Agoda Vacation Planner: Agoda Launches AI-Powered Vacation Planner in India with Ayushmann Khurrana, ET TravelWorld
1 min read
Agoda debuts AI-powered Vacation Planner in India featuring Ayushmann Khurrana
Agoda has launched a limited-time AI Vacation Planner tailored for Indian travellers, starring Ayushmann Khurrana as "Mr. Vacaywala." Powered by Google's Gemini and Imagen technologies, the tool offers personalised, visually rich itineraries via AgodaVacationPlanner.com. The campaign, active until 30 June, combines generative AI, marketing, and entertainment to reimagine how Indian consumers plan stress-free holidays.
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Time of India
41 minutes ago
- Time of India
Viral: Japanese couple's Indian restaurant in Japan has netizens in awe of their love for the country
Image credits: Instagram/sonammidhax India is considered to be one of the oldest cultures in the world. The country is loved and adored by countless people across geographical borders not only for its natural beauty but also its people, traditions, cuisines and rich history that adds a layer of depth and meaning to it all. A heart-melting example of this can be found in a restaurant in Japan named 'Indian Spice Factory.' Located in Fukuoka city, the restaurant run by a Japanese couple has gone viral on social media with people sharing their experience of visiting the place and others adoring the couple's love for India, its cultures and its cuisines. Nakayama-san and his wife Sachiko-san run the restaurant that instantly transports you to India with its Bengali and South Indian thalis, meals served on banana leaves and earthenware pots and décor including Indian musical instruments and more. However, what truly seals this India-Japan deal is Sachiko-san's attire, which includes a saree. Sonam Midha, a travel blogger recently posted a video about the Indian Spice Factory that has made the place reach every person's feed. "The love they had for India and Indian culture was unmatched. The whole experience was so touching and my heart was filled with love🌻🥹It was truly an honour to meet sachiko san and Nakayama san!🙇♀️🙇♀️," wrote Midha in the caption of the video. Ever since being posted on Instagram, the video has received a whopping 946K views with 78.9K likes and 858 comments. The viral video Image credits: Instagram/sonammidhax "I have seen everything in Japan now," began Midha as she filmed a video of the restaurant. She turned the camera to Sachiko-san asking "You wear saree every day?" to which she nodded and said "every day!" Then the camera turned to Koji Nakayama who introduced his name and described himself as a Japanese chef. "So meet the Nakayamas in Japan, a Japanese couple jinko Kolkata itna pasand hai ki who banana leaf per khana serve karte hain. Bahar India ka flag hai aur andar radha-krishna ki murti. Unhone table aur sitar bhi bajana seekha aur handmade murukku banana bhi," said Sonam in the video. "Aur khana itna authentic ki jo sabziyan Japan mai nahi ugti unke seeds unhone India se manga ke Japan mai ugane shuru kar diye." She also showed a clip of being served an Indian sweet dish called 'Firni' in the restaurant that the chef said was made from Gobindbhog rice. When asked why the couple chose to serve Bengali cuisine in Japan, Koji Nakayama shared, "I was living in Kolkata, India around 5 years. I was managing Japanese restaurants in Kolkata, Delhi, and Chennai." The utensils used in the restaurant were all brought by the couple from Kolkata and they served local dishes such as karela bhaja, pui shaag, pudina chutney, bhaja mugger dal, and moong dal along with India's favourite beverage chai. Netizens react to Indian Spice Factory Image credits: Instagram/sonammidhax People in the comments were not only surprised by the couple's love for Indian cuisine but some even shared their experience of having visited their restaurant. "Visited last May and was amazed by how authentic and flavorful their Bengali cuisine was" commented one person. "Wasn't until I lived in small city in Japan years ago that I learned to love Indian cuisine. Tiny Indian restaurant run by a lovely Japanese couple - Sai no Tsuno!" shared a Japanese individual. In the comments of the post, the couple appreciated the views and wishes they got from the blogger's video adding that all the cooking is done by his wife Sachiko who used to be a Spanish chef. "We are very happy that this article has become so popular before I knew it. We are really grateful to have met @sonammidhax " "Bangali here. Am flattered. Your respect for my culture food is overwhelming. Thank you," added a Bengali person in the comments.
