Tag: Travel

Travel

Booking.com Traveller Review Awards 2026: Goa Among India’s Most Welcoming Regions

Tanisha Cardozo

Booking.com has recognised Goa among the 10 Most Welcoming Regions in India as part of its 14th annual Traveller Review Awards 2026, reaffirming the State’s enduring appeal as a warm and hospitable destination. The global travel platform, known for connecting travellers with accommodation and transport services worldwide, bases the awards on the share of accommodation partners earning a Traveller Review Award for delivering authentic and caring guest experiences.

This year, Goa has retained its position among India’s most welcoming regions, while Mandrem has emerged as one of the top 10 Most Welcoming Destinations in the country. Other welcoming destinations within Goa highlighted for their hospitality include Agonda, Palolem, Arambol, and Morjim, reflecting the State’s diverse coastal charm and community-driven tourism ethos.

The awards are powered by more than 370 million verified traveller reviews worldwide. In 2026, a total of 17,575 travel partners in India received the Traveller Review Awards, marking an increase from 15,674 recipients in 2025. Globally, a record-breaking 1.81 million partners were recognised, including over 1.8 million accommodation providers, 1,977 rental car companies, and 137 airport transfer suppliers.

This year’s awards also reflect evolving traveller preferences across India. Hotels continue to be the most popular accommodation choice, with 6,650 award recipients, followed by homestays (2,652), apartments (1,984), resorts (1,338), and guest houses (1,218). The numbers highlight a growing demand for personalised and unique travel experiences.

The 2026 list of Most Welcoming Regions in India includes Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Goa, Rajasthan, Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Puducherry, Assam, Karnataka, and Haryana. Among the Most Welcoming Destinations are Bir, Mararikulam, Jaisalmer, McLeod Ganj, Mukteswar, Khajuraho, Bhim Tal, Manali, Hampi, and Mandrem.

Santosh Kumar, Regional Manager, South Asia at Booking.com, stated that the Traveller Review Awards celebrate partners who consistently deliver exceptional hospitality across India. He noted that Goa’s continued recognition reflects its vibrant culture and coastal charm, with local partners playing a crucial role in making India a memorable destination for travellers from around the world.

Part of Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: BKNG), Booking.com aims to make it easier for everyone to experience the world by leveraging technology to simplify travel. Goa’s continued presence on the Most Welcoming list underscores not only its scenic appeal but also the warmth and dedication of its hospitality community, which continues to leave a lasting impression on visitors year after year.

Events in Goa

Goa Gears Up for Grand Statewide Carnaval 2026 Celebrations

Tanisha Cardozo

Goa is all set to welcome the much-anticipated Carnaval 2026, one of the State’s most iconic cultural celebrations that brings together colour, music, dance, and a spirit of joyful togetherness. Organised by the Department of Tourism, Government of Goa, the festival continues to reflect the State’s rich heritage and festive traditions, drawing participation from residents and visitors alike.

The official announcement of Goa Carnaval 2026 was made in the presence of Managing Director of GTDC Kuldeep Arolkar, Deputy Director of Tourism Dhiraj Wagle, Assistant Director of Tourism Jayesh Kankonkar, General Manager GTDC Gavin Dias, Deputy General Manager (Hotels & Marketing) Deepak Narvekar, and King Momo Cedric Da Costa, who symbolically ushered in the festive spirit of the season.

Hon’ble Minister for Tourism Rohan A. Khaunte stated that Goa Carnaval is a celebration of joy, inclusivity, and cultural pride. By taking the festivities across multiple locations, the aim is to ensure wider community participation while offering visitors an authentic Goan experience. He added that Carnaval 2026 reflects the vision of responsible and regenerative tourism, celebrating traditions while caring for people and the environment.

Director of Tourism Kedar Naik noted that Carnaval is one of Goa’s most vibrant cultural expressions. He said that the 2026 edition has been planned to ensure wider reach, safety, cleanliness, and a high-quality festive experience, with coordinated celebrations across the State to create a joyful and culturally rich atmosphere for residents and tourists alike.

Managing Director of GTDC Kuldeep Arolkar highlighted the scale of preparations, stating that Goa Carnaval 2026 is being organised with a total outlay of approximately ₹1.53 crore. This includes ₹48 lakh towards prize money to encourage greater participation and creativity, and ₹1.04 crore for infrastructure and logistics across all centres. Centre-wise allocations include ₹19 lakh for Porvorim and ₹16 lakh for Morjim, while Panaji, Margao, Vasco, and Mapusa have been allocated ₹29.35 lakh towards prize money and infrastructure, ensuring uniform standards of quality, safety, and visitor experience across locations.

