How to: Say “Happy New Year” in 40 languages

A-E

Language	Spelling	Pronunciation
Afrikaans	Gelukkige Nuwejaar	gha-likkikga-neeva-yaarr (“gh” is a throat scraping guttural sound)
Albanian	Gëzuar Vitin e Ri	gu-zoo-ar vi-tin e ri
Arabic	سنة سعيدة	sana sa’eedah
Azerbaijani	Yeni iliniz mübarək	ye-ni i-li-niz myu-ba-rack
Bahasa melayu	Selamat tahun baru	selamat tahun baru
Basque	Urte berri on	err-te berr-rri on
Bosnian	sretna nova godina	sr-et-na no-va go-din-a
Bulgarian	Щастлива Нова година	sh-tast-liva No-va go-din-a
Catalan	Feliç any nou	fe-LEES A-nee n-Ou
Cebuano (Philippines)	Mabungahong Bag-ong Tuig kaninyong tanan	ma-boon-ga-hong bag-ong too-eeg kan-een-yong tan-an
Czech	šťastný nový rok	SHTU-stnee NO-vee rrr-ok
Dutch	Fijne oudejaarsavond (Fine New Year’s Eve) / Gelukkig Nieuwjaar (Happy New Year)	fei-nee ow-de-yaarr-sa-vont / ghu-lukkikgh-neew-yaarr
Estonian	Head uut aastat	hed oot ah-staht

Tbilisi, Photo: Vladimer Shioshvili

F-L

Language	Spelling	Pronunciation
Farsi	سال نو مبارک	sale nou mobarak
Filipino	Manigong Bagong Taon	mah-nee-gong bag-gong ta-on
French	Bonne Année	bon a-nay
Gaelic (Scotland)	Bliadhna mhath ur	bleenah vahth oohr
German	Frohes Neues Jahr / Gutes Neues Jahr	frohes neuyis yar / gutes neu-yis yar
Greek	Καλή χρονιά	kali chronya
Gujarati	સાલ મુબારક	saal mubarak (happy year)
Hebrew	שָׁנָה טוֹבָה	shana tova
Hindi	नये साल की हार्दिक शुभकामनायें	nayye saal ki haardik shubh-kaam-nayen
Hungarian	Boldog Új Évet / Buék	bawl-dawg-uuy-aevet / boo-ayk
Irish	Athbhliain faoi mhaise dhuit / Bhliain nua sásta	awh-tvleen fwee mm-hay-sheh gutch
Italian	Buon anno / Felice anno nuovo	boo-on ah-nno / fae-lee-chae ah-nno noo-o-vo
Japanese	あけましておめでとうございます	akemashite omedeto gozaimasu
Korean	새해 복 많이 받으세요	seh heh bok mahn ee bahd euh sae yo

Singapore, Photo: Eustaquio Santimano

M-Z

Language	Spelling	Pronunciation
Maltese	Is Sena it -Tajba	iz sena it taybah
Mandarin Chinese	新年快乐	xīn nián kuài lè
Maori	Kia hari te tau hou	kia hari tay tau ho
Polish	Szczęśliwego Nowego Roku	shch-eng-shlee-vego novego roku
Portuguese	Feliz Ano Novo	feh-liz an-oh noh-voh
Quechua	Allin wata kachun qanpaq (singular) / Allin wata kachun qanqunapaq (plural)	all-yin wa-ta ka-chun kan-pak / all-yin wa-ta ka-chun kan-koon-a-pak
Romanian	La Mulți Ani	laa mooltsi ani
Russian	С Новым Годом	s novim godom
Spanish	Feliz Año Nuevo	feh-liz an-yoh n-way-vo
Thai	สวัสดีปีใหม่	saa-wat-dii pi-mai
Turkish	Mutlu yıllar (happy year) / Yeni yılınız kutlu olsun (May your new year be celebrated)	moot-loo yill-lar / yen-ee yill-uh-niz coot-loo ohl-son
Urdu	نايا سال مبارک	nayya saal mubarak
Welsh	blwyddyn newydd dda	BLOOdhin NEHwidh dha

Please share if you know HAPPY NEW YEAR in any other language in comment section!!!

