News

Cygnett Group of Hotels and Resorts opens its second hotel in Goa

Continuing its aggressive expansion plans, Cygnett Hotels & Resorts has announced the launch of Cozzet Bay Boutique – Calangute, Goa, a full-service hotel that is designed to cater to leisure travellers looking for a great stay close to the beach. The hotel is Cygnett’s second property in Goa. The property will cater to both Budget and midscale leisure travellers who insist on international standards blended with authentic hospitality and local flair. Cozzet Bay Boutique is strategically located in Calangute at a walking distance from the beach. The Goa airport is located less than one and half hours from the hotel. “Cozzet Bay Boutique is a state-of-the-art modern individual villa hotel that has been built with only one thing in mind – guest convenience and privacy. We want to give our guests the best stay and dining experience in Goa,” said Sarbendra Sarkar, Founder and Managing Director, Cygnett Hotels & Resorts. The hotel features two categories of rooms – superior and club, and a multi-cuisine restaurant offering world cuisine. All hotel rooms are equipped with Wi-Fi connectivity, a minibar, tea/coffee maker and LED TV with set-top box.

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DCT Abu Dhabi creates comprehensive COVID-19 travel guidelines for international visitors; booster dose not mandatory

The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) has released a comprehensive guide for vaccinated and unvaccinated visitors to ensure streamlined and stress-free travel into the UAE capital. When planning a trip to Abu Dhabi, all inbound tourists are reminded first to check DCT Abu Dhabi’s destination website VisitAbuDhabi.ae for the latest travel guidelines and necessary COVID-19 precautionary measures. The site will reiterate that a booster (third) dose for any COVID-19 vaccine is not a requirement for entry into the emirate. For those entering Abu Dhabi via the Dubai/Abu Dhabi Road entry point, DCT Abu Dhabi has assigned the far-right lane (Lane 1) as a dedicated tourist lane. This lane also has a designated guest’s service office and officials to ensure seamless entry to the emirate and address any challenges. Vaccinated tourists must present proof of their full (double) vaccination status via their home country’s official vaccination certificate through a mobile application or physical certificate and present a negative PCR test result obtained within the last 14 days, or a negative 48-hour PCR test obtained from tourists’ home country. Unvaccinated visitors can enter with a negative PCR test obtained within the last 96 hours. A clear, concise summary of all traveller rules and regulations, for vaccinated and unvaccinated inbound visitors from both Green List and non-Green List countries, is below; Vaccinated or exempt from vaccination. Regional and International Inbound Tourists and Business Travellers flying into Abu Dhabi International Airport. First, check the UAE officially recognises your vaccine. Abu Dhabi accepts vaccines approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention Society (MOHAP). All quarantine procedures for all vaccinated travellers (and unvaccinated travellers from Green List countries) have been lifted, allowing seamless entry into Abu Dhabi. To check the Green List, please visit here. Travellers must download the Federal Authority of Identity and Citizenship (ICA UAE Smart) app or visit the ica.gov.ae website to complete the ‘Register Arrivals Form’ 48 hours before travel date. All travellers will need to validate their vaccination (or exemption) 48 hours before travel via these platforms. They will be prompted to submit personal information, passport details, travel itinerary, address when in Abu Dhabi and a copy of their vaccine certificate. These will need to be approved before the traveller embarks on their journey. The average time for the Medical Committee to process applications is 48 hours. Be cleared to fly. Travellers must take a PCR test within 48 hours of their departure and fly only once a negative test result has been received. Travel to Abu Dhabi. PCR Testing on Arrival. Upon arrival at Abu Dhabi International Airport, travellers will need to take another PCR test (only children under 12-years and individuals with official exemptions are exempt). This PCR test is readily available within the terminal and free of cost, with results received within 90 minutes. Travellers can depart the airport and wait in their accommodation for the results. Green List vs Non-Green List Countries. If the traveller comes from a Green List country, they will need to take another PCR test on Day 6. If from a non-Green List country, they will need to take another PCR test on Day 4 and Day 8. The day of arrival is Day 1. These tests can be taken either at one of the city’s testing centres or at their convenience in their hotel accommodation. Access to Abu Dhabi Attractions. To enter public attractions in Abu Dhabi, the majority of which allows access to vaccinated visitors only, visitors will need to present proof of their full (double) vaccination status via their home country’s official vaccination certificate or by their home country COVID response mobile application along with a negative PCR test result, obtained within the last 14 days. Unvaccinated Regional and International Inbound Tourists and Business Travellers flying into Abu Dhabi International Airport. Be cleared to fly. Travellers must take a