Missing the beautiful pink lilies of Kottayam, Kerala? Well, feel miserable no more because you can now get a sight of them virtually. The lilies in question can be found over the backwater villages of Kerala every monsoon. And, now, the authorities of Kerala Tourism are all set to promote them via online tours. The prime idea behind this is to keep the Kerala lovers posted over the state’s latest updates and give them a glimpse of the gorgeous lilies, as amid the pandemic not many people are travelling.

As per the recent reports, Malarikkal Tourism Society, India Tourism, and Kerala Tourism have filmed guided tours of the locations where these lilies are grown. In addition to that, the other developments in Kerala have also been filmed. These videos will soon go live on the official websites of different government agencies.

The Pink Water Lilies e-Festival is filmed on the similar lines of how Onam 2020 celebrations were covered in the month of August of 2020.

For the unversed, the lily fields of Malarikkal and Kottayam are super popular, courtesy of them being the most-photographed tourist attractions of Kerala, back in 2019.

Now, very soon the paddy saplings would be replacing the pink lilies, hence the authorities are waiting for the government to lift some travel restrictions so that a limited number of tourists can be invited via the water route of Pazhukkanila.

After the tourism industry being completely shut for almost 6 months, courtesy COVID-19 and the national lockdown, things have started looking up gradually. While different states are taking different measures and steps to ensure tourism footfall again, Kullu District’s Parvati Valley has some lucrative offers for you.

The hoteliers of Parvati Valley, Himachal Pradesh, have planned on reopening their hotels for the tourists. While some are still pondering as to what offers to give, most of them are planning to give a flat 50% discount on hotel bookings.

Speaking about the same with Times Travel, Kullu Hotel Association’s official stated that close to 300 hotels and homestays of the valley are all set to welcome the guests again. The preparations are already in full swing and the accommodations are following the SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) issued by the govt. While this is what the hoteliers are doing, all that the travellers would need to do mandatorily is show their COVID-19 Negative reports in order to get an entry in the valley.

In addition to this, the hoteliers have also requested the government to allow travellers without a pass. They also sought deluxe buses to and from Kullu-Manali and other Indian cities to be operational.

You read that just right! Well, seems like our quarantine days are passé now as we have stepped into the new normal. Every industry is reopening gradually and so is the travel one.

Taking the initial steps to boost tourism, Uttarakhand has taken a major step. To attract tourists, the UK Government has started an initiative, i.e., Tourist Incentive Coupon. According to Satpal Maharaj, the Uttarakhand Tourism Minister, under this project, no matter which destination you visit in UK, you will get an INR 1000 coupon for accommodation.

This offer will be live in a few days’ time and would be applicable in only those cases wherein travellers are making a booking in homestays or hotels for a minimum of 3 days. This plan is being executed considering the current COVID-19 scenario and what it has done to the tourism industry. This move by the government will ensure improved tourism health in the state.

Speaking about the same, the UK Tourism Minister, Satpal Maharaj said, “The tourists will be given the discount coupon while registering themselves on the government portal under tourist category. They will then be able to use the coupon during their stay in a hotel or homestay in the tourist spots of the state.”

This decision was taken in a recent cabinet meeting. In the same meeting, the refund process of Jim Corbett National Park was also discussed and how the refund against the advance bookings would be made. Apparently, Jim Corbett would continue to stay shut in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In keeping with ITC Hotels' commitment towards enhancing gourmet experiences, the chain recently announced its partnership with Zomato, India’s leading food delivery platform, to offer customers responsible dining experiences in the comfort of their home. Zomato, as an online aggregator, will not only enable ‘contactless’ deliveries on all pre-paid orders but will also provide patrons of ITC Hotels the option of Takeaway menus via this platform. The association with Zomato further strengthens ITC Hotels’ Pan-India distribution footprint for home delivery and takeaway. This will widen the outreach of the chain’s signature culinary offerings to thousands of customers.

