For the second consecutive year, the Goa government has reduced beach shack fees by 50 per cent due to the continuing Covid-19 pandemic. This was announced by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant at a cabinet briefing on Thursday. Depending on the size and location, a shack operator has to pay licence fee of upto one lakh rupees.Hopefully, the reduction in the fee would help shack operators make ends meet.

The new Team TAFI India had its first National Joint Council (NJC) meeting on 04 September at the Gift City Club Gandhinagar – Gujarat. The National Managing Committee and the Chapter Chairmen & Secretaries from all 11 Chapters were present. TAFI President Ajay Prakash rendered a traditional welcome to Shri Jenu Devan, MD & Commissioner of Gujarat Tourism. He shared his vision of a reviving travel and tourism industry as vaccinations picked up pace and the epidemic receded.

Thomas Cook India has inaugurated a new Gold Circle Partner franchise outlet in Bengaluru. This expansion augments Thomas Cook India’s distribution and reach in Karnataka to 17 consumer access centres: 7 owned branches and 10 Gold Circle Partner (franchise) outlets across Bengaluru, Hubli, Mangaluru, Mysuru, Udupi, Shimoga and Gulbarga.

The government keeps September 15 as the deadline to receive financial bids for Air India. Despite the pandemic and changes to the share purchase agreement to accommodating the queries of the bidders, the government is hoping to achieve the critical milestone of financial bids. Speculations are for more than two bidders, though no confirmation from the government.

Principle Secretary of Rajasthan Tourism, Gayatri Rathore states “At a time when tourism has been the worst-affected sector amid COVID, things have improved here. In fact, better than in previous years. Udaipur has recorded maximum tourist footfall in 10 years. Occupancy rate (in hotels) has gone up, especially on weekends in destinations bordering other states.” The state had become a monsoon getaway and de-stressing point in COVID times. Things have improved in Udaipur.

M. Mathiventhan, Tourism Minister, Tamil Nadu, has announced a new master plan to improve the infrastructure of 300 tourist sites, and to develop a tourism policy. He said that a tourism destination development scheme is to be designed for the development of tourism sites, which includes, adventure sites, and eco-tourism sites. They will develop helipads for helicopter services in Rameswaram, Madurai, and Kodaikanal.

Pronab Sarkar, Immediate Past President of IATO has been elected as member of the SEPC Central Governing Council for 2021-23 to represent Travel & Tourism Sector. Sarkar has won the elections with a big margin. Hence, travel and tourism sector will have strong representation in SEPC and will pave way for taking up issues and raising concens, with the Ministry of Commerce and other Ministries through SEPC.

Switzerland Tourism will conduct a webinar today, focusing on Swiss Travel System (STS), Switzerland’s public transport network. The webinar will highlight STS’s various products and services, as well as the hassle-free booking experience of these offerings on Rail Europe’s distribution network. To register, contact jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com or 9650196532.

As per relief in guidelines given by Health and Family Ministry, airlines need not provide safety gears like masks, hand sanitizers, face shields or body covers to passengers. However, airlines need to ensure that passengers board aircrafts with their masks covering both mouth and nose. Travelers are required to follow Covid-appropriate behavior of wearing mask, hand hygiene and physical distancing.