Tag: holiday travel

From London to Honolulu, Google ranks the world’s top 20 summer destinations for 2024

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

Listen to the Article (6 Minutes)

The summers are here and it also means we start planning our holiday gateways for the year. To make the lives of travel enthusiasts a bit easier, Google has unveiled a list of the top 20 destinations for 2024. The list offers the names of the destinations to escape the scorching heat, while also providing insights based on past flight bookings and search trends.

Google’s compilation of the top 20 destinations can assist individuals plan their summer vacations or craft a perfect itinerary. Relying on the most searched destinations by travellers in the United States on June 1 and August 31 last year, the list has some new additions this year. Places that lost popularity since last year have made way for the new ones.

Here is the full list of top 20 destinations for summer 2024:

A report by ABC News suggests that Google, for its list, also compiled data from mid-January to mid-March from users in the US to identify the most popular travel-related inquiries in summer. During its research, the platform underlined the maximum use of terms like ‘travel itinerary’ and ‘solo travel’ in January, reaching an all-time high.

The new list, unlike last year’s compilations, saw several changes with Cancun dropping from the second position to sixth place and Tokyo moving up from eighth place to third.

Meanwhile, the first spot in the list was claimed by London, with Paris securing second place, notably as it prepares to host the upcoming Summer Olympics.

The new additions to this year’s list include San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Madrid, Spain. Napa Valley in California and Key West, being the southernmost point in the Continental US, emerged as the top trending destinations for “romantic getaways”.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

World Tourism Day 2023 | Taking a slice out of rural India  

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

Listen to the Article (6 Minutes)

Sumit Pandey wears a smile reminiscing his three-day stay in Ladpura, a hamlet near Orchha in Madhya Pradesh. The rural experiences that he savoured are still alive—and he is planning a revisit in the winters.

 “We were a group of 8 family members and this was a truly exhilarating experience. Imagine getting up in the morning and moving around in the farms, making rotis on chullahs. We even planted roses and marigolds on the premises.” 

Forget making a trip to Paris and Maldives. How about swapping the luxurious ambience with a rustic, natural flavour—something that takes a slice out of India’s rural life? How about experiencing a bullock cart ride instead of taking a ride on a fancy car?  How about having rotis baked on chullah and local veggies straight from the farms?

Rural tourism—a relatively new concept has started expanding its base in Madhya Pradesh. The project was kicked off in 2019 and now has around 220 homestays in various villages. The tourists are offered various kinds of rural experiences like farming, milking a cow, drawing water from a well, playing a dholak and even cooking the local cuisines.  In the evening there is a cultural feast oscillating through folk songs and dances. The United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) has defined rural tourism as a type of tourism in which a visitor’s experience is related to a wide range of products generally linked to nature-based activity, agriculture, rural lifestyle/culture, angling and sightseeing.

Minesh Dave had stayed in Ladpura village a few months back with his family.  “What I liked most was the Bundeli food.  It was a blissful feel to live in the rural settings and inhale the village aroma. This is a different kind of tourist experience. Besides being extremely budget friendly, they are clean and the people are very hospitable.”

Uma Pathak a homestay owner in the village acknowledges that four years back she was sceptical about how the concept would fructify. “Today I am happy that I forayed into this business.  This has been a learning experience for me.  Besides the regular rural experiences, we also teach the tourists on how to make our local cuisines.”

Balbeer who owns a homestay in Madla village in Panna district is also very optimistic about rural tourism. “Since the last three years, the tourist graph has grown.”

Kamlesh Yaduvanshi, who has a homestay in Sabarwani dittos, says; “There are some days when the bookings are robust but there are also lean days. The village excursions offer tourists a unique insight into rural life, allowing them to connect with the local communities.”

Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board actively promotes rural tourism currently with its various activities. 

