Colourful Onam Festivities Await Foreign Tourists in India

Summary – To boost the number of foreign travellers on flights to India, Kerala tourism authorities are orchestrating different events and festivals around Onam celebrations. Some of the key highlights are yacht racing competition and a theatre festival.

Colourful Onam Festivities Await Foreign Tourists in India Holidaymakers taking India flights connecting ‘God’s Own Country’, Kerala would be able to enjoy a wide spectrum of festivals and events that mark the celebrations of popular Onam festival.

An initiative of the state’s tourism department, 'Kochi - Onam Regatta Jalotsavam 2012' is set to offer unique festive experiences to both domestic and foreign travellers on flights to India, revealed online sources.

This five-day yacht racing competition will witness competition between 80 yachts from across the country. Besides local teams, there is also representation from Sri Lanka and the UK in the regatta.

The department is hopeful that the yacht racing competition will lure vacationers into booking flights to the South Indian province.

Besides the yacht racing competition, the five-day Onam celebration at the Kumbalanghi model tourism village is also expected to boost the number of foreign tourists on flights to India.

Adding colour to celebrations, the festivities at the tourism village will offer tourists with a first-hand opportunity to prepare regional Indian cuisines.

Besides, tourists on Kerala-bound flights to India will also be able to enjoy six-day theatre festival. The festival will host 10 plays dealing with a wide spectrum of themes in the city of Kochi.

An initiative of state tourism department, the theatre fest has been organized in a bid to pass on unique stage entertainment to those on flights to India.

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SriLankan Airlines Adds More Weekly Flights to India

International travellers who are often to be seen in a look out for flights to popular Indian Ocean destination of Sri Lanka with a connection at India have all the reasons to smile.

SriLankan Airlines has introduced additional weekly flights to South India’s popular city of Trivandrum from Colombo.

Sri Lanka’s flag carrier, SriLankan Airlines has enhanced its weekly services between Trivandrum and Colombo from August 30, 2012. The carrier has added three additional flights between the two destinations.

Previously, the state-owned airline operated seven weekly flights between these destinations.

India has long been one of the key markets and top revenue contributors for SriLankan Airlines and the carrier is hopeful of growth in passenger numbers on its flights to and from India in the coming time.

Besides these new services to Trivandrum from Colombo, the carrier had increased its weekly flights twice daily to South India’s popular city of Kochi in the month of May 2012.

Presently, the airline operates 87 weekly flights to India, including the additional flights, connecting at popular Indian cities like Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Kochi, Mumbai, Trichy and Trivandrum.

The state owned carrier currently offers flights to 58 global destinations in 33 countries in Europe, North America, Canada, India, the Far East and Middle East. With the additional flights, the airline may soon become one of the best choices for travellers looking for flights to travel to India and beyond.

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Indian Carrier Starts Low Cost Flights on Dubai-India Route

India’s popular low cost carrier, IndiGo is all set to launch new daily and non-stop flights connecting Kochi and Chennai, South India’s popular destinations with Dubai from August 25, 2012. The flights are sure to please particularly the budget travellers from the UK and rest of Europe who seek cheap flights to India connecting at Dubai.

Keeping up with the nod from Indian authorities to operate international routes, airlines in India, especially the budget domestic carriers, will now be able to offer flights to numerous global destinations!

Since more Indian low cost carriers will be able to offer international flights, travellers will now have the opportunity to save more when booking flights on global routes leading to India.

Besides IndiGo, SpiceJet and GoAir, two other regional budget carriers from India also recently announced to launch budget flights connecting Indian cities with international destinations.

Recently, IndiGo had also introduced its second daily and non-stop flights connecting India’s capital city of Delhi to Dubai and Bangkok, apart from commencing flights connecting Hyderabad and Dubai.

Besides, the carrier also plans to introduce direct flights to India connecting Kochi to Muscat and Trivandrum to Dubai.

Kochi or Cochin has long been a popular destination with British travellers on flights to India connecting with South India’s popular state Kerala.

With its primary hub at Delhi’s IGI Airport, IndiGo is a no-frills airline that offers no business class or first class seats, instead ensures higher availability of economy seats.

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More Economy Class Seats on Jet Airways’ India-UK Flights

Britons seeking flights to India from the UK with Jet Airways will soon be able to take advantage of more economy class seats on the plane.

One of the most popular private airlines in India, Jet Airways has planned to squeeze in 34 more seats in its Boeing B777-300ER aircraft to accommodate increasing number of flyers taking flights on India-UK route. With increased economy-class seating, the carrier is sure to attract more budget conscious flyers looking for cheap tickets on its flights.

