Category: Top Stories

Etihad Airways has launched new travel vouchers which are redeemable against future flights, and is currently offering a 50% cash bonus on purchases. The Etihad Travel Purchases can be purchased in increments of US$250 up to a maximum of US$65,000, and once bought are added to a Travel Bank for use by the customer. Note that you must be an Etihad guest member to purchase the vouchers. The current bonus is available for purchases made by June 24, and will see an extra 50% credit added to the Travel Bank – so a customer buying US$1,000 in vouchers will receive a total ... Read more

Dubai-headquartered travel-tech startup Hotel Data Cloud (HDC) has been officially selected for the ‘Healing Solutions for Tourism’ award by The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). HDC was selected for this recognition from among more than 1,000 other entrants from over 100 countries. The startup serves as a centralised global database for hotels to disseminate information including data and images to hundreds of stakeholders. Recently, it introduced a new initiative whereby hotels can communicate their health and safety measures by creating a profile on HDC and filling in the Covid-19 preparedness section. This will then be automatically shared and freely accessible by ... Read more

Jalesh Cruises, India’s first premium cruise liner has introduced ‘Future Pass’, designed to provide flexibility for its travellers. Travellers can book their cruise holiday now and be able to finalise their travel dates until August 31, 2021. In addition, if purchased before June 30, 2020, an exclusive discount of 25% can be availed on the Future Pass.  Amid the current sentiment towards travelling, this offer will help travellers restore their confidence to book at a later date as per their convenience. A study reveals that while many consumers have cancelled their trips, they have not lost their desire to travel. ... Read more

Hong Kong’s tourism industry is desperately urging the government to set-up “travel bubbles” with neighbouring regions as a lifeline, warning the hard-hit sector will need an extended period to recover from the near-total shutdown brought on by the pandemic. The creation of travel corridors between countries, which jointly agree to drop quarantine requirements, is something the Hong Kong government has suggested could take place with destinations that have done well in containing Covid-19. But it’s not clear when such a bubble might be formed between Hong Kong, Macau and the mainland’s Guangdong province, South China Morning Post reported. A travel group, ... Read more

In Chile’s port city of Valparaiso, people are perhaps facing more ups and downs than almost anywhere else, as the city’s funiculars have been turned off. With no tourists in town because of Covid-19 travel restrictions, the city’s unique public transport system has ground to a halt. A lack of ticket sales to fund their operation has led officials to close these urban lifts, which typically whisk travellers and residents through the steep, hilly terrain of Valparaiso. This means residents are having to tackle the city’s unforgiving terrain on foot. The unique cable car funiculars are designed to make travel ... Read more

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

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

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

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

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

The Saudi Tourism Authority (STA) is looking to prepare one of the world’s longest recreational tourist paths – stretching 1,835 km – as part of its ambitious drive to promote domestic tourism. The path would connect the kingdom’s south with the north through the western region, starting from Abha and reaching Tabuk, passing through Al-Baha, Taif, Jeddah, Rabigh Economic City, Yanbu and Umluj or vice versa, said a report in Saudi Gazette. The path is meant only for families and the duration of a single trip will take about two weeks for each family, it said. The path includes shopping ... Read more

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin has announced steps to ease border restrictions, allowing its citizens to travel, amid the sustained rise in coronavirus cases. During a televised meeting, Mishustin said that an order has been signed to allow Russian nationals to leave the country for work, study or take care of sick relatives. The main agenda of the meeting was to discuss the measures to develop tourism, the opening of the holiday season, and the finalisation of the national plan for economic recovery. Highlighting the impact of coronavirus on the tourism industry, the Russian Prime Minister said that the industry ... Read more

Hotels in Uttarakhand will not be allowed to take bookings from customers arriving from “high-load” Covid-19 cities, the state government has announced. While issuing guidelines to reopen restaurants, shopping malls and religious places of worship, chief secretary Utpal Kumar Singh said guests from cities with less number of cases will have to stay for a minimum of seven days. Officials said that if a person is carrying some infection, there are chances of manifestation within seven days. If people keep coming and going, it will become difficult to track the cases, they added. “Initially when we are starting, we want to ... Read more

Karnataka has come out with a set of protocols to ensure safety for tourists. Self-declaration by guests and tour operators about their preparedness for various tourist destinations, safety and hygiene status, social distancing requirements and awareness of the pandemic are all part of the new guidelines. “The Covid-19 pandemic has presented unprecedented challenges for the tourism sector across the world. In this aftermath, health and safety of people is of utmost importance for the government. With the tourism industry expected to resume operations over the coming months, it is necessary to have protocols in place that can ensure hygiene and ... Read more

The Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI) has recommended that hotels should appoint a special officer nominated among managers, who will be responsible for Covid-19 response planning and implementation. In its reopening manual, addressed to all registered hotels and resorts in the country, FHRAI said the special officer will be the contact point for Covid-19 emergencies, having decision making powers as required. The officer has to be supported by the operations head, quality control, HR and a medical officer connected with the property. All hotels and resorts have to replace finger touch biometrics with alternatives, sanitise luggage ... Read more