Category Archives: NTO (National Tourist Offices)

Oman has a plethora of exciting activities to enjoy during the colder months, as well as tranquil beaches to cool off on during the scorching-hot summer months. While the Gulf area is commonly associated with skyscrapers and five-star resorts, Oman remains one of the prized Arabian pearls that can reconnect one with the diverse traditions and customs of a civilisation that extends back hundreds of thousands of years. More and more people are flocking to Oman to discover what makes this country so special, including marine life off the southern coast of Dhofar Province, a wealth of rich history to discover in Muscat, mountains and deserts to discover, and a paradise of extravagant festivals to discover. Oman also has a terrific infrastructure that is excellent for visitors and is a safe place to visit solo or in groups. Experience Oman’s diverse heritage Ancient mosques, forts, and tombs tell the narrative of the battles, beliefs, and people who shaped this distinct region of the Middle East. The majority of these architectural marvels are open to the public all year and are among the most spectacular relics of the pre-modern Islamic world. Many breathtaking ancient sites adorn the country’s historic cities. Their roots reflect Oman’s many influences and layers of history, with some going back to the Sassanid Empire, the last Persian Empire kingdom before the emergence of Islam. Five Omani sites have been included on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Despite the extraordinary developments that have happened in Oman over the years, the country has remained committed to its traditional arts and crafts. A variety of customs, ranging from music and dances that differ by location, are still widely practiced today. …

Luxury takes many forms in New Zealand and to showcase them, Tourism New Zealand will conduct a webinar today at 11am IST. The luxury accommodation in New Zealand is varied and unique. There are award-winning lodges spread throughout the country. Travel agents are urged to attend this webinar for more inspiration to help them plan their clients’ luxury trip to New Zealand. To sign up, contact Jaspreet Kaur at jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com or 9650196532 or register directly at https://event.webinarjam.com/register/364/k68xnt0v

Luxury takes many forms in New Zealand and to showcase them, Tourism New Zealand will conduct a webinar on February 22, 2022 at 11am. The luxury accommodation in New Zealand is varied and unique. There are award-winning lodges spread throughout the country. Travel agents are urged to attend this webinar for more inspiration to help them plan their clients’ luxury trip to New Zealand. To sign up, contact Jaspreet Kaur at jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com or 9650196532 or register directly at https://event.webinarjam.com/register/364/k68xnt0v

Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao, Tourism Minister, urged that tourism officers look into other strategies to entice traders and organise traders’ meets, stating that it could provide a platform to engage with traders from various segments and give the tourism sector a boost. Since, last year’s investors’ meet in Vizag drew a positive response. He said that the government’s new tourist strategy was also investor-friendly.

Reigniting its travel recovery efforts in India, South African Tourism launched its ‘More & More’ campaign today. Localized for Indian audiences, this campaign aims to highlight the variety and diversity of experiences that South Africa has to offer, ranging from 3000+ adventure activities to exciting culinary experiences and more, across its 9 provinces. The campaign – that will be live until 31st March 2022 – is slated to have multiple roll-out legs to it, starting with OOH advertising in Mumbai and Delhi. This will be complimented by digital activations across Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, as well as on-ground physical consumer and corporate activations in Mumbai and Delhi. The campaign is crafted to speak to every type of traveller including millennials, families, solo explorers, active lifestyle seekers and couples. More & More builds on the emotion and spirit of adventure, which is a sentiment unique to every individual. For some, adventure may mean jumping off the highest commercial bungee in the world at Bloukrans Bridge or going shark-cage diving in KwaZulu-Natal, whereas for another it could be the thrill of scenic road trip across the stunning Garden Route or a night of stargazing in beautiful Knysna. To still some, it could be about discovering the origin of humans by exploring the Cradle of Mankind, interacting with indigenous tribes like the Zulus and learning about their culture or retracing Nelson Mandela’s life journey. Well-timed with the easing of international travel restrictions in India, the More & More campaign is expected to increase summer outbound traffic to South Africa and contribute to the recovery of the tourism sectors in both countries. South Africa, which remains open to Indian travellers, is also processing tourist visas …

