Tag: covid-19 crisis

Hundreds of Germans landed on the Spanish island of Mallorca on Monday, the first tourists allowed into the country since borders were shut in March to tackle the coronavirus pandemic. More than 1,500 German holidaymakers are expected in the Balearic Islands as part of a pilot project that will open up a sector that accounts for 12% of Spain’s economy, before restrictions are eased next week. According to a Reuters report, visitors’ temperatures were taken at the airport and regional leader Francina Armengol said they must follow health and safety rules. “This virus is still infecting, still killing people all ... Read more

All travellers entering Singapore from 11.59pm, June 17, will be tested for COVID-19, the Ministry of Health (MOH) has said. The test will be scheduled a few days before the end of the 14-day stay-home notice period, at an allotted testing facility, MOH said in a press release.  Each person under a stay-home notice will receive information on the scheduled appointment slot and venue via an SMS notification. All inbound and outbound travellers who enter or leave Singapore from 11.59pm on June 17 will also be required to pay for their COVID-19 tests, and those who are not Singaporeans or PRs entering the country will need to foot ... Read more

Around 8,000 tourism, leisure and commercial facilities and restaurants in Abu Dhabi are eligible for refunds of 20% of the annual rental value, on their commercial property leases, amounting to a sum of Dh1 billion. They will get a refund of Dh200 million as part of the economic stimulus package launched by the Abu Dhabi government within the “Ghadan 21” programme to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on business activities. This was announced by Khaled Mubarak Bani Zama, director of the Industrial Development at the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development, during a media briefing. The department approved 220 applications ... Read more

Turkish Airlines will resume flights to China and the United States from June 19, the airline announced, after the pandemic shuttered international travel in March. The airline’s chief executive Bilal Eksi said three flights a week to Chicago and Washington D.C. will be in operation starting June 19 and to Los Angeles from June 24. The airline also announced it will start a weekly flight to Shanghai from June 19 and two weekly flights each to Hong Kong and Seoul from June 24. The airline has already restarted flights to Britain, Germany and the Netherlands. Established in 1933, Turkish Airlines ... Read more

The Bombay High Court has allowed domestic and international airlines to fill up middle seats, providing some relief to the carriers. The high court, however, sought strict compliance with the May 31 circular of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) requiring passengers to wear wrap-around gowns in addition to a face shield and a mask. A division bench of Justices S J Kathawalla and S P Tavade on Monday passed the judgment through video-conference on a plea filed by Air India pilot Deven Kanani, who alleged that national carrier Air India had violated social distancing norms while evacuating Indians ... Read more

Saving lives is Goa’s primary concern at the moment, and not tourism, the state’s deputy chief minister Manohar Ajgaonkar has said. Ajgaonkar, who is also the tourism minister of the state, has said that the pandemic-induced economic slowdown, would help Goa build and promote tourism in a legal manner in the future. “First, we have to save our lives, and tourism is not the immediate concern,” Ajgaonkar told reporters at the State Secretariat on Monday. The Minister said Goa had been designated as a green zone, but COVID-19 cases began to surge after the Central government eased travel restrictions to ... Read more

At least 8,000 families connected with elephant tourism in Jaipur have been left in the lurch, as tourism revenues continue to run dry. The families have been dependent upon 103 elephants in Hathi Gaon and in areas near the precincts of iconic Amer Fort in Jaipur. These families — which include those of mahouts, caretakers, farmers who provide fodder for elephants, tourist guides — have been adversely affected because of lack of tourists, according to a report in India Today. Before the coronavirus-induced lockdown came into effect, hundreds of tourists used to throng the area, taking elephant rides through Hathi ... Read more

Greek tourism minister Haris Theoharis has said the ministry has made accessibility for people with disabilities in tourism a priority issue. For the first time the tourism ministry will establish an accessible tourism committee, where the goal is to map out all problems relating to accessibility issues in tourist accommodation, cultural spaces, etc, news agency AP has reported. The minister also noted that the tourism ministry is cooperating with the digital policy ministry on the creation of a website with information on accessible accommodation in Greece and any services that are useful for people with disabilities. Addressing entrepreneurs who have ... Read more

Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan has written to prime minister Narendra Modi to consider arranging flights, exclusively for bringing COVID-19 infected Malayali patients from other countries. The move comes amid the controversy over the state government’s decision to make COVID-19 negative certificates mandatory for all expatriates coming from the Gulf countries on chartered flights. In the letter, Pinarayi Vijayan said the central government could ensure the availability of test kits in countries having large Indian diaspora. The embassies should be entrusted with the responsibility of holding tests for those unable to undergo tests at their own expense, he said. “If ... Read more

Home rental firm Airbnb has entered into a partnership with Brazil’s state of Sao Paulo, to encourage tourism once the coronavirus crisis has passed. Virus hotspot Sao Paulo is the first destination in Latin America chosen by Airbnb as part of a global push to revive its business as authorities ease coronavirus-related restrictions on tourism. “Sao Paulo is at the core of our Brazil strategy,” Airbnb’s director of governmental and institutional relations for Latin America, Flvia Matos, told Reuters in an interview. Airbnb will have an exclusive page on Sao Paulo state’s destinations in its platform and will also share ... Read more

A passenger on board Air India’s AI 906 from Lagos to Mumbai died on Sunday, despite airline officials trying hard to revive him. The 42-year-old passenger Manesh Patel, informed the crew that he was showing Malaria like symptoms. The passenger was declared dead by an onboard doctor. Later, the doctors of airport operator, Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) attended him after the flight landed at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport. After completing all the standard operating procedures, the body was sent to Vile Parle based Cooper hospital. An airline official said that the passenger was unwell and was seen ... Read more

The Indian government has decided to allow certain categories of foreigners, including Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders, to enter India amid restrictions on the entry of people from abroad due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Among those allowed entry into India are married couples one of whom is an OCI cardholder and another Indian national, and students who are OCI cardholders and whose one parent is Indian or an OCI cardholder. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has allowed certain categories of foreigners, including OCI cardholders and minors who hold OCI cards and whose parents are Indian nationals, a senior ... Read more

Balmer Lawrie,a miniratna public sector unit (PSU) under the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas (MoPNG) and a market leader in corporate travel management, has signed a memorandum of understanding with Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC). In a press release, the company said that Balmer Lawrie Travel & Vacations (T&V) through this agreement will now offer accommodation facilities to all its institutional and retail customers at KTDC star hotels including heritage properties at attractive and discounted tariffs in Kerala. Balmer Lawrie T&V which provides end-to-end travel, ticketing and tourism services also provides hotel accommodation facilities to its customers. The company ... Read more

Starting June 15, Spain will fly German tourists to the Balearic Islands as part of a pilot program to revive tourism. About 6,000 Germans are likely to join in. Ibiza, Majorca, Menorca and Formentera form the beautiful Balearic Islands. Germany has been chosen the first partner for the pilot program by Spain due to its similar condition regarding the Coronavirus crisis. A few tour operators have been given the permit to fly these German tourists, who won’t be under an obligation to follow the two-week quarantine rule levied on all foreign visitors in Spain. Among them, 4000 tourists will visit ... Read more

China has decided to introduce the Seventh Freedom of the Air on a trial basis in the Hainan Free Trade Port, in the southernmost tropical island province. This move allows foreign carriers to operate flights between two other countries, without the need to touch down in the airline’s home country, CGTN has reported. For example, under the Seventh Freedom, the US could operate flights directly from Haikou, the capital city of Hainan Province, to Tokyo, Japan, and Air France could transport passengers from Sanya, Hainan to Los Angeles, US. The freedoms of the air are a set of commercial aviation ... Read more