News

Australia to drop pre-flight Covid-19 tests for international travellers

International travellers coming to Australia will no longer need to take a mandatory Covid-19 test starting April 17, Australian Health Minister Greg Hunt said on Friday. "International travellers into and out of Australia will still be required to provide proof of double vaccination against Covid-19. Travellers will also still be required to wear a mask while on international flights based on medical advice," Hunt said in a statement. These measures will be adopted under non-emergency provisions in the Biosecurity Emergency Determination regulations relating to Covid-19 for Australia, the Minister said. "The requirements for maritime arrivals will also be aligned with those on airlines, as part of the safety protocols for the resumption of cruising," Hunt noted. The official stated that closing the borders for two years was instrumental in "managing the pandemic" and reducing the human cost. According to previous reports, starting from April 17 international cruise ships will be allowed in Australian waters.

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Philippines to enforce prepandemic entry rules for foreigners

The Philippines will revert to pre-pandemic entry rules for fully vaccinated foreign nationals from visa-required countries starting on April 1, a government spokesperson said on Friday. "Foreign nationals may enter the Philippines without the need of an entry exemption document (EED) provided they comply with the applicable visa requirements and immigration entry and departure formalities," Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Kristian Ablan said. In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Philippines imposed the EED for incoming travellers from visa-required countries, reports Xinhua news agency. In a televised press conference, Ablan said foreign nationals must be fully vaccinated except only for children below 12 years old travelling with their fully vaccinated foreign parents. He added that entering foreign nationals must present "acceptable proof of vaccination", a negative RT-PCR test taken within 48 hours, or a negative laboratory-based antigen test taken within 24 hours before departure from the country of origin. "Once admitted into the country, they are no longer required to observe facility-based quarantine but shall self-monitor for any sign or symptom for seven days from arrival," Ablan added. The new policy opens the country to all travellers, including tourists, to enter the Southeast Asian country. The announcement of the new entry policy came five days after President Rodrigo Duterte signed an executive order easing the entry of foreign tourists into the country to boost international tourism, increase foreign investments, and restore jobs in the tourism sector. The measure is part of the government's effort to accelerate and sustain the country's recovery from the pandemic. On February 10, the Philippines reopened its doors to foreign leisure travellers from 157 visa-free countries and regions after over two years of pandemic lockdown. The country further opened to travellers from visa-required countries this month.

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Summer travel enquiries surge 100%, reach pre-pandemic levels

For the first time since March 2020, summer travel enquiries have surged 100 per cent — reaching 2019 or pre-pandemic levels, tour companies told TOI. Convenience in terms of visa delivery has also led to surge in queries for Maldives, Thailand and Mauritius with visa on arrival; Dubai, Sri Lanka and Australia due to provision of e-visa. Nikhil Thakurdas, CEO of Odyssey Tours and Travels, said, “After two consecutive summers in lockdown, 2022 will have the first summer in three years where people can travel without worrying about a Covid wave or quarantine restrictions, a major factor fuelling ‘rebound tourism’. Vaccinated Indians now have a choice of travel to overseas destinations. Singapore Airlines has converted all flights from India as vaccinated travel lane (VTL) flights for quarantine-free travel.” Daniel D’Souza, President and Country Head-Holidays, SOTC Travel, told TOI, “With easing of restrictions and removal of RT-PCR tests for fully vaccinated travellers, destinations driving demand are Western Europe led by Switzerland, France, Spain, Austria, Italy and UK. The reopening of Thailand, Sri Lanka, Singapore and recently Malaysia has resulted in a further boost to demand, with our online search seeing a jump of over 100 per cent for short haul destinations.” Rajeev Kale, president and country head, Holidays, MICE, Visa-Thomas Cook (India) Limited, said, “We already have 45-50 groups confirmed for H1 2022. For the corporate Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE) segment, we have begun to see an uptick for international destinations based on ease in visa delivery, flight access and entry/health protocols.” “Additionally, we are witnessing a strong revival, with interest from mid to large groups, with the sporting calendar driving travel intent for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar and T20 in Australia,” Kale said. A Cleartrip spokesperson said, “Domestic destinations such as Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh, Kashmir, Uttarakhand, and Ooty are amongst the top-searched ones this summer. ”

