News

Indonesia removes quarantine requirement for overseas arrivals

The decision, effective immediately, follows the successful implementation of a quarantine waiver this month for visitors vaccinated against Covid-19 on the islands of Bali, Batam, and Bintan, minister Sandiaga Uno told a news conference. "With the handling of the pandemic more controlled ...today we announce that the policy of no quarantine has been expanded across Indonesia," said Sandiaga, adding a negative COVID test would still be required. The waiver follows similar moves by Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia and lately, Malaysia, as countries seek to rebuild travel sectors that have collapsed under tight restrictions. Sandiaga said detailed regulations could be published on Tuesday. A visa-on-arrival policy is in effect in Bali covering 42 countries, with an exemption for visitors from Southeast Asian nations. It was not immediately clear if those rules would apply beyond Bali. A senior minister last week said the visa-on-arrival would be expanded to include the capital Jakarta and Surabaya. About 143,700 foreign tourists came to Indonesia in January, up 13.6% from a year earlier, although the number was far below pre-pandemic levels, which were typically above 1 million each month. Sandiaga said the government had yet to revise its target for 1.8 million to 3.6 million visitors this year, but said he was "fairly optimistic that there will be an upside surprise".

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India’s first-ever Snow Marathon to be held in Lahaul on March 26

India’s first-ever Snow Marathon will be organised in Lahaul on March 26, in association with Reach India and Lahaul and Spiti administration. While there are around 10 such marathons held across the globe, this will be India’s very first. Lahaul and Spiti Deputy Commissioner Neeraj Kumar, while addressing a press conference at Palchan near Manali, recently said that this is the first time that a snow marathon is being held in the country, and organisers are trying to make it an annual affair. Reports have it that this snow marathon will be more challenging than any other existing formats, and will enhance the ability of runners. Reportedly, the Snow Marathon will have four categories – a full marathon, in which participants would be covering a distance of 42 km, while the other three varieties will be half marathons spanning 21 km, 10 km, and 5 km. The logistic, administrative, and monetary support to the event will be provided by the administration of Lahaul and Spiti. The organisers are hoping that this kind of marathon will provide excellent training ground for tough races across the globe. And for this, they are of the view that there could be no better place than Lahaul to host the country's first-ever Snow Marathon, in which runners from across the country will be able to take part. This marathon will be hosting runners from India and abroad. Reports state that the organisers have roped in Fortis Hospital Mohali as the medical partner for the events to deal with any kind of emergency. Paramedics, doctors, and two modern life-saving ambulances will be kept ready in case of any emergency to ensure safety.

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COVID-19 in China: Shanghai’s Disneyland shuts down amid Omicron wave

Given the sudden surge in COVID-19 cases, China on Monday closed its famous Disneyland amusement park located in Shanghai. Disney announced the shutting down of its entire facility in Shanghai, which includes Shanghai Disneyland, the Disneytown shopping and dining district, along with the Wishing Star Park. Confirming the news, the company said, “We will continue to monitor the pandemic situation and consult local authorities, and will notify guests as soon as we have a confirmed date to resume operations”. On Sunday, Shanghai registered 24 locally-transmitted cases of Coronavirus (symptomatic) and 734 cases of asymptomatic infection. Though the city has not yet imposed a shutdown, the government has asked people to stay home. Meanwhile, Shanghai has suspended all its bus services into the city and visitors to the city will have to carry a negative Coronavirus test report. As of now, the city authorities are conducting mass testing for the virus. China is going through its worst Coronavirus outbreak since the pandemic began and this time, it’s the Omicron variant that has caused all the problems. The new variant of COVID-19 was detected in November 2021 and on March 19, China reported two COVID-19 deaths. Then on Sunday, China reported 2027 new cases in the mainland. As per local media, China will lock down Jilin city for three days starting Monday night as the numbers are high in the region. It is the second largest city in the province with a population of nearly 4.5 million.

