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Air India plans to start Mumbai-Moscow direct flight too

Air India - he only airline with direct flights between India and Russia at the moment with a twice weekly Delhi-Moscow — is planning to start flights from Mumbai too. Russian carrier Aeroflot, which had twice-weekly Delhi- Moscow, has suspended all international flights possibly over fears that its aircraft may be repossessed in foreign lands by lessors who are mostly European. Given the significant demand of travel due to Russians stranded abroad, in India’s in case Goa, and regular business travel, AI is looking at a twice-weekly Mumbai-Moscow flight, said people in the know. Some other Indian carriers are learnt to have toyed with the idea of starting flights to Moscow and they are yet to take a final call. While India and Russia have an air bubble agreement, India will from March 27, 2022, resume scheduled international flights to and from countries as per pre-pandemic bilateral agreements. The final international schedule for this summer, that kicks off on March 27, will be known in coming days as both Indian and foreign airlines file the same with the DGCA. A senior official of an Indian airline said: “While most international destinations will again be connected to India, as of now there is still lack of clarity for flights to China, Oman, Bangladesh and Nepal as those countries are yet to relax their conditions for international arrivals. Other countries have done so. India does not ask for pre-departure RT-PCR report from arrivals who have been vaccinated in 89 countries and regions. This list is updated on the basis of mutual acceptance of each other’s vaccines and vaccination certificates. India’s list of 89 countries and regions currently does not include places like China and the UAE.

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Declare tourism as national priority sector in the National Tourism Policy: FAITH

The Federation of Associations of Indian Tourism and Hospitality (FAITH) along with national travel, tourism, and hospitality industry associations, ADTOI, ATOAI, FHRAI, HAI, IATO, ICPB, IHHA, ITTA, TAAI & TAFI, in a detailed multi-stakeholder discussion with the leadership of the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India has complimented the efforts of the ministry on the drafting of the National Tourism Policy (NTP) which has attempted to incorporate FAITH associations' cumulative suggestions over the years and also the suggestions from the tourism vision workshops we had earlier. Some of the additional headline suggestions discussed and shared with them include declaring tourism as a national priority sector in the NTP, classification of the concurrent list, treatment at par with merchandise exports, and covering many other issues and matters. Vision & goal alignment FAITH, in a statement, said that the NTP should be aligned and should state upfront vision targets of 100 million foreign tourists, 15 billion+ domestic tourism visits, and 20 crore employed Indians directly and indirectly in line with the pre-discussed national tourism vision of 2047. Duration & Implementability “Intent is only as good as its implementation. Currently, the policy document mentions a 10-year duration. However, it is suggested to be a rolling document of 5 years with a quarterly review mechanism with the industry. This will ensure that the policy document is institutionalised and will get upgraded on a rolling basis every 5 years towards the vision 2047 with a quarterly review and feedback mechanism of what is working what is not,” mentioned FAITH. Tourism as a national priority sector The policy body further added that like agriculture has been a national priority of all successive governments and gets the vital focus of the PM & the CMs, tourism too can get due national domestic priority if it is declared as such in the NTP. “It’s impact, its footprint across the country is far-reaching and is deeply rooted in our geographical and cultural fabric across the length and breadth of our country. If recognised as a national priority sector, it will ensure tourism will focus channelised domestic investments as such more so needed post this worst 24 months ever. Classification of concurrent status On the matter of getting tourism included, FAITH stated, “the constitution rightfully needs to recognise tourism as a joint and collectible responsibility of centre & states to ensure a shared national vision and development, marketing & skilling synergies among all our individual tourism portfolios across states and segments. Thus, a stated goal of the NTP should be as such to get that status. Treatment at par with merchandise exports “Till today tourism forex contribution to our current account has not been fully recognised in letter despite tourism catering to foreign buyers and foreign exchange earnings. Just as a sample over the past five years pre- Covid tourism may have contributed to more than USD 100 billion earnings and on a cumulative basis multiple times over the past many years. The NTP should address this key gap and position tourism as a vital export sector at par with merchandise exports ensuring the due support that it will get in the successive foreign trade policies and also ensuring that our taxes whether direct, gst or state level are not exported to foreign buyers. This statement of recognition in the NTP will manifold Indian tourism’s global competitiveness.” It further mentioned that the tourism export policy should clearly be segmented on the long-haul, short-haul and the VFM segments each of which has different global travel behaviours also what should be our competitive benchmarking strategy for each to maximise our inbound tourism impact and the NTP should clearly articulate this distinction.

