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Job-oriented courses supported by MOT will boost youth’s morale & write-off unemployment: TAAI

Speaking about the initiative, the Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) has praised the government for initiating job-oriented courses for the youth under the supervision of Ministry of Tourism (MOT), which are on in full swing in Srinagar’s Institute of Hotel Management. Students there are offered various courses that include the degree as well as diploma, which will provide them with jobs at the end of their courses. “This is a healthy way to boost employment among the youth and providing them the security of jobs at the end of their courses will surely build a sense of trust in them and the numbers for enrolment would likely to spike high,” said Mayal. With the support of the Ministry of Tourism the track record has been inspirational and encouraging despite the conditions that are prevailing in the valley and campus interviews are taking place accordingly for the placements.Interest of the students in the valley has increased over the past three years and this could be seen as a parameter of decent success. “Youth involving themselves in such job-oriented courses is beneficial not only to them but also in terms of tourism and economy which shall reap a good crop,” said Jay Bhatia, Vice President, TAAI. Jammu and Kashmir is known as heaven on earth and a favourite tourist spot for locals and foreigners combinedly; “Introducing such job oriented courses there would further promote a good tourist base and also engage the youth in something productive and money oriented who have already seen so much of turmoil in the past years,” commented Bettiah Lokesh, Hony Secretary General, TAAI. Extending his gratitude to the Ministry, Shreeram Patel, Treasurer, TAAI added that day by day the competition is increasing, one should really be prepared for the time ahead and these courses would definitely fuel the economy and give students the right platform to prove themselves globally. “A decision taken at the right time does dual benefit and this pandemic era is surely that “right time” to make bold moves and save ourselves from perishing,” he said.

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Covid Omicron variant: Travel restrictions imposed by some states in India

Fears of a new Covid-19 wave being triggered by the Omicron variant has seen several Indian states tightening up the norms and imposing travel and related restrictions. State governments have also laid out their protocols for passengers landing at airports. Statewise restrictions: Maharashtra Maharashtra, one of the worst-affected state by the Covid crisis, which also saw a significant rise in the emergence of Omicron variants, has ruled out any lockdown. But screening of incoming overseas passengers has been stepped up at Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur airports. According to Rajesh Tope, the state’s public health minister, the government is following the ‘3T’ formula of testing, tracking and treatment. “We are not thinking about any lockdown in the state as of now,” he said. “We shall keep a close tab on the situation and take a call on curbs following the guidance by the centre, the state task force and the chief minister.” The minister said that Omicron cases have been sporadic and travel-related. “All the infected people have only mild symptoms and severity has not yet been established,” he added. The state government has asked all international passengers to send their travel history for the past fortnight before boarding flights to cities in Maharashtra. There are separate counters for checking passengers travelling from at-risk countries. Institutional quarantine and RT-PCR tests are mandatory for such passengers. They will be allowed to board connecting flights only if the test results are negative. As for domestic travellers, they will be allowed to travel only if they are fully vaccinated or produce a negative Covid test report done 48 hours before travel. Karnataka Karnataka has said that all international travellers from ‘at-risk’ countries will have to take a mandatory RT-PCR test and should be home quarantined for seven days. Those who test negative or are symptomatic will have to undergo home testing on the fifth day. The asymptomatic ones will be tested on the seventh day if they test positive and will be treated separately or hospitalised. The government has set up additional testing facilities at the international airports. “A strategy of rigorous screening and testing is mandated for international arrivals in view of the Covid-19 Omicron variant,” said a government statement. “Availability of a variety of tests ensures faster testing of passengers and better compliance of Covid-appropriate behaviour in holding areas at airports.” New Delhi The Delhi government has directed all passengers coming from at-risk countries to follow the seven-day home quarantine rules. Passengers travelling from nearly a dozen countries will have to provide details of their travel and upload them on the official Air Suvidha portal. They will also have to provide a negative RT-PCR test (not older than 72 hours); those who test positive will be taken to a designated health facility for isolation. Jammu and Kashmir International passengers need to undergo mandatory tests at Srinagar airport in Jammu and Kashmir, followed by a seven-day home quarantine. Even after a negative RT-PCR report, they are required to self-monitor for a week in home quarantine. Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh is monitoring arrivals of international passengers from South Africa and the other neighbouring countries; those testing positive will be quarantined, while others will be allowed to go to their destination, but will be under observation. Goa International passengers arriving in Goa will have to file a self-declaration form online; those travelling from high-risk countries will have to submit samples and pay for a test and wait at the airport for the results. Those testing negative will have to home quarantine for seven days and then take a test. Those testing positive will be isolated and undergo treatment. Passengers travelling from other countries will be tested randomly at the airport. Kerala Domestic passengers will have to carry a Covid-negative report, but those travelling from Kerala will have to home quarantine for five days. Uttarakhand The Uttarakhand government has directed all travellers to undergo mandatory tests. Persons found symptomatic or positive will be quarantined for 14 days. Officials are conducting random tests at the state’s borders. Madhya Pradesh In Madhya Pradesh, visitors will have to undergo mandatory tests if they cannot produce recent test reports.

