News Analysis India

Tag: Tourist

  • Gopi Thotakura: Breaking Boundaries As The First Indian Tourist To Journey Into Space |

    Gopichand Thotakura, the pilot, will make history by being the first Indian to visit space as a tourist. As a member of the crew for Blue Origin, the space business founded by Jeff Bezos of Amazon, he will embark on space flight as part of the New Shepherd-25 (NS-25) mission. The date of the flight will shortly be disclosed.

    According to Blue Origins, Gopi is an aviator and pilot who trained to fly before learning to drive. Gopi has served as an international medical jet and pilot in addition to flying gliders, hot air balloons, bush, aerobatics, and seaplanes. He just visited Mount Kilimanjaro’s top.

    What did Gopi Thotakura say?

    He is the first Indian tourist and the second Indian to venture into space after the Indian Army’s Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma in 1984.

    “India into space,” he was heard saying from the spaceflight in a video posted by Blue Origin on X. He was also seen holding the small Indian flag.

    Who is involved in the mission?

    He went on to discuss space tourism and how it may provide new opportunities while remaining affordable and accessible to residents. Blue Origin, the space corporation founded by Jeff Bezos of Amazon, has announced a six-person crew for the NS-25 mission, which includes Mason Engel, Sylvain Chiron, Kenneth L. Hayes, Carroll Scholar, Gopi Thotakura, and former Air Force Captain Ed Dwight.

     

  • Love igloos? Gulmarg is the next destination

    Express News Service

    SRINAGAR:  The Gulmarg tourist resort, which is known for its fascinating snow-covered slopes and skiing, has added the attraction of glass igloo and snow igloo cafes for the visitors this year, and a large number of tourists are visiting the tourist destination to cherish the unique and lifetime experience.

    A young Kashmiri hotelier Waseem Shah, the owner of Kalahoi Green Heights in Gulmarg, has set up six fiber glass igloo cafes measuring 12 sq ft each at two places in Gulmarg. “We took inspiration from Finnish Lapland and recreated the same glass igloo feel here. The glass igloos have been imported from Austria in consultation with our design team, who gave inputs on various factors like quality of snow, wind speeds, sunlight and temperature,” Waseem  added.

    Waseem has built three glass Igloo domes near his hotel in the snow-covered Gulmarg and three at the first phase of the Gondola Cable car project at Kangdoori. A large number of tourists and locals have been visiting the glass igloo daily since it was thrown open to the public on January 26. The glass igloo cafés offer the best views to the guests.  “It is a unique and wonderful experience for the tourists as they can view the snowfall through the glass igloo. The ambience is very nice. This is a lifetime experience,” said a tourist from Mumbai.

    The glass igloo can accommodate eight people at a given time. It can have one big or two small tables to accommodate eight people. “We are charging Rs 1,000 for one igloo for 45 minutes for the guests to enjoy the ambience and view the snow,” Waseem said. The glass igloo being a novel concept has become an instant hit.

    “Not only tourists but locals are eager to spend some time in the glass igloo for the wonderland experience,” Waseem said. Meanwhile, the snow igloo, 40 ft in height and 42 ft in width, made by Tariq Ahmed Lone in the space provided by Gulmarg Development Authority  in Gulmarg is also attracting tourists. In the snow igloo, which was made in one-and-a-half months, has a sitting space for 20 people.

    Describing it as the world’s biggest igloo, he said they are charging an entry fee of Rs 50 per head in the igloo. A tourist from Maharashtra said it was for the first time that he was seeing a snow igloo.  “The real-life Igloo is something different. It is an experience, which we will cherish for all life,” he added.

    Another tourist from Kolkata said that sitting, eating and taking pictures in a snow igloo is a lifetime experience.  “It is beautiful and its worth is much more because it has not been made of the machine but by the hard work of humans,” he added. The tourists in Gulmarg don’t miss visiting the two Igloos, clicking the memorable pictures and videos from their smartphones or digital cameras.

    SRINAGAR:  The Gulmarg tourist resort, which is known for its fascinating snow-covered slopes and skiing, has added the attraction of glass igloo and snow igloo cafes for the visitors this year, and a large number of tourists are visiting the tourist destination to cherish the unique and lifetime experience.

    A young Kashmiri hotelier Waseem Shah, the owner of Kalahoi Green Heights in Gulmarg, has set up six fiber glass igloo cafes measuring 12 sq ft each at two places in Gulmarg. “We took inspiration from Finnish Lapland and recreated the same glass igloo feel here. The glass igloos have been imported from Austria in consultation with our design team, who gave inputs on various factors like quality of snow, wind speeds, sunlight and temperature,” Waseem  added.

    Waseem has built three glass Igloo domes near his hotel in the snow-covered Gulmarg and three at the first phase of the Gondola Cable car project at Kangdoori. A large number of tourists and locals have been visiting the glass igloo daily since it was thrown open to the public on January 26. The glass igloo cafés offer the best views to the guests.  “It is a unique and wonderful experience for the tourists as they can view the snowfall through the glass igloo. The ambience is very nice. This is a lifetime experience,” said a tourist from Mumbai.

    The glass igloo can accommodate eight people at a given time. It can have one big or two small tables to accommodate eight people. “We are charging Rs 1,000 for one igloo for 45 minutes for the guests to enjoy the ambience and view the snow,” Waseem said. The glass igloo being a novel concept has become an instant hit.

