Best printers for Home

Best Mixer Grinder

Best wired Earphones

Best 43 Inch TV in India

Best Wi Fi Routers

Best Home Theatre in India

Smart Watch under 5000

Best Laptops for Education

Best Laptop for Students

<keyword id="19895061" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="goa" source="keywords">Goa</keyword> is a popular tourism destination in India and is known for its gorgeous beaches, nightlife, and food. The popular destination hosts millions of tourists every year and for some, it is just a couple hours of drive away. However, international travellers don't find it that easy to get to the destination, as per a new PTI report. The report says that even though Goa is increasingly a popular choice for international travellers, it requires government support to make it more accessible to foreigners. In a media statement, the department said that charter flights from key markets like Russian cities Moscow and Ekaterinburg, London, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan, support international arrivals. A Polish charter flight is also set to arrive in the coastal state on November 8. The statement added that this international interest extends beyond Goa’s iconic beaches, with tourists increasingly exploring areas like Dudhsagar Falls and scenic hinterlands. To further boost connectivity, Goa is collaborating with airlines and seeking government support to improve flight routes, creating a more globally connected tourism landscape. "However, establishing robust direct international connectivity requires further support from the Government of India, which we are actively seeking to make Goa an even more attractive, accessible, and globally connected destination," a spokesperson said. He added that after pandemic disruptions, Goa’s international tourism is rebounding, with over 450,000 foreign arrivals recorded in 2023. Alongside domestic visitors, totaling over 8 million this year, the state’s tourism sector is also thriving. Addressing challenges like limited direct flights, Goa’s tourism officials are working to secure new airline agreements, ensuring an easier journey for international visitors. He also talked about the challenges that the tourism destination is facing, including limited connectivity by air. "Goa does face some challenges. For example, limited scheduled international air connectivity. The state government is working closely with the Centre to relook at point of call and additional seat entitlement for Goa, to establish more robust international connections," he said. (with PTI inputs)

This Indian state is attracting international tourists via chartered flights, needs support to make itself more accessible

<keyword id="9792929" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="airline-major-spicejet">Airline major SpiceJet</keyword> on Thursday operated it's first ever long-haul wide-body charter flight from London. The airline brought back 240 passengers from London to Goa. "On its return leg, the airline will repatriate 89 passengers from Goa to London," the company said in a statement. This is the airline's fourth long-haul charter flight after Amsterdam, Toronto and Rome. "<keyword id="6358032" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="SpiceJet">SpiceJet</keyword> will operate its second long-haul repatriation flight to Canada on August 21 and will repatriate 357 Canadian nationals and permanent residency holders from New Delhi to Toronto," the airline said. "SpiceJet will operate another repatriation flight on the Delhi-Toronto route on August 24." SEE ALSO:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/not-only-gmail-google-drive-meet-slides-docs-sites-groups-chat-keep-voice-services-also-facing-issue-as-per-google/articleshow/77652103.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">Google confirms Drive, Docs, Meet and others report issues along with Gmail being down</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/kepler-supernova-exploded-400-years-ago-but-hasnt-slowed-down-and-two-pieces-of-debris-are-headed-towards-earth/articleshow/77646381.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">Kepler supernova exploded 400 years ago but hasn’t slowed down — and two pieces of debris are headed towards Earth</a>

