1-day advance tatkal plan from today

MUMBAI: From 8 on Monday morning , the railways will start a new tatkal scheme under which tickets for any long-distance train can be booked only a day before journey, instead of the usual two days in advance.

The special plan has been launched to cater to urgent travel requirements of passengers who plan their journeies at a short notice. "Under the new tatkal scheme , one person can buy tickets for a maximum of four passengers at a go ," said Central Railway public relationsofficer V Chandrasekar.

Travellers can avail of the immediate reservation facility to buy ticketson a sleeper class , an air-conditioned chair class and AC three- as well as two-tier coachesin almost all mail /express trains , including special trains.

But they will have to produce one of theeight prescribed proofsof identity , including a voter's ID card , PAN card and passport.

With the new booking system , comes a new cancellation policy . Western Railway chief public relationsofficer Sharat Chandrayan said if any confirmed tatkal ticket-booked on Monday and onwards-was cancelled , no refund would be granted , except in cases of possible contingencies .

The existing rule of paying back 25% of the price of a tatkal ticket, cancelled 24 hours before the train's departure , is applicable only for tickets that have been booked before Monday .

Rules For Booking Tickets

A self-attested photocopy of the proof of identity of any one passenger should be attached to the requisition slip. The person's identity details will be updated in the system and printed on reserved tickets as well the reservation chart.

It won't be mandatory for a passenger to be present at a booking counter but the ID proof will have to be attached During the journey, the passenger, whose ID card number is printed on the ticket, will have to produce the original ID proof, which was shown to reserve a seat.

If not, even the others booked on the same number will be treated as travelling without a ticket and penalized If the person whose ID card number is printed on the ticket is not on the train, all the others booked under the same number will be treated as travelling without ticket.

For bookings done for more than one passenger, others can also give their ID-card numbers Agents will not be allowed to buy tatkal tickets at counters between 8 am and 10 am on the opening day of tatkal advance booking period.

(c) 2011 Economic times http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/transportation/railways/1-day-advance-tatkal-plan-from-today/articleshow/10813377.cms
Crosswoods holidays 2011

Mice tourism to boost hospitality sector- Vikram sharma, Newdelhi

The Meeting Incentive Conference and Exhibition segment, better known as MICE, seems to be an attractive proposition for the hospitality sector in Chandigarh. MICE tourism is always considered lucrative by hoteliers considering revenue generated by this segment is 4-8 times more than leisure travelers.
Members from hospitality sector in Chandigarh believe the MICE tourism definitely holds better potential for them.

Now with the opening of JW Marriott at Chandigarh , part of Marriott International, few months back, definitely the MICE segment in Chandigarh seems heading for growth.
Deepak Manocha, GM, JW Marriott Chandigarh, says “we are here to play our role to add to the existing MICE tourism in Chandigarh.”

Marriott, being a global brand definitely holds more potential to woo MICE travelers across different regions into Chandigarh. Even as, Marriot has started operations in Chandigarh recently, Manocha believes they see a huge potential in Chandigarh, emerging as great business destination in North India.

Commenting on the contribution towards MICE tourism, Manocha adds strengthening the MICE segment in Chandigarh would also have incidental impact on tourism in Chandigarh which is bound to grow with MICE travelers.

Chandigarh often is believed to be a transit-tourist destination and a gateway for Punjab , Himachal , Jammu & Kashmir and Uttarakhand.

Hoteliers believe MICE segment would help Chandigarh emerge as a ‘tourist destination’.
Commenting on the business coming from MICE travelers Anil Madhok, Managing Director, Sarovar Hotels & Resorts, maintain ,MICE segment is driving the growth and the curve has already gone-up by 30 per cent. “We are already experiencing a revival in demand with rise in bookings and queries for the ongoing season. November and December are the peak seasons for MICE as well as for corporate travel.” Hotels in Bengaluru, Delhi—NCR and tier-II cities like Chandigarh and Ludhiana, are doing brisk business with an 8-10 per cent increase in domestic tourism.


(c) http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/mice-tourism-to-boost-hospitality-sector/455950/
Crosswoods holidays 2011

US airlines sue US Export-Import (Ex-Im) Bank over Air India deal- Economic Times

WASHINGTON: In a bid to prevent Air India from receiving a $3.4 billion loan for the acquisition of 30 new aircraft, a trade body for leading US airlines has sued the US Export-Import (Ex-Im) Bank. 

