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Renovated Mubarak Mandi Complex will boost tourism: J&K LG

Jammu and Kashmir's Lt Governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday chaired the meeting of governing body of the Mubarak Mandi Jammu Heritage Society and reviewed the to-date progress of restoration and renovation works of the Mubarak Mandi Complex, officials said. During the meeting, the Lt Governor who is the Chairman of the Mubarak Mandi Jammu Heritage Society took a comprehensive review of different works under execution for transforming the Mubarak Mandi Complex as a major tourist attraction in Jammu. The Lt Governor was briefed about the completion stages of restoration works of different buildings of the complex, financial progress achieved under different schemes and measures to improve connectivity and access to Mubarak Mandi Complex. The Lt Governor also issued directions to expedite the restoration and conservation works for early completion of the projects for restoring the Dogra heritage palaces as per the desire of the people. While enquiring about the tourist footfall in the heritage complex, the Lt Governor observed that the renovated Mubarak Mandi complex will boost the tourism sector in Jammu.

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World tourism won't return to pre-pandemic levels until 2024: UN

Tourism arrivals around the world are not expected to return to their pre-pandemic levels until 2024 at the earliest, the World Tourism Organization said Tuesday. The highly contagious Omicron variant, though mild, will "disrupt the recovery" in early 2022 after last year saw four percent growth over 2020, according to the Madrid-based UN agency's World Tourism Barometer. Tourism revenue in 2020 was 72 percent down on the previous year -- which closed with the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. ALSO READ: Rebuild more sustainable tourism in mountains "The pace of recovery remains slow and uneven across world regions due to varying degrees of mobility restrictions, vaccination rates and traveller confidence," the UNWTO said in a press release. In Europe and the Americas, foreign visitor arrivals surged by 19 percent and 17 percent, respectively, last year over 2020. In the Middle East, however, arrivals declined by 24 percent in 2021, while in the Asia-Pacific region they were 65 percent below 2020 levels, and 94 percent down on pre-pandemic levels. The statement said tourism professionals "see better prospects" for this year after turbulence in the early months because of the Omicron wave. The agency predicts a 30 to 78 percent rise in international arrivals this year over 2021, while remaining far below 2019 levels. Most experts say they do not foresee a return to pre-pandemic levels until at least 2024, it said. Many countries are highly dependent on tourism and are eagerly awaiting a return to normal. "The economic contribution of tourism in 2021 (measured in tourism direct gross domestic product) is estimated at $1.9 trillion (1.68 trillion euros), above the $1.6 trillion in 2020, but still well below the pre-pandemic value of $3.5 trillion," the statement noted.

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What does 2022 hold for the Global Cruise Industry?