SpiceJet operates maiden long-haul charter flight from London to Goa

Facing uncertainty over charter flights coming to Goa due to the Russia-Ukraine war and visa issues, the tourism sector in Goa has focused on domestic tourists, with the hope of a revival. As the coastal state's tourism sector is predominantly dependent on the United Kingdom and Russia, and some parts of Europe, Goa is facing difficulties this season to woo them due to the war in Europe and visa related issue with the UK. In 2019, about 71,27,000 domestic tourists arrived in Goa, while 9,31,000 were foreign tourists. But this number dropped in 2020 and 2021 as the Covid pandemic struck the coastal state. This number came down further to a mere 3 lakh domestic tourists and 32,000 foreign tourists. Around 80,000 to 90,000 people from Russia come to Goa for holidaying every year, while around 50,000 people from UK also prefer Goa. Now when the Covid pandemic is subsiding and the state had hopes that high spending foreign tourists will arrive in Goa, the war between Russia and <keyword id="6355101" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ukraine" source="Orion">Ukraine</keyword> has dashed the hope. Sources at Goa airport informed that some flights from Russia were cancelled which were scheduled for October. "Yes, some flights from Russia are cancelled. However we have hopes that from November things will improve," an officer said on condition of anonymity. Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) president Nilesh Shah told IANS that because of the war between Russia and Ukraine bookings have come down and cancellations have also happened. "However people from Russia are willing to come Goa. From November three charter flights (per week) will arrive in Goa," Shah said. "We have got feedback that they (Russians) are willing to come to Goa, though there are restrictions in their country," he said. Speaking about UK tourists, Shah said that if the visa issue gets resolved as assured by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant then it will be good for the tourism industry. "From November one flight from UK will arrive in Goa every week. If the UK visa issue is resolved then the flights will increase from 1 to 5. They may increase even more," Shah said. "The last two years have been bad, compared to that this is a good start. We are hopeful that things will improve. But our focus will be on domestic tourists as they will come to Goa," he added. He said that if the visa issue gets resolved then the number of tourists from the UK will go up from December and January. According to Goa Forward president and MLA Vijai Sardesai earlier 35 to 40 per cent tourists from Russia used to arrive in Goa every year. But now due to the Russia and <keyword id="2088696" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ukraine-war" source="Orion">Ukraine war</keyword> these tourists will not come. "Hence now we need to fill this space from England," he said. Sardesai claimed that the state will face a loss of Rs 500 crore if tourists from the United Kingdom don't arrive on account of hindrances in getting a visa. Sardesai had said earlier that Goa is facing cancellation of 7 to 8 bookings per day in small and medium hotels, due to the new visa restriction by the Ministry of External Affairs, where British tourists have to seek a visa from nine centres (Visa Processing) in England. "This (lifting restriction) is important because in Goa annually minimum 40,000 to 50,000 tourists arrive from the UK. As per statistics of pre pandemic period each tourist spends around Rs 98,000, which means around a Rs 500 crore turnover takes place from this area," Sardesai had said. Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Thursday said that the Union Home Ministry has given an assurance to resolve the issue of the United Kingdom visas as soon as possible. "I have discussed UK visa issue with Home Minister Amit Shah. It will be sorted out soon. There were some foreign ministry related issues, hence it was getting delayed. But he has assured to resolve it as soon as possible," Sawant said. Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte had also said during the last assembly session that Goa is predominately dependent on two markets, UK and Russia, and some parts of Europe. "Today predominately we are dependent on two markets, UK and Russia, and some parts of Europe. Are we on the right track? Are we looking at the same tourists coming in? How do we look at domestic tourists coming in? For this we need to see how we go ahead," Khaunte had said. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/indias-forex-reserve-declined-due-to-dollar-appreciation-fm/articleshow/94872555.cms" style="">India's forex reserve declined due to dollar appreciation: FM</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/us-offer-to-help-india-in-chip-manufacturing-just-lip-service-china/articleshow/94882797.cms" style="">US offer to help India in chip manufacturing just lip service: China</a>