ITC Hotels’ ten-year strong ethos of ‘Responsible Luxury’ underscores the chain’s culinary brands and initiatives to present innovative cuisine experiences while adhering to superior standards of food safety and hygiene. In keeping with the same, ITC Hotels has introduced 2 unique gourmet experiences, viz. ‘Gourmet Couch’ and ‘Flavours’. These initiatives have received overwhelming feedback from diners across India and are now available on Zomato as well.

‘Gourmet Couch by ITC Hotels’ is the chain’s most recent and unique culinary offering that encompasses a luxury dining experience with exclusively curated menus from ITC Hotels’ signature brands, delivered at the guest’s residence under stringent ‘WeAssure’ hygiene and safety protocol. Additionally, the specially curated menu under the brand ‘Flavours by ITC Hotels’ showcase an array of authentic global culinary delights and also celebrates indigenous flavours of the region with the chain’s culinary initiative - ‘Local Love’. Thus, diners can enjoy the subtle flavours of different cuisines, authentic to a region and culinary style.

Speaking on the occasion, Anil Chadha, COO, ITC Hotels said, “ITC Hotels has always showcased the finest culinary traditions through its globally acclaimed signature brands. However, in a world where change is the order of the day, it has been our endeavour to ensure our patrons continue to enjoy their favourite cuisine through an outreach dining experience in the comfort and safety of their home. As part of ITC Hotels, Responsible Luxury initiative, the ‘WeAssure’ programme follows a stringent hygiene and safety protocol for pan-India home delivery of food to their valued guests.  The collaboration with Zomato will further assist us in responsibly delivering our unique culinary experiences using their advanced distribution network across the country.”

“ITC Hotels are known not just for their luxurious hospitality but also for their culinary delights and we are glad to partner with them. With the growing trend of celebrations at home, we believe that ITC’s exclusive gourmet and indigenous food offerings powered by our wide on-ground delivery network will offer great food delivery options for consumers celebrating small and large occasions. Zomato will ensure that its 8 Max Safety measures are well implemented in every delivery to provide an experience as close and unique as ITC Hotels,” added Mohit Sardana, COO-Food Delivery, Zomato.

Zomato has implemented 8 Max Safety measures to ensure the utmost safety of food. These measures include – restaurants follow WHO practices; contactless delivery; both restaurant staff and delivery partners wear masks; temperature checks and sanitization stations for both kitchen staff and delivery partners; and mandated use of Aarogya Setu app.

Crafted with care at ITC Hotels and handled with utmost hygiene to ensure wellbeing, the mindfully curated menus will bring unique culinary experiences for gourmet aficionados across all major cities in India. ITC Hotels has also implemented stringent measures and protocols, including mandatory temperature checks for all Chefs and Food & Beverage associates. Moreover, the special take-out counter at each ITC Hotel has been enhanced with hand sanitizers and thermometers to corroborate the health parameters of local food delivery partners.

ITC Hotels would commence the home delivery and takeaway venture with Zomato with several properties across India. These would include ITC Maurya (New Delhi), ITC Maratha (Mumbai), ITC Grand Central (Mumbai), ITC Royal Bengal (Kolkata), ITC Grand Chola (Chennai), ITC Gardenia (Bangaluru), ITC Windsor (Bengaluru), ITC Kohenur (Hyderabad), ITC Kakatiya (Hyderabad), ITC Rajputana (Jaipur), ITC Mughal (Agra), ITC Grand Goa (Goa), Welcomhotel Chennai, Welcomhotel Bengaluru, Welcomhotel Vadodara and Welcomhotel Coimbatore.

Looks like unlock 2.0 has come with a lot of relaxations and is showering good news for the travel enthusiasts. Wonder why? Well, soon after Goa and Uttarakhand opened borders for tourists, Himachal Pradesh has also relaxed its tourism ban.

But if you want to forget all about this quarantined life and enjoy in the lap of nature in Himachal Pradesh, you need to follow five major rules.

1. Labourers or workers coming to projects, orchards and farms would need to directly head to the worksites.

2. Employers would require to register for the same

3. The interstate movement must be registered via the COVID e-Pass Software (LINK HERE)

4. Tourists would have to stay in the state for a minimum for 5 days and prior bookings need to be made for the same in the hotels

5. 72 hours after a tourist’s entry in the state, they all would be tested for COVID-19 by ICMR accredited labs. Those who test negative would not require to quarantine themselves.