Crosswoods holidays 2011

Role of Corbett National Park in Indian Tourism Industry

India is a nation with dissimilar environmental surroundings. The unique diversity of India attracts millions of tourists from every nook and corner of the world. Nature lovers find solace and tranquility in the wide variety of national parks and wildlife sanctuaries that are found in India. These parks and sanctuaries are well protected in India and no human intervention is permitted. These spots not only protect the affluent flora and fauna of the nation but at the same time they attract lot of tourists round the year.

Jim Corbett National Park of India is one of the oldest sheltered regions in the country. This park was discovered in the year 1936 by the Governor of United Province (Uttarakhand in British era). Presently this park is situated in the foothills of Himalayas in the currently established Uttarakhand state. The park is declared as a reserve for the Bengal tigers.

Several tourists come to Corbett each year to feel the picturesque beauty and attractiveness of nature which has given a major boost to the tourism of India. Every year the number of tourists is augmenting but Jim Corbett never appears crowded and is successful in offering desired isolation and peace for which it is known.

In a short span of time, Corbett has adorned itself as the center of tourism in the country. The stirring victory of ecotourism in Jim Corbett has lent a hand in creating it as a major tourist center. Jim Corbett has positively contributed in changing the old picture of tourism in India. Corbett National Park is the primary choice with majority of the wildlife visitors coming from different countries all over the world and has earned an approximate profit of Rs 310 lakh for the tourism department of Uttarakhand, which is perhaps 90% of the total tourism revenue earned by the state.

These days the wildlife sightseeing at Corbett National park provides grand opportunity for seeing different wild animals in their natural environment. Going for a vacation to the Corbett National Park will be a wonderful experience for people of all ages and one can discover the best that Indian Forests have to offer. It goes without saying that ever since Uttarakhand emerged as a state on the map of India; the amazing Corbett National park has contributed significantly in increasing the wildlife tourism. It has grown by leaps and bounds in the last decade and given a major boost to the tourist industry of India.

Source: xpertravels.blogspot.com

Crosswoods holidays 2011

World's top 25 hotels

Courtesy of Little Palm Island Resort & Spa

Little Palm Island Resort & Spa, Little Torch Key, Fla.

By Sarah Spagnolo, Travel+Leisure

Miles of hiking trails in Big Sky Country? Check. Outdoor spa treatments? Check! Montana may be the Wild West, but it stakes a claim to one of the world’s finest hotels. At Triple Creek Ranch, rated No. 6, the log cabins are rustic-chic, the cellar stores 2,000 wine bottles, and soaking in a hot tub is the perfect antidote to a day out snowshoeing.


Slideshow: World's top hotels


Every year T+L readers vote on thousands of hotels based on rooms, location, service, food, and value. In 2012, the 10th anniversary of the T+L 500, the winners are a mix of remote escapes and city hotels — and a record 133 have rates that start as low as $250 a night. The highest-ranking hotel for value is Four Seasons Carmelo, Uruguay, whose suites and bungalows are strung along the beach between a eucalyptus forest and the Rio de la Plata. It’s an easy trip from Buenos Aires, a city with four T+L 500 winners.
The number of high-scoring hotels in Africa also increased this year, with nine hotels in the top 25 and 45 properties overall. Singita Grumeti Reserves, on a spectacular wide plateau in Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park, ranked No. 1, thanks partially to the recent launch of a mobile safari experience in the 340,000-acre concession.


