Category Archives: Breaking News (All Categories)

Jalesh Cruises has launched an industry-first API integration with leading travel companies Akbar Travels, Riya Travels, and Jagsons Travel. Through this partnership, the Jalesh Cruises API will integrate with the travel agencies existing systems by providing them with a convenient and seamless experience and update on a real-time basis. This will be done by connecting the data streams and allowing travel partners to access products, services on their portal, by corresponding the data flow across the connected supply chain.

Tourism Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao has said that a new tourism policy will be brought out soon to develop the sector in the state in a month or two. He said that the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) will be encouraged by conducting an investors’ meet in August. Addressing a press conference, the Minister said that as per the Central Government guidelines, all the tourism department’s hotels, as well as private hotels and restaurants, can be opened from 8th June. He said that guests can book rooms online at all the hotels run by the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC).

The 4th edition of the TravTalk Digital Conclave, scheduled on Tuesday, 9th June will focus on discussing key aspects of revenge tourism and how the industry can establish consumer confidence with among travellers. Spanned over three interesting sessions based on topics such as re-engineering tourism, managing customer experience and India Tourism Board with a practical vision for the future, the conclave will see eminent speakers of industry such as Meenkashi Sharma, Arjun Sharma, EM Najeeb, Riaz Munshi, Guldeep Singh Sahni, Kamal Hingorani, Sunil VA, Ritu Sharma and Mohamed Khater.

IndiGo has said that it will keep adding new aircraft to its fleet even though it can’t give any firm guidance on future capacity growth because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The airline, the world’s biggest customer for Airbus SE’s best-selling A320neo jets, plans to return its entire fleet of 120 older, fuel-guzzling planes to lessors in the next two years, CEO Ronojoy Dutta said in a conference call with analysts and investors after the carrier reported fourth-quarter earnings Tuesday. “Almost all or close to all” of those aircraft will be replaced by new jets, Dutta said, without giving a time frame for that to happen. “We are in active discussions with Airbus — we will take a large number. It will all depend on the revenue picture and the pricing we get and so forth, but we will take a large number,” he added. IndiGo, which had earlier expected capacity to increase 20 per cent in the year ending March 2021, refrained from giving any guidance as it declared quarterly financial results. It posted a loss of Rs 8.7 billion for the fourth quarter ended March 31, compared with a profit of 5.9 billion rupees in the same period a year earlier.  

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is moving quickly to draft strategy to support the Royal Thai Government’s third phase of easing business activities and restrictions after its most recent announcement on June 1, which is effective immediately. The relaxation helps some tourism-related businesses while other venue operators must wait and continue to follow guidelines issued by the Department of Health, Ministry of Public Health. Moreover, all international flights to Thailand are still banned until 30 June, 2020, due to the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT)’s announcement. TAT Governor Yuthasak Supasorn said, “TAT is working actively with our tourism partners and other industry partners to monitor and identify opportunities.  TAT has formulated a strategy to support domestic tourism first and learn from experience, so that Thai tourists feel confident about their first travel choices around the Kingdom after the situation of the COVID-19 eases.” To begin with (phase one) TAT has identified basic truths of the new reality moving forward: To restart, the tourism industry must be under disease control measures until a vaccine is developed to prevent this disease. This will affect and change all behaviour and patterns of traditional travel and tourism activities starting from the aviation experience. Phase two and three begin once operational level products are functioning and a proper reduced carrying capacity is established so phase two can commence after international flights are allowed again. 

In the first phase of ‘unlock’ across the country, Jairam Thakur, Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, has declared that all temples, restaurants and hotels in the state will reopen after June 8. The catch, however, is that these places will be open only for those from within the state and not for those coming from outside Himachal.  Claiming that tourism in the state has been severely hit owing to the extended lockdown, the chief minister added that now they shall reopen the state for business, a large section of which depends on tourism for its livelihood. Citing the hospitality sector, he said that reopening of hotels is necessary.

Launched in February 2020, the SG Clean campaign aims to raise the hygiene standards and transform cleanliness level of public spaces and rally premises operators to take ownership by adopting the SG Clean Quality Mark. Under the campaign, the SG Clean quality mark is being rolled out to various sectors, covering premises with high human footfalls including hotels, tourist attractions, shopping malls and F&B outlets. Over the next few months, more than 37,000 businesses within the tourism and lifestyle sectors will be encouraged to sign up for the SG Clean Quality Mark. To obtain this mark, premises operators will have to pass audits that certify that their premises have adhered to sector-specific sanitation and hygiene checklists and advisories. SG Clean certified tourism establishments can be identified by the certificate, posters, decals and badges.

Prahlad Singh Patel, Minister of State (I/C), Tourism & Culture, has said that the guidelines for travellers, monuments, guides, hotels & restaurants, tour operators and other stakeholders will be released in 2-3 days by Ministry of Health, and its expanded form will be released by MOT by 8th June, 2020. The Minister shared the information while addressing members of Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT).

The central government has relaxed visa and travel restrictions for certain categories of foreign nationals to allow them to travel to India amid COVID-19  pandemic.  In a notification, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said that among those who are allowed to come to India are foreign businessmen on a Business visa, other than on B-3 visa for sports travelling to the country in non-scheduled commercial and chartered flights. Foreign Healthcare professionals, health researchers, engineers and technicians for technical work at Indian health sector facilities, including laboratories and factories are also allowed. This is subject to a letter of invitation from a recognized and registered healthcare facility registered pharmaceutical company or accredited University in India. The above categories of foreign nationals would have to obtain a fresh Business visa or Employment visa, as applicable, from the Indian Missions/ Posts abroad, the statement said. Foreign nationals holding a valid long term multiple entry Business visas [other than B-3 visa for sports] issued by the Indian Missions/Posts abroad would have to get the Business visa re-validated from the Indian Mission/Post concerned. Such foreign nationals would not be permitted to travel to India on the strength of any electronic visa obtained earlier.

Developing a global set of transparent hospitality standards relating to health, safety and hygiene will be key to regain the trust of travellers in a post-COVID-19 landscape, a panel of industry experts explained during ATM Virtual. During the session, ‘The Hotel Landscape in a Post-COVID-19 World’, Raki Phillips, CEO, Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority said, “Our industry is very resilient and will recover and for this reason, it’s important that hotels don’t drop their room rates. Tourists will come back.” “We are already seeing this in Ras Al Khaimah where we are lucky to have large, spacious resorts with some offering private villas, making the implementation of social distancing measures much easier. Hotels need to adapt to a new normal with increased sanitisation at the forefront while being creative with their offerings and embracing innovative technologies which can help differentiate them from their competitor,” he further said.