19 per cent of all travel in India (by bus, train or air) was pilgrimage or religious travel (possibly the single largest after business and family-related travel), discovers Ambi Parameswaran.
Independence Day was celebrated across states and Union territories on Thursday, as several chief ministers announced job schemes while some others vowed their support for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of a Viksit Bharat by 2047.
In the next 25 years, the Mumbai port will need five terminals because the current passenger traffic of 200,000 is expected to climb to 4 million.
Reuben NV shared these pictures of floats from Panjim.
Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar has sought an apology from the organisers of the Sunburn music festival over their reported allegations that they had to shell out money to obtain permission for hosting the event in the beach state last year.
With clean blue waters and golden-white sands, these super beaches have a magic that is hard to keep away from.
Leading cruise operator in the Asia-Pacific, Star Cruises would start Mumbai-Lakshadweep-Goa service from September to popularise cruise tourism in the country.
"We will crack down on the shack owners who play loud music beyond stipulated period of time, serve liquor till midnight and also encourage drugs in their premises," superintendent of police (North) Bosco George said.
Bharatiya Janata Party's Goa Mahila Morcha has said "excess of pub culture is not good," days after state cabinet minister Sudin Dhavalikar spoke against the pub culture.
His remarks drew flak from Opposition Congress which alleged that it reflected the 'racist attitude' of the BJP government.
'Goa is about community living, but blending in takes time.'
The Goa CM knows running a coalition government while pursuing a development agenda will require a fine balancing act.
The government is of the view that it is not possible to allow two EDM festivals at the same time from the security point of view.
The Goa government has embarked on several major initiatives to boost the information technology sector to attract investments through incentives and create employment opportunities for 25,000 people within the next five years.
Global hospitality major IHG Hotels and Resorts saw its business surpass pre-pandemic levels in 2023 on the back of "unprecedented growth" in the tourism industry, a senior company official said. The UK-headquartered company, which operates Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Crowne Plaza and luxury brands like Intercontinental and Six Senses in India, launched its premium lifestyle brand voco in January this year, with the first property set up at Jim Corbett in North India. The group, in total, signed 15 new deals in 2023.
Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray held talks with the members of the state COVID-19 task force. They discussed the ways to avoid crowding during the Christmas and New Year celebrations, weddings and parties at hotels and restaurants, it said.
Hundred centrally-protected monuments, including UNESCO world heritage sites spread across the country, will be lit up for a week and bear the G20 logo starting December 1 when India will assume the Presidency of influential group, officials said on Wednesday.
The country's fourth budget carrier has also announced the addition of Kochi to its existing network from July 20.
Srinagar Senior Superintendent of Police Rakesh Balwal, who has expertise in handling terror-related cases, has been "prematurely" repatriated to Manipur cadre where a fresh bout of violence has worsened the already tense situation.
The state government has resolved against holding electronic dance music festivals on Goa beaches and suggested a shift in the venue, noting that the mega events cause damage to the coastal areas.
Yoga was the mantra and asanas the discipline on Wednesday as millions across the globe and distant corners of India stretched for the skies and dived for their toes, breathed in and out -- mindfully -- and twisted and turned to celebrate the International Day of Yoga.
The NCMC facilitates convenient travel while integrating last-mile connectivity, a must in India's extensive landscape. It enables travellers to pay for a cross-section of needs, including toll tax, retail shopping, and withdrawing money.
The economies of states and union territories such as Puducherry, Kerala, Goa, etc and some North-eastern states are heavily dependent on tourism and hospitality, which is yet to get relaxation from lockdown restrictions.
Goa Health Minister Laxmikant Parsekar was on Saturday sworn in as the new chief minister.
Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar yesterday said the state has already slashed Value Added Tax on Air Turbine Fuel refuelled in the state from 22 percent to mere 12.5 per cent.
Goa's Rural Development Minister Fransisco Miccky Pacheco, whose conviction for assaulting a government servant was upheld by the Supreme Court, resigned from the cabinet on Friday saying he did not want to cause further embarrassment to the BJP-led government in the state.
His government's decision to host G-20 events across the country is an investment in capacity-building among people, cities and institutions, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said, as he took a jibe at previous governments asserting they lacked confidence in people's abilities to hold mega events outside the capital, in smaller places.
Parrikar returned to Goa as the chief minister for the fourth time, though he could not complete full terms in his earlier stints.
The Bharatiya Janata Party's decision to nominate Ananta Rai 'Maharaj', who has been demanding a separate state of 'Greater Cooch Behar' to be carved out of West Bengal, as its candidate for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections from the state, has kicked off a fresh storm with the ruling Trinamool Congress accusing the saffron party of fanning separatism in the state.
Rejecting allegations of showing undue interest in and interfering with the probe, Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Wednesday said the state government has a duty to do justice to the girl in the case of alleged sexual assault by Tehelka Editor Tarun Tejpal.
'Consumers are willing to increase travel spends by 20-30 per cent versus pre-pandemic.'
After years of being sequestered by the pandemic, some intrepid travellers are planning to settle their score with the novel coronavirus. With fewer or no travel curbs, they are eager to get back on the road, again. Hotels and tour operators, too, are eager to shed excess Covid baggage. And this year's Diwali promises to add that extra layer sparkle with the introduction of new flights.
Aam Aadmi Party national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Monday promised free pilgrimage to various religious centres, including Ayodhya and Ajmer Sharif, if his party is voted to power in Goa in the assembly polls due in next February, which he said is a 'third guarantee' being given by AAP to Goans.
'A witless thriller so far removed from reality yet so consumed by its own self-seriousness, no amount of slick photography, soaring soundtrack or steady supply of conspiracy can salvage its tepid material,' notes Sukanya Verma.
The best, wisest, and fairest next step in strengthening our own cause is to restore statehood to Jammu & Kashmir and allow the resumption of robust political activity. That's a box that remains unchecked on the Modi government's report card as we approach the fourth anniversary of Kashmir's Constitutional shift, notes Shekhar Gupta.
This sort of property is better suited for an investor rather than an end user.
Vikram Achanta on the passing of Goa's iconic lanadmark, a 'mecca of entertainment, not just in Goa, but in India, and one of the coolest destinations for locals and tourists alike'.
Domestically, Indians are exploring popular beach destinations, the hills of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, and the North-Eastern region as well.
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