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Abu Dhabi gears up to welcome tourists after revealing the light of progress

The Emirates is progressively bracing itself to open up to international travel post the Department of Culture and Tourism- Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) acknowledged the flag of progress within the tourism industry. Hotel occupancy rates in Abu Dhabi have risen impressively and are expected to rise further with the launch of a number of initiatives within the emirate aimed at expanding the sector. The UAE government has been admired globally for its response in combatting the pandemic whilst ardently handling its social and economic brunt. DCT Abu Dhabi has been intently working with industry partners and stakeholders to propose numerous initiatives in order to assist hotels and cultural attractions in renewing. The Go Safe certification programme is amongst the many incredible initiatives embraced to lift the consumer confidence and the tourism sector within Abu Dhabi. The unique programme aims to encourage global standards of safety and cleanliness at all tourism destinations including malls, restaurants, museums, public beaches, theme parks and other attractions. Ali Hassan Al Shaiba, Executive Director of Tourism and Marketing at DCT Abu Dhabi said “Abu Dhabi has long been known for its unparalleled hospitality and diverse range of offerings. The progress we have seen since the start of this month was achieved by simply leveraging our offerings and the existing high standard of hospitality, to help us speed up the enlivenment of our sector and elevate further from that point.” He further enunciated “The support we have received from government authorities has also been a key driver in the progress of the tourism sector. Their handling of the current situation has been beyond exceptional, providing us with a sense of optimism for the future of our destination and sector.” Hotels in Abu Dhabi have started opening after adhering to guidelines set out earlier this month following an extensive period of sterilization. As Abu Dhabi is delicately gearing up towards opening its borders to visitors, the government has also extended its share of support to the tourism industry through gamut of schemes, including rental rebates for restaurants, tourism and entertainment facilities, and a suspension of tourism and municipality fees for sector players for 2020.

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Hawaii to reopen for tourism from September 1

Hawaii has decided to delay reopening for tourism for another one month; it will now open on September 1, and not August 1, as reported earlier. This move comes in the wake of rising Coronavirus cases in the Aloha State. Hawaii Governor David Ige announced this in a press conference, and stated that all travellers who enter the state, even those who have tested negative for Coronavirus, will be undergoing a mandatory 14-day quarantine through Sept. 1. As per the previous plan, it was to allow tourists, who have tested negative for COVID-19 within 72 hours of entering Hawaii, to bypass the mandatory 14-day quarantine starting from August. However, in view of the Coronavirus cases rising in numbers, officials opined that it was impossible to reopen now. Regarding this, the Governor mentioned that this was an extremely difficult decision to make. He acknowledged that he is aware that this delay will further hurt the state’s economy, but they are bound to make decisions keeping in mind the best available science and by prioritizing the health and safety of Hawaii residents. He also reiterated that the virus outbreaks on the mainland are out of control and it is not likely that the situation will change dramatically by August 1. It is believed that actual numbers are much higher because of unreported cases, testing shortages, which is also another reason for postponing the reopening date for tourism. Hawaii introduced this 14-day quarantine rule in March, which was strictly implemented with jail time for offenders and expensive fines.

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Tourism spots across Andhra Pradesh to allow visitors from August 1

VIJAYAWADA: The state government is all set to open all tourist spots in Andhra Pradesh for visitors from August 1 onward. Making the announcement on Tuesday, AP tourism minister Muttamsetti Srinivas Rao said that they would be taking all necessary precautions as mandated by the central government while allowing tourists to the state. After conducting a review meeting with the officials, Rao said that the tourism department had faced around Rs 60 crore in losses during the lockdown period. “Around Rs 10 crore per month was being lost every month during the entire Covid pandemic,” Rao said addressing the media. Justifying the move to allow tourists, Rao pointed to the neighbouring state of Telangana which is already allowing visitors. The minister announced that the state would soon have a five-star and a seven-star hotel under private-public partnership (PPP) mode. Officials are currently doing all the necessary repair works across various tourist destinations before August 1. On the other hand, the minister also disclosed that a new district would be created in Visakhapatnam, which would be named after the revolutionary freedom fighter Alluri Seetarama Raju. Rao also justified the move of decentralizing the capital and shifting the executive to Vizag stating that it would aid in an all round development. He also alleged that TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu was working for the benefit of only a certain section of the state. "We are running the administration without discrimination and corruption; Jagan wants to set up three capitals with the intention of preventing re-establishment movements after ten years,” Rao added.