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COVID unlock: Domestic air travel sees improvement in February

February 2022 saw an improvement in domestic air traffic after a dismal growth in January due to Omicron. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), noted that there has been a 20% growth in February in comparison to January 2022. Domestic carriers in India carried 76.96 lakh passengers, thereby registering a 20% growth in traffic. In January, there was a 17% decrease in growth due to Omicron. These combined numbers of January and February are still lower in comparison to the first two months of 2021. Last year, India's domestic airlines carried over 155 lakh passengers in the first two months. This year, that number was only 141 lakh. The Omicron variant of COVID 19 gave a massive scare to the world, as most countries went under another lockdown. India too went through the same as the infected numbers grew by the day. The passenger load factor also increased in February in comparison to January 2022. SpiceJet registered the highest load factor, followed by Vistara, then GoFirst, and finally, Indigo. India is currently running scheduled domestic and going ahead with international flights soon, and is seeing a growth in passenger demand. The domestic growth is certainly a thing to look up to as the airline industry gets back into recovery mode. Notably, airline and hospitality were the two most affected sectors during the COVID pandemic.

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International flights to be fully operational soon

Traveling abroad may soon become a reality once again. The government has decided to resume scheduled commercial international passenger services to and from India from March 27, 2022. The opening up of the skies comes amidst the pandemic scare that still exists in several countries and the ongoing war in Ukraine. Visiting countries in the European Union may easily be avoided unless there’s an emergency situation to attend to. The latest data from ForwardKeys, a firm providing travel trends and insights to tourism organizations, hotels and retailers, reveals that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine caused an immediate stall in flight bookings to Europe and within Russia domestically. Whether it is a family trip or a corporate visit, having a comprehensive travel insurance policy may offer a certain level of protection if need arises. The need for travel insurance increases provided the insurers have not changed the terms and conditions keeping the current uncertain environment in mind. “Most of the travel insurance products today available are very comprehensive and insurers have maintained the same product offerings,” says Subramanyam Brahmajosyula, Head – Underwriting & Reinsurance, SBI General Insurance. “There is a heightened need for travelers to safeguard themselves against any unforeseen circumstances now, more than ever before. Opting for international travel insurance can help travelers enjoy their trips without any hassles or interruptions, and offers several benefits including coverage against financial losses arising due to expenses as a result of hospitalization while travelling, loss of luggage, flight delays or cancellations, etc,” adds Brahmajosyula. Travel insurance on international trips covers several common areas. According to Brahmajosyula, here are some of the basic coverage that most travel covers provide. Hospitalization expenses cover on account of sickness / accident Some travel inconvenience covers like trip interruption, trip cancellation and trip extension due to sickness, injury or death in the family that result in a financial loss Cover against loss or theft of your baggage and passport. Emergency evacuation expenses, due to a natural calamity or terrorist activities, including the return flights home, are covered. The policy covers the personal liability caused due to negligence resulting in a loss or damage to property or injury to a person who is not a member of your family or travelling party Depending on the need, one may buy an enhanced version of travel insurance policy with higher coverage. As far as Covid-19 related hospitalization is concerned, most travel insurance covers them. The most important part of buying a travel insurance policy is to carefully look at the list of exclusions and the circumstances under which the claim may not be accepted. Knowing them in advance helps to make the right buying decision.

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Italy to start lifting COVID restrictions by March-end

Italy recently announced that it will gradually phase out its COVID-19 restrictions, and became the latest European country to relax pandemic-related measures. As per the reports, the digital Green Pass needed to access public transportation or restaurants will not be required from May 1. As of now, the pass is issued to people who have either contracted COVID-19 and recovered, or are fully vaccinated. Referring to this, the Italian Prime Minister, while addressing a press conference added that they have made decisions based on science, and that they are taking fundamental steps towards reopening. However, authorities will be keeping a very close watch on the epidemic curve and stand ready to adapt all their systems depending on how the epidemic curve evolves, and will introduce broader measures if required, he added. Reports also have it that apart from scrapping the digital Green Pass, Italy is also set to remove its state of emergency on March 31. The decision to ease COVID-related curbs comes just weeks after Italy announced dropping of pre-arrival testing requirements for vaccinated travellers, thereby simplifying their entry to the country by just showing proof that they have received a booster shot, or have been fully vaccinated within nine months. Those not vaccinated are also allowed entry to the country if they are able to show proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR test report that has been taken within 72 hours of their trip, or have recovered from COVID-19 within six months, or a proof of a negative rapid test taken within 48 hours of their trip. Also, note that all travellers are still required to fill out a Passenger Locator Form before arriving in the country.

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