Appeal for the tourists participating in adventure tours or sports

MumbaiOct 16th 2013(Sailesh Gandhi): Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) appeals all tourists of Maharashtra going for adventure tourism in ultra-high altitudes in India or abroad to follow an important check list to safeguard themselves.

The tourists should verify the background of the agencies offering adventure sports and or activities related to the same. The tourists should inquire if the agency has received required accreditations from local, national and international authorities as applicable.

The trainers or the individuals appointed for carrying out the activities on ground should have been professionally trained and in possession of valid licenses. The instruments, machines and tools being used in such activities should be well maintained should not be outdated or that substandard quality.

The agency and instructors should be following the laws, rules and guidelines as stipulated by the local bodies, authorities, government agencies etc. The tourists should refrain from using the services of agents and individuals who are not competent enough and lack such credentials while participating in adventurous activities.

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The Hidden side of Jamaica

JAMAICA’S SOUTH COAST

India, Mumbai Oct 11th 2013(Sailesh Gandhi): Pristine and untouched, Jamaica's South Coast is the most unspoilt part of this Caribbean island where the true heart of the nation beats. It is a one hour drive from the International Airport at Montego Bay through the beautiful tropical countryside with breathtaking views. Fishing villages, miles of beaches, centuries old great houses, natural waterfalls and wetlands create an atmosphere for adventure, quiet wonder and relaxation.

 

The towns of Mandeville, Whitehouse, Treasure Beach and Black River are picturesque and inviting. The South Coast with its beauty unblemished and natural wonders of flora and fauna virtually untouched extends a warm invitation to the discerning holiday visitor.

 

 

 

Along the South Coast there are several charming small hotels, guesthouses, villas and resort properties. Treasure Beach features a good choice of small unique hotels and guest houses at scenic oceanside and beach locations. Whitehouse features the all-inclusive Sandals Whitehouse European Village. Mandeville, high up in the cool mountains features a golf resort hotel among other accommodations. Most hotels offer restaurant and bar facilities.

 

 

Sightseeing can build an appetite, and local fare is delicious along the South Coast region, with a special focus on seafood. Border is known for its escoveitched fish, and Middle Quarters for spicy peppered shrimp and the lobster at Jake’s on Treasure Beach is irresistible. Centre of the region is the breezy hill town of Mandeville, founded in 1816 and lying 2,000 feet (610m) above sea level. The genteel British colonial influence is strong here, from the village green bordered by a church and courthouse to the Manchester Club, which boasts Jamaica's oldest golf course founded in 1868. The surrounding area, and the south coast region, has numerous natural attractions and wildlife refuges. With its natural beauty and slow pace, Jamaica's south is sought after by more discerning visitors’ intent on secluded relaxation rather than glitz and glamour.

 

 

 

One can take a boat ride up the meandering Black river, past sultry crocodiles and through mysterious mangroves. Tiers of cascading water in YS Falls, a rainforest of possibilities allure one to rope swing over the calming cool water and plunge into bliss. Nestling in the sugar cane fields of St Elizabeth parish, the Appleton Rum Estate near the village of Maggoty offers the chance to find out all there is to know about the production of rum.

 

 

Off  the beaten track, untarnished and unspoilt, the South Coast is truly Jamaica’s best-kept secret.

 

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Thomas Cook India’s Centre of Learning launches ‘Disha 2013’

Focus on research in tourism; announces winning research papers

 

~ Winners felicitated by Minister for Tourism, State of Maharashtra- Shri Chaggan Bhujbal, Principal Secretary- Additional Charge Tourism and Chief Protocol Officer Shri Sumit Mullick ~

 

Mumbai Oct 11th 2013(Sailesh Gandhi): Thomas Cook India’s consistent efforts in promoting quality research in the field of travel and tourism, have resulted in the launch of the second edition of ‘Disha’ by its education and training vertical, Centre of Learning, in Mumbai, today.

‘Disha’, is a platform which invites research papers in the field of travel and tourism from faculties of educational institutions across India.

 

Post receiving an overwhelming response, the initiative was concluded today in a felicitation ceremony where, Shri Chaggan Bhujbalji- Minister for Tourism,State of Maharashtra , Shri Sumit Mullickji, Principal Secretary- Additional Charge Tourism and Chief Protocol Officer and Mr. Madhavan Menon, Managing Director, Thomas Cook (India) Ltd. felicitated the winning research entries and released a published book with a compilation of the top research papers.

