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/.

The Ministry of Health & Welfare has just released a new list of 96 countries with which the government of India has an agreement for mutual recognition of the vaccination certification for individuals that are fully vaccinated with either the nationally-recognised or WHO-recognised COVID-19 vaccine. This list was released on November 9, 2021.

Speaking at a symposium on developing film tourism and facilitating film shoots in India, Arvind Singh, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, said, “I request all states in India to establish film promotion offices that will help co-ordinate with all necessary departments to give permissions for film shoots on time. And of course develop film tourism policies if you don’t have them.”

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.

Indian tourists will be some of the most desirable travellers, given India’s growing economy, young population and rising middle class, according to GlobalData. The data and analytics company notes that the country is projected to reach record levels of 29 million outbound trips by 2025 – a buoyant outlook considering the strains of COVID-19.

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.

Post 18 months of restrictions, being confined at home and living in a virtual world, Thomas Cook (India) and its Group Company, SOTC Travel, have identified a strong pent-up demand for outdoor and adventure experiences. India’s unparalleled biodiversity, exceptional wildlife and jungle experiences hold strong allure, and the companies have hence launched an exciting portfolio of Safaris & Jungle Experiences intended to target India’s millennials/young professionals, honeymooners, families; equally corporates – with exciting team-building jungle getaways. The products are attractively priced, starting from Rs 4,990.00 per person for stays of 2-7 nights. With the pandemic bringing focus to health and safety, while Indians are longing to escape from the monotony/ restrictions of work-from-home, they are actively seeking holidays away from crowds. Thomas Cook and SOTC’s Safari & Jungle Experiences are hence designed to offer safe/secluded yet magical landscapes: from rugged scrubland to lush forests, across rolling hills, watering holes and the floodplains of the mighty Brahmaputra to the awe-inspiring Sundarbans – the world’s largest delta. Thomas Cook and SOTC have included India’s top game reserves with the thrill of crossing paths with majestic tigers at Corbett, India’s oldest National Park – regarded as the ultimate tiger safari destination, or  sighting a leopard at the Ranthambore National Park; a glimpse of snow leopards at Hemis, one of the world’s highest altitude parks; Bandhavgarh National Park, once a royal hunting ground and now a protected reserve for the Royal Bengal Tiger; the famed Asiatic Lion at the Gir National Park; spotting panthers, bears, pythons and elephants at Kanha National Park featured in Kipling’s ‘Mowgli’, a variety of migratory birds at the Kumarakom/Vembanad Bird Sanctuary or the magnificent one-horned rhinoceros at Kaziranga National Park …

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 CIEO Global Summit, conceived and organized by Council of Indian Exhibition Organizers (CIEO), will now be held during 25th and 26th January 2022 in UAE. The event is concurring with republic Indian Day as India celebrates it’s 75 years of independence. The decision on the new dates was taken in the CIEO Steering Committee meeting held in New Delhi. The summit was earlier scheduled on 1st & 2nd of December 2021. The two-day international summit will witness the combination of more than 200 trade fair organizers, MICE professionals and dignitaries from more than 15 nations. 25th January 2022, The Summit The debut two-day International Summit will be first of it’s sort at the India Pavilion, Expo 2020; among the 192 participating countries- India Pavilion is one of the biggest country Pavilions at the World Expo where Fifteen states and nine central ministries are participating in during the Expo. 25th January 2022, The Luncheon The Luncheon at Iris, will see Indulgence of Summit delegates with an unparalleled experience at Expo 2020. Iris, Dubai’s lounge and restaurant brand has its own venue at Expo 2020 Dubai in a prime location. The two-story venue features a large wrap-around terrace offering a sublime view of the entertainment stage. 26th January 2022, The Networking The networking dinner is for the CIEO members at Atlantis, The Palm, for an enthralling cultural evening and partnership opportunities with International Organisers. CIEO members will have all free access and tickets to the Expo 2020, guided visits to selected country pavilions at Expo 2020, Summit at India Pavilion, Luncheon at Iris at and networking dinner at the Atlantis, The Palm. The two-day event will also witness series of cooperation MOU’s signing …