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Uttarkashi's tourism sector showing signs of revival

After a lull of almost two years due to Covid pandemic, trekking, mountaineering and hotel industries in Uttarkashi district have started showing some signs of revival. Almost every hotel in the district received advance bookings for Char Dham Yatra, which starts from May 3. Trekking agencies are also busy receiving domestic tourists. The trekking and mountaineering season started from April 1. However, tour operators are still waiting for an increase in the number of foreign tourists as they contribute nearly half of their income. "Trekking and mountaineering activities have started in Uttarkashi. Besides, every agency is receiving around 20 to 25 advance bookings and enquiries for May. This is a good sign," said Jayendra Rana, president of Garhwal Himalaya Trekking and Mountaineering Association, Uttarkashi. Rana further said, "But, the pandemic is not over yet. So, the number of international tourists is very few. Till 2019, we used to get more than 25 to 30 foreign groups during peak months (April to June). This year, we've received only 4-5 enquiries so far. We are hopeful that the situation might improve in the post-monsoon season." Trekking operator Bhagwat Semwal, said, "After facing losses of over INR 5 crore due to pandemic, trekking and mountaineering industry in Uttarkashi is looking up this year." "Intrusion of outside trekking agencies from large cities like Delhi and Mumbai has become a new threat for our business. Despite opposition, the district administration has added several such agencies in its single window system portal, which was originally used to link tourists from local operators," he added. Shailendra Matura, president of Uttarkashi Hotel Association, said, "Most of the hotels are fully booked for May, and we are getting advance bookings. We are hopeful for the tourism industry's revival this year."

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Indians can’t fly EU carriers to UK without transit Schengen visa

Indians travelling to the UK on European Union (EU) carriers like Lufthansa, Air France and KLM (which transit through their hubs at Frankfurt/Munich, Paris and Amsterdam, respectively) must now carry a transit/regular Schengen visa. The bloc introduced the requirement from January 1, 2021 -- about an year after Britain's exit from the EU. The new rule came into force at a time when India had an air bubble system for international connectivity (there were only direct flights from India to the UK, or there was a stopover in a Gulf country). With regular international flights now resuming, many Indian travellers to the UK who have booked a flight on a EU carrier are being caught off guard. Here's what you need to know about the new travel rule: * There are various Schengen visa types available depending on your reason for travelling from India to Europe. * The most common type is a short-term Schengen visa that allows its holder to travel freely throughout the Schengen area, which covers 26 EU countries or "Schengen States" without border controls between them. * Indians travelling to the UK via a stopover in an EU country will need a transit visa as Britain is no longer part of the EU. * An application for a Schengen visa can be submitted to the embassy or consulate of the Schengen member state of first entry. Transit visa * A Type-A Schengen visa allows citizens of non-Schengen states to transit through or wait for their connecting flight in the international zone of an airport located in a Schengen country. * It is compulsory for those travelling from a non-Schengen country to another non-Schengen country and who have to connect flights in the airport of a Schengen country. The holder of a Type-A visa is not allowed to enter the said Schengen country. What you need * The earliest that one can apply for a Schengen visa in India is three months before the planned trip, and minimum 15 working days before travel to Europe. * You will need a visa application form, two recently taken photos, a valid Indian passport, evidence of legal residence in India, travel insurance, a cover letter stating the purpose of the visit, reservation details of flights from India to Europe and back, proof of lodging for the entire duration of the intended stay, proof of civil status and documents to prove the sufficient financial resources for the duration of the stay. Exemption/other options * Switzerland and its airlines are exempt from the new transit rule as the country is not part of the EU. * Indians traveling to the UK via the Middle East or Switzerland do not need a Schengen airport transit visa. * Indians on nonstop flights to the UK (Air India, Vistara, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic) do not need the visa.

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Bihar government takes steps to boost footfall of foreign tourists

As Covid-19 restrictions have been lifted, the state tourism department has come up with several plans to attract international tourists whose number of arrivals has drastically fallen to 1,046 in 2021 from 3, 08,080 recorded in 2020 and 10, 93,141 in 2019. The department has decided to promote tourist places, including adventure spots, through hoardings, banners and posters at airports and metro stations across the country, and the work in this direction has already been initiated. For this, the department has also upgraded its official website, claiming that people can easily search all the information about the important tourist places in a click. Narayan Prasad, , Tourism Minister of the State said, “There has been a steady rise in the number of tourists, especially foreigners, in Bihar for the last several years. However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, their number decreased significantly in 2020 and 2021. As there is no restrictions now, the footfall of domestic tourists has started rising at tourist places but the arrival of people from other states and foreign countries is still very low. To improve this scenario, the department has started a campaign to promote Bihar tourism by putting posters and banners at airports and metro stations across the country.” He told TOI that apart from this, the department is also making a short film based on major tourist places of the state. “The audio-visual clips will be played at airports and metro stations at regular intervals. Initially, we are targeting three metro cities- Mumbai, Kolkata and Delhi because the maximum people visit these cities and the foreigners’ footfall is also high there. When they look at these videos, they will know about important cultural and mythological places and surely visit Bihar,” the minister said. According to officials, the focus of the state government is to make Bihar a brand in the field of tourism. Various tourist circuits have been identified and developed, to promote tourism. Some of the important circuits include, Buddhist circuit, Ramayana circuit, Sufi circuit, Jain circuit, Guru circuit, Shiv-Kanwaria circuit and Gandhi circuit.