Himachal Pradesh aka HP is one of the most popular tourist states of India and hence this relaxation is nothing less than relief for all the travel buffs, especially for the North Indians, who never miss a chance to visit the various spellbinding hill stations of this state.

While the announcement has been made, there is still no clarity as to from when the tourists would be allowed to visit this land of hill stations.

For the unversed, while trains and flights are functional, bus services are still suspended till further notice.

There is no denying that the uncalled-for situations like the pandemic, COVID-19, require unprecedented moves by both – the public and the government. This is the reason why we are living a caged life we never wished for, for over 3 months now, and the Government, on the other hand, is trying hard and efficiently to fight the pandemic, so much so that everything was halted for a couple of months so that we adhere to the strict guidelines and stay safe, indoors.

While we are getting used to the “New Normal”, gradually different modes of travel are also being functional again. One of them is the airways which is currently considered to be the safest way to travel, if you must. Resuming services on May 25, today, that is June 25, marks the 1 month of the flight services recommencing. And, to know in detail about what all has changed and what the travel sector has to offer to us, we touched base with, Jitender Bhargava, the former ED of AirIndia and author of the popular book – The Descent of Air India.

In an exclusive conversation with him, we asked how safe he finds the flight to be in the current situation, considering social distancing might not be possible on it. On this, here’s what the former ED had to say, “There was a fair amount of apprehension amongst travelling public initially but the fear will gradually wane. In the first 20 days of flights resumption, only 0.03% of the passengers tested positive on arrival. The standing operating procedures introduced by the ministry of civil aviation for airlines and airports have taken care of the social distancing norms. Interaction between staff and passengers on the ground and in the air has been minimized. There is a huge difference between the way passengers are travelling now and how they travelled in Pre-COVID-19 times.”

He further added, “The dynamics of air travel has seen a paradigm shift since domestic flights were allowed to be resumed. All three stakeholders viz airports, airlines, and the passengers have been mandated to take precautions to ensure that air travellers neither get infected nor infect others. Additionally, state govts. are subjecting arriving passengers to quarantine to prevent air travellers infecting other citizens. This, by itself, is a huge deterrent for a person to think of travelling.”

Mr. Bhargava also stated that while the govt has restricted the number of flights, the loads have still not been very impressive. “Flights are averaging no more than 50-55% loads which means that more than a third of the seats on a flight are going unoccupied. This is primarily because a lot of people are afraid of getting infected during travel and do not want to be subjected to quarantine on arrival”, he added.

Speaking about the full-revival of the travel sector, he is of the opinion that things getting back to normal as they were before the pandemic might take up to 2 years. “There has been huge demand destruction with almost all industrial sectors having been adversely impacted, seeing layoffs, salary cuts, etc. Additionally, social engagements like weddings, business functions like conferences and seminars, and tourism which were the reason for travel have come to a virtual halt. It will begin reviving only after the threat of Coronavirus has been contained and the fear amongst the people has abated. All stakeholders will have to find innovative means like laying greater emphasis on domestic tourism”, said the author.  

When asked what according to him the Government could have done earlier to avert the current situation for the aviation sector, that directly hit the travel business, this was his answer, “Suspension of air services was a natural corollary to the lockdown imposed by the govt to contain the spread of Coronavirus. If the flights had not been suspended infected passengers ran the risk of infecting very many others and carrying the infection to a larger geographical spread. All segments of the travel business have been affected - be they the airlines, the hotels, the travel portals or the agents - including staff associated with these establishments. This has been a global phenomenon and is not restricted to India alone.

While some countries have extended financial bailouts, the Indian govt hasn’t extended any benefit thus far. It is desirable for the govt to provide relief but the fact that the govt has severe limitations on finances can’t be overlooked. This has been an unprecedented pandemic and its consequences have also therefore been equally horrendous.”

