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Ministry of Tourism launches "DekhoApnaDesh" webinar series

New Delhi: The ministry of tourism said on Tuesday it was launching the Dekho Apna Desh webinar series. The ministry said the webinar series will provide information on the many destinations and the 'depth' and 'expanse' of the culture and heritage of India. The first webinar on Tuesday touched upon the history of Delhi and was titled " City of Cities- Delhi's Personal Diary'. The ministry said owing to COVID-19, tourism is hugely impacted with no domestic or international movement. But owing to technology, it is possible to visit places and destinations virtually and plan travels for a later date. Tourism minister Prahlad Singh Patel said the series of webinars shall be an on-going feature and the ministry would work towards showcasing the diverse and remarkable history and culture of India including its monuments, cuisine, arts, dance forms. natural landscapes, festivals and many other aspects of the rich Indian civilization. The ministry of tourism said about 5546 people registered for the event and that the webinar will be available on the ministry’s social media handles- IncredibleIndia on Instagram and Facebook.

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All domestic, international flights to remain suspended till May 3: DGCA

Shortly after Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended the nationwide lockdown for 19 more days, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) Tuesday announced that all domestic and international flights will remain suspended till May 3. “All domestic and international scheduled airlines operations shall remain suspended till11:59pm of 03 May 2020,” the aviation body said in a tweet. Last week, national carrier Air India had stopped bookings for domestic and international flights till April 30 while IndiGo, SpiceJet and GoAir were taking bookings for domestic flights starting April 15. India has allowed countries like the US, UK and Germany to conduct special flights during the lockdown to take their citizens back home. Air India has also extended its services to countries such as Germany, UK and France to facilitate the return of their citizens. India suspended domestic and international commercial passenger flight operations from midnight on March 24 for 21 days in sync with the nation-wide lockdown. However, cargo flights, medical evacuation flights, offshore helicopter operations and flights specially permitted by the aviation regulator DGCA have been operating during this time period. Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri had on April 3said that airlines can take domestic bookings after April 14 if the 21-day lockdown is not extended further. Meanwhile, the Indian Railways also suspended all passenger trains till May 3 after the prime minister’s address. The railways said no advance booking of train tickets will be allowed till further notice. “Resumption of train services may be warranted… Keeping in view emergent situation,” it said. The prime minister Tuesday extended the lockdown till May 3 saying there will be strict enforcement of lockdown till April 20 and there could be relaxation in some areas if the situation improves. He, however, did not reveal an economic plan or package for the country despite repeated pleas from chief ministers for urgent measures that could help states tide over the current gloom. He said the government would on Wednesday publish a detailed document with guidelines on how to go about the battle against the pandemic. After April 20, there will be graded relaxations in areas based on the epidemiological assessment – incidence of the outbreak and the intensity, PM Modi said, adding that restrictions could be reimposed later if there were any fresh cases of COVID-19 found in these areas.

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Airlines plan for social distancing

Keeping the middle seat of each three-seat row vacant, not assigning the last row to any passenger, allowing only one person to sit in each row in coaches that carry passengers to aircraft or terminal buildings. These are some of the measures airlines plan to take in the post-lockdown period to ensure fliers maintain social distancing as a safeguard against the coronavirus. But this could also end up burning a bigger hole in fliers’ pockets, officials of various airlines and tour operators said. It is not yet clear when domestic and international flights will resume even after the lockdown is lifted but airlines have started making plans for that, a key aspect of which is to ensure social distancing among passengers. SpiceJet on Monday released pictures of how passengers would be seated on coaches on their way to the aircraft or the terminal. “Social distancing. This will be the seating arrangement on SpiceJet coaches when operations resume. No passenger will sit on seats marked X. Standing space has also been earmarked,” read a statement issued by SpiceJet, referring to pictures the airline released. The stepladders also have similar X marks. One passenger would be allowed to board through the stepladder at a time. “This will be the new normal,” said an official of the airline. “These are initial plans which can be altered if the DGCA (directorate general of civil aviation) comes out with some rules,” said the official. Apart from keeping the middle seats of the aircraft vacant, SpiceJet is planning to keep the last row empty. “The last row will be reserved for emergency isolation,” the official said. Other airlines, too, are planning such moves. IndiGo is planning to operate with 50 per cent capacity. International airlines are also considering similar measures but waiting for instructions from the regulatory authorities. Aviation industry sources said some airlines were planning to stop serving meals on board. “When the flight operations resume, we are expecting very few passengers. Only those in emergency situations will fly. So, such social distancing measures would not be a problem,” said an official of an international airline based in the Gulf. However, social distancing would also mean more expensive tickets. “We are expecting a steep price hike because each flight would have less passengers but operation costs would remain almost the same,” said Anil Punjabi, chairman, east, Travel Agents Federation of India.

