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Mumbai airport is offering free Wi-Fi and food to passengers waiting for their Coronavirus results

Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) has decided to provide free food and Wi-Fi for those arriving in the city and waiting for their RT-PCR test results. The CSMIA authorities on Tuesday released a statement, mentioning that RT-PCR test results take nearly eight hours to come, for which every passenger pays INR 3900. Eight hours is a long time, therefore passengers can order food from a special menu crafted for them. Hot food and cold beverages would be served all the time on request. Not only food but passengers can also opt for unlimited browsing for free till their results arrive. In September, Mumbai airport authorities had launched the RT-PCR test facility for the arriving passengers. According to records, more than 8000 people have taken the COVID-19 test till now, including 6910 men and 1090 women. CSMIA stated that among 8000, nearly 100 passengers have tested positive for the virus. Coronavirus current status in Mumbai On Wednesday, the capital city of Maharashtra, recorded 1069 new positive cases. Past two weeks were quite easy in Mumbai in terms of COVID-19 spread. But after witnessing a slowdown, the recent spike has been a matter of concern. The Diwali market rush is one of the prime reasons for the new numbers of positive cases, which has now taken the overall COVID-19 positive toll to 2.66 lakh in the state and the number of deaths recorded has reached to 10,503 (in Mumbai). On the other hand, the Bombay High Court has given a nod to two Jain Temples in Mumbai to open for devotees from Dhanteras to Bhai Dooj, but rejected 100 other Jain temples pleas. These temples are allowed to remain open for five days only after following government’s pandemic guidelines.

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India Gets Its First Glass Skywalk in Sikkim

The first skywalk of India is located at Pelling, Sikkim (Picture credit: drstrips4/instagram) If you’ve ever dreamed about strolling on a glass skywalk, then you don’t need to spend a bomb to visit a foreign country to do so as Sikkim, the land of Buddhism, snow, and lush greenery has introduced the first-ever glass skywalk in India. The oh-so-stunning skywalk is situated in Pelling by the sloping hills of the lower Himalayas. Also Read - Indians ‘Optimistic But Cautious' About Plans for 2021 It will give you a striking view of the 137-feet-tall Chenrezig Statue of Pelling, a calm composed posture of Buddha. Chenrezig is the fourth tallest statue in the northeastern state. Before you plan to visit, make sure you take care of their guidelines provided by the state government. 1. Only domestic tourists and foreign nationals residing in India would be allowed into the state in the first phase. 2. Tourists have been ‘advised’ to carry with them a certificate of COVID-negative test. The test should either be RT-PCR or Truenat test. The certificate must be obtained within 72 hours prior to the arrival in the state. 3. The state has made it compulsory for tourists to obtain a “Travel Card” by registering on the Sikkim Tourism Web Portal before travelling. This card must be on the tourists’ person at all times during their travel in Sikkim. 4. Tourists would have to ensure that their travel in Sikkim is pre-booked with the accommodations complying with health and safety guidelines, as well as travel agents or tour operators. 5. The SOP has advised people over 65 years of age, under 10 years of age and those suffering from comorbidities to avoid travel. If they have to travel, they should limit their movement, the SOPs state. 6. All tourists would be required to carry protective gear, including face masks, shields, gloves, thermometers and sanitisers at their own end. 7. Tourists must also refrain from going into containment zones while traveling. 8. The SOPs have further encouraged tourists to undertake digital transactions and limit the use of cash as far as possible. 9. Meanwhile, hotels and accommodation units have been directed to not reserve rooms for tourists not registered on the government web portal. Hotels located in containment zones would not be allowed to operate. 10. Accommodation units permitted to operate would have to prepare at least one room for emergency isolation purposes, in case of any suspected cases The skywalk has been built to provide an exquisite view of the gorgeous Chenrezig statue and the skywalk will lead you to golden prayer wheels on both sides and give you a panoramic view of mighty the Himalayas. It was inaugurated in 2018 and since then tourists got a chance to witness the stunning sight. The picturesque destination has many things to offer, here you can witness Teesta and Rangit rivers flowing near the skywalk. Reportedly, it is 3kms away from Pelling city. It opens from 8 am to 5 pm on all days. The entry ticket is priced at Those who wish to visit can seek entry after purchasing a ticket priced at INR 50.

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Airlines now allowed to operate 70% of pre-Covid capacity

Airlines have now been allowed to operate 70 per cent of pre-Covid domestic flight levels from November 11, 2020, a rise of 10 per cent from the existing 60 per cent capacity. A circular from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), signed by Satyendra Kumar Mishra, Joint Secretary, Union Ministry of Civil Aviation, reads, “After review of the current status of Scheduled Domestic Operations viz-a-viz passenger demands for air travel in terms of purpose specified in the initial order Order No. 01/2020 dated 21.05.2020, condition laid down in para 2 of the order dated 21.05.2020 as modified vide Order No. 06/2020 dated 02.09.2020, is modified as under: 60 per cent capacity may be read as 70 per cent capacity.” Soon after the announcement, Union Civil Aviation Minister, Hardeep Singh Puri had also tweeted, “Domestic operations re-commenced with 30K passengers on 25 May and have reached 2.06 lakhs on 8 Nov 2020. MoCA is now allowing domestic carriers to increase their operations from existing 60 per cent to 70 per cent of the pre-Covid approved capacity.” Earlier, the Ministry of Civil Aviation had hinted at an increase in the number of flights, just a week after Puri had announced that the capacity for domestic flights would be capped at 60 per cent till February 24, 2021, and had tweeted, “ With festival season around the corner, the passenger traffic is expected to go up and as the passenger traffic increases, the upper cap on domestic civil aviation operations would be revised to 70-75 per cent of pre-Covid capacity.”

