Odisha to develop water sports for attracting tourists

Odisha is drawing up plans to promote water sports activities in the state to attract tourists. The activities will motorised ones like jet ski, speedboat and powerboat. Then there would be towed activities like parasailing, banana rides and water skiing and also non-motorised activities like snorkelling, canoeing and kayaking.
In addition, there would be individual activities like sunbathing, bathing in seawaters and sand art.
This has been reported in telegraphindia.com dated 1 July 2017.

Those who will operate the facilities will have to make available all life saving equipment, fire-fighting appliances, rescue tubes and other equipment on the vessels and these must be duly certified by competent authorities. Tour operators in the state have welcomed the decision.


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No snowfall in Sikkim - tourists opting out of visiting Chhangu Lake and Nathu-la

The upper reaches of Sikkim have yet to receive any snowfall and the delay has happened for the first time. It is making tourists change their plans of visiting tourist spots like Chhangu Lake and Nathu-la to experience the phenomenon.
Tour operators are also worried because the delay was affecting business since most visitors were either postponing their trips or going to other states.
This has been reported in telegraphindia.com dated 21 December 2016.

Usually Nathu-la at 14,400 feet and Chhangu Lake at 13,500 feet experience snowfall by November-end or the first week of December and Yumthang Valley and Gurudongmar Lake in the North receive snow by the last week of November till the end of March. This time, however, the places are still waiting for the mercury to plummet.
As a tour operator has said - snow brings business because thousands of tourists arrive to enjoy snowfall during this season. But this year, many bookings are getting cancelled. Tourists who visit Sikkim between November and February do so mostly to experience snow.
Sikkim's peak tourist season is during March-April and September-October. Last year, around 12 lakh people had visited the Himalayan state and 50,000-odd who came between December and January.


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Tourism in Darjeeling, Dooars and Puri hit by demonetisation

Demonetization of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes has taken its toll on tourism and has squeezed out the spirit of wanderlust among Kolkatans. Holiday trips normally planned for the December-January period are being put on hold and the effect is felt on bookings for trips to Darjeeling, Dooars and Puri.
These are the eternal favourites and, booking for these have come to a virtual halt since November 8. Foreign travel, too, has slowed down by about 15%, as revealed by travel agents.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 20 November 2016.

With the current situation, unless one has enough cash and easy accessibility to money, traveling is a risk. Confirmation of hotel rooms booked in Darjeeling and across the Dooars has come down to a trickle post-demonetization and there could be cancellations if the limit on bank withdrawals remains.
The December-January period is the time when budget travelers come to Darjeeling and Dooars and usually book hotels in advance. They also depend on cash saved over a period of several months. Tour operators feel that Darjeeling could see a 25% drop in tourists this winter.
As far as foreign travel is concerned, Southeast Asia and the Gulf are the most preferred destinations between December and March and here traffic could plunge by 20%. The Thailand-Singapore-Malayasia-Hong Kong and China circuits are popular throughout the year and the number of travelers peak in winter. However, demonetization has affected this sector as well with advance booking of air tickets on hold.


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It was a big disappointment for the Maharashtra Tourism and Development Corporation (MTDC) to see that the three day long Ellora-Ajanta International Festival has failed to attract foreign tourists in spite of relentless promotions of the event.
On day 1 only 75 tourists have intimated the authorities about their arrival. Due to the poor response from foreign as well as domestic tourists, the authorities have taken a decision to allow free entry to the foreign tourists attending the festival.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 15 October 2016.

In order to attract maximum number of foreign tourists for the event, the organizing committee had sent out invitations to the consulate generals of over 100 countries along with a request to inform about the festival in their respective countries. But, none of the consulate generals, the senior diplomats or foreign tourists have confirmed their arrival for the festival.
MTDC has pointed out that the Elephanta festival celebrated every year in Mumbai, is among the most successful tourism events in the country. The dates for the Elephanta festival are announced at least a couple of years in advance which gives the organizers enough time to publicize the event in different countries. It also helps the tourists as well as tour operators to plan the tours and packages accordingly.
Moreover, MTDC have also blamed the organizers for roping in Bollywood artists to perform at the event, instead of focusing on promoting the cultural heritage of the region.


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