Category: News

New Zealanders got out in force around the country during the school holidays, with some areas enjoying a boost of more than 50% in domestic tourist numbers compared to last year, according to a report by New Zealand Herald. New data shows the number of New Zealanders outside of their home region peaked at 550,000 on July 11 – the highest since March. Kaikoura had a 56% boost in numbers and the West Coast 51% as the South Island benefited most from increased travel by Kiwis, who are now largely confined to this country for holidays as a result of ... Read more

As coronavirus fears continue to ravage Italy’s tourism industry – despite the country’s extraordinary cultural heritage – the government is subsidising some of its citizens to go on holiday in their home country, according to a report by France 24. Italy was one of the first countries to reopen its borders to European Union (EU) tourists in June. Nevertheless, tourism is still suffering, with a revenue shortfall this summer predicted at top 3 billion euros.  In this context, the government is trying to prop up its tourism industry – which represents 13% of the national GDP – by sending money to households earning less than 40,000 euros a year as ... Read more

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented unforeseen challenges to global tourism. With geography gaining significance and the importance of shorter distances becoming more pronounced, regional tourism is likely to grow. Governments must thus pivot to focus considerably more attention on regional tourism through investments in infrastructure and services, particularly digitisation to reduce human transactions, a new report by Brookings India has said. India, in particular, will have to leverage the wide range of cultural similarities with its neighbours such as the regional Buddhist trail and pilgrimage, etc, the research report noted. Such a push would also contribute locally through employment and ... Read more

As Caribbean beaches and resorts begin welcoming back international tourists, there’s one group that’s increasingly being left out: Americans. Tropical vacation spots across the region are giving US citizens the cold shoulder amid fears they might spread the coronavirus, cutting Americans off from one of the few regions that was still accessible to them, Bloomberg reports. This week, the Bahamas will begin barring commercial flights and passenger ships from the US, even as it invites Canadian and European tourists to visit. The Dutch countries of St. Maarten and Curacao have also reopened to almost everyone but US travellers. With nearly ... Read more

Indonesian tourism minister Wishnutama Kusubandio has proposed a full exemption from corporate income tax for all firms in the tourist and creative economy sectors, as well as the provision of additional working capital loans, to aid the hard-hit industry during the global health crisis. Wishnutama said he was currently in talks with Finance Minister Mulyani Indrawati regarding the proposal. The tourist sector is currently eligible for a 30% discount on corporate income tax to cushion the COVID-19 pandemic impact, according to a Jakarta Post report. “We have proposed an additional tax cut of PPh Article 25 [corporate income tax] from ... Read more

Uttarakhand’s minister of tourism Satpal Maharaj has urged Prahlad Patel, the Union Minister of Tourism and Culture, to release funds for the ongoing tourism projects in the mountain state. Maharaj requested Patel to provide in-principle approval of the ‘Mahabharata Circuit’ concept note. It’s the state’s pet tourism project as it believes the circuit can be a trailblazer. The Union minister was also requested to sanction funds for the ‘Swadesh Darshan’ and ‘Prasad’ schemes. Maharaj informed Patel that 98% of the construction work of the Eco and Adventure Destination in Tehri has already been completed under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme. The ... Read more

The UAE has introduced mandatory testing for all airline passengers travelling to the country. Travellers must undergo tests in their country of origin and present a negative test report at check-in desks before flying to the Emirates. The new system will be in place from August 1, says a report by The National. The National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA) said the rules applied to “all Emiratis, residents, and tourists, arriving via the country’s airports, irrespective of the countries they are coming from”, according to state news agency Wam. The rules also apply to all transit passengers passing ... Read more

Qatar Airways will operate three weekly flights to Cebu in Philippines, starting July 24. The airline will also resume its China flights, with a weekly Guangzhou service. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, Akbar Al Baker said: “We are delighted to be launching a new direct service to Cebu, offering our passengers another gateway into the Philippines. Being the airline that has never stopped flying since COVID-19 hit, it has been Qatar Airways’ mission to take people home safely during the pandemic, and we have helped more than two million people get home to their loved ones since February,” he said. ... Read more

A senior Republican senator has said that the backlog for an Indian to get a permanent residency in the US is more than 195 years, and urged the US Senate to address this issue with a legislative resolution. A Green Card, or a Permanent Resident Card, is a document that is issued to immigrants into the US which acts as proof that the bearer of such a card has been granted the privilege to reside permanently in the country. Senator Mike Lee said that the current Green Card policy offered nothing to the offspring of an immigrant whose deceased parent’s ... Read more

In yet another setback, 60 Air India pilots who flew repatriation flights to bring back Indians stranded abroad have tested positive for coronavirus, the airline has said in a letter to the government. The Vande Bharat mission to repatriate Indians came “with a heavy price to pay for those on the frontline. As of date, at least 60 plus pilots have been tested Covid positive,” senior pilots of the national carrier have stated, in the letter addressed to Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Puri. “This has had a ‘devastating effect’ on their family members,” said the letter. The pilots are already ... Read more

By George Scaria (Travelife Certified Sustainability Manager) Sustainability in tourism has been a major talking point at several industry platforms for the last few years. When it comes to the post Covid-19 new normal, sustainability will have a major role to play. The concept is based on the three Ps – People, Planet & Profit. But unfortunately, many misunderstand or misinterpret the above to suit their own convenience. In this article, I am trying to bring a few points which may be closer to the real definitions. In my personal experience, I have found that many of our industry stakeholders have ... Read more

The archaeological ruins of Liangzhu City, a World Cultural Heritage Site with a history of 5,000 years, has achieved full 5G coverage. The application of 5G would provide a better tourism experience at the site. The archaeological ruins of Liangzhu City (about 3300-2300 BC) is located in Hangzhou, capital of East China’s Zhejiang province, with an urban area of 3 square kilometres and a heritage area of 14.34 sq.km. With the addition of the buffer zone, it extends to 114 sq.km. According to the World Heritage Committee, the ruins of the ancient city is an outstanding example of early urban civilization, showing an early regional state with ... Read more

Airlines for America (A4A) – the industry trade organization representing the leading US airlines – has welcomed the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposal to adopt the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) fuel efficiency and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions standard for future aircraft. EPA’s proposal to adopt the ICAO standard will further enable US airlines to meet the industry’s goals to achieve carbon neutral growth in the near term and to cut net carbon emissions in half in 2050 relative to 2005 levels. The standard, which takes into account safety, technological feasibility and environmental benefit, applies to new models of commercial ... Read more

Qatar Airways has launched an international arbitration seeking at least $5bn from four Arab countries as compensation for blocking the airline from their airspace for the past three years. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt had imposed a ban on the airline since June 2017 when they cut all ties with Qatar and brought upon an air, land and sea blockade on it, over accusations of supporting “terrorism”. Doha denied the charges alleging that the quartet aims to infringe on its sovereignty. The airline said it has made substantial investments in these four countries in order to ... Read more

Noesis Capital Advisors and Ngage Hospitality have designed a masterclass on digital strategies for hotels and resorts, dedicated to providing insights on how marketers can stay relevant in today’s intensely competitive and evolving environment. The session will be held on July 24. The masterclass titled ‘Digital Marketing Strategies for Hotels & Resorts to thrive in the New Normal’ will aid all hospitality-related businesses that want to redevelop or re-skill their marketing strategies with the present day tools. It is designed to have an interactive and ‘open discussion’ format. Industry leaders have been curated strategically for discussions to inspire and prepare you to ... Read more