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J-K: Eco-tourism spots to be developed in Rajouri

The Jammu and Kashmir administration has identified some spots in Rajouri for developing eco-tourism in the district. "The forest department has identified some spots for the eco-tourism development. This will help people to enjoy with family in the forest during this COVID situation," District Forest Officer of Rajouri district Arshdeep Singh told ANI. "Due to pandemic, the tourism department has faced a huge loss. But this gave us scope for eco-tourism. "We are also identifying some trekking routes so that people can enjoy springs, lakes, and natural beauty. This will give economic benefits to many people in the societies," the DFO added. The forest department wants people to connect with the forest through the eco-tourism initiative. The spots identified for the eco-tourism developments are Dehra Ki Gali, Bhimber Gali and Shahdara Sharif.

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Japan to introduce vaccine passports for foreigners

At a time when international travel has become a calculating factor, certain countries are introducing the idea of vaccine passports. Japan is the latest country to do so. The idea of vaccine passports is to make it easy to travel for those who have been vaccinated. These passports are going to be in the form of a phone app, and travellers need to scan QR codes at airports before boarding the flights, or even before getting into Japan. The Japanese government is hoping that by introducing vaccine passports, business travel will resume in the country, which has stopped since the pandemic. According to Tari Kono, the minister who is in charge of Japan’s vaccination drive, said in a parliamentary session, “Other countries are doing it, so Japan will have to consider it too.” Vaccine passports are slowly becoming the norm, with the European Union, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and China going for it too. Tari Kono had previously raised concerns about the fact that such an arrangement could be discriminating against those who are unable or unwilling to take the vaccine. The vaccine passports for Japan are reportedly going to list negative results from polymerase chain reaction and also antigen tests. At present the nation is only entertaining foreign residents, and citizens, alongside foreigners who have some exceptional circumstances. However, such people are required to submit COVID negative test results taken 72 hours before departure.

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Seychelles to allow entry to vaccinated travellers from India

The gorgeous island nation of Seychelles has said that it will allow entry to vaccinated travellers from India. Seychelles is one of the favourite beach destinations for holidaymakers, but given the rise in COVID cases, almost all the countries in the world have banned India. However, Seychelles has decided to put restrictions which are reasonable for all South Asian countries, including India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The announcement was made by the Public Health Commissioner of Seychelles who said that entry will be allowed to completely vaccinated travellers from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. He also said that vaccinated travellers must complete two weeks after their second dose before getting their permit to enter Seychelles along with proof of vaccination. All the above mentioned documents should be submitted at the time of application for Health Travel Authorization. The travellers will also have to carry a negative RT-PCR test not older than 72 hours before departure. If a person has all the valid papers, no quarantine is required. Also there is no minimum stay or movement restrictions in Seychelles. Kids under 18 years can enter after presenting a negative RT-PCR. But travellers will have to follow health protocols related to COVID and are required to wear face masks, maintain social distancing, and wash hands regularly. Apparently, Seychelles started entertaining oversea tourists from March 25, 2021.

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Maldives launches ‘I’m Vaccinated’ tourism campaign

Visit Maldives has teamed up with the country’s ministry of tourism to launch the "I'm Vaccinated" campaign. The new messaging is designed to highlight the initiatives undertaken by the island archipelago in ensuring that it remains one of the safest destinations in the world for travellers. The target is for the Maldives to have the first fully vaccinated tourism workforce. This, along with the archipelago’s topography, which naturally lends itself to social distancing, and stringent safety measures but in place by authorities, will ensure that travellers can feel completely secure when visiting. At an event to unveil the campaign, Abdulla Mausoom, minister of tourism for the Maldives, commented on the impact that Covid-19 has had on the country’s tourism industry, and highlighted the sacrifices and efforts made by those working in the tourism and health industries. At present, 65 per cent of the those eligible in the Maldives have been vaccinated, while 90 per cent of those eligible in the tourism industry have received their doses, as the Maldives focuses on achieving herd immunity. All members of the tourism industry that have received their vaccine will wear a dedicated I’m Vaccinated badge. Also part of the campaign is a microsite that will show how many members of the tourism industry have received their prescribed doses, as well as information for those in the industry looking to get vaccinated, and all the latest health guidelines. The Maldives government aims to provide free Covid-19 vaccines to all citizens and residents in the coming months. The destination has also announced plans to offer the Covid-19 vaccine to tourists, once all nationals and residents have been fully vaccinated. Mausoom has touted a new 3V plan, which stands for Visit, Vaccinate, Vacation, as an incentive to visit the South Asian archipelago. It would be the first country to offer vaccine packages to visitors. At present, the Maldives is accepting visitors with a negative PCR test taken less than three days before travel, or those who are fully vaccinated, with not quarantine requirements.

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Which countries can Indians travel to? Check Here

Air travel bans to India increase day by day! Amid the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic across the globe and the surge of new cases in the country, many nations have introduced travel bans to and from India, resulting in a pullback in domestic flights, which make up the vast majority of the market. Recently, several countries have implemented travel bans such as- Singapore, Australia, the UK, the UAE, Canada, France etc. Earlier, this week, in a statement, the US had asked its citizens to leave India as soon as possible. In a Level 4 travel advisory the State Department further advised its citizens not to travel to India. At present, there are around 14 direct daily flights between India and the US and others that connect through Europe. According to a report published in Indian Express, an analysis of data done by Bloomberg, the airlines in India had reached 87 per cent of their pre-COVID seat capacity since early April. The data further showed that the capacity had fallen to 71 percent of 2019 levels, which is around 16 per cent drop within a month. The report further added, Rob Morris, the head of consultancy at UK aviation advisory firm Cirium, told Bloomberg that an upturn in India’s aviation industry would not take place until the new wave of pandemic is contained. Before the recent COVID-19 outbreak, India’s domestic aviation industry was one of the world’s fastest growing. Indigo propelled India to the third largest market in the world. Last year, the airlines were permitted for strict maintenance of social distancing rules and to follow the COVID guidelines while flying. However, now due to surge in recent cases across the states with daily cases exceeding 3 lakh, has worsened the situation-leading to the breakdown of the health machinery such as the shortages of medicine, oxygen, beds etc. The wake of the latest outbreaks in India have already spilled over into the connected markets across the globe. The flights to Maldives, US etc have now faded. During the outbreak of the pandemic in 2020, India had stopped the regular international travel rules that would typically see many long-distance passengers routed through connecting hubs such as Doha and Dubai. On Thursday, Doha introduced a travel guidelines for its visitors from India which include RT-PCR negative test report in English within 48 hours of the scheduled flight departure from an ICMR certified lab and to undergo 10 days of Hotel quarantine in a dedicated facility among others.

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Uttarakhand cancels Char Dham Yatra amid rising COVID cases

The Uttarakhand government has decided to suspend Char Dham Yatra this year due to the rising cases of Coronavirus in the country. The Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat has issued an order stating that only priests of the four temples will perform rituals this year. Apparently, the government had earlier given permission to organise the annual religious yatra from May 14. The CM took to Twitter and tweeted (English translation): “In view of the increasing COVID cases, the state government has postponed the Chardham Yatra.” Earlier the government of Uttarakhand had said that the state government has already started preparation for the Char Dham Yatra by making negative RT-PCR test reports mandatory for devotees. The government was also thinking of capping the number of devotees in a particular shrine on a day. Last year in 2020, the government had done the same thing. The per day number of pilgrims for the famous Kedarnath temple was 800, 1200 for Badrinath, 600 for Gangotri and 400 for Yamunotri. The big move comes after Uttarakhand recorded the highest spike in a day of 6054 on Wednesday. VISU

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