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Indian Railways to Resume Cooked Food Service on All Trains From February 14

The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) on Friday decided to resume cooked meals on all trains by February 14 after the service was stopped last year owing to Covid-19 restrictions. As of January, cooked food services was restored in 80% of trains. Ready-to-eat meals, however, will also continue to be served on demand. Due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the consequent unprecedented lockdown, e-catering services were suspended on March 22, 2020. In August last year, IRCTC started ready-to-eat meal service. Cooked food services were restored in 80% of trains in January, 2022. IRCTC had started e-catering service in the year 2014 whereby passengers could order an array of food of their choice from reputed brands as well as popular regional and local delicacies on phone or online while travelling on trains and get the same delivered to their seats at the railway station. During the pre-COVID period, IRCTC had started clocking 20,000 e-catering orders per day. HERE’S HOW ONE CAN PLACE A FOOD ORDER THROUGH IRCTC’S OFFICIAL WEBSITE: Step 1 : Go to IRCTC’s eCatering official website https://www.ecatering.irctc.co.in/ Step 2 : Enter your ten-digit PNR number and click on the arrow to proceed further Step 3 : Select the food from the list of cafes, outlets and quick service restaurants available there. Step 4 : Place the order and select the payment mode. Either, you can choose to pay online or cash on delivery. Step 5 : Once the order is placed, the food will be delivered to your seat/berth.

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Spain issues major travel rule update as Covid restrictions scrapped for teenagers

Spain has today issued a major new update to its travel rules following controversy over its vaccination requirements targeting teenagers. Previously, Spain had required teens to show proof of having received a full course of vaccination - causing chaos for UK holidaymakers as many children had not yet been invited for both doses of the jab. Following the rule change, Spain’s Minister for Trade, Industry and Tourism, Reyes Maroto, said: “As one of the world’s favourite tourism destinations, we are committed to making travel to Spain a safe and easy experience for our visitors, especially for families travelling with children. "From February 14 2022, UK children and teenagers aged between 12 and 17 (inclusive) can present a negative NAAT test (PCR or similar), taken within 72 hours of arrival to Spain, as an alternative to presenting a COVID certificate with proof of having been fully vaccinated." Children under the age of 12 are not required to show evidence of a Covid test or of having been vaccinated. "We hope that with these changes, many families will choose Spain to enjoy safe and memorable holidays together.”

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Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival Coming This Spring

Disneyland Resort announced the Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival would return to the theme park between March 4 and April 26. The limited-time event at the Disney California Adventure Park will highlight the diverse foods and flavors of the Golden State, with a distinct Disney twist. A lineup of visiting and Disney chefs will share personal stories and cooking tips in culinary demonstrations, tasting seminars and signature events. A dozen Festival Marketplaces throughout the park will serve small plates and beverages inspired by California-grown ingredients like avocados, citrus, strawberries, peppers and artisanal cheeses. Many dining locations and outdoor carts at Disney California Adventure will offer festival-inspired fare, with plant-based, allergy-friendly, gluten-friendly and kid-friendly dishes available. Adult Disneyland visitors will have the opportunity to discover wines, spirits and craft beers curated from across the Golden State at locations such as Paradise Beer Garden and Cocktails at Sonoma Terrace. For the best value on their tasty “tour” of California, guests can purchase the Sip and Savor Pass, which includes eight entitlement tabs redeemable for select food and nonalcoholic beverages at Festival Marketplaces and tasting-size portions at participating dining locations. On Saturdays and Sundays at the Hollywood Backlot Stage, guests of all ages can watch culinary demonstrations from a diverse mix of chefs, who will prepare their favorite dishes while sharing insider cooking tips. Notable presenters this year include Disneyland Executive Chef Chris Maggetti, Disneyland Pastry Sous Chef Gracie Gomez, Chef Jet Tila, Chef Shachi Mehra, Chef Kevin Bludso and many others.

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8 COUNTRIES THAT HAVE DROPPED COVID TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS

Sweden has removed all COVID-19 restrictions, and the Swedish Prime Minister announced the same on February 9. However, as per the reports, people are advised to stay at home if they are ill, while unvaccinated people need to continue to abide by certain precautions. Now, travellers who are fully vaccinated, can enter Sweden without undergoing any testing requirements, while the unvaccinated will need to take a test no more than 72 hours before departure. Denmark became the first EU nation to drop all COVID-19 restrictions, and has also scrapped other restrictions, including social distancing, mask-wearing, and the requirement of providing health passes for entry into places. Also, fully vaccinated travellers will no longer be required to provide evidence of a negative COVID-19 test on arrival to enter Denmark. However, those unvaccinated and travelling from outside the EU, will need to take a test within 24 hours of entry and self-isolate for 10 days. Ireland has also dropped most of its travel and entry requirements. Fully vaccinated travellers entering Ireland, will no longer be required to take an antigen test or PCR test before arrival. However, it has recently added the requirement of booster shot to its fully vaccinated travellers. If anyone hasn't had your booster yet and their last dose was over 9 months ago, the Irish Government will refer you as unvaccinated. The British Government recently ended the mask mandate and vaccine passports. From February 11, the British government announced that fully vaccinated travellers will no longer be required to take a test on or before arrival. Therefore, the United Kingdom is a test-free country now. However, unvaccinated travellers will be required to book a PCR test before departure. As of February 2022, Norway has removed almost all of its COVID-19 restrictions, and also eased its entry rules. Earlier in January, the Norwegian authorities announced that the quarantine requirement will also be removed as this measure is no longer considered necessary for controlling the infection. As such, travellers will now be able to Norway without undergoing self-isolation, even if they are not vaccinated or have recovered from the virus. Israel has also announced that COVID-19 related travel restrictions on all countries have been scrapped. Its Ministry of Health on Thursday also announced the removal of its red list of destinations with high COVID-19 cases. It also added that all vaccinated or recovered people from these orange nations, which were in the red list earlier, will now only need to be quarantined for 24 hours upon arrival, or until they get a negative test report. South Africa was one of the first African countries to remove almost all COVID-19 restrictions. The government removed the mandatory requirement of self-isolation for people with no symptoms. As per the reports, only those are required to self isolate for 7 days who have COVID symptoms. However, wearing masks is mandatory in public transport and public spaces. El Salvador became the first country in the world to remove all entry restrictions and requirements in November 2021. As per the reports, visitors travelling to El Salvador will no longer be required to provide proof of vaccination, or need a negative COVID-19 test report. However, do note that El Salvador still has certain internal COVID-19 restrictions in place.

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Food Tourism Market To Witness Excellent Growth | TU Elite, Greaves Travel, India Food Tour

Latest survey on Global Food Tourism Market is conducted to provide hidden gems performance analysis of Food Tourism to better demonstrate competitive environment . The study is a mix of quantitative market stats and qualitative analytical information to uncover market size revenue breakdown by key business segments and end use applications. The report bridges the historical data from 2015 to 2020 and forecasted till 2026*, the outbreak of latest scenario in Global Food Tourism market have made companies uncertain about their future outlook as the disturbance in value chain have made serious economic slump. Some are the key & emerging players that are part of coverage and profiled in the study are Classic Journeys, Abercrombie & Kent, ITC Travel Group, G Adventures, TU Elite, Greaves Travel, India Food Tour, The FTC4Lobe Group, The Travel Corporation, Topdeck Travel, TourRadar & Intrepid Travel. If you are part of the Global Food Tourism industry or intend to be, then study would provide you comprehensive outlook. It is vital to keep your market knowledge up to date analysed by major players and high growth emerging players. If a different set of players need to be analysed as per geography or regional target then enquire us with your customized requirements. Food Tourism Market: Competition Analysis With drastic change in consumers behaviour, firms, brands and value stakeholder in Food Tourism are curious to understand the implications for their products and services. Some of key competitors or manufacturers included in the study are Classic Journeys, Abercrombie & Kent, ITC Travel Group, G Adventures, TU Elite, Greaves Travel, India Food Tour, The FTC4Lobe Group, The Travel Corporation, Topdeck Travel, TourRadar & Intrepid Travel Market Analysis by Types: , Domestic Tourism & International Tourism Market Analysis by Applications: Individual Tourism & Group Tourism Food Tourism Quantitative Market Data Market Data breakdown by major geographies, Type & Application/End-users • Food Tourism Market Revenue & Growth Rate by Type [, Domestic Tourism & International Tourism] (2016-2026) • Food Tourism Market Revenue & Growth Rate by Application [Individual Tourism & Group Tourism] (2016-2026) • Food Tourism Market Revenue & Growth Rate by Each Region Specified (2016-2026) • Food Tourism Market Volume & Growth Rate by Each Region Specified, Application & Type (2016-2026) • Food Tourism Market Revenue Share & Y-O-Y Growth Rate by Players (2020) Important Features that are under offering & key highlights of the Food Tourism market report: 1. Why lots of Key players are not profiled in Study? –> The market study is surveyed collecting data of various companies from Food Tourism industry, and the base for coverage is NAICS standards. However, the study is not limited to profile only few companies; connect with sales executive to get customized list. The standard version of research report is listed with players like Classic Journeys, Abercrombie & Kent, ITC Travel Group, G Adventures, TU Elite, Greaves Travel, India Food Tour, The FTC4Lobe Group, The Travel Corporation, Topdeck Travel, TourRadar & Intrepid Travel 2. Does Scope of Market Study allow further Segmentation? —> Yes, for a deep dive analysis add-on segmentation is applicable in premium customized version of report to better derive market values. The standard version of this report covers segmentation by Application [Individual Tourism & Group Tourism], by Type [, Domestic Tourism & International Tourism] and by regions [North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific etc] 3. What value addition does Country landscape will provide? —> In the premium version of report, two-level of regional segmentation allows user to have access to country level break-up of market Size by revenue and volume* * Wherever applicable HTF MI provides customized study specific to regional and country-level reports for the following areas. • North America: United States, Canada, and Mexico. • South & Central America: Argentina, Chile, and Brazil. • Middle East & Africa: Saudi Arabia, UAE, Turkey, Egypt and South Africa. • Europe: the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, and Russia. • Asia-Pacific: India, China, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Singapore, and Australia etc. Browse for Full Report at @: https://www.htfmarketreport.com/reports/3664868-2021-2030-report-on-global-food-tourism-market Actual Numbers & In-Depth Analysis, Business opportunities, Market Size Estimation Available in Full Report. Reasons to Buy Stay tuned with the latest and Food Tourism market research findings. Identify segments with hidden growth potential for investment in Food Tourism. Benchmark performance against key competitors Utilize the relationships between key data sets for superior strategizing. Facilitate decision making on the basis of historic and forecast trend of Global Food Tourism market Suitable for supporting your internal and external presentations with reliable high-quality data and analysis

