Category Archives: Breaking News (All Categories)

Cross Hotels & Resorts concludes its webinar with an overwhelming attendance of around 850 people. The hospitality brand showcased 24 hotels in Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia. Also, the brand is offering prices, much lower than the online prices, as a gesture to support the industry. Ms. Yui, Director, Cross Hotels & Resorts, along with Ms. May, Cluster Manager, Cross Hotels & Resorts from Thailand addressed the webinar and shared information on the brand and its various properties.

Providing relief to the tourism, hospitality and transport sectors, Uttarakhand Govt. has announced many exemptions and relief measures worth Rs 75 crore for the industry. The government has decided to transfer Rs 1,000 each in the bank accounts of about 2.43 lakh workers directly associated with 1,09,818 units. The State Govt would bear the financial burden of Rs 25 crore for the measure. It also decided to reimburse the interest incurred on the principal amount for the first trimester (April to June) on the loans taken under Veer Chandra Singh Garhwali tourism self-employment scheme and Deen Dayal homestay schemes. Similarly, the annual increase in the bill of water for the hotels, restaurants and other roadside Dhabbas has been pegged at 9 per cent instead of the usual 15 per cent this year. The State Cabinet decided to provide an exemption of one year for renewal of permits for all types of commercial vehicles. Owners of these vehicles would not have to pay road tax for three months.

Mandeep Singh Lamba, President – South Asia, HVS ANAROCK, has said that the hospitality industry would see changes in terms of design and operations after the COVID-19 crisis is over. Speaking at the third TravTalk Digital Conclave, he said, “There are going to be some permanent changes that will happen in the industry, both in terms of operations of the hotels and in terms of design. We need to understand that this is perhaps not the last time we are seeing a disruption of this kind. It’s a reality which can hit us again, and hence we need to be far better prepared the next time. This crisis has stirred the industry into making some serious changes.”

A survey conducted by SOTC Travel to understand the M!CE plans of key corporates in India reveals that 39% of the respondents said their M!CE budgets would remain unaltered. This spells well for the M!CE sector which is directly influenced by the business health of corporates. The survey also suggests that 32% of the respondents pegged August to September as the right time to restart discussions and operations on M!CE, more than half (or 55%) felt the right time for this would be between October and December.

Suman Billa, Director, Technical Cooperation & Silk Route Development, UNWTO, has said that the Indian stimulus package follows the same trajectory as other global stimulus packages, and instead of being disheartened about not having a specific tourism stimulus package, the industry should reach out to the government and share what in the existing package doesn’t work for them. “The industry should pitch for moratorium on interest and lowering of interest rates. They should look at firms which were left out and ensure that everybody should get access to loans. We need to look at the existing package and see what provisions are pinching us and tell the government that it is not catching the sensitivity of the tourism sector. If we can say that, I am sure that the government will be happy to consider the request,” commented Billa while speaking at the ‘Saving Airlines & Allied Industries – Saving Jobs’ webinar. He added that most stimulus packages across the world are sector-agnostic, and that the industry should carefully assess the existing provisions and propose the changes that are specifically required for the tourism sector.

Cross Hotels & Resorts is holding an exclusive webinar for the Indian travel trade today (May 25) at 2:30 pm IST. To attend the webinar, please register on this link https://event.webinarjam.com/register/113/1n728ak9 or contact Harish Chhetri at 9650196521 or sales@crosshotelsandresorts.in. The keynote speaker is from Thailand – Yui, Group Director of Sales, Cross Hotels & Resorts. The webinar will be an informative session for the trade and will elaborate on one of the leading hotel chains in SE Asia – Cross Hotels & Resorts.

Saint Lucia has announced plans to begin reopening the island’s tourism industry in phases starting on June 4. Among their many precautions, visitors will have to take a coronavirus test before arriving. Elsewhere in the Caribbean, St. Kitts and Nevis prepare to welcome tourists.

The Bahamas is targeting July 1 in its latest plans to reopen its borders for international travel, depending on the circumstance. Its resorts, airports and seaports are currently finalising health and safety protocols that will be necessary for them to provide for a re-opening.

Spain will allow tourists to return from the end of June. Many Spaniards were able to meet up in small groups and have a drink on restaurant terraces. In Valencia, masked waiters laid out tables. Churches and cathedrals in some areas of Spain have been open at 30% capacity for a week.

Greece has started welcoming visitors to the Acropolis. Italians enjoyed their first meal out in two months as the bars and restaurants opened for business. St Peter’s basilica in the Vatican also opened with physical distancing in place. In Venice, gondoliers wearing face masks ferried visitors along the Grand Canal.