Adaaran Resorts’, Maldives’ latest property, Ocean Villas has won the Excellence Award in the ‘Hotel & Tourism’ category at the Sri Lanka Institute of Architects (SLIA) Design Awards 2008. Adaaran’s Ocean Villas in the North Malé Atoll of Republic of Maldives, 19 km from the Male’ international airport, are a selection of 40 beautiful villas set in the ocean. Consisting of luxurious contemporary decor with teak wooden flooring, topped with a king-sized four poster bed, these villas are the epitome of luxury.
Fine dining takes on a new meaning at the resort, where you can have your meal on the island or in a private setting of your choice. The Spa experience is extremely blissful as expert massage therapists caress your cares away. Ayurvedic remedies and the art of healing come next to a choice of more modest treatments like a soothing sauna, facial and bath… Ocean Villas also arrange excursions to nearby deserted islands where nature takes over as you enjoy complete privacy.
Mr. Mano Ponniah, Consultant Architect and Jean-Michel Fragnay, Consultant Interior Designer for the Ocean Villas project received the Adaaran Ocean Villa excellence award for ‘Hotel & Tourism’ under ‘Buildings’ category. Upon receiving the award, Mr. Ponniah commented that the simplicity of the structural design, quality of the interior and immaculate methods undertaken in the construction were pivotal to the winning of the award.
The first Adaaran Prestige property to be launched in the Maldives was Adaaran ‘Prestige’ Water Villas in 2005. Their second Prestige property Adaaran ‘Prestige’ Ocean Villas was inaugurated late last year. Their next property, Adaaran ‘Prestige’ Vadoo, set to officially open in February 2009, is also anticipated to further add to the collection of Adaaran Prestige properties represented by excellent architectural designs and exquisite interior designing.
Contact: Tel: + 960 3343867 / 3315238
E-mail: info@hudhuranfushi.com.mv / info@adaaran.com.mv
www.hudhuranfushimaldives.com
Prolific Preserve
The Bannerghatta National Park, the famous tiger and lion reserve of India is about 22 kms from Bangalore. Situated at an altitude of 3375 ft interspersed with valleys and streams, the Park is home to a wide variety of carnivorous animals and birds and a major tourist attraction. Spread over 25,000 acres of land, the park possesses of a zoological garden, butterfly park and facilities for adventure trekking. A mini safari through the tiger reserve is an amazing experience. Established in the year 1971, the Bannerghatta National Park includes ten reserve forests of the Anekal Range. The surrounding areas of the Park are hills speckled with temples. The patched rough terrain of the park is The Butterfly Park inside the Bannerghatta National Park is a circular-shaped enclosure of around 10,000 sq ft of area and has around 20 species of butterflies carefully preserved with a polycarbonate roof. Spread over 7.5 acres of land, the Butterfly Park comprises of a butterfly conservatory, museum and an audio-visual room. The Butterfly Park has a controlled tropical atmosphere and humid climate. The museum on the second and third domes of the conservatory has dioramas and exhibits.
The small museum in the zoological garden features exhibits. The reptile park and a small theatre make the zoo a major attraction of the National Park. The mini zoo has rare species like the white peacock, fantail pigeon, great Indian pied hornbill, iguanas, porcupines and leopards and many more exotic varieties. Pythons, crocodiles, vipers, cobras and other snakes are the inhabitants of the reptile park. The lion and tiger safaris and elephant joy rides are some features of this area and which serve as a fund of the reserve. Karnataka State Tourism development Corporation’s (KSTDC), large and well-equipped vans are available for tourists to conduct safari rides. To get the most fearsome sights of Indian Tigers as well as Lions, we have to pass through dry deciduous forest and thorny scrub with moist deciduous bamboo patches along the streams. Also, now a new herbivorous enclosure is coming up in a separate 80-hectare area where native species like elephants, spotted deer, sambhar and black buck will be kept.
The nearest attractions of the Bannerghatta National Park are Pearl Valley and Nrityagaram. Situated at 25 km from the park, the Pearl Valley is a beautiful and very popular picnic spot surrounded by lush vegetation, a habitat of several wild animals. Other attractions are an ancient Shiva temple and Nrityagram, India’s first dance village that features cultural programmes every February.