California, a perennial favorite, has the largest percentage of T+L 500 hotels in the U.S., with 37 winners. But one romantic escape in Florida ranked higher than the Sunshine State’s best properties: Little Palm Island Resort & Spa, a secluded private island retreat on Little Torch Key. It wins over guests with special touches like the Sandbar Session concerts and private picnics on nearby deserted islands.
What else is new this year? We’re sharing insider tips and advice on which specific hotel rooms to book. At No. 5–ranked Oberoi Udaivilas, in India, for instance, nine lakeside rooms face the nature conservancy, treating in-the-know guests to views of peacocks, deer, and wild boar.


Source : http://todaytravel.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/22/9638915-worlds-top-25-hotels

Crosswoods holidays 2011

Tourism ministry launches campaign

NEW DELHI: India has tourist spots galore but they all need a wash before they can draw the kind of tourist flows they have the potential to attract. Feeling that a thorough scrubbing is in order, ministry of tourism launched Campaign Clean India.

In addition to the Atithi Devo Bhawah campaign, which has already raised hygiene issues, this one seeks to bring together stakeholders in the tourism industry and encourage a more active participation in promoting cleanliness in general and at tourist spots in particular.

The launch also brought together stakeholders for a national-level workshop on the campaign. Along with government officials, students and teachers, NGOs, media professionals, tour operators and representatives from corporations discussed within their groups and came up with recommendations.

Tourism minister Subodh Kant Sahay said the campaign is crucial for achieving the targeted growth rate of 12% in in-bound and domestic tourist arrivals during the 12th Plan. Currently India accounts for 0.6% of the world market in in-bound tourism.

A 2009 survey covering five major tourist destinations conducted by the ministry to identify major gaps that existed in terms of infrastructure and service delivery showed that both foreign and domestic tourists found the state of hygiene and sanitation in and around the destinations and absence of hygienically-maintained public amenities like toilets unsatisfactory.

"We are starting with tourist destinations but are planning for the nation," he said. Once set rolling, the changes could create 3 crore new jobs.

Former president APJ Abdul Kalam launched the campaign and suggested that places of worship could make ideal spots for sensitizing the public. He suggested that "display boards with vows be place in a way that the pilgrim can read them while approaching the shrine."

He emphasized on efficient waste management, energy conversion, recycling and mapping of neighbourhoods for better understanding of prevailing conditions. "Recycle what you can and reduce the consumption of what is limited," said chief minister, Shiela Dikshit, "We have to teach our children to keep clean and to conserve - we don't have unlimited resources." "We have to start from our homes," she continued, "We have to change our own cultural ethos. There were quite are few NGOs working in the area and they threw up their hands in a couple of months. What it cost them to clean up, people will not pay."

Sahay said that his Ministry will finalize and plan the campaign strategy, incorporating the workshop recommendations, by March 31, 2012. The implementation will start from April 1, 2012.

Crosswoods holidays 2011

Now, Govt gears up for ‘Clean India Campaign’ - The Pioneer

With poor hygiene, cleanliness, and inadequate infrastructure at tourists hotspots and monuments taking its toll on its “Incredible India” image, the Tourism Industry has woken up from its slumber to launch a “Clean India Campaign”.


“The need to initiate such a campaign had been consistently felt as the major domestic social awareness media campaign “Atithi Devo Bhavah” under various themes such as “campaign against defacement of monuments” and “hygiene, sanitation and solid waste management” has not yielded desired results. This despite that film star Aamir Khan is the Brand Ambassador since 2008,” a senior official from the Tourism Ministry said.


Hence, “Clean India Campaign” has been proposed  to put in a comprehensive strategy, in consultation and partnership with the key stakeholders..


To begin with, the Ministry is organizing an all India workshop on Tuesday in New Delhi to hold wider consultations on the campaign with other stakeholders including state Governments, industry and corporate.


“The idea is to secure the support and commitment of the regulatory agencies to the campaign, such as the police and municipalities to develop implementable program of action and to give the campaign the desired visibility and momentum by taking the media on board,” the official added.


He said that the “Clean India campaign” follows a study conducted by the Ministry in 2009 which identified major gaps such as hygiene and sanitation conditions in and around the monuments/ destinations, solid waste management around the monuments/destinations, and absence of hygienically maintained public amenities like toilets.


