A Weakened Rupee Makes India Holidays Cheaper

The weakened Indian Rupee seems to have placed India among the top searched holiday destinations on the internet and the country’s influx of foreign travellers is likely to get triggered soon, owing mainly to the cheaper hotel deals.

Sources reveal that the devaluation of Indian currency has sparked off the enquiries by foreign travellers for bookings in relatively expensive Indian hotels for the peak season. These mid-segment travellers earlier visited the country only during the off season to score cheap flights and cheap accommodation options.

Sources indicate that Southeast Asian countries and London are amongst the regions that have shown noticeable rise in the enquiries for holidays and flights to India.

A number of mid-level international travellers have already started making advance bookings with airlines for cheap flights to India for peak season holiday break that lasts from October to February.

On the other hand, the depreciation in the rupee has made the outbound Indian holidaymaker’s feel somewhat gloomy, many of whom might have to settle for cheaper destinations such as those in Far-East or the Gulf instead of Europe or the US.

Unsurprisingly, many Indian travellers would restrict themselves to the neighbouring destinations such as Colombo and Kathmandu. The possibility of many taking a cheap domestic holiday tour or a staycation is also quite high.

While, for the time being, the Rupee fiasco may have balanced the equation in favour of the foreign tourists to India, experts believe that by the end or the fiscal year, the Rupee may appreciate significantly against Dollar.

Whatever be the case, Britons have a great opportunity at the moment to net some great deals to travel to India during the peak season.

Still time to see whales in Sydney

There is still time to book a flight to Sydney and catch the last boats that head out from the coast on whale watching tours.

Late October is the time of the year when the mammals traditionally move on from Australia, meaning that the chance to see this breathtaking spectacle will disappear for another year.

Most tours are so certain that tourists will see Humpbacks that they even offer 100 per cent money back guarantees if there is no marine action.

As well as the Humpbacks, the seas and oceans around Australia are home to the Southern Right Whale, Bottlenose Dolphins and the rare Blue Whale - the largest animal on the planet.

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Thailand hopes to attract more first-timers

Anyone who has visited Thailand knows that it offers a great holiday experience.

However, the Tourism Authority of Thailand has announced new strategies designed to take advantage of emerging opportunities within the travel industry and hopes these will attract more first-time holidaymakers.

It is hoped the new campaign can help boost annual visitor numbers to 22.22 million by the end of 2013.

"Tourism is now recognised as Thailand’s most important service industry," said governor of the group Suraphon Svetasreni.

"Its contribution to job creation, income distribution and foreign exchange earnings is well above par," he added.

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Goa unveils tourism plans

Goa is already one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Indian subcontinent and things are set to get even better for the coastal state.

Government officials will ask some of the world's best consultants to enhance Goa's tourism potential.

Tourism minister Dilip Parulekar said that more than 450,000 international tourists visited Goa last year, but the area has the potential to attract even more.

Plans underway already include the formulation of a new water sports policy and the development of marinas, reports the Times of India.

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Oman Sees India as Top Medical Tourism Hub

India is appealing big time to Omani tourists looking for advanced medical care, says a report published in Times of Oman, English daily of Oman.

India is mushrooming as a preferred choice for medical treatments among Omani nationals as many are beguiled by India’s low costs and better medical infrastructure. The figures supplied by the Indian embassy in Oman reveal that in the recent past, there has been a noteworthy hike in the number of visas being issued to Omanis planning travel to India.

From January 1 to June 30 this year, the number of medical visas issued to Omanis has gone up by three times when compared to the same period in the year 2011. There has been a 30% hike in the issuance of other kinds of visas, says the report. Clearly, more number of Omanis are booking flights to India for medical purposes than other sorts.

It has also been revealed that most Omanis planning India tour for medical reasons book cheap flights to India connecting to cities in the states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Maharashtra, as well as New Delhi.

