Rupinder Brar, ADG, Tourism, has said that MOTs marketing and promotional campaigns have to be re-aligned according to the markets that could come out of the impact of COVID-19 earlier and have the disposable incomes to travel again. While speaking at the first TravTalk Digital Conclave, she said. “We would need to re-align our promotions and marketing campaigns in the light of the situation worldwide and we are still in the middle of this crisis. Quarter 2 would require us to now sit down on the drawing board and really work and re-align some of our marketing plans. Even regarding the Global Media Plan that we worked out in November-December this year, we need to be expanding our footprint. We have started our campaigns in Latam and we have identified some countries from Africa where the campaign will be followed. We need to work on the metrics of the impact of COVID in different countries to identify markets, and also see in those countries what kind of disposable income and what is the age bracket will be open to travel. Accordingly we need to picture the marketing plans for those countries.”

Kapil Talking on revival plan for airlines, Kapil Kaul, CEO & Director, CAPA South Asia during the TravTalk Digital Conclave said that every airline right now is waiting for a government bailout. “Airlines need government support in terms of a bailout package at the earliest. Airlines almost have no cash flow or no excess cash reserves. The revival of airlines posts COVID-19 crisis must be conditional based on international best practices. They need to have the cash for 2-3 months to function efficiently,” he said. Kaul further said, “If the crisis continues for a longer duration, we will have a smaller, shrinking industry. Possibly some exits possible as well. We might see consolidation in the market and possibly the repair would begin from thereafter.”

Korea Tourism Organization invites members of the trade to sign up for another round of webinar it will host on April 17, 2020 at 3 pm. For more information and to register, contact Jaspreet Kaur on 9650196532 or jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com. This online seminar will showcase South Korea as a tourist destination highlighting student travel from India. The seminar will cover basic information and highlight the popular places along with ideas on how to create a better South Korea tour product. The webinar will cover not just FIT and leisure travel but also student tours and MICE. Jong Sool Kwon, Director – Korea Tourism Organization, New Delhi office, says, “The idea behind initiating these webinars is to take the opportunity of this slow business period and enhance the product knowledge of the travel agents about South Korea. As soon as the market revives from this slowdown, the travel agents will be well prepared to propose a new destination to their clients and South Korea will be the first choice for them.”

The StrandedinIndia portal of the Ministry of Tourism (MOT) continues to provide support to the tourists. Until 9th April, the number of tourists who have been assisted are 1194. In addition, the regular toll-free helpline 1363 which the MOT runs has had 779 calls from 22nd March to 9th April. Besides this, the Ministry officials are working round the clock with the tourism and hospitality industry to understand the immediate and long term issues that are coming up as an impact of COVID-19.  

All Nippon Airways (ANA) is offering its customers with applicable tickets a full refund with no cancellation fees. The airline has announced temporary change of services on select international routes due to the Coronavirus. This includes its flights to Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai from Tokyo that stand suspended as from April 25 to May 31, 2020. The total number of affected flights to these three India routes will be 180 flights. Requests for refunds can be made up to one year and 30 days from the travel start date (or issuance date if prior to travel). The total number of affected flights by ANA during the summer schedule (March 29 to April 24) is currently at 4,071 serving 72 different routes. An official statement by the airline states, “This is further to our earlier notice of temporary flight reductions/suspensions from India to Tokyo until 24th April 2020. Due to rapidly increasing COVID-19 cases globally, we will be extending the period of flight disruptions from 25th April until 31st May, 2020. For already issued tickets, we will allow special handling, i.e change at NO-ADC or full refund on pre-set conditions. In case of reissue, tickets can be reissued for travel on/before December 31st, 2020 and it will done from Airline side.” It also mentions that a special procedure is available, if all of the following conditions are met: For itinerary from/to Japan (Except WUH/HKG/MFM and Mainland China) 1) Applicable Ticket is 205 plate. 2) Date of Issue Ticket is On/before April 8th, 2020 3) Date of Original Departure is From February 26,2020 to May 31, 2020 4) Applicable Sector is an itinerary that includes flights from/to Japan on unused sectors.  

Kerala Tourism, in its latest video, is urging its followers to ‘take a trip home’ and ‘travel later’ by using local cooking as an alternative. The video states, “Is your heart craving for soft, piping hot Ramasseri idli? when you have all the time in the world, why not try your hand at cooking them from the comfort of your home.” The video uses a snippet from an earlier video, which shows a lady from Ramassery Idli Kada, Palakkad, preparing their famous Ramassery idli, using a traditional method.

A KPMG report on potential impact of COVID-19 on Indian economy says that along with large scale cancellations, the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) estimates that the hotel, aviation and tourism sector may incur loss of about US$85 billion due to travel restrictions imposed on foreign tourists. The report also indicated that outbound and inbound travel to India will be at an all-time low with impact likely to be felt on both white and blue collar jobs.

Switzerland Tourism invites the trade to participate in its webinar titled ‘From the James Bond Mountain to the shores of Lake Geneva Region’ to be hosted on Thursday, April 16, 2020 at 3:00pm. One of the best 360-degree views of the Swiss skyline can be witnessed on top of the James Bon Mountain, Schilthorn. From the central Swiss Alps, travellers can then make their way to the French-speaking Lake Geneva Region on board the famous GoldenPass Panorama Train. Located on the shores of Lake Geneva, the region is surrounded by mountains and vineyards, and provides numerous activities and excursion possibilities. This webinar will provide the trade with the latest information and updates about Schilthorn Cableway and the Lake Geneva Region. Travel partners who attend all the webinars stand a chance of winning a trip to Switzerland. For more information, please contact Jaspreet Kaur on 9650196532 or jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com.

Japan has enacted a bill to offer financial aid for promoting regional tourism through improvement of services at its cultural facilities. This move is aimed at drawing tourists from in and outside Japan to provincial areas of Japan by using the opportunity afforded by Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The Egyptian cabinet has approved a six-month deferral plan on utility payments for tourist establishments and private airlines. The payments will start from October. Also part of this is the postponement of real estate tax on tourism facilities for three months, which can be paid in instalments as well.