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M/s Al Habib Emporio signs a franchise agreement with Ramada Encore by Wyndham Srinagar Rajbagh

M/s Al Habib Emporio signs a franchise agreement with Ramada Encore by Wyndham Srinagar Rajbagh M/s Al Habib Emporio, a hotel and development company based out of Srinagar, announced the signing of a franchise agreement with Wyndham Hotels & Resorts for a new hotel development under the trendy, lifestyle Ramada Encore by Wyndham brand. Ramada Encore by Wyndham Srinagar Rajbagh is situated on the Jhelum River in the Rajbagh area of Srinagar. The property is 9.5 KM from Srinagar Airport and 2.5 KM from popular Dal Lake. The hotel will have a modern facade and will feature 48 contemporary rooms and a host of amenities including a lobby lounge, an all-day dining restaurant and, meeting rooms, event space and a business centre. “We are pleased to partner with Wyndham Hotels & Resorts under their lifestyle brand Ramada Encore by Wyndham and become part of its expanding hotel portfolio in North India. We are working closely with Wyndham to build the hotel to high international standards and look forward to welcoming guests to our hotel by 2024,” said Aatif Yaqeen, Proprietor, M/s Al Habib Emporio. “We are delighted to announce the signing of Ramada Encore by Wyndham in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India, further strengthening our mid-scale presence. Ramada Encore by Wyndham is one of our most popular brands in the country and this signing reaffirms our commitment to continued growth in the mid-market lifestyle segment. We look forward to our partnership with M/s Al Habib Emporio and to providing another truly international standard hotel to the city of Srinagar,” said Nikhil Sharma, Regional Director Eurasia, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts.

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NTOs focused on keeping their destinations relevant

Travelling and dreaming go hand in glove. When a destination tickles your imagination, you start to dream, visualising yourself there, and the many experiences for you to look forward to, this dreaming finally fructifies into travel. 2020 and 2021 saw the traveller more or less confined to their homes or cities, due to a barrage of protocols and restrictions, travel was at its lowest ebb, but nothing stopped the traveller from dreaming. This task to keep the traveller dreaming and excited to travel once the opportunity arose was perfectly cut out for the National Tourist Offices (NTOs) worldwide and in India. Rising to the occasion to keep their destination relevant with the traveller and travel partners, the NTOs innovated, though digitally. So came along webinars, regular interactive sessions, immersive 360° videos and a range of imaginative virtual campaigns on websites and social media to keep all engaged, excited and dreaming. So, as we step into 2022, we at TTJ wanted to know whether their efforts and pro-activeness for their destinations brought in the expected results. Moreover, with the latest Omicron threat, we further wanted to understand their immediate focus, plans, and strategies in the new year. Their feedback looks as if it has been worthwhile, and the show must go on. Arvind Bundhun, Director, Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority The MTPA team has been very active on digital media platforms since the outbreak of COVID-19. In the last few months, we observed increased optimism and confidence amongst Indian trade partners towards the destination. With Air Mauritius reinstating flights to Mauritius, under the air bubble agreement, the trade is reporting an increased urge amongst Indian travellers to visit our country. Hence, MTPA and all stakeholders are confident that our endeavours and pro-activeness for the last two years will bring a better tomorrow. Mauritius has been open fully for vaccinated tourists since October 2021, with proper health and safety protocols in place. To increase engagement, MTPA plans to organise virtual roadshows and workshops until such time when face-to-face interactions are again safely possible. As things improve, we also have plans for familiarisation trips for media, tour operators, MICE agents, wedding planners, golfers, film and television production houses. An advertising plan was also in place, which had to be put on hold due to the pandemic. MTPA will continue disseminating clear and consistent messages to consumers and trade partners through digital platforms. Our website www.mauritiusnow.com is updated regularly, as it is the most useful tool for sharing the latest information and inspiring consumers to choose Mauritius over other destinations. HE Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, Chairman, Sharjah Tourism and Commerce Development Authority We are very confident that our efforts to keep Sharjah in the tourism spotlight are bearing fruit. Our trade partners in India show a high level of curiosity and interest in the emirate’s new and varied offerings to sell the destination to their customers. The Sharjah Light Festival is a case in point – we have received very positive feedback about the annual event, with trade operators enthusiastic about promoting the next edition, which takes place in February 2022. The statistics confirm the continued popularity of our offerings. For example, our Sharjah Collection bookings that blend luxurious accommodation with Arabian culture, traditional hospitality, adventure, and nature interactions have increased year on year as we emerge from the pandemic. Sharjah’s hospitality establishments, which comprise boutique hotels and eco-retreats located in key locations throughout Sharjah, have experienced a rise in the number of tourists for every month last year, with April 2021 recording a