Keeping the health and safety of its guests and crew, Regent Seven Seas Cruises has made some necessary decisions such as extending the temporary suspension of voyages to help contain the spread of the virus as well as offer credit and even a full refund on bookings. Steve Odell, SVP & Managing Director Asia Pacific, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, stated, “All our affected guests will automatically receive a 100 per cent ‘Future Cruise Credit’ and a bonus 25 per cent Future Cruise Credit. These Future Cruise Credits are valid for one year from issue date and applicable towards all voyages through 31st December, 2022. Clients taking the automatic Future Cruise Credits will also receive full Seven Seas Society loyalty night credit for the suspended voyage. For those who prefer a 100 per cent refund must complete the refund request online by 13 April, 2020 and the refund will be processed within 90 days.” The newly suspended voyages are Seven Seas Splendor (16 April, 30 April 2020), Seven Seas Explorer (17 April, 27 April, 4 May 2020), Seven Seas Voyager (16 April 2020), and Seven Seas Navigator (25 April 2020).

Hotel and Restaurant Association of Western India’s (HRAWI) has offered the State Government access to over 500 of its member hotel rooms in the city. Amidst the lockdown, hotels across the country are doing their bit to instill hope and spread the message of love in the ensuing Novel Coronavirus outbreak. Part of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Western India’s (HRAWI) attempt to keep its members tethered and united during a crises which has affected the hospitality sector the most, hotels are displaying the symbolic heart across the front facades of their building properties. The heart is also a show of support and appreciation to all the women and men working across disciplines to keep the wheels of humanity moving. “These are the most trying times for us humans, as a race. Knowing that there is someone out there for you if you need them, gives hope. At this juncture, we all need hope and we are doing everything that we can to offer it. The lit up heart is a symbolic representation of the hospitality and tourism industry and we want to tell everyone that we’re here for them,” says Gurbaxish Singh Kohli, President, HRAWI.

Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, with an aim to extend support to the foreign tourists who are stranded in our country because of the COVID-19 pandemic, has set up a portal to disseminate information regarding the services that can be availed by them. The portal is titled ‘Stranded in India’. And it is also hosted on Incredible India website also. The portal will help tourists get information/details of State Tourism departments and Regional offices of Ministry of tourism to help you to stay safe and healthy while in India. It will also help you find information on ways of getting back to your home country. Please visit strandedinindia.com or incredibleindia.org for further details.

Expo 2020 Dubai has been postponed, and will now take place next year. The event’s Steering Committee convened a second virtual meeting, with representatives of the countries taking part in the event, as part of ongoing consultations that the impact of COVID-19 will have on global preparations of Expo 2020 Dubai. The Committee collectively agreed to explore with the BIE, the World Expo governing body, the possibility of a one-year delay to the opening of Expo 2020. The Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), will now work with its Member States and Expo 2020 Dubai organisers to establish a change in dates. A final decision on postponement can only be made by the BIE’s Executive Committee and the General Assembly. Article 28 of the BIE Convention stipulates that, a change of dates requires a two-thirds majority vote from Member States of the Organisation. Participating countries briefed the Steering Committee on the global precautionary measures that have to be taken to ensure the health and safety of all those involved in the preparation of this mega event. The Steering Committee reviewed with grave concern the major impact that the spread of COVID-19 is having on global public, social, and economic health. The members reaffirmed their solidarity with the international community as it navigates through the ramifications that have resulted from this unprecedented global crisis. Expo 2020 organisers reaffirmed the United Arab Emirates commitment to working hand in hand with its international partners to deliver a World Expo which holds true to its founding purpose: providing an inclusive global platform to address shared challenges, and seek solutions in the spirit of international cooperation and global solidarity. The global platform that Expo 2020 will …

With the Coronavirus spreading across the globe, the airline industry is severely impacted, and KLM finds strength in the heart-warming messages that they have been receiving from across the globe on social media. In the video shared by KLM, the airline is urging everyone to stay united and strong irrespective of their nationality and support each other. The video is a culmination of KLM’s ‘Blue Spirit’ showcased during difficult times and highlights how they have been pioneers in aiding help to those who need it the most. The airline championed in importing 8,50,000 masks, brought thousands of people back home and provided 150 iPads to patients. With an expansive support team of 850 volunteers, KLM was answering questions of customers across the globe and helping them during this crisis which has gripped the world. KLM urges everyone to take out a moment to express gratitude to everyone in the airline industry who are doing everything they can to help bring back passengers home safely.

