Tag: corona virus

Switzerland has thanked Kerala for enabling the repatriation of its citizens along with other European nationals in a seamless manner. On Saturday, April 25th, over 160 Swiss citizens and residents as well European nationals had boarded a Swiss flight from Kochi to Zurich, after being stuck in Kerala for many days due to the COVID-19 crisis. In a letter written to chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, the Consul General of Switzerland, Sebastien Hug said, “I would like to express my deepest gratitude for the great support given by the government of Kerala for ensuring a safe and smooth repatriation. In particular, ... Read more

British deputy high commissioner Jeremy Pilmore-Bedford has thanked the Kerala government for the assistance and support given for the repatriation of British nationals who were stranded in Kerala due to the coronavirus crisis. The relief flight was a complicated one and involved the aircraft first landing to pick up passengers in Thiruvananthapuram before flying to Kochi to pick up a larger group from there. “We also moved large numbers of passengers to the airports from various locations from across Kerala as well as from locations in Tamil Nadu close to Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram,” Bedford said in a letter to chief ... Read more

The latest data from United Nations’ specialised agency for tourism, UNWTO, shows that all destinations now have travel restrictions in place. Of these, 83% have had Covid-19 related restrictions for four or more weeks already. UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: “Tourism has shown its commitment to putting people first. Our sector can also lead the way in driving recovery. This research on global travel restrictions will help support the timely and responsible implementation of exit strategies, allowing destinations to ease or lift travel restrictions when it is safe to do so. This way, the social and economic benefits that tourism ... Read more

The ayurveda hospitality industry must focus on those consumers who truly need ayurveda as an essential part of their lives. The attempt should be to position ayurveda as close to nature tourism, says Ramnidhiwasan, founder of Mekosha, in an interview. Excerpts: Q: Ayurveda tourism is an important part of Kerala tourism. In the post Covid-19 world, how can we ensure that we don’t lose business? Kerala had built a good momentum in 2019. A world post COVID-19 would have the consumers focus only on the essentials. Leisure travel, travel as a hobby, travel for adventure and exploring, while they will ... Read more

Russia’s Federal Tourism Agency (Rosturizm) wants to help the industry recover from the coronavirus crisis by relaxing visa rules after the country reopens its borders. According to the agency’s recommendations, Russia should introduce multiple-entry tourist visas valid for up to five years in order to offset heavy losses sustained by all parts of the travel and tourism industry amid the coronavirus lockdowns. The country has grounded international flights, closed border crossings, and suspended issuing visas and e-visas last month as the country began to see a surge in COVID-19 cases. Rosturizm warns that the measures will lead to “colossal losses ... Read more

A new ayurveda protocol will take shape in the post-Covid era aimed at keeping tourists safe and healthy, given that any wellness treatment would involve high degree of body contact. A set of ayurvedic associations like the Ayurvedic Medicine Manufacturers Organisation of India (AMMOI), the Ayurveda Hospital Management Association of India (AHMA) and Ayurveda Medical Association of India (AMAI) have been engaged in sustained conversations with the Central government on the subject. A new protocol document has been submitted by the associations for approval and a panel is currently looking into it. Talking to Tourismnewslive.com, Baby Mathew Somatheeram, Kerala Travel ... Read more

In our Celebrity Corner this week, we have actor-producer Vijay Babu who talks about his love for travel, the places he has visited and the destinations he wants to visit in future. Q: Staying at home has proved to be a powerful tool to negate the spread of the corona virus. Both the centre and state governments are doing a great job of containing the epidemic. However, once this threat subsides people will look to travel later this year or early next year. How important has travel been for you? I love travelling and try to explore new places whenever ... Read more

Below are some take aways from the discussion: Ø             Engage with employees at home & hotel, as they are the real assets. Ø             Safety and security are of paramount importance. Ø             Online learning to update skills. Ø             Work with government authorities, health workers, police etc. Ø             Engagement with guests. Use loyalty program to engage with the guests. Ø             No buffet service in near future,  portion food to be served. Ø             In case having displayed buffet, only trained associates to serve food from the buffet, as per FSSAI instructions. Ø             Guest to leave the in-room dining (IRD) tray outside their room. ... Read more

A tourist contingent comprising 164 Swiss and EU nationals left from Kochi on Saturday by a Swiss Air flight after being stranded in India for weeks. Kerala’s department of tourism had extended all support and assistance to the tourists who have been successfully repatriated. Out of this, 124 tourists were stranded in Kerala and 40 in the neighbouring states, said Kerala Tourism secretary Rani George. Sebastien Hug, the Consul General of Switzerland in Bengaluru was present in Kochi to oversee the repatriation and expressed happiness over the meticulous planning and arrangements made by Rajkumar, Regional Joint Director and other tourism ... Read more

The Alpine ski resort of Ischgl, which was the epicentre of Austria’s biggest cluster of coronavirus infections, has decided to move away from “party tourism”. The resort was under quarantine for a month. Ischgl is near the point where Austria, Italy and Switzerland meet and has often described itself as the “Ibiza of the Alps”. It is now clear that more than 800 cases spread across Austria can be traced back to the resort and the surrounding Paznaun Valley. In February and early March the virus found a breeding ground in crowded apres-ski bars. Hundreds of foreign tourists were infected ... Read more

Domestic tourism will help the sector get back into shape as more people will look to take ‘revenge holidays’ after being in the lock-down phase for so long, President of The Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism and Hospitality (FAITH) Nakul Anand has said. He said travel would be essential as the entire population has been staying inside and going out to some place within drivable distance may be one of the things they may want do. “Every disaster comes with seeds of opportunity. We must keep one eye on the microscope and one on the telescope, as the opportunities ... Read more

The Kerala government has said the industry can defer the payment of fixed electricity charges for a period of six months. This was announced by chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, after tourism minister Kadakampally Surendran discussed the matter with the state electricity board (KSEB) chairman. The request from the trade was for waiver of fixed charges. But since the fixed charge is for contracted demand, KSEB has to make this payment to the suppliers. “We have informed KSEB that unlike industries, the recovery of the hotels and resorts in the tourism industry will be delayed as it will take time for ... Read more

Domestic tourism in Russia may resume in July, but the country’s resorts will have to reduce prices by 20-40% in order to attract visitors after the pandemic, the CEO of tour operator Intourist Victor Topolkaraev has said. “If the situation with coronavirus will go on a positive scenario, the domestic tourist market could revive in June-July – most likely in July. Tourism will return in the fall and winter. And we must understand that from the moment the market opens, people will be in at least a month-long ‘swing’,” he said during an online conference. According to Topolkaraev, Russian resorts ... Read more

Sharjah-based Air Arabia has announced that it will operate new repatriation flights from four cities in India to Sharjah carrying UAE nationals back home. The special flights from Mumbai and Delhi to Sharjah International Airport took off on Monday, while special flights from Cochin and Hyderabad to Sharjah International Airport will take off on April 22. The airline said, “Air Arabia remains committed to bring stranded citizens back home as well as supporting requests to operate repatriation flights and is working closely with UAE authorities in this regard. The airline announced earlier that it is operating a mix of repatriation ... Read more

With job losses an imminent reality in the travel and tourism sector, the Association of Professionals in Tourism (APT) is rallying behind the employees, trying to protect their interests. In an interview, APT President Hari KC says employers in the sector should not lay-off employees in the first four months at least, and instead retain them even if at a lower pay, ensuring their day to day survival. The immediate task is to identify the most impacted employees and help them in their careers, he says. Excerpts: Q: The Association of Professionals in Tourism (APT) has been doing a great ... Read more