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Chennai's Kadapakkam lake to be turned into eco park

Soon residents of North Chennai need not travel to core city areas to catch a glimpse of an eco park. The Greater Chennai Corporation is turning a lesser known lake in Manali’s Kadapakkam into an eco park. Spread across 149 acres, this will be the city's biggest eco park, and will feature amenities such as boating, skating area, cycling lane, walking space, fishing area, bird island and children’s play area to name just a few. The park is part of the corporation’s INR 149 crore package for lake restoration announced in the budget last week. The restoration will help increase the water holding capacity of the lake from 1.1 million to 2.2 million cubic meters. The lake will be deepened by two metres. As of now, the lake is heavily polluted. It is also not fenced, giving access to people to come in and dump garbage. All this will change once the eco park takes shape. The civic body has prepared a detailed environmental examination report for the restoration of the lake and has submitted it to the Asian Development Bank for funds. SP Balasubramaniam, superintendent engineer of stormwater drains department, said a DPR is being prepared and they are expecting a budget of about INR 40 crores to carry out restoration work as per initial estimates. The restoration is being done as part of the Kosasthalaiyar basin flood mitigation project. “There are already a lot of amenities for south and central Chennai but not so much for north Chennai. This will help people get access to good quality leisure space,” he said. To encourage tourism activities, the civic body is also setting up a huge parking area for vehicles. It also hopes to tap in some revenue from parking and leisure amenities. Since the Manali Kadapakkam lake is primarily used for agriculture, the civic body will be building a sluice gate to release water for irrigation at regular intervals. It will also have a fi ltering pond to purify water which comes from Sembium Manali lake. Corporation commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi said the idea of the water body restoration is to protect the lake and simultaneously, create leisure space for people.

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Azerbaijan lifts Covid-19 test for fully vaccinated travellers

Fully vaccinated people arriving in Azerbaijan will no longer have to take PCR tests, the country's authorities announced. The ease of travel restrictions, endorsed by the country's operational headquarters for Covid-19 prevention and control, takes effect on Friday, April 15. However, all foreign travellers coming to Azerbaijan still need to be fully vaccinated, the authorities said on Thursday. Travel restrictions were also eased for all domestic flights, with travellers no longer having to take pre-departure tests, Xinhua news agency reported. Although many restrictions were eased in Azerbaijan amid falling new Covid19 case numbers and deaths, masks are required on public transport and in indoor settings, including shops, health and social care facilities. Azerbaijan on Thursday reported 15 new Covid-19 cases, taking its total to 792,320, according to the country's Task Force under the Cabinet of Ministers on Covid-19 prevention and control.

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Jamaica ends pre-arrival Covid testing

International visitors to Jamaica will no longer be required to present a negative Covid-19 Antigen or PCR result prior to travel to the island, as from 16 April. Furthermore, the country’s mandate to wear a mask in enclosed public spaces has also been dropped. The Hon. Edmund Bartlett, Minister of Tourism, Jamaica, said: “Eliminating mask mandates and the need for travellers to present a negative COVID test result are important strides toward our continued gradual relaxation of travel protocols as the spread of COVID-19 keeps declining,” He added: “We are optimistic that these simpler requirements will serve to increase the appeal of Jamaica as a premier destination and keep us moving along the road to a stronger recovery for both the tourism sector and the nation’s economy as a whole.” All other public health measures remain in place, including the requirement for public establishments to provide hand-washing stations or hand sanitizing equipment for anyone entering the premises. Visitors and residents are also encouraged to continue to exercise caution and observe best practices for health and safety. Jamaica has recently eliminated travel-related quarantines and the requirement for travellers to complete a Travel Authorization Form for entry to the island. It also shortened the isolation period required for travellers who test positive for Covid-19 while in Jamaica, in keeping with CDC recommended guidelines, and eliminated quarantine restrictions for fully vaccinated business travellers who present a negative PCR test taken within 3 days of travel to Jamaica. “As we review our Jamaica CARES program and travel protocols regularly, taking these actions was the logical next step to keep Jamaica aligned with best practices globally,” noted Donovan White, Director of Tourism, Jamaica Tourist Board. “Many destinations in the Caribbean region and around the world have been easing travel requirements, so this change will help us ensure that Jamaica retains its leadership position among the world’s top tourism destinations.” Last week, the United States Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) downgraded Jamaica to a Level 1 designation in its latest Covid-19 travel advisory to citizens due to the country having low cases of the virus. Joining just a handful of countries around the world at Level 1, Jamaica’s case levels have steadily decreased in recent months. The health and safety of every Jamaican and every visitor to the country remains the island’s top priority through its comprehensive Jamaica CARES program. Jamaica CARES is a nationwide response to COVID-19 that includes the island’s comprehensive health and safety protocols which were among the first to receive the World Travel & Tourism Council’s Safe Travels recognition and allowed the island to safely reopen in June of 2020. In 2021, the Jamaica was declared ‘World’s Leading Cruise Destination,’ ‘World’s Leading Family Destination’ and ‘World’s Leading Wedding Destination’ for the second consecutive year by the World Travel Awards, which also named it the ‘Caribbean’s Leading Tourist Board’ for the 14th consecutive year; and the ‘Caribbean’s Leading Destination’ for the 16th consecutive year; as well as the ‘Caribbean’s Best Nature Destination’ and the ‘Caribbean’s Best Adventure Tourism Destination.’

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