News

Outbound Travel Stare At Frosty Winter

Just when the heavily battered outbound travel industry was looking forward to green shoots to emerge, the news that the Omicron virus has made an appearance has shattered their hopes. South Africa, one of the most sought-after destinations for Indians faced the brunt as countries started shutting their doors on the Southern African states. Slowly but steadily the Omicron virus has made its appearance in over three dozen countries around the world and the World Health Organisation (WHO), has termed the decision by countries to stop flights to South Africa as unfortunate. However, this has not stopped countries from formulating their policies to keep people out either through stringent testing or making post-arrival conditions rigid thereby making the entire holiday experience unpalatable. The Indian government has also suspended the regular international flights that were scheduled to begin from December 15, 2021 and this has put paid to many Indians who despite the risks involved were willing to holiday overseas. In a sense, the demand was more in the form of revenge tourism. Overseas leisure and corporate travel that had picked up over the last few months are slowing reducing as companies want to play safe and keep their employees safe. UK and USA have introduced stringent conditions for travel, and this makes travelling overseas a cumbersome experience. However, destinations such as UAE, Oman, Bahrain, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, and Maldives to name a handful of them are still welcoming Indian tourists. All these economies depend on tourism for their growth and if tourism does not take off, it will create hardships for their people. These are pragmatic policies and should be welcome. One major short-haul market that’s still out of bounds for Indians is South East Asia. The countries in this region, namely, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and to a certain extent Australia and New Zealand (though not in South East Asia), have closed their doors to tourism. It is rather unfortunate as the destinations that Indians can travel have shrunk since the pandemic has begun. Outbound tour operators who have started bookings now face an uncertain future. It has been noted that tour operators are no longer attracting staff as no one wants to enter this industry as the uncertainty surrounding the Covid-19 variants have made people fearful and they do not want to risk their careers. This is a sign of bad times as before the pandemic the Indian outbound tourism was one of the fastest-growing sectors in India and Indians were travelling in large numbers. The outbound industry is on its knees and the emergence of the Omicron virus has hit the nail in the coffin. We hope this blows over quickly and we emerge to see light at the end of the tunnel.

Read more

Omicron Effect: Delhi Bans Christmas, New Year Gatherings As Cases Rise

As Omicron cases steadily rise in the national capital, the Delhi government today banned all gatherings to celebrate Christmas and New Year. All cultural events and other gatherings have been prohibited, according to an order by the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA). District administration officials and the Delhi police have been directed to tighten the enforcement machinery to ensure that people follow social-distancing norms and wear masks. District officials have been asked to submit daily reports. Market trade associations have also been directed to deny entry to customers without masks. The DDMA ordered the district magistrates (DMs) to identify potential Covid superspreader areas ahead of the two celebrations. "All district magistrates shall conduct an intensive survey of the entire area falling under their jurisdiction and identify those pockets, colonies markets and crowded places which have the potential of becoming superspreaders of Coronavirus and its Omicron variant," the DDMA said in the order. Delhi has recorded 57 Omicron cases so far, highest among all states and union territories in India. A total of 213 cases of the highly contagious strain of Covid have been detected in India. Amid signs of rise in infections from the new variant, the Centre, in an advisory, has asked the states to activate "war rooms" and bring back curbs, including night curfews to contain it. It also listed a series of prevention and containment measures that included extensive testing and regulation of gatherings. The letter from the health ministry had called for "greater foresight, data analysis, dynamic decision making and strict and prompt containment action", as it directed the states/union territories to be "prompt and focused and take containment measures and restrictions even before these thresholds are reached". India's Coronavirus tally reached 3,47,58,481 today after the country reported 6,317 new infections, which is a jump of 18 per cent from yesterday's 5,326 cases. The active cases have declined to 78,190, the lowest in 575 days. With 318 deaths over the past 24 hours, the total death count in the pandemic has climbed to 4.78 lakhs. The World Health Organization has said the Omicron variant is spreading faster than the Delta variant and is causing infections in people already vaccinated or who have recovered from Covid.

Read more

Eurowings to offer more summer destinations than ever before

Leisure airline Eurowings will offer more destinations in its 2022 summer flight schedule than ever before. Anyone who wants to use the cold Christmas days to plan their holiday for 2022 can now choose from more than 140 attractive direct connections. With around 2,500 weekly flights, capacity will be close to pre-Covid-19 levels next summer. The clear front-runner is the Balearic island of Mallorca, with Eurowings offering flights from more than 20 airports up to 380 times a week next summer. Eurowings will be flying from Hamburg to the Portuguese cities of Lisbon and Porto, as well as the Spanish destinations of Alicante and Bilbao, for the first time. ADVERTISEMENT In addition, travellers will be able to fly directly from the Hanseatic city to Verona in Italy and Gothenburg for the first time. From Stuttgart, Eurowings is expanding its offer with a focus on destinations in southern Europe: Porto (Portugal), Adana and Kütahya-Zafer (Turkey), Preveza (Greece) and Tbilisi (Georgia), as well as Tivat (Montenegro) and Tunis (Tunisia), are in the programme for the first time. The Romanian city of Timisoara is also back on the flight schedule. From Düsseldorf, Eurowings will offer the new destinations of Bergamo, Funchal and Tromsø in the 2021/22 winter schedule and also in the 2022 summer programme. For the first time, Eurowings will also fly from Düsseldorf to the Greek port city of Volos in the Thessaly region. The Serbian capital Belgrade is a new addition to the schedule. In addition, the airline will once again fly to Kosice (Slovakia) and Mostar (Bosnia-Herzegovina). From Cologne/Bonn, Germany’s largest holiday airline is now also flying to the Canary Island of Tenerife and to Alicante in the summer. After the Covid-19 break, the popular Turkish destinations Izmir and Kayseri are also back on the Eurowings flight schedule from Cologne/Bonn.

