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Switzerland lifts all Covid-related travel restrictions from May 2

From May 2, 2022, Switzerland will welcome travellers from across the world as it did before the pandemic. Switzerland’s State Secretariat of Migration (SEM) has lifted all entry restrictions that it had put in place through the duration of the pandemic. The country is now open to all with only the general travel rules applicable for entry to the country, as before the pandemic. “Switzerland tops the wish list of avid travellers across the world who have been waiting to visit the country these past two years without being burdened by paperwork. Now, they can! We look forward to hosting Indian travellers from May 2 onwards and can’t wait for them to come and enjoy the wonder that is Switzerland,” said Ritu Sharma- Deputy Director and Marketing Head – India Travellers who have been looking forward to visiting Switzerland can book direct flights from Mumbai and Delhi with Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) – the preferred airline between the two countries. The airline resumed their operations in India earlier in the year, after India and Switzerland signed an air bubble agreement that allowed their national carriers to operate flights between the two countries.

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Singapore scraps Covid-19 tests for vaccinated travellers from April 26

From April 26, 2022, travellers who have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 will no longer be required to take any Covid-19 tests to enter Singapore. As a result, air and sea travellers will save money on testing fees and save the trouble of scheduling pre-departure examinations prior to their journeys to Singapore. With this latest move, entry requirements for persons who have been vaccinated against Covid-19 will be nearly restored to what they were prior to the pandemic Singapore invites Indian Families to reimagine their summer holiday vacations with exclusive promotions The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and Singapore Airlines along with their destination partners, have announced an exclusive campaign to welcome back Indian families to the popular island destination – “Enjoy Your Family Times Now in Singapore”. The destination, a perennial favourite amongst Indian travellers, presents a host of reimagined family experiences for the school holiday season. India has been a top source market for visitor arrivals into Singapore and family travel has featured highly as an audience segment. With the easing of travel restrictions to near pre-Covid situation, fully vaccinated travellers can enjoy quarantine-free travel to Singapore by presenting a negative pre -departure test upon arrival into the destination. The Covid safety protocols have also been relaxed significantly in the city. The ease of travel to and experience within Singapore has led to a surge in travel interest to Singapore during the summer. The “Family Times Now” campaign has been curated keeping in mind the traditional travel peak during school holidays and will run from mid-April to 30 June 2022. Indian family travellers can enjoy Singapore’s reimagined experiences with an exclusive deal of 50 per cent off airfares, exclusively on Singapore Airlines, for children below 12 years of age. The promotion also includes award-winning Singapore attraction partners such as Sentosa Development Corporation, Resorts World Sentosa, Gardens by the Bay, Mandai Wildlife Group, Marina Bay Sands, Jewel Changi Airport and travel experiences platform Pelago, making this summer season a great time to visit Singapore with the family. This is STB India’s first major tactical campaign post pandemic; involving several fulfilment partners like Pelago, Make My Trip, EaseMy Trip, Thomas Cook, SOTC and FCM promoting the campaign extensively across India. Speaking about the family-focussed promotions, GB Srithar, Regional Director, India, Middle East & South Asia, said, “Singapore is a top-of-mind family destination among Indian travellers. We are happy to welcome them back to Singapore during the peak summer travel season to enjoy their family times. Together with our tourism partners, we have curated a variety of family experiences at half price for children under 12 years. After a hiatus of two years, we are excited to invite Indian travellers to a reimagined Singapore with new and familiar favourite experiences with top-notch hygiene and safety standards.” Sy Yen Chen, General Manager India for Singapore Airlines, added, “With international travel having resumed from India, it is once again possible for families to plan a summer vacation together, and what better destination than Singapore? The Garden City has always been among the preferred international family-friendly destinations for the India market, simply because it offers something for all age groups. We are seeing strong demand for travel to Singapore, and our special 50 per cent discount on airfares for children is our way of welcoming our youngest customers back on board for a fun-filled holiday.” Singapore Airlines currently operates 66 flights weekly from eight cities in India – Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolkata and Mumbai. The participating tourism partners are delighted to be part of the “Family Times Now” promotions: Chew Tiong Heng, Divisional Director, Business and Experience Development, Sentosa Development Corporation said, “Located just minutes from the airport and city, Sentosa is an island retreat that gives visitors a different flavour of Singapore. It is consistently the most frequently visited destination by Indian travellers, particularly among families with kids. With new attractions that were only recently unveiled and our year-long celebration of Sentosa’s 50th anniversary, visitors can look forward to a refreshed Sentosa, with even more diverse offerings to delight all age groups.” Jean Choi, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, Mandai Wildlife Group said, “While international borders were closed, we took the opportunity to innovate and refresh the offerings at our parks. We are excited to welcome travellers from India again and for them to experience meaningful encounters with our animal family after a gap of two years. More than just seeing the animals, children and adults will be able to immerse in nature, interact with keepers and animals and learn about conservation.” Participating attractions which are offering 50 per cent off on admission fees for children under 12 years old include Singapore Zoo, River Wonders, Night Safari, Jurong Bird Park, Gardens by the Bay (Flower Dome, Cloud Forest and Floral Fantasy), SkyPark at Marina Bay Sands, Changi Experience Studio and various attractions on Sentosa island including iFly, Madame Tussauds, Luge and Adventure Cove Waterpark at Resorts World Sentosa (visit:https://pages.pelago.co/pelagosg50 for a complete list). The limited-time offers make this summer period a good time for families to visit and create beautiful travel memories in Singapore.