From being a cynosure of the leisure travel industry to being right in the eye of the storm during the last two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, the cruise industry has been subjected to major scepticism and baptism by fire by both the cruiser and the authorities. Cruising was eyed with unwarranted suspicion, not applying to it the same yardstick as other travel verticals like airlines, trains, and hotels. While domestic airline operations resumed to near-normal levels in countries and international air route bubbles were established, cruise liners had to find their middle ground operating short cruises to nowhere, catering only to the local populace as inter-country port visits were not allowed. Since mid-2021, cruise line operating statistics showed positivity in consumer confidence and safety. The omicron variant appears to be sending ripples as things were looking up. TTJ speaks to the leading lights of the Indian cruise industry to find out about the technology, safety upgrades, confidence-building measures, expansion plans, and what perhaps 2022 holds in store for the industry. – Gurjit Singh Ahuja It’s no secret that no cruise liner was spared in the COVID-19 pandemic, and the last two years have been catastrophic for the industry, but learnings have emerged, and now cruise lines are much better prepared to handle any future situations. Explaining the situation, Nishith Saxena, Founder & Director, Cruise Professionals, (India GSA for six global cruise brands) elaborates, “One of the greatest learnings for the entire industry and stakeholders is that COVID-19 virus did not originate on a cruise ship. Secondly, with each of the cruise lines carrying thousands of passengers each week since July 2021, there have been minuscule cases of COVID-19 onboard and the need for cancellation of cruise has been extremely limited. Therefore, establishing that hygiene protocols on cruise ships are better than the best in the travel industry. Most important – cruising has emerged to be the safest mode of luxury vacation where 95-100 per cent passengers and 100 per cent of the crew is vaccinated.” Adding further to this, Naresh Rawal, Vice President, Sales India & South Asia, Genting Cruise Lines, said, “In these last two years, Genting Cruise Lines was at the forefront rethinking, redesigning and enhancing our operations to adapt to these new travel environments and trends, especially in safety and preventive measures. We were the first international cruise line in the world to resume cruises since July 2020 with Dream Cruises. To date, all three ships under the Dream Cruises fleet are currently operating safe cruises in Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan, as well as for Star Cruises in Penang, Malaysia.” Everyone agrees to the need to be vigilant and sensitive about the new twists and turns the pandemic takes and ensure measures are in place and updated following both international guidelines and domestic requirements. Sanjay Kapoor, VP, Sales Support & Marketing, STIC Travel Group, GSA for Holland America Line, Windstar Cruises and A-Rosa River Cruises, explains, “Holland America Line, has enhanced the air-handling systems onboard all ships using a combination of increased circulation of fresh air together with upgraded air filtration. Windstar Cruises has implemented ‘Beyond Ordinary Care’ program on all of its luxury and semi-luxury yachts. This is a multi-layered strategy with key hospital-grade elements: HEPA (high-efficiency particulate) filters and UV-C, ultraviolet germicidal irradiation to filter and disinfect the air, plus electrostatic sprayers to sanitise all surfaces throughout the yachts. Similarly, at A-ROSA river cruises in Europe, the health, safety and well-being of all guests and crew members has always been their top priority. For this reason, the A-ROSA Care Team has developed ‘Safety First’ concept, a comprehensive health and hygiene concept based on the official directives and recommendations of the Robert Koch Institute, Germany’s federal government agency and the research institute responsible for disease control and prevention, which meets national and international health standards.” Today, every cruise ship has a team of experienced doctors and nurses trained to manage various medical conditions, including COVID-19. Saxena also points out, “The Return-To-Service” for most cruise lines was delayed due to unprecedented scrutiny and overcautious approach from the global regulatory authorities over the last twenty months. Having said that, it is important to note, all decisions by cruise lines have been taken based on science and in collaboration with relevant authorities ensuring that health safety of the crew, passengers and communities we visit on our voyages, is never compromised.” Despite the Omicron variant, the mood is upbeat for 2022, Rawal explains, “At Genting Cruise Lines, we remain optimistic of the cruise industry in 2022. Over the past year, we observed an increase in consumer confidence in cruising as we had successfully demonstrated safe cruises in these recent years, resulting in emerging new domestic markets with consumers also making bookings within a longer lead time in advance. We have to adopt a realistic approach in our operations as the pandemic will continue to evolve. As such, it’s crucial for cruise lines to work closely with international bodies and local authorities to monitor the situation closely, so preventive and safety measures can be effectively adapted and implemented to safeguard all on board.” The need now is for the governments worldwide to realistically and pragmatically evaluate the current situation and open their borders and ports to regular air and cruise traffic to all fully vaccinated and screened travellers. This will encourage a transition to normalcy and do away with knee-jerk reflexes and backtracking of decisions which are detrimental not only to the travel and cruise industry, but to the global economy as a whole. Kapoor, however, points out that the uncertainty surrounding omicron has affected their future bookings, “Usually this is the season for promoting and selling Alaska and Europe cruises, but with the recent travel restrictions and quarantine requirements, people are hesitant to book right now and mostly postponing their plans. Most of our agents have also put on hold their group allocation requirements. Additionally, non-issuance or delay in visas is also making travel difficult.” Discussing the impact of the very recent caution to avoid cruises issued by CDC, Saxena, emphasised, “CLIA- Cruise Line International Association which is the voice of the cruise industry has reacted sharply by stating that the decision by the CDC to raise the travel level for the cruise is particularly perplexing considering the cases identified on cruise ships consistently make up a very slim minority of the total population onboard—far fewer than on land—and the majority of those cases are asymptomatic or mild in nature, posing little to no burden on medical resources onboard or onshore.” He further added, “There has been no dip in cruise queries or bookings after the CDC warning, which also means that even passengers and travel advisors understand the safe environment provided onboard the cruises. We assess, in all likelihood, this CDC alert would be revised before the end of this month unless something dramatic unfolds.” Many new ships were under construction and scheduled for deliveries at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some deliveries were postponed but not cancelled due to constant fleet renewal and the latest technology and ship design upgrades. According to Rashmi Ahuja, Divisional Head, MSC Cruises India, “MSC launched two new ships in 2021, MSC Seashore and MSC Virtuosa. In 2022, MSC World Europa will be launched – the first ship in the trailblazing MSC World-Class fleet. LNG powered with one of the world’s cleanest marine fuels and featuring breakthrough green technologies, MSC World Europa symbolises the beginning of a new era of cruising.” Rawal also states, “The pandemic situation has affected the delivery schedule for our ships under construction. However, we are looking forward to welcoming our Global Class ship under Dream Cruises this year as we introduce the next generation of cruising.” Kapoor too is upbeat about additions to his portfolio, “Ms Rotterdam, the newest Pinnacle-class ship of Holland America Line sailed on its maiden voyage in September 2021. Windstar, on the other hand, undertook a USD 250 million Star Plus initiative to completely transform their three all-suite luxury Star Plus Class ships—Star Breeze, Star Legend, and Star Pride—end-to-end to offer guests more comfort in-suite, more delight on deck, etc. A new A-Rosa cruise ship, A-Rosa Sena is currently under construction, scheduled to depart on its inaugural voyage from Cologne on May 21, 2022.” Saxena summarises, “The new year will see 32 new cruise ships debut, made up of 25 new ships on the cruise ship order book for 2022, plus an additional seven vessels that were built in 2021 and are expected to enter revenue service this year. The new ship line up of 2022 will contribute 44,659 new berths to the market, plus an additional 23,366 berths from ships from 2021 that will debut this year, meaning 68,025 new berths are set to enter the cruise industry in 2022.” Clear indications are that the cruise business is set to grow at a very fast pace in the year 2022–2023, catering to the pent-up demand of first-time cruisers who are searching for a very safe and exciting vacation option. In their advertisements and regular communication to their past and potential consumers, the cruise lines have been very upfront about the consumer-friendly booking terms and value additions, motivating passengers to choose a cruise and book early. “All Ahoy…Bon Voyage”

