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Govt set to allow precaution dose before 9-month waiting period for those travelling abroad

The Union government is set to relax the norms for Covid vaccine precaution dose, allowing those going overseas to get the jab before the stipulated nine-month waiting period as required by the destination country, sources said on Wednesday. An official announcement, however, is yet to be made by the Union Health Ministry. Sources said the decision to relax the norms about the precaution dose for overseas travellers was based on recommendations by the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI). The advisory panel had recommended that those who need to travel overseas can take the precaution dose of Covid vaccine as required by the country they are travelling to before the mandatory nine-month gap. As of now, all those above 18 years who have completed nine months after the second dose are eligible for the precaution jab. The Union Health Ministry has received several representations seeking the precaution dose of Covid vaccine for those who have to travel abroad for employment, business commitments, admission to foreign educational institutes, participating in sports events, and bilateral and multilateral meetings as part of India’s official delegation. “The issue was discussed on Wednesday and the NTAGI has recommended that those who need to travel overseas can take the booster shot, before the stipulated nine-month waiting period, as required by the country they are travelling to,” a source said. India began administering precaution doses of Covid vaccines to healthcare and frontline workers and those aged 60 and above with comorbidities from January 10 this year. The comorbidity clause was removed in March making all people aged above 60 eligible for the precaution dose of Covid vaccine. On April 10, India began administering precaution doses of COVID-19 vaccines to all aged above 18 years at private vaccination centres.

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Migration help desk opened at Hyderabad Airport

Hyderabad International Airport, in partnership with Telangana Overseas Manpower Company Limited (TOMCOM) on Wednesday launched a migrant help desk dedicated to vulnerable migrants travelling abroad, especially to Kuwait and Qatar on a trial basis. Committed to raising awareness about safe and legal migration, the help desk will help and guide vulnerable migrants like domestic workers, housemaids and labourers about proper documentation and paperwork needed for emigration clearance, the airport operator said. The migrant help desk is available at the international departure terminal and will work round the clock. The migrant help desk was operationalised by Rani Kumudini, Special Chief Secretary in presence of Pradeep Panicker, CEO, GMR Hyderabad International Airport Limited (GHIAL) and other senior officials from the airport community. Pradeep Panicker pointed out that in the last few years there has been a gradual rise of outbound migrant workforce travelling from Hyderabad to the Middle-East. Quite often, most of these migrant workers are ignorant of the procedures and documentation needed for emigration clearance and other purposes. “The presence of a dedicated migrant help desk will help in scrutinising the documents of the travellers, impart awareness, and guide the passengers in emigration clearance,” he said. He further stated that Hyderabad International Airport has been providing a safe and secure environment for passengers, visitors, and the airport community alike. He hoped that this initiative will strengthen the passengers' confidence. Every year, thousands of blue-collar workers travel to Middle-East countries from Telangana in search of jobs. Sometimes they are duped by agents who collect huge amounts of money from them. To counter this, TOMCOM was formed by the government of Telangana to cater to the needs of Telangana youth aspiring to travel abroad to seek employment.

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Dubai records 3.97 million overnight visitors in Q1 2022

Reflecting results from its successful tourism recovery strategy, Dubai has recorded 3.97 million overnight visitors in Quarter 1 of 2022 between January and March, registering 214 per cent YoY growth in comparison to the same period last year. The city also ranked number one globally in hotel occupancy (82 per cent) in the first quarter of 2022. According to the latest data released by Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) at the ongoing Arabian Travel Market (ATM) in Dubai, the first quarter of international visitation reflected the best Q1 performance since the global pandemic. Over 1.78 million international tourists visited Dubai in March 2022. March 2022 was a particularly encouraging month for post-pandemic tourism arrivals in Dubai as the city welcomed 1.78 million international visitors, an 11 per cent increase over pre-pandemic visitation. The city welcomed 1.61 million overnight visitors in March 2019. The Emirate’s impressive Q1 2022 results also include a stellar performance by hotels that saw significant growth across key hospitality metrics. With the easing of travel restrictions around the world, Dubai’s traditional source markets delivered impressive tourism volumes in the first quarter. Regional markets continued to make an impact on international visitation. MENA and GCC collectively contributed 35 per cent of the total volumes. Western Europe accounted for 24 per cent of Dubai’s tourism arrivals, while South Asia accounted for 14 per cent of total international visitation. Expo 2020 provided a solid boost to the economy and tourism with more than 24 million visits by domestic and international tourists during the six-month period. Other global events that helped drive international visitation included the Dubai World Cup, World Government Summit, Binance Blockchain Week, Dubai Desert Classic, Dubai Duty-Free Tennis Championship, Gulfood, Dubai International Boat Show, and the iconic Dubai Shopping Festival. In addition to ATM 2022 and the ongoing Dubai Food Festival, the city is set to substantially increase tourist arrivals by leveraging other major events in 2022. Commenting on the development, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, said, “The exceptional number of visitors in the first three months of the year is a testament to the fact that Dubai is at the forefront of global tourism recovery. These results attest to the emirate’s ability to develop a compelling new value proposition in a changing global environment and create innovative new offerings that meet the needs and preferences of the most discerning global travellers. In addition, the vast global diversity of its visitors reflects Dubai’s appeal as a destination that cuts across nationalities, regions and continents and its growing status as a city that bridges global markets and cultures.”

