Tag: corona virus crisis

Showcasing the potential of motoring expeditions in India, a recent Dekho Apna Desh webinar organised by the Ministry of Tourism, highlighted the diverse network of roads and terrain available in various corners of the country. The virtual session was moderated by Tourism Ministry’s additional director general Rupinder Brar and presented by Manish Sarser, senior manager, Mahindra Adventure and Hari Singh, Head of Operations, JK Motorsports and Founder, DriveTech India. Beginning with India’s leadership position in terms of length of road networks, Brar stated that the country has the second largest road network in the world with a total length of ... Read more

UAE-based Indian welfare groups are anxious about the fate of future repatriation flights from the country after two chartered flights to India could not take off on Saturday in the absence of approvals from authorities in India, according to a Khaleej Times report. The Kerala Muslim Cultural Centre (KMCC), a welfare organisation, said the Etihad Airways EY254 flight that it had chartered from Abu Dhabi to Kozhikode on Saturday had to be cancelled ‘at the last moment’ because the Directorate of General Civil Aviation (DGCA) did not send the permissions necessary for it to land in India. As per the ... Read more

Senegal has declared that it will not re-open its airspace to European Union (EU) travellers after the bloc did not include it on a list of “safe” states due to the coronavirus, according to media reports.  The EU issued a list of 15 nations considered safe, taking into account “epidemiological criteria,” including Africa nations with a high number of confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths, such as Algeria and Morocco, the Africa News has reported. The EU list also included Rwanda and Tunisia. Dakar declared a ban on travellers from the EU states as a probable retaliatory measure, but Minister of ... Read more

Travellers needing information on Arkansas can now stop at an Arkansas Welcome Centre. The state’s Welcome Centres were temporarily closed from March 20 to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, according to a news release from Arkansas Tourism. The centres are now open 8 am to  5 pm, seven days a week. “Arkansas is one of the nation’s most beautiful and inviting destinations,” said Stacy Hurst, secretary of the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism. “Arkansas Welcome Centres offer our guests a friendly entry to The Natural State, as well as a rest and information stop to gather travel ... Read more

Wild horses are the lifeblood of the Namibian economy, drawing tourists who come to see them living amid inhospitable sand dunes and the barren plains. It is estimated that the wild horse population has declined from 286 in 2012 to just 65 adults now. A hotel owner Bernd Roemer told CNN last year, “If an attraction like the horses would fall away it will not kill tourism completely, but it will make a strong indent.” Biologist Telane Greyling says the future of the herd rests on a few precious foals, yet only one, named Zohra, has survived to see its ... Read more

Qatar Airways will now require economy class passengers to wear a face shield in addition to a face covering. The face shields will be supplied by Qatar Airways at check-in and economy class passengers will only be allowed to remove them during meal and drink services. The rules will not be extended to business or first-class passengers who will simply be asked if they would like to wear a face shield. Business class passengers will be “asked to wear their face shield and mask on board at their own discretion, as they enjoy more space and privacy”. All passengers will also ... Read more

St Petersburg and Ras Al Khaimah are among the latest destinations to sign up to the world’s first ever global safety and hygiene stamp, launched recently by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC). The growing list of endorsements have come from many major holiday and city destinations around the world, such as Kenya, St. Petersburg, and the Spanish resort of Benidorm, among many others. WTTC, which represents the global travel & tourism private sector, designed the Safe Travels stamp to enable travellers to identify destinations and businesses around the world which adopted its health and hygiene global standardised protocols. ... Read more

Oman has said that no fines are being levied for expired tourist visas until July 15, as the country is battling to stem the new coronavirus and prop up the economy. “Currently, there are no fines on holders of tourist visas in the Sultanate,” said Major Mohammed Al Hashami of the Royal Oman Police (ROP). “They can extend the visa electronically through the [ROP] website without the need to show up at the service centres,” he added, according to the Omani newspaper Al Shabiba. The exact number of such visa holders in Oman is not clear. In April, the ROP ... Read more

Kolkata’s Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport has banned flights from Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Pune, Ahmedabad and Nagpur from July 6 to July 19 or until further orders in light of COVID-19 situation. “No flights shall operate to Kolkata from Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Chennai & Ahmedabad from 6th to 19th July 2020 or till further orders whichever is earlier. Inconvenience caused is regretted,” state-run Kolkata airport wrote on Twitter. It is important to note that the chief secretary of West Bengal, Rajiv Sinha, had written a letter on June 30 to Pradeep Singh Kharola, secretary, civil aviation ministry on ... Read more

Five of Delhi’s tourist destinations opened to the public on Saturday, after being closed for months. Dilli Haat, Nature Bazaar, Garden of Five Senses, Azad Hind Gram and GTB Memorial are the destinations that opened in India’s capital, with precautions in place. The Delhi tourism department in a statement said that for the first 15 days of their opening, entry to these spots will be free in order to encourage high footfall. However, all visitors will have to wear masks and maintain social distancing, and will be screened on entry. Provisions for frequent hand wash will be made available, and ... Read more

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has appointed two new special ambassadors as it leads the restart of the sector across Europe. UNWTO has named renowned fashion designer Giorgio Armani and celebrated chef Gino Sorbillo as its latest special ambassadors for tourism. In their new roles, both the special ambassadors will draw on their status and influence to promote the work of the United Nations specialized agency for responsible and sustainable tourism. As leaders in gastronomy and fashion, they represent two of Italy’s biggest economic sectors and two of the industries that contribute to making the country a global tourism leader. ... Read more

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has said that the resumption of domestic tourism, which was suspended due to the coronavirus-induced lockdown, will kickstart the coastal state’s economy. There was a lot of pressure from tourism stakeholders to restart the tourism industry and the government acceded to their demands as it is an economic activity, the chief minister said. “At present, Goans require employment and there was immense pressure from tourism stakeholders to restart the sector. After considering all the aspects and putting standard operating procedures in place, we decided to reopen the sector,” Sawant said. Tourism activities resumed in Goa on Thursday, with ... Read more

The UK on Friday allowed quarantine-free international travel to nearly 60 “lower risk countries”, excluding India and the US, as it released a list of exempt nations posing “a reduced risk” from the deadly coronavirus. The UK Foreign Office Travel Advisory related to India remains unchanged as part of its wider advice for British nationals to avoid “all non-essential international travel”. The list includes European destinations of Germany, France, Spain and Italy as well as Australia and New Zealand, PTI has reported. Some of the Asian countries considered low risk include Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Vietnam, with popular holiday destinations ... Read more

Bali’s provincial government has announced plans to open the island to tourism for domestic Indonesian tourists from July 31. The plan will be executed as long as Bali’s reopening scheme for local residents, starting July 9, runs effectively. Tourist attractions will be selectively opened to avoid new sources of virus transmission, says Indonesia Expat in a report. The Indonesian island of Bali where 70% of the population depend on tourism, has seen extensive jobs losses since closing its borders in April. The economic impact so far has been greater than that of the Bali bombings of 2002, with losses of around 9.7 trillion ... Read more

Federal Tourism Minister Simon Birmingham is hoping that Australians would be able to travel to New Zealand again by September if the coronavirus flare-up in Victoria is brought under control, says a report in the Sydney Morning Herald. As Australia’s $60 billion-a-year tourism industry reels from the global pandemic, the governments from both countries have discussed plans for a travel bubble that would allow travel across the Tasman without mandatory quarantine. Simon Birmingham said on Friday that despite the flare-up of COVID-19 cases in Victoria, it was viable for quarantine-free travel between the two countries to reopen in September. “That’s a realistic ... Read more