whopping 156 per cent increase in bookings when compared to April 2020. We are acutely aware that our trade partners are the lynchpin for our industry and are integral to ensuring the success of Sharjah’s growing tourism sector. We will be continuing to work hand-in-hand with them to ensure that potential visitors are fully informed of the array of wonderful attractions, hospitality options, and cultural activities that our emirate has to offer every category of traveller, whether single, group, independent, or all-inclusive. Due to the new COVID variant threat, visitors’ health, safety, and security to Sharjah are of paramount importance. We are adhering to all the stipulations issued by the federal and local authorities in this respect. We are ensuring that we effectively communicate the regularly updated travel guidelines to our trade partners and are issuing travel alerts to the tourism sector as necessary. In the face of the new variant, we have returned to the 2-meter social distancing, and public venues and offices in the UAE have adopted the Al Hosn app Green Pass for entry, thereby enforcing continuous COVID-19 testing as a safety requirement. The UAE has acted swiftly and decisively to deal with the pandemic. Its highly effective vaccination campaign and other steps taken mean that lockdowns have been avoided, unlike the situation with many other major cities around the world. With this in mind, we are confident that the measures being taken by the authorities will ensure the safety of all travellers to Sharjah, both this year and in the years to come. We believe that the UAE’s track record underlines our reputation as a safe destination for travellers, even during the worst of the pandemic. Visitors can rest assured when making plans to visit Sharjah. Luis Cabello, Trade and Tourism Counsellor, PROMPERU India The current global scenario required us to adapt to survive, and much like the rest of the world, we accepted the challenge head-on. Within Peru, we worked hard to introduce requisite biosecurity protocols and made progress at a steady rate. In India, my office continued to engage with the industry’s B2B and B2C segments – albeit in a modified format. Despite the ‘ new normal, we shifted our efforts to the digital space and learned to carry out ‘one-on-one’ sessions with the Indian Travel Trade. The year 2021 proved to be an important year for destination Peru in India, considering we launched the first-ever travel agent certification program here. The feedback we received was more than encouraging! We organised two webinars in the last few weeks of the year to keep the dialogue open, and we were overwhelmed with the response we received regarding the number of agents who participated in these sessions. We are happy to say that we have begun the New Year positively, with many agents emailing us their Peru Agent certification and congratulating the destination for concise yet informative training modules. Travel too was on the rebound as we began registering entries of Indian travellers to Peru in the second half of the year. Peru as a destination has also expanded its travel portfolio by adding new experiences and destinations from the northern part of the country and the traditional tourist circuit in the south of Peru. Travel is now synonymous with the pristine natural wonders, and a peek into authentic cultures, and the north offers just that! One such example is the department of Amazonas, geographically situated near the Amazonian rainforest and home to the archaeological site of Kuelap, known to be a legacy of the Chachapoyas people who were also called the cloud warriors in their times, and other awe-inspiring natural wonders like the Gocta waterfall. We realise that the pandemic is not yet over and that the industry must continue to work hard to overcome new challenges. Nevertheless, we are certain that the world will collectively make progress soon enough. Whenever the time is right, we are confident that the Indian Travel Trade, together with the Indian traveller, will place Peru at the very top of their travel plans. Due to the current context of the new COVID variant and taking into account the importance of reactivating the tourism sector, PROMPERÚ thought it appropriate that its principal strategy be focussed on the promotion of domestic tourism while simultaneously working on various source markets, including India, where we continue to train the travel trade, which allows us to continue receiving prestigious accolades at the international stage, such as the recently announced edition of World Travel Awards South America edition 2021. These international accolades recognise Peru as a dream destination and keep Peru relevant to the plans and priorities in the new year. Nishant Kashikar, Country Manager (India and Gulf), Tourism Australia Before the onset of the pandemic, India was the fastest-growing market for Tourism Australia for three consecutive years, i.e., between 2017 to 2019, achieved double-digit growth in arrivals for six consecutive years and delivered over 400,000 arrivals for the year ended Feb 2020. We remain confident that India will continue to be among Australia’s most promising markets for the years to come. Recent research findings from the Consumer Demand Project (CDP) conducted by Tourism Australia indicate that Australia holds a dominant number one spot across the key factors important to High-Value Travellers (HVTs) and remains consistently number one for consideration awareness and intention to visit. The CDP report also reveals that from an estimated 2.2 Mn HVTs in India, 82 per cent (1.8 Mn) intend to visit Australia in the next two years. Tourism Australia’s Consumer Travel Sentiment Tracker has consistently revealed that Indian consumers have the highest confidence index, travel and