NEWSLETTER - November 2018
Travel Desk

Chilika Lake is Asia’s largest brackish lagoon. Swelling from 600 sq km in April and May to 1100 sq km in the monsoon, the shallow lake is separated from the Bay of Bengal by a 60km-long sand bar called Rajhansa.
The lake is noted for the million-plus migratory birds – including grey-legged geese, herons, cranes and pink flamingos – that flock here in winter (from November to mid-January) from as far away as Siberia and Iran and concentrate in a 3-sq-km area within the bird sanctuary on Nalabana Island.

Other attractions are rare Irrawaddy dolphins near Satapada, the pristine beach along Rajhansa, and Kalijai Island temple, where Hindu pilgrims flock for the Makar Mela festival in January.

This month we bring to you Chilika Lake (Orissa / Odisha) as the destination of the month !


 

GITA - India Unveiled!
Hotel News

IHG strengthens footprint in Chennai with Holiday Inn Express Chennai OMR Thoraipakkam
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has announced the opening of Holiday Inn Express Chennai OMR Thoraipakkam. This marks the opening of the third Holiday Inn Express hotel in India this year, adding to the brand’s accelerated growth in the country. Strategically set amidst the city’s commercial hub, Holiday Inn Express Chennai OMR Thoraipakkam is located along the Old Mahabalipuram Road, within 3-5 kms distance from major technology parks and dedicated Special Economic Zones. Featuring 149 keys, Holiday Inn Express Chennai OMR Thoraipakkam offers well designed, contemporary rooms with a range of in-room amenities and a great service culture, promising unparalleled comfort, and convenience to the guests. For an enhanced experience, the hotel is equipped with complimentary high-speed Wi-Fi access in all rooms, hot breakfast with a wide offering (included in the rate), an on-site self-laundry facility and a meeting room for business requirements.

Courtyard by Marriott Madurai opens with 86 rooms
Marriott International has announced the opening of Courtyard by Marriott Madurai, making it the first Marriott International property in Madurai. This new hotel in Southern India will be a showcase of the brand’s passion in supporting our guests with both their professional and personal pursuits.” This smart, modern hotel features 86 guestrooms including four exquisite suites that are designed to perfectly balance form and function. Every guestroom features high-speed wireless internet, an LED TV, and a well-appointed work area with comfort lighting and a snug corner that’s suitable for both working and relaxing. The property also houses a fully-equipped fitness center, which allows guests to maintain their fitness schedules, whilst on the road. Guests also have the opportunity to enjoy three tempting dining options at the hotel, along with several other amenities.

ITC Grand Goa Resort & Spa opens doors with 252 keys
ITC Hotels has announced the opening of its 13th luxury hotel in India, ITC Grand Goa, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, formerly known as the Park Hyatt Goa Resort & Spa, on Arossim beach in Cansaulim, South Goa. Celebrating the spirit of Goa, this 252-keys beach-side, village-styled resort’ s architecture draws inspiration from the Indo-Portuguese vintage and comprises six signature dining options, indoor and outdoor meeting and banquet spaces and Kaya Kalp- The Royal Spa.
Each of the 252 well-appointed rooms and suites feature private outdoor spaces in the form of a balcony or patio providing picturesque views of the Arabian Sea, lush landscaped gardens, lagoons or the multi-level swimming pool. Underscoring ITC Hotels’ ethos of ‘Responsible Luxury’, ITC Grand Goa Resort & Spa endeavours to showcase the culture and ethos of the destination through unique, enriching experiences reflected in bespoke services, indigenous cuisine and engagements that foster partnerships with local artisans and communities.


 

Tourism Update
 

India witnesses 7.9% growth in FTAs from January to June 2018 YOY

India has witnessed a total of 51,63,343 Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) in 2018, a growth of 7.9% compared to 2017, reveals a latest report ‘India Tourism Statistics at a glance 2018’ by the Ministry of Tourism (MoT). Last year, from January to June, the country saw 47,84,847 FTAs. However, in 2016, there were 41,68,864 FTAs during the same months. When compared, an increase of 14.8% was found in FTAs from 2016 to 2017. The report also mentions that in FY2016-17, the months of April and June saw 21.3% increase in the number of FTAs – the maximum in the year. In April 2016, there were 5,92,004 FTAs in the country, whereas 7,17,899 in 2017. The report also highlights that in the current year, March 2018 records the highest percentage (18%), with 10,25,830 FTAs in India.
                                       

 

Aviation News

IndiGo to launch Bhopal-Hyderabad & Jabalpur-Hyderabad direct daily from January 2019
IndiGo has introduced direct daily flights between Bhopal-Hyderabad and Jabalpur-Hyderabad. In Madhya Pradesh, Bhopal and Jabalpur will be the second and third cities the airline will be flying to, after Indore. Additionally, the airline will also operate its fourth daily return flight between Hyderabad-Tirupati. All new services will commence effective January 2019.

