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Nepal scraps quarantine policy for vaccinated tourists

Nepal has introduced new travel rules for COVID vaccinated travellers, and one among them is removing quarantine policy for fully-vaccinated foreign travellers. People who have received both doses of COVID-19 vaccine are not required to quarantine any more. The decision was taken to boost travel and tourism in the pandemic-hit country. As per new travel protocols, Nepal's Tourism Ministry said that vaccinated foreign tourists entering Nepal need to submit a negative PCR test report form within 72 hours prior to departure. They also need to submit documents proving that both doses of vaccines have been taken. After reaching Nepal, tourists need to take another PCR test (at their own cost) and stay in isolation until the report comes. The new protocol reads, "If the report is positive, they should, as per the rules, remain for further isolation in the hotel at their own costs. With a negative PCR result, they can continue on their tour.” It further states that the new rule replaces all the travel rules issued by the government earlier. For Indian tourists, the new rule states that the travellers must follow arrangements as per Nepal-India Travel Bubble Agreement. They must submit their PCR negative reports, along with documents stating that they have been fully vaccinated.

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Amarnath Yatra 2021: Registration of pilgrims to start from April 1, How to do online?

Registration for the upcoming annual pilgrimage to the Himalayan cave shrine of Amarnath in south Kashmir is going to start from April 1, an official said on Saturday. The 56-day yatra to the 3,880-metre-high shrine is scheduled to start from the twin routes of Pahalgam and Baltal on June 28 and culminate on August 22. In a meeting earlier this month, officials had said that all COVID-19 protocols are in place and standard operating procedures issued by the government will be followed. "The registration will start from April 1 for both the routes through 446 designated bank branches of the Punjab National Bank (316), the Jammu and Kashmir Bank (90) and the YES Bank (40), all over the country," Chief Executive Ocer (CEO) of the Sri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) Nitishwar Kumar said. He said that details about the procedure for registration, application form and state-wise list of bank branches with complete addresses are available on the board''s website. The CEO said that only health certificates that are issued by doctors or medical institutes authorised by state governments or union territory administrations will be accepted at the registered bank branches. The certicates are mandatory as the shrine is at a very high-altitude and the journey is arduous. "For the Yatra-2021, only those health certicates which have been issued after March 15 shall be valid. The steps which yatris (pilgrims) need to follow in order to register for the yatra (pilgrimage), have been put on the board''s website www.shriamarnathjishrine.com," Kumar said. He added that it also contains relevant information on how to reach the base camps, fee for registration, tari for ponies, palanquin and porters. Kumar said people under the age of 13 years or above the age of 75 years and women who are more than six weeks pregnant would not be registered for this year''s yatra as per COVID-19 norms. He said permits for the yatra would be dierent for each day of the week and routes. Different colour code for each day will be used to facilitate police personnel deployed at the access control gates at Baltal in Ganderbal district and Chandanwari-Pahalgam in Anantnag district to regulate the yatra for the relevant date and route, the CEO said. In this context, he cautioned pilgrims against undertaking this arduous yatra without securing a permit and the required compulsory health certificate. Kumar stressed that, for ensuring security arrangements along the difficult tracks, only those yatris who are in possession of a permit which is valid for a specified date and route, will be allowed to proceed beyond the base camps, and cross the entry gates. He appealed to pilgrims to complete necessary formalities for registration in advance and obtain a permit so that they do not face any inconvenience. Pilgrims who propose to travel by helicopter do not require advance registration as their tickets will suce for this purpose, Kumat said. However, Kumar said they would be required to produce the compulsory health certicate issued by an authorised doctor in the prescribed format before they are allowed to travel by helicopter. How to do online registration for Amarnath Yatra 2021? 1. Get your important documents such as Compulsory Health Certificate and photographs scanned. 2. Fill the registration form and upload the documents required. 3. Verify the mobile number using OTP received. After the application process, a confirmation message will be sent on mobile. 4. Pay application fees online. 5. Registration complete, Download the Yatra Permit.

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Rajasthan to promote wellness tourism, to sign ink MoUs with ayurvedic institutes

To attract more tourists like Kerala and Uttarakhand, the tourism department of Rajasthan is all set to sign an agreement at Jodhpur in order to promote wellness tourism with Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Rajasthan Ayurved University. The department is also exploring the possibility of tying up with institutes like the Jaipur-based National Ayurveda Institute to harness their critical learning in setting a template for others to follow and improvise. In the 2021-22 Budget announcements, the Cchief Mminister proposed to set up an ‘International Centre of Excellence in Panchkkarm’ at Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Rajasthan Ayurved University, as well as medical tourism centers on PPP mode. Rajasthan has a long ayurvedic tradition, which can be a potential tourism resource. At the FICCI-Rajasthan event, prof Pawan Kumar Godatwar, Ddean, Rresearch, and Hhead of the Department of Roga Nidana, National Institute of Ayurveda, said that Prakriti analysis can be built into tourism packages which takes around 45 minutes. “National Institute of Ayurveda, Jaipur is a national hub for Prakriti analysis. Customized packages can be made incorporating these ‘prehabilitation’ packages along with culinary packages. NIA would be happy to partner with the department of tourism.” When asked about the mechanism for the PPP model to promote wellness tourism, a senior government official said the details will emerge once they start roping in ayurvedic institutes, but the participation of the private sector holds the key as they would be the ones who would drive the segment.

