Category Archives: Agents

According to a study done by the university using data from India and five other countries, using domestic travel bans to control COVID-19 infections may be inadvisable. It found that imposing travel bans can counter-intuitively increase the total spread of coronavirus disease, creating a ‘lose-lose situation’. The national lockdown in the first wave trapped millions of migrants inside big cities like Mumbai that were fast-growing coronavirus hotspots.

In order to provide timely assistance to its members and the fraternity at large, ADTOI has formed a task force from among its members. Rajiv Arora of Phoenix Holidays, New Delhi has been made in-charge of this task force along with some volunteers who will coordinate and collecting the authenticity of information which will then be circulated to all members pan India. Its main task will be to collect authentic information on availability of oxygen cylinders, ventilators, beds at hospitals, medicines, etc.

Both Kerala Travel Mart Society as well as Hotel Association of India (HAI) have requested the FM to customise the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) 3.0 that has been extended to the industry. They have also requested to investigate the anomalies in the operational guidelines and FAQ released by National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company (NCGTC), due to which, the scheme itself is being nullified.

The UAE has extended the suspension imposed on entry of passengers flying from India into the country until May 14 on account of the situation. It had announced the suspension from midnight on April 25 until May 4. The only exceptions to the ban on entry are UAE nationals, diplomats and persons holding golden residency visas.

IATO has formed a Covid -19 Assistance Task Force to help its members who need help in this time of crisis. The main objective of this committee is to gather authentic information and provide assistance to members. it has requested support from its members for this as many members have their family members working or have contacts for hospitals, medical equipment suppliers and oxygen cylinder suppliers.

The Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) which represents more than 1,600 operators for inbound tourists, has written to PM Modi asking for an intervention for amendment to conditions imposed by National Credit Guarantee Trustee (NCGTC) in implementation of Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) which has been extended to travel and hospitality sectors. It provides operators access to easy emergency credit with the govt standing as guarantor.

Indian Hotels Company (IHCL) has opened a 108-key Vivanta hotel in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. Ideally suited for business and MICE, Vivanta Thiruvananthapuram is in partnership with Muralya Group – part of the SFC Group, founded by Kesavan Muraleedharan. The Group has a vision of opening similar hotels across leading cities in India and emerging as a leading hotel brand in India.

Los Angeles is starting its comeback, safely reopening museums, indoor dining, theme parks and outdoor live events including spectator sports, with appropriate capacity controls and safety protocols. Now, the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board is inspiring lovers of LA to start their comeback, whenever they are ready, with the launch of an advertising campaign. Los Angeles Tourism has developed new advertising that presents the concept of LA being a movie; specifically, a comeback story. A double entendre, the comeback story is a nod to the challenges the destination has faced over the past year, while acknowledging the overflowing optimism for the future – with the campaign’s creative aiming to inspire visitors to come back to LA. Adam Burke, President & CEO, Los Angeles Tourism, says, “Our focus groups around the world have taught us that visitors view a trip to Los Angeles as a transformative experience. LA’s more than 300 days of healing sunshine, spirit-lifting champion sports teams, inspiring cultural attractions, electric new hotels and restaurants, and endless outdoor experiences are the balm travelers seek.”          

The tourism fraternity in Kerala will observe May 1 as Black Day to pressure the state government to resolve problems faced by the sector. Tourism Samrakshana Samithi, an umbrella body of 20 organisations, will observe the Labour Day state wide by wearing black masks. A social media campaign #SaveTourism too will be launched. An immediate financial package of ₹250 crore to support tourism workers, financial aid as loan worth ₹2,500 crore through the Kerala Bank and restructuring of all loans in the sector are some of the demands.

Surge in ‘Second-City’ Destinations: 69% of respondents are interested in visiting lesser-known destinations and American Express Travel booking data reinforces this trend, showing a rise in reservations for second-city destinations. Amex consultants are seeing requests for smaller cities like Porto instead of Lisbon in Portugal, and Wellington instead of Auckland in New Zealand.