Author: Tourism News live

Almost all Indian states are concerned about the immediate future of the travel and tourism industry, which has been badly hit by the Covid-19 epidemic, but hardly any of them have come up with decisive steps. In this context what the Uttar Pradesh (UP) government is trying to do, appears positive. The state government should pay 50% salary of at least half of the employees working in the hospitality sector, UP’s director general (DG) of tourism Ravi Kumar has said in a draft proposal. In the proposal prepared for a giving a “bailout package” to the tourism industry, Ravi Kumar ... Read more

All leading industry associations representing the Indian tourism sector have expressed shock over the central government’s position of not addressing any of its concerns in the economic stimulus package, though the sector is in a standstill ravaged by the epidemic. Key industry body, the Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism and Hospitality (FAITH), said the Indian tourism industry is deeply taken aback by the fact that none of its concerns have been addressed by the government in its economic stimulus package. “Indian tourism industry has gone into a state of disbelief and shock. It was looking forward to a deep ... Read more

Kerala’s tourism minister Kadakampally Surendran has said that the state’s tourism sector has incurred a loss of Rs 15,000 crore due to the coronavirus induced lockdown. The minister said that a rejuvenation package for tourism in the state has been prepared and will be implemented to attract tourists to the state after the COVID-19 crisis ends. “The state has incurred Rs 15,000 crore loss in tourism sector. We have prepared a project and submitted it to the Chief Minister in this regard. We are planning to bring a rejuvenation package for the tourism sector in the state,” Surendran said. He ... Read more

Greece is getting ready to present its overall plan for reviving tourism in the post Covid-19 era. This will commence with the announcement of the health protocols for safe operation of air, ferry and road transport in Greece, government spokesman Stelios Petsas has said. The government is drawing up a plan to deal with the impact of coronavirus pandemic, aiming to cushion, as much as possible, the “inevitably large” losses expected for this year’s tourism season. Petsas said the goal was to make the most of the “new common framework” with the guidelines and recommendations presented by the European Commission. ... Read more

Italy will reopen to tourists from early June and scrap a 14-day mandatory quarantine period, the government said on Saturday, as it quickened the country’s exit from the coronavirus lockdown. Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte enforced an economically-crippling shutdown in early March to counter a global pandemic which official records show has killed over 31,500 people in the country. The shutdown has effectively ended all holidaymaking in a country heavily dependent on the tourism industry. Although Italy never formally closed its borders, and has allowed people to cross back and forth for work or health reasons, it banned movement for ... Read more

By Maneesha Ajit Is our hospitality sector pet ready? In a post Covid environment what measures do we adopt to ensure that our pets are safe and healthy while staying at a hotel or resort? Do we have enough number of trained staff members who can meet the demands of a family travelling with pets? Make no mistake, the lockdown period has been a testing time for pets too. It’s not just us who are feeling the frustration. Though WHO had refuted claims of animals transmitting the disease a lot of unfortunate incidents have surfaced. But on the bright side, ... Read more

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has designated Spanish football legend and World Cup winner Iker Casillas as its special ambassador for responsible tourism. In a virtual ceremony announcing his appointment, the goalkeeper pledged to promote the universal benefits of tourism. The Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization, Zurab Pololikashvili, presented Casillas with a special plaque and thanked him for supporting tourism at a critical time when the sector has taken a hard hit and millions of jobs could be lost. Pololikashvili said: “Sport and tourism foster the best of humanity. They promote the shared values of solidarity, teamwork and excellence. ... Read more

The French government will join forces with the tourism industry to build an Internet site aimed winning back customers from U.S. online travel giants such as Airbnb Inc. and Booking Holdings Inc. Bloomberg has reported that the initiative is part of government-led stimulus package to revive tourism in one of the world’s top destinations as hotels, restaurants, theme parks as well as travel sites and tour operators are among the hardest hits by lockdowns and restrictions to fight the global coronavirus pandemic. “This sector has been very much de-intermediated by the large U.S. platforms, Airbnb, Booking.com,” Eric Lombard, the head ... Read more

The European Commission has come up with a set of  guidelines and recommendations to help member states gradually lift travel restrictions and allow tourism businesses to reopen, after months of lockdown, while respecting necessary health precautions. The Commission’s guidance aims to offer people the chance to get some well-needed rest, relaxation and fresh air. As soon as the health situation allows, people should be able to catch up with friends and family, in their own EU country or across borders, with all the safety and precautionary measures needed in place. The package also aims to help the EU tourism sector recover ... Read more

About 70% of OYO’s hotels in China have reopened. The Indian hospitality firm is witnessing a slow rise in bookings in China, which is its second largest global market after India. OYO is present right across China in most of its prominent locations. It has 500,000 rooms in China, contributing 32% of OYO’s global revenue. The company said: “We have seen a consistent rise in occupancy in the last five weeks. We are witnessing over 50% occupancy rates in South China in comparison to North China.” OYO currently has plans in place to open the remaining hotels over the next ... Read more

Today we are taking you to the land of bisibele bath, coffee, silk and Mysore Pak. It’s also the land of brave Queen Rani Chennamma also known as Kittur Chennamma of the princely state of Kittur who led an armed rebellion against the East India Company. Yes, we are taking a trip to Mysuru. We probably know enough of the Mysore Palace and the Brindavan Gardens, and hence we are not going into it. Today what we are going to bring to you is a joint initiative between the ministry of tourism and another government institution the National Institute of ... Read more

Hawaii will discourage tourists from visiting its vacation hotspots till end of June. The coronavirus related stay-at-home measures will continue up until that period, state governor David Ige has said. The current 14-day mandatory quarantine for everyone traveling into the state, which began in March, will certainly be extended until the end of next month, Ige said in an online question-and-answer session late on Thursday. Tourism is a big part of Hawaii’s economy – more than 10.4 million visitors came to the islands last year, supporting some 216,000 jobs in a population of around 1.4 million, a Reuters report said. ... Read more

China’s COVID-19 lockdown has ended, and travel is tentatively restarting. In this article, McKinsey looks at how the country has recovered so far, what Chinese travellers think about their future travel, and how industry players are responding to these trends. Countries and regions around the globe are gradually moving past the peak of the pandemic. We hope that China’s experience can shed light on what other countries can—and cannot—expect for their own travel recoveries. How tourism in China is restarting Mainland China’s lockdown is over; new domestic reported cases of COVID-19 are practically zero. Businesses remain cautious, but almost all offices, ... Read more

Dubai Tourism has come out with detailed guidelines for the tourism and hospitality sectors to safeguard travellers. It has said large outdoor tourism activities involving more than five people, sports events, parties, hotel amenities like swimming pools, spas, sauna, gyms and prayer rooms will not be permitted. All outdoor activities involving less than five persons are allowed. Water sports activities, boat and bike rentals, jet skis and sky diving are permitted, in a controlled environment. Public beaches are still closed, except for tourism activities as mentioned. Food and beverages are allowed, but restaurants, cafes and foot stands need to follow ... Read more

France has decided to pump in €18 billion (US$19 billion) to support its tourism sector, in one of the biggest relief packages the industry has seen across the globe. The tourism sector has been hammered by the COVID-19 crisis, resulting in worldwide shutdown of beaches, leisure attractions and hotels. Businesses with just 20 employees and €2 million in annual revenue in the tourism, hotel and restaurant sector will also be able to tap a solidarity fund until the end of the year, to receive grants of up to €10,000. Nearly 90 million foreign tourists had visited France in 2019, making ... Read more