Cross Hotels and Resorts are holding an exclusive webinar for the Indian travel trade on 25th May, 2020 at 2:30 pm IST. For more information, please contact Harish Chhetri on 9650196521 or sales@crosshotelsandresorts.in. To attend the webinar please register on this link, https://event.webinarjam.com/register/113/1n728ak9. The key note speaker for the webinar from Thailand is Yui, Group Director of Sales, Cross hotels and resorts. The webinar will elaborate on one of the leading hotel chains in SE Asia, Cross Hotels and Resorts .

Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of Civil Aviation, has said that the ministry, with all its divisions, including the Airports Authority of India and DGCA, is ready to resume domestic operations for the last one week, but they are still waiting for approval from some of the states for the same. He added that once they get approval, they will start operations in 2-3 days after that, and it could happen before the lockdown gets over. In a tweet, Puri said, “It is not up to MoCA or centre alone to decide to resume domestic flights. In the spirit of cooperative federalism, the govt of states where these flights will take off & land should be ready to allow civil aviation operations.”  

The Lufthansa Group airlines (Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines and Air Dolomiti) have announced the extension of free rebooking period till December 2021. The company said that the trip can be rebooked free of charge to a new travel date up to the second half of next year but it must be before 31 December 2021. This rule applies to tickets booked up to and including 30th June 2020 and with a confirmed travel date up to and including 30 April 2021. Passengers who wish to change their travel date can make a one-time rebooking free of charge for the same route and the same class of travel. Previously, the new trip on rebooking had to start by April 30, 2021, which has now been extended up to and including December 2021. The Lufthansa Group said that the rebooking must be made before the originally planned start of travel.  

Rajiv Mehra, Vice President, IATO during the 3rd TravTalk Digital Conclave said that IATO will organise skill development programs for its members to support them with help tackle the challenges created by COVID-19 crisis for the inbound industry. “Once everything normalises, we will start organising skill development programs for our members. We are hoping some relief from the government as well. We as an association cannot give monetary benefits to our members but we are actively in touch with the government to every possible thing for the survival of members. I expect this grave situation to get a little better in 3-4 months time once lockdown is lifted. IATO will definitely go forward and promote domestic tourism,” he said.

Tourism Minister of Maharashtra, Aaditya Thackeray has said that Maharashtra government will be the first state to announce something promising for the tourism sector and deliver on it while also creating a task force with equal contribution from the travel and hospitality industry along with government and industry-specific experts for the economic revival of the state and the industries. Speaking during a webinar conducted under the FHRAI, the minister also asked the travel and tourism industry experts to prepare documents to consider short, medium and long term measures to revive the tourism and hospitality sector in the state. “We have to take the state of Maharashtra ahead, pitch it to the world. I am really keen to make Maharashtra the first to declare and deliver something for the hotel industry. We have to revive very quickly, take the sector ahead and figure out how we can work with the other sectors. A task force has been set up, we can work in sync, understand what is doable in the medium-term and long-term,” said Thackeray. The webinar was attended by Gurbaxish Singh Kohli, Vice President, FHRAI; Dilip Datwani, Former President, HRAWI and CMD of Hotel Jayshree; Jimmy Mistry, CMD & Principal Designer, Della Group; Sanjay Sethi, MD, Chalet Hotels; Param Kannampilly, Chairman of Fern Hotels; SP Jain, MD of Pride Hotels; and Vivek Nair, CEO, Leela Group. Some of the problems faced by the members of the hotel and restaurant industry were presented to the Minister including the need for liquidity and working capital.

Switzerland Tourism invites the trade to participate in its webinar titled ‘Unlimited Swissness in Interlaken’ to be hosted on Friday, May 22, 2020, at 3:00 pm. Interlaken is situated between the Lakes Thun and Brienz and is centrally located in Switzerland. Surrounded by the mountains Eiger, Monch, and Jungfrau, it not only provides numerous excursion opportunities but is also a hub for adventure activities in Switzerland. This webinar will provide the trade with the latest information and updates about Interlaken. Travel partners who attend all their webinars stand a chance of winning a trip to Switzerland. For more information, please contact Jaspreet Kaur on 9650196532 or jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com.