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Malaysia Edges Closer To Fully Reopening

Malaysia—one of the last Asian nations that’s yet to reopen its borders—is preparing to reopen its borders in March. Malaysia’s coronavirus recovery panel has recommended a full reopening of its borders as early as March 1 without mandatory quarantine for travelers. The reopening is part of a plan to speed up the nation’s economic recovery. Since March 2020, Malaysia has closed its borders for most reasons—including tourism. The news comes as Thailand, The Philippines, and Singapore waive quarantine requirements for fully vaccinated tourists. Malaysia’s New Entry Requirements Although the Malaysian government is yet to release a reopening date, reports suggest travelers will have to undergo screening before departure and on arrival. Muhyiddin Yassin, a former chairperson of Malaysia’s National Recovery Council (NRC), said: “This means tourists can visit, investors can enter… It means AirAsia (AIRA.KL) can fly again, as an example,” Malaysia reopened a Langkawi travel bubble last year, but entry requirements were strict. As a result, very few travelers bothered to visit Malaysia in 2021 The Current COVID-19 Situation In Malaysia Malaysia has recorded record cases of COVID-19 in recent weeks. The current 7-day case average is 10,610. However, with that said, Malaysia has fully vaccinated 98% of its entire adult population; this is one of the highest vaccine take-ups in the world. Currently, Malaysia has internal restrictions in place. A movement control order, whereby people can’t freely move around Malaysia, is currently in place. However, some states have reduced restrictions as they move into the National COVID Recovery Plan. Travelers must wear a face mask in airports and public transport. There is a social distancing mandate of 1 meter. To enter many facilities, they’ll take a test of your temperature before you enter; this includes shops, cinemas, tourist destinations, and cinemas. What About Other Asian Nations? It’s great to hear that Malaysia is planning to reopen its borders in March; however, what about other Asian nations? Asia has typically pursued a strict zero-COVID policy at all costs throughout the continent. But as many countries outside Asia learn to live with COVID-19—Asia is now opening for tourism. Here are some travel options in 2022: Vietnam Vietnam is reopening for tourism by April 2021. The nation pursued an extremely stringent zero-COVID policy throughout 2020 and 2021. Still, the nation will reopen will the following requirements: - Show proof of full vaccination—at least 14 days before entry—or Proof of recovery from Covid-19 within the previous 6 months - Travelers must take a negative PCR test result at least 72 hours before departure - Travel medical insurance with coverage of at least USD 50,000 - Separate requirements will apply for partially vaccinated individuals and children (news to follow) Thailand Thailand has restarted its Test & Go system. It allows travelers to skip quarantine requirements and enjoy Thailand if they meet the following requirements: - Travelers need a scanned copy of their passport and visa - Proof of fully vaccinated status, such as a vaccination certificate or proof of recovery - Travel insurance with coverage worth USD 50,000 - Confirmation of fully paid SHA Extra+/AQ hotel reservations (Day 1 and Day 5 with RT-PCR tests and airport transfer). The hotel for Day 1 must be within five hours of the traveler’s port of arrival, and the second hotel can be anywhere in the country. The Philippines After two years of closure, The Philippines is reopening its borders to international visitors. Here are the new entry requirements: - Travelers—regardless of their vaccination status—need evidence of a negative PCR test taken no more than 48 hours before departure. - Fully vaccinated travelers won’t need to undergo any quarantine measures - Children under 18 don’t need proof of vaccination.

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