Tourism can boost Kashmir's economic development: Omar

Addressing a meeting of the tourism officials here, Abdullah noted that the Vaishno Devi pilgrimage crossed 10 million mark in a calendar year Wednesday, and asked the tourism and other departments to divert the pilgrims to other places of tourist interest across the state.

According to officials, the Vaishno Devi pilgrimage alone annually generates Rs.2,000 crore for the state while the tourists visiting the valley contribute Rs.1,000 crore. This year, nearly two million tourists, including Amarnath pilgrims, visited Kashmir region.

"It's important that we focus our attention on tourism in a big way and offer a very hospitable environment to the visitors," Abdullah said.

"There is also need to divert pilgrim tourists visiting Mata Vaishno Devi in large numbers to other parts to help generating economic activities holistically," he said, adding that the steps initiated in this direction require a further boost.

Abdullah said the government has focused attention on creating befitting infrastructure at tourist places in consonance with ecology and environment requirements to maintain the balance between the two. (IANS)

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Andaman all set to host Island Tourism Festival 2012

A and N Governor Lt. Gen (Retd.) Bhopinder Singh will inaugurate the festival.

This year the added feature of ITF will be that, coinciding with the Island Tourism Festival, a five-day CARNIC fest from January 7th to 11th is also being organised. It will also be inaugurated by the Lt. Governor, Mr Satish Mathur, Secretary of Andaman?s Information Publicity and Tourism Department told reporters today.

Mr Mathur said Island Tourism Festival was also being taken to all the three districts.

During ITF, cultural programmes have been arranged in Diglipur, Long Island in North and Middle Andaman, Neil Island, Havelock Island, Wandoor, Wimberleygunj, Bathubasti in South Andaman, Amphitheatre at Anarkali Basti and Netaji Stadium in Port Blair Municipal Area and Car Nicobar in Nicobar District.

Another feature of this year?s Island Tourism Festival is the participation of mainland state tourism corporations. States like Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Delhi, Karnataka and Meghalaya are participating, the secretary added.

Mr Mathur added that like every year, the ITF Exhibition will have stalls with exhibits of different departments.

A special event ?Euphoria? Rock Band, a nationally reputed band of Dr Palash Sen, will perform at Netaji Stadium on January 12 and entry to this show will be tree for all Islanders, Mathur said.

Artists from Sikkim, Meghalaya, Arunachal, Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Odhisha, West Bengal will perform. Apart from this, 'Song and Drama Division of Kolkata' will also send their artists.

To promote local talents, as many as 40 local Orchestra, Cultural Associations are also being invited to perform their skills in various parts of these Islands. There will be Hasya Kavi Sammelan during ITF and also fireworks for the inaugural and closing functions, the Secretary added. (UNI)

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Srinagar-Jammu highway opened to one-way traffic

Border Roads Organisation's chief engineer Brigadier T.P.S. Rawat, who is supervising the road opening operations, said: "Traffic will move on the road from Jammu to Srinagar. No vehicles will be allowed to travel in the opposite direction."

He said all the stranded vehicles on the highway were allowed to move towards Srinagar Monday morning. "Stranded vehicles carrying passengers and essential supplies to the valley have been allowed to move on priority basis on the highway," Rawat told IANS.

"I have been personally supervising the road clearance operations from Patnitop to Banihal tunnel. Our boys had a tough time cutting through the 15-foot-high avalanche that struck the road yesterday (Sunday) at Panthal," he said.

"Tonnes of snow was removed from the road by snow clearing machines despite the bone-chilling cold and strong winds in the Banihal sector of the road," he said.

The Srinagar-Jammu national highway is the lifeline of Kashmir Valley, as all essential supplies are moved along it, and continued blockade of this crucial road often results in unscrupulous traders resorting to profiteering and black-marketing. (IANS)

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Emirates launches A-380 flights to Malaysia

The first A-380 flight from Dubai arrived at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Sunday.

"We have been eagerly awaiting the start of our Airbus A-380 service to Malaysia, a country that we have been operating flights to since 1996," said Richard Jewsbury, Emirates' senior vice president, commercial operations.

"The start of 2012 will be a busy time for Emirates, in addition to launching our A-380 aircraft on one of our three daily non-stop flights between Dubai and Kuala Lumpur.

