Tag: corona virus crisis

Walt Disney intends to reopen the world’s largest theme park – Walt Disney World in Florida – in phases beginning July 11, if things go according to plan. Disney wants to reopen Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom on July 11 and Epcot and Hollywood Studios on July 15, according to Jim MacPhee, senior vice president of operations for the Walt Disney World Resort. When the Disney parks reopen, guests and employees will be required to wear masks and undergo temperature checks. The resort will suspend parades, fireworks displays and other activities that create crowds. It will “enable and encourage” contact-less ... Read more

The plan for a ‘Trans-Tasman bubble’ to allow Australians and New Zealanders to travel between the two countries could be presented to both governments as early as next week, and could be operational by September. Canberra and Wellington have been discussing the possibility of a travel bubble between the countries as both countries have slowed the spread of Covid-19, The Guardian reported. On Wednesday, the New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern, said in conversations with her Australian counterpart Scott Morrison that there was enthusiasm from both sides for travel to resume. Australian prime minister Scott Morrison has pledged to “consider” ... Read more

International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has joined the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in issuing a new joint statement on the need to ensure ‘key worker’ designations for the millions of skilled personnel now maintaining essential global air and sea trade capacities. “Our three organizations seek to ensure that seafarers, marine personnel, fishing vessel personnel, offshore energy sector personnel, aviation personnel, air cargo supply chain personnel, service provider personnel at airports and ports are designated as ‘key workers’, regardless of nationality, to exempt them from travel restrictions, to ensure their access to emergency medical treatment ... Read more

Representatives from the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) met Union Tourism Minister Prahlad Singh Patel on Wednesday, to apprise him of the acute distress faced by the industry. The delegation urged the minister for financial support to tour operators so that they are not forced to close down their business, IATO said in a statement. The tour operators are not in a position to pay salaries to their staff since there is no business and they are under acute financial stress, it added. IATO has also asked for special collateral free and interest free long-term loans (5-10 years) to ... Read more

From today, flights will resume from Kolkata. Due to cyclone ‘Amphan’ that killed more than 80 people in the state, leaving thousands homeless last week, West Bengal government had decided not to restart domestic flight services from Monday. Almost all the other prominent cities in India have restarted airline operations. Passengers who are flying to Kolkata need to follow a host of guidelines issued by Mamata Banerjee-led government. From self-declaration to 14-day mandatory quarantine, here are the new rules for air travellers in West Bengal. Passengers must wear face covers or mask at the airport. Social distancing norms should be ... Read more

Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) has announced that it will operate more than 100 flights in a week. During the first phase of operations from May 25 to June 30, there will be flight services to and from Kochi, Lakshadweep, Bengaluru, Kozhikode, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kannur, Mumbai, Mysore and Pune. Air India, Air Asia, Alliance Air, Indigo, SpiceJet, Vistara and Air India Express will be operating from Kochi. CIAL has automated systems for check in procedure, safety checks and identification procedure, as part of the Covid-19 safety protocol. There will be two rounds of thermal screening – one near the ... Read more

The National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) has urged mall owners across the country to waive off rentals during the lock-down period and renegotiate commercial terms going forward. NRAI has written to mall owners to urgently resolve commercial concerns of food and beverage retailers, whose business has been hit very hard by the pandemic. “The mandated lock-down has forced us to shut shop and prevent the malls to allow entry to our guests, staff or suppliers. This is a clear case of force majeure and therefore all charges of rentals or common area maintenance for the duration of the lock-down ... Read more

Didi Chuxing, the biggest ride-sharing platform in China, has invested $7 million in starting an international travel agency based in Beijing, according to a report by ChinaTravelNews. As per public information from company-data provider Qichacha, Beijing Jucai Dongli Technology (Jucai Tech), an associate company of Didi Chuxing, has invested RMB50 million ($7 million) to establish a new company called the Beijing Xiaoju International Travel Agency. Xiaoju International Travel Agency will provide services covering domestic travel, inbound tours, tour information consultancy, tickets sales and others. In fact, this is not the first time Didi has dipped its toes into tourism. In ... Read more

The Colosseum in Rome, Italy’s most visited tourist site, will reopen on June 1 after being closed for more than two months due to the coronavirus pandemic. With over 7 million visitors a year, the Colosseum is one of Rome’s major tourist attractions. The Flavian amphitheatre, which is listed as world heritage, “will finally reopen to the public, under the banner of accessibility, welcome and above all, safety,” according to a statement from the archaeological site. The Colosseum will reopen on Monday “with adequate health protection for staff and visitors” such as masks and temperature measurement, secure routes, compulsory reservations ... Read more

The German government is looking to lift travel warnings for 31 European countries by June 15, if the health situation allows it, the DPA press agency has reported. Great Britain, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein are on the list, along with the 26 EU countries, according to DPA. The German government is due to make a decision on Wednesday. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas had issued a worldwide warning for tourist travel on March 17 due to the rapid spread of the new coronavirus. This global travel warning would make way for advice per destination, with the risk addressed country ... Read more

Private yachts and boats, catering up to 12 passengers, will be allowed to set sail in Greece, according to a government decision as coronavirus restrictions ease. The government decision allows private yachts and boats to sail to and from the islands, with no restrictions on staying overnight or arriving during late hours, provided they carry up to 12 passengers, maintaining a minimum distance of 1.5 meters between each other. The easing of restrictions on yachting was also announced last week by Greek Tourism Minister Harry Theoharis when he presented the country’s ‘Restart Tourism” plan. The government has also said restrictions ... Read more

For the past three months, Las Vegas wore a deserted look. No crowds, no lights, no fun. But now the famed casinos are set to open, promising to bring some life back into the city. For the past two weeks Nevada has shown a decrease in the number of new coronavirus cases, encouraging governor Steve Sisolak to set a tentative date of June 4 to reopen casinos state-wide, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “Our members have spent more than two months preparing for this day,” Virginia Valentine, president and CEO of the Nevada Resort Association, said in an emailed ... Read more

Majority of air travellers are concerned about the environment on an airplane than in an airport, an informal survey has revealed. The survey conducted by aerospace technology firm Honeywell, involving more than 700 frequent business and personal air travel passengers, indicated the types of guidelines and health-related equipment passengers may be looking for while flying during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The anonymous online survey showed that a majority of travellers (72%) were more concerned with the environment on an airplane than in an airport (28%). Nearly 60% of respondents cited social distancing as their top priority during travel, while ... Read more

The Karnataka Tourism Society has submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa demanding that hotels, restaurants and some tourism destinations be opened immediately. Society president K Shama Raju told reporters that although the CM was keen to accord permission, a decision will be taken only after consulting the central government. The Society demanded that hotels and restaurants be given permission to serve food in adherence with physical distance norms. Other demands include an exemption on property tax for April 2020, exemption from paying excise licence fee, and waiver of electricity charges. They also urged the government to give ... Read more

The Union Tourism Ministry has extended the validity of certification of hotels and the travel agents, tour operators, adventure tour operators, domestic tour operators and tourist transport operators till June 30. According to a note issued to this effect on Tuesday, the ministry said, “The decision was taken considering the current situation when the hospitality industry is going through a very difficult time in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown that has severely impacted the accommodation sector. Validity of approval or certifications of hotels and other accommodation units whose project approvals and classification have expired are deemed to ... Read more