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• Tourism dept orders internal probe into poor upkeep of Akkulam village in Thiruvananthapuram

  The TOI report published on Monday exposed the lack of maintenance at the major tourist attraction in the state capital. The report stated that the tourists have complained about inadequate drinking water, insufficient water supply in toilets and lack of consistent power supply at the tourist village. Moreover, the village has been plagued by poor sanitation practices, resulting in the accumulation of garbage in the vicinity of Milma parlour. CCTV cameras installed in the area have fallen into disrepair, while the digital ticketing services are operating at a sluggish pace, further inconveniencing the visitors.

  

• Foreign and student visa applications to UK plummet as tough new curbs kick in

  The drop has been driven by a sharp fall in the number of student applications. In the first three months of 2024 a total of 40,700 study visa applications were made, a fall of 44 per cent compared to the same period the previous year when there were 72,800. Applications for dependant study visas fell by 80 per cent from 32,900 in the first quarter of 2023 to just 6,700 in the same period in 2024.

  

• Canada curtails its start-up visa program, less than a 1000 applications will be accepted this year

  From April 30, Canada has capped the number of permanent residence applications that will be accepted for processing each year, to those associated with no more than 10 startups per designated organisation. According to a release issued by the Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the reason behind this move is to reduce the backlog and improve processing times of the applications filed.

  

• Prayagraj railway division earned INR 166 crore through ATVMs

  According to public relation officer of Prayagraj division, Amit Kumar Singh, "Thanks to the automatic ticket vending machines, those traveling on a general ticket don't have to wait in long queues at the booking counter and stand risk of missing the train. Moreover, they are even entitled to 3 per cent concession on using smart cards for payment. Number of ticket buyers on ATVM has increased 35 per cent .

  

• Vizag international cruise terminal welcomes maiden voyage of luxury cruise ship The World

  VICT is a state-of-the-art facility designed to accommodate some of The World’s most prestigious cruise ships built with an investment of INR 96 Crore. The terminal is committed to providing first-rate services and amenities, enhancing the passenger experience, and contributing to the growth of tourism in the region. The World, renowned for its unparalleled luxury and exquisite service is docked at Visakhapatnam on Sunday (April 28). The ship brings with it an exciting influx of global tourists, eager to explore the rich cultural heritage and breath taking natural beauty of Visakhapatnam and its surrounding areas.

  

• Western Railway plans to extend 6th line till Kandivli by June 2024

  A senior railway official said, "According to the set timeline, the 4.5km Goregaon-Kandivli stretch is set to open in June. If land acquisition issues are resolved in time, this corridor will be extended to Borivali by Nov 2024." A 9km-long sixth line segment between Khar and Goregaon was inaugurated in Nov 2023.

  

• Cruise tourism footfall at highest-ever 4.7 lakh in 2023-24

  As per govt data, the share of domestic and international cruise tourists was almost 50-50 in 2019-20 when the total footfall was a little over 4.2 lakh. During the pandemic year, there was no footfall as services stopped. In 2021-22, domestic cruise footfall revived, but there were no international tourists.

  

• Transit passengers from Chennai most affected due to flight disruptions in Dubai

  As flights resume, transit passengers are cleared first in Chennai and in Dubai. However, the flights from Dubai to other destinations are still delayed or disrupted. Airlines have stopped booking new tickets for travel beyond Dubai from Chennai. After heavy rain affected Dubai airport on April 16, Chennai-Dubai flights were cancelled on Wednesday and Thursday.

  

• Uttarakhand starts work to make Dehradun international airport starting with Kathmandu flights

  While post covid domestic travel has staged new highs, international inbound is yet to recover fully. Foreign tourist arrivals (FTA) in 2019 were about 1.1 crore. In 2022 that figure was 62 lakh and last year it rose to 92.4 lakh. The industry is deliberating how to get FTAs not just back to 2019 levels but exceed the same. Increased direct international connectivity; more new tourism circuits and ease of visas have been the steps suggested by the industry to improve India’s FTAs.

  

• Rescheduling tickets because of Dubai deluge pinches travellers

  Unprecedented torrential rain and thunderstorms battered Dubai earlier this week disrupting its bustling airport operations, and triggering a domino effect globally, including for travellers from Ahmedabad. Many from the city travel to Dubai for business. As many such travellers were compelled to reschedule their travel, booking tickets afresh is turning into an expensive affair, said Shah.

  

• First for India: Vistara finances 2 aircraft from GIFT City

  Watson Farley & Williams (WFW) had advised Standard Chartered on the financing of two A320neos, "utilising a unique structuring through Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City) using an entity which is not a wholly owned subsidiary of the airline. This landmark transaction is one of the first commercial aircraft finance transactions to be structured through GIFT," an official said.