All posts tagged: tourism

Nakul Anand, The Night Manager who never quite checked out | Books and Literature News

Nakul Anand, The Night Manager who never quite checked out | Books and Literature News

5 min readUpdated: Jul 17, 2026 10:43 PM IST There are hoteliers who run hotels, and then there are hoteliers who understand the secret life of a hotel: the choreography behind the curtain, the nervous system beneath the marble, the invisible decisions required before a guest can say, “What a lovely stay.” Nakul Anand belongs to the second tribe. He officially retired from ITC in January 2024, after 45 years with the company. Officially is the operative word. Since then, Anand has behaved less like a man who has checked out and more like a guest granted permanent late checkout. He has invested in Shiftz, become patron-in-chief of FAITH, remained a mentor, and continued speaking about tourism and leadership. Retirement, in his case, appears to be a room category permanently unavailable. Now comes The Night Manager: Memoirs of a Hospitality Student, his second book and a larger offering after Hors D’Oeuvres: Small Bites, Big Flavours. If the earlier book served management wisdom canapé-style, this is the banquet: 278 pages of memory, method and management, plated …

Ten lessons from 10 years

Ten lessons from 10 years

5 min readJul 17, 2026 06:37 PM IST First published on: Jul 17, 2026 at 06:37 PM IST On July 17, 2016, I took oath as the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh. As I complete a decade in office, I find myself reflecting not on milestones alone, but on the enduring lessons that I have imbibed while serving this land and its remarkable people. There are 10 that stand out. The first lesson is that leadership is service, or it is nothing at all. I have had the rare privilege of observing governance at close quarters under Prime Minister Narendra Modiji. What I have learnt from him is not merely his style of administration, but a way of thinking: That every decision must be rooted in seva. When the PM visits the Northeast more often than all his predecessors combined, it reflects a conviction that leadership begins by paying attention to those who have long remained at the margins. The second lesson came from my party. The BJP gave me a simple yet profound philosophy …

Pune Tourism Department seeks public inputs to promote hidden tourist destinations across district

Pune Tourism Department seeks public inputs to promote hidden tourist destinations across district

The Regional Deputy Director’s Office of the Directorate of Tourism has appealed to citizens, tourism enthusiasts, researchers, and organisations to share information on both well-known and lesser-known tourist destinations across Pune district to help promote the region’s rich tourism potential. Pune district is renowned for its historical monuments, religious sites, natural landscapes, and cultural heritage, making it a major attraction for domestic and international tourists. In addition to its established tourist destinations, the district has witnessed the emergence of several scenic, adventure, rural, and eco-tourism destinations in recent years. The Tourism Directorate aims to document and promote these locations through public participation. Disclaimer: We do not own any of the content, ideas, images, or text presented here. All rights belong to their respective owners. For more information and to view the original source, please visit the following link: Source link

Vaishno Devi Yatra crosses 50 lakh pilgrims in 2026, records 27 per cent YoY growth

Vaishno Devi Yatra crosses 50 lakh pilgrims in 2026, records 27 per cent YoY growth

The Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Yatra has achieved a significant milestone in the current calendar year, with the number of pilgrims paying obeisance at the revered cave shrine in Jammu and Kashmir”s Reasi district crossing the 50-lakh mark on June 22. This represents an impressive increase of over 27.3 per cent compared to the 39.84 lakh pilgrims who visited the shrine during the corresponding period last year, an official said on Tuesday. “During the same period in 2025, approximately 39.84 lakh pilgrims had visited the holy Shrine, whereas the Yatra during the current year has recorded 50.70 lakh pilgrims, reflecting a substantial increase of 10.86 lakh devotees,” a spokesperson of the Shrine Board said. Disclaimer: We do not own any of the content, ideas, images, or text presented here. All rights belong to their respective owners. For more information and to view the original source, please visit the following link: Source link

Star Air opens skies for Kutch with direct flights to major destinations across India

Star Air opens skies for Kutch with direct flights to major destinations across India

Adani Mundra Airport on Tuesday announced the start of its first scheduled flight services, marking a major step in improving air connectivity for the Kutch region. The services will be operated in partnership with regional airline Star Air and will connect Mundra with Mumbai, Goa and several other cities across India. The launch is expected to support trade, commerce, logistics and tourism while strengthening Mundra’s role as an important business and industrial hub. Disclaimer: We do not own any of the content, ideas, images, or text presented here. All rights belong to their respective owners. For more information and to view the original source, please visit the following link: Source link

