Latest news with #Varanasi
Forbes
a day ago
- Business
- Forbes
Looking For A New Adventure? Let This Award-Winning Travel Company Create Your Dream Trip
Timbuktu was founded just over ten years ago with a clear goal: to make even the most remote destinations accessible to adventurous travelers. Timbuktu can take relatively complex and slightly amorphous travel plans and transform them into a well-organized, perfectly tailored trip. They do so by offerings specially curated journeys that can be put together like puzzle pieces so that clients wind up with their dream holidays. Each trip is developed with one of the company's extremely well-qualified travel experts. Enjoy a private tour of Varanasi How does it work? If you and your friends have determined that its time for an exotic safari in Botswana, you can browse through several options. If you find an itinerary that you like, you have the choice of a luxury, mid-range or 'shoestring' place to stay. Some travelers like to end their trips in more deluxe accommodations, others might prefer a five-star experience throughout their journey. You can choose to go for the cheaper option for a few nights in Khawai, but then decide between the luxurious Duma Camp (about $2,000 a night) or the mid-range Linyanti Bush Camp (about $600 a night). Your travel expert can advise you on the best lodges for honeymoons, family trips, fishing or walking safaris. A five star retreat in Botswana Guests can also customize a trip based on whether they prefer a more 'classic' trip or one with a more off-the-beaten track feel. And in fact, you can include both in your itineraries in destinations that include Sri Lanka, Antarctica, Indonesia and India, among others. Try a horseback riding safari Timbuktu has also developed its own specialty tours. On a recent trip to Thailand, our travel expert included all the classics, such as Wat Pho, the temple that houses the 45 meter reclining Buddha, but also made sure to include a bike trip to Bang Krachao (known as Bangkok's Green Lung). Since one of my sons was obsessed with Muay Thai, our guide somehow managed to include a boxing lesson in a local outdoor ring in the middle of the jungle. Our guides were all local experts who escorted us to some terrific and lesser-known lunch spots and were more than willing to make last-minute special requests. A prayer ceremony One of my favorite parts of taking a Timbuktu trip is the organization's commitment to the communities where they send guests. In Africa, the company makes a donation for every trip booked to a variety of charitable endeavors. For example, Timbuktu supports CAMFED, which provides schooling and educational resources for young women in some of the most disadvantaged communities. In South America, Timbuktu supports Rewilding Chile, a group that protects wild spaces through the creation of national parks, ecosystem restoration and community engagement. In Thailand, Timbuktu only sends guests to elephant sanctuaries that their teams have personally visited and that are committed to safe and sustainable practices. Wildlife in Antartica Timbuktu's unique approach to customized trips, expert guidance and extremely knowledgeable advisors makes it easy to experience an ideal adventure in almost any location in the world.
Business Insider
3 days ago
- Business
- Business Insider
Goldman Sachs Remains a Hold on Prosegur Cash (0RNO)
Goldman Sachs analyst Suhasini Varanasi maintained a Hold rating on Prosegur Cash (0RNO – Research Report) today and set a price target of €0.80. The company's shares closed yesterday at €0.81. Confident Investing Starts Here: Varanasi covers the Industrials sector, focusing on stocks such as Brenntag AG, Adecco Group AG, and Prosegur Compania de Seguridad. According to TipRanks, Varanasi has an average return of 2.2% and a 50.68% success rate on recommended stocks. The word on The Street in general, suggests a Moderate Buy analyst consensus rating for Prosegur Cash with a €0.80 average price target. Based on Prosegur Cash's latest earnings release for the quarter ending March 31, the company reported a quarterly revenue of €516.1 million and a net profit of €23 million. In comparison, last year the company earned a revenue of €470.5 million and had a net profit of €17.7 million
Skift
6 days ago
- Business
- Skift
Inside India's Events and Meetings Aspirations