The loan comes at entirely too high a price and "puts us at a competitive disadvantage", the Air Transport Association of America (ATA) President and CEO Nicholas E. Calio remarked. 

The ATA filed a suit with US District Court here, asking the court to deem the Ex-Im Bank's loan-guarantee unlawful. 

According to ATA officials, the Ex-Im Bank has already approved a $1.3 billion loan for Air India, with an additional $2.1 million pending consideration; the loans would support the carrier's acquisition of 30 aircraft, including 27 Boeing 787s for delivery between 2011-2015. 

The lawsuit follows an ATA letter to the Ex-Im Bank earlier this month, which said that loan guarantees to Air India and other foreign carriers fail to comply with specific statutory mandates and US taxpayers could be left to foot the bill for any default by a foreign carrier on its loans. 

With this lawsuit, ATA officials hope to prevent foreign carriers from receiving drastically lower - up to 50 percent - financing rates than US airlines. After all, an ATA spokesman said, the discounts afforded to these carriers have certainly added up. 

"Having received more than $52 billion in US taxpayer-funded loan guarantees over the last 10 years, foreign carriers have added capacity and gained market share," he remarked. In fact, such Ex-Im Bank guarantees have enabled these airlines to increase their capacity on US routes by 12 percent, he said. 

The overcapacity has also forced some American carriers to reduce their flight schedules and cut jobs, two actions Calio hopes to prevent with this injunction. 

"ATA has no choice but to seek judicial intervention in order to prevent our members from suffering irreparable injury," he said in a statement. "While we support the goal of expanding US exports, it cannot come at [this] expense." 

"Commercial aviation in the United States drives $1.2 trillion per year in economic activity and more than 10 million jobs; we cannot do that if we continue to face a harsh and punitive tax and regulatory environment that, along with this proposed action, puts us at a competitive disadvantage," Calio said. "It's time to level the playing field."

courtesy: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/transportation/airlines-/-aviation/us-airlines-sue-us-export-import-ex-im-bank-over-air-india-deal/articleshow/10778381.cms
Crosswoods holidays 2011

India's 13 most popular tourist destinations- Rediff Travels

Metro cities continue to capture top spots among the 10 most popular cities for travelers, according to the latest Hotels.com's Hotel Price Index. Tourism in India is the largest service industry, with a contribution of 6.23 per cent to the national GDP and 8.78 per cent of the total employment in India.

India's history of more than 5,000 years, its length, breadth and the variety of geographic features make its tourism basket large and varied. It presents heritage and cultural tourism along with medical, business and sports tourism.

India's 13 most popular tourist destinations

New Delhi


Delhi is said to be one of the oldest existing cities in the world, along with Jerusalem and Varanasi.
Legend estimates it to be over 5,000 years old. Indira Gandhi International Airport, located in the west of the city, is the arrival point for many visitors into Delhi.

Trains arrive at one of four main stations: Delhi Junction, also called Old Delhi or Purani Dilli; the second at New Delhi which lies in Central Delhi; Hazrat Nizamuddin a few kilometers to the south; and the upcoming Anand Vihar station to the east. The fast-growing Delhi Metro network provides a cheap, quick, hassle-free and air-conditioned way of zipping around the city.

The Red Fort (Lal Qila) is one of Delhi's top tourist sights. Among the others are - Humayun's Tomb, Qutub Minar, Gandhi Smriti, India Gate, Lodhi Garden, Lotus Temple, Jama Masjid, Akshardham Temple, Jawaharlal Nehru University, the Parliament House, etc.

Mumbai
Mumbai was originally a conglomeration of seven islands on the Konkan coastline which over time were joined to form the island city of Bombay. Famous monuments in Mumbai are the Gateway of India, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (Victoria Terminus) building, the Municipal Corporation and Police Headquarters and the Chhatrapati Shivaji Vastu Sanghralaya (formerly, the Prince Of Wales museum).

The famous Taj Mahal hotel is located just opposite the Gateway of India. The Mumbai University buildings and the High Court are also excellent examples of colonial architecture in the city. Mumbai has quite a few beaches - Girgaon Chowpaty in South Mumbai, Juhu beach in the western suburbs and Aksa Beach in Malad.

Other attractions include the city zoo (Veermata Jijabai Udyan), the Hanging Gardens, Haji Ali Dargah, Siddhivinayak and Mahalaxmi temples.

