Edgard Ziebat is not your regular tourist. He is a wanted criminal in his home country of Germany and had landed in New Delhi on March 18 from Vietnam. That’s where his luck ran out. He was looking to get to Turkey, but India ended up cancelling all flights to that country on the same […]
Tag Archives: covid-19 crisis
12
May
May
Sri Lanka has further extended the validity period of all visas for foreigners until June 11, and has advised getting it endorsed before the period lapses. The previous extension granted on April 1 will lapse on May 12. “Applicants shall pay the relevant visa fee and get the visa endorsed in the passport by securing […]
12
May
May
Colombia’s national airline, Avianca, has filed for bankruptcy protection in a US court. The carrier is the second-largest in Latin America, but its passenger operations have been grounded since March because of coronavirus. It said the pandemic had cut more than 80% of its income, and it was struggling with high fixed costs. If it […]
Europe, News, Top Three Stories
Greece’s Santorini to encase lounge chairs in plexiglass, as added safety measure for tourists
12
May
May
Greece’s premier vacation island, Santorini, may acquire a new look soon. While preparing to open up for a post COVID-19 summer tourism season with increased hygiene standards, resorts and bars in Santorini may have a new guest in the form of plexiglass screens. A Santorini bar owner has already taken an independent step when he […]
12
May
May
China appears to be leading hospitality major Marriott’s recovery. Occupancy rates in China have gone from single-digit lows in February to just over 30% currently, “China does appear to be recovering and holding. I know there is lots of debate on if there’s a resurgence of the virus in China,” Marriott President and CEO Arne […]
12
May
May
The Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru, has won this year’s SKYTRAX Award for Best Regional Airport in India and Central Asia. In a statement, Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL) has said that the airport was voted by customers as the Best Regional Airport in India & Central Asia for the third time in four years at […]
11
May
May
Dubai state carrier Emirates Airline has reported a 21% increase in its full-year profit in the 12 months to March 31, though the pandemic cost the carrier over 3.4 billion dirhams in revenues in March. The airline, one of the biggest long-haul carriers in the world, said it made 1.06 billion dirhams ($287.5 million) in […]
11
May
May
Nila enjoys an exalted position in Kerala’s cultural history. The 250-km long river drives Kerala’s traditional ethos and has deep influence on its literary evolution and a number of classical art forms flourish along the banks of the revered river. Once a perennial river, it now dries up in summer and many feel it may […]
11
May
May
Georgia is setting the goal of becoming the first country to open its doors to foreign tourists starting July 1 after months of lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic. It’s welcoming international travellers with a new slogan – ‘Georgia – Safe Destination!’. Georgia will resume domestic tourism starting June 15 and will receive international tourists […]
America, News, Top Stories
American Airlines and Hyatt join hands to give health workers cost-free vacation
11
May
May
Thousands of employees at a hospital in the epicentre of America’s fight against the coronavirus are being rewarded for their hard work, CNN has reported. More than 4,000 hospital staff — including doctors, physician assistants, nurses, and facilities and food service teams — at NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst were surprised with a three-night complimentary vacation, […]
10
May
May
Airlines for America (A4A), the industry trade organization for the leading US airlines, announced that its member carriers are supporting the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to begin checking the temperature of the traveling public and customer-facing employees as long as necessary during the COVID-19 public health crisis. Temperature checks are one of several public health […]
Interview, Kerala, News
We overdid backwater tourism, now is the time to preserve it: Maneesha Panicker
10
May
May
Maneesha Panicker is the founder of Silk Route Escapes, an experiential travel company that wants to handpick experiences that bring you closer to India’s culture. She is a former New Yorker who knows the heart of an avid traveller. Maneesha’s latest project is Kayal, an Island Retreat in the backwaters of Kerala. At Kakkathuruthu, she […]
India, News, Round Up
FHRAI-FSSAI get together to initiate training programme for hospitality professionals
10
May
May
The Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI) has said it has initiated a training programme on COVID-19 preparedness in collaboration with food safety regulator FSSAI for hospitality professionals across the country. The programme aims to gear up hotel and restaurant players for a post-lockdown scenario to ensure the safety of their guests […]
09
May
May
Russian tour operators are expecting tourists for New Year celebrations. “For the fourth year in a row, we will be arranging New Year’s tours. This year, these groups have not yet been cancelled, so we and our partners hope that these trips will take place,” says Igor Kuzmin, a tour operator. The period from April […]
Kerala, News, Top Three Stories
If you are in the tourism sector and in dire need of help, this note is for you
09
May
May
Even when the world stands still in a state of shock and surprise, a group of friends from the tourism and hospitality fraternity is joining hands to raise some funds through voluntary contributions to help at least 100 chosen, needy and deserving people within the tourism trade, with a strong resolve that no one from […]