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Israel drops on-arrival Covid tests for passengers

Israel is further relaxing its Covid-19 travel restrictions by removing the requirement to take on-arrival PCR tests from 20 May. The country’s Ministry of Health said that travellers arriving at Ben Gurion airport will no longer have to take a PCR test from this date. The Israeli government also confirmed that from 10 May, international passengers travelling to Israel will now be allowed to take an antigen test before departure, instead of the current requirement to take a PCR test. “Any passenger who chooses the antigen option will be required to perform the test in the 24 hours prior to their departure to Israel,” added the health ministry. The relaxation in travel rules has been made due to the ongoing decline in deaths from Covid-19 as well as a drop in the number of cases being recorded in Israel. The country had already relaxed its vaccination entry requirements for international travellers in February and previously removed European countries from its red list in January. Sharon Ehrlich Bershadsky, director of the Israel Government Tourist office in London, added: “It was important that we made the entry process as simple as possible for travellers whilst keeping health and safety a top priority.”

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Sharjah Tourism highlights major tourism progress

The Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) has unveiled the latest developments taking place in the Emirate of Sharjah’s tourism projects and future plans at a press conference it held on day two of Arab Travel Market (ATM) 2022, taking place at the Dubai World Trade Centre from May 9 to 12. Held at the Sharjah Pavilion at ATM 2022, the press conference brought together His Excellency Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, Chairman of SCTDA; Her Excellency Hana Saif Al Suwaidi, Chairperson of the Environment and Protected Areas Authority in Sharjah (EPAA); H.E. Ali Salem Al Midfa, Chairman of the Sharjah International Airport Authority, and Ahmed Obaid Al Qaseer, Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq), along with officials from various government entities and representatives of local and international media outlets. Speaking at the conference, H.E. Al Midfa said: “In line with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, to advance the emirate’s position as a prominent family tourism destination on the global tourism map, the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority works closely and continuously with its strategic partners in the government and private sectors to implement projects and initiatives that allow the emirate to offer innovative, one-of-a-kind and diverse tourism experiences to visitors from around the world.” “Our leadership’s constant support paved the way for Sharjah to make immense progress in recent years in terms of major tourism projects across cities and villages in the emirate, including major infrastructure projects to connect the Heart of Sharjah to the Central and Eastern regions,” H.E. Al Midfa continued. “The emirate’s strategic location is an added value for its tourism sector, playing a key role in the development of the tourism industry and its diversity, and offering an array of experiences to meet all interests and cater to every age group. The emirate boasts world-class tourism capacities, offering an annual agenda full of events, exhibitions, and major festivals – all of which work together to meet the aspirations of visitors from all categories.” The SCTDA Chairman explained that Sharjah has significantly developed its hotel sector to include more than 100 facilities with over 10,000 rooms and apartments. “These include beach hotels, city-centre hotels, and other facilities with more of an authentic Emirati feel, in addition to hotels in the Central Region in Mleiha and Al Badayer, which offer unique accommodation experiences, away from the hustle and bustle of the city centre, where guests can immerse themselves in natural landscapes from mountains to sand dunes,” he said. “Over the course of the past few years, the emirate made tremendous efforts towards developing the eco-tourism sector to offer exceptional experiences to all visitors. The various destinations offer a range of experiences for adventure lovers, as well as those looking to go camping, visit parks, and do water, desert, or mountain activities, in addition to experiences catering to lovers of heritage, arts, history, and archaeology,” H.E. noted. “The Emirate of Sharjah supports development plans that are designed to ensure the sustainability of its key sectors, including tourism – one of the pillars of the national economy.” The total number of guests in hotel establishments in the Emirate of Sharjah during the first quarter of 2022 exceeded 350,000, marking a growth rate of 26% compared to the same period last year. The UAE ranked as the first source market for hotel establishment guests in Q1 2022, followed by India, Russia, and Oman, respectively, underlining Sharjah’s appeal to both tourists and visitors from around the UAE. For her part, EPAA Chairperson H.E. Hana Saif Al Suwaidi