Bengaluru

Once called the 'Garden City of India' and the 'Pensioner's Paradise', Bengaluru, is now popularly known as the Silicon Valley of India. Landmarks in Bengaluru include - Vidhana Soudha, Bangalore Palace, Tipu Sultan's Palace, the Bull Temple, Lord Shiva Temple, Holy Trinity Church, Ulsoor Lake, among others.

Chennai

Located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal, Chennai accounts for 30 per cent of the country's automotive exports and 40 per cent of the auto components, which leads it to be called as 'The Detroit of
Asia' Important tourist spots include, the Marina Beach, Basilica of the National Shrine of St.Thomas, St. Mary's Church, Wallajah Mosque, Kapaleeswarar Temple, Valluvar Kottam, Guindy National Park among many others.

Goa

Renowned for its beaches, places of worship and world heritage architecture, Goa is visited by large numbers of international and domestic tourists each year. It also has rich flora and fauna, owing to its location on the Western Ghats range, which is classified as a biodiversity hotspot. Goa has two World Heritage Sites: the Bom Jesus Basilica and churches and convents of Old Goa.

The Velhas Conquistas regions are known for its Goa-Portuguese style architecture. There are many forts in Goa such as Tiracol, Chapora, Corjuem, Aguada, Gaspar Dias and Cabo de Rama.

Jaipur
Jaipur is a very famous tourist and education destination in India. People flock to Jaipur to view the various forts and monuments, which reflect its glorious past. Tourism contributes a significant amount to Jaipur's income.

Famous forts and monuments include Hawa Mahal, Amber Fort, Jaigarh Fort, Nahargarh Fort, City Palace, Jantar Mantar, Jal Mahal, Rambagh Palace, Central Museum. The landscape of Jaipur is dotted with numerous temples and religious places.

Some of the famous temples in Jaipur include Govind Dev Ji Temple, Garh Ganesh Temple, Shila Devi Temple in Amber, Tadkeshwara Mahadev, etc.

The city is also dotted by beautiful gardens and parks. Prominent among them are Ram Niwas Garden, Sisodia Rani Garden and Palace, Vidyadhar Garden, Kanak Vrindavan, Central Park, Jawahar Circle Garden, Technology Park in Mansarover, Vidyadhar ka Bagh in Goner. Other places of interest include Chand Baori (stepwell), Chokhi Dhani (a village resort), and Kathputhli slum.

Manali

Manali is well connected by road to Delhi through NH-21 and NH 1, which goes on to Leh and is claimed to be world's highest motorable road. Manali is not easily approachable by rail. The nearest broad gauge railheads are at Chandigarh, Pathankot and Kalka. The nearest airport is at Bhuntar, which is about 50 km (31 mi) from Manali. Places of interest include Hadimba Temple, Vashisht Temple, rope way cum ski centre at Solang valley, and Rohtang Pass.

Baga
It an extension of Calangute Village in the state of Goa. Baga with is brown sands and creek is visited by thousands of tourists annually. Baga Beach is also famous for its water sports and Dolphin cruises.

Ooty

Today Ooty's economy is based on tourism and agriculture, with manufacturing of medicines and photographic film also present. The town is connected to the rest of India by road and rail, and its historic sites and natural beauty attract tourists. Notable tourist spots in Ooty are - Doddabetta Peak, pine forest, Wenlock Downs, Kamaraj Sagar Dam, Mudumalai National Park, Parsons Valley Reservoir, Emerald Lake, Avalanche Lake, Porthimund Lake, and Upper Bhavaniamong many others.

Agra
It achieved fame as the capital of the Mughal emperors from 1526 to 1658 and remains a major tourist destination because of its many splendid Mughal-era buildings, most notably the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri, all three of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Other attractions include Diwan-i-Khas, Tomb of Akbar, Mankameshwar Temple, Guru ka Tal, Ram Bagh, Keetham Lake, Mughal Heritage Walk, etc.

Cochin
This lovely seaside city is flanked by the Western Ghats on the east and the Arabian Sea on the west.
Its proximity to the equator, the sea and the mountains provide a rich experience of a moderate equatorial climate.

Landmarks on Cochin include Fort Kochi beach, Hill Palace Museum, St. Francis Church, Museum of Kerala History and Art Gallery, Thrikkakara Temple, Jain Mandir, Malayattoor Mount, Kanjiramattam Mosque, Cherai Beach, and Kodanadu Elephant Training College.

