News

Saudi Arabia reopens visa on arrival for US, UK and Schengen visa holders

The Saudi Arabian government has reopened the visa-on-arrival program for holders of valid visas for the US, UK and Schengen area, effective immediately. The move comes two weeks after the country lifted all COVID-related entry restrictions and returns Saudi to pre-pandemic levels of openness. Citizens of any country who hold one of the three visas and who are travelling on one of the country’s national carriers – Saudi, Flynas or Flyadeal – can now receive a 12-month tourism visa on arrival in Saudi Arabia without needing to apply in advance. Visitors holding a valid US, UK or Schengen visa must have used it at least once to enter the issuing country or region in order to qualify for a visa on arrival in Saudi. Visitors will also need to purchase COVID-19 insurance, which they can do at any of Saudi Arabia’s international airports. Citizens of any country eligible for the e-visa program, which was introduced in 2019, may also receive a visa on arrival, regardless of the airline they are travelling with. “Restoring the visa-on-arrival program marks the final step in returning Saudi to a pre-pandemic level of openness and makes it one of the most accessible destinations in the world for leisure, business and religious travel,” said His Excellency Ahmed Al Khateeb, Minister of Tourism for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Chairman of STA. “This decision by the government will further support the many thousands of people who depend on tourism for their livelihoods while welcoming the world back to the destination with the warm hospitality for which the Saudi people are renowned.” On March 6, Saudi Arabia announced the lifting of all travel restrictions put in place to protect people from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Visitors to Saudi no longer need to present proof of vaccination or a PCR test to enter the country. The red list of countries not allowed entry has been discontinued. Institutional quarantine requirements have been entirely removed, and social distancing rules have been lifted. Masks are required in enclosed public places only. Saudi Arabia was one of the first countries to close its borders following the emergence of COVID-19. Since then, the government has implemented stringent health and safety protocols at all public venues, including hotels, restaurants, public buildings and offices. Saudi opened to international leisure travellers in September 2019, less than six months before its borders were closed due to the pandemic. The country shifted its tourism strategy to focus on building domestic visitation, opening 11 destinations and creating more than 270 tourism packages. As a result, Saudi recorded two successive years of growth in leisure travel without seeing a concomitant surge in COVID cases. “Saudi has emerged from the pandemic with a burgeoning leisure and entertainment sector that includes some of the largest events in the world as well as a compelling cultural tourism offer and an increasing number of local companies dedicated to tourism,” said His Excellency Al Khateeb. “We look forward to welcoming visitors from around the world eager to explore the authentic home of Arabia.”

Read more

Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority announces 2022 roadshow in India

Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, representing the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates, is set to host the first 2022 roadshow in India from April 4-7, covering the key cities of New Delhi and Mumbai. India is in the top five source markets for the nature-based Emirate and this will be the tourism authority’s first in-person event in the country since the onset of the pandemic. The Destination Tourism Development & MICE team alongside a number of hospitality representatives from Ras Al Khaimah, will present the leisure offerings of the destination as well as updates that position Ras Al Khaimah as an attractive MICE destination and weddings for the Indian market. The team will also highlight the convenient airline accessibility options, information on new tourist attractions, hotels, future projects and the destination’s sustainability strategy and initiatives. Commenting on the significance of the event, Iyad Rasbey, Executive Director Destination Tourism Development & MICE, said, “We are excited to be back in India with our hospitality partners. As we enter into a recovery year, we are taking the opportunity to update our trade partners and media in India on the importance of safety and peace of mind travel to Ras Al Khaimah alongside everything the destination has to offer from nature, adventure to world-class hotel brands, destination weddings and more.” The 2022 roadshow will feature 4 days of networking events, one-on-one interactions, presentations and media meetings in New Delhi on April 4 and in Mumbai on April 7, 2022. The in-person event follows a successful webinar for travel partners and MICE operators which was attended by 100 participants from across India on March 22, 2022.