Britain has unveiled a £10 million global tourism campaign, called the GREAT tourism campaign, at Expo 2020 Dubai in a bid to strengthen close trade ties with the UAE. The global initiative is aimed to drive inbound tourism to the UK, as the country gears up for a year of big events including Queen Elizabeth II’s platinum jubilee celebrations and the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. The launch event was hosted by Visit Britain, and was held before UK National Day at Dubai Expo 2020. The tourism campaign will highlight major British events this year, set to be global visitor draws, especially the queen’s platinum jubilee, the Commonwealth Games and ‘Unboxed’, a UK-wide celebration of creativity. VisitBritain also hosted senior trade delegation from India in Dubai at a roundtable with Dame Judith Macgregor, Chairperson, VisitBritain, along with West Midlands Growth Company in the afternoon before the launch of new GREAT tourism campaign. The delegates included Sunil Suresh, Chief Marketing Officer, MakeMyTrip; Anoop Kanuga – Chairman, Tourism Services Committee at TAAI; Jitul Mehta, Chairman, Western Chapter, TAAI and Riaz Munshi, President, OTOAI.

Effective 4am, 11 February 2022, major changes to UK’s coronavirus (COVID-19) travel rules have come into force, which will make international journeys cheaper and easier for passengers ahead of the half term. Eligible fully vaccinated travellers arriving in the UK no longer need to take any COVID-19 tests – resulting in the UK having one of the most free-flowing borders and open societies in Europe. Hence, they only need to fill out a simplified passenger locator form, confirming their vaccination status, travel history and contact details. Also, arrivals who do not qualify as fully vaccinated will only need to take a pre-departure test in the 2 days before they depart for the UK and a PCR test on or before the end of day 2 after they arrive in the UK, as well as completing the passenger locator form. These passengers will not need to self-isolate on arrival and will only need to do so if they test positive. Changes come as children aged 12 to 15 in England can now prove their vaccination status or proof of prior infection for outbound travel with the digital NHS COVID Pass. Sally Balcombe, CEO, VisitBritain said, “Britain’s tourism industry is ready to welcome international visitors, we know there is pent-up demand for travel and our priority is to build back visitor spending as quickly as possible, competing hard for international visitors who contribute billions to our economy. Our £10 million global GREAT Britain marketing campaign is already rolling out across our major overseas markets, showing that Britain is packed full of fresh and exciting experiences to come and enjoy today. This year’s landmark events including HM The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, the Commonwealth …

Australia has announced that it will reopen its borders to fully vaccinated tourists from February 21. The announcement has been made by Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison. “It’s almost two years since we took the decision to close the borders to Australia,” Morrison said during a media briefing.

The Sultanate of Oman has prepared to combat COVID-19 in accordance with His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tariq’s high directives to form a Supreme Committee to deal with the pandemic. The committee has issued multiple decisions on various aspects of reacting to the pandemic and has recommended precautionary measures. In order to minimise the transmission of the virus at any stage of the pandemic, standard measures must be followed in the preparation for the gradual restoration of tourism activity following the slow receding of COVID-19. In support of these initiatives, the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and travel and tourism agencies, has developed a set of preventative measures to avoid the spread of COVID-19 when the tourism industry reopens. The pre-arrival procedures are as follows: Make sure that COVID-19 safety information is included in tourist marketing and booking procedures. Tourists entering the Sultanate of Oman are required to provide a medical certificate or other permit. The Sultanate must be visited for no more than two weeks. A hotel or resort reservation is necessary in advance. Prior to arriving in the Sultanate, register in the Ministry of Health’s (Tarassud+) system. Upon arrival in the Sultanate, tourists will be subjected to a PCR test and be quarantined in a hotel until the test results are negative. A room or a separate area will be provided in the hotel or resort for each tourist or family. Making reservations online or through an electronic platform is preferable. Avoid using paper documents and limit cash transactions as much as possible. It is mandatory to have international health insurance that covers the cost of COVID-19 treatment for the duration …

As of 24 January, a ‘vaccination pass’ is now required for people aged 16 and over in almost all places where the Health Activity Pass was previously necessary. The ‘vaccination pass’ requires proof of double vaccination and A negative Covid-19 test (PCR or antigenic) will no longer be sufficient.  The “vaccination pass” does not apply to adolescents between 12 and 15 years of age. However, they are required to have a “health pass” to access the places mentioned above (bars and restaurants, leisure activities, large shopping centers, inter-regional transport). Vaccines accepted by France are those recognised by the European Medicines Agency: Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca/Vaxzevria/Covishield and Johnson & Johnson. For more information, log on to: https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/coming-to-france/coming-to-france-your-covid-19-questions-answered/