booking intent, and Australia’s perceptions of safety remained very high. Other encouraging developments to influence travel to Australia include the announcement of Visa Application Charge (VAC) waiver for Indian tourists whose visas have expired between 20 March 2020 and 30 June 2022 and the resumption of direct flights by Qantas and Air India between India and Australia. As we learn to co-exist with the virus and its variants, we will continue our current plan of action for topical and on-trend marketing and trade activities. We will also introduce new experiences to reinforce destination appeal through exciting advocacy and influencer-led initiatives and experiential content, as we expect India to be amongst the fastest-growing markets for Australia post-COVID. In recognising the potential of the Indian market, the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade launched the India Economic Strategy to transform Australia’s economic partnership with India. The report predicts that, by 2035, arrivals from India could potentially reach up to 1.2 Mn, and these tourists would spend up to A$ 9bn on their Australian trips. Thoyyib Mohamed, CEO and MD, Maldives Marketing & PR Corporation The efforts and proactiveness in promoting the Maldives as a destination have brought excellent results. As of 23 December 2021, India is the top source market to the Maldives, with an impressive arrival figure of 286,434 travellers and a market share of 22.5 per cent. This is a 78 per cent growth compared to 2019, our most successful year in tourism so far. With these figures, we can confidently say that the Indian market has made a full recovery. Since we have already observed such positive growth, we are confident that the upward trend will continue in the future. The health, safety, and wellbeing of our travellers and the local population will continue to remain our top priority. We will remain vigilant to quickly detect, respond and control outbreaks so that the Maldives will remain safe for travellers. Our dedication to health and safety is the key reason why the Maldives persevered and prospered amidst the pandemic. Our naturally social-distanced islands and stringent measures make the Maldives a safe haven for all travellers whether they stay in a luxury resort, guesthouse, liveaboard, or hotel. Rajeev Nangia, India Director, Monaco Government Tourist Bureau 2020 was the year in which international tourism came to a complete standstill. 2021 has seen improvements in the tourism sector as the vaccination and booster shots created a higher level of consumer confidence and inspired people to travel again. With the re-launch of the “For You At Last” Campaign, Monaco Tourist and Convention Authority communicate that it’s time for tourism recovery representing the diversity of what Monaco has to offer to tourists. The Monaco Convention Bureau, the catalyst for the Principality’s MICE offering, has launched a new communication campaign with the slogan #REEVENT, which is a rallying cry and an invitation to industry professionals to come back and organise events in the Principality of Monaco. Since sustainability, environment conservation, and hygiene measures are also in demand, the Monaco Government Tourist and Convention Authority have launched a White Paper on Sustainable Tourism in Monaco. The Destination and its partners adopt solutions to ensure that resources are managed in the most efficient way possible. With the newly launched campaigns and special initiatives regarding sustainability introduced in the Principality of Monaco, we expect these factors will bring good results for the destination. Due to the new COVID variant threat, our immediate focus is to emphasise the various preventative health measures such as the Monaco Health Pass, Monaco Safe Label, and other precautions like wearing a mask in public places and practicing social distancing, etc. Our efforts will enhance the visitor’s arrivals figure into Monaco as soon as possible from India. Simeron Ghei, India Representative, Jamaica Tourist Board Travel is bound to recover from its 2020-21 downturn, with vaccinations and booster shots creating a higher level of confidence in people and inspiring significant intent to plan for future travel. The last two years have been a roller-coaster for most people worldwide. With vaccines and digital health passports now making the rounds, we can finally look forward to new adventures. Living and traveling within the parameters of the protocol is the new normal. With over 192 countries participating in the World Expo 2020 in Dubai, the first mega-event since the pandemic broke out has made a global impact and is helping to overcome international reluctance to travel. People visiting the Expo show a positive response regarding travel and tourism. Jamaica has already been opened for international travellers from June 2020 and has recently lifted the travel ban from India. Jamaica’s participation will bring in excellent results from this side of the world. Due to the new COVID variant threat, our immediate focus will be to highlight the safety and preventative health measures introduced and followed by the Government of Jamaica. To keep the destination more relevant in 2022, Jamaica is keen to open a new route between India and Jamaica, making the destination more accessible for Indian travellers. Brent Hill, CEO, Tourism Fiji Ever since Fiji opened borders to fully vaccinated visitors from Travel Partner countries for quarantine-free travel on 1st December 2021, it’s been an exciting time for us. We’re happy to see so many people travelling and extending the average stay to over a week. We expect some 75,000 inbound tourists to visit Fiji over the next few months. Though India currently does not feature under our ‘Travel Partner’ countries, we are