Read more

Mauritius Tourism launches new advertisement campaign

Arvind Bundhun, Director of Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority unveiled the new advertising campaign at a glittering ceremony in Mumbai on March 25. The campaign ‘Where Else but Mauritius’ has different facets covering various target groups and is designed to attract more Indian visitors to explore the wide variety of offerings that makes Mauritius one of the most popular travel destinations for Indians. This campaign, in its first phase, seeks to spread awareness about the destination’s romance, adventure, wildlife, nature, gastronomy, culture and heritage on social media to encourage Indian travellers to visit and explore the country’s offerings and its sustainable tourism practices. The new marketing campaign’s primary focus is the destination’s appeal to Indian visitors. The core of the campaign rests on aspirational, enriching and engaging experiences which go well beyond the usual and regular. The campaign was launched in the presence of celebrity influencers, media, travel agents, weddings planners and film producers. Mauritius is popular for its long stretches of white sandy beaches, turquoise blue and crystal-clear sea waters, natural lagoons and an exciting variety of marine life. Beyond the beaches, Mauritius offers lots of thrilling land activities for adventure lovers like skydiving, biking, ziplining, trekking, paragliding, and helicopter and seaplane trips. For food lovers, the island offers an impressive array of tantalising dishes and a wide variety of flavoured rums and wine. Mauritius has several natural parks and leisure parks that contain a wealth of local flora and fauna. There are also heritage and cultural tours, golfing, wellness and dazzling nightlife. The USP of the destination is that it offers a 360 degrees experience on and beyond the beach, without compromising on the required COVID protocols with a motto to be safe and keep our guests safe. Air Mauritius commenced five flights a week from Mumbai starting March 27, 2022, which makes it easy to access the destination. Elaborating on the Tourism Board’s strategy, Bundhun said, “The Tourism Board will now be expanding its trade and marketing activities to a wider net on consumer segments in India in metros, tier-II and III cities by offering a customised range of holiday options both in value-for-money as well as luxury. India, being a top source market, we have plans for a massive 360 degrees promotional campaign to promote the destination welcoming Indian travellers. The advertisement campaign will not only generate immediate visitor arrivals but also provide the impetus for sustained growth from the Indian market during the coming years,” he added.

Read more

Machu Picchu has been going by a wrong name for more than 100 years

A recent discovery suggests that the famous ancient Incan site of Machu Picchu may have been misnamed for more than a 100 years since it was first visited in 1911 by US explorer Hiram Bingham. As per the reports, a new academic paper has argued that the spot has been known by the wrong name since its rediscovery more than a century ago. This archaeological site has been closely studied for decades, and has remained a popular tourist spot for just as long. Referring to its name, a US archaeologist and a Peruvian historian have argued that the UNESCO World Heritage Site was known as Huayna Picchu or simply Picchu by its Inca inhabitants. Reports have it that archaeologist Brian S Bauer from the University of Illinois Chicago and historian Donato Amado Gonzales from the Ministry of Culture of Peru (Cusco) after analysing Bingham’s original field notes from 110 years ago, land documents form different archives, early 20th century maps of the region, have argued that not much is yet known about the site than what was previously thought. In their paper, published by Ñawpa Pacha: Journal of Andean Archaeology, they stated that not even a single source referred to the site as Machu Picchu. They informed that there is significant data which suggest that the Inca city actually was called Picchu or more likely, Huayna Picchu. The researchers further while scouring maps, archives, and documents, they found a 1904 atlas, which was published seven years before Bingham first arrived in Peru, where also the site is called Huayna Picchu. As per their findings, the site was named after the closest rocky summit and not Machu Picchu, which is the name of the highest mountain near the city. And reportedly, the original name of the site has come up more than once throughout history, including accounts written by Spaniards in the late 16th century and in a 1904 atlas.