Kolkata
Kolkata is the main business, commercial and financial hub of East India and the northeastern states.
It has many buildings adorned with Gothic, Baroque, Roman, Oriental and Indo-Islamic (including Mughal) motifs. Several major buildings of the Colonial period are well maintained and have been declared 'heritage structures'.

The Indian Museum is the oldest museum in Asia. Besides there are the Victoria Memorial, the National Library, Royal Calcutta Golf Club, Dakshineshwar temple, Kalighat temple, St Pauls's Cathedral, Pareshnath Jain temple, Race Course, Birla Planetarium, Tagore House, at  Jorasanko, Horticultural Garden, Calcutta Zoo, and the Marble Palace. In Salt Lake there is Nicco Park, Science City etc.

Hyderabad
If you are traveling to Hyderabad on business it is easy to miss the 400-year-old Hyderabad.
The city that immediately hits the eye is a sprawling metropolis of shopping malls and office buildings with glass facades.

The 'old city' that was once the seat of the Nizam can be seen only if you take the time out to see them.
Main attractions are Charminar, Mecca Masjid, Falaknuma Palace, Golconda Fort, Salar Jung Museum, the Birla Mandir, Hussain Sagar Lake, Ramoji Film City, Hyderabad Golf Club, Snow World, Lumbini Park, Chilkur Wildlife Park among others.

Crosswoods holidays 2011

India Supreme Court May Ban Tiger Tourism - BLOOMBERG

India’s Supreme Court will hear a petition today seeking to ban tourists from breeding grounds in the country’s main tiger reserves amid concerns that their presence is hastening the extinction of the endangered animals.

The plea to bar visitors from tiger breeding areas is supported by the government-run National Tiger Conservation Authority, which points to official figures that say the wild- cat population in reserves was 1,706 at the end of 2010. Hotels and tour operators warn that the restrictions would lead to job losses and harm conservation efforts.

“To stop all tourism and throw away the key would be a disaster for local people,” Belinda Wright, the founder and executive director of the Wildlife Protection Society of India, told a briefing today where conservation groups voiced opposition to the petition. “Tourism for all its faults does need to be better managed. But at the same it does give a large degree of protection to tigers.”

India, home to the world’s largest number of wild tigers, is trying to protect the creatures from habitat destruction and poaching that supplies an illegal trade in skins and body parts. Travel Operators for Tigers, a group representing tour groups, says a ban would dent India’s tourism industry, which brings in more than $100 billion in revenue and 17 million overseas visitors annually, according to government figures.

Ajay Dubey, a private citizen who brought the petition to the Supreme Court, wants a tourism ban in so-called core areas of the parks where the tigers breed. Tourists would still be allowed to visit buffer zones on the edges of the parks where the chance of seeing a tiger is smaller.

Tiger Authority

Conservationists argue that ensuring local people benefit financially from protecting tigers is key to persuading them not to work with poachers or encroach on parks.

India’s human population has expanded by five times in the last 100 years, while the country’s tiger count has fallen from 40,000, according to Last Wilderness, a website that promotes wildlife conservation.

The government started a campaign to protect the animal in 1973 and since then the number of tiger reserves has risen to 39 from three. India’s 2010 tiger population was up 21 percent from 1,411 in 2006, according to a survey published by the Environment Ministry in March.

The National Tiger Conservation Authority spent about 2 billion rupees ($40 million) on conservation efforts in the last financial year. The body, which reports to the Ministry of Environment, says the best way to protect tigers is to keep tourists and villagers out of the parks.

Latika Rana, who has a doctorate from Oxford University on the management of tigers in the wild, said authorities should reduce the number of park visitors rather than imposing a complete ban.

“The Taj Mahal has been affected by tourism but you look at how to manage it rather than banning it,” Rana, who is dubbed the “Tiger Princess” for her conservation work, said at the briefing. “If people don’t see the animals, they won’t see the importance of protecting them. We would be depriving our children and grandchildren the chance to see their heritage.”

Contact Crosswoods at www.crosswoods.in 

Budget Boost For Srilankan Tourism

Budget 2012 to be presented in Parliament later this month is expected to give relief to the tourism industry.
This was said by Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority Chairman Dr. Nalaka Godahewa to reporters on Wednesday after it was brought to his notice the difficulty the industry is facing to build the necessary infrastructure due to rising costs.

It is estimated that the cost to build a four star hotel room alone is Rs. 16 million.

An industry source told this reporter that as a result of those high costs no new investments are taking place in the East coast though there is land available.