 

The first prize was awarded to Dr. Mahalaxmi Krishnan from K J Somaiya College, Mumbai   who presented a paper on ‘Infrastructure - the need for it in having a robust Tourism Industry in India’. The second prize winners were Dr. Prem Ram & Mr. Arvind Saraswati from Banarasidas Chandiwala lnstitute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology, New Delhi who researched the ‘Impact of Civil Aviation Policies on Tourism Industry in India’. The consolation prize winners were Dr. G.Anjaneya Swamy & Dr. Nitin Mittal from Pondicherry University for their research on ‘Relevance of Movies in Marketing a Destination’.  

L-R Smeeta Gulvady_ Adrian Williams_ Chaggan
 Bhujbal_ Satish Soni_ Gurjit Gill

The first prize winner has received an International Holiday, the second prize winners a domestic holiday while the third prize winners have received a free resort stay. The prizes have been sponsored by Jet Airways, Marriott Hotels and MTDC.

 

Commenting on the initiative, Mr. Madhavan Menon, Managing Director, Thomas Cook (India) Ltd. said “The travel & tourism industry of India has been recognized as a powerful driving force in boosting the Indian economy but faces its share of challenges. Our attempt, through Disha, is to encourage and support high standards of research and learning in the Tourism sector, and thereby catalyse the entire travel ecosystem. The award-winning research papers for Disha 2013 highlight current issues that impact the sector and recommendations.”

 

A panel discussion on ‘Travel and Tourism – Emerging Trends' saw experts discuss the challenging issues and areas of opportunity for the industry in India. The panellists were Ratna Chadha - Chief Executive Tirun Travel Marketing - India Rep Azmara Cruises, Celebrity Cruise, Royal Caribbean International, Dr Manjula Chaudhary- Director, Indian Institute of Tourism &Travel Management and Mr Gour Kanjilal – Executive Director IATO, Mr Stephan Heuberger Director - India Switzerland Tourism.

Disha was first organised in 2011 with honourable Union Minister of Tourism, Shri Subodh Kant Sahai and honourable State Minister of Tourism, Shri Chaggan Bhujbal, gracing the occasion with their presence.

 

 

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Rovia Named ‘North America's Leading Travel Agency’ at 2013 World Travel Awards

PLANO, TX Oct 3rd 2013(Sailesh Gandhi): Rovia was named “North America's Leading Travel Agency” at the 2013 World Travel Awards in Antigua and Barbuda. World Travel Awards is one of the most prestigious awards programs in the global travel and tourism industry.

Rovia, a leading online travel agency, has three World Travel Awards nominations and two wins under its belt. The company’s comprehensive booking engine, featuring best-price assurance with its innovative RateShrinker technology, won Rovia the “World’s Leading Travel Booking Website” in 2012.

"It’s an honor to be named a winner in the World Travel Awards,” Rovia President Mike Putman said. “The fact that we’re recognized as North America’s Leading Travel Agency means we’re really continuing to raise the bar of excellence—and the travel industry is taking notice! This esteemed award shows we’re building greater awareness of our brand and is a testament to the level of engagement our Rovia team members have after adopting our new set of core values.”

World Travel Awards program, celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, recognizes brands that push the boundaries of industry excellence. The program is highly comprehensive, honoring several industry segments, such as “Airlines and Airports,” “Hotels and Resorts,” “Honeymoon Destinations,” and “Car Hire.”

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Ocean Adventures on Tobago

Diving

MumbaiSep 2013(Sailesh Gandhi):Tobago is blessed with stunning natural beauty — golden sandy beaches, pristine reefs and an array of underwater wildlife. There are many opportunities to explore the island's coastline, swim and snorkel in quiet, isolated bays and catch the breeze for the ultimate ride on the waves. However you plan to enjoy the ocean, Tobago offers panoramic views and warm, aqua-blue waters, guaranteeing you an experience you won't forget.

 



fishing

Diving: Tobago is one of the finest diving locations in the Caribbean, with sloping gentle reefs, rock formations, shear walls, canyons and plankton rich waters. Crown Point, Charlottesville, Speyside and the western north coast offer the best diving spots. You can share your underwater adventure with turtles, an array of colourful fish, stingray and larger pelagics like nurse sharks and barracuda.

 

 

 



Sailing

Sailing: Discover Tobago from the deck of a boat and cruise the island's Caribbean coastline. Island Girl offers catamaran charters for day sails, sunset cruises and special occasions. Tobago has many idyllic bays, some of which can only be reached by boat. You can spend as little as two weeks although many stay for months, enjoying Tobago's warm hospitality and breathtaking scenery.

 

 

Kitesurfing

Fishing: Tobago's nutrient rich waters mean its home to a huge range of fish species such as tarpon, sailfish, marlin, wahoo, kingfish and bonito. This makes it the perfect island for all types of fishing — offshore game fishing, reef or coastal fishing. If you prefer inshore fishing then there are opportunities for bone fishing, shore fishing and rock fishing.