The best season for visiting the Bannerghatta National Park is between mid-June and August when the forest is at its spectacular best, full of lush greenery. However, the best time to spot wild animals is between the months of November and June. The park is open from 9 am to 5 pm every day, but Tuesday, which is a holiday.
www.karnatakatourism.org
The small museum in the zoological garden features exhibits. The reptile park and a small theatre make the zoo a major attraction of the National Park. The mini zoo has rare species like the white peacock, fantail pigeon, great Indian pied hornbill, iguanas, porcupines and leopards and many more exotic varieties. Pythons, crocodiles, vipers, cobras and other snakes are the inhabitants of the reptile park. The lion and tiger safaris and elephant joy rides are some features of this area and which serve as a fund of the reserve. Karnataka State Tourism development Corporation’s (KSTDC), large and well-equipped vans are available for tourists to conduct safari rides. To get the most fearsome sights of Indian Tigers as well as Lions, we have to pass through dry deciduous forest and thorny scrub with moist deciduous bamboo patches along the streams. Also, now a new herbivorous enclosure is coming up in a separate 80-hectare area where native species like elephants, spotted deer, sambhar and black buck will be kept.
The nearest attractions of the Bannerghatta National Park are Pearl Valley and Nrityagaram. Situated at 25 km from the park, the Pearl Valley is a beautiful and very popular picnic spot surrounded by lush vegetation, a habitat of several wild animals. Other attractions are an ancient Shiva temple and Nrityagram, India’s first dance village that features cultural programmes every February.
The best season for visiting the Bannerghatta National Park is between mid-June and August when the forest is at its spectacular best, full of lush greenery. However, the best time to spot wild animals is between the months of November and June. The park is open from 9 am to 5 pm every day, but Tuesday, which is a holiday.
www.karnatakatourism.org
New value additions from KSTDC
The latest from the Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation (KSTDC) is the options for holiday packages and other value additions for tourists. KSTDC hotels are offering to make arrangements for vacations and not just rent-a-room service. Mr. Vinay Luthra, KSTDC MD has stated that KSTDC hotles at Belur, Badami, Kodagu, Hampi, Mysore and Srirangapatna will make arrangements for one-, two- and three-day packages that are inclusive of hotel accommodation, food and sightseeing in the vicinity. The plan is to make this offer available in other KSTDC properties also.
For the northern parts of the state which are less developed and less popular compared to other regions, Mr. Luthra states that KSTDC plans to arrange bus tours to these places. The Corporation is buying 14 new buses for package tours to these areas. Rural tourism is to be developed at places like Kokkaew-Bellur, Kodagu, Banawasi and Anegondi. The tourism authorities are making efforts to involve local communities and NGOs in tourism to pass on the economic benefits to the local community.
KSTDC is also on its way to helping to solve the connectivity problem to Bengaluru International Airport and already has the license to operate 100 pre-paid taxis from there to the city.
For the northern parts of the state which are less developed and less popular compared to other regions, Mr. Luthra states that KSTDC plans to arrange bus tours to these places. The Corporation is buying 14 new buses for package tours to these areas. Rural tourism is to be developed at places like Kokkaew-Bellur, Kodagu, Banawasi and Anegondi. The tourism authorities are making efforts to involve local communities and NGOs in tourism to pass on the economic benefits to the local community.
KSTDC is also on its way to helping to solve the connectivity problem to Bengaluru International Airport and already has the license to operate 100 pre-paid taxis from there to the city.
UNWTO World Tourism Barometer June 2008
International tourism grew at around 5% during the first four months of the year - one percentage point above the long-term trend. According to the June edition of the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer, the first results for 2008 suggest the relative stability of international tourism. In spite of uncertainties posed by the global economy, international tourist arrivals grew at around 5% between January and April 2008, compared to the same period of 2007.
Prospects for international tourism remain positive, although the overall economic climate has deteriorated since the last quarter of 2007, reducing consumer confidence and putting pressure on household spending and travel budgets. UNWTO expects tourism demand to grow, but at a slower pace over the remainder of the year. The summer season in the northern hemisphere will be critical. "The extent of any tourism demand adjustment and its consequences for the sector will depend on how the economy evolves and consumers react, both of which are directly interrelated to oil and food prices. UNWTO is monitoring this evolving situation closely. Given current circumstances we are cautious, although we remain positive for the overall industry perspective in 2008", said UNWTO Secretary-General Mr. Francesco Frangialli.