News18
2 hours ago
- News18
Former Australian canoeist silently shaping future athletes in Meghalaya
Last Updated: Srinagar, Aug 21 (PTI) Ian Vincent travelled to India nearly three decades ago to explore the country. But little did the former Australian canoeist know that he would soon fall in love with it, marry a girl from Kerala, and settle down in pristine Meghalaya to train the youth to become future canoeists. On Thursday, the Australian, in his early 60s, said he is proud that he is doing his bit to popularise canoeing in the tiny northeastern state, which has several water bodies but very little water sports activity. 'I've been in India for about 30 years now. I'm married to an Indian, yes. And I'm actually the person who started the Meghalaya Canoe Association," Vincent, who has lost much of his strong Australian accent after residing in India for nearly 30 years, says as he watches his students compete in the Khelo India Water Sports Festival here. 'I started the sport in the state 10 years ago. We could only bring four students here for the event (KIWSF) because of the limited entries, but we have around 25 (in the Meghalaya centre)," he says. Vincent has opened a canoeing centre in the vicinity of a whitewater river in Umtham village in Meghalaya where he trains around 25 youngsters from the state to become national, and possibly international canoeists. His daughter Elizabeth, he says, recently competed in the Asian Canoeing Championship in China. 'The government is also very supportive of our work. So, we're very happy there." 'We actually live on a whitewater rapid river. We live right on the doorstep of the river. The place is called Whitewater Village. It's on Google, you can Google it," says Vincent, who has competed for Australia in the World Championship and European Cup in the early 1980s. Sports like canoeing, kayaking and rowing require players to have certain physical attributes but Vincent is not too much concerned about that. 'It's hard to find (players with certain physical attributes in the state), yeah. We're searching for them. But we're making the best with what we've got, what we have," he says. His motto is 'paddling towards excellence' and he organises intensive camps at Whitewater Village, making special diet plans for quick recovery and peak performance and closely monitoring and identifying the promising athletes. 'Now, we're really focusing on high-performance training as the 2027 National Games are scheduled in Meghalaya. And we are getting good results, good progress." Vincent's wife, Sheila, who hails from Kerala, helps him manage the workload. 'She is the secretary of the Meghalaya Canoeing Association," he says pointing towards his wife. Then pointing towards his daughter Elizabeth, he says, 'she has been representing India for a few years now." As for his subdued Australian accent, he says, 'I have been here since 1997. So, my accent has changed living in India." PTI AM AM AH AH view comments First Published: August 21, 2025, 19:30 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Loading comments...
Hans India
3 hours ago
- Hans India
FHRAI seeks 5 pc GST with input tax credit for tourism sector
New Delhi: As the Centre prepares to revamp GST rates, the Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI) has urged Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to implement a uniform 5 per cent GST rate with input tax credit to make tourism affordable. The FHRAI argued that India's GST rates are higher than Asian peers like Thailand and Singapore, where rates are as low as 6 to 10 per cent. India's higher GST structure reduces affordability and weakens its appeal for international travellers, it said. "The appeal to cut rates seeks to position Indian tourism as a driver of economic growth while enhancing its global competitiveness in alignment with India's Vision 2047," the industry body said in a release. A uniform GST rate of five per cent with input tax credit across all hospitality and tourism services would ease compliance and reduce the cost burden for both domestic and international travellers, it said. The association has also called for doing away with the linking of GST on food and beverage services from hotel room tariffs, pointing out that the current linkage creates operational inefficiencies and revenue losses for hotels. Further, it requested that past GST payments be regularised on an "as is" basis to address demand notices arising from earlier ambiguities in the interpretation of tariff values and service classifications. FHRAI claimed that the ratification of GST could double tourism's current contribution of 5 per cent to India's GDP and create immense jobs. The tourism sector remains one of the largest employment generators, offering extensive opportunities for youth and women, with its high multiplier effect, where every rupee invested in hospitality generates a return of Rs 3.5 in output, while one direct job in the sector creates an additional 3.2 indirect jobs, the release said.
