A group of investors from the United States today evinced interest in participating in eco-friendly tourist projects in Assam. This was disclosed by the investors when they called on state Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi here. The group, which included Ms Christina Neyniger, Shams Tabriz Habib and Ms Natasha Martin, have shown interests in exploring potential opportunities in some organic products for export.

The products for export range from spices, exotic fruits, vegetables to tea. “Our focus is on developing the adventure and eco-friendly tourism markets and develop Assam as the base of these activities”, Heyniger said after their discussion with Gogoi. “We are looking forward to develop and market the appropriate products and services to attract key clients in the West, Heyniger, who has vast expertise in this sector having worked globally in areas with enormous bio-diversity as Madagascar and central America, said, Gogoi while assuring the investors of government’s help and support said the climate in the state was conducive for investments.

Nepal is home to the Himalaya’s and the world’s highest mountain. Rapid rivers flow through the country and wilderness areas abound. Experience the ultimate adventure travel in Nepal. Join us as we explore the various adventure travel options in Nepal.

TrekkingWith the great diversity of landscapes in Nepal, trekking has truly grown in popularity and will always be a fantastic adventure in Nepal. Most treks take place through the Middle Hills region where areas lie between 500m and 3000m above sea level. Excellent trails in this region will lead you across mountains and through quaint Nepalese villages. Trails can be traversed without the use of ropes or other mountaineering equipment. At certain times and on certain paths you may experience snow, but it is usually not a major hazard. Trekking in Nepal doesn’t require any special skills, just stamina and good health. Various companies offer guided treks through Nepal some featuring a trek up one of the impressive peaks of the country. Treks through Nepal are very physically demanding as long trails take in a several ascents and descents. People who are interested in trekking in Nepal should have some hiking experience and be comfortable with living outdoors. To find out more about trekking in Nepal, visit our page on “Trekking”.

MountaineeringOf course Nepal’s grand mountains offer the ultimate in mountaineering and expeditions can be organized to most of the peaks. Such expeditions require special arrangements and are best done through a company offering such a service along with guides and other staff. Technical mountaineering equipment and experience is required for this amazing adventure. As these hikes, especially those up the high peaks of the Himalaya’s require extensive organization, it is best to contact an adventure company to find out exactly what is required.

Mountain BikingMountain biking through Nepal, though challenging at some stages, is a great way to explore the natural wonders of this lovely country. Riding over mountain passes, through small towns and settlements and past monasteries is a truly unique and exciting experience, well worth the effort. Friendly locals will great you as you go along, what better way to familiarize yourself with the great diversity of Nepal.

Texas has cowboys and a whole lot more to offer travel and adventure seekers, and State tourism officials plan to showcase the Lone Star State’s diversity of attractions with its new advertising campaign that launches today. Created by TM Advertising, the integrated campaign targets leisure travelers aged 25-54 and seniors, and it continues to present Texas as the place to visit for unique, exciting and authentic leisure experiences. Anchored by TV, print, online, direct, and public relations, the campaign aims to capture Texas‘ diverse, and often unknown, array of leisure activities and attractions, as well as the historical and cultural offerings, which make it a top-tier vacation destination. The online component, one of the largest efforts to date, truly takes the hassle out of trip planning and offers a highly interactive, more approachable way to travel to Texas. 

It provides travelers the ability to create their own customized Texas trips, allowing for a more manageable travel planning experience. With multiple functions, the tool will develop a trip, provide a map and allow users to share itineraries with friends by e-mail or by printing them out.” We’re excited about the launch of the new campaign, which builds on the tremendous successes achieved over the past three years in driving vacation interest in travel to Texas,” said Julie Chase, Chief Marketing Officer for the Office of the Governor, Economic Development and Tourism. “Our hopes are that the new campaign will continue to expand consumer perceptions of Texas and educate potential visitors about the ‘real’ Texas — a state filled withan amazing diversity of attractions and activities.”

The TV component consists of five 60-second direct-response commercials that will air on ABC Family, Animal Planet, and Discovery. Each spot tracks the vacation experiences of visitors as they travel throughout the state enjoying the range of activities, attractions and landscapes available. Activities depicted cover the full scope of experiences leisure travelers seek in vacations including camping, fishing, hiking, rafting, surfing, visiting a Texas winery or theme park, enjoying Texas beaches, shopping, country dancing or having a night out on the town. In addition, vacationers are seen enjoying the variety of culture represented through Texas‘ award-winning Southern gourmet cuisine and diverse shopping experiences. The ads will continue to use the state’s long-time tagline; it’s like a whole other country(R).