Except for a few top of the line hotels like those belonging to the John Keells Leisure Group, other industry players have been slow to invest in their product due to the island’s previous debilitating 26 year old terrorist war which hit tourism and which only ended two years ago.

As such to take advantage of the post war tourism boom in the island there is a need for the industry to spend on infrastructure development, which however is affected due to the high costs involved in such investments coupled with high borrowing costs.

Relief is also expected in the sphere of electricity tariffs to the industry which is currently a hybrid between industry and commercial rates.

Government of Sri Lanka plans to attract 750,000 tourists by the year end and 2.5 million by 2016.
Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators President Nilmin Nanayakkara said that this year’s target would be met. He also expected the current winter season to witness a 30% year on year (YoY) growth in tandem with the growth the industry experienced in the first nine months of the year of 30.1%, but much lower than the previous winter’s growth of 46.1%.

One of the chief reasons for this slowdown is due to the recessionary fears in the West on account of the euro debt crisis.

The industry’s cash cow is also the winter traffic from the West. Though India from a country perspective is the source of the highest number of tourist arrivals to the island, from a spending and from a “stay” perspective, the tourist from the West easily surpasses his Indian counterpart. The Indians who come here for shopping are low budget tourists, staying for a mere three days, whereas the Western tourist wintering here, generally stays in star class hotels for a minimum of 10 days.

Tourism Mart
A buyer-seller mart linking tour operators with service providers will take place in Colombo on January 31 of next year.
This will be the second successive year that such a mart will be held.  It’s organized by the Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators. This year’s mart drew in 100 exhibitors and 300 buyers while the numbers of the former expected to double next year.
The services providers are not those who market hotel supplies, but rather hotel suppliers or sellers of hotel rooms, adventure tourism providers, tourist guides and such like.
-
$ 20 Visa Fee
The proposed visa fees, subject to Cabinet approval, will be US$ ($) 20 for visitors from non SAARC member countries and $ 10 for SAARC member countries. Children under 12 will be exempt from the requirement of visas, so also transit passengers, upto 48 hours.
This was said by Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority Chairman Dr. Nalaka Godahewa to reporters on Wednesday.
The rates are expected to be effective from next year.
Previously the Government of Sri Lanka wanted to charge a flat visa fee of $ 50 from all tourists visiting the country. But this proposal drew flak from the industry as well as from countries in the SAARC region (see connected story found elsewhere on this page).
Currently visitors to the island are given visas on arrival free of charge.

Crosswoods holidays 2011

Thailand floods push tourists towards India-The Economic Times

NEW DELHI: More tourists are coming to India or travelling within the country due to the devastating floods in Thailand, the popular Southeast Asian budget destination where more than 400 people have lost their lives since July. 

Foreign tourists are arriving in larger numbers and staying longer in India, while domestic travellers are looking at destinations such as Goa, Kerala and Andamans with renewed interest, industry experts say.

"There is a 5%-7% increase in inbound travel into India," said Ankur Bhatia, executive director at travel technology solutions conglomerate Bird Group, "Visitors from Western countries who want to tour various parts of Southeast Asia are staying back in India due to Thailand floods, increasing footfalls and spending more foreign exchange here this season."

Domestic destinations that fall in the same price bracket as Thailand have also gained over the past month, when floods started moving south towards the Thai capital Bangkok. "There was a 15%-17% jump in bookings for domestic destinations in October," Expedia (India) marketing head Manmeet Ahluwalia said.

At the same time, tour operators have been saddled with cancellations of bookings from domestic tourists bound for Thailand.

"There is a 20%-25% drop in bookings for Thailand this season (October-December), which has translated into an overall drop of 5%-7% in bookings for outbound travel," said Sunny Sodhi, vice-president (air product) at travel portal Yatra.com.

This has dragged down growth in bookings for international tours to 10%, lower than the 15% the Indian travel industry had projected in August, said Vimla Dorairaju of Mahindra Homestays.

Even as places like Pattaya and Phuket in Thailand remain relatively less affected, airlines connecting India and Thailand have dropped base-fares by 10%-15% in order to fill up capacity, executives say.

Along with India, other international destinations in the vicinity have also gained at the expense of Thailand, where about 2 million people are employed in tourism which contributes 6% to the national GDP. "People are opting for Dubai, Sri Lanka and Malaysia as alternative holiday destinations," said a spokesperson from travel portal

Crosswoods holidays 2011