Kollam tourism set for a mega makeover

Kollam tourism set for a mega makeover

With a vision to welcome 20 lakh travellers each year, the Department of Tourism is set to unveil a vibrant tapestry of projects to transform Kollam into a premier global destination. Speaking after a series of high-level discussions following his visit to Kollam, Tourism and Culture Minister P. C. Vishnunadh said that international-standard entertainment facilities will be developed centering around Ashtamudi Lake. Catering to changing demographics, modern gaming zones will be established keeping not just Gen Z but also Gen Alpha in mind. Additionally, accommodation facilities will be upgraded to encourage family tourism, with the primary objective of encouraging tourists to extend their stay in the district. The initiative also envisions the development of a dedicated market for local products, which is expected to significantly elevate the living standards of the local community. The construction phase of these modern facilities will generate immediate employment opportunities, while their completion will further boost direct and indirect employment in the region. The government expects a minimum annual revenue of ₹50 crore from the sector through these interventions. As …

Kerala to boost film-friendly tourism, strengthen anti-piracy tools: Minister of Cinema, Tourism, and Cultural Affairs

Kerala to boost film-friendly tourism, strengthen anti-piracy tools: Minister of Cinema, Tourism, and Cultural Affairs

Kerala will make its major tourist destinations more film-shooting friendly and strengthen legal action against movie piracy, State Minister for Cinema, Tourism, and Cultural Affairs P C Vishnunath said here on Tuesday. He was speaking after meeting representatives of the Malayalam film industry, as per news agency PTI. The minister convened the meeting at Mascot Hotel here to discuss issues facing the film sector, which he described as being at a crucial stage of growth. State Minister for Cinema, Tourism, and Cultural Affairs P C Vishnunath talked about the measures. (Getty Images/iStockphoto) What actions are being planned for the film industry “Malayalam cinema is today shining as one of the best film industries in India. Its market has expanded significantly, and all of us must work together to ensure that nothing harms the industry,” Vishnunath told reporters after the discussions. Among the issues raised by industry representatives was the long-standing concern over what they described as “double taxation”. The minister said the government would examine the matter seriously. “This is not an issue that concerns …

Kollam tourism set for a mega makeover

Switzerland to collaborate with J&K on sustainable tourism, vocational training

Drawing parallels between the two regions’ natural beauties and vulnerabilities, Maya Tissafi, Switzerland’s Ambassador to India, on Friday (May 29, 2026), pitched for collaboration with the J&K government in sustainable tourism and vocational training in agriculture and food sectors. Ms. Tissafi’s statement came after a two-day tour of J&K where she held meetings with Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. Ms. Tissafi said, “Productive meetings in Srinagar with Mr. Sinha and Mr. Abdullah on the scope for collaboration in Kashmir: from sustainable tourism and vocational training to food processing and agriculture.” A spokesman of the J&K government said both the sides reaffirmed the importance of cooperation in promoting sustainable development and inclusive growth. The touring ambassador highlighted her country’s role in contributing to the region’s development through the private sector, “from tunnels and bridges to hydropower tech and joint research”. On her visit to Gulmarg, which has natural settings closer to the Alps in Switzerland, Ms. Tissafi referred to the movies Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge and Jab Tak Hai Jaan. “Bollywood made both Switzerland …

USA Football World Cup tourism boom at risk as hotel bookings fall below expectations: Reports

USA Football World Cup tourism boom at risk as hotel bookings fall below expectations: Reports

2 min readMay 21, 2026 10:31 AM IST The 2026 Football World Cup may not bring the expected tourism boom to the United States, as hotels in nearly all host cities are seeing bookings far below expectations, a BBC report found. The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), which represents over 32,000 hotels, says the anticipated economic lift may fall short. The BBC reports that the AHLA partly blames FIFA for block-booking too many rooms for its own use. This, the AHLA claims, created artificial demand and drove up prices. After FIFA cancelled many of those rooms, hotels were left with a sudden drop in bookings. As per the AHLA, this does not align with FIFA’s statement that more than five million tickets have been sold for the event, externally, and it creates a risk that “the anticipated economic lift may fall short”. “With the upcoming FIFA World Cup just 50 days away on 22 April, more than five million tickets have already been sold for this edition of the tournament, which is set to …

Amid Sultan Palace row, tourism minister says such heritage structures will be beautified

Amid Sultan Palace row, tourism minister says such heritage structures will be beautified

Amid a controversy linked with the planned five-star hotel project at the premises of the 104-year-old Sultan Palace in Patna, Bihar, Tourism Minister Kedar Prasad Gupta has said that wherever there are “such heritage structures” in the state, they will be beautified. He made the remarks on Friday (May 8, 2026), while interacting with mediapersons at his office in Patna shortly after taking charge as the state’s new Tourism Minister following the expansion of the Bihar Cabinet led by Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary. Mr. Gupta was asked about the fate of the historic Sultan Palace, also an iconic architectural landmark of Patna, after recent reports emerging in a section of local media have conjectured that the famed building might have to “face the wrecking ball” to make way for a proposed five-star hotel. These reports have triggered outrage among several historians, scholars, conservation architects and other heritage lovers and civil society institutions working on heritage preservation, who have demanded from the Bihar government that this “jewel of Patna” be protected and made part of the …