positive and hopeful to be soon able to welcome Indian travellers back to our shores. All along the way, last year, we focused on the positives – our vaccination rollout, local tourism re-opening, December re-opening for international visitors, renovations being completed, and campaigns being planned. We had a lot to talk about, and we kept communicating about Fiji. Our priorities were to keep our markets abreast with the latest destination developments from a leisure perspective and COVID-19 safe measures that were being worked on. As we enter the new year, we will continue encouraging discussions during our regular trade meetings, collate feedback and assess the trade needs to complement and support them. We are confident both our trade and consumer initiatives will play an enhanced role, as they will help support the travel decision-making process in favour of Fiji and simultaneously raise the profile of Fiji as a visitor destination from India. Investing in public safety protocols to keep all visitors as protected as possible through the Care Fiji Commitment has been the most critical element and will continue to be for us. Last year, tourism Fiji launched the Care Fiji Commitment Programme as an operational COVID-safe framework for all tourism operators and service providers. Over 1000 businesses are registered under the Care Fiji Commitment Programme, which ensures these properties, operations, and services uphold COVID-safety practices approved by the World Health Organization and recognised by the World Travel and Tourism Council. With the successful re-opening of borders for our ‘Travel Partner’ countries, we succeeded in generating a positive image of Fiji – that we are safe, ready, focussed, and a destination that could handle tourists, ensure they had fun and relaxed while keeping them as safe as possible. The buzz around Fiji has been positive and incredible. Our immediate goal is to keep communicating with the trade and consumer to maintain destination confidence and, alongside this work, to aspire affluent travellers who seek premium and personalised experiences to visit Fiji soon. Berthold Trenkel, Chief Operating Officer, Qatar Tourism The past year has been all sorts of challenges; however, that has never deterred us from thrusting ahead. We used our time optimally in formulating plans in line with Qatar’s National Vision 2030 to become a leading destination as we expanded our tourism proposition. As part of the ‘Qatar Tourism Strategy 2030’, we have added a variety of exciting experiences, including a wave of new luxury hotels, theme parks, malls, and major leisure projects, that have recently opened or are set to open in the lead up to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™. Additionally, we have a host of exciting new initiatives to announce in the coming year, which will include our biggest promotional marketing campaign, “Experience a World Beyond” launched in October 2021 in key markets across the globe and will see its introduction in India within the first two quarters of 2022. We are now less than a year until the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, so now is the perfect time to visit Qatar. Qatar is an accessible introduction to the Middle East, blending cosmopolitan modernity and beautiful landscapes with Arabic traditions, cuisines, and cultures. We have a rich cultural heritage, luxury five-star hotels and resorts, great outdoor activities, beaches and museums, and cultural landmarks waiting to be discovered. While the Indian market situations are dynamic and evolving, our priority is to focus on market recovery and readiness at this given point. With strategic trade partnerships, incentive programmes, target campaigns, and a strong outreach by our partners on the ground, we are positive that the market will see a quick turnaround in good time. And don’t forget – Indian nationals are part of the 95 countries welcome to Qatar under the ‘visa on arrival’ scheme – making us the best destination to visit and discover. India remains one of the top markets for Qatar, and we continue to engage with the travel trade regularly through our agency partner, who promotes Qatar as a major travel destination, both as a hub and as a final destination, and to drive travel trade engagement. Currently, our plan of action includes joint promotion campaigns, sales calls, TAWASH certifications (our travel expert training program), and activities such as EPEX, MILT among others which help raise awareness for the destination and the extensive developments that are underway. We are witnessing a steady movement in the MICE and Corporate travel segment. India’s MICE market has significant potential and is a key driver for Qatar. Business events are also a rapidly developing subsector of tourism in Qatar. Before the pandemic, it was growing rapidly and had a strong pipeline in the future, with major international conferences, sporting, and business events due to be held in Qatar. Over the next few years, the country will host large-scale events, including FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, Qatar Grand Prix, Qatar Geneva International Motor Show, to name a few. Ibu Nia Niscaya, Deputy Marketing, Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy / Tourism and Creative Economy Agency, Republic of Indonesia The Indonesian government, particularly the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy (MoTCE), has initiated protocols for tourism industries, namely Cleanliness, Health, Safety, and Environmental Sustainability (CHSE) protocols through the InDOnesia CARE Campaign was launched in July 2021. MoTCE has been working with related ministries and institutions to keep implementing CHSE protocols in whole tourist destinations in Indonesia. It aims to build trust and gain confidence