The festivities will begin with the traditional curtain raiser on 13th February 2026 at Porvorim. The celebrations will then move to Panaji on 14th February with the ceremonial flag-off of the main Carnaval parade. Margao will host the festivities on 15th February, followed by Vasco on 16th February. The celebrations will conclude on 17th February with grand parades and events in Mapusa and Morjim, spreading the spirit of Carnaval across North Goa.

Adding to the excitement, the official Carnaval Jingle 2026, performed by RhythMix, was unveiled, setting the musical tone for the festivities. This year’s celebrations will echo the vibrant slogan announced by King Momo: “Amche Goem, Amche Lok, Amcho Carnaval – Viva Goa, Viva Carnaval,” capturing the essence of community pride and collective celebration.

Each venue will come alive with colourful float parades, lively performances, music, and dance, creating the joyful atmosphere that defines Goa’s Carnaval. The festival brings together communities, artists, performers, and visitors, offering a cultural experience that showcases the State beyond its beaches.

Aligned with the Department of Tourism’s vision, Goa Carnaval 2026 will emphasise responsible celebration, cleanliness, safety, and community participation. The festivities aim to create joyful experiences while preserving Goa’s cultural identity and environmental harmony. Goa Tourism has invited residents, domestic travellers, and international visitors to be part of this spectacular celebration and experience the vibrant soul of Goa through one of its most cherished festivals. Additional details regarding parade routes, timings, and associated events are expected to be announced soon.

Travel

Delhi Hotel Prices Soar to ₹5 Lakh Ahead of India AI Impact Summit 2026

Tanisha Cardozo

Hotel room rates across New Delhi have risen sharply ahead of the India AI Impact Summit 2026, with some luxury rooms reportedly touching ₹4 lakh to ₹5 lakh per night during the peak dates. The summit, scheduled from February 16 to 20 at Bharat Mandapam in central Delhi, is expected to draw thousands of global delegates, technology leaders, and policymakers, creating unprecedented demand across the city’s hospitality sector.

Hotels across the capital are witnessing near-full occupancy for the summit period. The event has already received more than 35,000 registrations from around the world, leading to a surge in last-minute bookings and steep price increases. Rooms that usually cost between ₹20,000 and ₹40,000 per night are now being sold at significantly higher rates due to the demand spike.

Travel portals show that during the peak dates of February 19 and 20, room prices at several five-star hotels are reaching a few lakh rupees per night. In some premium categories, especially luxury suites and club rooms, rates are reportedly crossing ₹4 lakh to ₹5 lakh per night. Many of these high-end rooms are either already sold out or available only with strict minimum-stay conditions.

Aloke Bajpai, CEO of travel portal Ixigo, confirmed the surge in prices, stating that several five-star hotels in Delhi NCR are charging more than ₹1 lakh per night between February 16 and 20. Flagship properties such as The Leela Palace, ITC Maurya, and Taj Palace have increased their tariffs for the summit period, with standard luxury rooms now priced at peak-season levels.

Central Delhi properties are also seeing heavy demand. Hotels like The Imperial, Shangri-La Eros, and The Park are nearly sold out between February 18 and 20. According to Ixigo data, a room at The Imperial in Connaught Place on February 17 is priced at more than ₹2.4 lakh per night, while Radisson Blu is charging around ₹1.1 lakh for the same date.

The India AI Impact Summit is being described as the largest among the four global AI summits held so far. It is expected to host participants from more than 100 countries, including 15 to 20 heads of government, over 50 ministers, and representatives from more than 40 global and Indian companies. Around 500 key figures from the global AI ecosystem, including innovators, researchers, and chief technology officers, are also expected to attend.

The summit was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the France AI Action Summit and will mark the first global AI summit hosted in the Global South. With the capital preparing to host one of the largest international technology gatherings, the sharp rise in hotel prices reflects the scale and global interest surrounding the event.

Events in Goa

Goa Book Festival 2026 Draws 1.25 Lakh Visitors, Sets a New Chapter for Literary Culture

Tanisha Cardozo

Written by Tanisha Cardozo || Team Allycaral

The first edition of the Goa Book Festival 2026 concluded on Sunday, 8 February, at the DB Bandodkar Grounds, Panaji, marking a significant milestone in Goa’s cultural and literary landscape. Held from 4 to 8 February under the theme “An Ocean of Books”, the festival attracted an impressive footfall of over 1.25 lakh visitors over five days, reflecting a growing enthusiasm for books, reading, and meaningful dialogue across age groups.

