Category: Top Stories

Below are some take aways from the discussion: Ø             Engage with employees at home & hotel, as they are the real assets. Ø             Safety and security are of paramount importance. Ø             Online learning to update skills. Ø             Work with government authorities, health workers, police etc. Ø             Engagement with guests. Use loyalty program to engage with the guests. Ø             No buffet service in near future,  portion food to be served. Ø             In case having displayed buffet, only trained associates to serve food from the buffet, as per FSSAI instructions. Ø             Guest to leave the in-room dining (IRD) tray outside their room. ... Read more

The Alpine ski resort of Ischgl, which was the epicentre of Austria’s biggest cluster of coronavirus infections, has decided to move away from “party tourism”. The resort was under quarantine for a month. Ischgl is near the point where Austria, Italy and Switzerland meet and has often described itself as the “Ibiza of the Alps”. It is now clear that more than 800 cases spread across Austria can be traced back to the resort and the surrounding Paznaun Valley. In February and early March the virus found a breeding ground in crowded apres-ski bars. Hundreds of foreign tourists were infected ... Read more

Domestic tourism in Russia may resume in July, but the country’s resorts will have to reduce prices by 20-40% in order to attract visitors after the pandemic, the CEO of tour operator Intourist Victor Topolkaraev has said. “If the situation with coronavirus will go on a positive scenario, the domestic tourist market could revive in June-July – most likely in July. Tourism will return in the fall and winter. And we must understand that from the moment the market opens, people will be in at least a month-long ‘swing’,” he said during an online conference. According to Topolkaraev, Russian resorts ... Read more

The air travel industry has its first major victim. Virgin Australia has said that it has entered voluntary administration, making it Australia’s first big corporate casualty after the coronavirus outbreak. Voluntary administration as a legal concept is equivalent to filing for bankruptcy. The country’s second-largest carrier had cut almost all flights last month following wide-spread travel bans. It was already struggling with a long-term A$5bn (£2.55bn; $3.17bn) debt. The airline is now seeking new buyers and investors, after failing to get a loan from Australia’s government. Virgin Australia chief executive Paul Scurrah said: “Our decision today is about securing the ... Read more

Sharjah-based Air Arabia has announced that it will operate new repatriation flights from four cities in India to Sharjah carrying UAE nationals back home. The special flights from Mumbai and Delhi to Sharjah International Airport took off on Monday, while special flights from Cochin and Hyderabad to Sharjah International Airport will take off on April 22. The airline said, “Air Arabia remains committed to bring stranded citizens back home as well as supporting requests to operate repatriation flights and is working closely with UAE authorities in this regard. The airline announced earlier that it is operating a mix of repatriation ... Read more

Airlines will have to refund the entire fare, without imposing cancellation charges, to those who booked tickets during the first lockdown from March 25 to April 14 for travel between March 25 and May 3, the civil aviation ministry said on Thursday. The ministry has asked the Directorate General of Civil Aviation to ensure airlines comply with its directive. “Grievances were received from air travellers regarding refund for flights cancelled because of the nationwide lockdown to combat COVID19. Advisories have been issued regarding refund for both domestic & international tickets booked for the flights suspended due to lockdown,” civil aviation ... Read more

United Airlines on Wednesday said that it has cut its flight schedule by 90% for the month of May and expects similar cuts for June as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. The carrier said that travel demand is now essentially at zero showing no sign of improving in the near term. United disclosed its outlook in a memo to employees that it publicly released. The memo was from Chief Executive Oscar Munoz and President Scott Kirby. United said it flew less than 200,000 people in the first two weeks of April, a 97% drop from the more than 6 ... Read more

The Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) has said that the Covid crisis has presented the country with a fine opportunity to establish itself as a ayurvedic, yoga and heritage destination. In a webinar conducted to discuss the current situation in the industry, the various stakeholders said that domestic tourism will help the recovery process. The industry will take 3-6 months to recover and segments like MICE tourism will not be allowed to function before July/August. Outbound tourism will not start soon and maybe subject to stringent visa norms. This may take up to nine months. TAAI is lobbying with ... Read more

The Union Tourism Ministry has launched a new webinar series called ”Dekho Apna Desh” to provide in-depth information on several destinations and the expanse of the culture and heritage of India. The first webinar touched upon the long history of Delhi. It was titled “City of Cities — Delhi”s Personal Diary”, the ministry said. The webinar will be available in the public domain soon. The official links of the Ministry’s social media handles, IncredibleIndia on Instagram and Facebook, will feature the webinars. Union Minister for Tourism and Culture Prahlad Singh Patel said, “The series of webinars will be an on-going ... Read more

IndiGo on Tuesday announced that it will resume its operations from May 4, in a phased manner. The nationwide lockdown is scheduled to end on May 3. To begin with, it will start with domestic operations only, and international routes will be added later on. “In its endeavour to reconnect critical air corridors post the lockdown, IndiGo will resume flight operations from May 4. Initially starting with a slightly curtailed capacity, the airline will increase the operating capacity over the subsequent months, also reopening selected international flights, depending on the existing international travel guidelines,” IndiGo said Ronojoy Dutta, Chief Executive ... Read more

Walt Disney World in Florida plans to furlough about 43,000 workers after it closed last month because of the coronavirus pandemic, the company and a union coalition representing the workers said. In mid-March, Disney’s theme parks closed down globally, including Disney World in Florida and Disneyland Resort in California. The furloughs, which are set to begin on April 19, were part of an agreement between Disney World and the Service Trades Council Union, a collection of six unions representing the 43,000 workers at the theme park resort in Florida. The workers, who are expected to be called back to their ... Read more

UAE carriers, Etihad and Flydubai, have announced additional repatriation flights to help the stranded passengers get back to their respective countries. Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways declared that it has opened bookings to additional special passenger flights to Brussels, Dublin, London Heathrow, Tokyo Narita and Zurich. These new special flights will operate between April 14 to April 22. The carrier said it continues to operate special passenger flights from Abu Dhabi to several destinations including Amsterdam, Jakarta, Manila, Melbourne, Seoul Incheon, and Singapore. Budget carrier Flydubai also opened bookings for repatriation flights to 13 countries. But all the flights are subject ... Read more

Thousands of Delta Air Lines employees have volunteered for unpaid time off as the carrier tries to save costs, even as the coronavirus pandemic continues to spread across the world. Some 35,000 workers have signed up for unpaid leaves of absence that the Atlanta-based carrier started offering last month, CEO Ed Bastian said. That amounts to more than a third of the roughly 91,000 full-time employees Delta had at the end of last year, according to its latest annual report. Delta is seeking even more volunteers and bolstering benefits given to workers while they’re gone, Bastian said. He said last ... Read more

A new report has revealed the vital contribution that travel & tourism will make to Asia-Pacific’s economic recovery, once the COVID-19 pandemic has been overcome. The report by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), which represents the global travel & tourism private sector, in its annual Economic Impact Report (EIR) shows how big a part the sector played in driving the economy in the region last year. Driven by the continued growth in middle income households, visa facilitation, improved connectivity and government prioritisation of the sector, travel & tourism generated $2,971 billion USD last year towards GDP, or 9.8% ... Read more

British Airways had decided to temporarily suspend more than 30,000 of its cabin crew and ground staff, following the corona virus outbreak. The airline, which has grounded most of its fleet, has been locked in talks with unions for more than a week. BA boss Alex Cruz told staff that a large majority of employees would be suspended for the next two months. He said the government’s job retention scheme would fund 80% of their wages. Explaining the decision, Cruz said: “We need to act now to protect jobs and ensure that BA comes out the other side of this ... Read more