Tag: tourism

According to the latest edition of the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer, an estimated 54 million tourists crossed international borders in July 2021, down 67% from the same month in 2019, but the strongest results since April 2020. This compares to an estimated 34 million international arrivals recorded in July 2020, though well below the 164 million figure recorded in 2019. Moderate rebound for most destinations Most destinations reporting data for June and July 2021 saw a moderate rebound in international arrivals compared to 2020. Nevertheless, 2021 continues to be a challenging year for global tourism, with international arrivals down 80% ... Read more

Each country adopts different ways to grow tourism. But Italy came up with a very different approach. Tourism in Italy is expected to grow in a specially designed video game. Named Italy Land of Wonders, the game is expected to bring the country’s major tourist attractions and historical monuments to the world with ease. It is prepared under the supervision of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It is part of the Italian MFA’s post-Covid programming strategy aimed at supporting the Italian cultural and creative spheres. It is designed to be enjoyed by children and adults alike. It mainly talks ... Read more

After a gap of more than a year, the tourist sector in Bahrain is ready to welcome tourists from Saudi Arabia. Tourist arrivals are a wake-up call for the tourism sector, which has been hit hard by the covid epidemic. Saudi Arabia’s international borders will open on May 17, according to the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority. Steps have also been taken to fully comply with the covid-19 precautions. Preparations are being made with an emphasis on family tourism. Bahrain is a popular holiday destination for families from GCC countries. Many of Bahrain’s tourist attractions attract tourists. Covid tests and ... Read more

Britain is set to resume tourism in the country as the number of covid cases has come down. Foreign tourists can also visit the UK for tourism. Tourist attractions in the UK will be open from May 17. Only travelers from Green List countries can fly to the UK. This includes Israel, Portugal, Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore. The announcement was made by British Transport Secretary Grant Shapps. Not all tourist attractions are open. As a test, only a handful of tourist destinations will be opened first. People from France, Spain, Italy, the United States, and Greece, who are mainly ... Read more

Goa announces four-day lockdown. The lockdown will last from 7 pm on Thursday 29th April to Monday 3rd May. All activities in the state, including tourism, will be temporarily banned. Including casinos and restaurants will not work. Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has said that the decision was taken in the hope that the lockdown would reduce the number of covid cases in the state. Tourists coming to Goa at this time are allowed to stay in their booked hotels but they cannot go out. From the evening of April 29 to the morning of May 3, such tourists must ... Read more

Tourism and hospitality industry hardly finds sufficient support from the Government, even when it is needed the most. Industry’s disenchantment in the wake of the neglect is not the first time: travel, tourism and hospitality sectors in India, despite having significant socio-economic contribution, get recurrent shocks of the negligence from the authorities much more often than other sectors. Akin to the global tourism sector, India’s leisure and recreation sector got shattered by the effects of the global pandemic. Yet, unlike in many other locations in the world, this sector got hurt deeply by the apathy of the authorities in offering ... Read more

The much-awaited Haridwar Kumbh Mela kicked off yesterday amid the second wave of covid in the country. Tourists have started flocking to see the Haridwar Kumbh Mela which is held once in 12 years. One of the largest peaceful and religious gatherings in the world attracts visitors from all over the world. As there is a significant increase in the number of covid-19 positive cases, this year’s Kumbh Mela will be held with proper guidelines and security precautions. Covid negative test results have been made mandatory for people coming to Kumbh Mela from 12 states including Kerala. Covid RT-PCR should ... Read more

With tourism a leading employer and economic pillar for many of the SIDS, the United Nations specialized agency has stressed that pledges to ensure ‘nobody is left behind’ in the recovery phase of the crisis must be backed up with firm actions. Given the relatively small size of the populations of the SIDS, the cost of mass vaccinations will be minimal compared to the potential benefits of restarting tourism. Moreover, given tourism’s wide value chain and proven ability to create opportunity for all, the impact of rolling out mass vaccinations and allowing tourism to restart, will go beyond economic benefits. ... Read more

The World Travel & Tourism Council’s annual Economic Impact Report (EIR) today reveals the full devastating impact of COVID-19 had on the global Travel & Tourism sector last year, which suffered a massive loss of almost US$4.5 trillion. The annual EIR from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), which represents the global Travel & Tourism private sector, shows the sector’s contribution to GDP dropped a staggering 49.1%, this compared to the overall global economy which dropped by just 3.7% last year. Vast losses run up during 2020, paint the first full picture of a sector struggling to survive in ... Read more

Standing witness to the passage of time are the glorious ruins of an island fortress that dates to the late medieval period – the Chettuva Fort. It is also the sole fort ever to be constructed by the Dutch in Kerala. Located on the banks of the Chettuvai river, the Chettuva Fort which is in a shambles now is also called Tipu Sultan’s fort as it was briefly occupied by Tipu Sultan. One walks into the fort through a land bridge, across a moat that runs around the fortress. Only the ruins of the fort remain here and one can ... Read more

Koothu is a socio-religious art performed in the Koothambalam or the Koothuthara of temples, either independently or as part of Kutiyattam. It is a solo narrative performance interspersed with mime and comic interludes. The Chakkiar does the role of ‘Vidushaka’or the wise jester. Through his inimitable narration of stories from the epics (The Ramayana and The Mahabharatha), the Chakkiar satirises the manners and customs of the time. No one is above the butt of his ridicule. His wit ranges from innocent mockery to veiled innuendoes, barbed pun and pungent invectives. Koothu is intermittently accompanied by the percussion instrument Mizhavu. One of the most revered places for the traditional art ... Read more

Vaccine takes the centre stage of future plans of the still baffled and distressed tourism sector  Many raise eyebrows citing ethical concerns. Whilst inoculation initiatives are in place in many regions, hope rises like a phoenix from the ashes of the shattered dreams of tourism. May be the first time in the history of an economic sector of this magnitude, a vaccine becomes a solution for a recovery from a catastrophic crisis. Certainly it is not a panacea; still it provides a ray of hope. Of late, vaccine turns to be the mantra of tourism sector which is the hardest ... Read more

Kerala does not have incessant rains that stop all activity. It rains for a few hours with sunny interludes. Occasionally the rains might stretch on for a few days but sunshine is never far away. These golden interludes provide an equilibrium to life’s natural flow Kerala has mainly two rainy seasons. The Southwest Monsoon that arrives in the month of June is called Edavappathy, as it comes in the middle of the month of Edavam on the Malayalam Calendar. Mid October witnesses the arrival of the Northeast Monsoon. In the Malayalam calendar this month is called Thulam and hence the ... Read more

“The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and its members praised the Greek government for its tremendous efforts and strategic steps taken to restart international travel from 14 May” said Gloria Guevara, President & CEO, WTTC. “This clear roadmap to recovery could reopen the door to a bumper summer of travel for sun-starved holidaymakers looking to get away to Greece and provide a significant boost to the country’s economy. “It also lays out the pathway which other countries could follow, in a bid to kickstart safe travel and help revive their own stricken economies. “The Greek government’s strategy and measures ... Read more

The Seychelles Islands, an exotic destination with a collection of fabulous islands, off the coast of East Africa, has decided to restart its tourism following in the footsteps of the Maldives, another idyllic collection of islands off the coast of southern India. The Seychelles plans to welcome all international travellers, excluding those from South Africa, from 25th MAR, according to the Seychelles Tourism Department. Visitors are not required to undergo quarantine or get vaccinated, however they will have to produce a negative test report for COVID-19 within 72 hours of their departure. Earlier Maldives has fully reopened to foreign tourists in July without any ... Read more