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When to book flights and hotels, how to deal with COVID-19 rules

Thinking of taking an international trip? You're such a contrarian. Only about a third of Americans are comfortable with traveling internationally now, according to the latest figures from Morning Consult. Why the hesitation? It could be all the required paperwork: passports, coronavirus tests and vaccination documentation. But mostly, people are afraid of crossing the border because of changing health and safety requirements, says Greg Pearson, CEO of FocusPoint International, a global assistance company. "They don't want to get stuck," he says. But if you can overcome your worries about international travel, there's a reward: lower prices, no crowds and a better overall experience. Question is, how do you get that? It boils down to a few essential tips that will help you survive your next trip abroad. They include acting soon to secure the lowest prices, minding the paperwork requirements, and getting enough protection. "International travel has always required more planning than domestic in most cases," says Lindsey Roeschke, Morning Consult's travel and hospitality analyst. "That being said, it can still be done." If you're thinking of taking an international trip, do it now, experts say. "For the next few months, destinations will remain far less crowded than they were before the pandemic," says Justin Smith, president of The Evolved Traveler, a member of Ensemble Travel Group. "Travelers can have a far richer experience." How rich? Well, imagine being at the Pyramids with 200 other people instead of 2,000. It'll feel like you have the place to yourself. You may not have that opportunity again for years, if ever. Just a few extra steps If you're afraid of the extra paperwork, relax. "Essentially, you can do all of the same things you could before the pandemic, just with a few added steps of paperwork and vaccination proof," says Henley Vazquez, co-founder of the travel advisory site Fora. For example, the French have required health or vaccine passes for entry to cultural or leisure establishments since last summer (starting Monday, they will no longer be necessary). Getting one was actually easy: you'd just take your U.S. vaccination card into any pharmacy to get the health pass, which you'll then flash for entry to restaurants, museums and hotels. Vazquez says if people understood how little extra effort it took, they might book an international trip. Step one to overcoming your fears: Get protection. Lots of protection. Chris Hutchins, creator of All the Hacks, a podcast that features travel advice, says COVID-19-related travel insurance is a must. "If you test positive abroad, you won't be able to return to the U.S., which means you could be stuck with expenses to change flights and extend your accommodations," he says. He uses Trawick International's Safe Travels Voyager policy and also recommends looking at protection from Covac Global, which will cover the cost to transport you home if you test positive. There are other ways of making sure you're covered. A membership in Medjet Assist for medical evacuations or FocusPoint's Care & Assistance Plus, which handles security and medical evacuations, can make your international trip as close to a sure thing as it gets. Book your hotel at the last minute Hotels are still hurting for guests in many international destinations. That won't last forever. On a recent trip to Costa Rica, Janice Lintz decided to take advantage of the buyer's market. "I booked most of my hotels only a few days in advance, and some as late as the night before arrival," says Lintz, a disability consultant from New York. She says she saved more than 60% by booking directly with the hotel and about 50% through online travel agencies. "There was plenty of availability," she says. Note: If you try this, make sure you're extra flexible, and research the hotels at your destination before you arrive. If they fill up fast, you could end up sleeping on a park bench. DON'T TOSS YOUR MASK YET: TSA extends federal mask mandate for planes, travel through April 18 But book your airline ticket now You'll need to buy your airline ticket three to four months in advance of your travel date if you're interested in getting the lowest airfare. That's according to Expedia's 2022 Travel Hacks Report. "Timing is key," says Christie Hudson, an Expedia spokeswoman. "August is the cheapest month to fly internationally. Travelers can save almost 20%, and because this is a less busy time to travel, they’ll likely save a bit on lodging as well." According to Expedia, Sunday is the ideal day to book an international flight, providing additional savings of nearly 10%. Chances are, many countries will still have coronavirus testing requirements in place this spring and summer, says Christine Petersen, CEO of smarTours. "Book a COVID test ahead of time to save time," she recommends. "You could spend hours waiting in line, taking precious time away from your trip." Tour operators like hers make arrangements ahead of time for the whole group so they have more time for a vacation. Prepare for quarantine It may seem unlikely you'll find yourself in quarantine, given all the loosening of restrictions and mask requirements. But it's not out of the question. Remember, no one expected the omicron variant. “Have access to funds to pay for unexpected quarantine expenses," advises Dan Stretch, operations manager for Global Rescue. "Pack things to keep you occupied if you’re unfortunate and get quarantined. Ask hotel booking agents what their policy is if you need to cancel or delay due to COVID." Take a deep breath – if you can The pandemic has turned international travel upside- down. There are restrictions and vaccination requirements. And one of the worst parts is air travel, says Warren Jaferian, dean of international education at Endicott College. "Being on an airplane can feel like you're a lab animal," he says. "Just breathe through your mask and try to relax. That's the best medicine." Actually, that may be the best medicine for any upcoming trip: Just breathe.

