The Centre has asked states to vaccinate its tour operators, hotel employees, drivers and other industry stakeholders on priority to bring back confidence in the sector. Tourism Secretary Arvind Singh said, “We have taken it up with state governments that vaccination of all tourism stakeholders should be done on priority so that we gain a sense of confidence.”

Commenting on the latest communication from the Government for the restaurant industry, Pradeep Shetty, Sr. VP, Hotel & Restaurant Association of Western India (HRAWI), says, “We neither have permission to conduct business nor are we being compensated. We need a clear roadmap about what is to be expected from the Government for us to make informed decisions for our businesses.”

Meghalaya Tourism Director, Cyril VD Diengdoh, said that the state has seen a steady growth of tourist arrivals from Bangladesh over the years. He said, “In order to enhance the experience of tourists, the state government is following the three fundamentals – right pricing, carrying capacity and zero waste. Meghalaya Tourism has come up with a mobile app that provides a one-stop solution to tourists who wish to plan a trip and helps in contactless check-in at their hotels following the safety protocols.”

The Karnataka government has passed an order making RT-PCR negative tests mandatory for people entering the state from Kerala and Maharashtra. However, airlines allowed those with vaccination certificates to travel until Sunday. From now on, passengers flying in from these two states will not be issued boarding passes if they don’t produce negative RT-PCR test at the port of boarding.

In response to a key demand of the hospitality industry, the Ministry of Tourism has initiated a proposal for inclusion of tourism in the Concurrent List of the Constitution. This step could bring a coordinated approach from the Centre and the states in this sector, especially after the impact due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “The Ministry of Tourism has taken up the issue of inclusion of tourism in the Concurrent List with the concerned Ministry, so that tourism can be placed on the national agenda,” the Ministry has said in a reply to a Parliamentary Standing Committee whose report was tabled in Parliament on Tuesday.

In its effort to chart recovery for international travel, IndiGo, India’s leading carrier, has partnered with International Air Transport Association (IATA) to become first Indian airline to launch a pilot for IATA Travel Pass to help passengers easily and securely manage their travel in line with any government requirements for COVID-19 testing or vaccine information. IATA Travel Pass is a mobile app that helps travellers to store and manage their verified certifications for COVID-19 tests or vaccines. It is more secure and efficient than current paper processes used to manage health requirements. This is important given the potentially enormous scale of testing or vaccine verifications that will need to be securely managed. The pass will enable IndiGo passengers to create a ‘digital passport’ to verify their pre-travel test or vaccination status to meet the SOPs of the destination. The passengers will be able to share the test and vaccination certificates with authorities as well as airlines to facilitate travel. The app will also enable passengers to manage and save all their travel documentation digitally and seamlessly throughout the travel experience. Ronojoy Dutta, Chief Executive Officer, IndiGo said, “We are proud to partner with IATA to become the country’s first airline to take this step towards enabling customers with a travel pass mobile app. This initiative is a significant step to prepare for a new normal, especially with regards to international travel. Today, most countries have implemented protocols for travellers across the globe and this IATA Travel Pass will simplify and digitize the requisite passenger information for respective countries. We are certain that our collaboration with IATA on this innovation will prove to be a stepping-stone towards international air travel recovery.” …

With borders slowly reopening for Indians, student visa applications for various countries are at a record high. With this higher demand for visa application appointments, VFS Global has continually faced the issue of scammers posing as employees or associates of the organisation and embezzling customers. Misusing VFS Global’s trusted name in the visa space, such scammers lure aspirants with the false promise of overseas settlement. An all-too-frequent modus operandi involves a scammer using new software and other technology to clone VFS Global’s web page and mask their phone numbers, so it appears that the call has indeed come from an official VFS Global line. The victim is then asked to verify the number on the official website, leading him/her to further believe the caller. “We understand anxieties engulfing students and parents with the reopening of international borders. With high demand for student visas, it is also important for our customers to be wary of miscreants looking to take advantage of this peak demand period. VFS Global urges prospective students to beware of such malpractices. VFS Global is taking all necessary and proactive measures to accommodate students visas as per directives from the respective Embassy or Consulate,” said Pranav Sinha, Head – South Asia, VFS Global. Touts could also reach out to customers via chat apps, offering simple assistance such as booking an appointment slot to apply for a visa at a VFS Global centre at an additional fee. VFS Global does not charge customers for appointments to submit applications. All appointments are available online on a first-come-first-served basis completely free of cost. No VFS Global employee or third party can assure an appointment based on payment. With the increasing number …

In his opinion piece on Moneycontrol.com, Suman Billa, Director, Technical Cooperation & Silk Road at UNWTO, advised, “Enable travel in a predictable and hassle-free manner. A national committee with the Ministries of Tourism, Civil Aviation and Health along with representatives from the states and industry should be set up to prescribe and harmonise travel restrictions across India.”

Gurpal Singh Chahal (IAS), Deputy Commissioner – Ferozepur District, Government of Punjab, informed that recently Punjab Government has sanctioned Rs 5 crore for developing light and sound show at the National Martyrs Memorial at Hussainiwala Border. The Indo-Pak Retreat Ceremony at Hussainiwala Border is a popular activity and can be witnessed from as close as 100 feet from the Zero Line. If developed and marketed properly, this can outshine the retreat ceremony at Wagah Border.    

Amadeus’ latest Travel Trends report says that Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru are still the most searched destinations in India in 2021, the same as 2019. Mani Ganeshan, its Head of R&D, Asia Pacific, says, “This suggests that Indian travellers are looking to explore closer to home, albeit cautiously. However, in 2021, the travellers’ duration of stay is lengthening which tells us the desire to travel never falters, and that travellers are creatively making the most out of their travel and taking advantage of the new hybrid working model we are seeing unfold.”