Ukraine war casts shadow over Goa's tourism season

Helicopter transport firm BLADE on Friday announced the launch of its <keyword id="484163" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="chopper-services" source="Orion">chopper services</keyword> in <keyword id="826" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="goa" source="Orion">Goa</keyword>, offering rides for local travellers as well as tourists. According to the company, the helicopter services is meant for inbound travel and it will connect Goa Airport to North Goa, South Goa and Old Goa -- a village having cluster of heritage monuments. State chief minister Pramod Sawant inaugurated the service at Aguada helipad in North Goa. With this launch, the company aims to make Goa more accessible and navigable for travellers, it added. BLADE has three landing points - North Goa (in Surla), South Goa and Old airport -- available to it for operating its services in the state, as per the company. The aim of heli-tourism services is to make places more accessible through short-haul air mobility, said Amit Dutta, managing director at BLADE India. "The Goa airport and North-South Goa have always been disconnected due to the road travel time involved and have been a pain point for travellers in Goa and locals alike. The goal is to bridge the gap between the two locations and help local communities and businesses thrive by being connected," he stated. BLADE said it will provide fly-by-the-seat helicopter services from Goa airport to North and South Goa wherein a customer can book a seat in a helicopter through the company's official website or app. Besides, a customer can also charter the entire <keyword id="41900" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="chopper" source="Orion">chopper</keyword> for travel within the state as well as inter-state (Maharashtra), it stated. Also, travellers can opt for short experiential helicopter flights of 10-15 minutes to enjoy an aerial view of Goa, BLADE said in the release. "Heli tourism will let us explore the hinterlands of Goa like never before. The government will provide any kind of support for such initiatives to promote tourism in the state," chief minister Sawant said. Goa is the third state for BLADE India, a joint venture between New York-based BLADE Urban Air Mobility Inc and Delhi-based venture capital firm Hunch Ventures. It forayed into the Indian market with the launch of its services in Maharashtra in March 2019. In December 2020, the company expanded its operations to Karnataka. After an overwhelming response in Maharashtra and Karnataka, BLADE India is rapidly expanding its footprint in the country and geared up to enter India's most preferred leisure holiday destination Goa, the company said. SEE ALSO <a class="tout-title-link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/the-worst-for-indian-startups-is-yet-to-come-be-prepared-for-layoffs-unicorn-slowdown-and-startup-shutdowns-in-2022/articleshow/91681195.cms">The worst for Indian startups is yet to come — be prepared for layoffs, unicorn slowdown and startup shutdowns in 2022</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/emudhra-ipo-checkout-financial-performance-business-outlook-analysts-view-in-10-points/slidelist/91681778.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">eMudhra IPO: Checkout financial performance, business outlook, analysts view in 10 points</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/about-8000-people-have-been-impacted-by-startup-layoffs-in-india/slidelist/91682916.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">About 8,000 people have been impacted by startup layoffs in India</a>

Chopper services launched in Goa for tourists, locals

Urban air mobility company <keyword id="7093781" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="fly-blade" source="Orion">Fly Blade</keyword> India P. Ltd. is likely to get one H125 <keyword id="46492" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="helicopter" source="Orion">helicopter</keyword> from <keyword id="6356166" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="airbus" source="Orion">Airbus</keyword> this October/November, said a top company official. He also said the company will be launching helicopter service between Bengaluru International Airport and HAL on weekdays starting October 10 at Rs 3,250 per seat. The company will subsequently introduce more routes to Whitefield and Electronic City, he added. "A wholly owned subsidiary in Gujarat's Gift City has placed orders for a couple of helicopters with Airbus. The helicopters will have a seating capacity of 5/6 persons. The first helicopter is expected to be delivered this October/November," Amit <keyword id="1036" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="dutta" source="Orion">Dutta</keyword>, Managing Director told IANS. He said the subsidiary company will lease the helicopter to operators from whom Fly Blade will hire for its operations," Dutta added. The Fly Blade is a joint venture between the US-based BLADE Urban Air Mobility Inc. and the New Delhi-based venture capital firm, Hunch Ventures, which began its operations in 2019. The company has partnered with Airbus and Eve Air Mobility to expand its short-haul air mobility services in India through fleet expansions. The company began its maiden flights in Maharashtra between Mumbai, Pune and Shirdi. Later it expanded its scheduled by-the-seat helicopter flights to Karnataka (to Coorg, Hampi, and Kabini) and Goa; launched its bed-to-bed air medevac service and also chartered plane service. Speaking about the proposed helicopter service between Bengaluru International Airport and HAL Airport, he said annually about 40 million people visit the airport and majority of them by taxis that charge about Rs 2,000. Converting a small percentage of the taxi traffic to helicopter service will be a sizable revenue potential. "It takes about two hours to reach the Bengaluru International Airport. On the other hand for Rs 3,250 one can reach the airport in 12 minutes by our helicopter," Dutta said. According to him, similar service will be offered in <keyword id="826" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="goa" source="Orion">Goa</keyword>. Dutta said during the Covid-19 pandemic the company operated medical evacuation flights. After withdrawal of the Covid-19 lock down demand from the domestic tourists have picked up. The company's flights have an occupancy of about 75 per cent. According to him, the company plans to expand its network and offer its services in 10 states over the next 24 months leasing about 50 crafts. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/news/foreign-tourist-arrivals-dipped-by-44-5-in-2021-tourism-ministry-report/articleshow/94500409.cms">Foreign tourist arrivals dipped by 44.5% in 2021: Tourism Ministry report</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/amid-concerns-of-jio-airtel-duopoly-analysts-suggest-new-telecom-bill-empowers-govt-to-maintain-competition/articleshow/94502923.cms">Amid concerns of Jio-Airtel duopoly, analysts suggest new telecom bill empowers govt to maintain competition</a>

