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Turkey Embassy in India Initiates Safe Tourism Certification Program For Indian Citizens

The Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Turkey has introduced a set of measures called ‘Safe Tourism Certification Program’, which covers a broad range of measures including transportation, accommodation, health condition of employees of the facilities and passengers. The certificate, which is issued under the guidance of Ministry of Culture and Tourism, has been granted by international certification institutions. Its work is to document the fulfillment of high level of health and hygiene requirements by airline companies, airports and other transportation, accommodation and food and beverage facilities. How it Works: If any Indian citizen is planning to travel to Turkey, he or she can check which hotel, restaurant and facility has this ‘Safe Tourism Certificate’ which would allow them to choose from for a safe travel experience. What happens when an Indian traveller arrives in Turkey? Upon arrival in Turkey, the body temperature of passengers will be checked at airports. A passenger who has temperature higher than 37.8 Celcius (100.4 Fahrenheit) or showing any other symptoms of COVID-19 will be tested free of charge. If the test result is positive, the passenger will be referred to a hospital. The same procedure will be applied to all transit passengers as well. If the test result is negative, the passenger can continue on with his or her itinerary. No Indian passenger will be deported or be kept in quarantine due to the test result. What happens if an Indian tourist tests positive for COVID-19? For the passenger who has positive PCR test result, qualified health staff capable to respond promptly and well-equipped transfer vehicles will be ready at the airport for transportation to the health institutions. The patient will be transferred immediately to the nearest health institution and his or her treatment will start. The government will not implement any treatment without consent of the individual. What about cost of treatment and health insurance? If an Indian tourist is proven to be COVID-19 positive upon arriving in Turkey, he or she needs to be treated at a hospital. Treatment costs will be covered by his or her own health insurance which is also valid in Turkey. It is advisable for Indian travellers to buy medical insurance covering COVID 19 treatment as well before arriving in Turkey. Insurance packages can be purchased: 1. With tickets of contracted airlines 2. Inside the airport at points of sale before passport control 3. Online from tour operators What about visa and flight? Tourism and international flights, which were suspended in Turkey since March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, resumed from June 15, 2020. The visa application process for Indian travellers began on June 22, 2020. Turkey had officially communicated her readiness to re-start scheduled flights between India and Turkey as of July 10, 2020. For now the consent of the Government of India is being awaited.

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Norway reopening borders for tourism on July 15

Norway will officially be reopening its borders for tourism on July 15th, 2020 to most European countries including the UK. However, residents of Portugal, Hungary, Croatia, Romania, Bulgaria and Luxembourg will be excluded due to the high rate of covid-19 infection in those countries. With the exception of residents of Kronoberg, Skåne and Blekinge, Sweden also remains excluded. The news also means that Norwegians will be able to take summer vacations in places such as France, Spain, Italy and Greece without having to quarantine on when returning home to Norway. Countries that will be permitted to visit Norway without a 14 day quarantine starting on July 15th: Andorra Austria Belgium Republic of Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland Germany Greece Iceland Ireland Italy Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Malta Monaco Netherlands Norway Poland San Marino Slovakia Slovenia Spain Switzerland United Kingdom Non EU/Schengen Countries Permitted Into Norway : Norway will not allow any third-party countries without a 10 day quarantine at this time however they are making exceptions for the following people: -Workers with an employment contract -Students set to begin a course in the 2020/21 academic year -People from any country who hold a work or residence permit in Norway (10 day self-quarantine required)

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Jammu and Kashmir will soon reopen for tourism; govt to issue guidelines

Tourism is probably one of the worst-hit sectors by the pandemic lockdown worldwide. In India, every state and Union Territory is struggling. On similar lines, Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) is facing an unprecedented collapse, given more than a 10-month long closure it was in because of political reasons and then the COVID-19 outbreak. But now, the J&K administration has decided to reopen its parks and gardens to tourists to save the tourism sector. The authorities have decided to reopen the tourist attraction and will soon issue a detailed guideline along with standard operating procedure (SoP). The information was shared by the Principal Secretary Planning of J&K Rohit Kansal on Twitter, where he wrote, "The Lieutenant Governor Girish Chandra Murmu issued the directions in a high-level meeting in Srinagar today". Baseer Ahmad Khan, Advisor to the Lieutenant Governor, also informed that all the public parks and gardens shall reopen from Wednesday. He also said that to visit these places tourists will have to follow the COVID-19 safety measures, such as wearing masks, maintaining social distancing and using sanitisers.