While according to Mr. Bhargava, it might take up to 2 years for the travel sector to revive, we at Adotrip, are ensuring that you keep your spirits high and keep reading about the culture and heritage of India so that your travel list is already made before we are done with the coronavirus, courtesy a website that is always vocal for the local. Stay tuned!

The San Francisco based online marketplace company, Airbnb has launched Go Near, a new initiative to support economic growth through domestic travel. This announcement came as soon as the local travel industry began to recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and as the world began to travel again. 

As per the brand’s booking data, global travelling is beginning to bounce back and new research has identified a series of trends that will shape travel in the weeks and months to come. In addition to that, the steps that Airbnb is taking to work with local communities and their efforts to best serve hosts and guests around the world basis the ongoing trend is simply laudable. 

1. Partnering with local communities to promote travel and economic growth 

Airbnb is working with governments and tourist agencies to help restore travel in a responsible way that benefits local citizens and small businesses economically. In India, they have signed partnerships with SEWA, Princess Diya Kumari Foundation and Nagaland Tourism to promote community-based tourism. What we have found is that as people travel again, conscious choices and preference for sustainable travel will lead to recovery, benefiting communities and encouraging safe travel. 

The in-person experiences the stay-booking platform offer in partnership with the Princess Diya Kumari Foundation in Jaipur also give visitors the opportunity to learn local crafts from rural women in Rajasthan, which in turn helps them market their products better and aids them in taking the next step towards financial self-sufficiency. 

2. Go Near 

In India, 51% of the brand’s business comprises domestic bookings. In addition, search trends and Wish Lists by Airbnb users in India indicate that long lockdowns have only piqued interest in and aspirations to travel, once the lockdown is eased. Key domestic markets for Airbnb are Goa, New Delhi, Rajasthan, Mumbai & Bangalore, but a surge in searches for stay options in nearby cities, especially Alibag, Lonavala, and Panchgani near Mumbai, is also seen. 

3. Social Connection 

The power of connections is strong even when people can’t travel. We have seen close to 50,000 bookings of more than 400 Online Experiences since the offering was launched less than two months ago, making Online Experiences the fastest-growing product Airbnb has launched. 

4. Affordable Travel 

With the prospect of an economic downturn, people are looking for more affordable ways to travel as well as make money, while businesses and communities are looking forward to the economic benefits that travel brings. 

Addressing the new campaign, Amanpreet Bajaj, Country Manager - Airbnb India, said,

“We believe that the pursuit of human connection and experiences is perennial. For India, the launch of ‘Go Near’ is a reflection on people’s desire to travel closer home to some really amazing domestic destinations that India has to offer - the trends show us that people are eager to travel once again with new considerations of safety. Airbnb will continue to follow guidance from local officials and encourage safe, responsible travel and work to ensure guests have great experiences. At Airbnb we are also going back to our roots, ensuring our hosts are heard, and making sure that we are doing everything we can in partnership with authorities to help them in their economic recovery”. 

About Airbnb

Airbnb is one of the world’s largest marketplaces for unique, authentic places to stay and things to do, offering over 7 million accommodations and 40,000 handcrafted activities, all powered by local hosts. An economic empowerment engine, Airbnb has helped millions of hospitality entrepreneurs monetize their spaces and their passions while keeping the financial benefits of tourism in their own communities.

With more than half a billion guest arrivals to date, and accessible in 62 languages across 220+ countries and regions, Airbnb promotes people-to-people connection, community and trust around the world.

Located in Lutyens’ Delhi, Taj Mansingh was turned into a COVID-19 facility Tuesday, June 16, 2020. According to a recent report, 5 more hotels too would become treatment centres in the near future. Taj Mansingh has collaborated with Sir Ganga Ram Hospital at the behest of Delhi Government.

The state government, which says that the step has been taken “in the overall imminent public interest”, has directed Taj Mansingh to keep all the rooms empty for the hospital.

Today, June 17, 2020, the officials from Sir Ganga Ram Hospital would be inspecting the hotel, after which the facility would be set up and the staff would be trained. Currently, the hotel is undergoing renovation.

On the other hand, Sandeep Mishra, North-West District Magistrate, has ordered to attach the following hotels with the following hospitals.

