Category: News

Air India will be opening its bookings for special repatriation flights from various destinations in the USA and Canada, starting June 8. In a tweet the airline said, “Indian citizens and OCI cardholders who wish to travel to India on evacuation flights under the Vande Bharat Mission, from USA and Canada, may kindly book tickets through the Air India website for flights on or after 11th June ’20.” The air carrier further stated that it is mandatory for the applicants to be registered with the Local Embassy/High Commission, for the same. Tickets on the Air India website will be available ... Read more

The skydiving centre in Dubai Marina has resumed operations at the Palm Jumeirah drop zone, with strict regulations in place to keep skydivers safe during the Covid-19 pandemic. Upon arrival at Skydive Dubai, every visitor and staff member will be temperature screened, and anyone with a high temperature will be turned away, even if they have a paid reservation. Inside the Skydive Dubai venue, there is an enforced two-metre distance between all guests and staff, and face masks are compulsory at all times. Skydivers must keep their masks on until the point that they are ready to exit the aircraft. ... Read more

Etihad has landed a plane in Cuba for the very first time. The airline flew from Abu Dhabi to Havana, helping Cuban nationals return home. Taking off from Abu Dhabi International Airport, Etihad pilots flew the Boeing 777-300 jet for over 21 hours to land at Jose Marti International Airport, just outside Cuba’s capital. It’s the first time that the airline has ever flown to the island nation in the Caribbean Sea. Passengers on board observed social distancing measures and wore face masks and gloves throughout the flight, while Etihad crew wore personal protective equipment during flight services. Cuba has ... Read more

ITC Hotels has launched Lavanderia, a contact-light laundry service, now available to customers in various metros across India. The initiative offers strict monitoring of safety and hygiene norms at each step. The service allows customers to hand over the items at a designated point at the hotel. The laundry would be ready for pick up by the customer within 24 hours, where the customer would be intimated via a message which would include a payment link to enable contactless payment. The entire process remains contact-light with safe distancing at every point. Anil Chadha, COO, ITC Hotels said, “We endeavour to ... Read more

Feeling intense travel pangs but can’t pack your bags yet? Choose the next best option. Watch our travel movie recommendations and let your memories take their blissful flight again. Under the Tuscan Sun (2003) Want to explore Italy from your couch? Under the Tuscan Sun may be what you need then. The movie is about a writer, who buys a villa in Italy’s Tuscany in order to escape from her routine city life. Directed by Audrey Wells, the movie stars Diane Lane, Raoul Bova, Sandra Oh and Lindsay Duncan. The beauty of Tuscany instantly draws you to the film, and ... Read more

Passengers are upset about Air India’s ticket prices, even as they scramble to find some seats on the airline. A Twitter user shared a snapshot of a ticket booked by a passenger through the Air India website. The passenger booked a ticket from Delhi to San Francisco and the departure date is June 19. Out of the total travel expenses of Rs 1,06,379, a fuel surcharge of Rs 26,341 was levied on the passenger. Twitter erupted as a result as passengers were quick to highlight the exorbitant fuel surcharge fees. However, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri tweeted, “The rate ... Read more

The Odisha government has decided to operate day cruise services at five destinations, in association with the private sector. The tourism department has invited proposals from prospective applicants for organising day cruises at Chilika Lake, Mahanadi, Bhitarkanika, Satkosia George and Hirakud reservoir in Odisha. The last date for proposal submission in response to the expression of interest (EoI) is July 10, news agency IANS said. Odisha has a long coast line measuring approximately 482 km, five major rivers, reservoirs and water bodies, including Chilika, the largest brackish water lake of Asia. All these water bodies possess tremendous tourism potential, as ... Read more

Air India has said that it would offer more seats for passengers in the third phase of India government’s Vande Bharat Mission, due to an “overwhelming” response. The announcement came a day after the national carrier opened bookings for 300 flights from select destinations, including the US and the UK, between June 10 and July 1. Between 5 pm Friday and 8 am Saturday, the airline company experienced “6-7 times more activity” on its website, and over 22,000 seats were sold. “Demand for seats from India on flights planned under Mission Vande Bharat-3 is overwhelming. Sectors/flights are being opened in ... Read more

