Tag: corona virus crisis

Governments have a duty to put the wellbeing of their citizens first. At the same time, they also have a responsibility to protect livelihoods and businesses, says World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) secretary Zurab Pololikashvili. This goes hand-in-hand with a responsibility to preserve the spirit of international solidarity that has characterized our response to this shared crisis, a response that has included international institutions, the civil society at large and individual citizens. Again and again, the pandemic puts us to the test and proves that we are stronger if we act together and not in isolation. Unilateral actions can cause confusion and produce ... Read more

Dubai-based carrier Emirates has rolled out a new online gateway to serve its travel trade partners around the world. Tailored for each market, and personalised for each partner to cater to their unique business environment and needs, the Emirates Partners Portal is designed as a one-stop shop for travel industry partners to quickly and securely access the full range of information on Emirates’ latest products, services and policies, and obtain technical support. The portal also offers a range of functions including self-service tools and support, and in-built automation of business processes, all aimed at delivering efficiency for travel partners, as ... Read more

The Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) has said that Indian and foreign airlines be allowed to operate, to revive the travel industry. The industry body said the government should allow foreigners to travel to India on a reciprocal basis. While there has been a substantial easing of lockdown conditions in line with phase one and two, phase three remains a crucial decision for the country, it said, according to a report by news agency ANI. FICCI said clear-cut dates should be announced by the states to open tourism, monuments, tourist attractions, hotels, restaurants and bars. All restaurants ... Read more

India’s first full-fledged international cruise terminal is ready for commissioning at the Ernakulam Wharf on Willingdon Island in Kerala. Sagarika, the ₹25-crore cruise terminal spread over 12,000 sq.ft., has facilities to handle up to 5,000 tourists arriving in cruise vessels. The commissioning was scheduled for April, but had to be postponed due the coronavirus crisis. A new date is expected to be announced shortly. The terminal can be an important milestone for Kerala’s tourism sector, as the number of cruise ships visiting Kochi has been increasing every year. But many of these vessels that bring in high-spending tourists to the ... Read more

The requirement that UK travellers returning from Spain have to quarantine themselves yet again for 14 days has been a huge disappointment for thousands of British holidaymakers. The move is disastrous for the hard-pressed travel & tourism industry, both in Spain and the UK, Gloria Guevara, President & CEO of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) has said. “While the health and safety of travellers – as well as those who work within the travel & tourism industry – is paramount, this move will be a bitter blow for those holidaymakers already in Spain who will now be forced into isolation ... Read more

Effective 1 August, all travellers flying Etihad Airways from around the world to Abu Dhabi, and those transferring via Abu Dhabi onto other flights, will be required to show a negative COVID-19 PCR test result. The tests have to be carried out from a list of approved testing facilities listed on www.etihad.com/destinationguide, alongside their ICA approval if Abu Dhabi is their end destination. The PCR test must be carried out within 96 hours prior to arrival in Abu Dhabi and a negative COVID-19 PCR test result certificate from one of the approved clinics listed must be shown for approval to board. ... Read more

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said international travel ban cannot stay in place indefinitely, and countries should do more to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus within their borders. A surge of infections had prompted countries to reimpose some travel restrictions in recent days. Only with strict adherence to health measures, from wearing masks to avoiding crowds, would the world manage to beat the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Health Organization’s director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said at a virtual news briefing on Monday. “Where these measures are followed, cases are going down,” he said, praising Canada, China, Germany and South Korea ... Read more

Tourism, hospitality and aviation are among the worst affected sectors due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the latest survey by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has said. About 90% of the respondents said that recovery within the tourism sector appears bleak in the next six months. The aviation sector came a close second, with about 85% categorising the future prospects as extremely bleak. Bankers said aviation is most likely to require support as the sector is highly leveraged, with high fixed costs. The survey findings suggest that the ill-effects of COVID may remain for next 3-5 years and may impact the quality of credit ... Read more

The Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism & Hospitality (FAITH), the nodal federation of all the national tourism associations, has revised the sector’s economic risk guidance to ₹15 lakh crore in view of the coronavirus situation. In its initial guidance, which was calculated and shared with the industry and the Central government in March, the federation had put the tourism sector’s economic risk at ₹5-lakh crore due to the pandemic. Later, it was revised upwards to Rs 10 lakh crore, as the situation worsened. Now, the figure has been further revised to ₹15-lakh crore as the pandemic continues to ravage the sector. FAITH ... Read more

Thomas Cook (India) and its group company, SOTC Travel Ltd, have partnered with ICMR-accredited medical centres pan India, to offer COVID-negative certification services. This initiative is an extension of the Thomas Cook & SOTC Assured Safe Travel Program in partnership with Apollo Clinics.  Through this service, the travel agency will ensure that the travellers receive the report results within 24 to 48 hours. The Thomas Cook & SOTC COVID-negative certification services include: assistance on requirements/procedures for COVID testing via ICMR accredited centres, information on multiple locations/options available for the test, scheduling appointments for the tests etc. The service will also enable ... Read more

K Vijaya Mohan, President of the Tours and Travels Association of Andhra, has said that travel agents in the state have suffered a cumulative revenue loss of Rs 2,000 crore due to COVID-19 outbreak. At this rate, they would end up losing Rs 3,400 crore by the year-end, he said. In a letter written to Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, he said the government should give certain benefits to bail out the travel sector. He noted there are about 1,000 travel agencies in the state and one third of them are in Visakhapatnam, many of whom are suffering economically. ... Read more

Britain has always been a health tourism destination of distinct pedigree with its high-class healthcare service. Tourists from around the globe pick the UK, for their treatments, due to the high degree of expertise available. Its National Health Service (NHS) has been a model healthcare system globally, but the country has been suffering from an obesity crisis of late. As a result, Britain unveiled plans to tackle an “obesity time bomb” from today, banning TV and online adverts for junk food before 9.00 pm, ending “buy one get one free” deals on such foods and putting calories on menus, says ... Read more

Norway’s Arctic-archipelago Svalbard on Saturday recorded its highest-ever temperature, the country’s meteorological institute reported. For the second day in a row, the archipelago registered 21.2 degrees Celsius (70.2 Fahrenheit) in the afternoon, just under the 21.3 degrees recorded in 1979, meteorologist Kristen Gislefoss told news agency AFP. Later in the afternoon however, at around 6:00 pm local time, it recorded 21.7 degrees, setting a new all-time record. The Svalbard islands would normally expect to be seeing temperatures of 5-8 degrees Celsius at this time of year. The island group is the only inhabited isle in the northern Norway archipelago, that ... Read more

A cruise ship carrying 1,200 passengers set sail from Keelung Port on Sunday, on the first commercial sea tour since Taiwan imposed travel restrictions due to the COVID-19, the Maritime and Port Bureau said. The “Explorer Dream,” however, will visit only domestic ports, namely the islands of Penghu and Matsu, according to the operator, says a report by Focus Taiwan. With 1,200 tourists on board, the cruise liner will stop at Penghu and Matsu, before returning to Keelung in northern Taiwan on July 29, the operating company Dream Cruises said. Dream Cruises said it will offer 30 similar trips over ... Read more

Spain is safe for tourists and Spaniards, the government insisted on Sunday after Britain abruptly imposed a two-week coronavirus quarantine on travellers returning from there, says a Reuters report. Last year, Britons made up over a fifth of foreign visitors to Spain, which relies heavily on tourism revenues, meaning the UK move could deal a hard blow to efforts to restart the Mediterranean country’s economy after months of lockdown. “Spain is safe, it is safe for Spaniards, it is safe for tourists,” Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya told reporters. The Spanish government will focus its efforts on trying to persuade ... Read more