India Tourism Promotion in Saudi Arabia

The Ministry of Tourism with the objective to tap the high end tourists from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) organised Tourism Road Shows in the cities of Dammam, Riyadh and Jeddah. The shows were held from 7th to 11th of this month.

A strong Indian delegation comprising officials from the India Tourism Departments of Jammu & Kashmir and Maharashtra, members of the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO), Air India, Jet Airways, Taj Group of Hotels, Medical and Wellness facilities etc., from India were present to showcase the multitude of tourist attractions of India to the Saudi Arabian Traveller. The Indian delegation was led by Shri RH Khwaja, Union Tourism Secretary.

The State delegation of Jammu & Kashmir was led by the Minister of Tourism & Culture Shri Nawang Rigzin Zora and the Minister of State for Tourism Shri Nasir Aslam Wani. The Ambassador of India, Shri Hamid Ali Rao, was also present during the event in Riyadh.

The Road Show held in the city of Dammam on 7th January 2012 witnessed the presence of over 154 participants representing the members of the Travel Trade, Media and opinion makers of this sector. During the event held in Riyadh on the 9th January, as many as 172 members of the travel industry and media participated and got a glimpse of Indian tourism products and its rich cuisine. The final leg of the Road Show was held in Jeddah on the 11th January 2012.

According to travel statistics, 4.5 million Saudis representing nearly a quarter of the population, travelled abroad and spent about US $33 billion last year. India is fast emerging as a preferred destination for the Saudi tourists.

Foreign tourist arrivals into India have witnessed a steady increase over the years, touching 6.29 million in 2011, an increase of 8.9% over 2009. During the year 2010 there has been an increase of nearly 38% in the inbound tourism from KSA to India with around twenty two thousand tourists. The Visa issuance figures of the Indian Mission indicate a similar high growth in the year 2011.

One of the highlights of the Road Show was the focus on the ‘Medical & Wellness’ Tourism potential of India. India’s vast potential as a Health and Wellness tourism destination, backed by its medical facilities and world-class doctors, para-medical staff and hospitals, ancient healing systems such as ‘Ayurveda’ and other rejuvenating programs were show-cased.

The cost of medical services in India is almost 30% lower to that in Western countries and the most cost effective in the region. Indian hospitals excel in cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery, joint replacements, transplants, cosmetic treatments, dental care, orthopedic surgery and much more. All medical treatments and investigations are done using the latest, technologically advanced diagnostic equipment. Moreover, India is just about four hours away making it easier for patients to visit even for follow-up – offering unmatched proximity and value-for-money.

The Road Show also highlighted destinations which are becoming popular for holiday and the business traveler like the Luxury Trains viz. Palace on Wheels, Royal Rajasthan on Wheels, The Deccan Odyssey and the Golden Chariot etc. in addition to the Palace Hotels, Luxury Spas etc. The other niche tourism products being publicized were adventure, eco and wildlife tourism.

The presentations were followed by interactive sessions with the members of the Indian Tourism Industry which provided an opportunity of building awareness about the Incredible India tourism product. This will contribute significantly in sustaining the growth of high spending tourists from KSA.

Grand Travel Award

Sign up to the 20th anniversary of Grand Travel Award 22 February. Today released ticket package that includes both awards gala and industry seminar Travel News Studio, which this year has the theme of Reach for the Stars.

At later released tickets are valid for the Grand Travel Award gala in the evening.Grand Travel Award is a gold-lined gala which celebrates its 20th anniversary at the Grand Hôtel in Stockholm 22 February. But in the afternoon "jumping the gun" event with industry seminar Travel News Studio. Last year, the seminar attracted about 350 key people from the industry all the different parts. This year the theme is Reach for the stars.- It has never been tougher to good manager and leader in the travel industry - and how do you think of the courage and optimize the hurricane itself - and its activities. And how tough is what's up ahead? Because it's 20th anniversary, we want to really try to pep and inspire leaders in the travel industry during the seminar, said Catherine Myrberg, executive editor of Travel News.

Travel News studio guests because of three well-known profiles: Renata Chlumska, Stefan Fölster and Manuel Knight, who will share their experiences and stories.Stefan Folster  - Swedish Enterprise's chief economist - who is also passionate safari tourism - gives his view of the global economy and just how it will affect the Swedish economy and travel industry.

Renata Chlumska - Adventurer who will become Sweden's first woman in space know that the line between success and failure is brittle. And that success requires hard work, dedication and determination.

MANUEL KNIGHT - The former U.S. elite soldier is today acclaimed management consultant and psychologist who knows what it takes to create high performance teams, leaders and organizations.

Moderator of the seminar is Peter Lindgren, journalist and broadcaster TV4.

Travel News will begin at 15:00 and besides seminar coffee break included VIP mingle afterwards, guaranteed place at the Grand Travel Award ceremony where the gates open 18:30. Where are treated to a buffet with wine, great awards gala and dance and after party.

