in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve by Madhya Pradesh forest minister Vijay Shah. The balloon wildlife safari will be restricted to the buffer area and people can watch tigers, leopards, Indian sloth bear and other wild animals from a height,” revealed Shah. “One more adventure has been added for tourists coming to Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve with the launch of the hot air balloon wildlife safari. It is the first in any tiger reserve in the country. Now like Africa’s forests, tourists in India will also enjoy hot air balloon wildlife safari,” he added. The plan is to introduce this service in Pench, Kanha and Panna tiger reserves as well. The service will be operated by Jaipur-based Sky Waltz, whose official Jai Thakur said that they are hoping for a good response from tourists.

Darpan Jain, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, has said that as part of Champions Services Sector, an amount has been earmarked for development of tented accommodation in the Buddhist Circuit. “We are aware that people from China and Southeast Asia travel to places of Buddhist interest, but don’t come to India,” he said.