After packaged tours on special luxury trains, the Railways would now be taking people on budget tours in the southern states on normal trains in an attempt to reach out to the masses and boost tourism, a senior official said today.
Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), which runs luxury trains like the Palace on Wheels in Rajasthan and the Deccan Odyssey in Maharashtra, has decided to start budget packaged tours from other parts of the country to the Southern region, Regional Director (Southern Zone), IRCTC V Sriram told reporters here.
This is second attempt by IRCTC, a subsidiary of the Railways, to start a packaged tour for budget travellers after the earlier one in 2001, which failed due to some problems with the parent body, he said.
Everything, including food, accomodation, tickets, ground transport, is taken care of under the present scheme and the IRCTC has asked the Railways to block berths on trains for the purpose, Sriram said.
He, however, denied that the launch of budget tours was a result of poor patronage faced by luxury trains.
"Each luxry train has a gestation period of over five years and it cannot be said that they have failed," he said, adding proposals for new luxury trains are being received.
Under the scheme, passengers can book tickets from IRCTC appointed agents.
"We are concerned about the ground level handling of the tourists as tourism is all about hospitality. The laid back attitude of the Railways will not do," said a travel and tour agent.
Sri Lanka's first budget airline aborts maiden take off
Publish Date : 3/5/2007 7:07:00 AM
Sri Lanka's first budget airline ran into a rocky start when its maiden test flight to India was grounded today due to technical problems, airline officials said.
Tourism promotion can create new job opportunities in Pakistan, says MInister
Publish Date : 3/3/2007 7:06:00 AM
The development and promotion of tourism in Pakistan will not help to improve career opportunities, but also decrease the poverty level in the country, said Tourism Minister Nilofar Bakhtiar on Friday.
Employees of Indian airlines to strike work on March 12
Publish Date : 2/28/2007 8:29:00 AM
Flight services of national carrier Indian are likely to be hit on March 12, as a section of its employees threatened to strike work demanding higher wages among other things.
Kingfisher to fly new routes, add more flights
Publish Date : 2/24/2007 8:34:00 AM
Vijay Mallya-promoted Kingfisher Airlines plans to launch more flights on new routes in its summer schedule, beginning March besides introducing services connecting Tier-II cities in the western and southern regions.
India is 4th largest tourist generating market for Singapore
Publish Date : 2/24/2007 8:33:00 AM
Singapore is emerging as one of the most favoured destination for Indians, with the country receiving around 6,59,000 visitors from India in 2006.
KLM increase flights to India
Publish Date : 2/23/2007 6:27:00 AM
KLM will add one more flight to Hyderabad taking the total number of return flights to 43 to India every week.
Kapur planning to set base in Dubai
Publish Date : 1/20/2007 8:11:00 AM
Like many top international golfers, Shiv Kapur has also been smitten by the desert charm and is planning to base himself in Dubai to facilitate his travel between the Asian and European Tours.
Stranded for 36 hours, air passengers at Vizag get no help from officials
Publish Date : 1/20/2007 8:07:00 AM
For the air passengers stranded at the airport here for the past 36 hours, the nightmare has not ended as they have to consistently face ill mannered officials.
India Tourism invites Goody and friends to India
Publish Date : 1/20/2007 8:07:00 AM
India Tourism office here today invited beauty therapist Jade Goody and her friends who have been tormenting Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty in a British reality TV show to visit India and experience the "healing nature" of the country.
Indian introduces e-ticketing facility
Publish Date : 1/19/2007 10:09:00 AM
Indian Airlines Thursday said it was introducing e-ticketing facility for its customers to simplify procedures for issuing tickets.
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