According to Michael Lobo, Minister in the Goa government, the state will make it mandatory for tourists to be fully vaccinated with both doses and a COVID negative RT-PCR report. “We have to wait till July and let the number of cases go down to zero. We will reopen Goa for tourists with proper screening. Both doses of vaccines and a negative RT-PCR report will be made mandatory for tourists for the first three months after reopening of tourism in the state,” he said.

Turkey is all set to further ease the restrictions imposed on the travellers from 1st July. The new unlock rules also include the removal of the night curfew restrictions including weekends for locals and tourists. All dining options, restaurants and bars will be functional. Entertainment houses like cinema halls and concert venues can function without any restrictions subject to adherence to COVID-19 appropriated guidelines. The 14-day quarantine rule for anyone who has travelled to India within the last 14 days is still in place but travellers will now have the option of staying at the quarantine Hotel of their choice and at their own expense. Turkey is also undertaking one of the biggest vaccination drive where 40% of the country’s population has received the first dose and is working dedicatedly to fully vaccinate 70% of the total population by August. The new guidelines have been announced keeping into consideration the decreasing number of COVID-19 cases in the country however hygiene, mask and social distancing rules will be followed throughout.

The COVID-19 pandemic has dealt a major blow to the aviation industry, severely impacting passenger volumes, as well as revenues. Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru (KIAB/ BLR Airport), which managed a record 32.3 million passengers in FY2019-20, witnessed an unprecedented 66% decline in traffic during FY2020-21. During this period, BLR Airport welcomed only 10.91 million passengers since domestic air travel resumed in India on May 25, 2020, following a two-month suspension. 10.45 million passengers flew domestic routes, recording a 63% drop, as compared to 27 million in FY2019-20. International routes witnessed 4 million passengers in 2019-20 – the passenger footfall, however, declined substantially to 0.46m in FY2020-21, a decline of 90%. This is mainly attributed to the continued suspension of international flights and COVID-19 restrictions across the globe. After showing signs of recovery during the middle of the fiscal year, the traffic dropped significantly due to the rise in the number of COVID-19 cases in India, beginning February 2021. The reduced slots for airlines at airports driven by DGCA guidelines, too, added to the lowered numbers. ATMs dropped by 50% to113,993 from 231,051 in 2019-20. While domestic movements reduced by 49% at 102,801, international traffic saw 11,192 movements, lower by 61% in the last 311 days of operations. However, the subdued environment due to the pandemic had a marginal impact on cargo operations. The cargo processed during FY2020-21 was 326,643 Metric Tonnes (MT), 12.70% short of last fiscal’s 374,181 MT. BLR Airport was the only major Airport in the Country to reach 100% of the previous year’s tonnage on a year-on-year basis from September 2020 through January 2021. In March, it regained momentum, recording 34,401 MT – the highest in the …

Cross Hotels & Resorts, which already operates hotels across Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia, has now expanded its reach further by entering the Japanese market with a remarkable seven-hotel deal in a master franchise agreement with AB Accommo Company. Cross Hotels & Resorts currently operates 21 hotels across three distinct brands – Cross, Cross Vibe and Away – in Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia. It anticipates a rewarding future in Japan with seven properties initially, totalling 844 keys within four years and stretching across Okinawa in the far south to Hokkaido. The inaugural property, located on Kouri Island, will be called Away Okinawa Kouri Island Resort and seamlessly match the Away brand’s ‘Escape Everyday Life’ philosophy. “With the signing of Away Okinawa Kouri Island Resort we have brought to fruition our stated aspiration to grow our brands in the best markets in the Asia region. The Away brand emphasises the strength of our capabilities, our growth and our commitment to help our owners identify their product position in the marketplace,” says Harry Thaliwal, Chief Executive Officer, Cross Hotels & Resorts. To this, adds Kent Davidson, Managing Director, Cross Hotels & Resorts, “Taking our business and brands into the prized Japanese hospitality marketplace is a watershed moment for Cross Hotels & Resorts. This agreement to franchise our brands into the Japanese market speaks volumes for the work we have done to define our branding and distribution value proposition and the manner in which our partners have embraced it. This partnership has been made possible by our ability to curate a product for our partners’ specific needs. I have a deep respect for our colleagues in the enterprise and I see a long and …

The 1st virtual ‘Korea Travel Expo’, on its final day, will see buyers from North & East India having B2B meetings with over 15 exhibitors from South Korea. Representatives from around 9 DMCs, 6 regions and 1 attraction will be showcasing their offerings at the online event. Register at www.koreatravelexpo.com, email jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com or call +91 9650196532.

Pointing out the key role of vaccinations on the road to recovery, Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General, UNWTO said, “There is significant pent-up demand and we see confidence slowly returning.” He also urged governments to ‘improve coordination and communication while making testing easier and more affordable in order to facilitate a travel rebound this summer.

According to Gus Gardner, Associate Travel & Tourism Analyst at GlobalData, “Budget hotel operators will be well-positioned to benefit from an increase in bargain-hunting travellers looking for the cheapest accommodation possible. With many countries still only permitting outbound travel to a handful of countries and domestic holidays booming in the short term, accommodation prices have risen.”

Sabina Chopra, Co-Founder and COO, Corporate Travel & Head Industry Relations, Yatra.com said they have witnessed that the turnaround time for travel bookings has been considerably quicker as compared to last year. “With the ongoing vaccination process in the country, people are more confident about booking for travels which will provide a boost to the industry,” she further said.

Tourism Minister of Kerala, PA Mohamed Riyas has said that Kerala will complete its tourism projects in a time-bound manner by giving top priority to those under the government’s 100-day programme. “The government would initiate ways to increase the arrival of tourists by appointing Keralites residing in Arab countries, Europe and the US as brand ambassadors of state’s tourism,” he added.

Introducing the ATOAI Women’s Collective, the association has announced the team of Women’s Task Force. Arshdeep Anand CEO, HMA Spectrum Handcrafted Holidays will be the Chairwoman of the committee while other members include, Guneet Puri, Tejaswini Gopalswamy, Dilshad Master and Akansha Garg. Instituted on International Women’s Day 2021, the Women’s Task Force has been formed with the purpose to inspire, nurture and celebrate women in adventure travel.