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Indian Railways' private train project gets positive response

The first pre-bid meeting for the Indian Railways' private player-operated trains project was conducted yesterday (i.e. July 21, Tuesday) with a positively strong response. As many as 16 companies, ranging from three PSUs of the central government to an Australian firm, had attended the meeting and showed keen interest in the Indian Railways' private train project. According to sources, some of the notable companies which attended the first pre-bid meeting are: 1. IRCTC 2. BHEL 3. RITES 4. Bharat Forge 5. Bombardier 6. GMR Group 7. GatewayRail 8. Vedanta 9. Medha 10. CAF (Australian firm) However, sources confirmed that Tata and Adani, two Indian giants who were eyeing the project, were not involved in the first pre-bid meeting. Since Tata and Adani groups held meeting with railway officials ahead of the bidding process, it was being believed that these two giants would also be involved in the pre-bid meeting. There were also discussions about Spicejet, IndiGo, and MakeMyTrip being involved with the bidding process, but these companies, too, were not involved with the first notch of the bidding process. The next pre-bid meeting of the Indian Railways' private player-operated train project is scheduled to be held on August 7. The project is the most unique step of the Indian Railways so far, aimed at inviting private players to run passenger trains on 109 important routes of the Indian Railways. The Union Ministry of Railways has said that the mega project aims to bring new technologies, boost revenues, and increase job opportunities. 151 new trains, operated by private players, will run in addition to the trains which have already been functioning. Private entities for undertaking the project will be selected through a two-stage competitive bidding process comprising of Request for Quotation (RFQ) and Request for Proposal (RFP). Centre had earlier initiated the RFQ process for the purpose of receiving questions or queries from the private players that are to invest in this project. The last date for this RFQ process was July 16. The queries were mainly related to eligibility criteria, bidding process, procurement of rakes, operations of trains and composition of clusters. There were a few queries on the haulage charges to which the Railway Ministry replied by stating that haulage charges will be specified upfront and will be suitably indexed for the entire concession period thereby bringing certainty in the haulage charges. The ministry will also be providing the details of passenger traffic being handled on the routes under the bidding process. This will enable bidders to undertake their due diligence in the project. Railways has clarified that trains that will be operated under the project can be either purchased or taken on lease by the private entities. It was clarified that risks with regard to the operation of trains shall be allocated to the parties in an equitable manner. All the received questions or queries will be answered by July 31, the ministry had said earlier. After the second pre-bid meeting, the Ministry of Railways will send answers to all the questions by August 21. Most importantly, the central government is looking to invite applications from private players to invest in the project on September 8. As per the plan fixed by the Union Ministry of Railways, after the applications are sent by the private players for investing in the railway's project, a shortlist of applicants will be prepared within 60 days. Following this, the bidding process will then be carried forward. Railways aims to complete the bidding process and get the first private player-operated train running on the tracks by March 2023. The Union Minister of Railways, Piyush Goyal, has made it clear that the private player-run train project is not knock-on privatization in Indian Railways. The government has been consistently claiming that the biggest benefit from the arrival of a private player will be incurred by the rail passengers. Multiple operators will create competition and improve service delivery. This initiative is also intended at reducing the demand-supply deficit in the passenger transportation sector.

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Airbnb launches enhanced cleaning protocol in India, to boost Domestic Tourism