With tourism being recognized as one of the key drivers of growth and employment generation in the country, the Tourism Ministry is leaving no step to tap this potential. Its contribution (both direct and indirect) to the GDP is estimated at about 6% and it generates over 9% of total employment in the country.


However, despite these encouraging trends, the tourism potential of the country, especially in a global context, remains far from realized.  This is evident from the fact that the country attracts only 0.6 per cent of the global tourist arrivals.


Crosswoods holidays 2011

India Inc to help Sri Lanka set up major projects- THE HINDU

Enthused by the good response received from the Sri Lankan government, captains of Indian industry have agreed to do their bit to balance the bilateral trade that is loaded heavily in favour of India, promote cultural exchange between the two countries and make huge investments in energy and tourism sectors. A 13-member business delegation, representing the Confederation of Indian Industry Southern Region (CII-SR), landed in Colombo on Sunday as part of three-day trip and had a series of discussions with their counterparts. It included a meeting with Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa, on Monday and business-to-business meeting with Sri Lankan businessmen.

Talking to The Hindu, CII-SR Chairman T.T. Ashok said that they have agreed to build capacities of people in Sri Lanka in various fields including information technology, construction, automotive components and pharma to develop domestic market; train the trainers by allowing them to gain first hand experience at various CII Centres of Excellence in India. Leader of the delegation, CII vice president S. Gopalakrishnan, has agreed to provide training in the information technology sector at his own cost. During the interactions, Ceylon Chamber of Commerce representatives urged India to review the limits imposed on tea and apparels and expressed concern about non tariff barriers. “We are proceeding in the right way with the Sri Lankan delegation taking part in the CII Partnership Summit at Hyderabad in January followed by a high level delegation visit to Chennai in February,” he said.

Crosswoods holidays 2011

Tourism industry defends IFFI- TOI

PANAJI: The big question is whether the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) has succeeded in raking in the tourism moolah, even as the tourism industry has defended the state exchequer spending huge amounts on the festival which it claims, serves as a high-profile marketing tool.


Official figures now reveal that Goa spent seven times more than the revenue it earned from IFFI over the last seven editions, and questions arise over whether the tourism industry-a key economy-actually benefits from the presence of the mega event being hosted annually by the state.

Information furnished to Rajya Sabha member Shantaram Naik by the Union information and broadcasting ministry in Parliament stated that Goa spent approximately 80 crore as against 10 crore it received during the seven editions of IFFI.


Social activist Roland Martins says that IFFI  has isolated a large section of stakeholders. "Is it held to benefit only certain hotels? Are all stakeholders benefitting or only a coterie of hotels?" he asked.


Asked if he felt if IFFI was benefiting trade establishments, Martins said, "The answer that the benefits are not coming in can be seen through the fact that the shopping festival has not happened this year. The organizers claimed 6,000 delegates registered this year. Media reports cite poor turnouts for movie screenings. Where were the delegates?" he asked.


Visitors to the IFFI street, set up on the Corniche during the festival, pointed out that not a single food stall served Goan snacks.


"If IFFI is supposed to showcase Goa to the world, why was not a single stall selling Goan snacks to the delegates and tourists? If you noticed, there was not even a single Goan working at the food stalls. The question arises over who and how many Goans actually benefit from the 80 crore spent from the tax payers' money," said Teresa D'Souza, a teacher from Socorro-Bardez.


Ralph de Sousa, chairman of CII, Goa council, says that IFFI and tourism complement each other. "A lot of people come to Goa during the 10 days and it results in incremental revenue (for establishments around Panaji)," he said.


But de Sousa felt that more than the revenue, the real benefit lies in the exposure that the state receives due to the festival.
"Goa is highlighted every day before, during and after the festival through (news and other) reports in glossy magazines the world over. Also, with the film festival, Goa has a slot in the international film festival calendar and rubs shoulders with other international film festivals such as Cannes and Lausanne. This gives Goa free publicity worth crores in the film and fashion industry," de Sousa said, adding that it is not just some hotels, but also event managers who earn a buck. But more than the revenue, it is the brand publicity that the festival brings, he added.