“We have embarked on an ambitious journey to promote rural tourism. This endeavour adopts a unique cluster-based approach within each cultural zone, placing the community at the heart of the initiative, This community-driven and community-led approach, holds immense promise for sustainable development, cultural preservation, and authentic experiences,” says Sheo Shekhar Shukla, Managing Director of Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board.

The Board has been implementing the project and has mapped a strategy to tap its potential for increasing the number of tourists. Marketing is still a challenge for these homestay owners and a multi-pronged plan should be chalked to rope in various stakeholders.

“This initiative represents a powerful model for responsible tourism, fostering economic growth while safeguarding local traditions and empowering the rural communities. By promoting rural tourism, Madhya Pradesh is not only enriching its cultural tapestry but also creating a more inclusive and economically vibrant state for both its residents and visitors,” said Manoj Singh, Director (Skill), MPTB.

Rural tourism has helped increase community participation, especially women in the tourism sector. Besides social development it has also helped economic growth in rural areas.

A recent study — The benefits of tourism for rural community development—published in Nature journal shows that using rural tourism as a revitalisation strategy is beneficial to non-urban communities in terms of their economic, socio-cultural, environmental, and leisure and educational development.

“The contribution from the economic perspective is particularly important. These findings suggest that national, regional, and local governments or community developers should make tourism a strategic pillar in their policies for rural development and implement tourism-related development projects,” notes the study.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Planning next vacation? Check out these travel deals before making bookings

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

Listen to the Article (6 Minutes)

As travel has started to pick up after almost a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, travel companies and websites have come up with a slew of deals to encourage customers to book for their next travel destinations.

Buy Now Pay Later

Many companies including SOTC, Thomas Cook, and Goibibo.com among others offer customers the option to book their travel now and pay for it later. Amazon Pay Later too offers users the option to book flights and pay for them later via EMIs.

“While booking travel (flight or hotels) on Goibibo, aspiring travellers who opt to travel without making any payment at the time of booking are provided with short-term credit by partner NBFCs and banks via an underwriting platform that evaluates customers’ creditworthiness in a few seconds using data science models,” said Vipul Prakash, Chief Operating Officer at Goibibo.

Thomas Cook India also offers a ‘travel now pay when you return’ service with a zero processing fee, among other offers, said Rajeev Kale, president and & country head, Holidays, MICE, Visa-Thomas Cook (India) Limited.

“Travel Now Pay Later has received a strong response of 1.5x compared to pre-COVID levels, thus reiterating the holiday demand,” said Daniel D’Souza, the president and country head-holidays, SOTC Travel.

Buy one get one free

As the upcoming festive season nears, it’s running travel offers. SOTC has special offers lined up as well. “Indians are quintessential value seekers and our recently launched monsoon campaign and Durga Pujo Holidays feature special offers like Buy One Get One Free,” D’Sousa said, adding that these special offers would be extended for the upcoming festive holidays as well.

Also Read: A Rs 1.5 lakh eurotrip now costs over Rs 2 lakh — here’s how exchange rates have singed travel budgets

Thomas Cook too offers ‘buy one get one free’ and early bird offers, among others, said Kale. The company has also tied up with HDFC Bank and Mastercard to offer exclusive cash discounts on credit/debit card payments for select South East Asia holidays.

Business travel

Makemytrip’s MyBiz platform is offering organisations access to a live inventory of hotels, flights and cabs, all at special corporate prices, which come with added benefits including, airport transfers, meals, etc. According to the company’s website, the platform is used by over 14,000 organisations and more than 2.5 lakh business travellers. It also offers itinerary modifications, easy cancellations at minimum costs with 24×7 customer support, the website stated.

Price Lock, Youth Program and other offers

Goibibo has introduced the ‘price lock’ feature that allows travellers to reserve their seats without paying for the actual price of the ticket upfront. “Price Lock further secures flyers against any price hike by allowing them to purchase the ticket at the same locked-in price later. It’s a useful way to get more time and save money as one can lock a favourable airfare for up to seven days while they firm up their travel plans,” said Prakash.