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Covid-19: Vietnam to resume international commercial flights from Jan next year

The Vietnamese government has approved the resumption of regular commercial flights between Vietnam and international destinations which are highly safe from Covid-19 since January 1, 2022. According to the latest notice by the Vietnamese government office, the destinations included those in China, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Singapore, Laos, Cambodia and the United States, Vietnam News Agency reported on Saturday. The move is to restore international passenger transport, speed up economic and tourism recovery and enable overseas Vietnamese to return to their homeland for the upcoming Lunar New Year, Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh said in the government directive. While the resumption of international flights is necessary, effective pandemic control must also be ensured, Minh said, urging relevant authorities and aviation businesses to work actively to realize the approved plan and make recommendations for adjustments in accordance with the actual situation. Vietnam closed its border and grounded all international flights in March last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, only allowing entry for Vietnamese repatriates, foreign experts and highly-skilled workers with certain quarantine requirements.

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Campervan Camps & Holidays joins Kerala’s Keravan Kerala bandwagon

Kerala’s Keravan Kerala campaign got a shot in the arm with Bangalore-based Campervan Camps and Holidays India announcing its LuxeCamper roll out in the Kerala market. Kerala Tourism Minister, PA Mohamed Riyas and Transport Minister, Antony Raju, unveiled the premium truck-camper vehicle of the company in the presence of the company Founder & CEO, Tiger Ramesh in Thiruvananthapuram. The LuxeCamper Caravan of Campervan Camps can accommodate four travellers along with the driver in the main cabin. The truck camper has a sleeping area for two people in a compact space along with an optional tent that can be used for creating additional sleeping space. Speaking on the occasion, Tourism Minister Riyas said that the online registration for operating tourist Caravans and developing Caravan parks has elicited a tremendous response from the industry within a short span of the launch of the project. “So far, we have received 198 applications for operating Caravans and around 54 applications for setting up Caravan parks. Since the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation Ltd (KSIDC) has come out with a scheme to provide loans up to INR 5 crore, the project is sure to attract more entrepreneurs and groups,” Riyas said. Noting that the Caravan Tourism project has become a reality within a short time, Transport Minister Raju said that no other project has taken off so quickly in the history of Kerala Tourism like the Caravan Tourism. Appreciating the Caravan Tourism policy of Kerala, Tiger Ramesh said Kerala is the first state to come up with a comprehensive Caravan Tourism policy and expressed the hope that it will soon become a trend in other parts of the country. The startup is promoted by former cricketer Anil Kumble, musician Vijay Prakash; former Head of Sales and Marketing, Infosys, Subhash Dhar; and IT expert Phaneesh Murthy.

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APEX and CAPA announce aircraft interiors data alliance

The Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) and CAPA - Centre for Aviation (CAPA) has announced a comprehensive partnership for CAPA’s interiors and fleet data to serve as APEX’s official aircraft interiors database. Amidst the big moves and emerging trends, is the increasing requirement for airlines and suppliers to access and understand the core aircraft interiors data, in fine detail and in aggregate. Billions of dollars of investment and equipment decisions are at stake, stated a statement from CAPA. Despite the pandemic, airline inflight product development has continued apace, supercharged by changing customer preferences, health and safety demands and airline needs to drive revenue growth in a difficult environment. The inflight entertainment and connectivity markets are bustling with energy and airlines are changing the way they think about configuring new aircraft and reconfiguring existing fleets. Commenting on the development, Dr Joe Leader, Chief Executive Officer, APEX said, “A defining issue of this decade in air transport will be the evolution of the passenger experience, so we are very pleased to be working with CAPA and Aviation Week Network to capture the data and insights to better understand these changes for our APEX Members.” Whereas, Derek Sadubin, Managing Director, CAPA mentioned, “Over the past four years, CAPA has meticulously curated the most advanced, complete and accurate aircraft interiors, experience and connectivity database in the market. We have dedicated resources in place to ensure it remains the leading data source. We are delighted to partner with APEX to making these insights available to their members.” The CAPA Aircraft Interiors Database covers extensive data points on more than 4.5 million seats, 43,000 commercial aircraft, 600 airlines, and more than 50 seats, IFE, and IFC OEMs. It is designed to be a resource for everything aircraft interiors related and allows clients to quickly see trends and spot new business opportunities.

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Tripura likely to get international flights to Singapore, Chittagong, Dhaka

The Government of Tripura will soon approach the Ministry of Civil Aviation seeking direct international flight linkages between Agartala-Chittagong and Agartala-Singapore route, highly placed sources in the Civil Secretariat said. Already, Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb has sought direct flight service between Agartala-Dhaka route during a virtual meeting with Union Civil Aviation Minister, Jyotiraditya Scindia. These moves can be seen as a prelude to Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport in Agartala getting the status of International Airport. It is expected that the first international flight shall land in Agartala soon after the new airport terminal building is inaugurated. "Tripura government is eager to ensure connectivity with all the South East Asian countries, especially the commercial capitals. If Agartala gets direct flights to all the commercial capitals of the South East Asian countries, Agartala will become a strategic point in the global map," sources said. "Even the government has decided to grant subsidies to make sure that the international flights show interest in Tripura. Only recently, the government has reduced the state's share of taxes on Aviation Turbine Fuel. Similarly, some other steps shall surely be taken to attract the airlines operating international flights," the source added. The Chief Minister, while inaugurating the Destination Tripura investment summit, had said that the Tripura government is wholeheartedly trying to bring international flights to MBB Airport in Agartala.

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