for tourists that all protocols have been implemented in every tourism sector over the nations. To recover tourism against the COVID-19, MoTCE keeps on the utmost efforts to accelerate tourism recovery by accelerating three main programs: Accelerating vaccination for tourism and creative workers and society in destination: As of December 30, 2021, the number of citizens who already received the first dose of vaccine has reached 160,01 Million (76,83 per cent), and citizens who already received the second dose of vaccine has reached 113,00 Million (54,26 per cent). Specifically, the Indonesian government keeps running the Acceleration of Vaccination in Bali, as it is the main tourist destination in Indonesia. Accelerating CHSE Certification End to End through InDOnesia CARE campaign: Regarding increasing the CHSE certification value, MoTCE has partnered with the Indonesian National Standard (Badan Standar Nasional/ BSN) to create the CHSE standardisation for the tourism industry. As of December 30, 2022, the number of tourist industries that have been already certified has reached 11,986 in 34 provinces and 403 cities/regencies. Destination Readiness and integration with the “Peduli Lindungi (PL)” application: MoTCE encourages all tourists and industries to use PL applications as tourists’ tracing and tracking systems. We strongly ensure the end-to-end travel starts from the arrival at the airport, hotel, accommodation, tourist attraction, and so on and up to returning to the airport. We want to show that Indonesia is ready to welcome back international tourists and keep improving the destination experiences. We need to remain resilient and optimistic against this new reality of COVID variants. Indonesia, especially Bali, has opened international flights and welcomed international tourists starting October 14, 2021. The opening will be done gradually while improving the destination’s readiness to welcome tourists. Besides, MoTCE is working hand in hand to develop tourism pillars end to end, starting from the destination, infrastructure, industry, investment, marketing, and event or MICE as well. The MoTCE will keep implementing 3 (three) strategies to increase and develop tourism sectors for the year ahead, namely: 1. Adaptation 2. Innovation and 3. Collaboration. Specifically for the India market, MoTCE is initiating various strategies to increase Indian tourists since it is one of our biggest international markets. MoTCE is working hand in hand with the government, wholesalers, travel agents, and other related industries to inspire Indian tourists through campaign #InDOnesiaCare, #itstimeforBali, and #WonderfulJourney by being present online and offline. In terms of connectivity, MoTCE cooperates with the Ministry of Health Republic of Indonesia, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Republic of Indonesia, and the Ministry of Transportation Republic of Indonesia to ease direct connectivity such as chartered flights. Romit Theophilus, Director for India, The German National Tourist Office Based on feedback received from industry stakeholders, the latent need to travel cannot remain bottled up for long and the cork will pop soon. It is expected that starting March 2022, tourism will start witnessing some signs of recovery. The gradual opening of tourist and cultural businesses in the German states and the relaxation of entry regulations have inspired potential Indian travellers for their next visit to Germany. As an evolution due to the pandemic, nature and recreational activities gained importance. Outdoor activities are in greater demand, and interest in health, wellness and sustainable vacations are on the rise. Basis the findings of a travel survey, it was found that ‘not being overcrowded’ was the most important factor to decide on a holiday destination amongst Indians. Peace, quiet, and safety were the next most important aspects. Further, based on feedback received during our interactions with tour operators and travellers, we have noticed a high demand for Germany this year, especially in the leisure sector. We anticipate Germany being recognised as a go-to travel destination ahead of the summer travel season this year. The relaunch of tourism in 2022 is in full swing. It was inevitable that the travel bug would prove stronger than the virus. But it is also clear that the places where safety can be guaranteed and not overcrowded will be the first to experience a post-pandemic travel boom. And that is the case within Germany. Our ongoing mission is to maintain the strong image our customers have of Germany as a travel destination and provide the expertise, up-to-date market analysis, and effective marketing activities that will enable our partners in Germany’s tourism industry to make a fresh start. In terms of our strategy jointly with our headquarters, the German National Tourist Board, we are currently working hard to put our marketing on the right track in response to the crisis and looking further ahead. In light of the current trends, we are also strengthening our collaborations with tour operators/travel agents. The experiences gathered during the virtual meetings and events are helping us here. The content of our campaigns for 2022 ‘German.Local.Culture’, ‘Embrace Nature’, and Feel Good are geared towards the new challenges. Vachirachai Sirisumpan, Director, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) New Delhi Office The last two years have been very challenging for us and everyone in the tourism industry. One of the most important tasks for us, TAT India team, has been to constantly send out positive energy to all our partners in the Indian travel trade. In return, we have received a lot of support from them. We try to stay connected and constantly communicate with the travel trade and travellers