shed light on the Sharjah Safari project – the largest safari outside the African continent, which includes 12 different environments representing Africa’s terrain and the animals and birds that live there. “Sharjah Safari places the Emirate of Sharjah and the UAE at the forefront of attractive destinations for nature and wildlife tourists, and contributes to promoting various other sectors, from aviation to hospitality,” H.E. said. “During its participation at ATM, the EPAA will meet with representatives of tourism and hotel companies to organise visits to Sharjah Safari, in addition to discussing ways to cooperate with the authorities concerned with eco-tourism to set up joint events and programmes that serve the emirate’s vision for both tourism and the environment,” H.E. Al Suwaidi asserted. Meanwhile, H.E. Ali Salim Al Midfa, Chairman of the Sharjah Airport Authority, said: “Our participation in the Arabian Travel Market 2022 reiterates Sharjah Airport’s commitment to strengthening communication with its international counterparts from the aviation sector. We are also utilising this opportunity to seek potential partnerships that would result in mutual growth, and further enhance the distinguished position that Sharjah Airport currently enjoys as one of the most prominent airports in the region.” “The exhibition will serve as a platform for us to showcase the services and facilities we provide to our partners in the tourism and travel sectors,” H.E. Al Midfa added. “We also look forward to highlighting the services and smart solution features that we have recently launched, in addition to demonstrating the quality of our safety standards and operational efficiency, which has been enhanced to provide customers and travellers with a more comfortable experience. We take this opportunity to reaffirm our dedication to enhancing Sharjah’s image and maintaining the emirate’s lead as a distinguished financial and cultural hub for tourism investment in the Middle East.” Ahmed Obaid Al Qaseer, Acting CEO of Shurooq, lauded the unparalleled efforts of SCTDA and its collaboration with other public entities to continue developing Sharjah’s tourism sector and create new opportunities to elevate its position as a leading hub for experiential travel. He also asserted that SCTDA’s objectives are perfectly aligned with Shurooq’s belief that this complementarity of roles established by different entities entrusted with Sharjah’s sustainable development is a key accelerator of development. Announcing Shurooq’s two new luxury hospitality projects, namely, Najd Al Meqsar Retreat and The Serai Wing, Bait Khalid bin Ibrahim, Al Qaseer added: “These projects offer residents and travellers more choices in the ways they wish to explore Sharjah and complement the other eco- and heritage-inspired hospitality projects developed by Shurooq in the emirate. Through these new undertakings, we reiterate our commitment to enhancing Sharjah’s tourist landscape, encouraging diversified investments through local and global partnerships, and developing projects all across Sharjah as part of an inclusive, community-focused development plan, in line with the directives of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah.” The Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority is heading the Sharjah Pavilion at Arabian Travel Market 2022, bringing together 24 entities from the emirate: seven government departments and 17 private entities from tourism, travel, and hospitality sectors. The Authority aims to shed light on its achievements in driving growth and development in the tourism sector in the Emirate of Sharjah in the post-pandemic period, raising awareness of the tourism services and products it provides, in collaboration with its strategic partners, to build a sustainable tourism sector.

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The famous Vizhinjam Lighthouse in Kerala reopens after a gap of two years

The very famous and extremely gorgeous Vizhinjam Lighthouse has finally reopened to vstors after remaining shut for two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Counted among the oldest lighthouses in the state and in the country, Vizhinjam is an iconic structure visited by a large number of tourists every year. The old lighthouse was reopened on May 1 and on the very first day, a long queue of visitors was seen flocking the gorgeous tower. From the lighthouse, people can enjoy some magical bird eye views of Thiruvananthapuram's picture-perfect coast. Now that the number of COVID-19 infections has gone down significantly, tourist attractions everywhere are gradually opening up which have been shut for a long time. After you reach the top of the lighthouse, you can easily see some stunning sights unfolding before your eyes. It includes some mesmerising views of the pretty Lighthouse Beach at Kovalam, Edakkallu rock formations and Eve’s Beach or Hawa Beach, to name a few. As of now only a few people are allowed to get inside the lighthouse. Timings: 10 AM to 12.45 PM and 2 PM to 5.45 PM. Closed day: Monday Apparently, entry inside the Vizhinjam Lighthouse was banned from March 2020, right after the pandemic.

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