The company also offers customers bargains such as ‘Daily Steal Deal’ in which the customers can choose from over 2,000 deals that are refreshed daily and avail benefits of up to 50 percent discounts on top-rated hotels as well as last-minute flight bookings, he said, adding, “Since its launch earlier this year, this offering has attracted over 7 lakh users.”

Goibibo also offers a ‘Youth Program’ that caters to the needs of young travellers. As many as 2.3 lakh youths are members of the same, Prakash said adding that the programme offers travel benefits and co-branded offers to the members.

Also Read: As medical tourism revives post-COVID, find out why foreign patients prefer India

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Jodhpur food trail for the budget traveller

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

Listen to the Article (6 Minutes)

Though it is primarily known for the majestic Mehrangarh Fort and the opulent Umaid Bhawan Palace, Jodhpur is a food haven.

No matter where you’re eating in this fort city, you can depend on the street food for quality and taste. However, a word of caution. The best food here is rich. Spicy or sweet, most of it is fried. Therefore, it does not score too high on the health quotient. So try to not count calories if you really want to enjoy the delicacies that Sun City has to offer.

Winter is the best time to visit Jodhpur. The weather is just ideal for a walk down the narrow lanes of the old city and stopping every once in a while at non-descript, unassuming stalls to gorge on mouth-watering preparations.

Even if you don’t have the budget to splurge at Umaid Bhawan, you can still have a great time eating around in Jodhpur. This city makes delicious food possible without burning a hole in your pocket. In this food guide, we share with you several options you can choose from when in the Blue City. We recommend all of them hoping they add distinct flavours and aromas to your vacation.

Street food

Janta Sweet Home: It is Jodhpur’s equivalent of Jaipur’s Laxmi Mishthan Bhandar. However, unlike LMB, it has maintained its economic price and food quality over the years and therefore, is still extremely popular among the locals. You can visit Janta for breakfast or lunch. Do try their pyaaz ki kachori, chaach, best of Janta sandwich, and mawa kachori.

Shahi Samosa: You can spot this shop from a distance, thanks to the swelling crowd outside it at all times. Their samosas and mirchi badas are a specialty and make it stand out from the 20 other odd shops in Jodhpur selling them.

Laxmi Tea Hotel: Laxmi Tea Hotel: Near the Clock Tower, it is a short distance away from Shahi Samosa. You get excellent tea at several spots in Jodhpur (including Bhati Tea Stall and Hans Café opposite NLU), but what this place serves is something else. Until visiting here, Jaipur Literature Festival’s Pushkari Chai ranked at the top of my list of must-have teas. But not anymore. You should also try their kesar doodh (saffron milk). On a cold winter night, after having visited the Mehrangarh, it feels like a warm, sweet, aromatic hug served in a khulhad.

Garib Hotel Omlette Shop: Right opposite Laxmi Tea Hotel, they make omelettes so well, Lonely Planet recommends them. Do try their Michael Baba omelette with the local favourite beverage kala ghoda masala soda.

Punjabi Chic Inn: Don’t get befuddled by its rundown appearance, they are the unrivalled champion doling out chicken rolls unlike anyone around. You will agree too after you’ve had their chicken tikka roll, chicken angara, or desi katta roll.

Lunch

Gypsy: The hype around Gypsy is not without reason. It’s always bustling with people wanting to have a satisfying meal. Their veg thaali is magnificent with something for every palette. They offer unlimited servings, so make sure you go with an empty stomach.

Kalinga: Near the Jodhpur Railway Station, their laal maans is an absolute delight. Complement it with their chai and you’d want nothing more.

Kim Mohan’s Restaurant: Known for Korean food, their bibimbap is a must-have. It’s a serving of steaming rice with a lot of stir-fried vegetables and eggs.

Bhawani Dal Baati Churma: If you’re in the mood to have dal baati churma, you must visit this modest eatery in Sardarpura. Make sure you order chaach to complete the meal.