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Fanatic Sports launches FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 official hospitality programme in India

A pioneer of sports experiential experiences in India as well as one of Asia’s leading providers of curated travel plans for global sporting events, Fanatic Sports is the joint exclusive sales agent of MATCH Hospitality in India for the sale of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Official Hospitality Programme providing a range of customised and curated premium experiences to sports fans. Launching the programme in India, the company is estimating an exponential revenue growth for the showpiece international men’s football championship, to be held in Qatar later this year where the highest-ever numbers of fans are expected to be in attendance to watch the matches. According to industry estimates, the global sports industry is more than INR 600 billion and with India slowly moving to the concept of experiential tourism this has resulted in redefining how Indians traditionally watched sports. Raghav Gupta, Founder, and CEO, Fanatic Sports during the launch event of the programme in Mumbai on Friday said, “Indian market for official hospitality is approximately 4-5 per cent of the global market and Fanatic Sports is expecting to contribute to more than 50 per cent of this ever-rising market scenario in India. As Official Hospitality Programmes are becoming a key part of corporate entertainment, rising income levels, a whole new generation of young aspirants and passionate sports fans indicate that people not only have the knowledge but also want to build lifelong memories. We identified this opportunity and pioneered in curating this once in a lifetime experience,”

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Has Taj Mahotsav promoted tourism in Agra?

The hospitality industry captains in Agra are neither excited nor creatively involved in the ten day-long annual cultural extravaganza, 'Taj Mahotsav' that opened at the Shilpgram complex, 500 metres from the Taj Mahal, a week ago. The tourism industry feels the Mahotsav has had no impact on tourism promotion, though it was started in 1992, with the specific objective of attracting foreign and domestic visitors. Over the years, the Taj Mahotsav has been reduced to a local fair or a 'Tamasha', say the hoteliers. Though the number of local visitors has gone up, the failure to attract foreign tourists, call for reviewing the character of the fair, as also the timings, say the hoteliers. Some tourism industry leaders here say the original objectives for organising this fair have not been fulfilled. "It has got too much localised and seems like some kind of an extended village Haat," they say. It has been reduced to a local 'mela-tamasha' (fun fair) and in no way has helped promote tourism in the city, industry stakeholders say. The fair lacks a distinct appeal and thrust areas that could interest foreign visitors. Hoteliers say the tourists fail to get a glimpse of the splendour and opulence of the Mughal era. A hotelier said: "Year after year you cannot go on repeating the same old features. The cultural richness of Braj Bhoomi and the Mughal era should be creatively presented and the local artists should be given an opportunity to showcase their talents. "It should not remain a government show managed by indifferent bureaucrats. The industry too should share some responsibility," he added.

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Vistara looks to lessors to fill long-haul gap amid 787 delays

Indian full-service airline Vistara is in talks with lessors about getting longhaul planes to cover a gap left by delays in Boeing 787 deliveries, Chief Executive, Vinod Kannan said. Vistara, owned by Singapore Airlines and India's Tata Group, is waiting to receive four aircraft from Boeing's 787 production line, but deliveries have been frozen globally since May 2021 due to quality-control shortcomings. To provide substitute capacity in the short term, Vistara is talking to lessors about renting 787s, Kannan said in an interview with Reuters. "There is enough availability (of airliners) in the market because there are still parts of the world where flying has not come back," he said, adding that the company is yet to make a final decision on whether to rent aircraft. Kannan said the market was too volatile to consider ordering new planes right now. But, in the longer run, Vistara could also consider buying Airbus A350s, he said. Vistara has about 50 aircraft, including two 787-9s received before the delivery suspension and a mix of Airbus and Boeing narrow-body airliners. It plans to take 20 more aircraft by the end of 2023, mostly A320s to be used domestically and for nearby international destinations. Expanding its footprint globally is a priority for Vistara, which began operations in 2015 but has not yet made a profit. India's domestic market is dominated by low-cost carriers, such as IndiGo. International flying offers stronger pricing.

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