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20% cancellations in Goa hotel bookings amid Covid-19 surge, says tourism industry stakeholder

Goa's tourism industry is currently seeing 15 to 20 per cent cancellations in hotel bookings after a sudden spike in Covid-19 cases in the coastal state, an industry representative said on Wednesday. The state on Tuesday reported 592 fresh cases of Covid-19, with the positivity rate remaining high at 13.89 per cent, as per the heath department. In the wake of the rise in Covid-19 cases, tourists have started cancelling their visit to the state, Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) president Nilesh Shah said. "The hotel booking cancellations are between 15 and 20 per cent," as people are avoiding travel these days due to Covid-19-related restrictions, he said. The tourism industry is adhering to the standard operating procedures (SOPs) and all those employed in the sector have taken both the doses of vaccine against Covid-19, he said. Shah said they expect the situation to improve by next month. "Experts have predicted that the Covid-19 numbers will peak in the next seven to ten days and then come down," he said. He also said that the present surge in Covid-19 cases "should not be solely attributed to the rush in Goa for the New Year celebrations" as the rise in viral infections is also being witnessed in other parts of the country and the world.

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Environment ministry identifies 90 eco-tourism sites, asks states and UTs to demarcate specific zones

In a bid to promote sustainable and responsible tourism, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India has released a potential list of 90 eco-tourism sites across the country which can be later developed as global eco-tourism destinations. Gujarat has got the maximum share with nine sites of the western state featuring on the list whereas seven and five sites have found place from Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka respectively. Assam, Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and West Bengal have four sites each. All the sites in the list are protected areas including popular national parks and wildlife sanctuaries. The nine sites in Gujarat include landscape in Gir National Park, Marine National Park, Barda Wildlife Sanctuary (WLS), Girnar Wildlife Sanctuary, Jessore Sloth Bear Wildlife Sanctuary, Kachchh Desert Wildlife Sanctuary, NalSarovar Bird Wildlife Sanctuary, Thol Lake Wildlife Sanctuary and Wild Ass Wildlife Sanctuary. Other prominent sites are Sukhna Lake WLS in Chandigarh, Manali WLS in HP, Gulmarg WLS in J&K, Sanjay Gandhi National Park in Mumbai, Bhitarkanika and Chilika WLS in Odisha, Keoladeo Ghana National Park in Rajasthan, and Nanda Devi National Park in Uttarakhand. Identification of potential sites is one of the eight implementation strategies of the ministry's eco-tourism guidelines which lays a framework for practicing and promoting sustainable eco-tourism by maximising outputs that support nature and natural resources in their original forms. The ministry in its note to states/UTs said the 'overall goal' of these guidelines is promoting a better understanding of nature and wildlife conservation while "generating income and opportunities for the local communities in an ecologically, culturally and economically sustainable manner". These strategies are part of the Environment Ministry's 'Guidelines on Sustainable Eco-Tourism in Forest and Wildlife Areas 2021', released in October last year. The Centre in its guidelines has also asked states and UTs to prepare a plan for every eco-tourism site keeping in view its five key objectives, including enhancing the ‘potential of India as a global eco-tourism destination’. On preparing an eco-tourism plan, the ministry has asked states and UTs to appropriately demarcate the ‘eco-tourism zone’ after assessing management requirements of the target wildlife, the habitat or the geographical entity, and their behavioural and ecological characteristics. The guidelines also talk about allowing the development of homestays at the eco-tourism sites, only if such facilities are managed by local communities on non-forest land.

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Swiss tourism back on an uphill trend

The Swiss tourism sector had a more positive start to the key winter season than had been expected, despite the Omicron variant of Covid-19, the Switzerland Tourism agency said Tuesday. "In comparison with the previous winter holiday season, overnight stays should be up by 10 to 15 percent, with the return of foreign tourists," the agency said, citing first estimates. It said the number of overnight stays were at 90 percent of the levels reached in 2019, so "a certain optimism is therefore perceptible". Reservations, and cancellations alike, were notably made at short notice, following the ebb and flow of the Covid-19 pandemic. However, hoteliers, particularly in the mountains, witnessed a return of European tourists, especially from Germany, France and England, while domestic visitors have remained loyal. Omicron had Swiss ski resorts rattled in early December when the government imposed 10-day quarantine restrictions on arrivals from countries with the variant of concern. That included Britain, Belgium and the Netherlands -- the three major sources of ski tourists. Some hotels and ski schools saw their bookings with British customers plunge by 50 percent in 48 hours. But Bern reversed its decision once it was clear that Omicron was already spreading within Switzerland. Most cases are now due to Omicron. Foreign tourists must now provide proof of a negative Covid test on entry and fill in a passenger locator form.

