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Air India To Operate 75 Flights To US, Canada Under Vande Bharat Mission

New Delhi: Air India on Wednesday said it will operate 75 outbound passenger flights to select destinations in the US and Canada between June 9 and June 30 under the Vande Bharat Mission. "Those who wish to travel to the United States and Canada and fulfill required entry conditions can book themselves on these outbound flights. Some foreign airlines have already carried out evacuation flights and are planning to operate more flights. These flights will also take foreign nationals," Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri tweeted. He said the aforementioned 75 flights will go to destinations like New York, Newark, Chicago, Washington, San Francisco, Vancouver and Toronto. Domestic passenger flights resumed in India from May 25 after a gap of two months due to the coronavirus-triggered lockdown. Scheduled international passenger flights continue to remain suspended in India. The central government, however, started the Vande Bharat Mission from May 7 to bring back the stranded Indians from abroad through special inbound flights. It is for the first time that outbound flights have been included under the mission. "Under Mission Vande Bharat, AI will be operating 75 flights from India to select destinations in USA and Canada from 9th to 30th June 2020. Bookings on these flights, ex India only, will tentatively be open from 1700 Hrs on 5th June 2020 only through Air India website," the national carrier said on its website. Air India and its subsidiary, Air India Express, operated 64 flights under phase one of the mission. They plan to operate around 300 flights in the ongoing phase two of the mission to evacuate a total of 70,000 Indians stranded globally.

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Caribbean reopens to tourism

A cluster of Caribbean islands are reopening this month for international tourism, hoping to burnish their reputations as oases of tranquility after containing their coronavirus outbreaks and implementing strict new public health protocols. The Caribbean, known for its palm-fringed beaches, turquoise water and colonial towns, is the most tourism-dependent region in the world. The move is a pilot test for other regions planning to restart tourism after pandemic-induced lockdowns. Antigua and Barbuda, the U.S. Virgin Islands and St. Lucia are the first to reopen this week. Jamaica and Aruba are set to follow later in the month, with July target dates for the Bahamas and the Dominican Republic. While other tourist hotspots like Greece aim to limit arrivals from countries with high infection rates, the first flights the Caribbean is receiving are from the United States, which has the world’s highest number of reported cases. But local tourism officials say they have little choice. Americans accounted for almost half the Caribbean’s 31.5 million visitors last year. “What are we going to wait for? A vaccine? Shut down the country for two years?” Antigua and Barbuda’s Tourism Minister Charles Fernandez said in an interview. Instead, the islands reopening will conduct health screening, including temperature checks upon arrival, and require or encourage the use of face masks in public spaces. They are divided though over whether to test - as recommended by the Caribbean Public Health Agency - because of cost, reliability and availability concerns. Without testing, asymptomatic visitors could be a risk. Antigua and Barbuda will conduct a rapid coronavirus test of visitors upon arrival, said Fernandez. St. Lucia Prime Minister Allen Chastanet told Reuters it would require a certificate for a negative coronavirus test conducted in the 48 hours before departure. It remains unclear if this would work, given tests are not widely available on demand in the United States. Concerns remain over reopenings in countries that do not require testing of arrivals, like Jamaica. “People should object, as should anyone who has done what they have done to flatten the curve of new cases,” said civil rights advocate Carol Narcisse, noting Jamaica has warned of a likely new rise in cases. “Whose interest is the government really serving here?” Generation C The coronavirus era has uprooted Caribbean carnival celebrations, nights out clubbing and resort buffets. Still, the tourism industry hopes the mere appeal of sun, sea and the outdoors will suffice. “Post-coronavirus, people want to get outside,” said Marc Melville, the head of Jamaica-based Chukka Tours. Caribbean nations, which were quick to shut their borders and impose strict lockdowns as the pandemic spread, hope to market themselves as safe destinations. Antigua and Barbuda and the U.S. Virgin Islands have respectively just one and two reported cases, according to officials. St Lucia has none. Officials want the new tourism guidelines to reassure travelers, without being off-putting. Measures include sanitizing surfaces and social distancing in hotels, restaurants, tour operators and taxis. Digital transactions aim to reduce the exchange of cash and face-to-face interaction. Jamaica’s preliminary guidelines, which run more than 100 pages long, even detail the need to reduce capacity on boats or to remove towels lying around resorts with tongs. Jamaican Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett said the country should reopen and adapt to bolster its tourist industry amid the global economic crisis. “It’s a new type of traveler who is going to be hugely health conscious,” Bartlett said, branding this the “Generation C” traveler, in reference to the post-coronavirus tourist. Islands like St. Lucia will pace their reopenings, keeping tourist sites closed in a first phase and allowing seated restaurant service only at resorts. On his blog “One Mile at a Time,” travel writer Ben Schlappig wrote St. Lucia’s plan would make him feel safe: “The question becomes whether a visit would be any fun with all of these restrictions.”