Read more

Sri Lanka reopens its oldest airport after 54 Years

Sri Lanka’s first and oldest international airport, the Ratmalana airport, was reopened on Sunday after nearly five decades! According to aviation officials, a flight from the Maldives landed at Sri Lanka airport, the first flight it has seen in 54 years. As per the reports, the 50-seater Maldivian flight will run three flights every week to Colombo and it will expand to five flights per week in the coming time. On Sunday, Ratmalana greeted its first set of international travellers during a ceremony that was organised at the airport. Before this, the Maldivian airline used to operate flights till the Bandaranaike airport in Colombo, which is in the outskirts of the country. According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka (CAASL), there will be three weekly flights (Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays) that will run between the Velana International Airport in the Maldives and the Ratmalana Airport in Sri Lanka. As per officials from the Maldivian Airlines, nearly 9000 residents of Maldive live in proximity to the Ratmalana airport, which will now make travelling convenient for them. History of the airport The Ratmalana airport was set up in 1938 in Colombo, Sri Lanka. There was a time when it used to be the main international airport in Sri Lanka. But, in the late 1960s, the Bandaranaike International Airport at Katunayake was commissioned and Ratmalana was turned into a domestic airport. Soon, Bandaranaike airport became the main airport in Sri Lanka, serving international flights. But Ratmalana still remains Lanka's oldest airport. Now, the Civil Aviation of Sri Lanka has also said that they’ll remove the night landing restrictions on domestic flights that have been in place on domestic flights since the civil war days!

Read more

India and Maldives agree to recognise vaccine certificates mutually

India and Maldives signed an agreement to recognise the vaccine certificates mutually . The agreement was signed during the visit of Indian Foreign Minister, S Jaishankar to Male. This will facilitate easier travel between the two countries and give a boost to the tourism sector. "Today's Agreement on the mutual recognition of COVID-19 certificates is a step forward in the same direction and will certainly contribute to easier travel between us," Jaishankar said addressing a joint press conference along side Maldivian Foreign Minister, Abdulla Shahid. India had provided over two lakh doses of Covishield vaccine, manufactured by the Serum Institute of India (SII), to the Maldives last year as part of its grant assistance. Describing the "time-tested" relationship between India and the Maldives as a "force for stability" in the region, Jaishankar said that the shared responsibility of the two countries is to nurture and strengthen it. "We are partners in development, we are promoting peace and security, and our relationship, in many ways, serves as a model for the region. It is a partnership that delivers for its stakeholders - the citizens of our countries - both in good times and in bad times," he said. "This is a partnership that tackles common challenges of regional development, which addresses disruptions and disasters. It is a partnership that is a force for stability in the region. And, it is our shared responsibility to nurture, to strengthen it and to take it forward," said Jaishankar. The Maldives is one of India's key maritime neighbours in the Indian Ocean region and the bilateral defence and security ties have been on an upward trajectory in the last few years. Jaishankar congratulated the Maldives for scripting a success story during the COVID-19 pandemic and said the cooperation between two sides has actually witnessed and withstood the arc and anguish of the pandemic together under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. Describing the development partnership as central pillar of the bilateral ties, Jaishankar said it is a "very transparent partnership, driven directly by Maldivian needs and priorities - today ranges upwards of USD 2.6 billion in terms of grants, concessional loans, budgetary support and capacity building and training assistance." Jaishankar said he had wide-ranging discussions on the bilateral partnership during talks with Maldivian counterpart. "We took stock of ongoing projects and initiatives across a very wide range of sectors. We looked at socioeconomic development, trade and investment, and, tourism," he said. He said India is supporting projects in a range of sectors - infrastructure, tourism, fish processing and health in Addu. On the iconic Greater Male Connectivity Project which holds the potential of actually transforming the transport landscape of the capital, Jaishankar said geo-technical surveys are ongoing and hoped that a ground-breaking can be done in the coming months. "I am pleased to hear that the DPR of USD 40 million Sports Line of Credit announced when I was here in February last year is near completion. Under this LOC, the National Stadium will be renovated and sports infrastructure would be built across Maldives," he said. Jaishankar and his Maldivian counterpart Shahid acknowledged strides made in fields of capacity building and training as the two countries inked an agreement paving the way for connectivity between India's National Knowledge Network and the Maldives' Higher Education Network. "With the signing of the Peering Agreement today, over 1500 Indian institutes and a host of universities and centres of learning from Singapore, Europe and the US are now connected to the Maldives. The NKN is a real expression of the best of our regional cooperation in the digital and education arenas," he said. He also commended both the governments and the people of Maldives for their efforts and ambition in the area of climate change and said India stands ready to share its capabilities with Maldives.

Read more