Fly Blade to get Airbus helicopter, plans service in 10 states in 2 years

By Aditi Khanna London, Apr 17 () The UK government on Friday announced an additional 17 charter flights next week, with a total capacity of around 4,000 passengers, to bring home British nationals stranded in India since last month amidst the international travel lockdown over the coronavirus pandemic.The latest flights are scheduled for London from Ahmedabad on April 20, 22, 24, 26; from Amritsar on April 21, 23, 25 and 27; from Bangalore (via Ahmedabad) on April 23; from Delhi on April 21, 23, 25 and 27; from Goa on April 20, 22 and 24; and from Mumbai on April 26. The new set of flights takes the total number of repatriation flights from India to the UK to 38."We know this is a difficult time for British travellers and there is great demand for these flights," said Lord Tariq Ahmad, the Minister of State for South Asia and the Commonwealth in the UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO)."This is a huge and logistically-complex operation, and we are working tirelessly with the Indian Government and state authorities to help more British travellers get home," he said.The FCO said that people who are deemed most vulnerable will be prioritised for seats on these flights and that the majority of seats are likely to be allocated to people who are already on the waitlists, given the number of people who have registered for a flight back.Jan Thompson, Acting High Commissioner to India, said: "There will be 17 more charter flights next week to take British travellers back to the UK – on top of the 21 flights announced previously."We are working around the clock to arrange additional flights from locations where we know large numbers are still stranded and are extremely grateful for the support we are receiving from the government of India and local authorities."The British High Commission in New Delhi said that British residents who have already registered for the flights do not need to take any further action at this stage. If they have secured a seat, they will be contacted directly with further information about their flight. Those who wish to register for a flight but have not already done so are directed to visit the FCO's India travel advisory. The initial 21 UK government charter flights that were announced previously have been operating since last week and are expected to help over 5,000 British nationals return home.An estimated 35,000 British nationals are currently in India.These charter flights, part of the UK government 75-million pounds COVID-19 repatriation programme, are for UK travellers who normally reside in the UK and their direct dependants.As movement within India is currently very restricted, those who are eligible to fly are sent information on how to get to airports and flight itineraries directly when their seat is confirmed. India is under a 40-day lockdown as part of larger efforts to curb spreading of the coronavirus infections. AK AMS