Edward Jorge, city councillor and restaurant owner in Panaji, said he witnessed an increase in customers during IFFI. "Around 30 delegates would come in every day," he said, adding that the delegate passes some customers wore made it easier to distinguish festival delegates from the other customers. IFFI did manage to also draw the curious tourist already holidaying in Goa.


Steven Reid, a tourist from Scotland, said he travelled from his hotel in South Goa along with his wife to watch the football film screening.

Manuel Cardoz, president, The Goan Traditional Shack Owners Association, said not many IFFI delegates patronized the shacks on the Calangute-Baga stretch. "Our customers continue to be charter tourists. We did not have any IFFI delegates coming to the shacks here. I feel that IFFI only benefits those with their businesses in Panaji. It does not help the state," he said.


But Randhir Verma, an IFFI official from Delhi, felt many of those involved in the tourism-related businesses were trying to make a fast buck. Narrating his experience, Verma said, "I had gone to a shack in Baga with my friends. We wanted to have some fish but the only fish available (pomfret) cost between 1,200 and 1,800. The waiter told us there was no cheaper fish available, but I think he was fooling us. And the rates of the costly fish available were only told to us verbally, not displayed on the menu."


Verma alleged the coastal eateries were exploiting tourists. "They (shack owners) know tourists who come to the shack, especially at night, will eat seafood and hence try to loot them," he said.


Barnabe Sapeco, a Panaji-based restaurateur, hotelier and member of the Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry's tourism committee said that IFFI delegates either put themselves up in starred hotels or dormitories. "Most of the younger delegates arrived in large groups and checked into low-budget dormitories," he said.


ESG officials say around 160-odd delegates, most of them student delegates, stayed in tents at the IFFI village. "I feel that while there was no impact on tourism during IFFI, the festival serves as a marketing tool to send the message out that Goa is an international destination," Sapeco said.


Although the crowd at this year's festival looked thinner as compared to previous years, ESG officials claim 10,000-odd delegates registered for IFFI 2011. Of these, 2,807 were Goan delegates and 348 were Goa cinephile members.


Courtesy : http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-12-11/goa/30504307_1_iffi-tourism-industry-international-film-festival

Crosswoods holidays 2011

Go places with tourism degree- TOI

Travel and Tourism, one of the world's largest foreign exchange earners among industries, directly provides employment to millions of people worldwide and indirectly through many associated industries. The tourism industry has achieved a fast growth rate to emerge as the major driving force of the global economy. India has been ranked second based on the growth rate, with Montenegro and China at the first and third positions, respectively.

Over the next 10 years, India is all set to gain an annual growth rate of 8.8% in the travel sales sector. This immense growth in travel and tourism industry has created plenty of job opportunities for hospitality and travel sales. Since the relative cost of air travel falls, and more and more people are taking to the skies for both business and pleasure, the sale of airline tickets and holiday packages have become a rapidly expanding business. New travel companies are springing up in towns and cities all over the world and big tour operators are teaming up with major airlines to offer ever better deals to an ever wider range of destinations.

A career in this industry is worth taking up because opportunities abound after successful completion of these courses in travel and tourism. One can be recruited in diverse job profiles related to this field in travel agencies, airlines and government organizations dealing with tourism. After gaining relevant knowledge and expertise as a travel professional, one can also choose to get self employed.

Vidya Vikas Education Trust is offering a three-year bachelor of tourism and hospitality course since 1998. Special care and concern is taken to run the course efficiently under the able guidance of prominent experts in the hospitality and tourism industry. Admission to this course is made on the basis of selection in order of merit of written test, group discussion and personal interview.