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Gujarat spends INR 15 cr on Rannotsav festival

The Gujarat government has spent around INR 15 crore on Rannotsav festival to earn INR 11.8 crore in the two years -- 2019 and 2020. Answering to various questions put up by Congress legislators, Tourism Minister Jawahar Chavda on Thursday, informed during the ongoing budget session of the Gujarat state assembly, that during the two years period -- from January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2020, the government spent INR 1,491.71 lakh on the annual event held in the Kutch region of Gujarat Rannotsav (desert festival) while in return the state earned INR 1,179.97 lakh. The tourism department has an agreement, according to which it has leased the white desert region of Dhordo in Kutch to two private players Lallooji & Sons and Praveg Communications India Private Limited, to set up tents which they would rent to the tourists. The state earns the royalty from this agreement. In the year 2019, the state government earned a total of INR 403.76 lakh or 4.03 crore and in 2020 in it earned a total of INR 4.20 crore. The total number of visitors during this time where 4,38,125 in 2019 and 2,06,056 in 2020, including foreign visitors, where 4,457 foreign tourist came in 2019 and only 20 visited in 2020. The Gujarat government also spent around Rs 55 crore on TV and newspaper advertisement, accommodation, transportation among others for various festivals held in Gujarat during 2019 and 2020.

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Jammu and Kashmir: Asia’s largest tulip garden overlooking Dal Lake opens for public in Srinagar

Asia’s largest tulip garden overlooking the famous Dal Lake here in the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir was thrown open to the public on Thursday, marking the beginning of the new tourism season in the valley. Formerly known as Siraj Bagh, the Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden was opened in 2008 by then chief minister of erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state Ghulam Nabi Azad. The idea of the garden, spread over 30 hectares in the foothills of snow-clad Zabarwan range, was conceived to advance the tourism season in the valley by two months. Advisor to the Lieutenant Governor, Baseer Khan, declared open the mesmerising tulip garden for all visitors. While praising the beauty of the place, Khan said that Jammu and Kashmir is endowed with beautiful natural landscapes, which have huge potential for tourism. He said earlier tourists were visiting other world famous gardens and places of Kashmir, but now the tulip garden has become an iconic destination and attraction for them. On the occasion, the advisor informed that Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha will inaugurate six days Tulip Festival on April 3 when the garden will be in full bloom. He said that during the festival, display of rich tradition, culture, cuisines and crafts on the stalls will be set by concerned departments so that tourists will become familiar with rich culture and values here. Khan stressed on the visitors to follow COVID-19 standard operating procedures strictly to avoid any chance of the spread of the virus. He said the district administration has put various measures to contain the spread of the virus and also issued guidelines on the same. Khan elaborated that ornamental plantation has been carried out at the backside of the garden towards the mountain foothills and added that the government has undertaken Rs 10 crore project for the stage-2 of the tulip garden and the work is in progress. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday set the tone for the tourism season of Kashmir as he tweeted about the opening of the garden. “Tomorrow, 25th March is special for Jammu and Kashmir. A majestic tulip garden on the foothills of the Zabarwan Mountains will open for visitors. The Garden will see over 15 lakh flowers of more than 64 varieties in bloom,” Modi tweeted. He appealed to the people to visit Jammu and Kashmir to experience the Tulip Garden and the warm hospitality of the people of the union territory. “Whenever you get the opportunity, do visit Jammu and Kashmir and witness the scenic Tulip Festival. In addition to the tulips, you will experience the warm hospitality of the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” Modi said in another tweet.