COVID-19: 17 more charter flights to repatriate stranded Brits from India

<ul><li>Despite the rising number of coronavirus cases in the country, there seems to be an uptick in <keyword id="6354692" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Travel">travel</keyword> in the country. </li><li>As <keyword id="123591" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Work-from-home">work from home</keyword> continues, there’s a new trend emerging – <keyword id="9458972" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Workation">workation</keyword>. </li><li>Indians are looking for newer and exciting avenues as they WFH; and they don’t mind splurging a bit.</li></ul>What was once a dream could now be turning into a reality for many. At some point during our vacations, we sighed and wondered – about the possibility of moving to the mountains or renting out a shack at the beach – and working from these remote locations. Well, thanks to the ‘work from home’ situation currently, Indians are now doing exactly that. The coronavirus pandemic has pushed even the most rigid companies to offer ‘work from home’ options to their employees. And the WFH fatigue is catching up now. After spending over seven months in lockdown, Indians are moving to <keyword id="6374356" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="tourist-spots">tourist spots</keyword> or their favourite drive-to destinations near their city and are working from there. They are also moving back to their hometown as many companies have issued work from home until next year. Travel restrictions have also been done away with it. Popular tourist spots like <keyword id="826" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Goa">Goa</keyword> have opened up completely, and many states don’t even need a COVID-19 negative certificate for entry. While residents at these tourist destinations are <a href="https://www.news18.com/news/buzz/dont-come-to-goa-locals-on-twitter-want-tourists-to-stay-away-even-as-state-removes-mandatory-covid-19-test-2849443.html">questioning </a>this move, there is no stopping the travellers, who are seizing this window of opportunity. And the first proof of it comes with the booking of Ola ‘outstation’ cabs. Ola said it has seen an increase in booking requests for one-way travel from major cities of India. Top cities and their outstation bookings at Ola <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none; width: 468pt; table-layout: fixed;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Bangalore </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Mysore, Tumkur, Coorg, Hubli-Dharwad, Davangere </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Delhi </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Meerut, Agra, Jaipur, Chandigarh, Mathura </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Mumbai </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Pune, Nashik, Lonavla, Alibag, Badlapur </td></tr></tbody></table> Work from the hills or the beach The rising trend is that of a ‘workation’ – work and vacation combined. During a recent call with reporters, Rajesh Magow, MakeMyTrip’s CEO had mentioned that they have seen a rising number of hotel bookings from drive-to destinations. This ‘aas paas’ <keyword id="20048" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="tourism">tourism</keyword> is a philosophy that the hospitality industry is counting on to revive sales. And while doing so, Indians aren’t hesitant to splurge a bit. Luxury and private vacation homes startup SaffronStays said it has seen a 115% jump in the number of new users when compared to last year around the same time. The luxurious villas and pools are being booked not just for a weekend but a longer duration as long as it comes with a stable WiFi connection. “Travel is no longer limited to peak season and weekends. For best offers and in order to switch one’s office background, people are opting for weekday stays at a private vacation home. This should explain the rise of our website traffic by 98.47% than last year during the same time,” said Tejas Parulekar, founder, SaffronStays. Luxury hotel chain Marriott group has also doled out ‘staycation offers’ to cash in on the trend. But there are other alternatives too. Popular hostel startup Zostel has booked over 5,000 room nights in July and August alone and has seen rising requests for long-term stays. “As we see continued relaxations, the desire to travel remains at an all-time high, and people are willing to venture into offbeat destinations away from cities and closer to nature, while being mindful of safety, comfort and, internet connectivity, striking a balance between their work and leisure,” Aviral Gupta, Chief Strategy Head, Zostel told Business Insider. The popular destinations for Zostel bookings have been Gokarna, Coorg, Panchgani, Bir, Zostel Homes Mashobra, Zostel Homes Theog among others. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/charter-flight-private-jet-bookings-jump-as-india-wealthy-seek-private-and-safe-travel/articleshow/77976899.cms">Where there's money, there's a way – charter flight bookings jump as India's wealthy seek private and safe travel</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/banks/news/kamath-committee-outlines-loan-restructuring-parameters-for-26-sectors/articleshow/77989911.cms">Kamath Committee outlines loan restructuring parameters for 26 sectors</a>

Workation – From private villa at the beach to a pool with a view, affluent Indians are finding unique new settings for ‘work from home’

With Indian summer’s all set to make a comeback, domestic travellers are packing up their backpacks en route <keyword id="826" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Goa">Goa</keyword>, yet the hoteliers of India’s most popular beach state look gloomy. Blame it on Russian President Vladmir <keyword id="6355086" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="putin">Putin</keyword>'s interventions in Ukraine, <keyword id="6358826" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Russia">Russia</keyword>’s annexations of <keyword id="359731" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Crimea">Crimea</keyword> and a sharp decline in oil prices, all of which have contributed to a plummeting rouble. 
 As The Economic Times reports, Goa gets the largest chunk of its tourist inflows from Russia. This number fell 30-35% in 2014 from 162,746 in 2013, when it had risen by 16% on year, according to Ameya Abhyankar, director, <keyword id="178753" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Goa-Tourism">Goa Tourism</keyword>. 
 