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1194 Tourists Assisted through ‘Stranded In India’ Portal

The 'Stranded in India' portal of the Ministry of Tourism continues to provide support to the tourists. A total of 1194 tourists have been assisted so far through the portal. In addition, the regular toll-free helpline 1363 which the MOT runs has had 779 calls from 22 March to 9th April. Besides this, the Ministry officials are working round the clock with the tourism and hospitality industry to understand the immediate and long term issues that are coming up as an impact of COVID-19. It is a fact that because of lockdowns and with no travel possible, the industry is being badly hit. Therefore it is the time to evaluate, introspect and think about the way forward. The Director General of Ministry of Tourism, Meenakshi Sharma in a webinar organised by the Adventure Tour Operators Association of India spoke of the country’s need to prioritise containing the spread of the pandemic. She said, "The government is sensitive to the needs of the citizens on the marginal levels of existence and everything is being done to assist them in this grim period. The Association requested the Ministry to come out with guidelines on how to sanitize camps, how to run trekking lodges and such related issues." Sharma agreed with the need to come out with the guidelines. She also emphasised on the potential of domestic tourism and the impact that social media has in capturing the imagination of potential travellers as the way forward for the sector as we gradually come out of the impact of COVID-19. Similar webinars are being organised by FICCI and other Tourism related bodies and at every platform, the ideas are being actively discussed on the roadmap for promotion of Incredible India. The popularity of the webinars shows that industry and citizens are very positive and keen to work together to come out stronger out of the situation.

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Travel and tourism sector key to APAC’s economic recovery: WTTC

The travel and tourism industry will play a pivotal role in Asia-Pacific’s economic recovery, once the Covid-19 pandemic resolves, according to a new report by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC). In its latest annual Economic Impact Report (EIR), WTTC shared that in 2019, travel and tourism generated US$2,971 billion towards GDP, or 9.8 per cent of the region’s economy, representing a 5.5 per cent growth from the previous year. This figure puts it ahead of the overall regional economy for the fifth consecutive year, which grew by 4.2 per cent. International visitor spend totalled a staggering US$548 billion, representing 6.6 per cent of the region’s total exports. This surge in tourism receipts was driven by the continued growth in middle income households, visa facilitation, improved connectivity and government prioritisation of the sector. In addition, WTTC’s study also showed that over the last five years, the travel and tourism sector created more than 21 million new jobs in the region, accounting for 56 per cent of all new jobs globally. As well, leisure travel makes up the majority of total travel and tourism spend (81 per cent), with only 19 per cent being attributed to business travel. When considering domestic and international spend, the numbers skewed similarly, with domestic visitor spend comprising 74 per cent of the total, and international making up 26 per cent. China led the region in 2019 in terms of GDP and employment size, with strong performances in other major Asian markets such as Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philippines. The travel and tourism industry supports more jobs in China than in any other country in the region, accounting for nearly 80 million jobs, or 10.3 per cent of total employment. Last year, the travel and tourism economy in the country grew by 9.3 per cent and is the second largest in the world, making up 11.3 per cent of China’s overall economy. Malaysia and Vietnam also witnessed significant growth, up 6.6 per cent and 7.7 per cent respectively, with both displaying an even split between domestic visitor spending (49 per cent) and spend from international (51 per cent). The majority of the travel and tourism spending in both countries overwhelmingly came from leisure travel, with Malaysia attributing 86 per cent of visitor spend to leisure, and Vietnam attributing 90 per cent. The Philippines also saw significant growth by 8.6 per cent once again, making up 25.3 per cent of the total economy in the country and supporting 24.1 per cent of total employment, the equivalent of more than 10 million jobs. Leisure spending made up 66 per cent of total visitor spending, and 85 per cent was made up of domestic visitors. Gloria Guevara, WTTC president & CEO, said: “WTTC’s 2019 EIR shows how intrinsic travel and tourism was last year to the economy in Asia-Pacific, making it the fastest growing region in the world in terms of its contribution to GDP, supporting more than 182 million jobs or 9.6 per cent of the total number of people employed. “Our report underscores how vital travel and tourism will be in powering the recovery of the region’s economy, generating new jobs and driving visitors back to Asia-Pacific, having a positive economic domino effect on suppliers large and small throughout the industry. “Until then, it is crucial that all governments throughout the region help to protect travel and tourism as the backbone of the regional and global economy, which is currently in a fight for survival. Our research shows that up to 75 million jobs globally are at immediate risk, with more than 48 million at risk across the Asia-Pacific region alone, highlighting how critically the sector requires support.” On a global level, the travel and tourism sector outperformed the 2.5 per cent rate of global GDP growth for the ninth consecutive year in a row, thanks to an annual GDP growth rate of 3.5 per cent. This made it the global economy’s third highest sector in terms of GDP growth. The EIR shows the sector supporting one in 10, or 330 million, jobs; making a 10.3 per cent contribution to global GDP and generating one in four of all new jobs. A breakdown by WTTC shows Asia-Pacific to be the top performing region worldwide, with a growth rate of 5.5 per cent, followed very closely by the Middle East at 5.3 per cent. The US and EU both demonstrated a steady growth rate of 2.3 per cent, while the fastest growing country was Saudi Arabia, growing four times than the global average.