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Cathay Pacific to resume Hong Kong-India flights from May 4

Scheduled flight services to India will resume in a phased manner from May 4 onwards, said Hong Kong-based international airline, Cathay Pacific, on Thursday. Flight services on the Mumbai-Hong Kong route will be restored on May 4, while the air connectivity between Hong Kong and Delhi will resume on May 6, the airline said in a statement. Rakesh Raicar, Regional General Manager, Cathay Pacific, South Asia, Middle East, Africa, said, “We are delighted to resume our flights from Mumbai and Delhi to Hong Kong, and look forward to welcoming passengers on-board. With our onward connections to key destinations, we will also be able to accommodate the resurgent demand for international travel.” Boeing B777-300 will be deployed for the flights with a three-class configuration namely business, premium economy and economy. Cathay Pacific has also introduced a ‘Fly Ready’ programme, which allows passengers to easily upload Covid-19 test results and other essential health documentation prior to their journey. Documents uploaded are verified ahead of time, allowing customers to have a seamless and hassle-free travel experience. The resumption of scheduled services will provide travellers with direct access to Hong Kong. Additionally, it will also provide onward connections to destinations including New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Vancouver, Toronto, Melbourne and Sydney. According to the latest rule by the Hong Kong government, passengers from India can enter the country only if they have a Covid-19 negative test report that is done 48 hours prior to the journey.

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Global tourism estimated to recover from Covid-19 pandemic blow by 2023

The global travel and tourism sectors are projected to return to pre-pandemic levels in 2023 and grow at a rate that will outpace global gross domestic product (GDP) growth, the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) said on Thursday. The industry is expected to post an annual average growth rate of 5.8% from 2022 to 2032 versus the 2.7% increase in global GDP, and create 126 million new jobs, WTTC said in a report released during the industry group's conference in Manila. In 2019, tourism accounted for a tenth of global GDP and jobs but the coronavirus pandemic decimated the $9.6 trillion industry, halving its output value and leaving 62 million people jobless. "The recovery is going to be so stellar that it's going to recover really powerfully. This does depend of course on China reopening," said WTTC President Julia Simpson, calling on all governments to reopen borders. China's "zero COVID" policy and persistent lockdowns have disrupted global trade and domestic and international travel. The travel and tourism industry's GDP is seen hitting $8.35 trillion this year and $9.6 trillion in 2023, a return to its pre-pandemic level. Tourism jobs are projected to recover to 300 million this year and 324 million in 2023, close to the 333 million seen in 2019, WTTC said. In Asia-Pacific alone, the hospitality industry's GDP will likely hit $3.4 trillion in 2023, already above the $3.3 trillion it saw in 2019, it said. Compared with North America and Europe, travel has trailed in Asia-Pacific because of strict border restrictions in many countries. In Southeast Asia, travellers are now getting back on planes as the region's entry and COVID-19 quarantine rules are lifted. But a full recovery will be slow, industry members say.

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Adventure cycle rally in Pithoragarh to boost tourism near India-China border

In a bid to vitalise villages close to the India-China border via adventure tourism activities, an adventure cycle rally will be organised in the second week of May from Gunji to Adi Kailash in Pithoragarh, an official said on Thursday. "The rally, 'Towards Adi Kailash,' will be open to all adventure cyclists," Pithoragarh District Magistrate Ashish Chauhan said. Such an event is being organised for the first time in a border village, he claimed. Participants of the rally will have to cover a distance of 36 kilometres from Gunji village to Adi Kailash and return, the official added. "An event like this is being organised as Union Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt is taking a keen interest in vitalising border villages through such adventure activities," Chauhan said. "We have instructed officers to form a core committee to look after the implementation of the event and make proper arrangements," the DM said. Further, a 10-day national level trekking expedition from Khaliya Top to Rurkhan has been flagged off in Munsiyari. Over 300 trekkers from 17 states are taking part in the event.

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India-Vietnam flights to restart operations from April 29

Planning to travel to Vietnam? Yes, you can now start planning as Vietjet has announced that it will resume operations of six flights between India and Vietnam from April 29. Referring to this, the airline released a statement, stating flights on the Delhi-Hanoi route and Delhi-Ho Chi Minh City route, which were operating before the COVID-19 pandemic, will resume on April 29 and April 30, respectively. The carrier also added that flights on Mumbai-Phu Quoc route and New Delhi-Phu Quoc route will start from September 9. As reported earlier, India resumed scheduled international passenger flights from March 27 after a gap of two long years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As such, during the said period of time, only limited international passenger flights were operating to and from India under limited air bubble arrangements that were formed with specific countries. All this while, India had no such bubble arrangement with Vietnam. Now, with the opening of international travel, people are looking forward to such travels. Plus, with the resumption of Vietnam-Delhi and Vietnam-Mumbai flights, travel to Vietnam is all set to become all the more easier. Meanwhile, the airlines Managing Director Dinh Viet Phuong added that with flights of just over five hours per leg, a convenient flight schedule on offer throughout the week, the airline’s renewed and increased connectivity between Vietnam and India will create many more trade and tourism opportunities between the two countries, which will help boost economies of both the countries.

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