    “Not only tourists but locals are eager to spend some time in the glass igloo for the wonderland experience,” Waseem said. Meanwhile, the snow igloo, 40 ft in height and 42 ft in width, made by Tariq Ahmed Lone in the space provided by Gulmarg Development Authority  in Gulmarg is also attracting tourists. In the snow igloo, which was made in one-and-a-half months, has a sitting space for 20 people.

    Describing it as the world’s biggest igloo, he said they are charging an entry fee of Rs 50 per head in the igloo. A tourist from Maharashtra said it was for the first time that he was seeing a snow igloo.  “The real-life Igloo is something different. It is an experience, which we will cherish for all life,” he added.

    Another tourist from Kolkata said that sitting, eating and taking pictures in a snow igloo is a lifetime experience.  “It is beautiful and its worth is much more because it has not been made of the machine but by the hard work of humans,” he added. The tourists in Gulmarg don’t miss visiting the two Igloos, clicking the memorable pictures and videos from their smartphones or digital cameras.

  • Tourist from Argentina on a visit to Taj Mahal tests positive for Covid-19; untraceable

    By Online Desk

    A tourist from Argentina, who visited the Taj Mahal in Agra, tested positive for Covid-19 on Wednesday but was not traceable because he had given wrong information about himself, including his phone number and hotel address, a report quoted officials as saying.

    The 48-year-old tourist visited the Taj Mahal on December 26. He underwent a test for COVID. His report came on Wednesday and he tested positive for the virus. However, when authorities made efforts to contact him, it came to light that the details given by him were false. Following this, the officials have sought the help of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to provide CCTV footage of the Taj entrance gate to identify the tourist.

    It may be recalled that COVID testing has been ramped up in Agra amid a massive surge in cases in China. A few days ago, a man who returned from China tested positive for COVID at the Taj Mahal in Agra. 

    A tourist from Argentina, who visited the Taj Mahal in Agra, tested positive for Covid-19 on Wednesday but was not traceable because he had given wrong information about himself, including his phone number and hotel address, a report quoted officials as saying.

    The 48-year-old tourist visited the Taj Mahal on December 26. He underwent a test for COVID. His report came on Wednesday and he tested positive for the virus. However, when authorities made efforts to contact him, it came to light that the details given by him were false. Following this, the officials have sought the help of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to provide CCTV footage of the Taj entrance gate to identify the tourist.

    It may be recalled that COVID testing has been ramped up in Agra amid a massive surge in cases in China. A few days ago, a man who returned from China tested positive for COVID at the Taj Mahal in Agra. 

  • Two-day houseboat fest in Srinagar to woo tourists during winter season

    Express News Service

    SRI NAGAR: In order to woo tourists to the iconic houseboats on world famous Dal Lake and Nageen Lake in Srinagar, a two-day houseboat festival is being held from Wednesday.  Director Tourism Kashmir Fazlul Haseeb told this newspaper that the two-day festival would be inaugurated by J&K Lt Governor Manoj Sinha.

    There are about 950 houseboats in Dal and Nageen lakes and thousands of families are dependent on it for their livelihood. The houseboats are a major attraction of tourists in the picturesque Kashmir. The visitors to the two-day festival will be apprised about the history of houseboats and the celebrities who have stayed in them.

    The major attractions of the festival will be an art exhibition and a photo wall on the history and historical aspects of houseboats. Other attractions include water screen projects with laser show, illuminated shikara carnival, shikara rides, food court among others.

    Besides, live musical concerts and band performances by local artists and traditional folk performances would also be held. A record number of over two million tourists visited Kashmir this year so far and the houseboats in Dal Lake and Nageen Lake witnessed 80-90 per cent occupancy this year.

    However, with the onset of winter and cold weather conditions, the occupancy has dropped in the houseboats. Kashmir House Boat Owners Association chairman G R Siah said that at present the houseboats have 20-30 per cent occupancy. Director Tourism said through the Houseboat Festival, they want to send a message to the tourists that Kashmir is truly warm in winters as well. The houseboat owners said had the festival been organized in October, it would have been more fruitful.

    SRI NAGAR: In order to woo tourists to the iconic houseboats on world famous Dal Lake and Nageen Lake in Srinagar, a two-day houseboat festival is being held from Wednesday.  Director Tourism Kashmir Fazlul Haseeb told this newspaper that the two-day festival would be inaugurated by J&K Lt Governor Manoj Sinha.

    There are about 950 houseboats in Dal and Nageen lakes and thousands of families are dependent on it for their livelihood. The houseboats are a major attraction of tourists in the picturesque Kashmir. The visitors to the two-day festival will be apprised about the history of houseboats and the celebrities who have stayed in them.

    The major attractions of the festival will be an art exhibition and a photo wall on the history and historical aspects of houseboats. Other attractions include water screen projects with laser show, illuminated shikara carnival, shikara rides, food court among others.

    Besides, live musical concerts and band performances by local artists and traditional folk performances would also be held. A record number of over two million tourists visited Kashmir this year so far and the houseboats in Dal Lake and Nageen Lake witnessed 80-90 per cent occupancy this year.

    However, with the onset of winter and cold weather conditions, the occupancy has dropped in the houseboats. Kashmir House Boat Owners Association chairman G R Siah said that at present the houseboats have 20-30 per cent occupancy. Director Tourism said through the Houseboat Festival, they want to send a message to the tourists that Kashmir is truly warm in winters as well. The houseboat owners said had the festival been organized in October, it would have been more fruitful.