Category: Top Three Stories

The global spread of the corona virus has hit Thailand tourism hard. Last year, the number of tourists who visited Thailand stood at 39 million, earning the country a revenue of more than $60 billion. According to a BBC report, out of the total number of tourists more than 10 million were Chinese. So when the virus hit China hard, Thailand felt the tremors. As more flights from China got cancelled, the Thai airports fell empty. Tourism contributes one-fifth of the country’s total economy, and with manufacturing and agriculture struggling, a hit on tourism was the last thing that Thailand ... Read more

Hong Kong’s tourism sector has been hit hard by the rapid spread of the corona virus. In February, arrivals fell to 199,000 which was the daily average during the first half of last year, South China Morning Post reported on Monday. The tourism board’s figures showed a 96% drop year on year for the period, after the government rolled out measures from February 8, to control the spread of the virus by closing all but three border checkpoints with mainland China. For the rest of the month, the average number of tourists coming to the city stood at just 3,300 ... Read more

IndiGo Airlines has announced the cancellation of some flights to Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi from March 17, in view of travel restrictions arising out of the corona virus scare. “Owing to the suspension of visas for all foreigners with exception of diplomatic passport holders, Indigo will be cancelling some of its flights (as mentioned above) until the travel restrictions are lifted. The airline said it would be refunding the entire amount to the impacted passengers,” the airline said in a statement.

The Ministry of Tourism has directed the tour operators to avoid movement of tourist groups within the country, in a bid to control the spread of the corona virus. “Your support will go a long way in strengthening the hands of the government of India in its efforts to overcome the situation,” said Rupinder Brar, the additional director general of the Ministry of Tourism. As a precautionary measure, all visas issued to nationals of all countries have been suspended till April 15 and Indian nationals have been strongly advised to avoid all non-essential travel. Health experts across the world have ... Read more

The Association of Domestic Tour Operators of India (ADTOI) has urged the central government to take steps that will help the tourism industry to tide over its cash crunch, in the light of the coronavirus outbreak. In a meeting with the tourism ministry, a 10 member multi-association team discussed a series of steps that could revive the sector. The ADTOI team requested the ministry to provide a complete GST tax holiday for the travel and hospitality industry for the next 12 months. It has called for a 6-9 months’ moratorium on all principal and interest payments on loans and overdrafts. ... Read more

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has stepped up calls for government support, warning that the travel meltdown could lead to many of the airlines facing steep losses within the next two months. IATA CEO Alexandre de Juniac said the risk of further bankruptcies will depend on the intensity and the duration of the coronavirus crisis. Talking to news agency Reuters, he said if the drop is as significant as seen now, the industry will see difficulties. Airlines are demanding relief from charges related to aircraft parking and overflight fees, which is essentially a fee for airspace usage. Many carriers ... Read more

Corona virus: Rashtrapati Bhavan closes for all tourists from today The Rashtrapati Bhavan has closed all public tour visits from Friday as a precaution against the outbreak of the coronavirus. An official spokesperson has said the Rashtrapati Bhavan will remain closed till further orders. The Rashtrapati Bhavan Museum Complex and the Change of Guard ceremony will not be open to public till further notice. On Wednesday the World Health Organisation had declared the coronavirus as a pandemi

Wonderla park shuts temporarily Wonderla Holidays has decided to temporarily shut down its amusement park in Kochi in the wake of the increasing number of coronavirus cases “This is to inform the stock exchanges that in view of the emerging situation in Kerala, consequent to the reported coronavirus cases, the company has decided to temporarily close the Kochi park from March 11-20, Wonderla said in a statement.

The solidarity of the tourism sector and the individual tourists is a key factor in minimising the spread and impact of COVID-19, the UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) have said. UNWTO secretary general Zurab Pololikashvili has stated that the COVID-19 outbreak is first and foremost a public health issue. “UNWTO is following the lead of WHO, with whom we have enjoyed an excellent working relationship.” Pololikashvili is in Geneva, leading a high level delegation to the WHO’s headquarters to further advance the two agencies’ coordinated response to the COVID-19 outbreak. He added that the ... Read more

The Idukki district collector has said that resorts and hotels in Idukki should allow rooms to guests, only after ensuring that they have tested negative for corona virus. Earlier the district administration had issued a circular restricting the bookings in the district. But in the light of Idukki not having any confirmed cases of the dreaded virus, the circular has been modified. The hotels and resorts now have to only ensure that they screen the guests coming from corona impacted travel spots, and ensure they have not come in contact with the virus. District collector H Dineshan has stated that ... Read more

Move applies to OCI card holders too India has suspended all existing visas issued to national of any country, with very few exceptions, as the number of confirmed cases of corona virus (COVID-19) continues to rise. Visa-free travel facility granted to Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) card holders will also be kept in abeyance till April 15. The Bureau of Immigration, (Ministry of Home Affairs) in an official statement said that all visas except those issued to Diplomats, Officials from United Nations or International organizations, Employment Protect visas stand suspended till April 15, 2020 with effect from 1200 GMT March ... Read more

The PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) will be organising its 9th International Heritage Tourism Conclave at Gwalior on March 13. Building on the previous eight editions, this Conclave will deliberate on how the tourism and culture sectors can work together more collaboratively and increase public-private partnerships to ensure the protection of our cultural and natural heritage. This year’s theme is , “Strengthening efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage’. The Conclave will be held at Taj Usha Kiran Palace, Gwalior. Surendra Singh Baghel, Tourism Minister, Government of Madhya Pradesh has been invited as the ... Read more

When it comes to booking overseas travel, timing is crucial. Leading global travel firm Skyscanner in its latest report has provided details on how Indian travellers can find the best prices for their flights and hotels. The company’s APAC Travel Trends 2020 Report has found that Indians’ most favoured international destinations were Bangkok (Thailand), Dubai (UAE) and London (England). Now, the company’s Plan like a Pro guide enables customers to make informed choices when it comes to accommodation and travel. Price indices reveal hotel and flight costs, showing travellers precisely what the averages are and when to book in order ... Read more

Indians will not be able to avail the visa-on-arrival facility when visiting Thailand, for the time being. Thailand on Wednesday canceled the grant of visa-on-arrival for 18 countries including India and visa exemption for three others to contain the spread of the corona virus, the country’s interior minister said. Previously, nationals of 18 countries or territories could use their passports or travel documents to apply for Visa on Arrival (VoA) at Thai immigration checkpoints. The 18 places include Bulgaria, Bhutan, China (including Taiwan), Cyprus, Ethiopia, Fiji, Georgia, India, Kazakhstan, Malta, Mexico, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, ... Read more

Maharashtra to come up with new world class aquarium in Mumbai Maharashtra has proposed the creation of a new world class aquarium in Mumbai, which would be a part of an international standard tourism complex. “An international standard tourism complex would come up on the Worli Dairy land with an estimated cost of Rs 1,000 crore. An international standard aquarium will be built there,” deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar said while presenting his budget in the Legislative Assembly. In December last year, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had directed the officials of the Tourism Department to chalk out a plan to ... Read more