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Covid-19: Unvaccinated people aged 60 and up face monthly fines in Greece

Greece imposed a vaccination mandate on Monday for people 60 and older as a spike in infections has put sustained pressure on Greek hospitals, where most of the seriously ill patients belong to that age group. Older people failing to get vaccinated will face penalties, starting at a 50-euro ($57) fine in January and followed by a monthly fine of 100 euros ($114) after that. About 69 per cent of Greece’s 10.7 million people are fully vaccinated, just under the EU average of 70.3 per cent. Covid-19 deaths and daily hospitalisations in Greece have increased following the arrival of the highly contagious Omicron variant, although the overwhelming majority of people in the hospital or dying of the virus have the Delta variant. Pressure on ICU capacity has eased slightly. Health Minister Thanos Plevris said the fines would be collected through the tax office with the money going to help fund state hospitals. Greece imposed a vaccination mandate for health care workers last year. And starting February 1, vaccination certificates for adults will expire after seven months unless the holder receives a booster shot. New infections surged sharply in early January but have eased over the past week. The vaccination mandate for the 60 and older age group was announced in late December and, according to government data, 41.5 per cent of the 530,000 people targeted by the measure are now fully vaccinated. Opinion polls suggest strong public support for the mandate, but some lawmakers across party lines have questioned the legality of singling out a specific group. The government defended the measure as constitutional, citing a 2020 high court decision allowing public day care centres to refuse children who had not been vaccinated for childhood illnesses. Government spokesman Giannis Oikonomou said only people with legitimate health exemptions, those who had suffered a recent infection and applicants for home vaccination appointments that were delayed would be spared the fine. “The law will be fully enforced,” Oikonomou said. Greece has the seventh oldest population in the world, as measured by share of residents aged 65 and over, according to the US-based Population Reference Bureau. It has seen nearly 22,000 virus-related deaths in the pandemic.

