Category Archives: NTO (National Tourist Offices)

To update the Kolkata Travel trade about the gradual re-opening of Thailand for tourism from India, Tourism Authority of Thailand New Delhi supported by Royal Thai Consulate Kolkata, organized the Amazing Thailand Presentation & Networking Lunch at ITC Royal Bengal on 10th November 2021. Around 75 guests including travel agents, media and wedding planners attended the event. The session started with a welcome address Kasemsan Thongsiri, Acting Consul General – Royal Thai Consulate, Kolkata, who spoke about the consulate matters focusing on their efforts and procedures to assist travel to Thailand for Indians. He also informed the trade about updated guidelines on entering Thailand, protocol for travellers from India as well as documents and process for obtaining Thailand pass and visa. Next information on Thailand Re-opening and situation update was given by Vachirachai Sirisumpan, Director- Tourism Authority of Thailand – New Delhi. He highlighted TAT’s new marketing campaign “Visit Thailand Year 2022” that will emphasize Thailand’s strength in biological diversity and cultural richness under the Amazing New Chapter’s concept. This was followed by a product presentation promoting popular destinations in Thailand like Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket, Koh Samui and Chiang Mai. The presentation also introduced new products and activities in Thailand that Indian travelers could enjoy. The afternoon ended with a Q&A session where members of the travel trade engaged with the TAT representatives and the Royal Thai Consulate to clear their doubts on flights, procedures, SOPs etc to visit Thailand from India and expressed their desire to visit Thailand soon. This event was a great initiative to reach out to the travel trade in Kolkata and update them about the tourism situation in Thailand as well as to highlight steps …

The National Aquarium, Abu Dhabi’s much anticipated landmark opened on Friday, the 12th of November. Located within the Rabdan Area, the National Aquarium is one of the 11 anchors found within Al Qana, one of Abu Dhabi’s most iconic touristic and lifestyle destinations. The facility includes over 60 exhibits across 10 zones and it is expected to take an average of two hours to complete the journey. Paul Hamilton, General Manager at The National Aquarium says, “We are absolutely delighted to be opening our doors to the public this 12th November and be able to showcase our gigantic and diverse array of animals and animal-related activities to visitors from around the world. The Emirates has a unique relationship with the Arabian Gulf, and it is our mission to honour this connection by incorporating the UAE’s history into the project. The National Aquarium has been years in the making and we are especially excited to be opening in the same year as the UAE’s 50th Anniversary.”

Travellers can travel without quarantine between Singapore and India. The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) announced the VTL expansion, under which travellers from Indonesia and India will be able to enter Singapore from 29th November. “The Ministry of Health has updated its public health assessment and will upgrade India to Category II from 19 November. Our discussions with India are progressing well, and we aim to start 2 daily VTL flights each from Chennai, Delhi and Mumbai by 29 November,” says S Iswaran, Minister for Transport, Singapore.

Remarkable Rwanda, which is home to the mountain gorilla, has in recent years, also become the MICE Hub of the EAC region. The country is now poised to register a sharp increase in religious tourism arrivals, to mark the 40th Anniversary of the Marian Apparitions at KIBEHO on November 28, 2021. The Holy Land of Kibeho is situated in the Southern Province of the country and it is about five hours away from the spotlessly clean capital  city of Kigali. It was on November 28,  1981, when the Blessed Virgin Mary first  appeared to a young teenager, Natalie, saying  “I am the Mother of the Word” . This first Apparition was followed by several others, when not only Natalie, but two other teenagers, Alphonsine and Marie Claire also saw the Blessed Virgin Mary. They were implored to tell the people to mend their evil ways, repent for their wrongdoing and forgive one another.  If not, they were warned that Rwanda would become a “river of blood”. Unfortunately, no one in the country took these three teenagers seriously and just brushed off their apparitions as dreams and fantasies. Thirteen years later, Rwanda witnessed one of the worst genocides in the history of mankind – the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. Within a short span of just one Hundred days, over one million innocent men, women and children were brutally massacred, turning the country, as they were warned, into a “river of Blood”. To commemorate the 40th Anniversary of the Marian Apparitions,  a Virtual Adoration Service will be live streamed from St. Michael’s Church,  Mahim, where every Wednesday, before the lockdown  in March 2020, thousands of people from all communities and from …