Readers, writers, publishers, educators, students, and families came together for a packed programme that blended literature with cinema, history, spirituality, language, music, and art. One of the highlights of the final day was the session “The Many Lives of Sachin Pilgaonkar”, where the veteran actor-director reflected on language, cinema, and the role reading played in shaping his creative journey. Sharing anecdotes from his early years, he spoke about learning spoken Urdu under the guidance of Meena Kumari, refining Marathi with support from his wife and Ashok Saraf, and memorable moments from films like Sholay and Brahmachari. He concluded the session with a soulful rendition of “Kaun Disha Mein Leke Chala”, leaving the audience visibly moved.

Spiritual leader and author Acharya Prashant, in his session “Understanding the Self in Everyday Life”, addressed the deep dissatisfaction many experience in modern life. He spoke candidly about how people often chase validation and material markers rather than true inner satisfaction, encouraging introspection and honesty as pathways to lasting fulfilment.

The Author’s Corner remained a vibrant space for ideas and dialogue throughout the day. Events included the prize distribution ceremony for the photography competition themed “Goa: Festival & Culture”, a book release by noted Konkani writer Vithal Gavde (Parvadkar), and a panel discussion on the development of the Konkani language featuring eminent speakers from literary and academic circles. Conversations on education, ancient wisdom, and multilingual poetry further enriched the programme.

The Children’s Corner emerged as a major attraction, with nearly 500 students participating in interactive storytelling, folk dance and music performances, creative design sessions, and introductions to digital reading platforms like the Rashtriya e-Pustakalaya. Sessions celebrating Goa’s revived Kaavi Art drew enthusiastic participation from both children and parents, blending learning with hands-on creativity.

Evenings at the festival resonated with music and performance, culminating on the final day with an enthralling set by Kerala-based indie band Shanka Tribe, whose fusion of tribal rhythms and contemporary sounds created an immersive experience for audiences.

Across five days, the festival hosted conversations with prominent journalists, historians, filmmakers, legal experts, philosophers, authors, actors, and even an astronaut, ensuring wide-ranging engagement across disciplines. The book fair, featuring over 250 stalls from more than 100 publishers, remained abuzz throughout, with visitors exploring books in English, Konkani, Marathi, and several other Indian languages.

With strong participation, vibrant discussions, and a warm response from readers of all ages, the Goa Book Festival 2026 has laid the foundation for a lasting literary tradition in the state—one where books, ideas, and communities continue to meet and grow together.

Travel

Aguad Port and Jail Complex to Represent Goa at Asia’s Largest Travel Mart, OTM 2026

Tanisha Cardozo

One of Goa’s most iconic heritage spaces, the Aguad Port and Jail Complex, is set to make its presence felt at the Outbound Travel Mart (OTM) 2026, to be held from February 5 to 7 at Mumbai’s Jio World Convention Centre. Representing Goa on one of Asia’s largest travel trade platforms, Aguad will showcase the state’s rich cultural history and evolving tourism experiences to a global audience.

OTM is regarded as one of the leading international travel trade exhibitions, focusing on the travel, tourism, hospitality and MICE industries. The event brings together travel brands, destinations, tour operators, buyers and industry professionals from across the world. With around 2,200 exhibitors from over 60 countries, the exhibition is expected to welcome more than 50,000 visitors over the three-day event.

At OTM 2026, the Aguad Port and Jail Complex aims to highlight the diverse experiences offered at the site. These include immersive heritage walks that narrate the complex’s role as a strategic defence structure and as a prison that once housed freedom fighters. By blending historical narratives with curated visitor engagement, Aguad positions itself as a space where Goa’s layered past meets contemporary cultural tourism.

Experiences such as heritage cruises and boat transfers will also be showcased, offering visitors panoramic views of Goa’s coastline, the Aguad Port and Jail Complex, and the surrounding Aguada Bay as vessels glide through the Arabian Sea. These offerings are being positioned as complete experiences that combine scenic beauty, history and leisure.

Speaking about the participation, Savio Mathias, Vice President – Operations and Business Development, Aguad Port and Jail Complex, said that Aguad is more than just a historic landmark and represents a space where Goa’s history comes alive through thoughtfully curated visitor experiences. He noted that OTM provides an ideal platform to present Aguad as a key destination in Goa, with potential for cultural tourism, events and immersive programming, while also fostering collaborations that promote responsible tourism and enhance visitor engagement.

With its participation at OTM 2026, the Aguad Port and Jail Complex continues to strengthen its position as a significant cultural destination, offering visitors an opportunity to experience Goa beyond its beaches through history, heritage and meaningful storytelling.