in India, keeping current sentiments and the developing situations in mind. Thailand has been and will be one of the favourite destinations for Indian travellers but that does not afford us to sit back and relax or put things on hold even when the situation does not permit or facilitate travel to Thailand. We are sure that the India market will rebound fast, as people are looking forward to their next holiday when the time is right. I am very confident that once the pandemic situation improves and travel restrictions are relaxed by both countries with flights connections, we will see a good number of Indian travellers travel to Thailand once again. This was evident from the fact that some charters which were supported by us and operated in the months of December and January to Phuket drew a good response. Our strategy is to maintain Thailand as a “Top of Mind” destination by giving a new perspective about the destination in line with the current marketing campaign “Amazing New Chapter”, and focus more on sustainable and responsible tourism. We remain a very safe destination to visit, considering the strict safety standards maintained by Thailand. We will also maintain constant and regular communication with our travel trade partners in India and Thailand. The other strategy is to move fast and be flexible in the market. At the first stage we are focussing and preparing to push travellers whom we have identified as our “First Movers” these are the people who want and are ready to travel to Thailand, based on segments such as Millennial Group, Golf, Wedding and Incentive groups.

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PM proposes virtual tour for Independence struggle related memories

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday suggested a virtual catalogue of memories, persons and places associated with the Independence struggle in the 75th year of India's Independence. Referring to a presentation on the theme of 'Vocal for Local and Virtual Tourism' by an entrepreneur from Jaipur during the virtual interaction, Modi appealed to him and his friends, "Coinciding with the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, why not hold a virtual competition for schools and college students from across India?" "The students can compile anything, everything related to the Independence struggle from their district, their towns, some memorial, anything from the history into a virtual creative work. And Start Ups like yours can compile and present them," Modi said, adding, "Then you can invite the country to a virtual tour in the 75th year of Independence? You start thinking on these lines. I am sure we can take it forward," the Prime Minister assured. Earlier, the Start Ups had made presentation and shared ideas and inputs on a variety of sectors and areas including robust data collection mechanism in agriculture; making India preferred agri-business hub; boosting healthcare through use of technology; tackling issue of mental health; promoting travel and tourism through innovations like virtual tours; ed-tech and job identification; space sector; connecting offline retail market with digital commerce; increasing manufacturing efficiency; defence exports; promoting green sustainable products and sustainable means of transport, among others.

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MoCA asks states to prepare detailed profiling of potential airstrips, heliports and waterdromes

The Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India, has asked the states and other stakeholding departments of the government including the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, to identity and prepare detailed profiling of the potential airstrips, heliports, and waterdromes in the country, so that the airline operators feel confident in bidding for such places based on the projections and opportunities during UDAN bidding. Although the government has identified so many airstrips and heliports in the last four years and placed them for bidding in the past four UDAN biddings, there haven’t been many takers for those routes so far. This has made the Civil Aviation Ministry revisit its strategy, especially when there is increasing demand from states for more remote connectivity than regional connectivity. The Ministry has asked the states and other stakeholders to create a priority list of such places with comprehensive profiling of those destinations on the basis of their demography, business/trade/industry, and tourism potential. While the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has awarded 948 routes under UDAN, only 403 UDAN routes have commenced connecting 65 UDAN airports including 2 water aerodromes, 8 heliports as of now, as per the statement made by the Minister of State for Civil Aviation in the Parliament recently. For airstrips and heliports, the response has been relatively lukewarm in the UDAN biddings so far. Even in the routes which have been awarded under the bidding, there has been a delay in the operationalisation of the routes, which the Minister in his response has attributed to factors like “non-readiness of civil airports/heliports”, “unsustainability of the operation on the awarded routes,” and “adverse impact of Covid-19 pandemic.” Under UDAN, the AAI has awarded over 36 heliports, but many routes are still not operational. The same is the case with the seaplane routes awarded under UDAN. As per the government’s own admission, 28 seaplane routes connecting 14 water aerodromes in Gujarat, A&N Islands, Assam, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Lakshadweep have been under UDAN, but only one, Statue of Unity and Sabarmati River Front, have been operationalised so far. Even the one operationalised has also come to a halt after one week of operations a year ago.

