News

Switzerland mandates biometrics for each visa application

VFS Global issued an update stating the mandate by the Embassy of Switzerland, New Delhi with immediate effect to provide biometrics each time the applicants are applying from any visa application center in India. The Embassy of Switzerland in New Delhi has mandated all visa applicants (12 years and above) to register and provide biometrics each time they apply for a visa. Thus, all applicants who have booked their appointments with VFS are required to be present at their Visa Application Centres in India to submit their applications and register their biometric data.

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Travel trade seeking sops to promote North East of India

It is said and a fact that India’s northeast is a gem for tourists which has not been explored extensively till today. Be it the lush green mountains, rivers, snow, trekking, or any other form of tourism, it contributes immensely towards that. Further, air connectivity which used to be a bottleneck has now improved significantly and state governments and the entire region are looking at welcoming travellers with open hands. Commenting on the tourism potential of the region, Jyoti Mayal, President, TAAI said that in order to promote the northeast region of India, sops are required for the travel trade community to work in tandem with the state governments. The recent announcement of Route Dispersal Guidelines (RDG) issued by the Government of India is a welcome move that is well received by the travel community, she added. "With airline operators being given instruction to deploy aircraft, a muchneeded move now is to support travel trade for promotion and bookings. With a collaborative effort, a lot can be achieved in no time. We in the travel trade have been promoting various states and regions, and with the deployment of aircraft, it seems an opportunity to be exploited for mutual benefit and growth," Mayal mentioned. She further stated that the Union Tourism and Cultural Minister G Kishan Reddy, who also happens to head the Ministry of Development of the North East (DONER) region too, on time and occasion, said that the region can grow immensely with tourism promotion. "Be it the Swadesh Darshan Scheme, UDAN, or many other equally important initiatives, if travel trade might be made a part of it then that would certainly yield fruitful results," she suggested.

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Brazil relaxes pandemic restrictions, removes Covid test requirement

Brazil has removed the requirement of presenting a negative Covid-19 test for fully vaccinated travellers arriving by plane, a state news agency report said. Only unvaccinated travellers will be required to present a negative test while fully vaccinated Brazilian and foreign travellers can enter without one, Xinhua news agency quoted the report as saying. The decision to exempt vaccinated travellers from the testing requirement is due to the decline of Covid-19 deaths, cases, and hospitalizations.

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Sweden reopens for international travellers; removes all COVID-19 border restrictions

Sweden has finally started welcoming travellers from abroad and has removed all COVID-19 border restrictions. The beautiful country is visited by a number of travellers from all over the world and is one of the top tourist destinations in Europe. But given the pandemic, the country had imposed a number of restrictions. But in a recent update, the government of Sweden announced the removal of all the pandemic protocols. Now visitors to the country do not need to show proof of vaccination or get tested before arrival. The announcement was made soon after Sweden declared the virus is "no longer [to] be classified as a threat to public health and a danger to society". Minister for Justice and Home Affairs Morgan Johansson in a statement said, "We have already lifted the entry ban within the EU. Now the Government has decided not to extend the entry ban from third countries. This will make it much easier for everyone who has been prevented from coming to Sweden in recent years due to the pandemic." Before April 1, travellers from the US were allowed to enter Sweden, but they were supposed to show either proof of vaccination or proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours. But now, no such restrictions are there and people can enter freely just like pre-pandemic times. As per Johns Hopkins' Coronavirus Resource Center, Sweden has vaccinated just over 74 percent of its population and has become the latest European Union nation to remove all COVID-19 travel restrictions.

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Russia to give USD 1.2 billion to help domestic airlines and flights

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that Russia would provide domestic airlines with 100 billion roubles (USD 1.25 billion) in support to help them deal with the consequences of international sanctions. In televised remarks at the end of a meeting with representatives of airlines and aircraft manufacturers, he said domestic flights would receive government subsidies in 2022. The world's 11th largest aviation market is under severe pressure as the United States and Europe on one side and Russia on the other have each closed their airspace to the other's airlines. In addition, Russian airlines can no longer buy parts or maintenance services from Europe or the United States. Because of the sanctions, imposed in response to Russia's decision to send its armed forces into Ukraine, Western aircraft lessors have also been forced to terminate contracts under which Russian airlines were leasing more than 500 aircraft. Putin said he had instructed the government to work out measures to ease the burden of leasing payments on the airlines. Most of the leased planes remain in Russia, which has passed a law allowing them to be entered on its own aircraft register. But Russian airlines have been hesitant to use the law, fearing that they might jeopardise ties with international partners. "As for leasing payments, let me remind you that a significant part of them were supposed to be paid to companies from so-called unfriendly countries, and they violated their contractual obligations," Putin said. "In this regard, I ask the government to prepare a set of measures to address the problems of leasing payments, naturally considering which country this or that leasing company is based in," he said.

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Masks still mandatory in Mumbai airport & flights

Wearing a mask may not be mandatory in Maharashtra and Delhi, but the relaxation does not apply to airports or on flights. "As of now, wearing of mask during air travel is recommended," said Arun Kumar, director general of civil aviation. So, if you are boarding a flight from Mumbai or Delhi, remember to carry masks as they are mandatory in airports in the cities and on all flights. In March last year, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had said that a person refusing to wear a mask on flight would be treated as an unruly passenger and deboarded after suo motu action taken by the Delhi high court. The circular continues to be in force. After witnessing a gradual fall in the number of active cases and deaths from Covid-19, Maharashtra has lifted the mask mandate by making wearing masks optional for the public. All Covid restrictions on public spaces including hotels, weddings, gyms, and buses, have been lifted from today.

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