Department of Tourism, Government of Maharashtra, will hold a two-day international conference on the potential of Agri-tourism on May 15-16, 2021. The virtual event will include interactive sessions to discuss farm tourism in India, and will focus on empowering and encouraging the rural women farming community to embrace new opportunities in the realm.

Indian carrier Vistara will fly to the Japanese capital Tokyo from New Delhi June 16 onwards. The weekly flight will depart from Delhi every Wednesday at 03:00 hrs, while the return flight will depart from Tokyo every Thursday at 17:50 hrs. The airline will fly once a week between the two capital cities under India’s travel bubble agreement with Japan. The airline will use its Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft with three-class cabin configuration to serve the route. This makes Vistara the only Indian carrier to offer the choice of flying Premium Economy class in addition to Business and Economy cabins. Vistara has also trained its cabin crew in the Japanese language to extend the warmth of true Indian hospitality to travellers from Japan. Leslie Thng, Chief Executive Officer, Vistara, said, “Far East has been an extremely important geography for our global expansion from the beginning for its tremendous growth potential. We are delighted to add Japan to our international network, under the travel bubble and  look forward to providing the best of Indian hospitality while maintaining the highest standards of safety and hygiene for our customers on this sector.” Bookings for the flights are being progressively opened on all channels, including Vistara’s website, mobile app, and through travel agents. Introductory, all-inclusive, round-trip fares between Delhi and Tokyo are as follows:   Route Economy Premium Economy Business Delhi–Tokyo-Delhi INR 45,049 INR 73,699 INR 150,399 Tokyo–Delhi-Tokyo JPY 90,099 JPY 184,699 JPY 410,999   SCHEDULE OF FLIGHTS TO AND FROM TOKYO HANEDA: Sector Flight No. Day of Operation Departure Arrival Delhi (DEL) – Tokyo Haneda (HND) UK083 Wednesday 0300 Hrs 1450 Hrs Tokyo Haneda (HND) – Delhi (DEL) UK084 Thursday 1750 Hrs 2335 …

Indiatourism Mumbai along with IHM Mumbai conducted a session on ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ for the institute’s students and faculty. The online session, attended by 120 students, was a commemoration of the Revolt of 1857 and the lesser-known freedom fighters of India. It was guided by Venkatesan Dhattareyan, Regional Director, West & Central, Indiatourism and Malti Dutta, Assistant Director, West & Central, Indiatourism. This was the first of many sessions that will be conducted following the programme charted out for ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’.

Emirates has suspended passenger flights from India until May 31, 2021. UAE nationals, holders of UAE Golden Visas and members of diplomatic missions who comply with the revised published COVID-19 protocols will be exempt for travel. Those with cancelled bookings can retain their ticket for a future flight or rebook their flight for another date.

Tourism Minister PS Patel has said that the focus of the Ministry of Tourism post-COVID will be on promoting offbeat destinations and activities such as eco-tourism, wellness retreats and mountaineering, among others. He also added, “India would like to offer to the world, post COVID-19, calm, peace and health through yoga, Ayurveda and other forms of traditional treatments and spiritual surroundings.”

Akbar Al Baker, Group CEO, Qatar Airways, has said that while they are keen to pick up stake in Indian low-cost carrier IndiGo, which he regards as the country’s largest and most efficient airline, the present may not be the right time for it. The Group CEO says that India continues to be a strategically important market for Qatar Airways.

Indian nationals in transit through a French airport on their way to another country will require an airport transit visa (ATV). The categories exempt from the ATV include families of EU or Swiss nationals; Indian official passport holders; Schengen visa holders; and holders of permanent residence permits from EU countries, the UK, Japan, Canada and USA.

Recovery in domestic and international travel has been delayed by three and six months, respectively, due to COVID resurgence, says India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra). Besides, 2021 has brought three new challenges such as higher fuel expenses, rising competition intensity, and likely pressure on airline yields as the scramble for market share realignment to pre-COVID period begins.

Under the current Presidential Proclamation, student visa holders from India are able to enter the United States if their classes start on or after August 1, 2021. The United States, however, will not approve exceptions for F visa holders with a programme start date before August 1, 2021. Students with valid F-1 and M-1 visas intending to begin or continue an academic programme commencing August 1 this year or later do not need to contact an embassy or consulate to seek an individual National Interest Exception to travel.

With effect from April 21, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) will be conducting all international as well as domestic flight operations through its Terminal 2. All passengers of GoAir, Star Air, Air Asia, TruJet and IndiGo are requested to get in touch with the respective airlines for further queries.