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As travel bookings rise, hotel room rates zoom in leisure destinations

“The surge may disappear once international travel resumes later, but as of now we are seeing heavy demand, across our properties in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand,” Prasad said. While tariffs in certain leisure destinations are even breaching pre-pandemic levels, room rates in the metros too have started rising with a gradual resumption of business travel. “Hotel rates in leisure locations are about 2x or 3x of 2019 rates,” said the head of a hotel chain who requested not to be identified. “Rates in a top business hotel in Mumbai have gone up by close to 50 per cent over the past two weeks.” Ajay Bakaya, managing director of Sarovar Hotels, said the chain is now at around 90 per cent of February 2020 levels in terms of rates. February 2020 had hit a big peak in terms of rates, he added. “I don't see them going down again in the near future,” Bakaya said. “It’s time to smile a little.” He said that rates have increased significantly in markets such as Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata as business bookings are coming back. “There is a lot of bounce back on weddings; April, May, June, July have a lot of auspicious dates,” Bakaya said. “Even Kerala that was lagging behind is beginning to look up.” Nikhil Sharma, , Regional Director – Eurasia at Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, said rates for the chain have gone up in destinations such as Udaipur, Kasauli, Mussoorie, Dehradun, Mumbai, Jaipur, and Amritsar. He said the chain has seen a strong rebound in demand for leisure travel as it has showcased a much quicker recovery, and record numbers at several resorts. “We continue to see domestic demand gain traction, assisting average daily rates to perform better with each presiding week,” Sharma said. “As large corporations and SMEs intend to commence travel, we expect an uptick in occupancy and average daily rates.” Mandeep Lamba, President, South Asia, at HVS Anarock, said leisure markets have been the hotel industry's “shining knight” for the past two years now, pushing recovery after every setback, with rates at several upper upscale and luxury hotels in leisure destinations now surpassing their pre-pandemic rates. “Since international travel is yet to resume, and corporate travel is still restricted and slower to recover after a setback, hotel demand in commercial markets is purely driven by domestic customer mix, comprising a large number of first-time hotel customers, newer segments such as staycations, as well as weddings and the social events segment which continue to support hotel demand,” he added.

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Travel agents ask Air India for booking access

Travel Agent’ Federation of India (TAFI) Gujarat, on Thursday asked air carrier, Air India, to give IATA-approved agents the access to book AI flights tickets to Ahmedabad to Canada. A delegation of TAFI representatives met the Air India officials recently. TAFI members alleged that without citing any reason, their access to book AI tickets was suddenly withdrawn. “At a time when business is coming back on track gradually, the airline must reconsider its decision and allow agents to book tickets from Ahmedabad to Canada,” said Manish Sharma, Chairman, TAFI Gujarat.

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Revival of tourism contributes to higher revenue for Maldives

Revival of tourism in the Maldives has contributed to higher revenue for the island nation in the first two months this year compared to the same period in 2021. The South Asian nation received $137 million in January and February 2022, compared to $88 million collected in the first two months of 2021, according to statistics released by Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA), the country's national tax agency. MIRA said the main reason for the increase in revenue is the rise in time spent by tourists and the increase in the number of tourist arrivals, reports Xinhua news agency. By February 23, the total number of tourist arrivals was 251,339, an increase of 46.9 per cent compared to the same period of 2021, of which 39,660 tourists arrived from Russia accounting for the largest share, according to the Ministry of Tourism.

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