Jet Airways has been a leading name in the aviation sector of India. The Mumbai based airline has an impressive travel network and operates a good frequency of flights between India and destinations in the UK and rest of Europe, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and North America.

The airline has carried out its plan of boosting the economy class seating by replacing the previous nine seats per row with ten narrower seats. However, Jet Airway’s B777-300ER aircraft will feature the same eight first class and 30 business class cabins as it does currently.

The airline has contrived plans of deploying this high-seat density B777-300ERs aircraft on flights operating on India-London route. The modified aircraft will be deployed on flights between New Delhi and London (Heathrow) starting from October 16 and on flights between Mumbai and London (Heathrow) beginning from November 1.

The aircraft with more seating arrangements will still carry the reliable and warm hospitality of Jet Airways and is sure to bring smiles on the faces of travellers who seek an affordable journey on flights between India and London.

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India’s Hyderabad Airport to Become a Major Aviation Hub

A prominent IT hub and a popular holiday destination among cultural buffs taking India bound flights, the city of Hyderabad has for long been on the radar of global airline operators looking to expand network in the country. However, it is only recently that concrete reports of major global players planning to start direct flights to India’s southern city have been trickling in.

Hyderabad's Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) is one of the best airports in the world and it sure is a win-win situation for airlines and the city, in case the airport blossoms into a major aviation hub for international airlines. Foreign travellers, too, would be able to net easy and convenient options on flights to South India, apart from enjoying award-winning services of the Hyderabad airport.

Online media sources reveal that as many as three major global carriers are ready to kick off flight operations to the RGIA in the near future.

Apart from budget carriers Tiger Airways and Thai Smile, Kenya Airways too is hopeful of starting flights to India’s south city soon.

While Tiger Airways will become the second operator to offer direct flights between Singapore and Hyderabad from September 28, Thai Smile will start offering cheap flight alternatives on Thailand- Hyderabad route from September 16.

Kenya Airways also made it clear that the metropolis features in the airline’s future flights operations planning when it comes to expansion in India. Indonesia's Garuda, Ethiopian Airlines, Jetstar Asia and Myanmar Airways are other carriers that may start flights to India’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in near future.

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Travel in Style from Delhi to Jaipur on AC Double-Decker Train

Jaipur has been one of the most popular destinations for cultural enthusiasts taking flights to India connecting Delhi. Leisure travellers picking Jaipur as their next stop from the national capital would now be able to use an all-new, fully AC, and double-decker rail service between the two cities.

Scheduled to start from August 16, the service is expected to become highly popular among the domestic as well as foreign holidaymakers taking flights to India. Jaipur is also a part of India’s popular Golden Triangle circuit and attracts scores of cultural and history enthusiasts to explore its charming forts and palaces.

The rail journey between the national capital and the Pink City will be completed in five hours and will provide a cheaper and comfortable option to the budget travellers who are not so keen on taking a road trip or expensive flights between the two cities.

Railways are considered to be the lifeline of India and many holidaymakers plan to experience one of the most charming facets of India after taking flights – the rail travel! However, the experience of travelling via a double-decker air-conditioned coach is a novelty even for the locals as it’s a very new concept with only a single such train currently operational in the country.

Each AC coach will feature a seating capacity of 120 with only chair-car seating. Modern safety features of the train are sure to make foreign travellers taking flights to the country feel relaxed and free from any anxiety about their safety during the journey.

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Trivandrum International Airport to Grant Visa on Arrival

Holidaymakers taking flights to God’s Own Country, Kerala will certainly be a happy lot now as state’s popular international gateway, Trivandrum Airport may very soon offer visa on arrival (T-VoA). The facility is sure to lure the impulsive holidaymakers who often remain tentative about their travel plans.

The airport will offer visa on arrival with a maximum validity of 30 days to citizens of Finland, Japan, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Singapore, Cambodia, Vietnam, Philippines, Laos, Myanmar and Indonesia. Presently, citizens of France, Germany and Russia on India bound flights can only get visa on arrival.

The move is sure to boost the state’s tourism with growth in the number of foreign tourists on flights to India connecting Kerala.

Besides Trivandrum, Goa and Bangalore may also issue T-VoA very soon. Earlier, only Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata’s international airports provided this facility to foreign visitors on flights to India from select countries.

Though the facility will definitely offer a convenient travel option to foreign tourists on flights to India, there are certain rules and restrictions related to it that are expected to be followed to the dot. T-VoA will strictly be restricted for recreation, sightseeing or meeting friends or relatives in the country, excluding any other purpose or activity.

Furthermore, those on flights to India and applying for T-VoA must have a passport with minimum six-month validity. Applicants should also not have a residence or occupation registered in their names in India to qualify for tourist visa on arrival.

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