A reflection of their spending power is that total foreign international tourist arrivals to Goa actually grew 4.3% on year to 513,592, albeit slower than 9% in 2013 over 2012. 
 
"December 24-January 10 is the period when the hotel usually receives a lot of Russian tourists, with Russian Christmas falling on January 7," Siddharth Savkur, general manager at Alila Diwa, Goa, a luxury boutique resort told the financial daily. "That contributes almost 10% of the hotel's annual revenue. So when you have a shortfall in this window, then a small drop in the room nights will have a big impact on the hotel's overall sales,” he added. 
 
Five-star deluxe spa Resort Rio dropped rates to Rs 8,200 from Rs 11,344. The Leela cut corporate rates by 5-6%, a senior executive told ET. 
 
 
The Leela, in a bid to compensate for the loss tried wooing people from other countries like "British, German, French and Swiss". Shridhar Nair, general manager informed the ET that overall occupancy in October-March is down 8% from a year ago. 
 "We have seen an average drop of 10%-15% in hotel pricing, compared to last year, because of a slowdown in foreign tourist arrivals," said <keyword id="396767" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Amit-Taneja">Amit Taneja</keyword>, chief revenue officer at Cleartrip, adding that the travel portal doesn't usually see offers of this kind. "<keyword id="6368036" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Hotels">Hotels</keyword> have now been looking at ways to drive domestic traffic, giving special offers to induce last-minute bookings." 
 
Slashing the rates over the past few months have lured young travellers and corporate tourists but that didn’t benefit the establishments much. 
 
"Even the premium hotels like us had to drop the tariff by at least 11-12% during the October-December period, which is the peak season for the market," said the director at Shrem Resorts, which owns the Novotel Hotel and Grand Mercure Hotel in Goa. "Goa is a price-sensitive market, especially north Goa. We are working on value offers and packages to lure domestic customers during the summers," she added. 
 
"Domestic travellers will not fully compensate for the demand since charter-flight tourists typically spent longer holidays (15 days) compared to the domestic tourist (four-five days)," said Mohit Gupta, head of online business at Makemytrip, adding that by April 2016, there will be 500 more five-star rooms in Goa. 
 
(Image: India Times)

Know why Putin’s political decisions are causing panic in Goa

Around 1,550 Israelis left stranded in India due to 21-day nationwide lockdown since March 24 midnight have flown back home over the week in seven flights, a diplomat said on Wednesday. "We have flown about 1,550 Israelis home (Tel Aviv) in seven rescue flights from New Delhi, Mumbai and Goa (Panjim), Isareli consulate deputy consul-general <keyword id="7291644" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ariel-Seidman">Ariel Seidman</keyword> told IANS here. The Israelis, including tourists, flew in two Israeli airlines El Al and Arkia and state-run Air India. In the last rescue flight from Dabolim airport in Panjim on Monday night, 105 Israelis, including 95 stuck in north India, and 10 from Karnataka, Puducherry and Tamil Nadu flew in the chartered plane to Tel Aviv. "The last batch of 105 Israelis boarded an Arkia chartered plane on way to Tel Aviv from <keyword id="6357117" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="bangkok">Bangkok</keyword> with 65 Israelis who were also stranded in Thailand," recalled Seidman. All the Israelis who flew from India paid for their airfare. "The 10 Israelis drove to Panjim in cars on Monday after staying overnight in Bengaluru," said the diplomat. Of the 10 from south India, a couple of them are in their mid-40s and one aged above 70. The deputy consul thanked the Karnataka and Tamil Nadu police for facilitating the tourists' drive to Panjim, 590km northwest of Bengaluru. "The tourists had police escort all the way from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka to Goa," noted Seidman. Karnataka deputy police commissioner M. Ashwini supervised the tourists escort through the state border to Goa. The country is under a lockdown till April 14 to contain the <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> spread, with all domestic and international flights, train and bus services suspended for three weeks since March 25. "Most of the Israelis were backpackers touring India after their army assignment in the <keyword id="343197" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Israeli-Defence-Forces">Israeli Defence Forces</keyword>," Seidman pointed out. The tourists came to India during February and fanned out across the country. "Though they (Israelis) were not tested for coronavirus in India, they are under a 14-day quarantine in Israel," added Seidman. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/data-of-coronavirus-patients-state-wise-in-india/articleshow/74669748.cms">Coronavirus cases in India state wise</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/topic/coronavirus">Coronavirus News and Updates</a>