PCR test within 48 hours of their departure and fly only once a negative test result has been received. Travellers must download the Federal Authority of Identity and Citizenship (ICA UAE Smart) app or visit the ica.gov.ae website to complete the ‘Register Arrivals Form’ 48 hours before travel date. They will be prompted to submit personal information, passport details, travel itinerary and address when in Abu Dhabi. These details will need to be approved before the traveller embarks on their journey. The average time for the Medical Committee to process applications is 48 hours. PCR Testing on Arrival. Upon arrival at Abu Dhabi International Airport, travellers will need to take another PCR test (only children under 12-years and individuals with official exemptions are exempt). This PCR test is readily available within the terminal and free of cost. The results should be received within 90 minutes. Green List vs Non-Green List Countries and quarantine measures. If the unvaccinated traveller comes from a Green List country, they will need to take another PCR test on Day 6 and Day 9 (the day of arrival is Day 1). They will not be required to quarantine. If the unvaccinated traveller comes from a non-Green List country, they will need to undergo quarantine measures. Once they receive the result from their arrival PCR test: if negative, they can make their way to their accommodation and quarantine for 10-days. If positive, they will need to complete their 10-day quarantine period. Both positive and negative travellers will need to take a second PCR test at a SEHA Prime Testing Facility on Day 9. If the traveller was previously positive and now shows a negative, they are free to discontinue their quarantine. Additionally, if the travellers have transited through a Green List country from a non-Green List country to Abu Dhabi but have spent less than ten days in the Green List location before arriving in Abu Dhabi, they must still complete the quarantine in Abu Dhabi. However, any time spent in the Green List country before arriving in Abu Dhabi will count towards the 10-day quarantine period. Access to Attractions. To enter public attractions in Abu Dhabi, visitors will need to present a negative PCR test result, obtained within the last 14 days. Regional and International Inbound Tourists and Business Travellers entering Abu Dhabi via Dubai or other emirates. Fully vaccinated and unvaccinated international travellers coming into Abu Dhabi via Dubai or other emirates will need to follow the same guidelines as the vaccinated and unvaccinated international travellers flying direct, plus a few additional on-ground measures, including: Be cleared to fly. Depending on departure country or airline, travellers may be required to take a PCR test within 48 hours of their departure, with a negative result mandatory. Travellers are advised to check official channels or airline requirements ahead of travel. Information on those required to take the test ahead of travelling can be found on the Emirates Airline COVID-19 Information Hub. Registering and Sharing Personal Information. Downloading the ICA UAE Smart app or visiting the ica.gov.ae website to complete their ‘Register Arrivals Form’ 48 hours before travel date. PCR Testing on Arrival. Depending on the traveller’s departure country, they may be required to take a PCR test upon arrival at Dubai International Airport or Sharjah International Airport. If they take the test at the airport, they must remain in their hotel until results are received. If positive, the traveller will undergo isolation and follow the Dubai Health Authority guidelines. Entry point Scan. All passengers travelling to Abu Dhabi via the road will be scanned by an EDE mobile scanning device at the entry point of the emirate. Anyone with potential COVID-19 symptoms will be sent for a free rapid antigen test, with results delivered within 20 minutes. If the test is positive, travellers can con-tinue into Abu Dhabi but must isolate either at a quarantine hotel or their accommodations, if visiting friends or family. Documents to present: Vaccinated tourists must present proof of their full (double) vaccination status via their home country’s official vaccination certificate via a mobile application or physical certificate and present a negative PCR test result obtained within the last 14 days. While unvaccinated tourists can enter by presenting a negative PCR test result obtained within the last 96 hours. Quarantine. Vaccinated: There will be no further testing or quarantine measures in Abu Dhabi. Unvaccinated: If the traveller originally comes from a Green List country and through Dubai or the other emirates, they will not be required to quarantine once they arrive at Abu Dhabi. If the unvaccinated traveller originally comes from a non-Green List country and through Dubai or the other emirates, they will be required to quarantine for 10 days once they arrive in Abu Dhabi. If they spent some time in Dubai, or other emirates, ahead of Abu Dhabi, these days can be put towards the 10-day quarantine count. Access to Abu Dhabi Attractions. To enter public attractions in Abu Dhabi, the majority of which allows access to vaccinated visitors only, visitors will need to present proof of their full (double) vaccination status via their home country’s official vaccination certificate or by their home country COVID response mobile application. Alternatively, they can present a negative PCR test result, obtained within the last 14 days.

