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Ladakh govt to set up snow ski institute in Kargil to promote winter sports

The Ladakh administration will be setting up a snow ski institute along with other adventure sports facilities in Kargil district similar to Gulmarg's Institute of Skiing and Mountaineering (IISM) to promote winter sports in the Union Territory, an official spokesman said on Tuesday. The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Chairman and Chief Executive Councillor, Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC)-Kargil, Feroz Ahmad Khan and attended among others by the principal of IISM-Gulmarg Colonel J S Dhillon, the Spokesman said. “A winter sports institute would be established in Kargil district on the lines of IISM Gulmarg. It was also decided to identify and earmark snow ski slopes at Naktul area near Kargil town, Lamochan and Goshan area in Drass besides Sankoo and Panikhar areas,” the Spokesman said. Colonel Dhillon informed the meeting that he has been deputed by the Union Ministry of Tourism to submit a detailed report regarding the winter tourism potential of Ladakh UT so that winter sports and adventure sports can be initiated there through IISM. The meeting had a threadbare discussion regarding the identification of suitable sites for winter and adventure tourism, the spokesman said, adding that the LAHDC chairman assured that he would direct the authorities of the revenue department to identify land at the suggested areas and submit the report to the Tourism ministry in the coming days. The spokesman said the meeting also decided to organise snow ski camps for at least 100 boys and girls in the district this year for which the Principal of IISM-Gulmarg assured that they will provide skis and other equipment needed for the coaching camps and workshops. He requested LAHDC chairman Khan to send a letter in this regard to the Tourism Ministry. The Principal also assured that the skis and equipment would reach Kargil well before the closure of Srinagar-Leh national highway so that the proposed camps would be organised in due course of time, the spokesman said. Meanwhile, the spokesman said the meeting decided that a national level ice hockey championship will be organised by IISM at Drass Ice Hockey Rink this winter season. It was also decided that other than skiing and ice hockey, adventure sports like hiking, rock climbing, mountaineering and trekking would be explored in the district so that a maximum number of adventure sports lovers from across the country and abroad come here and more employment opportunities can be created for the unemployed youth, the Spokesman said.

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Delhi airport offers COVID-19 testing facility for all passengers

Delhi airport has started a Coronavirus testing facility for both domestic and international passengers departing from the airport. Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) recently announced the commencement of on-demand Coronavirus testing facility for departing international and domestic passengers, who are taking their flight from the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), right before their departure. Till date, the COVID-19 testing facility was available at the Delhi airport for only international arrivals, which started on September 12. However, all passengers can now get themselves tested for the Coronavirus right before taking the flight. DIAL, in its statement, stated that such passengers can arrive at the airport around six hours before and get the COVID test done at the airport by paying INR 2400 and get the result in 4 to 6 hours. DIAL, in association with Genestrings Diagnostic Centre Pvt Ltd, set up a COVID-19 sample collection booth at the international departure of Terminal 3 in front of Gate no 8 on October 28, 2020. Genestrings Diagnostic Centre Pvt Ltd is an ICMR approved laboratory, and is currently associated with the Delhi state government to test the COVID-19 samples. Reportedly, the sample collection booths are able to collect approximately 120 to 130 samples per hour. Elaborating more on this, DIAL CEO Videh Kumar stated that they have launched the RT-PCR testing facility for outbound international and domestic passengers at Delhi airport. The said facility will facilitate travel for passengers who need to travel and would require a COVID negative certificate with them due to some reasons. Domestic passenger flights resumed operation in India on May 25, after a gap of two months amid the Coronavirus pandemic, whereas special international passenger flights have been operating under the Vande Bharat Mission since May, and under bilateral air bubble arrangements since July.

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Delhi: Inter-state bus services resume with 50% of their pre-Covid capacity

After a gap of more than seven months owing to the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdowns to contain the virus spread, the inter-state bus services in Delhi resumed today allowing the three ISBTs in thr national capital to operate at 50% of their pre-COV capacity. The resumption comes amid a sudden surge in Covid-19 cases in Delhi with the city recording over 5,000 daily cases for the past few days. A Delhi Transport Corporation bus driver at the Anand Vihar Bus terminal told news agency ANI, "This bus will ply from Anand Vihar to Gurugram (Haryana). No one will be allowed to travel standing." On Monday, Delhi Transport minister Kailash Gahlot said all precautions against the spread of virus have been put in place for resumption the inter-state bus services. "As Delhi resumes Inter-state bus service on 03.11.20, from 3 ISBTs, we're ensuring all precautions/SOP are in place. Sanitization of buses at origin & at ISBTs, thermal screening of passengers & crew, Passengers to mandatorily wear mask, testing camps in case of any illness," he tweeted. The Delhi Transport Infrastructure Development Corporation (DTIDC) that operates the inter-state bus terminals (ISBTs) had earlier said the inter-state bus services will reopen at the Sarai Kale Khan, Kashmiri Gate and Anand Vihar ISBTs from November 3. "The number of buses plying from the ISBTs shall not be more than 50 per cent of the pre-COVID capacity up to November 15," said an official statement. The concerned additional general managers of ISBTs will be responsible for implementation of the standard operating procedures prepared for resumption of the services. The SOP stated, "It is advised that the buses entering the ISBTs should not be older than 2015 model in the wake of alarming situation of pollution in Delhi." The DTIDC may gradually reduce the age of the buses and ultimately allow the entry of only CNG, electric and BS VI standard buses at the three ISBTs, it said, advising bus operators to prepare accordingly. The SOP further stipulated that initially the number of buses from each state will be limited to 50 per cent of pre-COVID levels till November 15. Passengers will have to mandatorily wear face mask and no standing passengers will be allowed in the buses. Social distancing will be ensured on the ground, boarding time, as well as inside the buses. Apart from this, regular announcements and sensitization of passengers about COVID-19 precautions through audio – visual communication is also being undertaken. Strict ban on use of gutka and other tobacco products will be enforced at the ISBT premises, he said. The three ISBTs used to cater to daily 3,500 trips of inter-state buses from UP, Haryana, Punjab, Uttarkhand and other states, and 2,000 trips of local buses. The inter-state bus services were suspended with announcement of the lockdown due to spread of COVID-19, leading to shutting down of the ISBTs in March.

