Category Archives: Breaking News (All Categories)

Arvind Singh, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, has said that he hopes that other states follow Maharashtra in doing away with RTPCR test for fully vaccinated travellers. He revealed that in a meeting with associations and state tourism boards, it was agreed upon that the states will work towards having uniform protocols in the entire country.

G Kishan Reddy, Cabinet Minister, Tourism & Culture, has said that the centre, the state, industry and the private stakeholders need to jointly identify the priority areas, so that the revival of tourism, is focused on a sustainability and responsible travelling. “To achieve true potential of tourism, the fundamental requirement is to ensure coordination at every level of activity. We need to have a proactive approach from every stakeholder, be it centre, state, industry or private players,” he added.

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) took its Indian travel partners on an immersive virtual tour of Singapore that is filled with fun experiences, ranging from a wildlife tour up close with animals to a mixology masterclass. The SingapoReimagine Virtual Experiences Familiarisation Day aimed to create a differentiated and immersive experience for the travel trade fraternity in India, and to reimagine and evolve their definition of travel. The event was held on the 27th July for travel agents from the South and West region and then on 31st July for travel agents from North and East India. The tour kicked off with a virtual in-flight experience of landing in Singapore on Singapore Airlines, which was a much-welcomed throwback to the days of pre-pandemic travel. The agents went on to enjoy edutainment tours that were conducted by Wildlife Reserves Singapore, getting up close virtually with the animals at the Singapore Zoo, and a virtual stroll down by the Singapore River, one that was livened up by games, quizzes and nuggets of trivia by Monster Tours. Guests were treated to a curated Singapore-themed lunch with a sumptuous spread delivered to their homes. They also toured the Brass Lion Distillery, a full-fledged working distillery known for its special Singapore dry gin. The highlight of this session was a cocktail making masterclass conducted by the Distillery’s brand ambassador and mixologist, Kino Soh, complete with specially-curated cocktail hampers delivered to the agents so that they could try their hand at mixing the drinks during the session. Said Akhil Verma, Director – Brand Solutions, Tripoto Travels, “This SingapoReimagine event was brilliantly put together and showcased how technology will pave the path for travellers in the new age. The …

Bollywood actor Sonu Sood has announced that he will be launching a travel-tech business venture to digitally empower and build a travel agent business community in rural India. The launch is slated to take place virtually on August 6, 2021. Called Travel Union, it is an assisted travel business brand for rural India and has an App as well as a web portal. Travel Union promises to empower the rural audience by enabling them to do business at zero investment.

Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy has said that 31 MSME units were sanctioned Rs234.7 crore during 2021 by way of sanctioned Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) to MSME by Tourism Finance Corporation India (TFCI) under Atmanirbhar Bharat package announced on May 13 this year. Apart from that, loan of Rs1541.65 crore was also sanctioned to 47 borrowers by TFCI during 2018-19 to 2019-20, he said.

In a bid to bring some much-needed relief to its tourism industry, the Andaman & Nicobar administration has announced that all tourist activities in South Andaman and North & Middle Andaman district have re-opened. Tourists will only have to undergo quarantine at hotels till the availability of their RT-PCR report; a free test will be conducted on arrival at Port Blair.

With industry-wide air travel demand (in RPKs) having dropped by 65.9% year-on-year, Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General, says, “2020 was a year that we’d all like to forget. But analysing the performance statistics for the year reveals an amazing story of perseverance. It was the rapid action by airlines and the commitment of our people that saw the airline industry through the most difficult year in its history.”

Indian carrier IndiGo has partnered with IATA to launch a pilot project for the IATA Travel Pass. The Pass (a mobile App) will enable travellers to create a digital passport where they can share their test and vaccination certificates, to meet the SOPs of the destination they are travelling to. The pilot project will begin in the country from August 20. The IATA Travel Pass will also enable authorised labs and test centres to securely send test results or vaccination certificates to passengers.

The United Arab Emirates has lifted the ban on transit flights from India. Travellers will have to still submit a negative RT-PCR report of a test taken 72 hours prior to departure. Final destination approval would also have to be provided, the authority said, adding that UAE departure airports would arrange separate lounges for transiting passengers. The ban has been lifted for 10 other countries as well, including Nepal and Sri Lanka.

ibis India has announced a new offering perfect for pet parents in need of a getaway. The hotel brand’s latest pet-friendly policy will help pet parents to enjoy their stay at ibis hotels, with their pets. To make these stays hassle-free, a number of welcome amenities such as food bowls, puppy pads, and plenty of treats are available on request. A pet-friendly in-room menu is also available.