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ER geared up to lease rakes to travel & tourism sector under 'Bharat Gaurav' scheme: GM

The Eastern Railway is geared up to introduce leasing of rakes and coaches to the travel and tourism sector under the 'Bharat Gaurav' scheme for showcasing India's rich cultural heritage, its general manager Arun Arora said. Asserting that it is not a privatisation of the Railways, he said that it will facilitate a comprehensive tour package for tourists in getting a hassle-free single window experience. "This landmark initiative of Indian Railways aims to showcase the country's rich cultural heritage and magnificent historical places to the people," Arora said on Saturday. Stating that the Eastern Railway has finalised plans to provide support to the private operators, Arora said that the ER will provide support for developing itineraries, operation of rakes, maintenance and punctuality. He said that service providers will be at liberty to offer packages to tourists that include rail travel, accommodation and sightseeing. The operators will have right to use for a minimum of two years and maximum up to the codal life of coaches, he said, adding that new coaches can also be procured by them. "The service providers enjoy full flexibility to decide on tour package and cost," Arora said. Designing and furnishing interiors of trains by the operators are allowed subject to safety standards of the railways, he said, adding that branding and advertisements are permitted both inside and outside those trains. Under the 'Bharat Gaurav' policy announced by Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw for theme based tourist circuit trains, professional tour operators will have the scope of running the tourist trains wherein they can lease rakes of 14 to 20 coaches which include 1AC, 2AC, 3AC, Sleeper and chair cars, an ER official said. Public sector IRCTC already runs such theme based tourist circuit trains.

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Omicron travel update: India revises its guidelines for international travellers

Omicron (B.1.1.529), a new variant of Coronavirus, has left the world scared once again. The new variant has been detected in South Africa, Brazil, UK, Bangladesh, Botswana, China, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Singapore, Hong Kong and Israel. Though India has not reported any cases of the new variant yet, the country is taking all the precautions to avoid another wave. New guidelines The Indian health ministry had proposed to resume international flights on December 15 but on Sunday, the government issued some new guidelines for foreign travellers making the RT-PCR test mandatory for those coming from COVID ‘at-risk countries’ on arrival at the airport. The COVID report should be authentic, in case of manipulated reports, the passenger will be liable for criminal prosecution. Those who test positive will immediately be isolated and their samples would be sent further for genomic testing at the INSACOG laboratory network. For those testing negative, a seven-day home-quarantine and PCR test on the eighth day is mandatory. Travellers will also be asked to give their travel details for the past 14 days. The ministry's statement said, “A sub-section (5% of total flight passengers) shall undergo post-arrival testing at random at the airport on arrival". Only asymptomatic travellers shall be allowed to board the flight after thermal screening. Aarogya Setu app is a must. "Travellers from specified countries at risk will follow the protocol as detailed below: Submission of sample for post-arrival COVID-19 test at the point of arrival (self-paid). Such travellers will be required to wait for their test results at the arrival airport before leaving or taking a connecting flight,” reads the statement The new rules will come into effect from 1 December till further notice.

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Caravan tourism to ride on camper vans

In a major policy initiative that could redefine the possibilities in the tourism sector, the government has re-interpreted the central motor vehicles rules to allow camper vans to be operated in state. The government’s decision comes in the wake of its initiative to promote caravan tourism in the state. According to top government sources, motor vehicles department ( ) offices have been receiving inquiries for operating camper vans that are common in several western countries, but permissions were denied as the interpretation of the existing rules proved to be a hindrance. After the government announced its caravan tourism policy, the tourism director had forwarded a proposal based on submissions from tour operators, seeking permission to operate camper trucks, built with camping facilities on light goods vehicles (LGVs) chassis with cargo body and having a maximum seating capacity of five persons.

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South Korea to get world’s first floating city by 2025

South Korea to get the world's first floating city by 2025! As per the reports, it will be built off the coast of South Korea, and work on it will likely be completed as early as 2025. Reports have it that the project has been backed by the United Nations, and the city will be built off the coast of Busan to deal with the problem of rising sea levels. Referring to this, project leaders added that it will be a 'flood-proof infrastructure' that will comprise several man-made islands, aiming to eliminate the risk of flooding by rising with the sea. Reportedly, the floating city will be a self-sufficient city, which is a joint effort by the UN Human Settlement Programme (UN-Habit) and OCEANIX. The city will be able to generate its own electricity from solar panels, ferry tourists and inhabitants between the island on specially-made boats, and produce its own food and fresh water. Further, reports suggest that the said city will be spread across an area of more than 75 hectares, and will be able to accommodate 10000 residents. The neighbourhoods will be grouped in clusters of six around a protected central harbour, which means each village will be able to accommodate up to 1650 residents. Further, the city will be specifically designed to withstand natural disasters like tsunamis, floods, and Category 5 hurricanes.

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Canada approves Covaxin for travellers entering the nation

Canada has become the latest country to approve India-made Covaxin, which means that it those jabbed with Covaxin will now be allowed entry, provided they follow the guidelines laid. Firstly, those intending to travel to Canada should be fully-vaccinated as well. The permission to allow travellers jabbed with Covaxin will come into effect from November 30. An important fact to remember is that the second dose of vaccine must be taken by travellers at least 14 days before their arrival in Canada. The decision was announced by the Public Health Agency of Canada, stating that, "Beginning Nov 30, the #GOC will expand its list of #Covid19 vaccines accepted for entry to Canada to include Sinopharm, Sinovac and COVAXIN. Travellers must have received a full vaccine series at least 14 days before entry to Canada." Last week, Canada announced an expansion of its list of approved COVID-19 vaccines, bringing in respite for a large number of travellers who have been wanting to visit the nation. India, of course, is home to a high number of people who have ties with Canada, who have been eagerly awaiting such a decision.

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Indians still prefer domestic destinations over foreign ones: Glance Spotlight on Travel 2021 repo

Glance - one of the largest lock screen content platforms of India and Southeast Asia, surveyed to understand the travel landscape in 2021-22 and various preferences of its users who desired to travel. The ‘Glance Spotlight on Travel 2021’ Report revealed the emerging consumer sentiment and growth trajectory of the travel industry in 2022. Travel has seen a major increase in the past few months as restrictions are lifted and more people are willing to step out to visit new and old destinations. Decoding these shifting travel patterns and emerging consumer behaviours, the Glance report highlighted that Indians still prefers domestic destinations over foreign ones as domestic travel has taken precedence post-pandemic Younger audiences are the most eager to travel with 56 per cent within the age group of 18-30 actively planning trips. December 2021 will witness a travel surge, with 46 per cent of respondents planning a trip to at least one destination. The most preferred type of vacation is a family vacation. They outpace solo travel or trips with friends at 37 per cent. Shorter durations for\ the trips are the norm as 54 per cent of respondents stated their planned trips to be of less than a week. It is also observed that beaches are the most preferred, with 22 per cent of respondents wishing to travel to sea-side destinations. For transport, flights are most popular as 48 per cent of respondents have stated they would rather take them than other forms of transport In terms of accommodation, 44 per cent of respondents preferred luxurious accommodations. However, there has been a spike in the preference for homestays with unique experiences at 32 per cent. According to the most users are looking for lucrative travel packages, especially if it includes flight and stay. Other findings through the survey reiterated the rise in hopping before travel. The survey also revealed that 49 per cent of respondents have pushed their travel plans to next year H1 – 2022 making it the most favorable time for the travel industry. The futuristic outlook for the travel, hospitality, and aviation industry looks positive as they enter the new year,

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