India upped its convention center game for the G20 Summit last year. Now, it is trying to drum up the marketing for these spaces across the country. But is India really MICE ready? India wants to feature among the world's top destinations for meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE). Earlier this month, tourism minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat called MICE the fastest-growing tourism segment in India and a key driver for the country's economic growth. According to Shekhawat, India's MICE market generated $49.4 billion in revenue last year. That figure is expected to more than double to $103.7 billion by 2030. This growth, he said, will be driven by 'recent developments in MICE-ready destinations coming up in cities like Varanasi, Khajuraho and Kochi.' But while the government is bullish, event industry insiders say the ground reality is more complicated. More Than Convention Centers: A successful MICE destination requires more than just a convention center, Ramanpreet Singh, vice president of growth and strategy at events management company SKIL told Skift. 'It is about building a holistic ecosystem through air connectivity, multiple high-quality hotel options, efficient ground logistics, safety and security, digital readiness and above all, ease of doing business." Singh added that simple permissions, proactive local authorities, and support from the community are just as crucial as physical infrastructure. Samit Garg, president of the Event and Entertainment Management Association (EEMA) and co-founder of E-Factor Experiences, agreed. For him, destinations need to be appealing on multiple levels. "Culture, sightseeing, shopping, and entertainment matter to delegates." Both SKIL and EEMA pointed to several smaller cities that are on the way to be MICE-suitable: Jaipur, Udaipur, Goa, Rishikesh, Jim Corbett, Kochi, Gandhinagar, Varanasi, and Amritsar. But the real challenge: converting intent into real MICE capability. Take for instance, a destination like Khajuraho that the central government is positioning as a MICE venue after the opening of a convention center. 'The ground reality is still quite different,' Singh said. 'It remains a Tier‐2 town with limited flight connectivity, modest hotel infrastructure, and very basic support services." Singh pointed out that while the intent to develop it as a MICE destination is commendable, the actual ecosystem required to host large‐scale corporate events is still a work in progress. "Other cities that show strong promise include Hampi, Mahabalipuram, Shillong, Diu, and Bhubaneswar,' he said. Emerging Trends in MICE: According to Garg, the MICE sector itself is changing: "Event formats are evolving with hybrid events, AI-driven delegate engagement, and immersive technologies like AR/VR. Also, sustainability and smaller, boutique summits are gaining popularity." Personalization and incorporation of corporate-social responsibility (CSR) activities are also becoming key elements of events, Singh said. 'There is also a growing preference for experiential venues over standard banquet spaces,' he added. Integration of local culture, wellness, and local experiences is also becoming the norm. Singh added, 'MICE on cruises is an emerging format that is becoming increasingly attractive for corporates looking to create immersive, high‐impact experiences. Cruises work particularly well for incentive travel, leadership offsites, and celebratory events because they offer a contained environment with curated experiences.' Global Standing: India is positioning itself as a MICE destination for the world. Globally, MICE destinations have smooth transport, vendor readiness, top‐tier hospitality, entertainment options, and active government support. In India, Singh said, 'The infrastructure still feels disjointed. Organizers often have to stitch things together on their own. We're moving in the right direction, but we're not there yet.' Indian Visitors Were Washington, DC's Highest Spenders in 2024 In 2024, Indian visitors were the highest spenders in Washington, DC as they spent $344 million in the city last year. India was also the third-biggest international source market for Washington after Canada and the United Kingdom, Destination DC said in a statement. According to Tourism Economics, 191,000 Indians visited the destination. In 2024, India was the fourth-largest source country for the U.S., after Canada, Mexico, and the United Kingdom. Nearly 2.2 million Indians visited the country, according to data from the U.S. International Trade Administration. According to recent data shared by Skift Research, among the five major source markets of the U.S. — Canada, Germany, India, Mexico, and the United Kingdom — there is a sharp decline in interest in visiting the U.S. among all sources except for India. 'In Canada, the share of negatively biased travelers exceeded those with a positive bias by 36%. In India, there was a net positivity gap of +41% in favor of travelers being 'more likely' to visit the U.S. today versus 12 months ago,' the report said. IHCL to Invest in Hotels in Northeast Indian States Taj-parent Indian Hotels Company (IHCL) is looking to invest in hotels in Northeast India as the number of tourists in the region increase. The company's area director for North East Jayanta Das said at a recent event that IHCL is looking to increase its presence in the Northeast across its brands to 30 hotels by 2030. He added that the company is looking to invest INR 25 billion ($293 million) in the region over the next three years. IHCL is also looking to build new tourist circuits and itineraries across all eight states in the region, Das added. 'Our planned expansion into the northeast is backed by belief in sustainable luxury and community-led development. We currently have nine operating hotels and two luxury homestays,' he said. The company's pipeline includes five upcoming hotels in Agartala, Itanagar, Guwahati, Jorhat, and Dibrugarh. Delhi's Terminal 1 Airport Roof Damaged A part of the roof outside Delhi Airport's domestic terminal T1 was damaged in the rainfall. The tensile fabric used as the roof in the arrival forecourt tore off due to water collection. No one was injured in the incident. Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) spokesperson said that there was no structural compromise or impact to other parts of the terminal. 'Swift action was taken by the ground teams to restore normal conditions, ensuring safety and continuity of operations with minimal disruption,' the statement added. A similar incident had taken place last June when a canopy at the departure forecourt collapsed leading to one fatality and injuries to several other people. Meliá Hotels Launches 'Atithi Program' for Indian Groups Spanish hotel chain Meliá Hotels International has unveiled an initiative designed for Indian groups. The 'Atithi Program' (guest program) has been created to welcome Indian groups traveling to Europe, the company said in a statement. It added that the program introduces specialized offerings for Indian tourists including culturally familiar aspects and Indian cuisine. The program also aims to cater to Indian weddings, corporate offsites, and celebratory getaways. For this, Meliá has curated a portfolio of hotels across key European destinations. All the properties are experienced in hosting Indian groups and events, it added. Radisson Expands Presence in East India Radisson Hotel Group has signed three new hotels in East India — Radisson Blu Hotel Deoghar, Jharkhand, Radisson RED Puri, Odisha, and Radisson Resort & Spa, Ranchi, Jharkhand. The three properties have a combined inventory of 400 keys. According to Nikhil Sharma, managing director in South Asia region for Radisson Hotel Group, the expansion is driven by growing momentum of spiritual, cultural, and medical tourism in India and these regions.
Khaleej Times
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Khaleej Times
Bhool Chuk Maaf movie review: Rajkummar Rao's time loop film is confused
Somewhere — if you squint hard enough — there's a seed of a good idea and a beating heart in Maddock Films' latest release, Bhool Chuk Maaf. But the final product leaves both its characters and its audience baffled. What is it exactly? A satire? A social drama? A time-loop fantasy? A lament on unemployment and the obsession with government jobs? A timid plea for communal harmony? Or all of the above? After watching it, I'm still not sure. This is a film that reveals its core only in the second half of the second half. By this point, your curiosity has packed up and left the near-empty theatre. Set in Varanasi, Bollywood's current favourite small town, the story revolves around Ranjan Tiwari (Rajkummar Rao) and Titli Mishra (Wamiqa Gabbi), two star-crossed lovers who initially elope to get married despite their families knowing each other well. That plan fails but as you know from the trailer, Titli's dad agrees to the wedding so long as Ranjan snags a government job. His failed attempts lead him to a fixer named Bhagwan who assures him of a job in exchange for some cash. If the makers thought it was a clever metaphor for humans seeking divine intervention as a quick fix to their problems instead of working towards a solution, it's rather lame. Anyway, our hero agrees and the wedding is on but then comes a bizarre twist that sees him get stuck in a time loop, resettling to the day of his Haldi ceremony. The day repeats endlessly till the time Ranjan understands the true spiritual message and tries to make amends. This involves rescuing a Muslim man and learning lessons on unemployment. Strange? You bet! Time loop films are fairly common in Hollywood with movies like Groundhog Day, Edge of Tomorrow and Source Code making a mark. In Bollywood, the theme has been less explored though a few like Taapsese Pannu's Loop Lapeta (2022) and the Tamil hit Maanadu (2021) flirted with the idea. These themes can be fun if handled well — the 'handled well' part being crucial. Bhool Chuk Maaf, directed and written by Karan Sharma, travels a strange path, with the shift in tonality so stark you're left genuinely wondering what's going on. It starts off as a very typical Tier-B romance between a sharp-tongued girl and a fumbling boy. All the predictable elements are present: the Varanasi ghats, a house by the Ganges, a generous dose of religiosity, ultra-colourful streets, a sprawling family, bumbling male friends, and Seema Pahwa and Raghubir Yadav as the obligatory parents. There's even a (totally unnecessary) item number. The first shift arrives with the time loop. Rao wanders about in confusion while everyone else remains oblivious to his growing frustration. But the sequence drags on without any real sense of direction or purpose, making it hard to stay involved. Then comes the third act — featuring an attempted suicide, an allusion to India's severe unemployment problem, a sudden realisation, and attempts at redemption. Naturally, the climax unfolds at a wedding, complete with misunderstandings, melodrama and the only tool Bollywood seems to trust for changing deep-rooted mindsets: a loud lecture. At the end of it all, there is only one thought that comes to mind — another opportunity lost. Bollywood has long abandoned its knack for telling original stories. Even when handed a relatively fresh concept (to the best of my knowledge, Bhool Chuk Maaf isn't a remake), the makers struggle to craft a simple, entertaining film with a coherent message. The marketing didn't help either — social media posts and trailers pitched it as yet another UP-based fam-com (family comedy) from the Ayushmann Khurrana school of cinema. So when the fantasy element and social messaging show up, they take you by surprise. Ironically, for a film sold as a comedy, the only moments that truly hold your attention are the serious ones — and even those are weighed down by heavy-handed lecturing. Why must everything be spelled out in a Hindi film? Why can't the message emerge organically, through story and character? We'll never know! Amidst all the confusion, your heart goes out to Rao. He's as sincere as ever, but his Ranjan feels like a pale echo of Stree 's Vicky. Blame it on the weak writing. And why this obsession with making him rattle off a few lines at breakneck speed - à la Stree? As for the rest of the cast, Raghubir Yadav and Seema Pahwa could play small-town parents in their sleep, and the script gives them little to chew on. The same goes for the ever-reliable Sanjay Mishra, who tries to inject energy into a cameo. And then there's the heroine. Wamiqa Gabbi is a genuinely talented actor, but her character here is so flat, she barely registers. Bhool Chuk Maaf falls squarely into the 'meh' category — films that are harmless and inoffensive, but so devoid of sharpness, wit or even a surprising twist that they just drift past you. There's clearly an attempt to say something meaningful about second chances, working hard, faith and human decency, but the storytelling is too bland. The end credits, like most movies these days, feature a song with the leads. In this case, the track is a reworking of the delightful Chor Bazaari from the Saif Ali Khan-Deepika Padukone-starrer Love Aaj Kal. Seriously, Bollywood, are you so bereft of imagination that you need to revise a 2009 chartbuster for a 2025 film?
Bloomberg
23-05-2025
- Bloomberg
India Is Gripped by a Spiritual Tourism Boom as Faith Becomes Fashionable
On a hot April evening in India's northern city of Varanasi, hundreds of tourists hurry along the banks of the river Ganges, tussling for prime spots to observe an ancient Hindu ritual of prayer to the goddess Ganga. They push their way past haggling boatmen offering rides, street vendors selling talismans and pilgrims immersing themselves in the sacred river to wash away their sins. After sunset, seven priests in saffron-colored robes stand on the famous riverside steps known as the Dashashwamedh Ghat, ringing hand bells, lighting incense and waving oil lamps in the 45-minute ceremony of lights. Latecomers watch on a giant screen some 50 meters (164 feet) away, as Vedic chants blare out from loudspeakers.