CGH Earth, one of the most renowned hospitality groups in Kerala, has decided to reopen its resorts and hotels from June 9. Its diverse set of properties like Coconut Lagoon, Kumarakom; Marari Beach, Mararikulam; Brunton Boatyard, Fort Kochi; Spice Village, Thekkady; Chittoor Kottaram, Ernakulam and Casino Hotel, Kochi will reopen on that date. India has decided to allow hotels to open gradually, after easing lockdown restrictions across the country. The government has asked hotels and restaurant owners to encourage contactless mode of operations and offer digital payments, while maintaining social distancing guidelines. CGH’s announcement came with the marketing line ‘What ... Read more

A government panel is stepping up to help debt-ridden Thai Airways pass regulatory and contractual hurdles ahead of the national carrier’s planned debt rehabilitation. According to Prapas Kong, director-general of the State Enterprise Policy Office (SEPO), a state-appointed committee following up on the airline’s rehabilitation, headed by Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam, will arrange the help. The troubled airline turned to the government because it has many contracts with trading partners and legal obligations that can only be resolved with the state’s help. These problems should be cleared before Thai Airways enters rehabilitation, Prapas Kong said. The airline formally asked ... Read more

The Irish government is being urged to consider a move to one-metre social distancing and to allow people travel beyond 20 km of their homes from June 29 to save Ireland’s tourism industry. A delayed reopening of schools, allowing bars and pubs to welcome customers from July 20 and removing the two-week self-isolation period for visitors from “safe” destinations are also being suggested. The issues are highlighted in an eight-point list submitted to the government by Ireland’s new Tourism Recovery Taskforce (TRT), which has been charged with preparing a Recovery Plan for an industry devastated by the Covid-19 pandemic. The Cabinet ... Read more

Hotel bookings in China have returned to about 50% of pre-Covid levels, while airlines resumed operations at more than half of their capacity. China has decided to extend the exemption of value-added taxes for the tourism industry until the end of the year, thereby aiding the speedy recovery of the sector, as part of its efforts to shore up consumption. The epidemic plunged hotel occupancy rates to single digits in February, but the numbers have since bounced back to around 50%, based on information from operators and industry experts. Midmarket hotels are faring better than both high-end and low-end properties. ... Read more

The Rann of Kutch, the doorway to western India, can look surreal at times. On a full moon night, these white sands of Kutch light up with its austere beauty, contrasted colourfully by the people. ‘Breathe in a bit of Kutch, come breath in a bit of Gujarat’ – is what its tourism campaign says and there is plenty to breathe in and assimilate. The Rann of Kutch is a salt march in the Thar desert in the Kutch district of Gujarat, which is one of the largest salt deserts in the world. It is designated as a World Heritage ... Read more

Rajasthan’s state tourism minister Vishvendra Singh has initiated a safa (turban) challenge on Twitter, generating interest from politicians across India. State’s deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot and other leaders have responded to the challenge. The minister said the challenge on Twitter is intended to promote Rajasthan’s culture and heritage, on the global stage. “#SafaWithTwitter to promote Rajasthan globally. Upload your photo wearing a Safa,” the tweet said. As a response Sachin Pilot posted a recent video of his wrapping a long turban from his Rajasthan diaspora summit in London. “We are committed to promoting tourism in Rajasthan and why not ... Read more

Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel has urged the Union minister of state for tourism, Prahlad Patel, to grant approval to the state’s plan to develop a circuit alongside the places Lord Ram visited during his exile, under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme. Bhupesh Baghel wrote to Patel stating that Chhattisgarh’s tourism department has selected nine such sites and prepared a concept plan at a cost of Rs 137.45 crore for developing the circuit. Baghel said that under the Centre’s Swadesh Darshan Scheme there is a provision to develop world-class infrastructure for the convenience of tourists in selected projects. He said the ... Read more