Author: Tourism News live

The COVID-19 pandemic is not only causing distress in the health sector but has also brought other activities, including tourism, to a grinding halt leaving many families on the brink of uncertainty, news agency UNI has reported. After the ban on coal mining in April 2014, which was the highest revenue earner for the State’s exchequer, tourism had emerged as an economic saviour, but with the spread of coronavirus, which, subsequently led to the lockdown for nearly three months, stakeholders are now staring at a bleak future. With no tourists at all for nearly three months now, those running tourist ... Read more

Georgia’s plan to reopen the country to tourists while safeguarding the relatively under-control coronavirus situation was centred on allowing only tourists from countries that had minimal coronavirus outbreaks. But those plans took a hit when Israel – the first country with which Georgia had signed an agreement – experienced a spike in COVID-19 infections. “Papers are ready to be signed, but after the epidemiological environment worsened in Israel we sat down and decided to delay this,” Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia has said. Georgia is also in negotiations with Baltic countries, the Czech Republic, Poland and Austria over creating the green corridors, but nothing has ... Read more

The Ayush Department, which is into promoting alternative medicine systems in India, has introduced new schemes through its Ayur Raksha clinics to spread the message of ayurveda. The schemes – Swasthyam, Sukhayushyam, Punarjani, and Amritham – will be promoted through the clinics in government run ayurvedic institutions. Swasthyam is focussed on reducing the intake of medicines to focus on daily routine, seasonal routines, good food, and moderate exercise for physical and mental health Sukhayushyam is focussed on the health of the elderly. Medicines should not leave them sapped of energy but be able to boost their immunity. They should also ... Read more

Several organizations in Latvia’s tourism sector have sent an open letter to the European Commission (EC), drawing attention to the difficult situation in the sector, as well as the lack of government support. “In Latvia’s tourism sector, which accounts for almost 5% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), there is currently no indication that the situation is likely to improve. On the contrary, it is deteriorating every day,” said the representatives of the various organizations. According to them, Latvian tourism and hospitality companies are currently in a worse situation than they were during the 1998 Russian financial crisis and the financial ... Read more

Solomon Islands has called on the Australian and New Zealand governments to ask for their active consideration in allowing the COVID-19 free island nation to be included in a potential ‘South Pacific travel bubble’ when international travel restrictions are finally lifted. Tourism Solomon CEO, Josefa ‘Jo’ Tuamoto, while praising the government for the proactive steps it has taken, added that Australian and New Zealand travellers could be assured of their safety when visiting the destination. Australian and New Zealand travellers form the bulk of the country’s international visitor intake and allowing the destination to be included in the bubble would ... Read more

The Bahamas has reversed itself on COVID-19 tests for tourists. After announcing that foreign visitors and Bahamians returning home will not need to obtain a negative COVID-19 test when the country reopens on July 1 to international commercial flights, Tourism and Aviation Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar told Parliament that a negative test will now be required, Miami Herald has reported. “There has been much concern expressed about the reopening of the country to foreign visitors,” D’Aguilar said. “The Bahamas, which now requires a COVID 19 test to enter the country up to July 1, will also require a COVID-19 test after ... Read more

Bermuda is reopening its doors to all visitors from July 1, Forbes has reported. Located only 650 miles off the coast of North Carolina, Bermuda is ready to welcome even American guests, who are restricted from entering several other countries. But there are, of course, conditions to be met. Travellers need to have a negative COVID-19 test done within 72 hours of their flight, wear face masks and practice social distancing at their departure airport and in the flight, and upon arrival undergo another coronavirus test at the airport or their accommodation and quarantine until the results are in. Temperature ... Read more

Myanmar is expecting to restart domestic tourism in the third quarter of this year, an official from the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism told Xinhua on Saturday. Under the COVID-19 Tourism Relief Plan recently launched by the ministry, domestic tourism will resume soon to help the tourism sector recover. The tourism ministry and Religious Affairs and Culture Ministry are in talks to reopen the pagodas and cultural sites so as to restart domestic tourism very soon. By the fourth quarter of this year, Myanmar will restart travel with neighbouring countries such as Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Thailand, the official said. ... Read more

The Uttarakhand government will prepare an action plan for the tourism sector, hit badly by the Covid-19 lockdown. Chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat has instructed officials to prepare an action plan for tourism, via an online meeting over the weekend. Ashwini Lohani, advisor to the Chardham Devasthanam Board and Subhash Goyal, general secretary of the Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism and Hospitality (FAITH) were present during the meeting. “There is a need to encourage tourism apart from the peak tourist period, especially in places located on the travel route. Suggestions of pilgrims and locals should also be obtained on ... Read more

Egypt’s tourism ministry is scrapping tourist visa fees for the governorates of South Sinai, Marsa Matrouh and the Red Sea until October 31, in a move meant to encourage tourists back to the country. Khaled El Enani, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, stated that the Ministry of Interior has issued a new decision to abolish the fees for all citizens visiting Egypt in only the three governorates mentioned above. El Enani conducted a visit to the governorates, to some of the hotels and their airports, deeming them more suitable for touristic activities than condensed and crowded cities, especially during the ... Read more

Dubai will begin allowing tourists in from July 7 and citizens and residents can resume outbound travel from June 23, the Dubai Media Office said on Sunday. Here are the new guidelines for air travel, according to the Dubai Media Office. DUBAI CITIZENS AND RESIDENTS ALLOWED TO TRAVEL ABROAD FROM JUNE 23 Citizens and residents are allowed to travel to any foreign destination, according to measures taken by countries regarding foreign arrivals. • Travelers bear full responsibility for their actions and for checking the COVID-19 situation of the country they wish to visit, as well as self-monitoring any symptoms they may ... Read more

With planes grounded and most tourism on hold during the coronavirus pandemic, one Taiwanese airport has come up with a unique solution to help citizens get their travel fix. Taipei’s Songshan airport will give 90 people the chance to take a tour of their airport and relive the experience of going through immigration, boarding a plane and then disembarking and returning home, CNN has reported. “Can’t leave (Taiwan), then pretend to go abroad at Songshan,” a flier posted to the airport’s website read. Songshan is the smaller of Taipei’s two international airports and is located in the centre of the ... Read more

The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) has launched a new “Holiday at Home” campaign, with the  aim of encouraging residents to be a tourist of their own city and rediscover the beauty of Hong Kong with a new perspective.  HKTB Chairman Y K Pang said: “Due to the continued stringent travel restrictions and quarantine measures implemented by the Hong Kong Government and other governments around the world, the number of visitor arrivals to Hong Kong remains at a very low level. Provisional data show only around 8,100 arrivals in May, nearly a 100% decrease year on year. The HKTB’s strategy ... Read more

Air India has introduced a “shorter working week scheme” under which its permanent employees, except pilots and cabin crew members, can opt to work for three days a week at 60% salary. This measure has been introduced in order to improve the airline’s cash flow position amid the coronavirus pandemic, news agency PTI has said. “The permanent employee who opts for such a scheme can avail this for a period of one year,” according to the airline’s senior officials. The pandemic has impacted the aviation industry significantly, and all airlines in India have taken steps like slashing salaries of employees ... Read more

Sky watchers along a narrow band from West Africa to the Arabian Peninsula, India and southern China will witness the most dramatic “ring of fire” solar eclipse to shadow the Earth in years on Sunday. Annular eclipses occur when the Moon – passing between Earth and the Sun – is not quite close enough to our planet to completely obscure sunlight, leaving a thin ring of the solar disc visible. They occur every year or two, and can only be seen from a narrow pathway across the planet. The full eclipse will be visible somewhere on Earth for just under ... Read more