All sub-regions posted positive results in the first months of the year. Growth was fastest in the Middle East, North-East and South Asia, and Central and South America. North-America is on track for a clearly positive year thanks to the strong inbound travel to the USA, while arrivals to the Caribbean started to rebound well on last year’s stagnant results. Growth was more modest in Europe, with best performances coming from Southern and Mediterranean destinations. A variety of destination countries all around the globe reported double-digit growth rates in the first three to five months of 2008, among which in Asia and the Pacific: China, Japan, Republic of Korea, Macao (China), Cambodia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Fiji, India and Nepal; in the Americas: the USA, Cuba, Jamaica, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Panama, Chile, Peru and Uruguay; in Europe: Sweden, Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania, Israel, Malta, Montenegro and Turkey; and in Africa and the Middle East: Bahrain, Egypt and Morocco.
Uncertainty over the global economic situation is affecting consumer confidence and could hurt tourism demand. The current economic imbalances, in particular the rising energy prices, are very likely to influence tourism spending. But specific demand shifts – determined by disposable income, travel budgets and confidence - will vary from country to country, and from region to region, depending on their local economies, labour markets and consumer confidence.
For 2008 as a whole, UNWTO maintains a cautiously positive forecast. Though consumer confidence indices show an increasing degree of uncertainty, international tourism has proven to be resilient in similar circumstances in the past and able to cope with various types of shocks, including security threats, geopolitical tensions or natural and man-made crisis. The anticipated softening of international tourism growth in 2008, yet still clearly at a positive level, follows four historically strong years. Between 2004 and 2007 international tourism grew at an extraordinary above average rate of 7% a year, boosted by a buoyant world economy and pent-up demand after the challenges in 2001-2003.
(Condensed from the original article ‘Advanced results from the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer June 2008’ For more information on the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer:
http://unwto.org/facts/eng/barometer.htm
Prospects for international tourism remain positive, although the overall economic climate has deteriorated since the last quarter of 2007, reducing consumer confidence and putting pressure on household spending and travel budgets. UNWTO expects tourism demand to grow, but at a slower pace over the remainder of the year. The summer season in the northern hemisphere will be critical. "The extent of any tourism demand adjustment and its consequences for the sector will depend on how the economy evolves and consumers react, both of which are directly interrelated to oil and food prices. UNWTO is monitoring this evolving situation closely. Given current circumstances we are cautious, although we remain positive for the overall industry perspective in 2008", said UNWTO Secretary-General Mr. Francesco Frangialli.
All sub-regions posted positive results in the first months of the year. Growth was fastest in the Middle East, North-East and South Asia, and Central and South America. North-America is on track for a clearly positive year thanks to the strong inbound travel to the USA, while arrivals to the Caribbean started to rebound well on last year’s stagnant results. Growth was more modest in Europe, with best performances coming from Southern and Mediterranean destinations. A variety of destination countries all around the globe reported double-digit growth rates in the first three to five months of 2008, among which in Asia and the Pacific: China, Japan, Republic of Korea, Macao (China), Cambodia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Fiji, India and Nepal; in the Americas: the USA, Cuba, Jamaica, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Panama, Chile, Peru and Uruguay; in Europe: Sweden, Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania, Israel, Malta, Montenegro and Turkey; and in Africa and the Middle East: Bahrain, Egypt and Morocco.
Uncertainty over the global economic situation is affecting consumer confidence and could hurt tourism demand. The current economic imbalances, in particular the rising energy prices, are very likely to influence tourism spending. But specific demand shifts – determined by disposable income, travel budgets and confidence - will vary from country to country, and from region to region, depending on their local economies, labour markets and consumer confidence.
For 2008 as a whole, UNWTO maintains a cautiously positive forecast. Though consumer confidence indices show an increasing degree of uncertainty, international tourism has proven to be resilient in similar circumstances in the past and able to cope with various types of shocks, including security threats, geopolitical tensions or natural and man-made crisis. The anticipated softening of international tourism growth in 2008, yet still clearly at a positive level, follows four historically strong years. Between 2004 and 2007 international tourism grew at an extraordinary above average rate of 7% a year, boosted by a buoyant world economy and pent-up demand after the challenges in 2001-2003.
(Condensed from the original article ‘Advanced results from the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer June 2008’ For more information on the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer:
http://unwto.org/facts/eng/barometer.htm
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