In its 16th year now, HICSA has become indisputably known as the premier hospitality event in the South Asian Region. It is now scheduled for 22nd and 23rd July 2020 at the Grand Hyatt Mumbai. Notable speakers confirmed or invited to HICSA 2020 include Ajay Singh, Chairman and Managing Director, SpiceJet, Christopher J Nasseta, President and CEO, Hilton, Dimitris Manikis, President and MD – EMEA, Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, Federico J González, President and CEO, Radisson Hospitality AB, Puneet Chhatwal, Managing Director and CEO, IHCL, Radha Arora, President, Rosewood Hotel Group and Marc Steinmeyer, Founder, Tauzia hotels, to name a few.

Switzerland Tourism invites members of India’s travel trade to participate in its exclusive webinar on Jungfrau Bahn – Railways to the Sky. The webinar will highlight popular activities and excursions in Switzerland made accessible by the Jungfrau Railways. For more information, please contact Jaspreet Kaur on 9650196532 or jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com.

Recording the highest growth rate in domestic and total tourist arrivals in 24 years, Kerala attracted around 1.96 crore domestic and foreign visitors in 2019, registering a healthy growth of 17.2 per cent as compared to the figures in the previous year. The total earnings from tourism stood at Rs 45,010.69 crore, notching a robust 24.14 per cent increase. The total number of tourists was pegged at 1,95,74,004, of whom there were 1,83,84,233 domestic tourists and 11,89,771 visitors from abroad. In 2018, the number of tourists visiting Kerala was 1,67,01,068 (domestic tourists 1,56,04,661 and foreign tourists 10,96,407).

Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism and Hospitality (FAITH) has been sharing a regular updates with the Ministry of Tourism(MOT) and Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on the impact of COVID-19 on the industry and apprise the Government on the effect of the outbreak has been till now. The update letter reads, “This is one of the worst crisis ever to hit the Indian tourism industry  impacting all its geographical segments – inbound, outbound & domestic, almost all tourism verticals— leisure, adventure, heritage, mice, cruise, corporate & niche segments. The whole tourism value chain across hotels, travel agents, tour operations, destinations, restaurant, family entertainment venues & air, land & sea transportation.” – Inbound foreign tourism of $ 28 bn + in value terms accounts for on an average basis almost 60-65%  between October to March. As the news of the virus started picking up from November, the percentage  of cancellations started going up in this segment exponentially and is reaching a peak of almost 80% now in March in many Indian locations. The value at risk from this segment will be in multiples of tens of thousands of crores. – The forward bookings for the inbound season of October 2020 – March 2021, which should have started picking are all muted.  These are showing highly discouraging signs with cancellations of important global travel marts which are marketplaces for contracting for the next season. – The value of NRI segment from developed markets whose major season for visit to their families and relatives is around 60% + during April to September. There are reports of large-scale forward cancellations from these and unless the progression of the virus stops the almost entire value …

Hardeeep Singh Puri, Minister of State (I/C), Civil Aviation, has advised travellers to voluntarily get themselves checked for COVID-19, in case they have any symptoms. Addressing a press conference on the issue, he said, “My advice to everyone, whether they have gone as a tourists or have come in to India as part of a tour group, if they have symptoms, they should get themselves checked. While the numbers of cases of COVID-19 in India is not very high, we can’t afford to take chances. If someone came in before the universal checking of all passengers at airports started, they should come forward for a check in case of any symptoms. Some people have been identified already, and if they show any signs, they will be immediately tested. We are taking all external precautions needed, and the cabinet secretary is taking meetings every day. Under the overall control of PMO, and the PM personally, we have two groups—one is a group of ministers headed by Mr. Harshvardhan, of which I am a member. There is another group headed by the Cabinet Secretary. Each of these groups meet a number of times to take stock of the situation. It’s a case where all parts of the Government are active and in 24-hour contact with each other.”

The Maldivian government has decided to temporarily suspend all cruise lines from entering and docking in the Maldives as a precaution against the rapidly spreading coronavirus. The country has also barred individuals that have travelled or transited from Iran, and Daegu and Gyeongbuk in South Korea. In February alone, 15 cruise ships docked in the Maldives, while 19 cruise ships arrived in the island nation in December 2019, based on statistics from Maldives Immigration. According to Mohamed ‘Bunny’ Ali, secretary general of the Maldives Association of Yacht Agents (MAYA), there were 14 foreign cruise lines carrying a combined 20,000 passengers that were scheduled to arrive between March 1 and April 23. The ban, which is the government’s latest move to protect the tourism-reliant country island from the Covid-19 outbreak, coincides with the increase in number of cruise ship arrivals to the Maldives.

Spain’s scorching weather conditions in 2019 revealed an unexpected sight in the Spanish province of Cáceres. As the drought caused the shoreline of the Tagus River to recede, a 4,000- to 7,000-year-old circular monument emerged in the middle of the Valdecañas reservoir. Thought to be more than 4,000 years old, the Dolmen of Guadalperal was ‘invisible’ for almost 60 years – until it unexpectedly reappeared. This ‘Spanish Stonehenge’ megalithic monument consists of more than 100 standing granite stones, some up to 1.8m tall, arranged in a 26m-diameter circle. It was likely used as a temple, a burial site and even as a trading spot due to its strategic original location.

Europe’s largest regional airline, Flybe has gone into administration, sparking chaos for passengers whose flights were cancelled and diverted. The airline collapsed in the early hours of March 5, 2020 after the already-struggling firm was hit by a drop in demand caused by coronavirus. This news comes two months after the government announced rescue operations for it. Before the viral outbreak, Flybe was already struggling with rising fuel costs, soft demand and competition. The airline served 57 airports in Europe. Flybe passengers and staff are being offered free travel by all First Rail train operators, which consist of Great Western Railway, South Western Railway, TransPennine Express and Avanti West Coast. EasyJet has offered rescue fares for passengers and free flights to Flybe staff to get home.

Wendy Wu Tours (WWT) has advised its partners that it expects all its tours in China to operate in full form from the start of April 2020. The Chinese Ministry of Culture and Tourism is also now reviewing all tourist attractions as they reopen with the expectation that everything will be once again operational from April onwards. WWT is expected to operate in full form from April 1, 2020. Its current policy allowing free cancellations for its trips departing up to March 31, 2020 remains in place. WWT trips to other destinations are also operating as normal and in the event of any changes passengers will be contacted three weeks prior to departure.

S.C. Gupta, Chief Secretary, Sikkim, chaired a meeting at Tashiling Secretariat to review and discuss preparedness and action plan for any possible coronavirus outbreak in the State following reports of confirmed cases of a novel coronavirus in some parts of the country. The meeting has decided to suspend all Inner Line Permits (ILPs) issued to visit Sikkim until further notice. The concerned department has been directed to network the information to all stakeholder organisations and offices. The Tourism Department has been directed to monitor the maintenance of registers by owners of hotels, homestays and lodge for travellers of both Indian and Foreign Nationals with their contact details for surveillance purpose. Likewise, the Education Department has been asked to conduct awareness sessions on coronavirus in every school in the State.