Category Archives: Breaking News (All Categories)

Austrian authorities have announced that Indian travellers with proof of full vaccination, will not be required to register for pre-travel clearance, and will not be required to undergo self-isolation. Exemption will also be made for travellers who have stayed in a safe country for 10 days prior to their arrival in Austria.They will also need to carry fully-vaccinated proof or proof of past infection. However, travellers who provide proof of past infection or show a negative test report, will need to register digitally in advance to obtain pre-travel clearance. They will also be required to self-isolate for 10 days, but can end their quarantine period early if they have a test after the 5th day of isolation.

Sanjay Agrawal, President, Ph.D. Chamber of Commerce and Industry has said that that the unrest in Afghanistan may lead to a huge loss for Indian medical tourism. He revealed that Afghan patients and their friends and family members contribute around Rs 1.5-2 billion to the Indian economy. It is believed that for citizens from Afghanistan, India is a cheap healthcare destination where hospitals offer quality treatment at reasonable rates.

Germany plans to sell up to a quarter of its 20% stake in Lufthansa over the coming weeks, the German finance agency said on Monday, citing positive developments at the bailed-out airline. Lufthansa shares fell as much as 4.9% to 8.81 euros in early trade after the announcement. The state’s 20% stake was acquired for 300 million euros ($353.67 million) as part of a bailout for the German carrier as the company and the entire aviation sector took a battering from the coronavirus crisis.

Nearly after 59 years, the Government of Uttarakhand has now opened the Gartang Gali trek for the tourists after completing the required restoration and repair work. Gartang Gali is 500-meter long timber-lined stairway in the Nelang, built by the Peshawari Pathans. Speaking on the occasion, Tourism Minister of Uttarakhand, Shri Satpal Maharaj said, “The opening of Gatang Gali trek has added a new dimension to the adventure tourism activities in the state of Uttarakhand. The bridge has historical and strategic importance in the history of Uttarakhand and demonstrates the coordinal trade relations of the country with its neighbours since ancient times.” Gartang Gali was used as a route between India and Tibet by Dorji’s  (Tibetan merchants) to reach Uttarkashi via Sumla, Mandi to trade items like Salt, Jaggery, Spices, Gold, Pashmina wool etc. However after the Indo-China war in Year 1962, Nelang valley was closed for the general tourists and visitors, as the place came under the inner line area of Uttarkashi. In 2015, the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India granted permission for opening up the Nelang Ghati and Jadung for tourists, however the wooden bridge remained inaccessible to the public due to its bad conditions. Tourists can now visit the place and have pleasant walk over the wooden bridge build in the traditional style by cutting through a single rock.  This bridge gives an exciting view of Nelang Valley, which is rich in flora and fauna and is home to rare animals such as snow leopards and blue sheep. Dilip Jawalkar, Tourism Secretary, Uttarakhand said, “The government of Uttarakhand is working consistently to revive the tourism sector of the state which has been affected by the pandemic. …

M!CEtalk Digital Conclave, powered by Cvent India, on rebooting Indian MICE landscape will be held on 25th August, 2021 at 11am IST. The panelists include Nikhil Desai, MD, Goa Tourism Development Corporation; Sabbas Joseph, Founder-Director at Wizcraft International Entertainment; Rajdev Bhattacharya, Global Head (Travel and Hospitality ) & Business Head, WAY2GO and GM, Global Travel Services- WIPRO Limited; Arif Patel, Regional VP, Sales & Marketing, Hyatt India; and Sandeep Nagpal, VP & Head of Marketing, Cvent India. To register write to jaspreet, kaur@ddppl.com or call +91 96501 96532.

SpiceJet on  Thursday said it will begin trial of IATA (International Air Transport Association) Travel Pass mobile app for digital health verification. The trial will be conducted on flights out of Mumbai to Male effective August 23, 2021, as a step towards building passenger confidence as international travel picks up. Ajay Singh, Chairman and Managing Director, SpiceJet, said, “SpiceJet is proud to collaborate with IATA to trial IATA’s Travel Pass initiative. Passenger safety and comfort has always been our top priority and the introduction of the Travel Pass will make the verification process absolutely simple and hassle-free, boost both passenger and government confidence and make international travel more efficient and secure.” “I am happy that IATA has confirmed SpiceHealth labs for the Travel Pass trial enabling it to securely share certified test and vaccination certificates with passengers that will be recognized by governments abroad.” “Adding SpiceJet to the growing list of airlines trialling IATA Travel Pass is another step towards demonstrating to governments how digital solutions can effectively manage both COVID-19 vaccine and test certificates for travel. IATA Travel Pass will simplify and enhance compliance with health requirements for SpiceJet’s passengers, facilitating a more seamless experience,” said Nick Careen, IATA’s Senior Vice President for Operations, Safety,and Security. The IATA Travel Pass is a mobile application that helps travellers to store and manage their verified certifications for COVID-19 tests or vaccinations. The Travel Pass will manage and verify the traveller’s COVID-19 status in line with governments’ health and border requirements. In another significant development, SpiceHealth has been on-boarded by IATA as a lab partner for the Travel Pass trial. SpiceHealth is a healthcare company founded by the promoters of SpiceJet. SpiceHealth has …

In a Twitter post, Air India has informed that the passengers travelling to the UAE from India are requested to report at the airport at least 6 hours prior to the departure. As per the entry requirement of the UAE, a rapid PCR test will be conducted for every passenger at the respective Indian departure airport. The test counters will start 4 hours before the departure time and would close 2 hours prior to departure.

Uddhav Thackeray, Chief Minister, Maharashtra, on Tuesday launched many initiatives of the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) to boost tourism in the state. The projects include initiatives such as a new boat club at Ganpatipule in Ratnagiri, a renovated MTDC resort at Sinhagad fort in Pune, and a new website of MTDC that will go live from Wednesday. MTDC also signed Memoranda of Understanding with online travel companies MakeMyTrip and Goibibo to promote MTDC properties and with M/s SkyHigh India to start skydiving and adventure sports activities. A MoU was also signed with Maharashtra State Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology, Pune, for annual training of MTDC staff.

Pramod Sawant, CM, Goa, has said that they have no plans to open the tourism sector in the state, and the state curfew has been extended for another week. He said, “We are seeing an average of one or two COVID deaths daily and the case positivity rate has been down around 2%.” While curfew restrictions are in force since May, the state has seen increased tourist arrivals. Sawant has requested people to take precautions.

India organised the IBSA (India, Brazil and South Africa) Tourism Ministers’ virtual meeting recently where G. Kishan Reddy met the Tourism Minister of Brazil and the Deputy Minister of Tourism of the Republic of South Africa via videoconferencing. The meeting was to promote tourism cooperation among member states. A significant aspect of the meeting was the adoption of an outcome document on cooperation and promotion for speedy recovery of travel and tourism.