With highly affordable treatment costs and the availability of superior medical centres, India is indeed blossoming as a top medial tourism hub, not only in Oman but also in Europe and the United States. Plenty of patients seeking low cost medical treatment continue to search for cheap flight deals to India for treating variety of ailments.

Treatment of medical conditions related to cardiovascular, gastroenterology, orthopaedic, oncology, ophthalmology and dental have been found to be the most popular among Omanis.

India’s 96th Travel & Tourism Fair – A Major Success

Travel & Tourism Fair (TTF), India’s major tourism event recently completed successfully with a record attendance of more than 20,000 visitors. The 96th edition of this benchmark event held from July 13th to 15th 2012 in Kolkata witnessed 256 participants, both domestic and international players.

The tourism event has long been a catalyst for boosting Indian tourism and pushing enquiries on flights to India. TTF saw representation from 27 Indian states, and 10 countries.

Some of the key global players that participated in the fest were Bangladesh, Dubai, Nepal, Thailand, Mauritius, Egypt, Kenya and Maldives. The kingdom of Denmark also debuted in the event.

Thriving Indian state, Gujarat revealed its plans to popularise its various Buddhist destinations among tourists from South Asia and Japan who continue to look for airlines offering cheap flights to India for religious breaks and pilgrimage.

Some of the participating Indian states also organised interesting marketing and cultural presentations for media attention in a bid to encourage more tourists to look for air tickets to India and get a slice of India’s diverse cultures and traditions.

In addition to the strong presence of national and global tourism players, the fair saw active participation from loads of reputed hotel and resort groups, tour operators, travel portals and travel agents, cruise companies and railways.

Dazzling emirate of Dubai participated in India’s Travel & Tourism Fair to present its new travel initiative for the upcoming season which is 'Do More in Dubai' to tap the copious Indian holidaymakers who look for holiday deals to exotic hotspots.

Ginger Hotels to Open More Budget Hotels in India

Foreign tourists, with shallow pockets, taking airline tickets to India will shortly have several new options at their disposal as far as budget hotels are concerned.

Ginger Hotels, the budget hotel chain by Roots Corporation Limited, a part of the Tata Group, has made an announcement to come up with different properties in various parts of the country in the financial year 2012. The company plans to set up as many as 700 new rooms in the country that will cater primarily to domestic travellers and budget foreign tourists taking cheap flights to India.

Ginger Hotels plans to open more hotels in metros like Bangalore and Tier-I cities. These cities attract more foreign tourist arrivals as they have better airport infrastructure and act as gateways to other popular holiday destinations of the country. Indian metro cities like Delhi and Mumbai are also popular holiday destinations and attract a fair number of tourists to look for cheap flight deals.

As of now, Ginger Hotels has seven properties in metro cities of India, four of which are located in the National Capital Region (NCR). The hotel chain believes that metro cities in the country have great potential as far as company’s growth is concerned.

Ginger Hotels’ eight properties are located in cities like Pune, Ahmedabad, Bhubaneswar and Surat. The cities are highly popular for their business activities and attract domestic business men and also smaller executives taking flights to India.

Ginger Hotels’ growth model also includes public-private partnership (PPP) format. It’s Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited (IRCTC) at Rail Yaatri Nivas in New Delhi follows the same business model.

India issues more VoAs this June

Indian efforts to cut the bureaucratic red tape for visitors to the country look to be paying off, as it issued an increased number of visas in June.

Officials handed out a total of 864 visa on arrivals (VoAs) last month compared to 770 in June 2011, which equates to a growth of 12.2 per cent.

India Blooms reports that so far this year, 6721 VoAs have been issued - a rise of 16.4 per cent on the same period 12 months previous.

It is not surprising that an increasing number of people want to visit the country - which boasts stunning coastlines in regions like Goa as well as some of the most exciting and vibrant cities in the world.

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Raja Bell to visit India

Dehli is continuing its tradition of attracting the top NBA talent.

