Tag: corona virus crisis

One Indian state gets 44 more repatriation flights from UAE, as others struggle

There is a saying that greater are the chances of Arabs learning Malayalam, than Malayalis learning Arabic, in the UAE. If there is one Indian state that has been able to pull its weight during lockdown, as far as the Gulf countries are concerned, it is Kerala. Sensing the strong demand, India has announced 44 more repatriation flights from the UAE to Kerala. These flights will operate from June 19 to 30. Population-wise and in terms of the number of stranded Indians registered to fly back home from the UAE, Malayalis outnumber Indian expats from other states. The readiness of ... Read more

Virtual meetings keep Bahamas Tourism busy, as it looks to draw tourists from the US and Canada

The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism and Aviation (BMOT) has been hosting a series of virtual sales missions in the US and Canada during the entire time of quarantine in an effort to continue promoting the islands. BMOT brought together all of its international partners in the US and Canada for two days of virtual meetings hosted by Director General, Joy Jibrilu.   “While grappling with the effects of COVID-19, all travel was put on hold,” said Director General Jibrilu. “But we remain committed to providing our travel suppliers, travel agent communities, key meeting planners and destination wedding planners, flying ambassadors, boating community and all of ... Read more

Do we really need to ban animals in tourist spots? An NGO thinks so

An animal rights organisation has apprised the Union Tourism Ministry that humans can contract tuberculosis from elephants, glanders from horses, and camel pox and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome from camels. The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has knocked on the doors of Minister of Tourism Prahlad Singh Patel urging him to ban the use of animals in tourist spots as it could lead to spread of zoonotic diseases and pose a threat to public health. In a letter to Patel, PETA India CEO Manilal Valliyate drew attention to another imminent zoonotic threat and said, “We are letting ... Read more

African destinations meet to promote sustainable tourism, Brand Africa

Recovery and resilience were the central themes as the members of the World Tourism Organization’s Regional Commission for Africa (CAF) met to reflect today’s extraordinary circumstances. The meeting held virtually, brought together ministers of tourism from across the region with representatives of the African Union, the West African Monetary Union and even from the private sector, to plot a united course towards a stronger and better tourism industry. The meeting enjoyed the virtual presence of 140 participants from 30 countries, including 24 Ministers of Tourism. They were joined by representatives of 10 international organizations and by members of the UNWTO ... Read more

‘Tamilification’ of names, creates quite a stir

Next time you travel to Tamil Nadu, names of many places in the state may look a bit different.  The state government has issued a notification as per the recommendation of an expert committee for changing the names of 1,018 places, in accordance with how they are exactly pronounced in Tamil. The district collectors will now take steps for changing the names of these places through the local bodies concerned. The announcement in this regard was made way back in December 2018. But the official release, came only on Wednesday evening. So, Coimbatore is now Koyampuththoor, Vellore is Veeloor and ... Read more

It’s easy to see why Goa hotels are not rushing to reopen

Only 30 hotels have applied to the Goa Tourism Department for permission to reopen, as the state prepares itself to restart tourism. “We have received around 30 applications from various hotels as of now. We will scrutinise these and after the government takes a call, we will allow them to open,” Director (Tourism) Menino D’Souza has said. The number of applications is low, considering the state is home to several hundreds of hotels and home stays. The state’s hospitality sector has seen many people lose their jobs due to the pandemic, and many of the hotels are not in any ... Read more

Hotels in this famous tourism spot have decided to shut from July 1

Hotels in Darjeeling, probably Bengal’s top tourist destination, have decided to down their shutters indefinitely from July 1. Though the West Bengal government has allowed the reopening of hotels and restaurants from June 8, the Darjeeling Hotel Owners’ Association says it is not feasible to operate with only a few tourists arriving due to the pandemic. The decision may affect the livelihood of 10,000 families associated with the industry in the hill station and its outskirts. There are 380 hotels in Darjeeling town and its outskirts that accommodate nearly 4.5 lakh tourists every year. “We do not see any tourist ... Read more

Ministry of Tourism sets protocol for safety of restaurant guests and staff

To ensure that visitors feel safe while eating out, restaurants need to take several measures to make them feel comfortable and at ease, post lockdown. Towards this the Ministry of Tourism has laid out procedures to be followed by   restaurants and dining facilities in other accommodation units. Restaurants in containment zones shall remain closed. Only those outside containment zones will be allowed to open. Takeaways to be encouraged, instead of dine-In. Persons above 65 years of age, persons with comorbidities, pregnant women and children below the age of 10 years are advised to stay at home, except for essential and ... Read more