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New Malaysian carrier SKS Airways takes to the skies

New low-cost Malaysian carrier, SKS Airways, took to the skies Tuesday with short-haul flights to holiday island resorts as domestic travel rebounds after months of lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic last year. SKS launched its maiden flight from the smaller Subang airport near Kuala Lumpur to Pangkor, a northern tax-free island, becoming the first carrier to fly there. It will also fly to northeastern Redang island, a popular scuba-diving haven, and southern Tioman island using 19-seater Twin Otter turboprop aircraft. There are currently no commercial flights to these islands. The launch comes even as other airlines in the country, including the region's budget carrier AirAsia, are still struggling to ride out the effects of the pandemic. "As a new set-up, we are nimble, agile and flexible and able to tap into any opportunities that arise. We are positioning ourselves to capitalize on the current pent-up demand for domestic travel," SKS Airways director Rohman Ahmad said at the launch. SKS Airways is owned by the SKS Group, a real estate company based in southern Johor state. The airline said its operations will initially focus on island and coastal resorts with connections to major cities within peninsular Malaysia. Rohman said SKS aims to expand regionally to Southeast Asia and southern China in the long-run. Transport Minister Wee Ka Siong said the launch of SKS will bolster domestic tourism. He said Malaysian airports have seen an increase in passengers following the progressive reopening of the country's borders. Wee said Malaysia recorded only 11 million air passenger traffic last year, with the numbers picking up in the last two months of 2021. He said air passenger traffic is forecast to rise as much as 45 per cent this year from pre-pandemic figure of nearly 120 million in 2019.

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What are the Covid-19 restrictions on inter-state travel?

