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Advance booking for Diwali air travel higher this August

For the second year in a row, advance purchase bookings of air tickets for travel during Diwali holidays have been sluggish. But when compared to last August, bookings are significantly higher this year. While fares to destinations like Delhi, Goa, Cochin for October and November travel are currently cheap, those to Srinagar, Leh, Varanasi and Patna have begun their annual winter climb. “Pre-pandemic around this time, early birds would be booking holidays for next year summer. Diwali holiday bookings would be full, air fares would be high,’’ said of . “This year, we’ve been getting bookings for travel next week, next month but not beyond,’’ she said. Airfares reflect this trend, though with exceptions. For travel in November, during Diwali holidays, fares on flights from Mumbai to leisure destinations like Dehradun, Srinagar and Leh and then to high-demand ‘visiting family/friends’ destinations like Varanasi and Patna have begun a northward climb. But those to Delhi, Cochin and even Goa are cheap, said a low cost carrier official, “Airfares are typically capped for flights up to 30 days out. For cheaper fares, passengers have to book over a month before travel. For instance: Currently, Mumbai-Delhi cheapest return fare is Rs 12,000 for September, but only Rs 5,000 for October travel. In case of Diwali bookings, cheaper options may be available only with 45-60 days advance booking. The anxiety over third wave has hit the pace of Diwali forward bookings.” Prahlad Krishnamurthi, chief business officer, Cleartrip, said the forward booking trend was better than 2020, but significantly below 2019. “Bookings for travel in October-December this year are about 9% of overall bookings in August. This is higher than last year but lower than levels,” he said. In the last few weeks, consumers have been open to booking more than a month in advance and hence there’s a spike in October bookings, which is significantly higher than what was witnessed last year this time.

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UAE opens up tourist visas to all Covid vaccinated people

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has opened applications for tourist visas from all countries starting August 30. As per the new UAE travel guidelines, tourists will need to be vaccinated with one of the Covid-19 vaccine shots approved by the World Health Organization (WHO). The decision applies to citizens of all countries, including those arriving from previously banned nations. Besides, passengers arriving on tourist visas must take a mandatory rapid PCR test at the airport on arrival. The passengers also need to register their vaccination status on the government’s health app. Travellers wishing to receive the benefits provided to those vaccinated in the UAE can register their vaccination via the ICA platform or Al Hosn application. However, all the rules for unvaccinated passengers, including exempted categories, remain in place, as per the new UAE travel guideline. Since scrapping arrivals from countries including India, Pakistan, and Nigeria, the UAE has been gradually easing rules on travel. The country, whose biggest cities include Abu Dhabi and Dubai, started to allow residents to return earlier this month.

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Want to travel to UK? Flights from this Indian city to London thrice a week

British Airways will operate direct flights from Chennai to London from 31 August. The airline will resume operations on London’s Heathrow airport and Chennai thrice a week on Sunday, Wednesday, and Friday from London and Monday, Thursday, and Saturday from Chennai on its return leg. British Airways has increased flights from India to the UK from 10 to 20 per week from 16 August. The decision came as the UK government moved India to an amber list. "British Airways will now operate 20 direct return flights across Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad providing convenient options for customers wanting to travel to London, Heathrow," British Airways said in a statement. Earlier, the UK government moved India from 'red' list to 'amber' list on August 8. In addition, the Indian government allowed UK carriers to operate additional flights, increasing the weekly cap from 15 to 34 per week. "It is wonderful to see connections between India and London being restored after months of uncertainty caused by the global pandemic. These additional new flights will allow our Indian customers, who have waited so patiently, to reunite with their loved ones. The flights also provide new travel options for Indian students wishing to travel to the UK and beyond for further studies, ahead of the start of a new academic year," said Moran Birger, British Airways' Head of Sales for South Asia, Middle East and Africa.

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Maldives August Arrivals Top Pre- Pandemic Numbers

Tourist arrivals to the Maldives in August have surpassed the pre-Covid-19 pandemic figures for the same month in 2019, local media citing data from the Ministry of Tourism reported. Tourism Ministry data showed that the Maldives received 120,529 tourists from August 1 to 25 compared to 120,341 tourist arrivals in August 2019 before the Covid . Data showed that arrivals in August were 18 per cent higher than in July. Russia has been the Maldives' main source of tourists so far in 2021 with 157,876 arrivals, followed by India with 146,206 arrivals, and Germany with 42,078 arrivals. The tourism sector, as one of the country's main sources of income, suffered setbacks due to the pandemic in 2020 before being reopened to tourists in 2021.

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Saudi Arabia waives quarantine for Indians vaccinated in Saudi

There is good news for Indian travellers who were waiting for more waivers from Saudi Arabia. It has been reported that Saudi has now waived off quarantine requirements for Indians who have been vaccinated in Saudi itself. It applies to those who have received both their doses in the nation; none of them would need to vaccinate in a third country now as was the condition previously. Saudi embassy also announced the same on their social media channels to announce the same, "Embassy is pleased to inform that Saudi Authorities have announced that Indian nationals who have travelled to India after receiving both doses of the vaccine in Saudi Arabia will be able to return to the Kingdom directly without need for quarantine in a third country." Saudi is one of the nations that have adhered to strict rules and regulations to contain the spread of COVID-19; the nation has also been restricting and easing travel to other countries on the basis of COVID-19 infection rate for more than a year now. Previously, it had announced a three-year travel ban on those citizens who travelled to a country that was red-listed by Saudi. As of now, the UAE has stopped offering visa-on-arrival for Indians who have been to India over the past 14 days from the date of their arrival in the Emirates.

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Andhra Pradesh plans big on theme-based tourism

The State is blessed with the country’s second largest coastline (974 km), perennial rivers, and scenic backwaters, and the government is committed to exploring the nature’s bounty by embarking on theme-based tourism projects, according to Special Chief Secretary, Youth Services, Archaeology, Tourism and Culture, Rajat Bhargav. Addressing a review meeting on Friday on the tourism projects in progress and those proposed to be taken up, Mr. Bhargav took stock of the projects to be implemented under river tourism, eco-tourism and adventure tourism. Speaking about the development of the Visakhapatnam-Bhimili- Bhogapuram beach corridor, he said, as part of development of infrastructure, the Rushikonda Beach Resort would be given a makeover as a world class tourist destination to attract international tourists. Works on this project would be completed by next year, he said. Referring to the plan of converting the m.v. MAA cargo vessel into a floating restaurant, Mr. Rajat Bhargav said the stranded Bangladeshi ship near Tenneti Park in Visakhapatnam would be groomed into a unique tourist attraction with recreation components to be developed at an estimated cost of ₹10.50 crore. The project would comprise banquette halls, a multi-cuisine restaurant and other amenities. Development of a tunnel aquarium at Thotlakonda beach under PPP mode would be done at a cost of ₹163 crore with components such as an Indian Ocean and a Pacific Ocean themes, a shark lab, a Mediterranean cave, a tunnel reef restaurant, a green photo facility, a souvenir shop, food courts and other attractions, besides lecture halls for training and education. Under eco-tourism, high-end resorts would come up at Maredumilli in East Godavari district, Lambasingi in Visakhapatnam district and Jagathipalli in Srikakulam district. A floating restaurant is also proposed in the Krishna between Berm Park and Bhavani Island.

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