Category: News

Kerala should look to convert its vacant houses into Airbnb-type accommodation to increase the state’s carrying capacity, Muralee Thummarukudy said on Thursday. Delivering a talk at the online webinar organised by the Association of Tourism Trade Organisations India (ATTOI), Thummarukudy said Kerala has over one million vacant homes, which can be effectively utilised to generate tourism revenues. “In Kerala, one can find 5-bedroom houses even in remote areas. So, finding space should not be a problem,” he said. The challenge would be incentivising that possibility.  Right now, Kerala feels content with the number of tourists that visit the state every year. ... Read more

Munich-based start-up pleycs has announced the launch of its location-based social network platform www.pleycs.com. The free website enables users to network worldwide, with regard to places of interest or places already visited. Travelling to new places, working, or even living abroad involve many uncertainties. It is always great to have a contact on the ground that can help with suggestions and insider’s tips. pleycs makes these connections happen, the company said in a press release. Access to photos and information about places of interest make it fun to explore new destinations. The experiences of the user can also be collected and ... Read more

Thailand’s Tourism Ministry is encouraging hotels to offer fair packages to expatriates, by avoiding price discrimination as the country aims to attract 2 million foreign residents to travel more domestically. Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, the tourism and sports minister, has urged expatriate associations to travel domestically instead of going abroad, as they may face back-to-back 14-day quarantines when arriving at other destinations and then upon returning to Thailand. The idea has received some positive feedback from expatriates, but points of concern remain regarding local sentiment towards foreigners during the outbreak and overpriced accommodations, Bangkok Post has reported. He said the Tourism Authority ... Read more

ITC Hotels has reopened its Grand Goa property after taking into account all possible safety and hygiene measures. With its ‘We Assure’ initiative, ITC Hotels is trying to offer guests comfort and peace of mind, keeping in mind the pandemic situation. At ITC Hotels, all additional safety measures have been deployed to mitigate the risk of infection, the hotel chain said in a press release. The ‘new normal’ protocol makes thermal screening, safe distancing and usage of masks mandatory across all levels of operation at the hotel. Usage of disposable gloves during service and additional protective gear, where required is ... Read more

Sinclairs Hotels has announced that three of its properties namely, Sinclairs Retreat Ooty, Sinclairs Retreat Kalimpong and Sinclairs Siliguri have won the Tripadvisor 2020 Travellers’ Choice Awards. These three properties have been ranked in the top 10% of hotels worldwide and placed in an exclusive group ‘Best of the Best’ based on ratings and reviews from travellers across the world. Swajib Chatterjee, Chief Operating Officer, Sinclairs Hotels Ltd. said, “We are delighted that three of our iconic properties have won the prestigious Tripadvisor’s Travellers’ Choice ‘Awards. The credit goes to our team for the consistently high standards of service to ... Read more

Singapore is seeking to open the door to a wider range of business and leisure visitors to boost its hard-hit tourism sector, with the return of mass travel still a long way off amid the pandemic, according to the head of the country’s tourism agency. The industry expects more job losses in the coming months once existing government support for rent, taxes and salaries starts tapering off, Keith Tan, chief executive officer of the Singapore Tourism Board said in an interview with Bloomberg Television’s Haslinda Amin. Job losses so far in the sector have been in the “very low thousands,” ... Read more

Nearly three million jobs in the UK – and 197 million worldwide in the travel & tourism sector globally – look set to be lost due to the collapse of travel, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC). WTTC economic modelling conducted less than two months ago predicted this ‘worst case scenario’ would occur if barriers to global travel, such as quarantine measures and blanket travel restrictions were to remain in place. While some travel bans have been removed, many others remain, with new restrictions likely to come into force to tackle the continuing threat posed by COVID-19 ... Read more

The virtual webinar organised by the Association of Tourism Trade Organisations India (ATTOI), to discuss the future of tourism will be inaugurated by Kerala’s tourism minister Kadakampally Surendran later today. The webinar features two eminent individuals – Claudia Wagner, managing director of German tour operator FIT Reisen and Muralee Thummarukudy, Chief of Disaster Risk Reduction in the United Nations Environment Programme.  The theme of the webinar is “We will overcome”. While Claudia Wagner will speak on the topic ‘Impact of Covid-19 and the revival of tourism’ from 3.30-4.30 pm, Muralee Thummarukudy will deliver his talk in Malayalam on the subject ... Read more

