Category: News

Emirates has announced that it will restart passenger flights to Cairo and Tunis from July 1, Glasgow (from July 15) and Malé (from July 16). This will bring Emirates’ network to 52 destinations in July, offering travellers convenient connections between the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe and the Americas through its Dubai hub, while ensuring the health and safety of customers and employees on the ground and in the air. Customers from Emirates’ network can also travel to Dubai following the announcement last week that the city will be open to business and leisure visitors from July 7, with new air ... Read more

Exactly a month ago, the Indian government had shelved the Sree Narayana Guru Spiritual Circuit project, in a major reversal for Kerala. No reason was provided for such a step at that time. Kerala could not accept this move and decided to pursue the matter with the Central government. Finally, on Monday, the Centre decided to retain the spiritual circuit, drawing curtains on a controversy which had the potential to snowball into a larger political crisis. But there is still a hitch. While the Centre has informed that the Rs 69.47-crore Sree Narayana Guru spiritual circuit project would be retained ... Read more

Pride Group of Hotels has announced its first-ever ‘Holiday Bond’ to welcome patrons back, in the new normal. The campaign offers an exclusive voucher for the forthcoming travel of its guests. The holiday bond – which includes an exclusive voucher for the imminent travel of the guests – can be bought for one of their seven participating properties at Rs 10,000 (plus taxes) and can be redeemed for services worth Rs 13,000. The bond is valid until November 14, 2020.  Satyen Jain, CEO, Pride Group of Hotels says, “We believe that when people travel, they shouldn’t have to compromise on ... Read more

Thomas Cook (India), an integrated travel services company, has introduced Staycations — an array of mini-vacations for Indians increasingly seeking quick, stress-free getaways close to home. With stays at handpicked hotels, either within one’s city of residence or at a short driveable distance, Staycations come attractively priced. According to Thomas Cook India’s “Holiday Readiness Report – Future of Travel post Covid-19”, 64% respondents were keen on a domestic holiday. However, most ranked health & safety as a primary concern. To ensure a perfect blend, Thomas Cook’s Staycations are designed to allow Indians to unwind at hotels in their home city or ... Read more

Air India will fly 114 flights while IndiGo and GoAir will operate 457 and 41 flights respectively between July 3 and July 15 under the fourth phase of the Vande Bharat Mission, news agency PTI has reported. The government started the mega mission to evacuate stranded Indians from abroad on May 6. Scheduled international passenger flights have been suspended in India since March 23 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Under the fourth phase of the mission, Air India will operate 114 flights to India from 17 countries. Canada, the US, the UK, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Kyrgyzstan, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, ... Read more

Various stakeholders representing Pahalgam tourism on Sunday requested the administration to allow tourists from other districts to visit Pahalgam so that local businesses can survive the COVID-19 aftermath. The point was raised at a meeting organised by the Pahalgam hoteliers, tourist taxi operators, adventure operators, pony wallas and other tourism allied service providers. The meeting was presided by Faheem Behaqi, sub-divisional magistrate of Pahalgam. The tourism trade representatives requested that since there are no tourists coming from outside, it would be good if administration would allow locals to visit Pahalgam. The representatives were informed that the Jammu & Kashmir tourism ... Read more

The Hotel and Restaurant Association of Odisha (HRAO) has urged the Indian government for long term measures to save the hotel industry from sinking further, due to the pandemic. In a letter to Union Tourism Minister Prahlad Singh Patel, HRAO chairman JK Mohanty said although hotels have been allowed to run with 30% capacity, there is no occupancy as people are scared to travel by trains and flights. The hoteliers said they have not yet received any relief either from the Centre or the State Government despite the repeated appeals explaining the miserable condition.      Meanwhile, the Odisha Cultural Circle ... Read more