It’s a travel agency that thousands of Indian tourists swear by. For almost a generation of outbound tourists in Western India, exotically named packaged tours like European Discovery and Dazzling Dubai were the first introduction to foreign travel. Holding their hand through the rough and tumble of the experience were familiar tour guides and Indian cooks dishing out vegetarian food from a travel agency called Shree Raj Travels and Tours, or more simply Raj Travels. The company which started three decades ago by Lalit Sheth from a small tour operator, offering trips to Kashmir, now has a national presence with several business streams. Raj travels is best known for its outbound tours, comprising 85% of its business.

The company’s latest initiative is the Raj National Express, a Volvo bus service operating in 39 cities countrywide. The buses offer fast and comfortable service on metro and non-metro routes all over the country. The transportation business will gradually form a much higher chunk as operations increase, says Mr Sheth. The company operates 51 buses with hubs in Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Indore, Bangalore and Chennai.

What began as a hunt for timber to build log houses at an upcoming 350 million euro ski resort in the Himalayan slopes of India has blossomed into a vibrant partnership involving the Finnish government, a municipality in the north of the country and a semi-government body supported by the European Union. This collaboration has brought in Finnish experts in the fields of environmentally sustainable tourism, ecological snow management, resort development and best operational practices.

The Himalayan Ski Village (HSV) aims to create world-class infrastructure at Manali in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh to position it amongst the world’s best tourism destinations, the project’s promoters say. Even as HSV prepares for its groundbreaking ceremony later this year, the collaboration has already begun showing results. A group of 40 skiers from Manali have just completed a three-week training schedule at three slopes in the Lapland area of northern Finland to become instructors.

With its scenic beauty and rich cultural and natural diversity, southern Spain’s Andalucia region is positioning itself as a dream destination for Indian tourists seeking a holiday with a difference. “Nowhere else in the world can you drive in two and a half hours from perpetually snow-clad mountains to wide beaches, to vast biosphere reserves and to deserts of volcanic ash,” Gaspar Zarrias, vice president of the Andalucia autonomous region, said at a presentation for the media and the travel trade here.

Andalucia is the land of flamenco and bullfights. Its 800 km of Mediterranean coastline hosts a staggering 42 pleasure marinas. It boasts of 104 golf courses - many of them by the sea - five modern airports, 24 nature parks and 32 nature reserves. The region is home to the historic cities of Seville, Cadiz, Cordoba, Malaga, Granada and Almeria. It counts among its proud son’s painter Pablo Piccaso, author Gabriel Garcia Marquez and actor Antonio Banderas.

In fact, it was from the Andalucian port of Palos that Christopher Columbus sailed in 1492 on his voyage that culminated in the discovery of America. “We have a good product to offer and this is reflected in the fact that we received 25.1 million tourists. This number has already been exceeded by one million this year,” said Zarrias, who is the number two in the regional government that has a considerable amount of functional autonomy. “Four out of every 10 visitors is a repeat traveler. This is obviously due to that something special to offer,” Zarrias contended.

Mahindra Holidays and Resorts, has launched ‘Zest’ a short break option for young metropolitans who want frequent holiday breaks. As a part of the exercise, the first two Zest signature resorts will be operational by the year end in Ooty and Kodaikanal. Over the next 18 months, resorts are also being planned at Puducherry, Coorg, Chikmagalur and other locations across the country. “Zest resorts will be unique in that they will cater to a ‘my kind of break — a holiday the way I like it, when I like it and at the pace I like it to be’,” Mahindra Holidays and Resorts chairman Arun Nanda told newspersons on Wednesday.

The product concept has been co-developed with San Francisco based consumer design organizations IDEO. Observing that travel and leisure industry is witnessing a boomtime, MHRIL managing director Ramesh Ramanathan said the zest is primarily aimed at the young metropolitan family who desires a getaway. It will offer a bouquet of resorts at destinations close to all principal metros. The national roll-out if Zest resorts and service network will be phased over the next three years. At present it will be launched in Chennai and Bangalore, he added. Located at drivable distance from metro cities, Zest gives you six nights every year for ten years thus allowing members to take multiple breaks a year.