The Protocol is one of the first overarching standardized guidelines towards cleaning and sanitization for Homestays in this industry, for the safety of Airbnb hosts and guests. To support the recovery of the country’s tourism industry, Airbnb has today announced the launch of its Enhanced Cleaning Protocol for its local hosts in the country. The initiative is one of the first overarching standardized protocols for cleaning and sanitization for homestays in the country, and is aimed at providing guidance to hosts offering small-scale accommodations. These practices have also been reviewed by the Indian Medical Association. In the coming months, and as people begin to travel again, cleanliness and safety will continue to be a key consideration for travellers. Airbnb’s Enhanced Cleaning Protocol will play an important role in helping to revive confidence in the safety of travel and stay within India, among hosts and guests. “We have reviewed Airbnb’s enhanced cleaning protocol for the homestay sector. Airbnb protocols are comprehensive and are in compliance with the standard procedures related to sanitation and hand hygiene. This initiative will ensure safety and hygiene of guests,"said Dr R V Asokan, Hony Secretary General, Indian Medical Association. An Industry-Leading Approach towards Cleanliness The new Protocol, which will be progressively rolled out in India in the coming weeks, will provide hosts in India with step-by-step guidance on how to clean and sanitise their homes to the highest standard, to prevent the spread of COVID-19. These industry-first guidelines include a step-by-step cleaning handbook designed for everyday hosts. Hosts who attest to follow the program will receive a special badge on their listing, making it easy for guests to identify and book listings that follow the homestay industry’s most robust set of cleaning standards. These efforts build upon Airbnb's already strong track record of cleanliness: To date, more than 94% of all Airbnb users were satisfied with cleanliness, scoring it at 4 or 5 stars after their stays[1] Airbnb’s Enhanced Cleaning Protocol has also been endorsed by prominent medical practitioners globally. Enhanced Cleaning Standards Will Aid the Future of Travel Dr. Marcus Ranney, a healthcare professional and formerly a frontline medic has said, “Airbnb has gone to great efforts to develop processes around cleanliness, in order to protect the health and safety of their hosts and guests. A key message, for the global efforts to manage this pandemic and build a COVID-ready world, is the importance of self care and personal hygiene. These simple yet effective steps will help each of us play our part in stopping the spread”. “With the health and safety of our guests and hosts in India top of mind, these Enhanced Cleaning Protocols are the need of the hour in the sector. These measures are aimed at restoring traveller confidence and towards driving the systematic recovery of communities through the economic impact of tourism and travel. We are working to bring our hosts global best practices backed by expert counsel and medical guidance from professionals who are at the forefront of the industry. We strongly believe that this can inform an industry-wide standard,” saidAmanpreet Bajaj, General Manager - Airbnb India, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

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Delhi Airport revises guidelines for international flyers; makes 7-day quarantine mandatory

Delhi Airport has issued a new set of guidelines for passengers arriving via international flights. In a move to step up precautions in India's busiest airport, anyone arriving via international flights will now have to undergo seven days of institutional quarantine at their own cost, which will be followed by one-week of home quarantine. Here are the revised guidelines that has been issued by Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport: 1. As per the government mandate, anyone arriving by international flight at Delhi Airport will have to sign an undertaking in which they will have to accept this obligation, i.e., seven days of paid quarantine, which will be signed by the individual, or a family member, and retained by the overseas mission/embassy before the booking is confirmed. This will be followed by 7 days of home quarantine. 2. Those planning to stay in the Delhi-NCR region will have to undergo the mandatory health screening, which will include primary screening by Airport Health Officials (APHO). 3. Passengers will also be required to undergo a secondary screening at the Delhi Government post, after which they will be allowed to proceed to the approved quarantine location. 4. Passengers seeking exemption from quarantine, will need to fill an exemption form and discuss their case with government officials inside the terminal on arrival. Further, if you are exempt from quarantine in Delhi and your final destination is another state, you must make arrangements for quarantine on arrival in the destination state with government officials. 5.As per guidelines, those who can be considered exempt from the quarantine rules are pregnant women, anyone who suffered death in the family, anyone suffering from serious illness, and parents accompanied by children below 10 years. However, they will have to send an undertaking form, along with required documents, to airportcovid@gmail.com. 6. Meanwhile, domestic passengers are required to undergo mandatory thermal screening near the exit gates, whereas those found to be asymptomatic, will be allowed to leave the airport premises. However, they will have to undergo home quarantine for 7 days. 7. The transit passengers will be undergoing temperature checks at both the entry and departure gates before catching their next flight. Also, passengers arriving via international Vande Bharat mission flights may only take a connecting domestic flight if it also comes under the Vande Bharat Mission. Passengers who are planning to board onward domestic flights will have to obtain an authorised exemption certificate, if they are coming via non-Vande Bharat international flights, as per the authorities.

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Phuket in big push to revive tourism

Phuket: The island province is drawing up short, medium and long-term campaigns to revive the local tourism industry, brought to its knees by the Covid-19 pandemic. Provincial governor Narong Woonsew said on Tuesday the province contributes 400 billion baht in tourism revenue to the country each year on average. The sector, which employed 323,219 people locally before Covid-19 struck early this year, generated 245 billion baht in annual gross provincial product (GPP). Mr Narong said the pandemic has dealt a devastating blow to Phuket's tourism industry on which 80% of its economy depends. The damage to the province's tourism sector caused by the outbreak is estimated at 160 billion baht. It is forecast the number of tourist visiting Phuket this year will shrink to only five million, substantially down from last year's figure of 14.4 million. Of those five million tourists, 1.5 million are predicted to be Thais. Mr Narong said the huge dent in tourism has prompted a rethink of the province's economic advancement strategy, whereby it will reduce its dependence on one sector and diversify by developing other potential growth-driver businesses. When the tourism industry in Phuket takes a battering, the entire local economy also crashes, the governor said. Mr Narong said the priority now is to get the economy back on its feet by implementing short, medium and long term revival campaigns involving cooperation between the public and private sectors. In the short term, the government is offering a 40% subsidy on air tickets and accommodation for people taking a holiday in the province over the next three months. Also, medical workers are entitled to a travel and accommodation discount as gesture of thanks from the government for their efforts in battling Covid-19. In the medium and longer term, the provincial office and tourism companies are looking to develop non-tourism sectors to help drive the province's growth. They include education, health and wellness, seafood and gastronomy businesses.

