Search Result for : Kerala

The Dollar Business Bureau With Kerala shifting its focus on tourism intensively with a new and wide assortment of tourism packages, the state is expecting a sharp rise in international and domestic tourist arrivals at 11% and 9% this year, up from 6.25% and 5.67% in 2016, an official from the state government said on Tuesday. Domestic tourist arrivals stood at 1.32 crore and international tourists at 10.38 lakh during last year, generating a revenue of Rs.29,658.56 crore and Rs.7,749.51 crore, K S Shine, Kerala’s Tourism Information Officer told media in Coimbatore. “With the State shifting into high gear with a new and assorted fare of tourism products, the arrivals are expected to increase considerably,” Shine said. The official said that the mainstay for ...

The Dollar Business Bureau A seven-member Indonesian team led by Consul General Saut Siringoringo is in Kerala, looking to explore the possibility of collaborating with the Kerala government in trade, healthcare, tourism and education. The team will also interact with the Kerala chapter of CII and with the Trivandrum Chamber of Commerce (TCCI). The Indonesian team has another agenda- to attract Kerala businesses, investors, traders and buyers to attend the 32nd edition of the four-day Trade Expo Indonesia (TEI) being organised by the Indonesia Ministry of Trade in ICE-BSD City - Banten from October 11. In the previous edition of TEI, around 150 buyers from Kerala, Tamilnadu, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Gujarat had clocked the maximum transactions. Indian buyers topped the list and Indonesia ...

The Dollar Business Bureau (sourced from PTI) A UAE-based hospitality and leisure firm has said it will strengthen its presence in the Gulf region by appointing more sale representatives and travel partners for promoting 'Kerala Golden Trio'.A first-of-its-kind initiative 'Kerala Golden Trio' by Fragrant Nature Resorts has been launched for the visitors from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region."The culturally discerning can experience old world charm at Fragrant Nature Fort Kochi, just off the commercial capital of Kerala, to start their journey. They can then head to Fragrant Nature Munnar, a prized jewel in the Western Ghats, for a hill resort experience with unmatched views of misty hills, valleys and tea plantations. The visitors will then head to Fragrant Nature Backwater ...

PTI To tap deeper into its sixth biggest tourist market, Kerala Tourism has conducted roadshows in Australia promoting the best of God s Own Country in Melbourne and Sydney over the past week.    The roadshows, held after a gap of two years, saw participation from around 70 leading wholesalers, tour operators and travel agents from the said Australian cities, generating significant interest in both new and established offerings in Kerala. With inbound tourism from Australia on the uptick -- accounting for 35,244 foreign tourist arrivals in 2015 -- the campaign was timely ahead of the official start to the tourist season in November.Kerala Tourism Director U V Jose led a delegation that included representatives of 12 major players from across the State s ...

The Dollar Business Bureau As the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill gradually moves towards the stated deadline date, the state governments have asked the industry bodies to pass on the benefits of lower tax rates to the consumers. The GST framework, once implemented, will considerably reduce the tax and compliance burden, enabling lower tax rates to the industry.   “Industry bodies should work with their members to ensure they pass on the benefits of lower tax rates to the consumers,” West Bengal Finance Minister Amit Mitra said. As many as 14 states, including Mizoram, Sikkim and Telengana, have already cleared the bill in their respective legislatures, thereby strengthening the possibility of reaching the magical number 16 even before the deadline. Although a formal consensus was ...

The Dollar Business Bureau The UK will continue to bolster business, trade and tourism ties with India, even during the post-Brexit period, said Bharat Joshi, British Deputy High Commissioner in Chennai. “The UK is the biggest investor in India. We want to bolster our trade and industrial relations with India,” Joshi told the journalists in Thiruvananthapuram while briefing about various scholarship programmes offered by Britain. “India is the second largest investor in London and India is on the top of the list for the partnership with UK. Our relation with India is already firm and we will continue to strengthen it,” he said. On the question whether there would be any problem for Indians working in UK during post Brexit, Joshi said that there is nothing they ...

The Dollar Business Bureau The Kerala government on Friday imposed a 14.5% 'fat tax' on burgers, pastas, pizzas, and other junk food products served in branded restaurants. Food items, such as burgers, doughnuts, pasta, pizzas, sandwiches and tacos, sold in branded restaurants would fall under this tax category. Kerala’s fast-food chains including Domino’s, KFC, McDonald’s, Pizza Hut and Subway are expected to be hit the hardest. With the implementation of new tax arrangements, the state government looks to meet its earlier set target of 25% and fetch Rs.61,895.62 crore revenue during the ongoing financial year. Kerala’s tax revenue growth was about 17% to Rs.53,003.42 crore during the previous financial year.   The announcement was made by Thomas Isaac, State Finance Minister of Kerala’s newly-elected ...

PTI Terming the 5/20 rule which allows Indian carriers to fly abroad as "anarchic", India's Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju on Thursday said he was trying to change it so that new airlines can connect with foreign destinations. Raju said, in Lok Sabha, that the government wants more Indian airlines to fly to foreign destinations but as long as the 5/20 rule is not changed, they cannot fly abroad. The rule entails that an airline can fly to international destinations only if it has served within the country for five years and has a 20-aircraft fleet. "The more the merrier. It is a fact that 5/20 rule came from a particular Cabinet at a particular point of time. To my mind, it ...