Various tourism associations in Malaysia are hoping that Putrajaya will reach an agreement with neighbouring Singapore and Brunei allowing unrestricted travel between the countries in order to boost local tourism, according to a report by Free Malaysia Today. Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (Matta) president Tan Kok Liang said domestic tourism alone was not enough to sustain the industry, and that opening the border with Singapore could help boost business. “Singapore is the top market for arrivals to Malaysia. We can start with business travel and move into leisure travel,” he told Free Malaysia Today (FMT), pointing out ... Read more

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) said on Sunday that tourism businesses in Singapore will be permitted to resume operations in stages from July 1, starting with 13 attractions. STB will also allow domestic tour operators to begin submitting their applications to resume operations. This is part of the resumption of activities in Phase 2 after the circuit breaker, STB said. The following attractions, including selected components in the two integrated resorts (IRs), have submitted their reopening proposals. The Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) and STB have carefully assessed their proposals and will allow them to reopen from July 1. The attraction ... Read more

The fifth edition of the Music Tourism Convention, originally scheduled for this September in Cleveland, Mississippi, has been postponed until 2021. Due to the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, event hosts Visit Mississippi, the city of Cleveland and Music Cities Events decided to move the dates of the convention to Sept 29 – Oct 2, 2021. The event will feature tourism organizations, the music and events industry and academics from around the world. “We’ve looked at all of the factors created by COVID-19 which are impacting this year’s event, and have decided alongside our partners that we need to postpone to ensure ... Read more

Now’s the time to start dreaming of an escape to New South Wales’ wine country, the Hunter Valley – a place where world-famous wineries, acclaimed restaurants, delicious local produce and luxurious hideaways await. Surrounded by magnificent natural beauty, and only two hours from Sydney, the Hunter Valley is an unrivalled destination that has delighted since vines first thrived in the 1820s. With more cellar doors than any other wine region in Australia, one of the great pleasures of wine tasting here is the incredible breadth of flavour and character. While Hunter Valley semillon and shiraz have long been world-famous, guests will also sip distinctive and innovative wines, from ... Read more

Cyprus has temporarily reduced VAT charges from 9% to 5% for hotels, restaurants and taxi transport. The move is intended to support the tourism industry with a boost in revenues – but the reduction is not likely to be passed on to the customer, the Cyprus Mail has reported. The rate reduction will be applicable for the period from July 1, 2020 to January 10, 2021. The change only applies to the following services, according to Deloitte Cyprus: a)       Accommodation in hotels, tourist accommodation and similar areas, including the provision of holiday accommodation b)      Restaurant and catering services. c)       Transport of passengers and ... Read more

Domestic tourists generated most of the tourism traffic in Slovenia in May when the country eased certain coronavirus restrictions on some tourist activities, See News has reported. In April, the coronavirus pandemic brought the Slovenian tourism to a halt, with the sector registering no new tourist arrivals. In May, domestic tourists generated over 13,000 arrivals and some 25,000 overnight stays versus 3,800 arrivals and some 14,000 overnight stays made by foreign tourists, the statistical office said in a statement. Thus, tourist arrivals and overnight stays in May represented only 4% of the traffic recorded in May 2019. Most of the foreign ... Read more

Kerala Tourism, which is banking on domestic tourism in the wake of the ban on international air travel, has a hurdle to cross. The district of Thiruvananthapuram, which is home to quite a few travel destinations including the likes of Kovalam, Shangumugham and the Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple, has become a Covid-19 hotspot.   Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran has expressed anxiety over the transmission of coronavirus in Thiruvananthapuram, especially within the city. He stated that the current situation does not demand closing down the city but the residents must adhere to the guidelines issued by the government. With the coronavirus community transmission ... Read more

Italy has reassured visitors that it is ready to welcome them back having announced new safety guidelines for tourists. The Italian tourist board (ENIT) has published new protocols, which include wearing a face mask in enclosed spaces, providing hand sanitisers and applying one-metre social distancing rules in all public areas, including restaurants and hotels, Travel Weekly has reported. British tourists have been allowed to visit Italy with no quarantine measures on arrival from July 3, although quarantine measures still remain in place on return to the UK – with a review due on June 29 that could see air bridges ... Read more