The price of the ticket package Travel News Studio Grand Travel Award 1395 SEK excluding VAT. Read more and register here.

The remaining tickets only to awards gala evening will be released in late January. The price-only gala evening in the year 399 SEK excluding VAT.

Black wages in Scandorama and olvemarks

Bus Tour Scandorama and olvemarks have paid their travel guides, black wages for many years. It writes Kalmar County Journal in an extensive survey of the two bus travel giants.

The mapping of Scandorama and olvemarks, including a Competition Authority's investigation and bus tax evasion in Germany and Denmark Travel News wrote about earlier, includes interviews with several former employees, competitors and olvemarks and Scandorama management.

 

According to the KLT can be about more than 100 million tax money that has been misappropriated over the years. To systematically move the operation to the new subsidiaries in tax demands from entering also occur. This year, both Scandorama and olvemarks bought was its new subsidiary named Kalim AB and Pines AB, which is suspected to be a way to get ready for another move of the operation of the tax requirements are too high.

 

The currently most interested in Tax is suspicion of travel guides for vacation packages, and may have received most of their wages black. Right now a salary of olvemarks and Scandorama headquarters in Malmo for the years 2007-2009, which is confirmed by olvemarks CEO Bengt olvemarks.

 According to KLT's source is, however, the study on black wages period back to 2005. It is about 5-7 million each year that are not taxed. On board the foreign coaches noted that the coffee and spritforsaljning systematically carried out without any accounting. For each bus guide, it could give the 5000-7000 per trip in undamaged money. So-called "black trips" also gave blacks additional income. A bus guide who worked for Scandorama and olvemarks for five years in the 2000s speaks anonymously and says in the article:

- About 70 percent of their salary was black. Scandorama and olvemarks gave us a skitlon for they knew that we earned plenty of money down in Europe.

 

The different ways to try to evade tax, according to competitors led to the two bus operators could reduce prices.

- We have often marveled at how they can keep prices low as we can not, and we have no high costs, says Goran Boo, CEO of Hyllinge Bus in the article.

The story also interviewed Bengt olvemarks, president of olvemarks and Scandorama. He denies all knowledge of black wages and argues that olvemarks never been suspected of tax fraud and to Scandorama not been there since 2009 when it was acquired by olvemarks.

- It is surprising, and nothing I know of. And ought not reasonably to know if you are suspected of tax fraud, he says to KLT.

He denies knowledge of the bus guides on olvemarks and Scandorama sold coffee and black liquor on board buses and believes that the Tax salary is going on right now against Scandorama for 2007-2009 are unrelated to this.- It's no big deal. Tax visit the company at times, they can certainly visit the Kalmar County Gazette also says Bengt olvemarks.

Ryanair to charge for new emission

Ryanair allows its passengers pay for airline emissions by introducing a new fee.From next Tuesday, January 17, Ryanair will charge a fee of 0.25 euros per passenger. The fee will cover Ryanair's costs for the EU's emissions trading scheme.

Ryanair passengers expected in 2012 to pay between 15 and 20 million through the levy.

Ryanair does not believe that the European aviation will be included in the ETS scheme, as it accounts for less than 2 percent of the EU's carbon emissions. This EU tax rate will harm the aviation, tourism, European competitiveness and employment in a time when no other economic associations include aviation in its ETS scheme. It reduces the competitiveness of the airlines within the EU even further by yet another misguided "environmental tax" that does nothing for the environment, but instead of punishing European consumers and families, said Ryanair's Stephen McNamara Communications.

Bluff sold the place in Are

Hotel Mountain Bird in Are low room rates advertised on their own site, Hotellsverige.se, were on Hitta.se and was reviewed on blogs. But the hotel does not exist.

Hotel Mountain bird had its own site, an ad on Hotellsverige.se, an address on Hitta.se and was mentioned in several blogs, writes ostersund-Posten. The hotel is described as a centrally located hotel in Are. On Hitta.se said the hotel's address is Arevagen 144, an address that leads visitors to an intersection.

- That the hotel is not in Are, says Lars-Borje Eriksson, CEO Are destination to the RIP.

Hotellsverige.se did not understand how the hotel has ended up on the site.

- How in heaven's name has come to our website, I wonder? It is we who put it all there, said Peter Friden, publisher of Hotel Sweden to op.se.

After a closer inspection realized the site how the ad had been posted.

- The e-mailed in a tip about his hotel. We rang up and he bought the concept and wanted to have pictures and links. They are really incredible proposed, says Peter Friden, Central Sweden.