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Nepal to resume domestic, international flights from Aug 17

Kathmandu, Jul 21 (PTI) Nepal will resume domestic and international flight operations starting from August 17, over four months after they were suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On March 20, the government had banned all passengers, including Nepalis, from entering the country. Four days later, it imposed a nationwide lockdown to limit the spread of coronavirus. Shiva Maya Tumbahangphe, the Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, told The Kathmandu Post that a Cabinet meeting on Monday decided to allow both international and domestic flights to resume operations from August 17, as there "has been a decrease in the number of COVID-19 cases in the country". "All flights will be operated by following special health and safety protocols," Tumbahangphe said. Nepal on Monday reported 186 new cases of COVID-19, taking the number of infections to 17,844, with 40 deaths so far. The government says the decision to resume flights was taken as some countries have already started to lift the coronavirus restrictions, the report said. "There are still some countries that are imposing entry restrictions. We will prepare reports on the countries where flights are not restricted and allow them to enter the country accordingly. We will develop protocols and other required measures for the incoming flights," said Buddhi Sagar Lamichhane, joint-secretary at the Civil Aviation Ministry. With the border closed and internal travel prohibited for nearly four months now, the once-booming tourism sector in Nepal is on the verge of a collapse, and it is not likely to recover any time soon, say industry insiders. "We have to do homework and hold extensive discussions with health professionals, the government and the industry players on how to build confidence of foreign tour operators and tourists as well. We have to be well prepared to handle the tourists,” Yogendra Sakya, a travel trade entrepreneur, was quoted as saying by The Kathmandu Post. “In such a difficult scenario, it’s all about survival. Only if we survive now, can we move ahead for revival," Sakya said. Tourism is one of the major foreign currency earners for Nepal. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council, the travel and tourism''s total contribution to the country''s gross domestic product stood at 7.9 per cent in 2018.

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India investing in theme parks and tourism projects

India is investing heavily in tourism projects, including an energy park at Koradi, a Buddhist theme park at Futala, and a tourism circuit in Saurashtra. According to The Times of India, Maharashtra Energy Minister Nitin Raut proposed the development of the two tourist attractions in Koradi and Futala, Maharashtra. Architect Ashok Mokha made presentations about the projects on Saturday (July 18). The Buddhist theme park will cost approximately Rs 10 billion ($134 million) and will be located at Futala Lake. The energy park will cost around Rs 1.25 billion ($17 million) and will be located adjacent to the temple at Koradi. Raut plans to showcase various power projects in the energy park, which will include a miniature model of Koradi Super Thermal Power Station. Energy park located adjacent to Koradi temple In addition, it will boast an interpretation centre, solar energy garden, wind energy garden, biomass energy garden, small hydro energy garden, vocational training centre and outdoor games. Koradi temple has been developed into a major pilgrimage centre, and the new energy project will transform it into a tourism hub for international visitors. The State Government of Gujarat has also announced a tourism circuit with beaches, lions and temples to be developed in Saurashtra. According to Times Travel, Chief Minister of Gujarat Vijay Rupani launched projects worth Rs 1.26 billion ($17 million) on Thursday (July 16). Buddhist theme park located at Futala Lake “The Gujarat government is mulling developing a tourist circuit involving pilgrim places, beaches in Saurashtra and the pride of Gujarat, lions of Gir Forest, and chalk out a circuit surrounding all these places,” said Rupani. “Pilgrim places like Jyotirling Somnath and Girnar [mountain], historical places like Uparkot, the beaches of Somnath and lion sighting in Gir Lion Sanctuary in Saurashtra.” Rupani also said the government plans to make Gujarat a world-class tourist destination by developing several tourist centres. “Gujarat is emerging as a new force in economic growth by providing more jobs in service sectors like tourism,” added Rupani. Last year, India and Germany signed an MoU to cooperate between select museums of both countries, including the National Museum Delhi and the National Gallery of Modern Art Delhi.

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