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Tourists yes, but no site-seeing, Tourism department instructs hoteliers in Dharamsala

The hoteliers of Dharamsala have refused to accept the proposal of tourism department to re-start operations from June 8. The members of the hotel association alleged that the government was trying to shift the entire burden of containing the coronavirus on the distressed hotel industry and also asking them to re-start the operations. Sources said that some of proposals that were discussed in video conferencing meeting held yesterday with hoteliers by the senior officials of tourism department have left members of hotel associations dazed. One of the proposals that officials presented before the hoteliers was that the tourists coming to the state will not be allowed for local site-seeing, tours, market visits or move outside the hotel. The tourism department also proposed that in case tourists move outside the hotel, it will be viewed a violation and action will be initiated against the hotelier and client under the law. However, the tourists will be free to move within the hotel the proposal states as per documents available with The Tribune. The other proposal that has left the hoteliers fuming is that tourists coming to hotels in Himachal would be welcomed at the reception with ‘kadha’ which the tourists will be served once a day. The menu of the hotels would be decided by the health department. The hoteliers have also been directed against allowing people with temperature, cold, kidney ailments and lung problems. The hoteliers have maintained that they are in no position conduct the health check up of the visiting tourists. They are saying that onus of checking the coronavirus infection should be on the state and not on the hoteliers. Former Congress minister, Vijai Singh Mankotia has termed the proposals an effort to kill tourism in the state. “How could the tourism department even discuss such proposals. I shall request the government not to make Himachal a laughing stock by making such propoals.” Mankotia said. Sanjeev Gandhi, state co-convenor of the Federation of Hotel and Restaurants Association (FOHRA), while talking to The Tribune, said that the hoteliers were in no position to open up on June 8 under present set of conditions proposed by the state government. He said some of the conditions proposed by the tourism department were illogical. Ashwani Bamba, president of Hotel and Restaurant Association of Upper Dharamsala, said that government has proposed to open hotels for corporate clients. However, corporate clients were not even 2 per cent of the total business in place like Dharamsala. The hotels cannot start functioning in Dharamsala until the tourists were allowed to travel to the state by air, Volvo buses and trains, he said.

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International flight may resume soon