Read more

Aviation Sector Continues Its Turbulent Journey In CY2021: ICRA

The domestic aviation industry, which reeled through heightened challenges since the onset of Covid-19 pandemic in CY2020, continued its turbulent journey in CY2021, with the resurgence of the second wave in the early part of 2021, informs Suprio Banerjee, Vice President & Sector Head, ICRA. The year started with sequential growth in domestic passenger traffic in January 2021, with the trend reversing in March 2021, due to the second wave. With declining fresh infections sequential growth was again witnessed in June 2021, which has continued till November 2021. The growth, however, has been much below pre-Covid levels, either on monthly or on a cumulative basis, Banerjee says. The other challenge which the industry has been facing in CY2021 is rising Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) prices, which as of December 2021, has gone up ~ 67% on a YoY basis. With scheduled international operations, yet to start and domestic passenger recovery still a work-in-progress the Indian aviation industry is estimated to report a net loss of ~Rs. 250-260 billion in FY2022, with recovery in domestic passenger traffic to pre-Covid levels expected only by FY2024.

Read more

Accor Signs First Mantis In Masai Mara, Kenya

Accor is expanding its footprint in Eastern Africa with the opening of the first Mantis property in Kenya. The Mantis Masai Mara Eco-Lodge is set to become a highlight property for the brand and the group, offering direct access to the Mara-Seregenti game reserve. Mantis was founded in 2000 by global entrepreneur and conservationist Adrian Gardiner and features a diverse collection of extraordinary destinations around the globe. Since joining forces in 2018, Accor and Mantis have worked together to take on new opportunities to welcome guests in authentic curated hotels, eco-lodges and waterways, while prioritizing the cause of sustainability and to promote further appreciation of the natural environment across every unique destination. The group is partnering with Rakam Investment, a limited company engaged in investment, focusing on real estate since its inception in 2016, and which has developed commercial and residential properties in the Greater Nairobi Metropolitan Area. This partnership is a result of a tender process amongst top international hospitality companies. Global leader in real estate and hospitality advisory services, JLL Hotels & Hospitality, managed the competitive process. Ann Rutere, CEO Rakam Investment Ltd stated: “We are pleased to bring Accor’s brand, Mantis, to one of the most distinct and exclusive locations in Masai Mara. In addition to the brand’s uniqueness and awareness in the market, our confidence in this project comes from the high focus to sustainability and preservation of natural heritage offered by the Enonkishu Conservancy and Mantis expertise in the industry. We are excited to open our doors in 2024 and look forward to offering a combination of authentic, unique, and curated experiences to our guests visiting from all parts of the world.’’ Mantis Masai Mara Eco-Lodge will be strategically located in the Enonkishu Conservancy, on the Northern boundary of the Mara-Serengeti game reserve, and will feature 20 tented suites, one restaurant and bar, events space, a sauna and a wellness facility. Paul Gardiner, CEO of the Mantis Collection said: “The Masai Mara is one of the most renown wildlife conservation and wilderness areas in Africa, and we are excited to offer guests sustainable adventures which celebrate the region’s culture and stay true to the roots of safari. We will provide fresh experiences which enable guests to make authentic connections with both nature and the people, all whilst supporting sustainability, conservation and community empowerment and upliftment – the founding core pillars of Mantis.” Once open, the lodge will be ready to welcome Safari enthusiasts, offering them the opportunity to discover wildlife in their environment as well as nature lovers. “This is a great opportunity for Accor and Mantis to expand our portfolio in Kenya and to introduce the first Mantis property in the country” said Mark Willis, CEO of Accor India, Middle East, Africa & Turkey. “This new addition illustrates our key focus on developing and implementing sustainable business practices and tourism products that are respectful of the surrounding environment and communities while meeting the changing and growing expectations of travelers.”

Read more

London's iconic Big Ben will chime for the first time since 2017 on New Year's Eve

London's iconic Big Ben clock tower is finally ready to chime once again after remaining silent since 2017. The clock tower, also known as Elizabeth Tower, will mark the start of 2022 by chiming 12 times. The clock tower went through renovations since it last chimed, and is now ready to ring out once more. The public got to see one of its faces in late November when it was revealed. The all new Big Ben has new blown-glass panels, with beautiful details. It also has Prussian blue hands and numbers now. It is all set to become one of the greatest attractions this New Year in London. The Big Ben on the banks of the Thames River will chime once again, as people will cheer on. The complete renovated clock should be ready for public viewing by December 31 of this year. According to the UK Parliament, it will be struck for the last time with its temporary electric mechanism. Nicholas Sturge, the Project Manager for the restoration work said in a statement, "By New Year people will start to see a big difference; they'll start to get their tower back. The roofs will be fully visible along with the four clock faces." The government expects the clock to be gravity-powered again by spring, and the bell to resume its normal schedule then as well." The neo-Gothic style clock tower was designed by Augustus Pugin, and was completed back in May 31, 1859. The over 100 year old clock tower finally gets renovated, with newer things. The clock now has hour hands that are made of gun metal, weighing all of 300 kg. This makes it more than 300-times heavier than the minute hands. The towering clock is one of the most recognisable landmarks in the world, survived World War II bombings by the Nazis. However, it was quite badly damaged by Nazi air raids in May 1941.

Read more