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Asian hotels press ahead with expansions despite pandemic

SINGAPORE/TOKYO -- As flagship hotels go, the 190-room Four Seasons Tokyo at Otemachi sparkles like any other in the luxury hotel chain's collection. But instead of a cavalcade of guests swarming the five-star property on the scheduled July 1 opening day - three weeks ahead of the intended start of the 2020 Olympics -- its marble-clad lobby will likely be eerily empty. "We understand that there will be a big impact from the drop in the number of inbound tourists coming to Japan due to the coronavirus and the postponement of the Olympics," hotel spokesperson Mitsui Fudosan told the Nikkei Asian Review. "But we will not change the opening day." Despite the international travel industry facing one of the biggest crises in its history, hotel operators across Asia including France's Accor, Thailand's Centara, Singapore's Far East Hospitality and U.S.-based Marriott International, are pressing ahead with expansions originally timed to coincide with the staging of summer Olympics in Tokyo and fueled by the ever-rising tide of Chinese tourists. Prior to the coronavirus outbreak, Japan's government had set a target of attracting 40 million foreign visitors in 2020, bringing in an expected 8 trillion yen ($74 billion) in spending. And with Chinese tourists already spending over $100 billion a year on international tourism, the United Nations World Tourism Organization was predicting that by 2030, China would account for over a third of all international tourism. Numbers like that help explain why some of the world's biggest operators such as Accor are betting so big on Asia, with the French hotel group adding a total of 20,000 rooms to its portfolio this year, with two new hotel openings in Japan, more than 30 new hotels in Southeast Asia, and a staggering 94 new hotels in China. "With Chinese travelers spending more than anyone, we have therefore made the Chinese market a key priority and created services with Chinese guests in mind, including ensuring we have Chinese-language staff and collaterals in our hotels, Chinese menus and Chinese media," said Michael Issenberg, chief executive of AccorHotels Asia Pacific. While Issenberg declined to comment on whether the coronavirus pandemic would force the delay of some hotel openings, he said the company's first priority "is the safety and wellbeing of our guests and staff. We are closely monitoring the Novel Coronavirus outbreak and have instructed our hotels to implement measures to minimize risk of transmission." Markland Blaiklock, Deputy Chief Executive of Centara Hotels and Resorts told Nikkei that his company will be spending close to $340 million on refurbishing existing hotels and other projects under development this year. "We do not anticipate this situation impacting Centara's growth plans in any way, nor any of our new property openings in 2020, of which there are 8 scheduled," said Blaiklock. "This is an exciting year for Centara with hotels set to debut in Myanmar, Laos and Dubai as our international network continues to expand, in line with our growth strategy. This is in addition to further openings domestically in Thailand, as well as in Qatar." Singapore hotelier Far East Hospitality, which will add more than 700 rooms in key markets including Vietnam, Japan and Australia, is also pressing ahead with its expansion plans. "The openings are still on track despite the current outbreak situation," Far East's Chief Executive Arthur Kiong told Nikkei. "We truly put our people first by taking care of their well-being, especially during a crisis when they need help the most. Our approach is to engage and educate our people to help allay any fear they have and to uplift their morale during this down time. RedDoorz chief executive officer Amit Saberwal said that while the coronavirus outbreak would affect the company's business, particularly in Singapore which is so reliant on inbound travellers, he is hoping that sophisiticated domestic travel ecosystems can support other markets in Southeast Asia. "Even with all of these different factors at play, our regional expansion plans haven't been drastically impacted as we have always taken a methodical approach to growth by assessing the market thoroughly and laying the relevant foundations in the new cities and countries we plan to launch in," said Saberwal. "We will continue to monitor the situation but as with other crises, like SARS, it will be a matter of time before travelling sentiment picks up again." While hotel operators have some rough times ahead, particularly in countries that have a high percentage of Chinese tourists, Sheryl Kimes, an emeritus professor of operations management at the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration and a visiting professor of Analytics and Operations at the National University of Singapore business school, believes the industry will ultimately survive. "Yes, expenditures will slow down for a bit, but given that Chinese travel will be back once this situation is over, I don't see this having that much impact on development plans," said Kimes. "That being said, given that coronavirus is rapidly spreading throughout the world, it's no longer just a problem of the Chinese not traveling anymore." Rengy John, managing partner at Singapore-based BLINK Design Group, an architectural firm founded in 2006 that specialises in hotel design, said hotel operators could use the current downtime to improve its services and speed up renovation works and implement staff retraining programs. "As businesses and the government continue to work together to rejuvenate the economy, hotel occupancy will definitely make a quick recovery," said John. Still, as the spread of the coronavirus impacts the entire Asian region, Jane Wang, chief marketing officer at Los Angeles-based travel agency Sublime China, expects the global tourism sector will be catastrophically impacted by the coronavirus crisis. "In essence, the coronavirus has decimated the Chinese tourism boom," said Wang.

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