 

 

 

 

Surfing

Kitesurfing: Uncrowned and with great wind in season Tobago is a Kite surfer s paradise. The Pigeon Point is by far the most popular location where you can harness the power of the wind and speed along the waves. Radical Sports is the only kitesurfing shop on island with IKO certified instructors, who can take budding kite surfers through lessons on land before hitting the shallow, clear blue waters off of Pigeon Point.

 

 

 

 

Sea life

 

 

Surfing: With warm, blue water and plentiful waves, Tobago is a paradise for surfers. Mount Irvine is one of the most popular spots on the island, both with white, sandy beaches and almond trees for shade.

 

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Zipline Adventure in Trinidad & Tobago

Zipline

MumbaiOct 2013(Sailesh Gandhi):Visitors to the beautiful islands of Trinidad and Tobago can now add Ziplining to the wide range of eco and soft adventure activities that can be pursued during their visit. These islands join other destinations in the Caribbean in making this increasingly popular activity available to both thrill seekers and adventure lovers. Zip lines are the best way to get a bird's eye view of the breathtaking beauty at Macqueripe Bay, Chaguaramas, whilst at the same time experiencing all of the exhilaration that comes with such a heart stopping experience.

The Macqueripe Bay Zip line promises zippers a whirlwind ride with a breathtaking view and all under the watchful eyes of well trained, professional staff. The course is said to be on par with ziplining locations around the world and all of the necessary safety precautions are taken into consideration and stringently adhered to.

The entire zip line course of seven lines, the highest being 100 feet, takes between forty-five minutes and one hour to complete and is an added attraction to the ever growing popularity of Trinidad's western peninsula.

Zipline

The Boardwalk offers views of the Gulf of Pa ria and has created a suitable space for recreational activities with free wifi access and boasts environmentally sustainable features such as solar powered lighting and eco—friendly material used in its construction.

So the next time you are visiting the island of Trinidad place ziplining and a visit to Chaguaramas on your list of things that you simply must do and experience the Caribbean's latest adventure attraction, the Macqueripe Bay Zip line. It promises a thrill that you will not soon forget.

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Get ready for a new day trip from Mumbai to Kanhoji Angre Light House

Union Tourism Minister K Chiranjeevi

Mumbai  Sep 28th 2013(Sailesh Gandhi):The Kanhoji Angre lighthouse off the Mumbai coast is all set to become a new tourist attraction. A formal announcement to this effect was made by the Union Tourism Minister K Chiranjeevi in Mumbai along with Minister of State for Shipping Milind Deora at the Port Trust Headquarters.

 

The Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Shipping have drawn up plans to develop 15 light houses across the country, as places of tourist attractions. 

Speaking on the occasion, Tourism Minister K Chiranjeevi said his Ministry has agreed to extend financial assistance for development of light houses as tourist attractions.  In the first phase, the Kanhoji Angre Light house near Mumbai, the light house located at the Dolphin Nose Point in Visakhapatnam and the one located at the Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram) near Chennai are being developed as pilot projects. Of these, Kanhoji Angre Light House is the only one which is located in the middle of the sea.

MoS Shipping Milind Deora said the development of Kanhoji Angre Light House includes conservation of light house and viewing gallery, conservation of fort wall, tent style accommodation, construction of jetty and passenger terminal and electrification through solar power system.  He added that the thrust is on developing the new destinations in an eco-friendly manner. The work at Kanhoji Angre Island is expected to be completed within 10 months.

Ministries of Tourism and Shipping believe that development of such light-houses will not only protect national heritage, but also help evince new interest among youth about maritime history.

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Cathay Pacific Airways celebrates 67th Anniversary

Mumbai Sep 16^th 2013(Sailesh Gandhi): 

Cathay Pacific Airways began operations on 24 September 1946. To celebrate the upcoming anniversary the airline has announced a special offer for passengers booking their tickets online between 16^th – 30^thSeptember 2013.  

Charlie Stewart-Cox, General Manager
-South Asia, Middle East & Africa

Passengers who make their travel bookings on our website www.cathaypacific.in stand a chance to win an Inflight shopping voucher worth USD 20 through a lucky draw. These vouchers can be redeemed for in-flight shopping for travel from 19 September onwards. The Cathay Pacific in-flight shop has a variety of perfumes, watches, cosmetics and jewellery that passengers can choose from, while redeeming their shopping voucher. 

Charlie Stewart-Cox, General Manager-South Asia, Middle East & Africa says, “It’s a great feeling to complete 67 years and we would like to express our gratitude to our passengers in a small way, as this would not have been possible without their support. We began in 1946 with just two aircraft and today we operate to the world with 137 aircraft today. In all these years we have developed our fleet, upgraded our systems, and expanded our services to over 170 destinations around the world.” 

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