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Happy to see India gearing up on both international and domestic fronts of Tourism: Jyoti Mayal

Speaking about the Air Bubble Agreement with South Korea, and international flights linking Bangkok, Bangladesh cities which are starting from Agartala’s Maharaja Bir Bikram (MBB) Airport in Tripura, Jyoti Mayal, President, TAAI said it gives her immense happiness to see tourism developing on all fronts, especially during such tough times when all they have faced is a major setback. “This has been repeated several times but the fact of the matter is the harsh reality, tourism sector is facing during the ongoing pandemic. Nevertheless, where there is a will, there is a way, and with air bubble agreement with around 40 countries and soon to be plus one, and starting of international flights from Agartala airport in the near future, shall definitely add to the revival of tourism,” she said. “The Indian government had proposed an air bubble agreement to the South Korean government in July last year, and the Centre has been waiting for its response. We are very much hopeful to add one more country to the list of air bubble agreement. Also, the soon to be starting international flights from the Agartala airport would increase the footfall of tourists, which would give a necessary boost to the drowning structure of the industry, caused by the global pandemic,” commented Jay Bhatia, VP, TAAI. Adding to which Bettaiah Lokesh, HSG, TAAI further quoted that the MBB airport in terms of handling of aircraft and passengers, is the second busiest airport in the northeastern India and would definitely garner good footfall. "As far as the international front is concerned, I am hopeful, that our government would keep on expanding the air bubble list, in order to provide travel industry and the travellers a sense of confidence and the power to travel, until international barrier is not lifted," he said. “I extend my gratitude to the government for actively working in such times, and engaging with countries on air bubble and its expansion, and also working simultaneously to uplift the travel and tourism sector in the country by welcoming international traffic, and calibrating its approach in accordance with the global Covid-19 situation is a commendable move,” Shreeram Patel, Treasurer, TAAI.

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Bengal government relaxes Covid-19 curbs as positivity rate drops

The West Bengal government on Monday relaxed some of the restrictions imposed due to spiralling Covid-19 cases, as it allowed gyms to reopen and gave permission for jatra (theatre) and outdoor shooting. The move comes at a time when the positivity rate of Covid-19 cases in the state has dipped from 33.8% on January 9 to 26.4% on Monday. An order issued by the state government on Monday said that gyms could now reopen with 50% of the capacity every day till 9 pm, provided staff and users were either fully vaccinated or were RT-PCR negative. Jatra (theatres) have been allowed up to 9 pm with 50% capacity in an outdoor venue. In an indoor venue, a maximum of 200 people may be allowed. Outdoor shootings for films and televisions have also been permitted. “The daily count of Covid-19 cases had shot up to more than 24,000 on January 9, while on Monday it dipped to 9,385. The positivity rate, too, had dropped during the same period,” said a senior official of the state government. On Monday, Kolkata registered 1,879 fresh cases of the Covid-19 infection. According to statistics published by the Union health ministry, the weekly positivity rate of Kolkata, which had shot up to 57.9% between January 2 and January 8, has dropped to 53.5% between January 10 and January 16. “There is no place for complacency and we have to be very cautious at least till the first week of February. The positivity rate of Kolkata, even though it has come down, is still higher than most of the cities including Delhi and Mumbai,” said Sukumar Mukherjee, Mukherjee, is a member of the expert committee that was set up in 2020 to advise chief minister Mamata Banerjee on pandemic-related matters. While the death toll was 18 on January 9, it has jumped to 33 on Monday. On January 15 and January 16 at least 39 and 36 people had died. The recovery rate has also dropped from 94% to around 90% in the last one week. It was only on January 2 that the state government imposed restrictions closing down schools and colleges while allowing only 50% workforce in offices and putting a 50% cap on trains and metro. Direct flights from UK were stopped and flights from Delhi and Mumbai were allowed to land only three days a week. On Saturday, the West Bengal election commission had postponed the polls in four civic bodies by three weeks, even as the state government relaxed some of the restrictions. Marriage ceremonies were allowed to be held with 200 people or 50% of the seating capacity of the venue. Earlier the cap was 50 people. The state also allowed fairs and melas to be organised following Covid-19 protocols.

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