Kerala Hotel & Fast Food: If you want a break from the local Rajasthani fare, this is the place for you. Though they also serve biryani, north Indian, and Chinese food, you must try their kothu parottas, pepper chicken, and appam.

Dinner

Sparrow’s Pizzeria: It’s a mellow, fairy lights, windy sort of a place to hang out with friends or spend an evening away by yourself. Try out their volcano pizza, mutton d’lux, and farmville delight. One pizza will do for two. Their generous portion sizes will stump you. However, they do not serve alcohol.

Blue Turban: Overlooking the Mehrangarh, it has a stunning view of the gigantic fort. An economical alternative to the Raas Haveli, it is an ideal place for a dinner date. Their kebab platter, laal maans, and paneer do pyaza are delectable. They also serve alcohol.

Kebab Korner, Bal Samand Lake Palace: Though their private lake can be accessed only by resident guests, you can relish the dreamy ambiance of this place sitting by the bonfire and looking at the stars. Tucked away in a quiet corner, their Rajasthani fare is sumptuous and service excellent. Do try their gatta curry, lachha paranta, tandoori naan, and laal maans. If you want to have alcohol, stick to what you know and like. You can skip their cocktails.

Motu Jalebiwala: Not everyone can make a 250 gm king-size jaleba that’s more than enough for four. Motu Jalebiwala can. And they do such a fine job of it. Their jalebis are hot, crisp, and they melt in your mouth.

Chaturbhuj Rameshchandra: Their gulab jamuns may look a bit undercooked, but they are a delicacy. It is difficult to stop at just one. You must also try their mishri mawa.

Mishri Lal Mishthan Bhandar: Though they also serve south-Indian and fast food, their makhaniya lassi and rabri are their claim to fame. Their gajar halwa is worth a shot too.

Swadeshi Sweet Home, Mandore: Known for their besan ki chakki, they make it with pure desi ghee and use ground cardamom generously to season it. Need I say more?

Bonus: If you are looking for something to take back home, buy mixed namkeen and chana jor garam from Chandra Vilas Namkeen. Opposite Janta Sweet Home, they have an elaborate variety of namkeen that make for befitting souvenirs for friends and family.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Planning your year-end vacay? Check these offers on flight, hotel bookings

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

Listen to the Article (6 Minutes)

As the holiday season begins, online travel companies are luring travellers with a host of offers and discounts.

On easemytrip portal, Standard Chartered Bank is offering up to 25 percent off on flight and hotel bookings to domestic and international destinations. The booking period is between December 4 and 31. The bank is giving a year-ender offer of 12 percent discount on all domestic flights up to Rs 2,021 and 10 percent off on international flights up to Rs 7,500.

Also read: Normalisation of international flights will depend on Omicron situation: Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia

Similarly, Kotak Bank has started a ‘winter save sale’ on bookings from December 14 to 18. Customers can avail a 12 percent discount up to Rs 3,000 on domestic flight bookings. The minimum booking amount is Rs 5,000. Kotak Bank debit and credit card users can get 10 percent off up to Rs 10,000 on international flight bookings of Rs 10,000 and above. The bank is also providing 45 percent discount on domestic and international hotel bookings.

Goibibo is offering up to Rs 2,000 off on domestic flight bookings from December 15. The offer is valid for all flights and has no minimum booking value.

Also read: ‘Buy now pay later’ for travel? Here’s what you should know

The Cleartrip portal is offering an instant discount of up to Rs 5,000 on all domestic flight bookings till December 31. Customers can enjoy an additional 4 percent cashback from Axis Bank by booking flights with Flipkart Axis Bank credit cards. Cleartrip is also offering up to Rs 25,000 off on all international flights above Rs 10,000 for booking before December 31.

ICICI Bank card users can get 15 percent off on domestic and international flight bookings on the Cleartrip portal on bookings from December 15 to 24. The bank is offering 25 percent discount on domestic hotel bookings and 30 percent discount on international hotel bookings.

