Category: News

The Ministry of Tourism has set up a portal to disseminate information regarding the services that can be availed by stranded foreign tourists. The portal called ‘Stranded in India’, hosted on the Incredible India website, has been set up to extend support to all foreigners who are stuck in India due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The portal will help tourists get information of state tourism departments and regional offices of the Ministry of Tourism, to help them stay safe and healthy. The portal will help tourists find information on ways of getting back to their respective home countries too. Please ... Read more

Now 3D animals are at your beck and call, via Google. Just a simple Google search will take you there. For example, to find a Lion in AR you will need to type “Lion” in the Google Chrome app, then go to the “View in 3D” option and just click on it. And whoa, you will have your 3D lion in your living space. Google’s 3D animals aren’t available on all devices yet. It’s only available on smartphones and not on the computer or laptop. Android smartphones or tablets running Android 7.0 or higher and iPhone or iPad running iOS ... Read more

Ferrari will resume production from April 14, after halting the same on March 14 due to the COVID-19 outbreak. However, production will only resume if the supply chain works without any interruption so that all necessary parts can be provided for the production process. In an official press release, Ferrari said “All activities that can be conducted in smart working will continue to be performed as has been the case in recent weeks. The company will continue to cover all days of absence to those unable to take advantage of this solution.” The Italian firm was the first to temporarily ... Read more

Top-selling smartphone manufacturers are asking the government to classify handsets as an essential commodity which can be delivered to customers through e-commerce platforms amid the 21-day national lockdown in India. Industry bodies Manufacturers’ Association of Information Technology (MAIT) and India Cellular & Electronics Association (ICEA) have written to the government seeking concessions in the delivery of smartphones among other electronics devices and removal of restrictions on the movement of components for inland and export purposes. In its letter dated March 27 to the government, MAIT, the apex body of electronic product makers, suggested that ecommerce companies be listed under essential ... Read more

While the launch of the iPhone 12 is still months away, information about the device is already here. Last month saw new leaks that reveal information about a new design for the iPhone 12. The latest leaks around the product indicate Apple could enhance the iPhone 12’s Augmented Reality capabilities, by equipping these series with a new iPad Pro with LiDAR ( short form for Light Detection and Ranging) sensor. Interestingly, the sensor was first seen on the iPad Pro launched earlier this month, and will now make its way to the new iPhones in 2020. This information comes courtesy ... Read more

Porsche is stepping up its corporate social responsibility in response to the coronavirus pandemic. After stopping production on March 21 for an initial period of two weeks, the car manufacturer is also redirecting resources to help those in need. The Executive Board of Porsche AG is working intensively on concrete measures that will enable the company to provide support. Specialist staff such as medically experienced personnel or IT experts have been deployed to carry out voluntary work. Assistance with technical materials and supplies, such as procurement of personal protective equipment has been identified as another field of activity. Food donations ... Read more

Hilton’s new Singapore property is all set to become the hospitality major’s Asia-Pacific flagship. The new hotel is expected to be ready by early 2022, and will have over 1,000 rooms, five restaurants and bars and suites. Located in the middle of the Orchard Road shopping strip, the Hilton Singapore Orchard is in fact a $90 million make-over of the Mandarin Orchard Singapore. An extensive refurbishment will precede the rebranding, which will be underpinned by new meeting facilities to meet growing demand for regional and global conferences, including three ballrooms. Work is scheduled to begin by mid-year, as the current ... Read more

World renowned fashion brand Ralph Lauren is to start making medical masks and gowns – the latest designer brand to lend its support to the coronavirus fight. The fashioner designer announced the shift in production through its charitable arm on Thursday. The Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation will start making 250,000 masks and 25,000 isolation gowns in the US. Other fashion brands have also pledged to help make urgently needed medical wear. The foundation is also donating $10m (£8.2m) towards the global response to the coronavirus pandemic. In the US the death toll has now risen above 1,000. “At the heart ... Read more

Taking into account the unparalleled introduction of travel restrictions across the world, the United Nations specialized agency for tourism, UNWTO, expects that international tourist arrivals will be down by 20-30% in 2020 when compared with last year. However, UNWTO stresses that these numbers are based on the latest developments as the global community faces up to an unprecedented social and economic challenge and should be interpreted with caution in view of the extreme uncertain nature of the current crisis. An expected fall of between 20-30% could translate into a decline in international tourism receipts (exports) of between US$300-450 billion, almost ... Read more

Kerala Tourism has suggested, on its Instagram handle, five books to read about the state during the lock-down. ‘The God of Small Things’ (Arundhati Roy), ‘Small Town Sea’ (Anees Salim), ‘Where the Rain is Born’ (ed. Anita Nair), ‘Ivory Throne: Chronicles of The House of Travancore’ (Manu Pillai) and the ‘Litanies of Dutch Battery’ (NS Madhavan) are the books listed. All the five books explore the soul of Kerala. For all of you locked down at home, these wonderfully written books will take you right where you want to be – in the midst of nature.

Ford Motor Company is joining forces with 3M and GE Healthcare to lend its manufacturing and engineering expertise to quickly expand production of urgently needed medical equipment and supplies for healthcare workers, first responders and patients fighting coronavirus. In addition, Ford plans to assemble more than 100,000 face shields per week and leverage its in-house 3D printing capability to produce components for use in personal protective equipment. “This is such a critical time for America and the world. It is a time for action and cooperation. By coming together across multiple industries, we can make a real difference for people ... Read more

The initial signs of recovery are here. Right in China, the epicentre of the corona outbreak, many of the tourist sites are opening up. There is not too much of a rush anywhere, but airline ticket sales are open again. According to Yevgeny Glotov, the head of marketing at China Travel, carriers are already making plans for the coming months. “Yesterday there was news that all the hospitals, opened specially for the coronavirus, were closed in Wuhan. All patients have been discharged. Our partners also informed us that Hainan Airlines intends to resume flights on the Moscow-Beijing route at the ... Read more

With the hospitality sector facing a complete shutdown due to the corona virus pandemic, the Association of Tourism Trade Organisations India (ATTOI) is placing a special emphasis on online refresher courses to keep tourism and hospitality employees productive and engaged. ATTOI is looking at the possibility of every job in the industry having a set protocol to follow and a handbook that will list down the processes that need to be adhered to. ATTOI President Vinod CS says such an initiative will help the employees update themselves during this period of inactivity. “Today everyone has access to smart phones and ... Read more

The hospitality sector has been ravaged by the corona virus pandemic, with booking cancellations at a record high. In an interview while detailing the impact that the outbreak is having on the sector, UDS Hotels CEO Dr.Raja Gopaal Iyer says it’s important for hotels to control the costs going forward. Iyer says the strategy should be to depend more on technology and reduce manpower costs. Excerpts: Q: The hospitality industry is going through probably its worst ever phase in history. Did you think that the crisis would end up having such a devastating effect on the industry? A: I am ... Read more

Le Bijou, a luxury hotel chain in Switzerland, is offering a quarantine package to its guests that includes in-room corona virus testing, doctor visits and 24-hour nursing care. Le Bijou is a part hotel, part serviced apartments company, and operates its luxury accommodation across Switzerland in cities including Zurich, Geneva and Basel. Switzerland, which shares a border with Northern Italy, was impacted early. Before the outbreak of COVID-19, Le Bijou already catered for a very exclusive clientele, playing host to the likes of Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, ‘Wolf of Wall Street’ Jordan Belfort and even the Saudi Royal Family, charging ... Read more