Sagara Beach Resort to reopen today

Sagara Beach Resort, Kovalam, will be open to guests from today. The popular beach resort was closed in line with the directions from the government, in order to control the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. Sagara’s managing director, R Sisupalan, said it was meaningless to shut business activities for a long time. “So, we have decided to move slowly. We will promote ayurveda to boost immunity of our guests,” he said. Sagara Beach Resort is adjacent to the Light House at the southern end of Kovalam Beach. It overlooks and shares the Light House beach, the southernmost and most popular ... Read more

Dubai Tourism releases video to inspire travellers to plan their next trip

“Every rising sun brings us closer to when we can see each other again,” states a new video released by Dubai Tourism. The one-minute video, runs you through the various strategies implemented in Dubai during the last three months, ranging from curfews, the sterilisation of roads, and enforcing social distancing to limit the spread of COVID-19. “We will welcome you with open doors. We will make your journey extraordinary. We said we needed a moment, and it will only be a moment more. We will see you soon,” said Dubai Tourism in the video. There are reports that Dubai could ... Read more

All eyes on the return of Chinese tourists, as Asian travel economy hits rock bottom

When will Chinese tourists return? That’s the question foremost on the minds of south-east and far-east destinations. Asian tourism has been ravaged by the pandemic and Chinese tourists, regarded as the largest spenders in the region, hold the key to recovery. According to South China Morning Post, clues can be gleaned from observing how movement resumes within the Middle Kingdom, and the early signs are positive. On May 28, The Economist reported that some 115 million Chinese tourists travelled during the Labour Day holiday, from May 1 to 5, “a healthy 60% of last year’s number”. Travel data platform ForwardKeys ... Read more

Salzburg Festival to go ahead in August, with limited audience

The coronavirus pandemic may have affected plenty of events and festivities this year, but the Salzburg Festival announced on Tuesday that it would go ahead with it in August. The festival, showcasing the finest classical music and opera production, will be a shorter event than usual. The plan was to have an expansive celebration of its centennial, with more than 200 performances over 44 days. Now it has been curtailed to 90 performances over 30 days. Seven opera productions have been reduced to two. “The world usually looks to us for artistic reasons,” Helga Rabl-Stadler, the festival’s president, said. “This ... Read more

Air India to operate flights from Europe to India, but flyers will have to undergo quarantine in Delhi

Air India will operate special flights to India from June 15-30, for Indians stranded in Europe. The bookings will begin today at 8 am GMT (1.30 pm IST). This is under the third phase of Vande Bharat Mission. “Please note that the applicant should be registered with the local Indian Embassy/High Commission,” Air India tweeted. Many passengers, however, may not be able to book domestic tickets to their home states. The High Commission of India, London, has said all passengers who wish to travel to any destination in India may travel to Delhi. However, passengers will have to undergo quarantine ... Read more

Malaysian tourism outfit Matta says high air-ticket rates will make recovery harder

A major organisation in the tourism trade has raised concerns over the high price of tickets for domestic air travel, saying it will make it hard for the sector to recover. Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (Matta) president Tan Kok Liang told Free Malaysia Today (FMT) that the impact would be felt on domestic tourism involving air travel, such as between Peninsular Malaysia and East Malaysia. “Sabah and Sarawak depend significantly on domestic tourists from Peninsular Malaysia,” he said. He proposed that the governments of the two states waive some travel restrictions so as to encourage tourism despite ... Read more

Ministry of Tourism issues guidelines to hotels & homestays, to check coronavirus transmission

Given the current COVID-19 outbreak, it is important that all hotels, restaurants and other hospitality units take suitable measures to restrict any further transmission of the virus while providing accommodation and other tourist services post lockdown, the Ministry of Tourism has said. The guidelines aim to minimise all possible physical contacts between a staff and guests and maintain social distancing and other preventive and safety measures against COVID-19. It also tries to make the traceability of the guests easier, in case a situation in future warrants so. These guidelines will apply to Bed and Breakfast (B&B), Homestay and Farmstay units. ... Read more