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IndiGo to offer Covid-19 RT-PCR test with flight bookings

IndiGo has partnered with Stemz Healthcare to enable Covid-19 RT-PCR test at affordable rates for passengers travelling on domestic and international flights. To book a test, customers can take appointments online on IndiGo website. Customers can opt for a home visit or choose a lab visit with over 200 collection centers in India. The service is also available in other countries including UAE, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Sanjay Kumar, Chief Strategy & Revenue Officer, IndiGo said, “As per travel guidelines, several states and countries require a COVID-19 RT-PCR test to be undertaken within a stipulated time frame before a customer boards a flight. We are pleased to introduce the option to book a test along with the flight, enabling easy access to get the tests done before travelling. This is another step in our endeavour to provide a safe and hassle-free travel experience to our customers on-board our lean, clean flying machine.” In addition to a hassle-free travel experience, undertaking the Covid-19 RT-PCR test may also provide exemption from quarantine to passengers (guidance as per the respective laws of the country/state). The facilitator of the test, Stemz Healthcare, is an aggregator of ICMR approved laboratories for Covid-19 RT-PCR test in India.

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Phuket, Thailand is ‘100% ready’ to welcome tourists

The Thailand Special Tourist Visa (STV) is a special visa introduced by the Tourism Authority of Thailand for long-stay tourists who would like to travel to Thailand. It is one of the economic measures by the Thai government to restore the local tourism industry that has been affected heavily by COVID-19. For weeks, the Phuket International Airport is preparing for the arrival of the first groups of foreign tourists who applied for the new Special Tourist Visa with COVID-19 mobile testing vehicles parked in the airport to test the incoming tourists upon arrival. “At this stage, Phuket International Airport is 100% ready for welcoming and testing tourists arriving on the STV (Special Tourist Visa). The lab and mobile lab trucks together can test 578 tourists per day,” the minister confirmed. Moreover, 17 hotels have also been approved and designated as alternative state quarantine facilities for the tourists. This opens 1,900 rooms for the required quarantine. The government aims to have at least 5,000 rooms available.

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Portugal Welcomes Indian Travelers for Tourism

The beautiful European country, Portugal, which is all set to welcome more international visitors, says it hopes to see tourists from India as well. Q: What’s the status of the travel – both domestic and international in Portugal like? A: The Portuguese government has been taking all necessary public health measures to protect the entire population. The analysis of the evolution of the outbreak is constant and implementation of new measures will be carried out whenever necessary. We believe, we have managed this situation with good results. Our main concern is always criteria and responsibility for public and health assurance. We are seen as an example of how well we managed the pandemic situation, and because of Turismo de Portugal initiatives, we were the first European Country awarded with ‘Safe Travels’ stamp from the World Travel & Tourism Council. We undertook several measures to ensure safety to the ones that visit us: Clean&Safe stamp which certifies tourism activities or equipment (from rent a car to hotels, museums to event venues, etc) that comply with clean and health protocols. Turismo de Portugal gave more than 22,300 stamps and trained more than 22,000 staff. Tourists can track all the establishments and tourist services with a Clean&Safe stamp, in a specific website Evaluating the compliance with a traffic light system; Portugal Health Passport, granting access to previously fixed costs to health care providers at private hospitals in Portugal and tourists can have Portugal Health Passport by registering on the platform; Portugal Travel Insurance, covering health expenses, repatriation, cancellation travel issues originated by COVID-19; Stay Away COVID, Portuguese voluntary and free App, indicating if you have been exposed to the disease and we had already 1,29 million downloads. There are rules regarding social distancing and use of beach facilities and equipment. The level of occupancy will be shown using colored flags at the beach, and travelers should download the Info Praia app, which will show real-time information on water quality and occupancy levels. As far as domestic tourism is concerned Turismo de Portugal launched a campaign #TuPodes, visita Portugal, being an invitation to all the Portuguese to discover the reasons which made our country World’s Leading Destination. We have been having tourists and they are enjoying themselves and we are obliviously very grateful to those because all partners in the tourism sector in Portugal, either private or public have worked together and very hard to set Portugal as a safe destination and this is already a successful achievement! In September we had a 45 per cent air connectivity capacity, 35 international airlines, 100 cities.

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