A variety of learning tools ensure smooth experiential acquisition of knowledge and skills. Case studies, projects, assignments, quizzes, seminars, industry visits are some of the methods used. Students are encouraged to develop analytical judgments and presentation skills and theoretical competency. Students will undergo 18-week summer training at one of the leading hotels across the country at the end of the IV semester and will undertake a project of direct relevance to the concerned organization. They will undertake a project as a part of their training during the VI semester. Each student is required to submit a detailed and a professional report at the end of the VI semester. A presentation on the same has to be made before the panel of experts.

"The demand for the course is increasing every year, once students complete the course they will be in great demand in the market" added Mohammed Zulfikar, principal, Vidya Vikas Hotel Management. 


Courtesy : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mysore/Go-places-with-tourism-degree/articleshow/11028772.cms


Crosswoods holidays 2011

India: Unofficially ready for gay travelers- CNN GO

“Because one bad word from a gay traveler on an Internet forum can do immense damage,” says Abhinav Goel, founder, Out Journeys, a gay and lesbian tour operator in India.

Are gay and lesbian travelers different from straight ones? Yes and no.

They are inquisitive about the same destinations (for example Goa, Kerala, Rajasthan in India) but are more sensitive to local culture, food and even religious practices.

Besides, based on mere finances, LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) tourism is a US$65 billion industry in the United States alone. Surveys there suggest that gays and lesbians are more affluent and travel more, as much as two or three times a year.

To tap into this lucrative and expanding market, the 1st Asian Symposium on Gay and Lesbian Tourism was held at the Le Méridien Hotel, New Delhi on November 28.

Organized by Community Marketing, a U.S.-based LGBT market research company, this business-to-business event brought together about 75 tour and hotel operators. Indian activists Ashok Row Kavi, founder of Humsafar Trust, and Manavendra Singh Gohil, chairperson of the Lakshya Trust, were the symposium's keynote speakers.

'India is ready for gay travelers'

The choice of destination for the event surprised many. In Asia, Thailand is considered the friendliest LGBT country. China, Singapore and Japan all form the top rung. India, meanwhile, is almost invisible on the gay travel map right now.

“We wanted to make a statement saying that India is ready for gay travelers,” says Thomas Roth, president, Community Marketing. This after the Delhi High Court struck down provisions of Section 377 and decriminalized homosexuality in India in July 2009.

“The idea is also to create a platform for tour operators to send out a message to the worldwide community that we are gay-friendly,” adds Abhinav Goel, founder, Out Journeys, a gay and lesbian tour operator in India and one of the sponsors of the symposium.

Of course, making a mere statement would be rather pointless.
One of the biggest areas that the symposium addressed was training hotel and tour personnel to be more accepting and less discriminatory. For instance, the word queer is acceptable in India but shunned in many other countries. And you don’t call a same-sex couple "friends". You call them "partners".

Gay travelers to India also often find themselves in an awkward quandary when men or women partners are given a room with separate twin beds instead of one double one. Since they don't feel as safe here, they’re hesitant to request for changes.

Besides the general attitude that needs to change over time, these are small things that can make a traveler happy. “Because one bad word from a gay traveler on an Internet forum can do immense damage,” explains Goel.

Indian officials give it a miss

Attendees at the 1st Asian Symposium on Gay and Lesbian Tourism in New Delhi. The way forward is going to be tricky. Concise forums and presentations aren’t enough. Organizers say that countries like Brazil, Thailand and Spain are extremely popular among LGBT travelers because their governments have created a welcoming environment.

But the Indian government seems to have a long way to go. Three Indian officials had registered to attend the symposium but didn’t turn up. Thailand sent four people and even paid for their trip.

“It’s an incredible effort on the part of the local travel agents to do this on their own despite not getting support from the tourism ministry, which I think is an opportunity squandered,” says Sylvia Tan, editor of gay news and media site Fridae.asia, who traveled from Singapore to attend the symposium.

India now has about seven tour operators dedicated to the LGBT market. And established players like Cox & Kings have expressed interest in this segment.