Effective immediately, the Ministry of Health Seychelles has announced the entry of visitors from all countries, including India, irrespective of COVID-19 vaccination status. All travellers will be required to present a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of departure. Additionally, visitors will need to submit a duly filled application for Health Travel Authorization on https://seychelles.govtas.com/ which is subject to verification and approval of the Public Health Authority. A valid travel & health insurance policy to cover COVID-19 related quarantine, isolation or treatment. There will be no quarantine requirement, minimum stay nor restriction on movement upon entry into Seychelles. Conditions for stay for children up to age 17, regardless of their vaccination status, will be as for the parent/guardian they are accompanying. However, all visitors will still be required to adhere to other public health measures put in place in view of the pandemic which will include wearing of face masks, social distancing, regular sanitisation and washing of hands. Visitors are advised to refer to the Department of Tourism travel advisory at: http://tourism.gov.sc/.

Fernando Heredia Noguer, Consul General of Spain in Mumbai, during a panel discussion for the trade on visa, said, “We are processing visas very fast. We take one day to process visas. The visa comes from BLS office and it is processed within one day by the Consulate!” More than 90% of the Spanish population has been fully vaccinated. Spain is safe for tourism. It is also important to note that WHO has now recognised Covaxin as a COVID19 vaccine. However, children between 12-18 who aren’t vaccinated cannot enter Spain.

Vaccines listed under the WHO Emergency Use List will now be recognised in the UK government’s inbound travel rules from 4am on Monday 22 November. As a result, Covaxin will also be added to its list of approved vaccines for inbound travel, benefitting more fully vaccinated people from countries including India. These travellers will not have to self-isolate.

As the United States reopens its borders to fully vaccinated travelers from overseas, Los Angeles is thrilled to welcome international visitors to start their comeback. The L.A. visitors know and love is back, continuing to push the envelope of creativity and innovation with new adventures to discover with the full range of the visitor experience from museums and restaurants to theme parks and outdoor live events open for business. Prior to the disruption to our industry, international markets represented a highly important share of business with nearly 1 in 4 visitors to L.A. coming from overseas. In 2019 alone, the destination welcomed over 7.4 million international visitors who injected $11.6 billion in visitor spending into the local economy. November 8 marks a crucial milestone in the recovery of L.A.’s tourism industry. Los Angeles Tourism forecasts project a growth in international visitor spending from $3.7 billion in 2021 to $9.7 billion in 2022. This represents a growth of 262% in international visitor spending. “We have desperately missed our international guests,” said Adam Burke, President & CEO of Los Angeles Tourism. “As one of the world’s most diverse and inclusive destinations where everyone is welcome, L.A. just isn’t the same without them. It’s also impossible to overstate the economic importance of this market segment for our local business community.” Throughout the pandemic, L.A. has continued to be actively engaged in top international markets. Los Angeles Tourism continues to be the only U.S. Destination Marketing Organization with full-time staff overseas based in Australia, China, India, and the United Kingdom. The destination has also made the health of visitors and residents top priority throughout the pandemic, implementing proactive and preventative safety protocols to mitigate …

The Tourism Office of Spain – Mumbai will conduct a one-hour virtual panel discussion on Spain (Schengen) visa for travelers from India, Nepal and Sri Lanka on Tuesday, Nov 9 at 3pm IST. Speakers include José María Ridao, Ambassador of Spain in India; Fernando Heredia Noguer, Consul General of Spain in Mumbai; Helena Escorial López who is the Head of the Consular Section of the Embassy of Spain in India, Ambica Shrestha, Hon. Consul of Spain in Nepal; Priya Jayawardena, Hon. Consul of Spain in Sri Lanka; and Director of Turespaña in India – Elisa Robles. To register, please visit https://event.webinarjam.com/register/327/n7kngavw or write to jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com or call on 9650196532.

The Tourism Office of Spain – Mumbai will conduct a one-hour virtual panel discussion on Spain (Schengen) visa for travelers from India, Nepal and Sri Lanka on Tuesday, Nov 9 at 3pm IST. Speakers include José María Ridao, Ambassador of Spain in India; Fernando Heredia Noguer, Consul General of Spain in Mumbai; Helena Escorial López who is the Head of the Consular Section of the Embassy of Spain in India, Ambica Shrestha, Hon. Consul of Spain in Nepal; Priya Jayawardena, Hon. Consul of Spain in Sri Lanka; and Director of Turespaña in India – Elisa Robles. To register, please visit https://event.webinarjam.com/register/327/n7kngavw or write to jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com or call on 9650196532.