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.
Harvard students condemn Oxford University
Publish Date : 3/5/2007 7:11:00 AM
Two Harvard students, including an NRI, have condemned Oxford University, where they are Rhodes scholars, as "outdated" and "frustrating" and dismissed its world famous Bodleian library as "less than inspiring".
Indian embassy to outsource jobs to American firm
Publish Date : 3/5/2007 7:10:00 AM
After taking thousands of American jobs through outsourcing, India is planning to give a few back. The Indian embassy in the US capital is planning to outsource processing of visas to a US-based company.
Badal heads 18-member coalition ministry in Punjab(Final lead: Badal)
Publish Date : 3/3/2007 7:29:00 AM
Octogenarian leader of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) Parkash Singh Badal, on Friday took oath as Punjab's new Chief Minister and will lead an 18-member SAD-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) coalition ministry.
Bareilly eunuch adopts a girl child
Publish Date : 3/3/2007 7:22:00 AM
It was a day of celebration for Saroj, a eunuch in Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh, as 'she' has become a 'mother' by adopting a baby girl.
Kalam offers prayer at Fatehpuri Masjid
Publish Date : 3/3/2007 7:16:00 AM
Keeping a promise made two years ago, President A P J Abdul Kalam today offered prayers at the historic Fatehpuri Masjid in Chandni Chowk here along with thousands of Muslims.
Union Budget directionless, says Modi
Publish Date : 3/1/2007 8:41:00 AM
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi today criticised the Union Budget by terming it as "directionless".
Centre allocates over Rs 100 crore for minority zones
Publish Date : 3/1/2007 8:38:00 AM
Unfazed by the BJP's criticism over its welfare schemes for Muslims, the Congress-led Central Government has allocated over Rs 100 crore for development programmes in select districts with a sizeable population of minorities.
Kins of political bigwigs fail to find voters' favour
Publish Date : 3/1/2007 8:27:00 AM
The assembly polls in Punjab turned out to be unkind for several kins of political bigwigs as voters rejected most of them barring some of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) supremo Parkash Singh Badal's near and dear ones.
High Court order on age of nursery admission tomorrow
Publish Date : 3/1/2007 8:24:00 AM
The Delhi High Court today observed that the city Government's submission that a child should be four-years-old to get admission in nursery class was contrary to the law.
Parliament session may be stormy tomorrow on Quattrocchi issue
Publish Date : 3/1/2007 8:18:00 AM
After the lull, it is going to be storm again in Parliament tomorrow.
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