• Rohini’s Hotel Crowne Plaza to Shalimar Bagh’s Fortis Hospital
• Pitampura’s City Park Hotel to Prashant Vihar’s Santom Hospital
• Pitampura’s Hotel Ramada and Shalimar Bagh’s Khosla Hospital to Shalimar Bagh’s Max Hospital
• Rohini’s Seven Seas Hotel to Rohini’s Saroj Super Speciality Hospital
• Pitampura’s Hotel LA to Rohini’s Jaipur Golden Hospital

Also, while patients with moderate coronavirus symptoms would be provided treatment at these hotel-turned-hospitals, those who are in a more serious condition and would require ICU and ventilators would be kept in the hospital.

TOI quoted a Government official as saying that although the patients would be charged as per the hospital’s tariff, the hospitals would pay

• 5-star hotels – Rs. 5,000
• 4-star and 3-star hotels – Rs. 4,000
• Budget hotels – Rs. 2,000

In Taj Mansingh’s case, the biomedical waste would be disposed of by the hospital staff. The hotel staff, on the other hand, would be given the basic training and provided with the full protective gear.

Madhya Pradesh’s Kanha National Park has been reopened for the tourists after over a couple of months. The tourist destination was shut towards the end of March until now, post the pandemic made its way to India.

It was reopened on June 15, that is yesterday, and on the very first day only, the National Park witnessed more than 70 tourists and 19 vehicles.

Known as one of the most popular Tiger Reserves in the country, Kanha National Park has been reopened keeping all the state government and centre’s guidelines in mind.

Quoting one of the National Park officials, Business Insider India reported that the online ticketing facility is also available now, just like it was before the Park was shut.

To religiously follow the social distancing norm, the safari vehicle would have 12 tourists instead of 18 and 1 tour guide instead of 2. Also, those above the age of 65 or less than 10 would not be allowed in the park.

For the uninitiated, MP’s Kanha National Park is situated in Mandala District’s Satpura Mountain Range. To know more about the National Park, Click Here.

It’s never easy to turn a vision into reality, then into a grand success. And, we are one of those lucky few who did it, and did it with much grandeur. Powered by Adomantra, when Adotrip came into existence a year ago, little did we know that you will shower us with so much love that within such a short span we will win a gold, that too when several online travel biggies are surrounding us.

You read that just right, at the recent Digixx Summit | Awards 2020, your very own favourite Desi travel website, Adotrip bagged the best, that is, a Gold Award in the category of Digital Marketing Excellence in Travel and Leisure.

On this grand victory, the elated CEO of the brand, Mr Vikas Katoch shared:

“Although we have won several awards in the past 6 months, courtesy our hard work and the way we work for our clients around the clock, this one is truly special as it is Adotrip’s first award, that too, a gold one. It is a marvellous job done by the team who never lost hope, even when the going was tough. I thank each one of you and all those who have been a part of this journey. We could never have come this far without your constant love and support. We promise that soon, your very own website Adotrip will bring a lot of new, innovative and fun stuff for you. Stay hooked”.

About Us

Adotrip is an online travel company that focuses on promoting India and its values. We have an audience of over a million and we are always focused on being vocal for the local while promoting Indian tourism our way.

The brand’s USP is its circuit planner that helps you plan your trip across India, and make itineraries for free.

After a long wait, there is finally good news for all the travel enthusiasts. What usually takes 8 hours or more of a drive will now be nothing more than 4 hours, courtesy a new highway between Delhi and Amritsar that would be completed by 2023.

Typically, the motorists take NH44 via Delhi-Jammu Road for their Delhi-Amritsar-Delhi excursion, but, in order to lessen the travel time, the centre has zeroed in on a highway that will remarkably take down the travel time.

For this project, Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways of India, has sanctioned Rs. 25,000 Cr budget and this decision was taken Tuesday (June 2, 2020).

As per the government approval, the first stretch would be from Delhi to Gurdaspur. In the second stretch, the already built - NH3 (from Kartarpur to Amritsar bypass) would be revamped.