From July 12th to 17th the Utah Jazz's Raja Bell will travel to the city to take part in a series of basketball events to help the sport become more popular in India.

He will be the 20th baller to take part in such schemes since 2008.

Bell will attend the Junior NBA/Junior WNBA National Skills Challenge finals and train with the Indian national team.

"As an international NBA player, I love what the NBA is doing in India to grow the game and I am looking forward to visiting the country for the first time," said the guard.

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India pledges to offer great hygiene at top tourist sites

India could become an even more attractive holiday destination with the implementation of a new hygiene initiative at some of the country's top attractions.

The tourist ministry is aiming to provide clean and fresh environments at 98 destinations in India, including the world famous Taj Mahal, Dal Lake and the Red Fort.

It is hoped this will have a significant impact on tourist numbers, eventually doubling the visitor count from six million foreign tourists to 12 million.

Some of the features in the Clean India scheme include 24 hour waste disposal services, comprehensive site maintenance and new easier to understand signage.

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Goa seeks Unesco approval

There are plenty of reasons to travel to Goa - one of the most popular holiday destinations in the Indian sub-continent - but there could soon be another added to the list.

The Goa government will look to gain the support of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest to have the Western Ghats listed as a World Heritage site by Unesco, reports the Times of India.

Environment and Forest Minister Alina Saldanha said that the recognition will aid national and international co-operation to protect the forests of Goa.

"Besides, there will be immense scope for tourists and researchers who like to visit the area and study the diverse species," the minister added.

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Dubai Frame Project launched to drive further tourism to emirate

A major new project in the heart of Dubai is expected to attract approximately two million tourists a year once it is completed.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, ruler of Dubai, has ordered the implementation of the Dubai Frame Project in Zabeel Park.

This will see the creation of a new landmark that is over 150 metres in height and 105 metres in width, providing visitors with amazing views of Dubai's skyline.

On top of this monument, the project also includes additional entertainment facilities, as well as a museum with floors consisting of glass sheets over artistic works.

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India looking to clean up its railways

A new campaign has been launched to drive more visitors to India by improving the efficiency and cleanliness of the country's famous railways.

Through the Clean India campaign, tourism and transport officials are hoping to work together to promote the country as an attractive locale to foreigners.

Among the steps being taken are the introduction of green toilets, cleaner train stations, on-board service schemes and washable aprons on the platforms.

According to the Economic Times, Subodh Kant Sahai, of India's minister of tourism, explained that public transport has an important role to play in attracting visitors to the country.

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Etihad Airways reports spike in passengers

Abu Dhabi airline Etihad Airways has announced a huge increase in passenger numbers and profits.

In the second quarter, 2.55 million passengers travelled with Etihad, an increase of 34 per cent - taking the total for the half year to 4.89 million in the half year.

As a result, the airline's second quarter revenues were up 31 per cent to $1.25 billion (£0.8 million); bringing its total revenues for the year to $2.24 billion, up from $1.73 billion for the same period in 2011.

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Dubai Turtle Rehabilitation Project race underway

Conservationists in Dubai are helping to save the critically endangered Hawksbill Turtle and other species with a flagship rehabilitation project.

A week ago, six turtles were fitted with trackers and released into the sea as part of the Big Turtle Race. The creatures are now being followed using GPS and their progress mapped for fans of a Facebook group to monitor.

The project, which is headed by the Wildlife Protection Office and Burj Al Arab Aquarium, has been running since 2004 with four main aims: to assess turtle health; to rehabilitate and release turtles back into the wild; to raise awareness of their plight; and to advance scientific knowledge of turtle behaviour through the satellite tracking programme.

"The Hawksbill turtle, native to the Middle East, is listed as critically endangered with only an estimated 8,000 nesting females left worldwide," the organisation said.

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Flights to Morocco from United Kingdom

Morocco is situated in African North West coast and is a lovely blend of Arab, Islamic and Berber ethnicity with a crown of France. cheap flights are carrying you to the nation which is presenting lovely metropolises, attention-grabbing backdrop, tremendous beaches, excellent activities and much more than this for all type of visitors. 

