Category: News

Embankments in the Sundarban delta — a UNESCO world heritage site — have been breached by the surge whipped up by cyclone Amphan which has inundated several kilometres of the islands. The sea-level rise in the delta, which is much higher than average global sea-level rise, will contribute to migration from the region. For around 40 lakh people of the Sundarbans, livelihoods like agriculture, fishing and wildlife tourism are the most predominant, apart from being migrant labourers. The Sunderbans is a mangrove area in the delta formed by the confluence of the Ganga, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers in the Bay ... Read more

Indian domestic air travel may have resumed on Monday after being grounded for two months, but with many states remaining skeptical about opening airports, over 600 flights were cancelled in just one day alone. Flights are yet to resume in large states like West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh, and operations in airports including Mumbai, Chennai and Hyderabad are not in full swing yet. Many passengers reached the airports on Monday only to be told by the airline staff that their flights have been cancelled. West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh governments did not relent to the requests by the Civil Aviation ... Read more

As a result of the unprecedented crisis resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic, all the seven properties of Sinclairs Hotels at Siliguri, Darjeeling, Dooars, Kalimpong, Burdwan, Port Blair and Ooty are currently closed. The launch of the eighth property in the Sinclairs’ chain – Sinclairs Gangtok -scheduled on April 15 had to be postponed. In response to today’s needs, Sinclairs is introducing a host of changes and new initiatives to keep our guests safe and healthy. Sinclairs will now have special emphasis on hand washing hygiene to sanitizing of guestrooms and common areas so that our guests enjoy hospitality in a ... Read more

The Supreme Court on Monday allowed national carrier Air India to operate international flight service with middle seat booking. The court was hearing a petition filed by the Centre and Air India after Bombay High Court questioned why the airline was not keeping the middle seats vacant in international flights. “Air India shall be allowed to operate non-scheduled foreign flights with middle seats booking for next 10 days,” Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sharad Arvind Bobde said. After 10 days, the Supreme Court said the national carrier will have to follow the Bombay High Court’s order directing it to follow ... Read more

The Kerala government has released a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for domestic airline travel. The government has asked all the returnees to register themselves on the ‘COVID-19 Jagratha’ portal after obtaining a flight ticket to get a travel permit. The travel permit will then be issued along with a QR Code on the registered mobile number and email. The same will have to be presented to the airline staff before the boarding passes are given. If more than one passenger travel on a single ticket, details of all persons need to be entered by anyone in the group using ‘add ... Read more

Indonesian hospitality startup BoboBox has secured US$11.5 million in a series A round led by Horizons Ventures and Alpha JWC Ventures. Other new and existing backers such as Kakao Investments, Sequoia Surge, and Mallorca Investments also participated in the round, according to a statement. Bobobox provides affordable hotel accommodation in the form of modular capsules. They are fitted with applications and internet-of-things systems to improve security, comfort, and affordability. With the fresh funding, the three-year-old startup plans to accelerate its product improvement by growing its tech team and strengthening its manufacturing and operating models. It also plans to extend its ... Read more

The US has imposed travel restrictions on foreign nationals who have been to Brazil in the last 14 days. Brazil has become a major coronavirus hotspot in recent times, registering the second highest number of cases globally. A White House spokeswoman said the restrictions would help ensure new cases are not brought into the US. “Today’s action will help ensure foreign nationals who have been in Brazil do not become a source of additional infections in our country,” White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said in a statement. Brazil has recorded more than 360,000 cases, while over 22,000 people have ... Read more

A number of Air New Zealand lounges will reopen across the country today. The lounges will not be serving alcohol, but plans to introduce more food and alcohol options in the coming weeks. There will also be a maximum of 100 people allowed in the lounges at any one time. The Auckland Regional, Wellington Domestic and Christchurch Domestic lounges will open, along with nine of its regional airport lounges. This includes regional lounges in Hamilton, Tauranga, Napier, New Plymouth, Palmerston North, Nelson, Queenstown, Dunedin and Invercargill. While the lounges may be reopening, some things will be different. “In line with ... Read more

Outdoor partying is on in full swing in many parts of the United States, as people continue to take total advantage of the new found freedom. After several weeks of lockdown, citizens seem to have broken free causing a great deal of concern for health authorities. Despite several weeks of warnings from health officials to follow “social distancing” measures and wear face masks in public, Americans across the country crowded the beaches and partied in large numbers over the Memorial Day weekend. A video from a Volusia County Sheriff’s Office helicopter captured dozens of people blocking traffic near Daytona Beach, ... Read more

Spain will reopen to overseas tourists from July, the country’s prime minister has announced, pledging that the government will guarantee the safety of visitors and locals as the country emerges from one of Europe’s strictest coronavirus lockdowns. Prime minister Pedro Sanchez said a €3bn (£2.7bn) minimum basic income scheme to help families, most affected by the pandemic, would come into effect in the next few weeks. Sánchez said: “As you know, Spain receives more than 80 million visitors a year. I am announcing that from July, Spain will reopen for foreign tourism in conditions of safety. Foreign tourists can start ... Read more

Portugal has said that it’s ready to welcome tourists, expressing confidence that its public health care system can take care of the tourists. Portugal’s foreign minister Augusto Santos Silva has said no quarantine will be imposed on people arriving by plane. He said that “minimal health controls,” which he did not specify, will be enforced at airports. Other European countries, including Spain, Italy and the United Kingdom, have preferred a 14-day self-isolation rule for arrivals. Santos Silva said in an interview with Observador radio station that Portugal’s public health system has coped well with the new coronavirus outbreak, though doctors ... Read more

Ever since the World Health organisation has declared COVID-19 as a pandemic, Kerala has been taking all measures to contain the outbreak through strict surveillance and infection control measures. In order to reduce the risk of transmission of COVID among the drivers and passengers the following advisory is issued: Drivers & crew The drivers and crew (conductors, cleaners and helpers) should wear three-layer masks at all times during travel and while in public places. Drivers and crew shall wash hands with soap and water or use hand sanitizer frequently, especially before and after getting in and out of the vehicle. ... Read more

The American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA) has announced a new collaboration with Google to expand the industry’s efforts to meet the continued demand from first responders and healthcare workers for accommodation in hotel rooms. This joint effort comes two months after the launch of American Hotel & Lodging Association’s (AHLA) ‘Hospitality for Hope’ an initiative designed to match emergency and healthcare workers who require temporary housing in hotels during this unprecedented health crisis. More than 17,000 properties across the country volunteered to serve their communities and participate in the programme. The initiative was designed to boost collaboration between the ... Read more

Indian skies opened up for domestic passenger services from today after a hiatus of two months due to coronavirus-induced lockdown across India. Indigo’s Delhi-Pune and Mumbai-Patna flights were among the first to take off. Most of the states in India have given a go ahead for flight services from Monday. The two distinct exceptions are Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal. Andhra Pradesh will resume flights from May 26 and West Bengal from May 28. Maharashtra had earlier said that it will allow only few flights each day from Mumbai airport. But on Sunday, the state said it will allow 25 ... Read more

There are talks in Japan about subsiding holidays of international travellers, to draw them in. Japan has witnessed the worst passenger arrival numbers in its history due to the pandemic, and is looking at ways to restart tourism. In fact, the Japan Tourism Agency has proposed paying foreigners half the cost of taking a holiday in Japan. According to various reports, the head of the Japan Tourism Agency, Hiroshi Tabata, said that he’d developed a subsidy plan costing $12.5 billion to entice travellers back to Japan, commencing as soon as July. To be clear, it’s a plan and not set ... Read more