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Bali to Reopen Tourism Today

Indonesia’s resort island of Bali reopened after a three-month virus lockdown Thursday, allowing local people and stranded foreign tourists to resume public activities before foreign arrivals resume in September. Normally bustling beaches and streets on the idyllic Southeast Asian island emptied in early April except for special patrols to ensure health protocols to contain the coronavirus were observed. Authorities restricted public activities, closed the airport and shuttered all shops, bars, sit-down restaurants, public swimming pools and many other places on the island that’s home to more than 4 million people. The local government began lifting the limits Thursday, but tourists will face stringent rules in hotels, restaurants and on beaches, Bali Gov. I Wayan Koster said. Koster told a news conference ahead of the reopening the island will gradually reopen shuttered places to locals and the foreigners stranded there during the outbreak. The island will open to Indonesians from other parts of the country on July 31 and new foreign arrivals on September 11. The government established guidelines for reopening tourist spots and may close certain areas again if infections spike, he said. “The pandemic has hit tourism sector so badly while there is no certainty when it will end,” Koster said. “We have to revive economic activity to prevent Bali from new social problems due to increasing economic pressures.” Tourism is the main source of income for the island that is mainly Hindu in the mostly Muslim archipelago nation. The famed white-sand beaches and popular shopping areas on the “island of the gods” were deserted almost two decades ago when visitors were scared off by terrorism. The dark cloud of the suicide bombings that killed 202 mostly foreign tourists in 2002 lingered for years, but the island has worked to overcome that image. The total number of stranded tourists in Bali is not known, but more than 169,000 travellers came to Bali in March before the island closed its doors, according to government data. The data showed that some 2,500 travellers had extended their visas to avoid penalties for overstaying them before Indonesia’s government granted all tourists automatic extensions in late March. The Bali administration data showed the occupancy rate at Bali’s starred hotels plunged to 2.07% in May from 62.5% in December, before the outbreak hit. It down from 51.56% in May last year. Bali has recorded more than 1,900 cases of COVID-19, including 25 deaths. Indonesia has confirmed more than 68,000 cases and 3,359 fatalities, the most in Southeast Asia.

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Turkey's Tourism capital Antalya makes faster-than-expected start