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Happy Holi cheer for domestic travel! Goa emerges the most booked destination, followed by Delhi, Jaipur, hill stations

Happy Holi vibes in the air! Indian travellers are the most keen to plan their future travel, American Express has shared in its recently released Global Travel Trends Report. Not only are Indians daydreaming about their travel plans but there is a clear surge of travellers to enjoy the festive Holi weekend. Not just in metro cities but tier II and tier III cities are witnessing a sharp spike in travel demand for the Holi weekend as people look forward to visit their hometowns and catch up with loved ones. Hotels in hill stations such as Lansdowne, Nainital, Kasauli, Mussoorie, Shimla and Nature centric destinations such as Jim Corbett are almost fully booked for the long Holi weekend. There is a clear preference for domestic travel as festive celebrations are now muted and people do not want to stay at home on festive occasions and long weekends. However, RateGain finds that bookings have declined to around 18 per cent due to the following factors: Financial year ending: Since it’s the end of the financial year, people are busy with their closings. Exams: Another factor is exams due to which families are not traveling COVID: Cases are increases therefore people are trying to avoid traveling While places like Mashobra (225%), Bharuch (139%) and Thiruvananthapuram (100%) witnessed a spike in bookings, RateGain claims a sharp decline in bookings for Pondicherry, Delhi-NCR, Lucknow and Pune, among other cities . Holi long weekend: Which Indian cities are seeing more travellers? Rajiv Subramanian, Vice President, Cleartrip tells Financial Express Online, ” Broadly the trend of ‘going back home’ is reasonably strong on account of Holi/Good Friday. This is explained by sectors like Guwahati, Bagdogra and Patna seeing an increase in traffic with a lot of last minute bookings. Meanwhile, routes from major cities like Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad to Goa continue to feature in the top routes. Srinagar is another airport that has seen interest with routes between Mumbai-Srinagar and Delhi-Srinagar featuring in the top 10 routes. With summer vacations approaching, demand is expected to see a strong surge assuming the current demand uncertainty tapers out.” Holi weekend travel trends: What does the increased demand mean for ticketing platforms? Financial Express Online spoke to leading stakeholders in the travel industry to curate their views on the emerging travel trends for the long Holli weekend and the Good Friday weekend. Sripad Vaidya, Co-Founder & COO, Confirmtkt told Financial Express Online, “While ticketing platforms see an overall increase of 20,000 bookings per day, on our platform, we have witnessed a spike of overall 650 bookings per day for the upcoming Holi – long weekend. Delhi, Mumbai, and Bangalore are some of the places from where bookings have been coming in as people plan to move back to their hometowns (Tier II & III cities) and places like Pushkar, Goa, Mathura/Vrindavan received the most traction being popular for Holi celebrations.” Travel trends for Holi weekend: Which is the top leisure destination? Sharing more details on the top domestic destinations and accommodation types booked by Indian travellers from March 27, 2021 to April 4, 2021 to celebrate Holi and Easter holidays, Booking.com has revealed that Goa has emerged as the most booked destination, followed by New Delhi, Jaipur, Rishikesh and Mumbai for the same period. Besides hotel bookings, most travellers are opting for resorts, guest houses and home stays as well. Booking.com has also rolled out its ‘Early 2021 Deal’ for select properties. This means that travellers can save 20% or more, according to Booking.com’s latest press release. Top booked accommodation types by Indian travellers According to the booking data shared by Booking.com, the top 5 accommodation list for the Holi and Easter weekends are as follows. Hotel Resort Guest House Hostel Homestay Meanwhile, American Express recently released its comprehensive Global Travel Trends Report, which offers unique insights pertaining to traveller sentiments one year after the lockdown and the pandemic began. The report spans seven countries including India. Holi weekend travel trends: Pent up travel demand , Indians keen to plan future travel According to American Express Banking Corp. India’s CEO & SVP, Manoj Adlakha, “The Amex Trendex shows pent up travel demand and behaviours that are somewhat unique to the Indian market, with 91 per cent Indian respondents interested in choosing a trip that supports the local community, showing their understanding of the impact of the pandemic on the travel industry. Indians are the most keen to plan for future travel.” Notably, American Express Banking Corp. India revamped their airport lounge in Delhi to make value enhancements that are significant for their Platinum Card product holders and to ensure best-in-class access as well as experience to their Cardmembers. While travel trends and uptick in demand poses an almost rosy picture, one year after the lockdown, India’s tourism and hospitality industry underwent its bleakest phase. Holi travel trends: All is still not well for travel and tourism At the recently concluded BITB conclave attended by over 150 delegates and key stakeholders spanning the travel and tourism industry, the Hotel Association of India (HAI) highlighted the need to make tourism more viable, accessible and sustainable for all to revert back on the track of recovery. Highlighting the need for the private sector and the state governments to work together for revival of the domestic tourism sector, HAI emphasised on the need for focused efforts to ease domestic travel with specific measures such as integrated taxation policy, additional taxation relief to promote tourism, provide institutional access to working capital that will defer loan repayments for all segments and enable liquidity as well, among other things. With Holi and Good Friday weekends indicating a clear surge in domestic travel, the silver lining is that Indian travellers are now keen to support local communities. May the tribe of such travellers continue to responsibly grow!

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