The 16th Mengding Mountain culture and tourism festival opened in Mingshan district, Ya’an city, Sichuan province in China, on 27th March, 2020. The local government in Mingshan district, which is famous for its tea plantation, has implemented a strategy of combining tea, tourism and culture to promote an integrative development of agriculture and tourism. The opening ceremony of the festival saw performances, demonstrations from tea masters, and attracted tea connoisseurs.

The United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) has released its updated assessment of the likely impact of the COVID-19 on international tourism. Considering the unparalleled introduction of travel restrictions across the world, the UN specialised agency for tourism expects that international tourist arrivals will be down by 20% to 30% in 2020 when compared with 2019 figures. 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$300-450 billion, almost one third of the US$ 1.5 trillion generated in 2019. Taking into account past market trends, this would mean that between five to seven years’ worth of growth will be lost to COVID-19. Putting this into context, UNWTO notes that in 2009, on the back of the global economic crisis, international tourist arrivals declined by 4%, while the SARS outbreak led to a decline of just 0.4% in 2003. Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General, UNWTO said, “Tourism is among the hardest hit of all economic sectors. However, tourism is also united in helping to address this immense health emergency – our first and utmost priority – while working together to mitigate the impact of the crisis, particularly on employment, and to support the wider recovery efforts through providing jobs and driving economic welfare worldwide.”  

Taking knowledge sharing to a new level, TravTalk India has launched India’s first virtual tourism conclave—TravTalk Digital Conclave, which is all set to be held on 7th April, 2020. Starting at 10 am, the first-of-its-kind conclave will have eminent speakers from the industry. To register go to http://travtalkindia.com/digital/ or contact Jaspreet Kaur on 9650196532. The topics would cover the various aspects of the impact of COVID-19 on inbound and outbound tourism, and the way forward for the industry. The speakers include Suman Billa-UNWTO; Rupinder Brar- Ministry of Tourism; Kapil Kaul- CAPA India; Deepak Rawat- MakeMyTrip; Naveen Kundu- EbixCash; Himmat Anand- Tree of Life Resorts & Hotels; Homa Mistry- Trail Blazer Tours India; GB Srithar- Singapore Tourism Board; Tricia Warwick- Visit Britain; and many more.

Korea Tourism Organisation invites the trade to sign up for its exclusive webinar that it will host on Friday, April 3, 2020 at 3pm. This online seminar will highlight South Korea as a tourism destination and will cover basic information and highlight the popular places along with ideas on how to create a better South Korea tour product. The webinar will cover not just FIT and leisure travel but also touch upon MICE. Jong Sool Kwon, Director – Korea Tourism Organization, New Delhi office, says, “The Coronavirus outbreak has affected the travel business greatly. The idea behind initiating these webinars is to take the opportunity of this slow business period and enhance the product knowledge of the travel agents about South Korea. As soon as the market revives from this slowdown, the travel agents will be well prepared to propose a new destination to their clients and South Korea will be the first choice for them.” For more information and to register, contact Jaspreet Kaur on 9650196532 or jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com.

Egypt began deep cleaning the area around the Giza pyramids as authorities work to disinfect tourist spots closed down by the coronavirus outbreak. Workers wearing face masks and gloves swept and sprayed the walkways around the bases of the pyramids, as well as the ticket office and a visitor center – though the giant stone structures were not themselves cleaned.