Category: News

India’s aviation regulator DGCA on Friday extended the suspension of scheduled international flights to and from the country till August 31. However, this restriction will not apply to international cargo operations and flights specifically approved by the DGCA. “The government has decided to extend the suspension on the scheduled international commercial passenger services to/ from India up to 2359 hours IST of 31st August,” the DGCA said in a statement.  DGCA, on July 3 had extended the ban on international flights until July 31 after it was suspended till July 15. According to senior government officials, the ban was extended ... Read more

Delta is continuing to make it easier for customers to book, change or cancel their travel plans, and to fly comfortably with more space for safer travel. Effective July 30: We’re extending our change-fee waiver to new flights purchased through August 31. We’re offering the ability to rebook travel for up to two years for customers who purchased flights prior to April 17, 2020, that are pending travel through the end of year. We’re implementing automatic seat blocks through at least September 30, which will automatically block seats adjacent to those selected by a customer once a reservation is complete ... Read more

The responsible restart of tourism is underway around the world as growing numbers of destinations ease COVID-19 related travel restrictions and adapt to the new reality. According to the latest analysis from the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), 40% of all destinations worldwide have now eased the restrictions they placed on international tourism in response to COVID-19. The United Nations specialized agency for tourism has been monitoring global responses to the pandemic from the start of the crisis. This latest outlook, recorded on 19 July, is up from 22% of destinations that had eased restrictions on travel by 15 June and the 3% ... Read more

Flight bookings from India to Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah will resume from today, Air India has announced. The airline has opened bookings for India-UAE flights on the departure leg of the repatriation flights under the Vande Bharat Mission. The bookings will be open till August 15. Bookings are however open for residence visa holders with ICA or GDRFA approval and a valid Covid-19 PCR test report in the printed form, from a government-approved laboratory. The airline has notified passengers not to travel with expired ICA or GDRFA approvals. Only resident permit passengers with stamped passport copy can book tickets ... Read more

World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) is calling upon Governments around the world to begin a substantial programme of investment to ensure comprehensive testing facilities are implemented at airports, which will help prevent the spread of Covid-19 and see the return of safe travels.  “It is imperative that all airports, catering for international travel, implement globally recognised testing standards for both inbound and outbound passengers,” said Gloria Guevara, WTTC’s President & CEO. “This will provide reassurance to all travellers, maintain ‘air corridors’ between countries, and remove damage and disruption caused by blunt quarantines which massively impact the recovery of the travel ... Read more

Travel firm TUI said it will shut 166 stores in the UK and Ireland in response to the downturn in travel caused by the coronavirus pandemic, Reuters has reported. COVID-19 has wiped out holidays abroad for Europeans for months. Now the threat of a second wave of infections and new restrictions on travel during the usually lucrative summer season are causing more pain in a sector where balance sheets are already strained. TUI’s UK unit was forced to cancel thousands of holidays earlier this week when Britain advised against travel to Spain, bringing back a 14-day quarantine rule for arrivals ... Read more

The Kerala High Court has refused to grant any relief to Johnny Paul Pierce, a 74-year-old US citizen, who had sought extension of his stay in India as he feels safer in Kerala than in America. The high court said that extension of visa tenure of foreign nationals is the exclusive domain of the Government of India. Justice CS Dias observed that a foreign citizen cannot claim fundamental right to reside and settle in India, adding that the power of the Government of India to expel foreigners is absolute and unlimited. Pierce’s visa is valid till January 26, 2025, but ... Read more

Dubai-based carrier Emirates is gearing up for a busy travel period this weekend, for the Eid holiday. Customers are reminded to check the latest travel requirements, and to arrive at the airport at least three hours before their flight departure to avoid any delays. Peak travel is expected to start this evening, with Thursday, July 30, marking the busiest time for departures in Terminal 3. Passengers are encouraged to build in extra time to avoid any delays with expected traffic congestion. Passengers physically checking in at the airport are requested to check in no later than 3 hours prior to departure, ... Read more