Police have yet to decide whether an investigation should be initiated

Malaysia religion and luxury

In this land live two different cults : the religious faith, and the money and sumptuousness.Religious worship:The Terengannu City, is 500 km. of the nation's capital, Kuala Lumpur. In this metropolis, you can openly, appreciate the great sense of religion that surrounds this country.This city does not exist even a single bar in which to drink a beer. In the world of Islamic culture, that spirit is saying bad words.Those caught drinking it look, at serious risk of being imprisoned.

In Malaysia, the Islam is the official religion, and this city, the site with one of the highest rates of Muslim population : more than ninety percent. On the other hand, is also home to Hindus, Chinese and local ethnic groups, all living in harmony.

One place that clearly shows the exacerbation of religious feeling is the construction of the theme park Taman Tamadun Edutainment Park.

There, you can see reproductions of a dozen monuments related to the Arab world and mosques.

But the most impressive work, is not a reproduction, but a construction real: the impressive Crystal Mosque.

The Beach and the sumptuousness

At the other end of the country, in the Northeast area and very close to the border with the neighboring country of Thailand , stands the Langkawi archipelago, a group 99 islands beautiful.

Crystal clear waters, rivers, mangroves and beaches of your dreams. Here lives the exuberance of nature, which form this paradise, and which is established as the appeal of this tourist spot.

And here it, we can find bars where you can have some drinks, as well as nightclubs. Here in Langkawi, you can get alcohol, and cigarettes at bargain prices, because a site is tax free.

The imprint religious, so marked throughout Malaysia, also live here, despite all these earthly temptations.

The tourist of the large Middle East oil powers, usually visit these lands, is here, very happy. There are drawbacks to enjoy, because their customs are respected.

Enjoy strolling through the tropical beaches, where the mean annual temperature is 30 degree C, much lower than 40 ° they must endure in their desert homelands.

Dressed in bathing suits and modern clothes, walk with their women, dressed in the black burka, the garment that covers controversial in its entirety, revealing only their eyes.

Malaysian women are also covered, but unlike the others, their colorful dresses and scarves cover their hair, but not their faces.

In a tour of the capital, Kuala Lumpur, we came to the imposing presence of the emblem and national pride: the famous Petronas towers that rise 450 meters from the ground.

In order to upload to these impressive towers, it should be a long line early, as space is one thousand visitors daily. You can reach the 88th floor at the top, or the walkway connecting the two towers, at 42.

In this building are the offices of several companies ( the state oil company Petronas, or the local branch of Microsoft, among others), and the Suria Mall Kentuki, well known as a shopping paradise.

This is one of many that exist in the city. Only in the downtown area of Bukit Bintang there are a dozen malls.

The transportation to explore the city, is the monorail. This fantastic electric train from a very modern design, winds aloft, giving together with the skyscrapers that touch so distinctive that they have the ultra modern cities.

Cavalcade Madrid 2012

How will we advance the Three Kings 2012 in Madrid. Its route and timetables for both the beginning of the caravan for the various activities to be held in the Plaza de Cibeles.

The finale of each holiday season is obviously the Three Kings. An event that it is a symbol of Christmas in our country and which has in Madrid one of the most important representations. Whether you arrive to the Plaza de Cibeles to see him live or that you should follow the event from home, this is what you can start counting how will the 2012 parade.

 Three Kings 2012

The traditional parade will parade through the streets of Madrid on January 5 next, on the eve of Epiphany. The route will link New Ministries with the Plaza de Cibeles and is expected to start for 18.30hs.

The floats and expected allusive Kings bow to children (and not so childish of course also!) in its journey to the central axis will Paseo de la Castellana. Preceding the Three Kings parade the following companies :

The procession will pass: New  Ministry, the Plaza de San Juan de la Cruz, the Plaza del Doctor Maranon, the Glorieta de Emilio Castelar, the Plaza de Colón, the Paseo de Recoletos, and ultimately lead to the Plaza de Cibeles. There will end in front of the headquarters of Madrid City Council.

Musical entertainment for the whole family

In the Plaza de Cibeles, the center of the celebration, the public can enjoy different musical while awaiting the arrival of the Magi. At 18 pm the group will present Sing Games with all their characters to sing her greatest hits and some carols in honor of these festivities.

Somewhat later, at 19.00 am will be the presentation of The Boys Choir, the children's choir of Saint-Marc college in Lyon. This renowned choir is composed of more than 80 children as young as 10 to 15 years of age. These young voices delight us with an extensive repertoire covering various musical genres such as Gregorian chant and contemporary folk music and folklore.

To close the evening of music, starting at 19.30 am will be held a show piromusical running the First Movement of the Toy Symphony by Leopold Mozart (1756) at an incredible fireworks frame.

By its completion is expected the arrival of the stars of this celebration, the three Wise Men, who will read messages from the children and give their greeting near 20.45 pm.

Then it will be time to leave each to his home, to complete all preparations to receive in each house to the Kings and then to bed... if you can... waiting for the arrival of one of the most special morning of the year.