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HC asks Delhi govt to consider early re-testing of Covid-19 positive international travellers

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday said that in case there were no guidelines issued by the Centre, it expected the city government to expeditiously consider the issue of early re-testing of international travellers who test positive for Covid-19 on arrival. Justice Rekha Palli, who was hearing a petition by a mother whose 18-year-old son from the United Kingdom was admitted to a private hospital here for isolation after testing positive for the virus upon his arrival, also asked the Delhi government why the genome sequencing report of the patient - who was stated to be positive for the omicron variant- cannot be shared with him. The judge noted that during the pendency of the petition, the petitioner's son tested negative and was discharged from Fortis Hospital. The petitioner told the court although her son was now with her, several other patients were being held up in various health facilities for days as the hospitals were not conducting Covid-19 re-tests periodically. It was also contended that the mother has the "right to know" and should thus be given the genome sequencing report of her son. "It is expected that in case no guidelines are issued by the Union of India, the Delhi government will expeditiously consider the matter so that patients, like the petitioner's son, do not suffer. Delhi government will also inform why the genome test report can't be made available," the judge ordered. The petitioner, represented by lawyer Vikram Hegde, had moved the court last month seeking to know the outcome of the genome sequencing test carried on her son. The counsel for the hospital stated that while the Covid19 test report has been given to the patient, the genome sequencing report, which disclosed that the presence of omicron variant, was not given to him as the same was only with the government authorities. "We don't have a copy of the genome report. We get an excel sheet (from the authorities)," said counsel Arjun Dewan, appearing for Fortis. In response to the petitioner's assertion that the hospital was not conducting any re-test upon her son when he was admitted, the lawyer said that the hospital administration was only following the Delhi government directive that international travellers who test positive for the virus have to be re-tested on the tenth day of the first test or after three days of being asymptomatic, whichever is later. Delhi government counsel Arun Panwar said the directive was in line with the guidelines issued by the Centre and sought time to seek instructions. Central government counsel Bharati Raju stated that there was no ban on repeat RTPCR in their guidelines. The high court had on December 29 sought responses of the Centre and the Delhi government on the petition and had said while the protocols imposed by authorities ought to be followed, the petitioner mother was entitled to know the genome test result which was not a national secret. The petitioner had alleged that her son who tested positive for Covid-19 at the airport here after coming from the United Kingdom was not being discharged by the hospital for lack of clarity on the virus variant. She had claimed that in spite of her son being a mild case of Covid-19, the private hospital was not re-testing him. The court had directed Fortis Hospital to place on record the genome sequencing test report and also asked it to again conduct an RT-PCR test on the patient. The court had further asked the private hospital to supply the copy of both the reports, genome sequencing and RT-PCR, to the petitioner as well as central and Delhi governments. The Centre had told the court that the Delhi government was managing the whole scenario and as per the guidelines, National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) provided the report to the state government which in turn has to inform the patient. On being asked by the court if the genome test report was a confidential document as it was not shared with the patient, the counsel for the Centre had replied in the negative. The court was earlier informed that samples for genome testing of the virus have to be mandatorily sent in case of positive cases at the international airport. The matter would be heard next on January 14.

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Rajasthan imposes fresh travel curbs

Given the rising COVID-19 cases in the state, the Rajasthan government on Sunday imposed fresh curbs. The decision to impose fresh restrictions was taken at a COVID review meeting chaired by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot in Jaipur. Rajasthan on Sunday recorded 355 new COVID-19 cases, taking its infection tally to 9,56,883. Of this, 224 cases were reported from Jaipur alone. No deaths linked to the infection was recorded in Rajasthan in the last 24 hours, a Medical and Health Department official said. After Jaipur, the maximum number of cases registered was from Jodhpur which reported 34 cases, 24 in Ajmer, 12 in Pratapgarh, 11 each in Alwar, and Kota, six each in Bhilwara and Udaipur. Fresh restrictions People coming from abroad will have to undergo mandatory RT-PCR tests for COVID-19 in Rajasthan. They will have to be in institutional or home quarantine for seven days till test reports come negative for the virus. Domestic travellers arriving in Rajasthan will have to produce COVID-19 double vaccine certificates. Traveller coming to the state has to be fully vaccinated or produce RT-PCR negative test report not older than 72 hours. The number of people attending political and other rallies, dharnas, fairs and weddings have been capped at 100. Information regarding organising an event will have to be uploaded on a web portal developed by the DoIT. In Jaipur all government and private schools will remain closed for classes 1 to 8 from January 3 to January 9. Other standard students and coaching institutes will have to produce written consent of guardians to attend physical classes. COVID-appropriate behaviour to be strictly followed at religious places and offerings such as flowers and prasad will be restricted. As per new rules, all commercial establishments in the state have to ensure double vaccination of all staffers by January 31. A night curfew will remain in force in Rajasthan from 11 pm to 5 am across the state in view of the rising number of cases.

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27th International Yoga festival commences from January 4 in Puducherry

The Puducherry Tourism Secretary T Arun told PTI that nearly 1,000 delegates and yoga experts from different parts of the country would participate in the festival which would be marked by presentation of special lectures and competitions. The four-day long 27th International Yoga Festival organised by the Directorate of Tourism of the Puducherry government commences from January 4. The Puducherry Tourism Secretary T Arun told PTI that this would be the first event of the new year. He said nearly 1,000 delegates and yoga experts from different parts of the country would participate in the festival which would be marked by presentation of special lectures and competitions. The administration has put in place special centres to test the health status of all those attending the festival in view of the current pandemic situation. Puducherry has been conducting the yoga festival every year since the last more than two and half decades. This festival is part of efforts to promote tourism in the union territory, Arun said. Lt Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan will inaugurate the festival in the presence of Chief Minister N Rangasamy.

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