As Covid-19 infections continue to rise across the country due to the Omicron variant, travel curbs and other protocols have been put in place to control the spread. The Union Home Ministry has issued a general advisory for inter-state travel. According to the advisory, there shall be no bar on inter-State travel by air, rail, water, or road. Asymptomatic patients who have been vaccinated with both Covid-19 jabs could be exempted from showing a negative RT-PCR report on their travels. Passengers who are found symptomatic on arrival shall be subjected to Rapid Antigen Test. The home ministry has, however, allowed the States to implement additional restrictions, based on their local requirements. Here’s a list of states with Covid-19 restrictions for domestic travelers Goa Travellers need to show a negative Covid-19 test of no more than 48 hours old before entering Goa. A mandatory Covid-19 test will be conducted for those who do not have a Covid-19 test certificate. This test will cost passengers Rs 2,000. Jammu and Kashmir Passengers travelling to Jammu and Kashmir have to show a mandatory negative RT-PCR report of not older than 72 hours. Passengers not in possession of a negative Covid-19 report will be required to undergo a test upon arrival. All passengers arriving at the J&K airport will be kept in Institutional quarantine until results for their Covid-19 test arrive. Defence personnel arriving in the UT are exempted from these rules. Sikkim It is mandatory for all passengers entering Sikkim to produce a negative RT-PCR report conducted within 72 hours prior to the date of entry, the state government announced on Monday. In case a person cannot produce an RT-PCR negative test report, he/she has to undergo a rapid antigen test at all entry check posts and Pakyong Airport. Delhi According to the guidelines, random sample collection will be done for passengers arriving in Delhi, especially from states where there has been a spurt in the number of Covid-19 cases. Thermal screening will be done for all passengers on arrival. Positive passengers will be quarantined at home or hospital for 10 days. No mandatory Covid-19 tests will be done. All passengers have to download the Aarogya Setu app. Madhya Pradesh A mandatory thermal screening will be done on arrival. For passengers arriving from Maharashtra, a mandatory RT-PCR negative report is required. The report should not be older than 72 hours. Those not in possession of the report will be required to undergo the test. The state requires 10 days of institutional quarantine for those who have tested positive. Andhra Pradesh A Covid-19 test will be done on all passengers arriving from Maharashtra, Delhi, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. A 7-day institutional quarantine is also mandatory for passengers arriving from these states. A 14-day home quarantine for passengers arriving from the remaining locations. Karnataka Passengers coming from Maharashtra will be kept in institutional quarantine for seven days followed by home quarantine for 14 days. Home quarantine of 14 days is also mandatory for passengers coming from other states. Tamil Nadu People entering Tamil Nadu from Maharashtra, Delhi, Gujarat will be tested for Covid-19 upon arrival. For passengers coming from other states, only symptomatic passengers will be tested for Covid. Tripura Random Covid-19 testing will be done on every fifth passenger arriving in Tripura. Passengers with foreign travel history in the last 28 days are to be kept in institutional quarantine till the results are declared. Haryana No mandatory Covid-19 test will be done for domestic travellers arriving in Haryana. However, thermal screening will be done on all passengers on arrival. Those who test positive will have to undergo home quarantine for 14 days. No institutional quarantine is required. Any passenger flying to Chandigarh will have to fill out a self-declaration form. Punjab Random testing will be conducted on passengers arriving in Punjab. It is mandatory for all passengers to register on the COVA Punjab app. For those arriving in Chandigarh, random testing will be only done for the Punjab residents. Uttarakhand Random Covid-19 testing will be conducted for arrivals. All passengers travelling to the state will need to register on the state website. Nagaland Nagaland requires institutional quarantine of 14 days for all passengers, followed by a home quarantine for 14 days. For vulnerable groups (people above the age of 60, children, pregnant women), 28-day active surveillance will be done.

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Minor Hotels To Open NH Collection Property In Qatar In Mid-2022

Minor Hotels has announced the signing of an upcoming addition to its portfolio in Qatar. NH Collection Doha Oasis Hotel & Beach Club is in the later stages of development and is slated to open in mid-2022. The property will be the first NH Collection property globally with a beach club. The new 300-key hotel, including 50 suites, is located in the Ras Abu Abboud area along Doha’s eastern coast, midway between the city centre and Hamad International Airport, and has a rich history. The previous Oasis Hotel, from where the new property takes its name, was in the same location and was Doha’s first ever hotel when it opened in the 1950’s.

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Marriott Bonvoy Launches New Global Promotion

Marriott Bonvoy, Marriott International’s travel program, is kicking off the year with a rewarding promotion, offering members bonus points and Elite Night Credits on each paid night of their stay, with a fast-track to Elite status and more points for free nights, experiences and more. Registration starts today for the global promotion, which gives members 1,000 bonus points and an additional Elite Night Credit for each paid night of the member’s stay – effectively making each night count twice during the promotion earning period of February 8 to May 4, 2022. This means a new member could achieve Silver Elite status with just a five-night stay. There is no limit to the number of bonus points or bonus Elite Night Credits that members can earn during the promotion, meaning members can earn one bonus Elite Night Credit and 1,000 bonus points for each night of the promotion earning period. As long as they are registered, members can begin earning bonuses from the very first eligible night that falls within the earning period, and on each eligible night thereafter.

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