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Vietnam readies to open tourism

HANOI, 19 October 2020: Vietnam is priming its tourism reopening strategy with the launch of a CNN International television commercial inviting travellers to consider Vietnam for their first holidays post Covid-19. Vietnam National Administration of Tourism commissioned the 30-second clip, which features some of Vietnam’s top tourism products and destinations and ends with the sentence, “When you’re ready to travel again, why not Vietnam?” VNAT leaders said the TV commercial aims to remind travellers of Vietnam’s charms and suggest the country as a safe and enticing destination for vacationers in 2021. The video was created with support from the Vietnam Tourism Advisory Board (TAB) and can be viewed during commercial breaks on CNN Asia for six weeks starting 15 October as well as on the national tourism website (www.vietnam.travel) and its social media channels. Vietnam will soon launch more activities to accompany the ‘Why Not Vietnam?’ video, including giveaways on social media, ad banners, and articles that highlight Vietnam’s capable handling of the coronavirus and its commitment to the safety of its guests and citizens. “The story of how Vietnamese came together to fight the virus and support each other is one that we want to share with our friends overseas,” said VNAT’s Tourism Marketing Department director-general Dinh Ngoc Duc. “Through the ‘Why Not Vietnam?’ campaign we will put forward suitable tourism experiences for travellers looking to escape and unwind after COVID-19 passes, and emphasize Vietnam as a safe destination within the region.” Vietnam’s strong safety record since the start of the pandemic and its ability to provide socially distanced holiday options are top reasons for travellers to consider the country for upcoming trips, Duc explained. Over the coming months, Vietnam intends to win the confidence of travellers with high-value travel giveaways on its social media channels. Its first giveaway, which will launch in November, features a pair of international flight tickets from national carrier Vietnam Airlines valid throughout 2021, as well as a four-day holiday in Sa Pa with Topas Riverside Lodge and Topas Ecolodge, a National Geographic Certified Unique Lodge. Tourism experts in the region believe Vietnam will become an early leader in reviving travel based on its performance dealing with Covid-19 and the continued stable political and investment climate.

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Kerala government decides to launch 22 tourism projects on October 22

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Close on the heels of the reopening of tourist destinations on Monday, the state government is set to inaugurate 22 tourism projects on October 22, which are expected to give an impetus to the crisis-ridden sector. Tourism Director P Balakiran told TNIE the tourism department has listed as many as 120 projects for inauguration in the coming months. “Of these, 65 projects would be inaugurated as part of the state government’s 100-day action plan as part of boosting the socio-economic activity of the state. The remaining 55 projects would be inaugurated in the second phase of the next 100 days. As part of the first phase deadline, 22 projects worth around `65 crore are ready for inauguration in various districts,” he said. Further, two mega projects of the tourism department would be inaugurated by the chief minister by this month end. The miniature railway project of Kerala Tourism at Veli Tourist Village here, a fun-filled experience, has been completed which will be opened for tourists on this occasion. The tourists would be able to travel in the idyllic village and the beach side on a solar-powered miniature train. The other is the Kerala Arts and Crafts Village which is undergoing makeover at Vellar in Thiruvananthapuram. As many as 114 tourist destinations in the state started welcoming visitors on Monday after the government decided to reopen the sector to ensure the livelihood of various stakeholders dependent on the tourism sector. The destinations in the containment zones were not opened as part of the Covid control measures. But these destinations would be reopened once the areas are excluded from the list of containment zones. The tourism department is expecting that the footfall will increase in the hill, adventure and backwater tourism destinations on weekends.

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Coronavirus | Mumbai airport offers express Covid-19 RT-PCR testing facility for all departing passengers

Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) has introduced its express COVID-19 RT-PCR test facility for all passengers departing from the airport. This facility is also available for non-passengers visiting the airport to drop off or collect their loved ones. “This initiative addresses passenger concerns regarding the different COVID-19 regulations across domestic and international destinations,” Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL), the airport operator said in a statement. Now departing passengers can undergo the test at CSMIA before travelling to their onward destination and produce their negative test report to skip institutional quarantine at their destination. Initially launched under the directive from the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) for international transit passengers arriving at the airport , CSMIA has now further extended the availability of the facility for passengers departing from the airport as well. The facility is located on the curbside of Level 4 at Terminal 2 for departing passenger; non-passengers can also opt to undergo the test at this location. Departing passengers can make an online booking through the test feature available on www.csmia.aero or register themselves at the helpdesk set up at departures to enroll for the RT-PCR test before entering the terminal and receive a digital copy mailed directly or can also collect the physical copy of the test report within 8 hours. “Passengers departing from the airport are encouraged to arrive at the terminal 8-12 hours before their scheduled departure,” the statement said. Since the commemoration of the test facility at the airport, CSMIA has witnessed a total of over 3340 passengers who opted for the test. The testing facility at the airport registers an average of 100 tests per day. Out of the tests conducted at the airport till date, 38 passengers have tested positive for Covid-19 and were transferred by State authorities to designated COVID-19 institutions. Additionally, the RT-PCR testing at the airport is the fastest test facility in the city of Mumbai. “With test facilities now available at both departures and arrivals at the airport, passengers can easily transit to and from CSMIA with comfort,” MIAL said.

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Flying to Qatar from India? Check out the new travel rules

India has bilateral air bubble agreements in place with several countries to facilitate travel for passengers. The Ministry of Civil Aviation took to microblogging site Twitter to announce the travel eligibility for passengers travelling from India to Qatar and Qatar to India. Both countries have signed a bilateral air bubble pact, allowing airlines of both countries to operate international flights under restrictive conditions. "India has bilateral air travel arrangements in place with several countries to facilitate travel for passengers. Take a look at the eligibility of passengers planning to travel from India to Qatar and Qatar to India," Ministry of Civil Aviation tweeted. The air bubble arrangement with Qatar is valid till 31st October. Indian carriers and Qatar Airways can carry the following categories of persons on such flights From India to Qatar: Qatari nationals. Any Indian national holding any type of valid Qatar visa and destined for Qatar only. It would be for the airlines concerned to ensure that there is no travel restriction for Indian nationals to enter Qatar with the particular visa category before the issue of ticket/ boarding pass to the Indian passenger From Qatar to India Indian nationals stranded in Qatar. All Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders holding Qatari passports, and Qatari nationals (including diplomats) holding a valid visa issued by an Indian Mission in any category covered under Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) guidelines dated 30.06.2020 as amended from time to time. What is an air bubble agreement? Under an air bubble pact between the two countries, special international passenger flights can be operated by their airlines into each other's territories under restrictive conditions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. India has air bubble agreement with 17 countries Till now, India had formed such arrangements with 16 countries - Ukraine, Afghanistan, Bahrain, Oman, Canada, France, Germany, Iraq, Japan, the Maldives, Nigeria, Qatar, the UAE, Kenya, Bhutan, the UK and the USA. International flights suspended in India Scheduled international flights have been suspended in India since March 23 due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, special international passenger flights have been operating in India under the Vande Bharat Mission since May and under bilateral air bubble arrangements formed between India and other countries since July.

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IndiGo to charge ₹100 for check-in at airport counters

IndiGo will charge a passenger ₹100 service fee if he or she wants to check-in at the airport counters from Saturday onwards, the airline said in a statement. The aviation ministry had in May made it mandatory for passengers to do web check-in so as to reduce touch points at the airport amid the coronavirus pandemic. Once web check-in is done, the online boarding pass is issued by the airline to the passenger. “IndiGo has introduced a service fee of INR 100 for check-in at the airport counters effective October 17, 2020,” said the statement. “We encourage all passengers to web check-in as per the Government directive, using our website or mobile app. The check-in fee at the airport counters is applicable on all bookings made, starting from today i.e. October 17, 2020,” it noted. The low-cost carrier said it is committed to take all precautionary measures for a contactless and hassle-free travel experience for its customers. Scheduled domestic passenger services resumed in India on May 25 after a gap of two months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Scheduled international passenger flights continue to remain suspended in the country since March 23 due to the pandemic.

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Kerala: Houseboats resume ride with 119 tourists

ALAPPUZHA: Giving respite to the state's tourism sector, houseboats have restarted operations. At least 24 houseboats carrying 119 tourists reemerged in Alappuzha on Sunday. District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC) secretary M Malin said that almost all the tourists were Malayalees. In Alappuzha, the most popular destination for houseboat tourism in the state, the vessels are now permitted to operate from Punnamada finishing-point and Pallathuruthy. “Mainly the tourists from Kerala and Tamil Nadu are booking now,” said Maneesh A, managing director of Amrutham Houseboats. Even though the state has over 1,500 houseboats as per the port department, only 833 are registered as per rules. While the Alappuzha port has 769 registered houseboats, Kollam has 34, seven at Kodungallur, 18 at Azhikkal, and five at Beypore. The Covid-19 has adversely affected the houseboat industry that came to a standstill leaving at least 4,300 people that were employed in the sector jobless. “Tourists have to register on the Covid-19 Jagratha portal before checking into a houseboat. All houseboats should display the QR code of the portal," said Malin. Luggage is disinfected before check-in and only two persons are allowed in single-bedroom boats, four in two-bedroom ones while a maximum of 10 persons are permitted to tour in boats with five or more rooms. “If a boat completed one trip, it can go for another trip only after 24 hours and houseboats should be disinfected after each trip. We have also banned village walks and the tourists should not be allowed to interact with locals. Both the check-in and checkout should be done between 9 am and 5 pm,” said Malin. The district administration has also directed boat crew and tourists to not be in contact. Houseboat operators have been told to partition the driver’s cabin.

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