Union Tourism Minister Prahlad Singh Patel has inaugurated the ‘Thenzawl Golf Resort’ project implemented under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme of the Ministry of Tourism. The project is expected to give a big boost to India’s golf tourism initiatives. An amount of Rs 92.25 crore has been sanctioned for the golf resort at Thenzawl, which is located 90 km away from Aizawl, Mizoram’s capital. Thenzawl is an important centre for Mizoram’s handloom industry. Mizoram Tourism Minister Robert Romawia Royte and Commissioner and Secretary of the state tourism department Esther Lal Ruatkimi also attended the virtual inauguration.   Golf tourism in India has a ... Read more

Virgin Atlantic has filed for bankruptcy in the United States as the global airline industry reels from the coronavirus pandemic. The company, which is based in the United Kingdom, filed for Chapter 15 bankruptcy protection in New York on Tuesday, CNN has reported. Virgin Atlantic hasn’t been immune from the airline industry’s pandemic problems. In July, the company received a £1.2 billion ($1.5 billion) rescue deal to keep the airline solvent just days before it was due to resume passenger flights. The carrier said that the recapitalization plan would be deployed over 18 months and has the support of shareholders, new investors ... Read more

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, has launched an innovative new protective wear for First and Business class guests. As part of its new health and hygiene programme, Etihad Wellness, premium passengers will receive a snood style face mask for use throughout their journey and beyond. The soft reusable snood has been treated with MicrobeBARRIER™ fabric treatment, a broad spectrum antimicrobial treatment, laboratory tested and proven to reduce the presence of germs in fabrics. With this long-lasting protective layer, the snoods are washable and reusable, making them environmentally friendly. Travellers can choose to wear the snood around their ... Read more

Dubai’s medical tourism sector is bouncing back from the effects of Covid-19, with a recent resurgence in numbers of visitors seeking medical treatment as restrictions on travel are gradually lifted. With more countries than ever out of reach to medical tourists in neighbouring nations, many are looking to Dubai for the level of treatment they require, The National has reported. “Dubai is quite an attractive prospect given its ease of access for those from neighbouring countries,” said Christian Schumacher, chief executive of King’s College Hospital London, Dubai. “We are seeing an upturn in the number of visitors from countries with ... Read more

SpiceJet has secured slots at Heathrow Airport in London to operate flights effective September 1. This is presently under the air bubble arrangement between India and UK and effective up to the end of summer schedule i.e. October 23. A slot allows an airline to land and depart at a particular airport, at a designated time. SpiceJet is the first low-cost airline from India to get this facility in Heathrow, one of the busiest airports in the world. This follows the low-cost airline getting the rights to operate flights to the UK. In a statement in July, SpiceJet had said, ... Read more

The Association of Tourism Trade Organisations India (ATTOI) is organising a webinar on August 6, featuring two eminent individuals – Claudia Wagner, managing director of German tour operator FIT Reisen and Muralee Thummarukudy, Chief of Disaster Risk Reduction in the United Nations Environment Programme. The theme of the webinar is “We will overcome”. While Claudia Wagner will speak in English on the topic ‘Impact of Covid-19 and the revival of tourism’ from 3.30-4.30 pm, Muralee Thummarukudy will deliver his talk in Malayalam on the subject ‘Is there a spring season awaiting Kerala tourism?’, from 4.30-5.30 pm. Wagner’s session is sponsored by ... Read more

OYO, the Indian hotel-booking startup backed by Masayoshi Son’s Softbank, is merging its operations in Japan and appointing a new chief executive officer to oversee the combined entity. The reorganisation involves Oyo’s hotel-booking and apartment-rental units coming together into a single company called Oyo Japan, to be led by Ryoma Yamamoto as CEO with Ryota Tanozaki as his deputy. Both of them have been promoted from senior roles in the existing Oyo operations, said a Bloomberg report. Japan has been a focal point for Oyo’s international expansion due to Son’s endorsement and association with the Softbank brand name. The company operated Oyo Hotels and Oyo Life ... Read more