The reality of this nation as Muslim kingdom, cheap flights to Morocco are continuously flying to this country from United Kingdom, the direct or indirect flying to Morocco from United Kingdom As your flights to Morocco will touch the grounds, you will at once feel yourself in a completely different country with absolutely distinct culture in Morocco. The nation has been steadfastly autonomous all over its past times however stayed liberal to brief ideas, formulating a stimulating blend of ethnicities, convictions and communication ways with prehistoric heritage and the outstandingly contemporary stance.

Casablanca is the largest city of Morocco

Casablanca is the modern and largest city situated in the Western Morocco. Many cheap flights to Casablanca can be observed at the international airport of Casablanca, Muhammad V international airport. The largest city is blessed with lots of modern tourists where so many international trade and business deals are carried out. The Casablanca city center is the economic and financial zone which represents a hustling and bustling environment and plays a vital role in economy of the city. Many old buildings are the strong reflector of the colonial French architecture and Arabic styles in city.

Some popular visited places or tourists top destinations, Hassan II Mosque where several hundred people perform their religious obligations and also visit the inspiring beauty of its architecture. The mosque is the second biggest mosques in the world and visitors from all over the world flying through their direct or indirect cheap flights to Casablanca, get latest offer their prayers in this grandeur architecture. This is the second largest mosque in the world.

When you are on a long trip to Casablanca, need some clean, safe and luxurious accommodation and for that there are so many private accommodations, hotels, guests houses, clean and cafes with every facility will be endorsed in them all. To get a cheap accommodation is just like to purchase a airticket for flights to Casablanca. While checking in and out ensure that you have everything with you to enjoy a decent journey. The environment and the atmosphere for tourists is quite friendly in the city.

Flights to Marrakech - Tourist Attractions

Find and compare prices on cheap flights to Marrakech from United Kingdom.

Plaza Djemaa El Fna

The Jemaa el-Fna Square is one of the main cultural spaces of Marrakech’s Medina and has become one of the symbols of the city since its foundation in the eleventh century. Although worth a visit during the day, it is at night that it comes alive, the snake charmers, fire-swallowers, folk dancers lure a visitor in to spending an entire evening in the medieval world. Looking The several food stalls add to the charm of this town square.

Koutubia Mosque

Located near the Djemaa el Fna, the Koutoubia Mosque is the largest mosque of Marrakesh. It is especially for its magnificent minaret. It is a 12th century Hispano-Moorish masterpiece, ornamented with delicate sculptures and constructed during the Kingdom of Almohades. Their chief Abd –el-Moumen built this on the site of an Almoravid palace. The Koutoubia which inspired the construction of the Giralda at Sevilla. It is considered one of the most beautiful monuments in Morocco.

Bahia Palace

It is located in the medina of Marrakesh, the exact dates of palace's construction are unknown, the building was commissioned between 1859 and 1873 and was completed in 1900. It was built in two phases by different two men, a father and son. The first part known as Dar Si Moussa was built between 1859 and 1873 by Si Moussa and the second phase of construction was by Si Moussa's son Ba Ahmed.

Dubai to unveil A380-exclusive terminal

Dubai Airport is to get its very own A380-only terminal to accommodate 20 of the world's largest passenger airliner.

The $3 billion (£1.9 billion) building is being constructed adjacent to Terminal 3 and will open later this year - taking the airport's capacity up to around 75 million passengers, the Indo-Asian News Service reports.

'Concourse 3', as it will be known, has been described as a "mini city" and will have two luxury hotels, first and business class lounges, a large duty free area, food courts, restaurants and more.

"Most of the structural work is complete. The work is now on by world-class companies in areas like airport systems, security and communications solutions and the rest of the internal infrastructure," explained Khalifa Suhail Al Zaffin, executive chairman of Dubai World Central which overseas the airport.

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