Flagging off the first helicopter service by Pawan Hans in Uttarakhand under the UDAN-RCS scheme, Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said the launch of the heli-service will support tourism in the region. Commencement of the new heli services will enhance the aerial connectivity between hilly regions in Uttarakhand and bring down the average travel time to 20-25 minutes. This will also assist the Char Dham Yatra pilgrims. Char Dham is a set of four pilgrimage sites in India comprising Badrinath, Dwaraka, Puri and Rameswaram. Pawan Hans Ltd will operate thrice-weekly helicopter services on this route. Viability Gap Funding (VGF) is ... Read more

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is urging African governments to unblock bottlenecks so that urgently needed financial relief pledged for air transport and tourism reaches the distressed businesses. As a consequence of the pandemic and associated restrictions, African airlines are forecast to lose $2 billion in 2020. Without urgent financial relief, the industry is at risk of collapse, putting about 3.3 million jobs and $33 billion in African GPD in jeopardy. To date, the governments of Sub-Saharan Africa Rwanda, Senegal, Côte D’Ivoire and Burkina Faso have pledged a total of $311 million in direct financial support to air transport. ... Read more

The Ministry of Tourism is facing criticism for allegedly favouring facilitators with minimal qualifications over approved tour guides, who have played the role of cultural ambassadors for years. Syed Imtiyaz Jaleel, Aurangabad’s Member of Parliament, has written to the ministry pointing out that these facilitators chosen by an online process are often just 10+2 qualified. “It seems, it is the policy of the tourism department to promote these facilitators to work as facilitator-cum-guides,” Jaleel wrote in his letter to Minister of Tourism, Prahlad Singh Patel.  The Department of Tourism was established 60 years ago and since then, the department has been ... Read more

he Hotel Association of India (HAI), which represents over 300 hotels across categories, has sought the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) support to tide over the financial crisis. The sector is staring at a ₹90,000 crore revenue loss in 2020, due to the coronavirus pandemic. The current debt levels in the organized hospitality sector, which is barely 10% of the total industry, stands at ₹45,000 crore, the association said. RBI had announced relief on loan moratorium on interest and principal repayment for six months till August. “Unfortunately, an immediate term solution will only defer the crisis as what is needed is ... Read more

Lisbon City Council is taking steps to turn Airbnb-style homes into affordable housing. But with many short-term rental owners holding out for tourism to return, the city’s new program has yet to attract many owners, Bloomberg reports. Under the so-called “Safe Rent” program, Lisbon is offering to pay as much as three years of rent up front to lure property owners—many of whom have seen their rental income evaporate due to coronavirus-related travel restrictions—to switch their short-term rental units into long-term lets for locals. Property owners may earn a maximum of 1,000 euros a month ($1,170) for a four-bedroom apartment in the ... Read more

Italy’s latest stimulus package, aimed at helping the economy overcome the coronavirus pandemic, will offer help to the tourism and auto sectors, Reuters reports. Economy Minister Roberto Gualtieri told a parliamentary committee on Tuesday that such a move was much needed and urgent. The government has said it will present the measures in an emergency decree in early August. A source told Reuters this month that slightly less than 1 billion euros ($1.17 billion) would be put forward to strengthen current incentives to encourage sales of state-of-the-art combustion engine cars as well as electric and hybrid vehicles. Gualtieri did not ... Read more

The Mizoram government is working on a new tourism policy, which will aim at enhancing livelihood of people, North East Now has reported. The new policy will make way for more funding support from the Centre and other stakeholders, the report said quoting an official. A draft of the new policy will be circulated among the various government departments for assessment, and it is expected to be tabled during the next Assembly session after approval from the State Cabinet. “Though the government has an existing tourism policy, we are drafting a new one known as Mizoram Responsible Tourism Policy, 2020, ... Read more