DGCA and AAI planning to recommence operations to Europe, U.S., Canada. After largely closing its airspace to commercial flights, the Ministry of Civil Aviation is contemplating to resume international flights by this month itself. Sources told The Hindu that the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) are weighing the options for recommencing international flights, especially to Europe, the U.S. and Canada. However, any decision in this regard would be taken only in accordance with the lifting of travel restrictions imposed by other nations to control COVID-19. Several Non-Resident Indian (NRI) organisations and expatriates have been demanding resumption of the flights to Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations. Big demand “Numerous people have been approaching us to restart the international flights. Several factors need to be addressed. Many international destinations are not allowing incoming passenger traffic except for their own citizens or diplomats,” Hardeep Singh Puri, Union Minister for Civil Aviation, tweeted on Monday evening. Sources said some nations such as Bahrain, Qatar and the UAE have rolled back their lockdown measures. But these nations have not lifted the restrictions imposed on foreign residents. Flights are subjected to prior approval from the General Authority of Civil Aviation in Saudi Arabia and passengers have not been allowed to enter Kuwait. Sources said NRIs holding valid residence permits in the UAE have approached the Ministry of Civil Aviation to work or business. India is willing to fly out people having valid documents to countries which are allowing foreigners to enter. But due to the travel restrictions, the evacuation flights to the UAE are going empty from India, the Minister said. 50,000 evacuated Already more than 50,000 Indians have been evacuated through the Vande Bharat mission from first week of May. However, the number of passengers ferried by outbound flights is about 13,000 till now. Air India and its subsidiary Air India Express are now preparing to significantly increase the flights. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Home Affairs has laid down guidelines for the fifth phase of the lockdown to facilitate the gradual and calibrated reopening of the aviation sector. About 50% of the domestic flights will resume operation in the coming days.

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Agra Mayor demands reopening of Taj Mahal to revive tourism industry of town

s Covid-19 started spreading in India, the Narendra Modi government announced a lockdown on March 25 this year. But even before the lockdown was announced, the Taj Mahal and other Indian monuments had already been closed. Since March, tourists from the world over have been deprived of viewing the Taj Mahal. Keeping that in mind, Agra Mayor and long-term BJP leader Naveen Jain commented on the central and state governments, demanding to know the reason why the Taj Mahal was still closed when the government has already started trains and domestic flights. The Mayor said that the Taj Mahal should be opened immediately for tourists keeping the social distancing guidelines in mind. He said that it has already been 75 days since the Taj and other Agra monuments were closed and the 4 lakh people who are directly linked to the tourist industry as guides, hotel/restaurant employees, emporiums and photographers are facing difficult days. "It is imperative that the gates of the Taj Mahal be opened immediately," he says. Agra Tourist Welfare Chamber Secretary Vishal Sharma said that since March 17, the Taj Mahal has been closed for tourists whereas the Rajasthan government has already allowed entrance in all state government-managed monuments. He said that even the Unlock 1 guideline issued by the Central government does not mention monuments anywhere. Sharma said that the monuments could be opened for a limited number of tourists every day with full observance of social distancing norms. Amir Qureshi of Hindustani Biradari said that most of the businesses of Agra are connected with the tourism industry and the Taj Mahal. The monument was not only the lifeblood of Agra, but it was the jewel of Uttar Pradesh, but since it has been closed for the tourists, the tourism industry of Agra has come to a standstill and despite the permission to reopen the businesses in the unlocking guidelines issued by the central government, emporiums are preferring to remain closed. "What is the point of opening the emporium and incurring the daily operational expenses when the tourists will not be coming?" he asked.

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MP Tourism wants you to travel in its luxury caravans

The heart of India, Madhya Pradesh, is ready to welcome tourists back again after the relaxation of lockdown measures. Madhya Pradesh Tourism recently shared a photo of luxury caravans on its Instagram page to invite tourists who would be interested in exploring the state without compromising on social distancing norms. Well, these caravan vans can be booked via a toll free number. As per the lockdown 5.0 plan issued by the Union Government, hotels and restaurants in India will be allowed to reopen on June 8. For several states, tourism is a strong means of generating revenue. In a bid to revive tourism activities in the state, the MP Tourism wants travellers to consider travelling in its luxury caravans, which have been around since a few years, but the concept seems to be more relevant in the current COVID-19 times. So, if you have thought of travelling in a spacious four-wheeler vehicle that has an air conditioner, comfortable beds, television, fridge, cooking stove and gas, microwave, DVD player, locker, camping equipment and a clean bathroom cum toilet, then the luxury caravan provided by the MP Tourism is your dream come true. Tourists who opt these caravans will be provided a driver to take them around on the best routes. The caravan is spacious enough to accommodate your immediate and extended family of at least 12 members. For more details, contact the toll-free number provided by MP Tourism.

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