Tag: covid-19

Firstly, the coronavirus outbreak is a human tragedy, affecting hundreds of thousands of people. It is also having a growing impact on the global economy and the impact would depend on how long the epidemic lasts. Travel and tourism industry has been hit economically due to outbreak of coronavirus with many prospective domestic and foreign tourists cancelling their travel plans. This global pandemic has prompted the Indian government to impose increasingly tough restrictions on travel resulting in further drop in hotel occupancies since the imposition of the ban. Here I would like to emphasize on a few points how the ... Read more

On Tuesday at around 9.30 am, an Air India flight took off from the Thiruvananthapuram airport carrying with it German and other European nationals, after days of ground work by scores of tourism department officials. “Kerala Tourism is happy that we could be of assistance to tourists to enable them to return home during this crisis,” Kerala Tourism secretary Rani George has said. The Department of Tourism and the Consulate of Germany worked together for the successful repatriation of the 232 tourists. For the last one week, the officials of the department of tourism and the various help desks have ... Read more

The Ministry of Tourism has set up a portal to disseminate information regarding the services that can be availed by stranded foreign tourists. The portal called ‘Stranded in India’, hosted on the Incredible India website, has been set up to extend support to all foreigners who are stuck in India due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The portal will help tourists get information of state tourism departments and regional offices of the Ministry of Tourism, to help them stay safe and healthy. The portal will help tourists find information on ways of getting back to their respective home countries too. Please ... Read more

Ferrari will resume production from April 14, after halting the same on March 14 due to the COVID-19 outbreak. However, production will only resume if the supply chain works without any interruption so that all necessary parts can be provided for the production process. In an official press release, Ferrari said “All activities that can be conducted in smart working will continue to be performed as has been the case in recent weeks. The company will continue to cover all days of absence to those unable to take advantage of this solution.” The Italian firm was the first to temporarily ... Read more

Phuket, the tourism magnet of Thailand, is entering the shutdown phase from Monday. Transportation to the island will be banned, and the lockdown will last for a month. Phuket Governor Pakkapong Taweepat has said boats, cars and trucks providing essential goods and services are exempted. Last week the government had imposed emergency rules and now the decision to enter the lockdown phase is a clear indication that the country is in a very cautious mode, as it fights the epidemic. About 56% of total employment in Phuket is in tourism-related industries, the Bank of Thailand said in a note. Thailand’s ... Read more

Porsche is stepping up its corporate social responsibility in response to the coronavirus pandemic. After stopping production on March 21 for an initial period of two weeks, the car manufacturer is also redirecting resources to help those in need. The Executive Board of Porsche AG is working intensively on concrete measures that will enable the company to provide support. Specialist staff such as medically experienced personnel or IT experts have been deployed to carry out voluntary work. Assistance with technical materials and supplies, such as procurement of personal protective equipment has been identified as another field of activity. Food donations ... Read more

The widespread impact of the global pandemic caused by COVID-19, has created an unprecedented situation in the travel and tourism industry. As countries that comprise primary source markets for the Caribbean have closed their borders to protect their citizens, flights into Jamaica have come to a halt. In light of this, and in concert with global efforts to control the spread of COVID-19, The Holiday Inn Resort Montego Bay will close till May 31, 2020. Managing Director Kevin Hendrickson issued the following statement elaborating on the temporary closure. “Our dedicated team will be contacting all guests with existing reservations to ... Read more

There is an imminent need for pricing to be cut down for the houseboat industry to survive. Pricing should be kept under check till at least December. In an interview, Sreekumar, Director of Sree Tours, Kumarakom, says certification should be provided to all boats depending on the hygiene standards. The government should look to provide a year-long tax holiday for tour packages, he adds. Excerpts: Q: The houseboat industry is going through probably its worst ever phase. Did you think that the crisis would end up having such a devastating effect on the industry? A: Yes, it’s going to be ... Read more

Foreign tourists are increasingly singing praises of the manner in which Kerala tourism authorities and the police are handling their affairs. Rebecca Dale, a US citizen, is the latest to appreciate the efforts of the authorities in helping her find some relief and comfort during the corona outbreak. Before leaving for the US, after spending two days in quarantine in a Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC) facility in Alappuzha, Dale released a video message sharing her experience. The Kerala Tourism Department has been very prompt and effective in managing the situation, she says in the video message. “I had to ... Read more

World renowned fashion brand Ralph Lauren is to start making medical masks and gowns – the latest designer brand to lend its support to the coronavirus fight. The fashioner designer announced the shift in production through its charitable arm on Thursday. The Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation will start making 250,000 masks and 25,000 isolation gowns in the US. Other fashion brands have also pledged to help make urgently needed medical wear. The foundation is also donating $10m (£8.2m) towards the global response to the coronavirus pandemic. In the US the death toll has now risen above 1,000. “At the heart ... Read more

Taking into account the unparalleled introduction of travel restrictions across the world, the United Nations specialized agency for tourism, UNWTO, expects that international tourist arrivals will be down by 20-30% in 2020 when compared with last year. However, UNWTO stresses that these numbers are based on the latest developments as the global community faces up to an unprecedented social and economic challenge and should be interpreted with caution in view of the extreme uncertain nature of the current crisis. An expected fall of between 20-30% could translate into a decline in international tourism receipts (exports) of between US$300-450 billion, almost ... Read more

The tourism sector is about to undergo a transformation. There is bound to be significant restructuring especially in the hospitality sector and wage correction is expected at the top managerial levels. In an exclusive interview, Sajan Joseph, CEO and Co – Founder at BreakOut Hotels tells us the importance of keeping cash reserves. Liquidity is so important to tide over such a crisis, he feels. Excerpts: Q: The hospitality industry is going through probably its worst ever phase in history. Did you think that the crisis would end up having such a devastating effect on the industry? A: Who would ... Read more

Tourism Finance Corporation of India (TFCI), MD & CEO, Anirban Chakraborty – “We welcome RBI’s stance to support the economy amidst these trying and uncertain times of the deadly Covid 19 pandemic. The announcement brings much needed immediate relief to the borrowers across sectors. We further expect additional special relief packages to be provided to the sectors worst affected such as aviation, tourism to name a few. With the government’s decision of a 21-day lock-down combined with timely measures undertaken by the Finance Ministry, we expect to tide over the current situation.”

Kerala Tourism has suggested, on its Instagram handle, five books to read about the state during the lock-down. ‘The God of Small Things’ (Arundhati Roy), ‘Small Town Sea’ (Anees Salim), ‘Where the Rain is Born’ (ed. Anita Nair), ‘Ivory Throne: Chronicles of The House of Travancore’ (Manu Pillai) and the ‘Litanies of Dutch Battery’ (NS Madhavan) are the books listed. All the five books explore the soul of Kerala. For all of you locked down at home, these wonderfully written books will take you right where you want to be – in the midst of nature.

Ford Motor Company is joining forces with 3M and GE Healthcare to lend its manufacturing and engineering expertise to quickly expand production of urgently needed medical equipment and supplies for healthcare workers, first responders and patients fighting coronavirus. In addition, Ford plans to assemble more than 100,000 face shields per week and leverage its in-house 3D printing capability to produce components for use in personal protective equipment. “This is such a critical time for America and the world. It is a time for action and cooperation. By coming together across multiple industries, we can make a real difference for people ... Read more