Tag: covid-19 pandemic

Safety and health, insurance, cancellation and refund policies will be some of the important elements travellers will consider while a choosing a destination post-pandemic, a survey has said. Maximum flexibility and travel customisation will be the other factors that visitors will bear in mind, the European survey conducted by VIA Outlets said. It interviewed close to 1,400 agents and tour operators from Spain, France, Germany, Netherlands and Italy for the survey. VIA Outlets, members of WTTC, aims at fostering cross-sectorial collaboration and strengthening cohesion, offering insights that can help in a multi-level and large-scale approach to prepare for the future ... Read more

Assam’s travel and tourism sector had to initially grapple with curfew and violence during the anti-CAA protests in December. And now the coronavirus pandemic has given it another body blow. Tourism in Assam has been battered so much this season (October to April) that those depending on it now fear massive jobs losses in the sector, without urgent financial assistance from the government. It is estimated that 80% of people will lose jobs this season, with hardly any income coming into the travel and tourism sector. Most of the tourism businesses in Assam are run by first generation entrepreneurs/start-ups with ... Read more

Greece has opened its hotels, thereby kick-starting its tourism sector chained by weeks of lockdown. The hotels opened yesterday, June 1, with strict safety regulations in place. Business remained quiet because international flights from its main airports will only start from June 15. With borders remaining shut in key tourism markets, some hotels have decided to reopen later, due to low reservations. Following are a number of new rules that must be followed by all hotels in Greece, according to the government decision. – All hotel employees (including interns) must wear a face mask (surgical or cloth) and disposable gloves. ... Read more

Coronavirus induced lockdown restrictions were eased on June 1 across the globe, especially in Asia and Europe, as demand for travel and tourism started to pick up. The Colosseum opened its doors in Rome, golfers played in Greece, students returned in Britain and Dutch bars and restaurants were free to welcome patrons again, news agency AP reported yesterday. Countries around the Mediterranean Sea began tentatively to kick-off a summer season in which tourists could bask in their famously sunny beaches while still being protected by social distancing measures. “We are reopening, as a symbol. A symbol of Rome, a symbol ... Read more

The global airline industry’s debt could rise by $120 billion to $550 billion by year-end, with the coronavirus pandemic wreaking havoc in the sector. An International Air Transport Association (IATA) analysis showed that $67 billion of the new debt is composed of government loans ($50 billion), deferred taxes ($5 billion) and loan guarantees ($12 billion). Another $52 billion is from commercial sources including commercial loans ($23 billion), capital market debt ($18 billion), debt from new operating leases ($5 billion) and accessing existing credit facilities ($6 billion). “Government aid is helping to keep the industry afloat. The next challenge will be ... Read more

President Donald Trump has said US will soon open up to travellers arriving from low-risk countries in Europe and elsewhere. Trump’s travel ban put on hold 26 European countries as well as the UK and Ireland, since March 13. With US deciding to ease the restrictions, it will now be possible for people from select nations which have fattened the coronavirus curve to travel to America. Trump said travellers coming from countries with low Covid-19 risk profiles will be given the green light. “Where they’re starting to make some progress, we’ll open it up. But only where they’re making progress.” ... Read more

Starting July 1, Madeira and Porto Santo will be fully open to international travellers. To ensure security for both tourists and residents, all people travelling to the islands will have to either present a health test done 72 hours prior to departure or be tested upon arrival, without any costs. COVID-19 tests on arrival will be paid for by the Madeira Government. Madeira is focused on positioning itself as a COVID-safe destination and are working with SGS, the world leader in certification, to ensure good practice across the destination to minimise risk in the wake of Covid-19. The certification process ... Read more

International tourism is set to fall by 70% this year, marking the sector’s biggest slump in arrivals since records began in the 1950s, the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili has said. In an interview with German newspaper Handelsblatt, Pololikashvili said this prediction was based on the assumption that countries around the world would gradually open their borders from August. UNWTO forecasts published in early May suggested that the number of tourists worldwide could fall by between 60-80% in 2020 as a result of the pandemic. The agency suggested that so-called air corridors allowing tourists to travel ... Read more

The Karnataka government on Thursday said it has asked for restrictions on the number of flights from five states, namely Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. There is no ban on flights from these states, the government clarified. In a press release late on Thursday evening, the government said, “The state government has requested the Civil Aviation Ministry to reduce the number of flights, emanating from Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan to Karnataka, in view of the high number of Covid-19 cases prevalent there.” The minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs, J C Madhuswamy, has ... Read more

Marriott International has begun to add job listings on recruitment websites, in an early sign of recovery from an international lockdown that has devastated the global hotel industry. Most of the jobs listed, are for the Chinese market. In March, as the Coronavirus pandemic set in, the hospitality industry put a complete stop on hiring as revenues plummeted. But in the past two weeks, job listings at Marriott International saw their first spike since March. The jump in job listings is certainly telling, but the types of jobs Marriott is hiring for, show early signs of international travel for an ... Read more

Croatia has started to open its borders for tourists, following the improved epidemiological situation in the country. Entry into the country is permitted to all owners of real estate and vessels, who can confirm their ownership when crossing the border with appropriate documentation. Entry is allowed to any person with proven economic or other business interests as well. Crossing the border is also possible for all tourists who have valid reservations for accommodation or boat charter. That tourism is slowly returning to Croatia is also clear from the tourist traffic recorded during the first week since the entry of foreign ... Read more

The plan for a ‘Trans-Tasman bubble’ to allow Australians and New Zealanders to travel between the two countries could be presented to both governments as early as next week, and could be operational by September. Canberra and Wellington have been discussing the possibility of a travel bubble between the countries as both countries have slowed the spread of Covid-19, The Guardian reported. On Wednesday, the New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern, said in conversations with her Australian counterpart Scott Morrison that there was enthusiasm from both sides for travel to resume. Australian prime minister Scott Morrison has pledged to “consider” ... Read more

Didi Chuxing, the biggest ride-sharing platform in China, has invested $7 million in starting an international travel agency based in Beijing, according to a report by ChinaTravelNews. As per public information from company-data provider Qichacha, Beijing Jucai Dongli Technology (Jucai Tech), an associate company of Didi Chuxing, has invested RMB50 million ($7 million) to establish a new company called the Beijing Xiaoju International Travel Agency. Xiaoju International Travel Agency will provide services covering domestic travel, inbound tours, tour information consultancy, tickets sales and others. In fact, this is not the first time Didi has dipped its toes into tourism. In ... Read more

The Karnataka Tourism Society has submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa demanding that hotels, restaurants and some tourism destinations be opened immediately. Society president K Shama Raju told reporters that although the CM was keen to accord permission, a decision will be taken only after consulting the central government. The Society demanded that hotels and restaurants be given permission to serve food in adherence with physical distance norms. Other demands include an exemption on property tax for April 2020, exemption from paying excise licence fee, and waiver of electricity charges. They also urged the government to give ... Read more

LATAM Airlines Group, Latin America’s largest air carrier, has sought bankruptcy court protection in New York after the Covid-19 pandemic grounded flights across the region. The Chapter 11 petition allows LATAM to keep operating while the Chilean carrier works out a plan to pay creditors and turn around the business. LATAM, whose shareholders include Chile’s Cueto family and Delta Air Lines Inc., continues to operate on a reduced schedule. The group has secured the financial support of shareholders, including the Cueto and Amaro families, which have lasting ties to LATAM, and Qatar Airways, to provide up to $900 million in ... Read more