“The audience also heard from Amit Prasad, chief operating officer of Go India Journeys, who has recently set up a team of three staff members out of a staff strength of 65 to research and meet the needs of LGBT travellers,” writes Tan in her report on the conference.

Himmat Anand, founder of Tree of Life resort, Jaipur, also participated and was one of the speakers. But the way forward is to bring larger hotel chains like Taj and Oberoi into the fold.
And of course, those elusive ministry officials. Plans are, in fact, already being drawn for the second edition. Jaipur and Mumbai are both being considered, though Thailand makes a very strong case.

Read more: India: Unofficially ready for gay travelers | CNNGo.com http://www.cnngo.com/mumbai/life/india-ready-gay-travelers-086621#ixzz1fv5ETai0

Crosswoods holidays 2011

SriLankan Airlines to introduce direct flights to Madurai from January 15 next year- TBM

The Tamil Nadu Chamber of Commerce and Industry has secured an assurance from SriLankan Airlines that it would introduce direct flight from Sri Lanka to Madurai, most probably from January 15, 2012. The assurance was given by Nishantha Wickramasinghe, Chairman, SriLankan Airlines.

According to a report in The Hindu Business Line, recounting the efforts taken persistently through the past year to make Madurai an international airport since the inauguration of world-class new terminal building at the airport, the Chamber in a statement said that on hearing about the presence of the Chairman of SriLankan Airlines at Tiruchi, a delegation from the Chamber met the Chairman and through a power-point presentation elaborated on the potential of passengers and cargo traffic from the southern districts of Tamil Nadu to Sri Lanka and transfers thereon to all parts of the world, since Sri Lanka had good connectivity internationally.

The statement also mentioned that Wickramasinghe had agreed to introduce a direct flight from Sri Lanka to Madurai since the airport bilaterial agreement between India and Sri Lanka has included Madurai Airport and Srilankan Airlines have sufficient rights to introduce more flights to Indian destinations.

A request was made to him to introduce the direct flight from January 15, as Pongal gift to the people of Tamil Nadu, particularly southern Tamil Nadu and he assured that he would confirm the inaugural date within two days, the statement added.

Crosswoods holidays 2011

Sip a mug of kaapi before take-off at BIA

BANGALORE: 'Kaapi Trail', a 10-day coffee festival, kicked off at Bangalore International Airport (BIA) on Monday. It is a first for an Indian airport, where different facets of South Indian coffee is being showcased.

Organized in collaboration with The Coffee Board of India and the Karnataka tourism department, the coffee fest will serve special coffee from the nine regions of Araku Valley, Bababudangiri, BR Hills, Chikmagalur, Coorg, Nilgiris, Shevaroy Hills, Travancore, Nelliyampathy and Pulneys. Coffee from all these regions has been carefully extracted and blended to extract their original flavour. The highlight of this festival is the interaction passengers can have with coffee experts, engaged in live coffee making demonstrations.

The objective of the festival is to contribute to the development of coffee and improve its potential in promoting and developing the territory's tourism. 

"We are showcasing the coffee growing destinations of South India. Efforts such as these will establish Bangalore as a gateway to the southern region, alongside bringing in economic prosperity. By the end of the festival, we hope to get involved with over 2 lakh passengers and make them coffee experts," said Sanjay Reddy, managing director, Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL).

K Viswanatha Reddy, director of the department of tourism, said 'Kaapi Trail' is the first-ever such festival hosted by an airport in India, and is an important step in promoting tourism. The coffee regions offer not only the best flavours but are also the most scenic tourist destinations of Karnataka.

"This coffee festival will enhance Karnataka's tourism and ensure there is sustained interest among our target groups. The tourism industry in Karnataka, too, stands to benefit by targeting travellers passing through Bangalore," said Reddy.

"This festival will provide a great venue for coffee experts to meet a broad cross-section of coffee consumers," said Jawaid Akhtar, chairman of the Coffee Board.

Crosswoods holidays 2011