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Dubai Launches ‘Dubai Assured’ Stamp For Tourism And Retail Establishments

Dubai has launched a compliance programme to certify and recognise hotels and retail establishments, F&B outlets and attractions that have implemented all public health protocols for the prevention and management of COVID-19. The specially designed ‘DUBAI ASSURED’ stamp will be issued free of charge and will be valid for 15 days. It will be renewed every two weeks upon further verification by inspectors from the relevant authorities. “The successful strategy adopted in combatting the pandemic, based on the vision and wise leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and the follow up of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai has helped create an environment that is conducive to reopening our city to tourists from 7 July. Nonetheless, the health and safety of our residents and visitors remains our utmost priority. The compliance programme that we have now rolled out across the hospitality sector with the wholehearted support of Dubai Economy and Dubai Municipality is not only testament to the continued efforts being made to further enhance health and safety standards but is also a confidence-boosting measure to reassure travellers that Dubai is one of the world’s safest destinations,” Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General, Dubai Tourism, said. “With the type and quality of health and safety measures bound to be foremost on the minds of travellers when selecting their destination of choice, the ‘DUBAI ASSURED’ seal is one such simple yet critical mechanism developed in collaboration with our stakeholders to assure tourists of a smooth and safe experience at every stage of their travel journey, right from arrival at our airports to the point of departure from Dubai. “The ‘DUBAI ASSURED’ stamp will also reinforce the global recognition of Dubai as a safe destination, as reflected in the Safe Travels stamps that we received from the World Travel & Tourism Council, which validates the stringent hygiene and safety protocols that are in place and endorses the efforts taken by the city to align itself with international standards and best practices in health and safety,” Almarri added. According to a survey by global consulting firm HVS on future destination selection, 85 per cent of travellers will prioritise their travel plans based on the destination’s reputation and the type of action taken by its government in managing the pandemic including safety and security measures that have been implemented and the quality of the healthcare system and services that are available.

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Nagaland’s Hornbill Festival unlikely this year due to coronavirus

The famed Hornbill Festival in Nagaland is unlikely to be held this year in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, a senior official said on Monday. The 10-day Hornbill Festival that usually starts on December 1 celebrates the culture and heritage of different tribes of the state. It is attended by lakhs of people from across India and abroad. The tourism industry is in a dire condition due to the pandemic and if the situation doesn’t improve, the state government may not be in a position to host the Hornbill Festival, Tourism Advisor H Khehovi Yepthomi told reporters. The tourism industry in Nagaland is largely dependent on the mega event with the festivities starting as early as mid-October at local levels and culminating in December. The festival enables tour operators, hoteliers, guides, transporters and a myriad of handicraft artisans and restaurant owners to earn enough to sustain them through the lean monsoon season, Yepthomi said. We have absolutely no tourist traffic since February and we are certain that if this dire situation continues then the entire industry will collapse in another six months,” he added. The festival, for which thousands of people make travel plans not only to Nagaland but also several other states in the Northeast, is being held over the last 20 years. Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for Aatma Nirbhar Bharat, Yepthomi said small-scale theme-based events can be organised in district headquarters like Made in Nagaland, Crafted in Nagaland, Flowers of Nagaland, etc so as to manage crowding and this will also act as the right platform in giving opportunities to local entrepreneurs in rebuilding a community towards sustainability, which has always been the goal of Hornbill Festival. The state’s tourism industry will also get an opportunity to revive itself, he said. The scale and the type of the festival may be considered after studying the ground realities in October- November, he said. Stating that the Tourism Department is working out a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for a steady reopening, Yemtphomi said the sector will have to redesign its services and utilities and institute certain protocols, including social distancing rules, contactless payment, besides management of the number of people within a facility. The department is working to set up Destination Management Organisations in coordination with representatives from key departments of the state such as Health, Home, Transport and Municipal Affairs to ensure efficient flow of tourists, and safe and sustainable use of tourism services and infrastructure, he said. Yepthomi, an MLA, said the Tourism Department would hold a consultative meeting with Kohima-based tribal hohos for their views before taking any decision on the Hornbill Festival. He said the government has started gathering details of around 20,000 people who came back to the state from other parts of the country due to the lockdown to conduct training for skill enhancement so that they can be provided employment in the hospitality sector. We are trying to provide employment opportunities to these people and will come out with the modalities within a couple of weeks, he said.

