Tag: corona virus

The Andaman and Nicobar administration has decided to close all tourist spots till March 26, as a precautionary measure to check the spread of the corona virus. Beaches, eco-tourism spots and water sports have been closed since yesterday. All tour operators may advise their clients accordingly.

Malaysia has decided to ban all tourists and foreign visitors from March 18-31. Those passengers returning from overseas destinations must undergo health screening and self-quarantine for a period of 14 days.

All bars, pubs and lounges including bars within restaurants in Dubai have been closed from yesterday, until the end of the month to prevent the spread of corona virus. A statement from the Department of Tourism said, “In line with Dubai government’s precautionary measures to ensure the health and safety of its residents and visitors, Dubai tourism notifies all bards, pubs and lounges to close with immediate effect from March 16 till the end of the month.” However, restaurants can remain open. Restrictions are only in place for bars. “Dubai Tourism will continuously evaluate the situation in coordination with the ... Read more

An association representing all the major American airlines has sought a $50 billion bailout package, even as the White House looks to draft a financial assistance package to help the industry. Travel demand in the US has fallen steeply following the corona virus outbreak, bringing the airline industry to its knees. Airlines for America, the association representing many of the US carriers, has said that without timely action all airlines will run out of money by year-end. The association has said the industry needs $25 billion in grants, $25 billion loans and significant tax relief to keep its head above ... Read more

The South Kerala Hoteliers’ Forum (SKHF) has urged the state government to advise departments like KSEB, KWA, tax departments and the Thiruvananthapuram corporation to grant hoteliers a deferred payment schedule that would give them relief for a minimum period of six months. With the corona virus spreading rapidly across the globe, the various hotels have been hit hard by cancellation of bookings. SKHF has requested for a GST waiver for a one-year period, as a relief measure. The forum has also asked the government to instruct banks and other financial institutions like KFC and KSIDC to grant interest free moratorium ... Read more

  The Confederation of Kerala Tourism Industry (CKTI) has requested the chief minister to urgently advise banks to extend the moratorium on repayment of loans and interest, pertaining to tourism entrepreneurs. In a letter to chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, CKTI president EM Najeeb said the moratorium should be extended at least for another year. The stakeholders in the tourism industry have invested huge amounts by mostly borrowing from banks and other financial institutions. The present setback in the tourism industry has affected the stakeholders drastically. The tourism sector in Kerala has been one of the most productive segments contributing largely ... Read more

As the spread of the dreaded corona virus has resulted in flight cancellations, many commercial airlines have announced cuts in their flight schedule. This has sparked greater interest in the availability of private jets. With clients looking to avoid crowded airports, steer clear from packed cabins of commercial flights or to evacuate affected areas, private jets are now being looked upon as viable alternatives. Passengers want to travel as quickly as possible and reach safer destinations without hassle, during this crisis period. Charter jet services like New York based FlyBLACK are serving a broader range of passengers than ever before. ... Read more

Royal Carribean Cruises has decided to suspend the voyages of its fleet globally, following the corona virus outbreak. The cruise operator has said that it will return to service on April 11. Princess Cruises has also suspended the voyages of all its 18 ships for two months. US President Donald Trump had said that major cruise lines would suspend cruises for 30 days at his request after it was brought to light that the virus transmission had picked up among passengers at sea.

Hong Kong’s tourism sector has been hit hard by the rapid spread of the corona virus. In February, arrivals fell to 199,000 which was the daily average during the first half of last year, South China Morning Post reported on Monday. The tourism board’s figures showed a 96% drop year on year for the period, after the government rolled out measures from February 8, to control the spread of the virus by closing all but three border checkpoints with mainland China. For the rest of the month, the average number of tourists coming to the city stood at just 3,300 ... Read more

IndiGo Airlines has announced the cancellation of some flights to Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi from March 17, in view of travel restrictions arising out of the corona virus scare. “Owing to the suspension of visas for all foreigners with exception of diplomatic passport holders, Indigo will be cancelling some of its flights (as mentioned above) until the travel restrictions are lifted. The airline said it would be refunding the entire amount to the impacted passengers,” the airline said in a statement.

Tourists looking at alternative travel spots With honeymoon travelers looking to either cancel their vacations or postponing them to a safer period, shares of hospitality giants like Hilton, Hyatt and Marriott have all taken a tumble globally. Almost all couples who had picked on China as their honeymoon spot, have pulled out, due to the outbreak of the deadly corona virus. Even those flying into Thailand and Cambodia have stopped in their tracks to do a rethink. The other common honeymoon destinations like Bali in Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and Dubai have also been affected. Countries like Iran and South Korea, ... Read more

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has issued guidelines to the hotel industry, detailing the procedure to be followed wherever persons with potential exposure to COVID-19 are housed. The hotel staff at the reception should be well versed in hand and respiratory hygiene and follow due protocol if a guest develop symptoms, the ministry has advised. All guests should be asked about their travel history and information has to be gathered if they have been to any of the affected area in the past 14 days. The hotels should provide alcohol based hand-rubs containing 70% alcohol to guests in ... Read more

GIS mapping of disease hotspots to check spread of the virus The Central government has decided to enhance the level of preparedness to tackle the outbreak of the corona virus, by stepping up emergency measures. At an inter-ministerial meeting on Wednesday, the government said it would look to introduce universal screening at all international airports and seaports through use of thermal imagery equipment. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has been asked to work closely with state governments, including relevant district administration officials, to ensure compliance with screening protocols at integrated check-posts on India’s land borders. National Informatics Centre would ... Read more

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has clarified that the Singapore Ministry of Health has not issued any health advisory that requires travelers from India to have yellow fever vaccinations. STB in a press note on Wednesday said that a circular dated February 27, purportedly from Air India, has been making the rounds stating “yellow fever vaccination requirement for travelers to Singapore”. The circular further claims that it is a directive from the Singapore Ministry of Health. STB’s regional director GB Srithar said, “I am in touch with the senior management of Air India to verify the authenticity of the circular ... Read more