The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has started operating a special tourist train named ‘Bharat Darshan – Splendors of India’ on a 11 nights/12 days itinerary from August 29- September 10. The train starting from Madurai will have several boarding points and will cost passengers INR 11,340 per ticket. Tourists have been advised to keep vaccination certificates or negative RT-PCR test reports of not more than 48 hours handy before boarding the train.

Effective 30 August 2021, VFS Global has resumed UAE tourist visa services for Indians. UAE announced the reopening of borders for Indian travellers ahead of the Expo 2020 trade fair scheduled to commence on 1 October 2021. Travellers will be required to present a valid negative COVID-19 Test certificate issued within 48 hours from the time of collecting the sample and from an approved health service. No GDRFA or ICA approval is required for tourists travelling to the UAE.

Switzerland’s natural landscape and scenery makes it an ideal destination for a self-drive experience. The Grand Tour of Switzerland is the ultimate scenic driving route which enables travellers to travel across Switzerland and their own pace. This 1,600-kilometer journey of discovery leads through four language regions, five mountain passes, eleven UNESCO World Heritage Sites, two biospheres and along 22 lakes. Travellers get the opportunity to discover the popular attractions, and some hidden gems too! On Friday, 3rd September 2021, at 3 pm IST, Switzerland Tourism will conduct an exclusive webinar for the travel trade highlighting the self-drive experience in Switzerland. To register, contact jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com or 9650196532.

The high court of Bombay at Goa on Monday permitted the state government to allow the entry of fully-vaccinated persons in Goa without a COVID-19 negative test report. Partially vaccinated and non-vaccinated persons will still have to produce a negative Covid test report for entry. The expert committee has also unanimously agreed and decided to explore the possibility of issuing a universal pass which is linked to the Co-Win portal as adopted and issued by the government of Maharashtra.

The Gujarat government’s Seema Darshan project is being constructed as a major spot at Nada Bet in Banaskantha district. Jenu Devan, Managing Director, Tourism Corporation of Gujarat, said that the Seema Darshan project which was inaugurated in December 2016 at Nada Bet has already started receiving around 4,000-5,000 visitors during the weekends. “The tourism department is now trying to promote Nada Bet on the lines of the Wagah Border with not only a Retreat Ceremony, but also creating a two-three hours tour package for that entire area which will include a tourist facilitation centre, auditorium, museum, interpretation centres, and other amenities. Electric vehicles will be introduced that will take the tourists around the 25 km border area up to zero point where they will be allowed to take photographs,” he said.

The latest Boeing 737 model is equipped with a manoeuvring characteristics augmentation system (MCAS), which is responsible for pushing the aircraft’s nose down when it senses a high angle of attack that may lead to an aircraft stall. Aviation safety regulator DGCA on Thursday allowed operations of Boeing 737 MAX planes, which were banned almost two-and-a-half years ago following two deadly crashes of this model that together killed 330 people. With India opening up the skies for the 737 MAX planes, China remains the only major aviation market to still have a ban in place.

Sri Lanka has opened its borders to India after a long anticipated hiatus. Fully vaccinated travellers will only require a negative PCR 72 hour prior to arrival and an on-arrival PCR test at a certified hotel. They will then be allowed to roam across the country freely. Sri Lankan Airlines will operate four weekly flights to Chennai, three to Mumbai, and one to Bengaluru under its new schedule, and is expected to introduce significant frequency enhancements.

Lindiwe Sisulu took on her new role as the new Minister of Tourism for South Africa. With vast bureaucratic experience, Ms. Lindiwe Sisulu will bring her diverse skillset and strategic prowess to the role, even as South Africa firms up plans for international tourism recovery. Neliswa Nkani, Hub Head – MEISEA, South African Tourism said, “We are excited to welcome and work closely with Ms. Lindiwe Sisulu in her new capacity as Minister of Tourism, especially for the India market. Her expertise and core competencies will be crucial as we create safe experiences for the outbound Indian traveller. After a year and a half under lockdown, Indian travellers are raring to explore, contingent to strong safety measures and ease of travel. India has always been a huge market for South Africa, and this is our chance to pay back by crafting the safest holidays for those seeking to travel.”

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has opened applications for tourist visas from all countries starting August 30. As per the new UAE travel guidelines, tourists will need to be vaccinated with one of the Covid-19 vaccine shots approved by the World Health Organization (WHO). This also applies to tourist visa holders from countries where travel to the UAE is restricted, authorities announced on Saturday.

Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) India Offices, New Delhi and Mumbai have announced the launch of ‘Thailand Build Back Better Together’Campaign, which is a pan India Travel Agent Engagement. Vachirachai Sirisumpan, Director, TAT, New Delhi Office, shares, “This is 2nd campaign for travel agent engagement and the objective of this year’s campaign is to reconnect travel agents in India and travel and tourism suppliers in Thailand by creating an awareness through a weekly Selfie at Virtual Photo Booth, promotions and contest on different themes, polls, articles, of destinations, tourism products and services as well as update travel situation in Thailand.