"We are also expanding our network to include Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro from Jan 3 and Dublin from Jan 9, opening up more opportunities for Malaysian travellers and businesses," he added. (IANS)

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'Discover Bihar' roadshow launched

Exhibiting the culture and heritage of Bihar, the two day-long roadshow will have performance from the Sangeet Sangam Seva Group of Bihar on folk songs in local languages like Bhojpuri, Maithili, Magadhi and others.

People do not know about Bihar's wildlife and its camping sites, and adventure sports. We want people to know that our state also has all these things,? said Navin Kumar, deputy general manager, Department of Tourism.

In 2011, Bihar attracted about 1,32,33,304 tourists out of which only 5,27,773 were foreign ones.

To further increase the number of tourists, the Bihar State Tourism Development Corporation Ltd. unveiled the various plans it has undertaken to accomplish its objective of popularising the state's tourism, which includes developing basic infrastructure,? Kumar said at the launch.

It is the beginning and we hope that Bihar will do some good tourism. This event will be a window into Bihar tourism,? said Navin Kumar. (IANS)

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Foreign Tourist Arrivals grow 5.2pc

There has been a growth of 5.2pc in December, 2011 over December, 2010 as compared to a growth of 10.4 pc registered in December 2010 over December, 2009.

The growth rate of 5.2pc in December 2011 is higher than 4.7pc growth rate observed in November, 2011.

FTAs in India during 2011 were 6.29 million with a growth of 8.9pc as compared to the FTAs of 5.78 million with a growth of 11.8pc during the year 2010 over 2009.

The growth rate of 8.9 pc in 2011 for India is better than UNWTO?s projected growth rate of 4pc to 5pc for the world in 2011 and 7pc to 9pc for Asia and the Pacific.

Foreign Exchange Earnings (FEE) during the month of December 2011 were Rs. 8870 crore as compared to Rs. 7039 crore in December 2010 and Rs 7042 crore in December 2009.

The growth rate in FEE in Rs terms in December 2011 over December 2010 was 26.pc as compared to no growth in December 2010 over December 2009.

FEE from tourism in rupee terms during 2011 were Rs.77591 crore with a growth of 19.6pc , as compared to the FEE of Rs. 64889 crore with a growth of 18.1pc during the year 2010 over 2009.

FEE in USUSD terms during the month of December 2011 were USUSD 1688 million as compared to FEE of USUSD 1558 million during the month of December 2010 and USUSD 1510 million in December 2009.

The growth rate in FEE in USUSD terms in December 2011 over December 2010 was 8.3pc as compared to the growth of 3.2 pc in Decemmber 2010 over December 2009.

FEE from tourism in terms of USUSD during 2011 were USUSD 16564 million with a growth of 16.7pc , as compared to USUSD 14193 million with a growth of 24.6 pc during the year 2010 over 2009. (IBNS)

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Railway announces Pongal Specials

Chennai Central-Nagercoil Special and Nagercoil-Chennai Central Superfast Special (via Erode, Karur, Dindigul, Madurai, Virudunagar, Tirunelveli): T No 06021 Chennai Central-Nagercoil Special will leave Chennai Central at 2230 hrs on January 13 and arrive Nagercoil at 1400 hrs, the next day.

T No 06022 Nagercoil-Chennai Central Superfast Special will leave Nagercoil at 1240 hrs on January 17 and arrive Chennai Central at 0330 hrs, the next day.

Chennai Central-Nagercoil-Chennai Central Superfast Specials (via Erode, Karur, Dindigul, Madurai, Virudunagar, Tirunelveli): T No 06023 Chennai Central-Nagercoil Superfast Special will leave Chennai Central at 2000 hrs on January 14 and arrive Nagercoil at 1100 hrs, the next day.

T No 06024 Nagercoil-Chennai Central Superfast Special will leave Nagercoil at 1940 hrs on January 16 and arrive Chennai Central at 1040 hrs, the next day.

T No 06626 Coimbatore-Chennai Central Superfast Special will leave Coimbatore at 2345 hrs on January 17 and arrive Chennai Central at 0745 hrs, the next day.

T No 06625 Chennai Central-Coimbatore Superfast Special will leave Chennai Central at 2230 hrs on January 18 and arrive Coimbatore at 0650 hrs, the next day.

Advance reservation for the above trains will commence on January 7, a Railwasy release here said. (UNI)

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