Yatra.com is giving up to Rs 1,100 off on domestic flights booked with HDFC credit cards every Wednesday till December 29.

Also fead: Global hotel cancellations rise ahead of holidays due to Omicron, says Trivago

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Mad About Markets: Opportunities for Indian hotel industry post pandemic

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

Listen to the Article (6 Minutes)

Revenge travel, revenge tourism, pre-festive holidays, first flight post lockdowns, Incredible India! That is what we keep hearing right? Ahead of the festive season, holidays and hotels are on top of mind!

In fact, not just ours, but it is also on the stock markets’ minds! Most hotel stocks have been surging to near all-time highs, some also seeking a listing on the bourses. From Oberoi to OYO everyone wants a slice of the Indian travel pie.

So let us crunch the numbers and spell the opportunity out for the Indian hotel industry.

The global short stay market is about a trillion dollars currently, impacted in 2021 by COVID-19. However, it is expected to double to near $2 trillion by 2030. Within that, the Indian market is expected to grow 5 percentage points faster at 13 percent than the global market at 8 percent.

As per multiple estimates and some back of the envelope calculations, the Indian hotel industry was around Rs 80,000 crore in 2020, pre-pandemic, a jump from near Rs 50,000 crore in FY15. However, with a massive decline in FY21, it is expected to recover to near Rs 70,000 crore over the next 2 years.

We have about 1.46 lakh hotel rooms in India as of FY21 this number too, is expected to approach 1.8 lakh crore over the next 5 years that is nearly 30 percent addition.

Achin Khanna, Managing Partner at Hotelivate said, “Demand actually eroded a fair bit through the last fiscal and that was an unusual occurrence, to say the least. But it has come back in a good measure already in the recent months. To give you perspective, while occupancy fell by almost 50 percent in FY21 we are seeing occupancies in most leisure markets closer to the 60 percent mark this year. In some urban markets, also breaching the 50 percent threshold already. So you are seeing recovery from a demand standpoint, I think a more holistic and wholesome recovery is yet to be on the cards and in our view that is likely to happen by FY23.”

Online penetration of hotels is likely to increase from 33 percent in 2020 to 50 percent in 2025, this is an important growth trigger given the rising growth in India’s internet economy.

Remember, 92 percent of India’ hotel industry is still unbranded. Consumers have started to prefer the comfort of branded hotels post the pandemic.

Appetite for quality supply has grown in recent years as the concentration of inventory in India’s top 10 cities has reduced and broadened out to many newer and smaller towns, and this trend is likely to continue. This is in line with the air passenger traffic increasing in smaller cities too.

The big moment of the hospitality world came by with the rise of the internet and the birth of tech-based hospitality solutions like online travel sites, global aggregators like Airbnb, our very own OYO, SaffronStays, Vista Rooms and multiple others.

Archana Ram, VP – Real Estate & Devt, Indian Hotels said, “I think through the pandemic, we have seen a lot of new avenues for our business. We have had revenge travel, we have had a staycation, we have Bizcation, and we have also had our entire homestay segment, which is ‘Ama’ that we launched just pre-pandemic really taking off. Having said that, of course, leisure has been predominant in this pandemic period. But we do expect eventually business travel to also come back to pre-pandemic levels. But what is going to be very encouraging is that the pandemic has thrown open an entirely new avenue of income and we see that sustaining, even beyond the pandemic. So in addition to your traditional sources of revenue, you now have additional sources of revenue.”

Devendra Parulekar, Founder, Saffron Stays said, “This business had always been constrained by supply. Before COVID nobody used to invest in a second home because they were never sure of whether this house will be maintained, managed, monetised. But now post COVID I think what has happened is the credibility of players like us has given a lot of stability and assurance to these investors. That is why the supply that is going to come through is absolutely fantastic. It is not some old refurbished home, it is high quality, good quality supply that is coming through.”

For the entire show, watch the video

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow