Unveiling The Best Christmas Destinations From Around The World 

BY  Abdul Aziz Oct 30, 2023

Sri Lanka Cabinet has approved the issuing of free visas to India, Russia, China, Japan, Thailand, and Malaysia. It will come into immediate effect as a pilot project till the 31st of March. Ali Sabry, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, has tweeted. The minister has stated that the pilot project that is to commence immediately will be extended until March 31, 2024. Sabry posted, “Cabinet approves issuing of free visas to India, China, Russia, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia and Thailand with immediate effect as a pilot project till 31 March.” Earlier in March, Sri Lankan foreign minister Ali Sabry said that Sri Lanka’s relationship with India is ‘one of the most important in our foreign policy.’ Visitors from the mentioned countries can now obtain visas from Sri Lanka without charges. This is a significant change, given that India has been Sri Lanka’s primary source of inbound tourism. Reports by PTI say, according to the statistics for September, India has led north of 30,000 arrivals which comprise 26% of the total. Chinese tourists follow closely as the second-largest group with over 8,000 arrivals. The island country has seen a fall in tourist arrivals since the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings. It resulted in the tragic loss of 270 lives. It included 11 Indians and over 500 civilians injured. Sri Lanka has been fighting a severe economic crisis since its British independence in 1948. Currently, the country is facing political unrest that is marked by protests and calls for President Rajapaksa’s resignation. The economic crisis has created shortages of basic necessities like food, medicine, cooking gas, and fuel. Even toilet paper and matches are nearly unavailable. Sri Lankans have been enduring the long lines outside stores for their basic needs for months now. They have to wait to buy fuel as well as cooking gas due to the shortages. The Ministry of Tourism has recently revealed that during the preceding Cabinet meeting, a Cabinet Paper was introduced. It suggests the provision of complimentary tourist visas to foreign travelers from five countries planning to visit Sri Lanka for tourism. Read Also: Glasgow City Council Moved To Offer More Bus Stops For Tourists Malaysia Adventure: Planning An Active And Thrilling Getaway THIS Is When You Should Visit Maldives!

BY  Abdul Aziz Nov 6, 2023

If you are looking to visit Mexico, chances are its capital Mexico City is pretty high up on your list. The best hotels that you can choose to stay here are listed below. The country is popular among tourists, and it's really easy to see why. In case you want to witness the real Mexico, which is away from the beach resorts (glamorous as they are), you must visit Mexico City. Getting a glimpse of the Mexico that Frida Khalo belonged to is a treat in itself. Her house is Casa Azul is in the Coyoacán locality. The blue house is one of the essential stops on any Mexico City itinerary. After you get your culture fix, Coyoacán is famous for its churros. Some of the best restaurants dot the sprawling city. The eateries are amazing too. Mexico City offers the best food, whether it is from the streets or the high-end establishments with elaborate menus. The usual neighborhoods that attract tourists are La Condesa, Colonia Roma, and Polanco. Colonia Roma is one of the coolest with buzzed bars and restaurants. It is also a great place to just take a walk around. Roma Norte is where La Valise Mexico City is situated. It is a boutique hotel that is simply waiting to become your pied à terre. It is home to the popular Brick Hotel, which has a local-approved restaurant and green rooftop. At the tree-lined La Condesa, there is the circular Avenida Amsterdam which used to be a horse-racing hippodrome at one point. It has now become a popular dog-walking spot for the city’s trendiest people. The hotels include shiny high-rises like the Mondrian and the Andaz. Some of the best hotels that you can lodge while feeling bougie have a great line-up in Mexico City. The Four Seasons Mexico City, Colima 71, The Red Tree House, Volga, and Downtown are essentially the most Mexican lodging you must experience while visiting. Read Also: Muslim Miss Universe Queens Are The New Faces Of The Philippines’ Halal And Wellness Tourism Campaign Singaporean Expert Says Vietnam Tourism Needs Better Destination Management: Report Glasgow City Council Moved To Offer More Bus Stops For Tourists

BY  Abdul Aziz Dec 19, 2023

Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) is looking to grow its tourism arrivals into the country to  5.5 million within the next 5 years as it is about to reach out to private sector players for collaborative efforts to take the country to the global stage. KTB chairperson Francis Gichaba has disclosed that the tourism sector is back on full recovery pointing out that the arrivals by the end of this financial year will be closing at slightly over 1.9 million visitors that was recorded in 2019. Gichaba has revealed, “We are very optimistic that with the support from the private sector and other key players in the industry, our performance will even surpass the 2019 arrivals to over 2 million and progressively beyond." He was delivering a speech at Bomas of Kenya during a tourism stakeholders meeting that brought under the same roof tour operators, hoteliers, government agencies and tourism associations. The session sought to validate KTB's 5-year strategic plan for 2023-2028. In the strategy, KTB is targeting to achieve 5.5 million international tourist arrivals and grow the tourism industry's contribution to the economy of Kenya to KES 1 trillion each year by June 2028. Gichaba said destination marketing has been a collaborative exercise noting that the involvement of the private sectors in the development of strategy which was one of the ways of incorporating invaluable ideas that would shape the sector's performance within the review period. Kenya Hotel Keepers Association and Caterers (KAHC) CEO Mike Macharia suggested to the private players to curate their products and travel experiences to the needs of the market. He said, “We talk of Africa as the low-hanging fruit in terms of numbers and market share in the country and therefore the product owners should package their products and experience and sell to Africa. This move would also open opportunities for Africans to invest in the hospitality sector in Kenya... We have to go where the market is, and this is what our competitors such as South Africa have beaten us on. They have invested heavily in market presence not only to build brand awareness but to sign marketing deals." Read Also: Manila Wins Big At World Travel Awards 2023, Crowned World’s Top City Destination Celebrations Have Begun At Oaga, Art Resort, Maldives: Report Burger King Is Giving Away Free Food All Month