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Indians preferring beach destinations & inter-state road trips for Diwali: OYO

As India gradually unlocks, more and more people are now ready to step out and explore domestic destinations, and thereby, turning the new normal into a way of life - while ensuring personal safety and hygiene. According to OYO Hotels & Homes, after staying homebound for months on end, this Diwali, Indians prefer inter-state road trips and beach destinations. According to OYO’s Diwali booking trends, Jaipur, Kerala, Goa, Visakhapatnam, and Varanasi top the charts as the most popular leisure destinations among travellers. The data further highlights Jaipur to be the most popular choice among travellers across North India, with an influx of tourists from nearby cities like Delhi NCR and Lucknow. Across South India, travellers from Chennai and Bengaluru are heading out on road trips to Kochi in Kerala. Goa, on the other hand, is attracting travellers from across the country. The majority of bookings are from Pune, followed by Bengaluru and Hyderabad. Commenting on this trend, Harshit Vyas, SVP & COO - Franchise Business, OYO India & South Asia, said, “The festive season combined with gradual unlocks has resulted in a surge in leisure travel since September 2020. As states open up their borders to welcome tourists, OYO and the entire hospitality industry, continue to offer safe experiences that lead to rising consumer confidence among travellers. As per our Diwali booking trends, with social distancing becoming a way of life and people opting for safer travel options, road trips are here to stay, therefore, leading to an increase in inter-state travel during Diwali and the upcoming holiday season this year. We expect leisure destinations to continue gaining momentum in the coming months with rising consumer optimism for travel. We would also like to express our gratitude towards our asset partners and all employees who have worked tirelessly to ensure that we stand ready to welcome travellers safely once again.” As per the overall travel trends across India, between April 2020 and September 2020, observe an uptick in bookings across business destinations including Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Kolkata. On the other hand, among leisure cities, OYO’s booking data also highlights that some cities like Shimla, Manali, Munnar, Ooty and Gangtok that didn’t enjoy high demand compared to other tourist hotspots during pre-COVID days are now increasingly showing positive signs of rising bookings since September 2020. In Shimla, OYO observed a whopping 280% month-on-month growth in bookings for September 2020. Additionally, according to OYO’s recent consumer survey, while there’s a surge in demand for leisure travel across the country, 80% of users are searching for sanitised stays, while 46% of users seek regulation related information while planning their next travel.

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Uttarakhand gets India’s longest motorable suspension bridge over Tehri Lake

The longest motorable suspension bridge in India is now open for the public in Uttarakhand. Located over the Tehri Lake, the 725 m long Dobra-Chanti suspension bridge has taken 14 years to reach its completion at the cost of INR 2.95 crores. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat shared a tweet to announce the inauguration ceremony on November 8, which was also attended by cabinet ministers Subodh Uniyal, Dhan Singh Rawat and others The Dobra-Chanti suspension bridge will be the connecting link between Tehri Garhwal district headquarters and Pratap Nagar. It will also reduce travel time between Tehri and Pratap Nagar from 5 hours to only 1.5 hours. Rawat was quoted by a leading newspaper as saying that the inauguration of the bridge was a historic moment for Uttarakhand. The bridge will also open new pathways for development. It will be providing electricity and water both for irrigation. Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat also said that Tehri Lake is an important tourist destination from the point of adventure activities. People visit the lake site to pursue activities like zorbing, boating, water skiing, banana boat ride, paragliding etc. Now that the bridge is ready, the site is expected to attract a lot of tourists.

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Maharashtra and Airbnb join hands to start homestays at Elephanta Island

The Maharashtra government on Friday announced a collaboration with Airbnb, the American community-driven hospitality company, to start homestay facilities at Elephanta Island, located 10-km off Mumbai’s coast and home to 6th-century cave temples listed by Unesco as a World Heritage Site. The Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) along with Airbnb has identified several places around Shetbunder village on the island where as potential homestay locations. The villagers will be trained by Airbnb to provide quality home service to rent-seeking tourists. Maharashtra’s tourism minister Jaykumar Rawal said, “We have decided to take our partnership with Airbnb ahead by working on more projects. Elephanta Caves is the latest one where MTDC along with Airbnb will launch homestay facilities at 35 places in the coming days.” However, the project may take a few more months to start because the island itself received permanent supply of electric power only in February this year and most houses are undergoing renovation. Furthermore, boat services to Elephanta Island will be suspended due to the monsoon. MTDC and Airbnb have also jointly launched a training programme that aims to drive economic growth within local communities by helping micro-entrepreneurs in the hospitality sector grow their business. “We are also aiming to create a homestay ecosystem at Sindhudurg, Ratnagiri and Palghar by creating at least one hospitality micro-entrepreneur in each village. Our target is to create and nurture 1,500 such tourism and hospitality entrepreneurs in the next one year,” said VK Gautam, principal secretary, tourism department. Meanwhile, the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) has granted five-star certification to the MTDC-run scuba diving centre situated at Tarkarli, Sindhudurg district. Scuba diving centres of some 180 countries are accredited with PADI.

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