1,550 Israelis stranded in India evacuated amid lockdown

Panaji, June 10 () Over 2,000 Goans stranded on ships and in foreign countries have been brought back to the state during the COVID-19 pandemic, a senior official here said on Wednesday. State NRI commissioner Narendra Sawaikar said till date, 2,304 Goans employed on ships and 260 stranded in 31 countries have reached the coastal state. A flight from Dubai under Vande Bharat Mission and 11 chartered flights with people employed on ships had landed in Goa since the COVID-19 outbreak and subsequent lockdown, he said. As per the Union Ministry of Home Affairs' guidelines, people arriving from foreign countries have to be quarantined for seven days in a hotel after conducting COVID-19 test on them. At least 31 hotels with 1,819 rooms were being used to quarantine people who had travelled to the state from foreign countries, Sawaikar said. According to official data, around 6,000-7,000 Goans working on ships wished to return to their home state because of the current health crisis. RPS ARU ARU

Over 2,000 Goans repatriated amid COVID-19 pandemic: Official

October to February is when India sees high spikes in both domestic and local tourism across India. This is the time when charter flights to Goa begin landing, this is when the hotels near the coffee plantations in south India hike their rates. This is also when domestic carriers typically increase rates – this year rates increased by almost 24% in October alone. Other than cooler climes, this is also when most of India’s large festivals are celebrated, many of which are linked to agrarian cycles of harvesting or sowing. 
 
There’s Dussera, Diwali, Christmas, Pongal and Chhath Puja celebrated during this period (Onam is another biggie but that was celebrated in September this year). Smaller ones such as Janmashtami or Govardhan Puja also happen during this time. Many of these festivals are celebrated in situ, and are becoming increasingly popular for non-traditional tourists who converge at temple towns to participate in the festivities and seek blessings. 
 
I’ve travelled across many of these towns and interacted with temple priests, tourists, shop-owners, craftswomen and craftsmen, local residents, hotel owners and finally the most ‘in-you-face’ category of people, the local tourist guides to understand how modern influences are affecting traditions in these temple towns, especially that of oral story-telling. Interestingly and contrary to what most of us might think given the immediate access to information we have via our smartphones, the demand for local stories has dramatically increased over the last few years. 
 Part of this is due to more tourist footfalls (including that of foreign tourists) while the other is due to a demand for more engaging narratives. A demand for more anecdotal and topical stories rather than just a historical narrative. Often this topicality is derived from local <keyword id="1225445" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="folk-tales">folk tales</keyword> and <keyword id="22258" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Folk-songs">folk songs</keyword> of that particular region and will be completely missing in the historical information dispensed in the formal tourist brochures. 
 
Take Govardhan Puja or Janmashtami, for instance. You have tourists converging at all places with important Krishna temples across the country. So there would be tourists flocking to Vrindavan in Uttar Pradesh or other important temples such as the Guruvayur temple in Kerala, Dwarkadish in Gujarat, the ISKON temples (across India) or the Rajagopalaswamy Temple in Tamil Nadu among others. Domestic tourism is the economic mainstay of many of these towns, driving the local economy and providing a livelihood to the local population. In many of these places, the narration of folk tales and folk songs is an important local occupation. Yet, tourism, consumerism and other influences are subtlety influencing these tales and folklores – impacting both content and context. 
 