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Post Covid, Kerala tourism is all set to go local

KOCHI: The exponentially increasing Covid-19 cases continue to badly affect the tourism and hospitality industry. The first to be comprehensively affected, the sector is also expected to be the last to revive, owing to the nature of the pandemic.With no hope of international tourists arriving anytime soon, travel and tourism bodies in the state have leaned towards domestic and local tourism -- identifying unexplored places in the state, encouraging and generating interest in the same among Malayalis and offering the same experiences at lower rates -- thereby sustaining the distressed sector. ‘Keralam Kaanam’ is one such initiative by the Association of Tourism and Trade Organisation of India (ATTOI). It solely focuses on Malayalis in the state to restart tourism. “There are luxury hotels, houseboats and destinations that Malayalis are unaware. Under this scheme, hotels offer competitive and considerably lower rates. These uncharted gems will be marketed via local people. The website malayaliyathra.com in itself is in Malayalam. We have around 80 hotels and 23 agents to choose from. Earlier, several of these resorts fell under the expensive leisure travel and primarily catered to foreign tourists. With ‘Keralam Kaanam’, we intend to change it and provide a tailor-made experience and affordable price to our people,” said P V Manu, secretary, ATTOI.Manu highlighted that the demand for the initiative will be high owing to the considerable number of people who’re strapped in their houses, yearning to travel. The scheme also aims to lure newly-married couples, he added. While the scheme is readied and everything is in place, ATTOI awaits the government’s nod to kickstart the same. “Initially, the plan was to open these tourist destinations by July. However, the increasing number of Covid cases is a dampener. Regardless, we prefer commencing marketing only if the state has arrived at a stable situation to handle cases, else the chances of an uncontrollable community spread are high,” he said.Rupesh Kumar, state coordinator, Responsible Tourism Mission, stressed the importance of regional tourism. “Once the pandemic and the number of cases have subsided, we will commence projects such as ‘Experience Kerala with Your Family’ for Keralites and ‘Learning Experiences’, as part of responsible tourism at discounted rates. We require tourism programmes that allow an extended period of stay unlike mass tourism destinations like beaches. ‘Learning Experiences’ will include culinary adventures, imbibing art and culture forms, martial arts and handicrafts and souvenir making. These experiences will be offered for a duration of from three months to one year. Simultaneously, unique unexplored destinations will be in the spotlight,” he explained. The state coordinator acknowledged that the pandemic and subsequent lockdown saw a loss of `6.15 crore across around 18,000 registered RT units. This is after the RT units saw a revenue of `28 crore in the 2019-20 financial year. But, Bala Kiran, director of Kerala Tourism, said that the state now has adopted a wait and watch policy on opening tourist destinations or marketing new schemes for domestic tourists. “Currently, we’re getting ready with creatives for the marketing campaigns, so when the tourism season is officially open, we can begin campaigning,” he said.

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Croatia open borders for tourism; first EU country to invite tourists

Croatia has opened its borders for tourism and has also become the first European Union (EU) country to invite tourists. The announcement was made by the Croatian Ministry of Interior on Friday. Apparently, the EU had put a ban on American citizens from visiting in late June given the COVID-19 condition in the US. The union had said that it would reopen its borders for only 15 countries from July 1 and the US did not make it to the list. The US embassy in Croatia has said that the country is now open to all foreign nationals, including US citizens, for business, tourism, or any personal reasons. But to enter Croatia, tourists will have to give relevant proof. Here are some important conditions to enter Croatia: As per the Croatian Ministry of Interior's website, tourists wishing to travel to Croatia, are required to bring a Coronavirus test stating negative in the report that has been taken within 48 hours of arrival. Without the negative test, visitors will be required to self isolate for 14 days. On arrival at the airport, travellers will have to fill a travel registration form, wherein visitors will have to mention their reason for visiting the country. Travellers will also have to provide proof of their accommodation bookings.

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700 tourists visit Himachal Pradesh, tourists banned from visiting Bir Billing

Ever since Himachal Pradesh reopened its borders for people from other Indian states last week, about 700 tourists have visited the state according to a revelation made by the state tourism authorities. Devesh Kumar, Tourism and Civil Aviation Secretary, Himachal Pradesh, told the press that the SOPs were prepared by the department after going through those made by the tourism department of other states that have reopened their borders. According to the latest reports, the officials are checking documents provided by tourists at border points of Himachal Pradesh. In addition, homestays and hotels are also re-examining tourist documents. As per the present rules, tourists are required to make registration on covid19epass.hp.gov.in under the tourist section 48 hours before entering the state. They are also supposed to carry a COVID-19 test certificate not older than 72 hours while entering Himachal Pradesh. The tourists are also asked to confirm their booking with a valid tourism unit for at least five days. All tourists are also supposed to download the Aarogya Setu app on their mobile phones. According to another news report published in an online daily, panchayats of Bir, Gunehar, Chogan and Kayor have raised objections against allowing entry to the tourists for Bir Billing. They argued that since COVID-19 pandemic is still not under control, it would be better if the government exercises restraint in allowing tourists within the Bir Billing borders. One of the representatives from the local panchayat has reportedly stated in a letter to the SDM of Baijnath that the government's decision to allow tourists for paragliding and hotel accommodation in Bir Billing without a prior health check-up poses a threat to the locals. In such a case, the local panchayats won’t permit tourists to enter their territory. According to the reports, the locals are extremely wary of tourists coming from Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Mumbai, Gujarat and West Bengal that are COVID-19 hotspots, and maximum tourists come from these states.

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