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Domestic air travel shows both capacity and load factor growth in November

Despite an increase in capacity deployed from 52% in October to 59% in November, the load factors showed promising improvement in domestic air travel with 74%. The month-on-month growth in capacities and load factors indicates the revival of demand as well as the confidence of people in air travel as a safe mode of travel even in the pandemic. As per the international rating agency, ICRA, the Indian aviation industry has witnessed continued recovery in domestic passenger traffic in November 2020, with a sequential growth (over October 2020) of 19% to 62 lakh passengers. The capacity deployment in November 2020 at 59% (vis-a-vis November 2019) is a significant increase over the 46% capacity deployed in September 2020 and 52% capacity deployed in October 2020. On a year-on-year basis, however, domestic passenger traffic declined by 52%. The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has enhanced the capacity deployment on the domestic front from 33% gradually and steadily keeping up with the market demand. It further permitted increasing the capacity to 60% with effect from September 02, 2020, and to 70% with effect from November 11, 2020 and further to 80% with effect from December 03, 2020. The average flight departure per day in November was 1806 as against 1574 in October, 2020. With the uptick in load factors, there has been a credible increase in the number of passengers travelled by each flight in November, at 115 as against 106 in October, 2020.

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Goibibo survey shows every third Indian wants to travel this winter

A travel trend survey conducted by Goibibo has shown that the penchant to travel is still quite high among Indians and one-third of the Indians surveyed as part of the winter survey by the online travel company has revealed that they wish to strike off a vacation from their wishlist before stepping into 2021. Around 35% of respondents participated in the survey have plans to travel and take a holiday during the upcoming Christmas and New Year season. It indicated that 60% of the respondents who are willing to travel during the winter holiday season are planning to spend the year end vacationing in the hills or by the beach. Amongst the surveyed more than 70% are hoping to relax and celebrate this winter holiday season with their family, spouse or partner while the rest are looking to end the year traveling with friends and long-not-met colleagues. While travellers are equally split between beaches and mountains as holiday destinations of choice in India – they concur the destination has to bring them closer to nature and be scenic more than anything else. While nearly 70% respondents want to spend time outdoors, soaking in the sights or doing adventure activities like rafting, hiking, water sport or just sightseeing; only 20% respondents are looking to wrap the year at bars or parties. As safety remains paramount, survey respondents gave highest preference to sanitization, hygiene and safety certification in their order of priority while choosing their stay option.

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Over 1,000 visit Aurangabad monuments on the first day of reopening

The historical monuments in and around Aurangabad received a good flow of visitors on Thursday, when the sites were opened for public after nearly nine months. Earlier this week, the district authorities allowed for opening of five monuments around Aurangabad. It immediately prompted opportunities for several small businesses. On Thursday, a total of 1,250 tourists, including a foreign national, visited the five monuments. Cabs, taxis had lined up outside these places, apart from stalls selling artefacts, semi-precious stones, paintings and snacks. Authorities said that the total number of tourists that visited on Thursday have been amongst the lowest number visitors to visit each of these sites in past few decades. As per the figures obtained from the Archaeological Survey of India’s Aurangabad circle office, Ajanta caves were visited by 86 tourists, Ellora caves by 359 domestic tourists and one foreign tourist, Daulatabad fort were visited by 170 tourists, Aurangabad caves by 94 tourists and 540 tourists visited Bibi-Ka-Maqbara. To encourage people to visit tourism places, revenue minister of state Abdul Sattar personally visited to Ellora caves and appealed people to visit the places while following all the covid-19 related safety norms. Authorities have decided to issue online tickets. Moreover, 2,000 tourists per day have been allowed for now at each of the tourist places, out of which 1,000 would be allowed in the first half of the day, followed by the remaining in the second half of the day. However, 17th century marvel ‘Panchakki’ or the watermill was not opened by the authorities.

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Google’s set of debut insight tools will help the travel industry understand the changing travel patterns

Innovation lies at the core of development. And Google definitely understands this philosophy. Tech giant Google’s latest set of debut tools are tailor-made for travel purposes. Titled ‘Destination Insights’ and ‘Hotel Insights’, Google’s new tools are hosted on a ‘Travel Insights with Google’ website, exclusively aimed at helping the tourism industry. ‘Insights’, as suggestive of its name, will help businesses understand and analyse travel demands. The launch is initially planned for businesses in the Asia-Pacific Region, and will be expanded to other regions gradually. ravel Analytics Centre Another tool, in this trio, is ‘Travel Analytics Centre’. Travel Analytics Centre tool is available only to Google’s commercial partners. The function of this tool is to enable the partners to overlap their own Google data with the Google demand data. Destination Insights The Destination Insights tool gives businesses in the travel industry an idea of the most visited places in their respective countries by tourists. This tool is beneficial for small businesses, and helps them draw the demand trends in travel. Hotel Insights The third tool, Hotel Insights, is developed keeping in mind the small and independent hotel businesses. The Hotel Insights Tool can help hotels understand the demand for their property, and market their services keeping the analysis in mind. The purpose for the development of this tool trio, is to help the businesses in the travel industry realise their true potential and adapt themselves to the change in consumer behaviour and travel patterns, which are a result of the pandemic. Data analysis is crucial to all industries. But since the travel sector does not actively employ any software or methods for the same, Google’s insightful initiative sparks hopes of recovery for the travel industry worldwide.

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India allows flyers to take connecting flights to some countries

NEW DELHI: Widening the scope of travel by eligible persons under air bubbles being created with several countries, India has now allowed passengers to further travel to South America and Africa from Europe, UAE and Qatar. This means that passengers can fly to France, Germany, Holland, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha under air bubbles and then take connecting flights from there to South America and Africa. Travelling to EU from air bubble countries was allowed from France and Germany earlier. Similarly, India has now allowed passengers travelling under air bubble arrangements with Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda and Tanzania to travel to any country in Africa. While, passengers travelling between India and Ukraine can travel to and from CIS countries, except Russia. In a tweet on Friday, the aviation ministry said: “Passengers travelling under air bubble arrangements with France, Germany and Netherlands can further travel to EU/Schengen area, South American and African countries… Travellers of bubble arrangement between India-Qatar & India-UAE can further travel to South America and Africa.” India has now also allowed citizens of Nepal and Bhutan to travel via India to some air bubble countries. “Nepalese and Bhutanese passengers along with Indian nationals have been allowed to travel under air bubble arrangements with Ethiopia, France, Germany, Iraq, Kenya, Netherlands, Qatar, Rwanda, Tanzania, Ukraine and UAE,” the ministry said in another tweet.

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Covid-19 test mandatory for tourists visiting Nainital, Mussoorie: U'khand HC

The Uttarakhand High Court has ordered mandatory COVID-19 test of tourists visiting Nainital and Mussoorie. In an order dated December 9, Acting Chief Justice Ravi Kumar Malimath and Justice Ravindra Maithani of the high court said tourists visiting the two popular tourist towns be tested for coronavirus at the time of entry. The order to resume testing of tourists comes ahead of Christmas and New Year holidays when large inflow of tourists is expected in Nainital and Mussoorie. COVID-19 cases have risen in Uttarakhand after the compulsory requirement for tourists to produce a negative RT-PCR report while entering the state was removed in September to boost tourism.

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