Nowhere is this more apparent than in Braj in Uttar Pradesh, the region associated with Lord Krishna’s early years and interestingly the region where he spent time with consort Radha. The ancient texts, epics, and folklore within this region create culturally (though not politically) defined borders and demarcations, so that Braj can be said to cover an area of approximately 5000 sq. kms. Braj ranks high in popularity as a pilgrimage destination and tales of Krishna and Radha abound in every household and resonate off every tongue. 
 
I would like to refer to a folktale that is narrated at two different towns of Braj Region, Gowardhan and Barsana. Radha and Krishna are at the focal point of many of narratives. While Barsana is recognized as the place where Radha grew up, Krishna is said to have spent his later childhood days at Nandgaon, 8 kms away from Barsana. Radha is considered to be Krishna’s ‘Shakti’ (strength). The folktale I refer to tells a very famous tale of adolescent Krishna at Gowardhan. In this, he lifted a hill named Giriraj or Gowardhan parbat on the tip of his little finger for seven days and nights to shield the Brajwasi (people of Braj) from a deluge of rain sent down by an angry Lord Indra. Most Indians are familiar with this narrative. However in neighbouring Barsana, where Radha grew up, the same folktale recounts the same plot and form but includes an important element missing in the other tale. It recounts that it was Radha, the embodiment of ‘Shakti’ (female supernatural power) who was the actual enabler of Krishna’s heroic act. The tale states that it was Radha who supported Krishna by giving him her divine power to lift the hill. The power came from her left eyelashes and also enabled her to remain invisible. 
 
The transmission of the folktales and folk songs from one generation to the next results in variations which leads to effective narration for eager audiences. The authenticity of these variations cannot be challenged as each version seems to be true. The narrators comprise the Pandas or Goswamis (local priests) and the local tourist guides. Unfortunately I did not find any female priests or female guides. The use of quotes, proverbs, folk metaphors, and other linguistic clichés is fairly common, depending on the narrator. The story-teller weaves in elements from festivals, social events, occasions and human relationships from across the region. The folk tales are so much a part of the cultural ethos of the region that they have also been converted into folk songs, sung by the young and old alike with local CD renditions of it – always in high in demand by tourists and locals both. Interestingly, the modern renditions of these popular folksongs have even used western songs and musical instruments – such as a popular version called ‘Happy Birthday Radhaji’. Symbolic references to other religions also creep in, often well integrated within the folktale itself. For example, in Barsana, local folklore includes the narratives of Gulab Sakhi, a Mughal soldier who became a devotee of Radha. Local narrators delight in highlighting the tale of Radha staying with an old soldier named Gulab Sakhi, disguised as his daughter. Gulab Sakhi’s own daughter had left him after her marriage and he missed her desperately, and was longing to see her. When Radha got to know this, she disguised herself and lived with him as his daughter. He eventually realized this and subsequently became one of her greatest devotees. 
 
It is through oral transmission that the stories continue to form the textures of the lives and livelihoods in these regions and many other regions as well. Elements of social justice, fairness and humanity combine into a rich tapestry enabling these traditional narratives survive. While it is interesting to see how the telling of these tales, many of which originated in oral traditions, continues to flourish, it will be fascinating to see how continuing modern influences will affect these narratives in times to come! 
 
 
(The article is authored by Tulika Chandra, Associate Professor, Shiv Nadar University)

You Searched For "chartered flights to Goa" and got 11 results

This Indian state is attracting international tourists via chartered flights, needs support to make itself more accessible

BI India Bureau

SpiceJet operates maiden long-haul charter flight from London to Goa

IANS

Ukraine war casts shadow over Goa's tourism season

IANS

Chopper services launched in Goa for tourists, locals

IANS

Fly Blade to get Airbus helicopter, plans service in 10 states in 2 years

IANS

COVID-19: 17 more charter flights to repatriate stranded Brits from India

PTI

Workation – From private villa at the beach to a pool with a view, affluent Indians are finding unique new settings for ‘work from home’

Sanchita Dash

Know why Putin’s political decisions are causing panic in Goa

BI India Bureau

1,550 Israelis stranded in India evacuated amid lockdown

IANS

Over 2,000 Goans repatriated amid COVID-19 pandemic: Official

PTI

India’s folk tales – Thriving in a digital age

Guest Author

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides