Kerala gets Unesco backing for Spice Route Project

November 23, 2013

Kerala_UnescoThiruvananthapuram, Nov 23: Kerala's plan to tap the potential in the tourism sector of the ancient spice route treaded by merchants and explorers in search of spices and herbs has received support from the Unesco.

The Spice Route Project is aimed at sharing the heritage among the 31 countries along the ancient route. The initiative is expected to bring in a substantial number of foreign tourists to Kerala to trace the historic journey.

The UN cultural agency's backing for the Spice Route Project of the state government came during meetings and presentations by a team of officials from Kerala in Paris last week.

The meetings were led by India's ambassador and permanent representative to Unesco Vinay Sheel Oberoi and Kerala tourism secretary Suman Billa.

Billa also met Unesco's Assistant Secretary-General (Culture) Francesco Bandarin and Ambassadors of several countries that are part of the Spice Route.

During his meeting with Billa, Bandarin supported the idea of the project and lauded Kerala's initiative in reviving a lost heritage.

"We are delighted to receive the support of UNESCO for the Spice Route Project," Kerala's tourism minister A P Anilkumar said.

The centrepiece of the project is Kochi-Kodungallur belt in central Kerala, where the ancient spice port Muziris was located and where merchants from West Asia and Mediterranean region came by sea and land.

Archaeological evidence from excavations carried out by the Kerala government in Muziris have already given boost to the project. They have pointed to spice trade between Muziris -- a port that flourished two millennia ago and the West, before it mysteriously disappeared. Earlier, the Spice Route initiative had received the support of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation.

The project was aimed at re-establishing Kerala's maritime ties with the countries on the Spice Route and also promoting tourism and revive cultural, historical and archaeological exchanges between these nations.

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June 20,2020

New Delhi, Jun 20: The government-imposed upper and lower limits on airfares may be extended beyond August 24 depending upon how the situation turns out, Aviation Secretary P S Kharola said on Saturday.

The government resumed domestic passenger flights from May 25 after nearly two months of suspension to combat the coronavirus outbreak, but placed lower and upper limits on airfares depending upon the flight duration.

It had said on May 21 that these limits would be in place for a period of three months.

"Depending on how the situation turns out, the fare band may have to adjusted beyond that (August 24) also. But right now, it is only for three months," Kharola said at a press conference here.

International passenger flights continue to remain suspended in the country.

However, the government started Vande Bharat Mission on May 6 to help stranded people reach their destinations through special flights.

Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said at the conference that during phase 3 and phase 4 of the mission, private domestic airlines have been approved to operate 750 international flights to repatriate people stranded amid the coronavirus pandemic.

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January 18,2020

Mumbai, Jan 18: Maharashtra Tourism Minister Aaditya Thackeray on Friday said shops, restaurants, malls and pubs will remain open 24 hours on an experimental basis in a few areas of Mumbai from January 26.

The areas where these establishments will remain open all night are Fort and Kala Ghoda in south Mumbai and Bandra Kurla Complex in the west.

Thackeray had batted for all-night-open eateries and other establishments in the city during the earlier BJP-Shiv Sena regime too.

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May 3,2020

New Delhi, May 3: Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan on Sunday said that India's COVID-19 mortality rate of 3.2 per cent is the lowest in the world and over 10,000 coronavirus patients have been discharged from hospitals after recovering from the disease so far.

"Today more than 10,000 COVID-19 patients have been discharged. Those still admitted at hospitals are on the road to recovery. If in last 14 days doubling rate was 10.5 days, then today it is around 12 days," the Minister told ANI after visiting Lady Hardinge Hospital.

"Our mortality rate of 3.2 per cent is the lowest in the world," he said.

With 2,644 more COVID-19 cases and 83 deaths in the last 24 hours, the number of people infected from coronavirus in the country has reached 39,980 including 1,301 deaths, said the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Sunday.

Currently, there are 28,046 active cases while 10,633 COVID-19 positive patients have been cured/discharged.

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