Now fly direct to Hong Kong on SpiceJet from Delhi
SpiceJet has launched a daily non-stop flight between Delhi and Hong Kong effective November 22, 2018. Ajay Singh, Chairman and Managing Director, SpiceJet said, “SpiceJet is delighted to announce the launch of our daily non-stop service from Delhi to Hong Kong. Hong Kong is SpiceJet’s eighth international destination and we are the only Indian budget carrier offering direct connectivity between India’s national capital and Hong Kong.
The airline’s flight SG 31 will depart from Terminal 3 of Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International airport at 10.45 pm (all local times) and will arrive in Hong Kong at 6:40 am the following day and the return flight SG 32 will depart at 7:40 am and reach Delhi at 10:50 am.

Jet Airways introduces 18 new flights on select domestic and international routes
Beginning December 2018, Jet Airways will introduce 18 additional flights on select destinations such as Bangkok, Kathmandu and Singapore in ASEAN as well as Doha and Dubai in the Gulf. Further, it will soon add a third daily frequency to Bangkok and Singapore each from Delhi and a third daily service to Singapore from Mumbai. Additional frequencies will also be introduced to the Gulf, strengthening the airline’s status as one of the largest carriers to/ from the region. December will see the introduction of second daily services connecting Mumbai and Delhi with Doha respectively. The addition of a seventh daily frequency between Mumbai and Dubai will also make Jet Airways the only airline to offer unparalleled 24-hour connectivity to the Gulf’s favourite destination with maximum number of daily services. Apart from it, the carrier will offer a fourth daily frequency between Delhi and Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. Jet Airways also continues to augment its domestic connectivity at these hubs, and will increase operations between Mumbai and Amritsar to daily frequencies, and add a fourth daily frequency on the Delhi-Amritsar route in December.

Air India to begin direct flights from Mumbai to New York next month
Air India will introduce three-times-a-week non-stop service between New York’s JFK International Airport and Mumbai, effective December 7, 2018. The flights will depart at 11:05 am from JFK on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday on 777-300ER planes. They will arrive in Mumbai at 12:10 pm the following day. To celebrate the launch of the only non-stop flight between JFK and Mumbai, Air India is offering special fares on the new route, from December 9, 2018 to May 11, 2019. All flights from the USA feature first, business and economy class and a choice of Continental or Indian cuisine. With the current JFK-Delhi daily service, the new flights bring non-stop JFK-India service to 10 flights a week, while increasing total non-stop services from the US to India to 36, nationwide. These include daily non-stop services from Newark (EWR) to Mumbai and Chicago (ORD) to Delhi, thrice weekly services from Washington (IAD) to Delhi, and nine times weekly flights from San Francisco (SFO) to Delhi. All flights offer convenient connections from the US to major cities across India, including Bangalore, Amritsar, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune and more.

GoAir to connect Bengaluru to Phuket and Male from December 9

GoAir is set to further expand its international footmark with the launch of direct flights on the Bengaluru-Phuket and Bengaluru-Male routes effective December 9, 2018. The airline recently announced its direct services to Phuket and Male from Delhi and Mumbai. GoAir will operate three direct flight services per week between Bengaluru and Phuket



 

Hot Destination

Chilika Lake

Chilika is recognized as one of the most important wetlands in the world because it is home to a phenomenal variety of birds. Chilika Lake offers visitors a spectacular display of its colorful avian charms in a thousand different hues presented by over 160 species in the peak season between November and February. The lake and its reed islands teem with nesting birds-white bellied sea eagles, ospreys, golden plovers, sand pipers, flamingos, pelicans, gulls, include migratory ones flying great distances from Iran, Central Asia and Siberia.


Sights

Kalijai Temple - Located on an island in the Chilika Lake, Kalijai Temple is one of the famous attractions. The temple worships Goddess Kalijai. The deity is highly revered among the locals as well as in their folklores and fables. The island is also a mesmerizing destination for pilgrims as well as tourists and can be reached via a boat from Chilika Lake.

Nalabana Island :The large Nalabana Island (Forest of Reeds) covering about 16 sq km in the lagoon area was declared a bird sanctuary in 1987. The core area of about 9 sq km attracts around 400,000 waterfowls of different species. Often underwater, the island gradually emerges with the outset of summer. It is literally a paradise for bird-watchers.

Irrrawady Dolphins

Another major attraction at Chilika is Irrawady dolphins which are often spotted off Satpada Island. Satpada, bounded by the lagoon on three sides, offers an excellent view and attracts the visitors to its entire 30 km stretch of sand bar.

Satapada side of Chilika Lake & Dolphin watch area

Satapada is located at a distance of 48 KM from temple town of Puri. It is nearly 100 KM from Bhubaneswar.This place is located by the side of Chilika and close to the mouth opening of Chilika lake to sea. The main attraction at Satapada is its Chilika boating and Dolphin watch. Tourists come to Satapada for a boat ride in Chilika lake and to watch Dolphins. Highest population of Irrawaddy dolphins in the world are seen in Chilika.