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Tanzania Restarts International Tourism

Earlier last month, Tanzania opened its borders for international tourism. A major portion of the nation’s GDP depends on the tourism and hospitality segment. Tanzania has been one of the destinations to keep the covid-19 numbers in check. Speaking about the development, Devota Mdachi, Managing Director, Tanzania Tourist Board said, “We are one of the first countries in African region to open tourism. The number of covid-19 patients is very low. We are ready to receive tourists from across the globe. The Ministry of Health and Tourism have come up with various precautions and SOPs and guidelines. All major airports have screening machines, mask compulsory, sanitisers available in many points. Hotels and operators have got a mandate to follow SOPs and also come up with their own SOPs. We welcomed the first international airline, Ethiopian Airline after nearly two months, which is a very positive sign. We are very excited and soon when India will be open, Air Tanzania will resume its flights to Mumbai, and we look forward to welcome Indian travellers.” The interaction was organized by Koncept Africa, a totally Africa centric vertical of Pearl Tourism & Leisure Group which is well equipped to help create a suitable package for Tanzania and other major African destinations. Speaking about the destination Jayesh Ashar, Managing Director, Pearl Tourism & Leisure Group said, “Tanzania is a unique destination that offers a huge gamut of attractions, activities, landscapes and choice of accommodation. It’s a dynamic package destination in true sense! The main factors that will influence travel to TZ are; Visa on arrival and e-visa facility available for Indian travellers; Direct flights from India to TZ with convenient timings, only 6 hrs flying time; Strict COVID-19 protocol in place for visitors safety; Medium to high end budget packages available; Easy availability of Indian cuisine including Jain food.” In terms of marketing strategies to instill confidence amongst tourists, Tanzania has come up with a short and a long-term tourism strategy. The destination will also look to organize a roadshow in India end of this year or early next year. “After the outbreak and decision to close the borders, we were impacted. We reached a point where there were zero tourism. Tourism is our number one priority sector. It affected employment and economy of Tanzania. Now that we have opened up, we are looking at best ways to promote so that tourism numbers trickle down to Tanzania. We know that other destinations are also aiming to open. Our short-term plans where we have invested a lot on online marketing, we have done some live streaming to showcase the destination. We worked with the Serengeti live Show company to showcase what’s happening in Serengeti,” she said adding that Tanzania will hold a roadshow in India later this year or early next year to show what Tanzania has got to offer and what the government has put in place for safety and health of the travellers. “For long term plan, we are looking to appoint a representative and PR in India next year. We will also conduct some fam trips for trade and journalists from India market to showcase our uniqueness,” she informed. In 2019, the destination welcomed 49,000 travellers from India. Now, with a direct Air Tanzania connection to Mumbai, the tourism board is anticipating rise in numbers. “We have a large Indian community in Tanzania, and we have people speaking Indian languages and also Indian food is easily available here. With Air Tanzania connection the numbers will surely increase,” she informed. With the new protocols in place social distancing is a major guideline for every business. Tanzania is now promoting newer destinations to divert traffic throughout the nation. She further said, “The safety and health of our guest is our priority. We have put social distancing in practice and for safari vehicle can have maximum 4 guests in a vehicle and vehicles are sanitized in frequent intervals. The best circuit for the first-time traveler is the Northern circuit. Also, most travellers combine Northern circuit along with Zanzibar. Now we are also promoting southern tourism circuit which are unique and unexplored. We are also trying to divert traffic to western part of the nation. Travellers should at least look at a six to seven-night itinerary.”

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Tourism minister confirms Phuket, Phi Phi, Samui to be proposed for ‘Travel Bubbles’

PHUKET: Minister for Tourism and Sport Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn has confirmed that Phuket is to be one of the pilot destinations to be proposed to the Cabinet to be promoted for “travel bubble” tourists. Such tourists will be exempt from 14-day quarantines, but will be restricted to visiting specified areas, Mr Phiphat said yesterday (July 14), reported state news agency National News Bureau of Thailand (NNT). The three pilot areas to be proposed to Cabinet will be all Southern Thailand provinces: Phuket; Krabi, especially Phi Phi island; and Surat Thani, especially Koh Samui and Koh Pha-ngan islands. In order to be permitted to join a ‘Travel Bubble’ tour, foreign tourists must be tested for COVID-19 before coming to Thailand and again when arriving at airports, Mr Phiphat said. Foreign tourists wanting to stay longer than 14 days will be allowed to visit other areas in the country after staying in their initial destination area for 14 days without exhibiting any signs of infection, he added. Mr Phiphat also noted that the national domestic tourism campaign, launched through the ‘We Travel Together’ web portal under the ‘Tiew Pan Suk’ (Travelling Shares Happiness) government initiative, is expected to “take around a half of the B18 billion budget given by the Cabinet, as most people will not book room that charge the full B3,000 a night.” “We will propose that Phase 2 of this project use the rest of the budget,” he added. “The tourism goal for this year is to generate around 6-7% of GDP, or around B1.23 trillion,” Mr Phiphat said. “We expect to generate B700 billion from domestic tourism in the last quarter of this year, and a further B596 billion from foreign tourists,” he added. However, when or whether or not such “travel bubbles” will be permitted was a decision beyond his authority, Mr Phiphat noted. “That depends on whether the Prime Minister and the Minister of Interior choose people’s safety and security or economic recovery,” he said.