The travel and tourism industry, unarguably, is one of the most affected sectors since the onset of COVID-19. With country borders sealed, cities brought to a standstill and all transportation stationary, it is difficult to imagine the recovery trajectory of travel. Industry experts suggest that while travel will eventually recover in stages, a shift in both travel norms and traveller behaviour is expected. Addressing some common questions on every traveller’s mind, VFS Global has shared guidelines to assuage their concerns and help navigate their holiday plans once international borders open again. • What happens to passports submitted before services were suspended? Following the national lockdown in India, Visa Application Centres had to shut down operations in adherence to directives from central and local authorities and diplomatic missions. When the Visa Application Centres are allowed to re-open, VFS Global will be able to evaluate at which stage of assessment each application is and resume the applicant return process accordingly. If you have a query about your passport that was submitted with your visa application, please write to customercare@vfsglobal.com. • Will Visa Application Centres open for appointments once the national lockdown lifts? Visa Application Centres in any city/country operate according to the directives of the central and local authorities and the diplomatic mission / the country being applied to. In some cases, even if central/local authorities lift the lockdown, the country you are applying to may not be accepting visa applications. In this scenario, an open Visa Application Centre might not serve your purpose. Make sure you’re checking regulations by not only your government but also that of the country you plan to visit. • What are health and safety precautions implemented …

Tourism Minister of Telangana, V Srinivas Goud has directed the tourism department to prepare Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for development of their respective vacant lands which will be considered for development of tourism. He directed to identify vacant lands belonging to the tourism department and prepare three DPRs for each proposed project. The tourism authorities were asked to prepare proposals to develop the existing hotels and restaurants of Telangana State Tourism Development Corporation and make them profitable ventures. The proposals will be taken up with Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao for approval. The officials were asked to list out cases pertaining to land leases and rents pending in courts, for filing counter-affidavits. The Minister also sought to know minor disputes and cases with the leaseholders including the extension of the tourism activity in violation of existing norms, for initiating necessary legal action. He directed them to increase the lease amount and rents of tourism properties wherever necessary.

The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted all destinations worldwide to introduce restrictions on travel, research by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has found. The data shows that shows that 100% of destinations now have restrictions in place and 72% of them have completely closed their borders to international tourism. UNWTO has found that 83% of destinations in Europe have introduced complete closure of borders for international tourism. In the Americas, this proportion stands at 80%, in Asia and the Pacific it is 70%, in the Middle East it is 62% and in Africa it is 57%. Out of all 217 destinations worldwide, 156 (72%) have placed a complete stop on international tourism according to the data collected as of 27 April 2020. In 25% of destinations, restrictions have been in place for at least three months, while in 40% of destinations, restrictions were introduced at least two months ago. Most importantly, the research also found that no destination has so far lifted or eased travel restrictions. Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General, UNWTO said, “Tourism has been the hardest hit of all the major sectors as countries lockdown and people stay at home. UNWTO calls on governments to work together to coordinate the easing and lifting of restrictions in a timely and responsible manner, when it is deemed safe to do so. Tourism is a lifeline to millions, especially in the developing world. Opening the world up to tourism again will save jobs, protect livelihoods and enable our sector to resume its vital role in driving sustainable development.”

The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has come up with a draft Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for commercial flights as preparations are underway to start domestic air travel in India. The ministry said that passengers might have to fill a detailed questionnaire, carry no cabin baggage and use Aarogya Setu app mandatorily. Passengers might also have to reach the airports at least two hours before departure, according to the ministry’s suggestions. The draft does not address the issue of keeping the middle seat vacant. The final SOPs are yet to be issued by the ministry. Till now, the suggestions have been sought on a draft discussion paper from airlines and airports. The draft SOP proposes that passengers would need a green status on Aarogya Setu app and would have to do web check-in as well as undergo temperature checks. A questionnaire to be circulated to the passenger and filled up by them in advance about their past history related to COVID-19 and quarantine, if any, in the last one month. Any passenger who has undergone quarantine in the last one month to be sent for security at the isolated security check unit only. The ministry has also suggested airlines maintain the same set of cabin and cockpit crew in the roster for as long as possible to prevent cross-contamination. Further, the ministry has suggested that passengers denied travel due to high temperature or age should be permitted to change their date of travel without penalty and airlines would have to maintain their records. Airports should have an isolation zone in the terminal building. State governments should provide requisite help with medical infrastructure if the airport does not have an APHO …