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UK to abolish mandatory PCR test for vaccinated people returning to country: Reports

The United Kingdom will abolish mandatory Covid-19 tests for all fully vaccinated travellers returning to the country by the end of January, the Times reported on Sunday, citing a source close to UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps. "We are looking at removing all Covid tests for vaccinated travelers by the end of January, which is likely to coincide with the review of the plan B measures on January 26," the source said, as quoted by the media. According to the newspaper, this move will help UK families to save hundreds of pounds and will give impetus to the recovery of the tourism industry. In addition to the abolition of PCR tests for fully vaccinated people, the minister intends to remove other restrictions, in particular the mandatory wearing of face masks in shops and public transport. The UK faced a surge in Covid-19 cases ahead of Christmas. On December 7, the authorities introduced the requirement for a negative Covid-19 test to all persons over 12 entering the country amid the spread of the new Omicron strain. In accordance with these rules, all passengers were required to present a negative PCR test taken no more than 48 hours before their arrival. On December 8, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that the country would move to the so-called Plan B. The British were encouraged to work from home whenever possible and required to wear a mask. In addition, a Covid-19 pass confirming vaccination became mandatory for visiting public places. Daily testing was required for those who may had come into contact with carriers of the coronavirus. A few days later, British airlines asked Johnson to abolish mandatory Covid-19 tests for fully vaccinated passengers.

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AAI yet to procure a single body scanner for its 100-plus airports

The Centre-run Airports Authority of India (AAI) is yet to procure and install a single body scanner for its 100-plus airports across the country, government officials said. Aviation security regulator BCAS had in April 2019 directed 84 hypersensitive and sensitive airports across the country to install body scanners by March 2020, replacing existing door frame metal detectors, hand-held scanners and pat-down searches of passengers to detect metallic objects. "Walk-through metal detectors and hand-held metal detectors cannot detect non-metallic weapons and explosives. Body scanners detect both metallic and non-metallic items concealed on the body," the circular of Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) had said. Following the BCAS circular, AAI had in 2020 issued a tender to procure 198 body scanners for 63 airports, officials told PTI. Three companies had put in their bids, but the tender was later cancelled, they stated. When asked by PTI for the reason for cancellation, the AAI spokesperson said it was done due to "administrative reasons". The spokesperson did not elaborate on what were these administrative reasons. The spokesperson stated that a fresh tender to procure body scanners is in "planning stage" right now. Airports where these body scanners will be installed will be decided "after completion of the (new) tender process", the spokesperson mentioned. According to its website, the AAI manages a total of 137 airports which include 24 International airports (3 civil enclaves), 10 custom airports (4 civil enclaves) and 103 domestic airports (23 civil enclaves). The BCAS circular had in April 2019 classified 28 airports - including the ones in conflict areas such as Jammu and Kashmir and in the north-east - as hypersensitive and 56 airports as sensitive. These 28 hypersensitive and 56 sensitive airports will have to install body scanners by March 2020 while the remaining airports can install it by March 2021, the circular had said. The BCAS did not respond to PTI's queries on whether it has taken any action against the AAI for not following the deadline set by April 2019 circular, or if the regulator has extended the deadline for installing body scanners. Passengers have to remove their jackets, thick clothing, shoes, belts as well as all metallic items before entering into the body scanner of an airport. A mannequin-like image is generated by the machine, and if there is a yellow spot on the screen, it means that area on the body may need further screening. Once the body scanners are installed at an airport, pat down searches will not be required for all passengers.

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