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Indian Railways reveals post-Corona coach

f you have been wondering what the world of travelling would be like once COVID-19 ends or regular travel operations resume, this is something for you. The Indian Railways has unveiled a prototype of its railway coach, labelling it as Post Covid Coach. The design is new and hints at safer travel in the future, reducing chances of infection. The design for this post-COVID coach by the Indian Railways was revealed by Minister of Railways Piyush Goel, as he took to social media to announce the same. The design plan has new features, including handsfree water dispensers, soap dispensers, washroom facilities, toilet gates that require no hand touch and more. The coach design also has copper coated handles in place, which is believed to reduce the risk of infection. The seating material used in this post-Covid coach will come coated with titanium di-oxide, and the coaches would be fitted with plasma air-purifiers. t is reported that the coaches would be both AC and non-AC and the production for the same has already started at the Kapurthala Rail Coach Factory. The new design is aimed to instil a sense of security in the passengers. It has to be noted that the country boasts of a mammoth rail network, and Indian Railways is the fourth largest railway network in the world. It spans a length of 68,155 km as of March 2019, and is the lifeline of common passenger movement in the country. COVID outbreak led to a break on all passenger operations, halting the massive transport facility.

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Govt looks to attract tourists by pitching India as land of Buddha

NEW DELHI: As more states open up to tourists with a string of safeguards in place, the tourism ministry is lending a helping hand with its "Dekho Apna Desh" campaign and pitching India as the land of Buddha. With an eye on China and Buddhist countries in the neighbourhood, tourism minister Prahlad Patel emphasised the need to bring more Buddhist tourists to India, asking tour operators last week why India receives only a fraction of them. The development of Buddhist tourism, done with an eye on China, which has also invested heavily in infrastructure projects to cultivate Buddhist leaders, has been part of India’s bid to leverage its soft power in the neighbourhood. Earlier this month, PM Narendra Modi had pitched for encouraging Buddhist tourism, emphasising the centrality of India to the Buddhist world and highlighting the need for better connectivity of India’s Buddhist sites. He had also said his government had approved the upgrade of Kushinagar airport as an international one to allow more pilgrims and tourists to visit India. Tourism and culture minister Prahlad Patel, who had presented five volumes of the "Mongolian Kanjur", a Buddhist canonical text in 108 volumes, regarded as the most important religious text in Mongolia, to President Ram Nath Kovind and the Mongolian ambassador, has since doubled down on India’s bid to print all volumes of the Buddhist canon and provide copies to all monasteries across Mongolia. The tourism ministry has also started promotional activities related to Buddhist sites, including highlighting that the government has installed foreign language signage, including in Chinese, at crucial Buddhist sites like Shravasti, Sarnath, Kushinagar and Sanchi, where a large number of Buddhist tourists come. Though the coronavirus curve is still rising in the country and caution is key, promoting economic activity — of which tourism is a crucial sector — is also critical. In Uttarakhand, tourists need to register and have a certificate confirming a negative test for coronavirus for permission to travel. Armed with this certificate, tourists will not be quarantined. Hotels will administer the RT-PCR test on guests who have not been tested and people can only leave their hotels after seven days of arrival. Destination weddings have also been permitted, but guests are only allowed to visit the place of the wedding. The UN World Travel Organisation’s "Responsible Tourism" mantra is reflected in India’s approach too. Last week, J&K opened up to tourists arriving by air and mandated RT-PCR tests at the airport. The UT also said travellers will have to show prior taxi and hotel bookings and will be allowed to proceed from their hotels only after they test negative for the coronavirus. While further relaxations may be in order in the coming weeks, for now, J&K has advised travellers above 65 to desist from visiting. Goa, which restarted tourism earlier in July, has announced a fresh lockdown after a spike in cases. For now, uncertainty prevails over future lockdowns and hotels were compelled to cancel bookings over the weekend. Rajasthan, which gets a substantial revenue from tourism, has seen a slow but steady resumption of tourist activities. Though key heritage monuments have opened and are seeing a trickle of tourists, with restricted train and air travel still, numbers have been far below normal.

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