Turkey’s tourism capital, Antalya, has made a faster-than-expected start to the new season after the country allowed tourism facilities to reopen in June as it eased coronavirus lockdown measures. The southern resort city, which hosts millions of foreign tourists every year, welcomed 36 charter flights from nine different countries on July 5 alone, according to industry representatives. It is seeing more international flights than local ones. Tourism facilities and beaches in Antalya started welcoming guests following necessary preparations in line with the recent Safe Tourism Certification program, jointly launched by the Foreign, Culture and Tourism and Transportation ministries. The program sets out a series of measures for various sectors, including accommodation, transportation, the health status of travelers and employee facilities for those looking to spend their vacation in Turkey. Number of incoming international flights to Antalya in July exceeded the number of local flights for the first time since March, said Professional Hoteliers’ Association (POYD) Chairman Ülkay Atmaca. "Guests from 36 cities of nine countries have arrived in Antalya via charter flights on July 5," Atmaca told Anadolu Agency (AA) Thursday. "This is a great success for Antalya." The majority of the tourists arrived from Kazakhstan, Belarus and Ukraine since Turkey opened its borders and resumed international flights on July 11. The city had welcomed over 21,000 foreign tourists in June, that figure hit 27,083 between July 1-7 alone. Around 10,489 of the tourist came from Ukraine. Atmaca said the safe tourism certificate is obligatory for all facilities with over 50 rooms. "The tourism activity, which began on July 1 with Kazakhs, Belarusians and Ukrainians, continues. More than 10,000 Ukrainians arrived in the first week and returned happily to their country. We, as a country and sector, are very ahead in hygiene and food security. This fact was further clinched with the certificate," he said. Eyes on British tourists But for Turkey, much will depend on flights from Russia, Germany and Britain – also hard hit by the virus – which are top markets for Turkey, where tourism accounts for up to 12% of the economy. Turkey expects the mobility that started with the Ukrainian market to accelerate as more countries ease travel and flight restrictions. Most recently, the U.K. on Friday unveiled a list of nearly 60 countries, including Turkey, and said it would ditch a 14-day quarantine period for people arriving from these countries it deems to be a lower risk for COVID-19. The move, effective July 10, clears the way for millions of British tourists to take summer holidays without worrying about being quarantined when they return. Those arriving from higher-risk countries will still have to self-quarantine for 14 days under a rule which has angered airlines and travel companies. "British tour operators will make a serious entrance into Turkey as of Aug. 1," said Engin Sertoğlu, the head of the U.K.-Turkey Travel Agencies. British operators and charter firms have started to make plans for Turkey, Sertoğlu told a TV program of Turkish Travel Agencies Association (TÜRSAB) Wednesday. "Turkish Airlines has turned to six weekly flights for Dalaman and two daily flights for Antalya," he added. Sertoğlu even said the season could extend to November. "If the carriers extend this (season), the business will go up. This extension is somewhat dependent on the supply and demand issue of low-cost airlines. I would suggest that our players in the industry contact other cities in the U.K. about flights to Turkey. Turkish Airlines goes full from here (Turkey), but their arrival is relatively empty," he explained. Turkey had welcomed some 2.3 million British nationals in 2018 and over 2.5 million in 2019. The British ambassador to Turkey, Dominick Chilcott himself on Wednesday praised Ankara's measures to stem the spread of the coronavirus. "I was impressed to see how strictly the measures were being applied at the airports and hotels to ensure the safety of tourists," Chilcott said. SunExpress, a joint venture of Turkish Airlines and German carrier Lufthansa, announced Tuesday the resumption of direct flights from London to several Turkish cities, including Antalya and the southeastern province of Gaziantep. The carrier will start operating a weekly direct scheduled flight to London from Antalya and Gaziantep as of July 10. The airline had already resumed its flights to the U.K. from Ankara on July 2 and from the Aegean province of Izmir the day after. Separately, Serbia's flag carrier, Air Serbia, on Tuesday announced it will operate at least eight charter flights to Antalya in July. Sertoğlu also discussed the fact that Spain was being encouraged for holidays in the EU. "The British’s preference for Spain is rather economic. There are tickets between 19 pounds ($24.05) and 29 pounds. These figures are not possible for Turkey." As for Germany, its government last month decided to lift its global travel warning only for EU member states and Schengen associated countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland), but extended it for all the other countries, including Turkey, until the end of August. Turkey is one of the most popular travel destinations for German holidaymakers. Nearly 5 million German tourists traveled to the country last year. In a list it unveiled last week, the EU decided to exclude Turkey, along with the U.S. and other countries, from a list of 15 countries recommended for nonessential travel. Ankara criticized and called on both Berlin and the EU to reconsider their decisions and correct the "mistake" as soon as possible, citing its measures taken to combat the pandemic as well as its efforts and successes. Çağlar Bardakçı, a general manager of a luxury hotel in Belek, Antalya, said their July occupancy was 20%, adding that due to COVID-19, they do not plan to go over 50%. "We took a lot of precautions before we opened. Holidaymakers follow all measures from the entrance and there is no intensity because our facility has so much space. They go to the sea, to the pool, take advantage of all the facilities," Bardakçı said. "So far no one has said ‘we could not be comfortable because of the rules,' everyone says 'I feel safe on holiday.'"

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Dubai Tourism launches digital campaign as city reopens to visitors #ReadyWhenYouAre

As Dubai reopened the city to international tourists on July 7, the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) marked the moment by launching its latest digital activation #Ready When You Are. The short video is the third in a series of global digital campaigns launched by Dubai Tourism amid the pandemic to ensure that the city continues to stay front of mind among travellers and to encourage them to make Dubai their must-visit destination. The first campaign was titled #Till We Meet Again, followed by the #We Will See You Soon digital activation. In the wee hours of July 7, Dubai gave a warm welcome to the first international visitors to arrive in the city after a lull in inbound travel. Wearing masks and adhering to social distancing measures, the passengers including families from different nationalities were greeted on arrival by Dubai International Airport staff, who gave them welcome kits containing mementoes provided by Dubai Tourism as a token of appreciation for choosing Dubai as their safe destination of choice. Dubai has deployed strong precautionary measures across various sectors throughout the city, as part of its ‘Tourism Readiness’ strategy to reassure travellers and ensure the safety of visitors at every touchpoint of their journey from arrival to departure from the city. The reopening of the city to tourists follows the successful management of the pandemic, guided by the vision and wise leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and based on the follow up by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai. Dubai’s efforts were recognised by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), which endorsed the city as a safe destination, giving it a Safe Travels stamp that validates the stringent hygiene and safety protocols that are in place across the emirate. Tourists arriving in Dubai will also be able to experience an array of offerings from shopping to attractions to family entertainment, as well as other facilities such as beaches, waterparks and swimming pools, following the reopening of various sectors without compromising on the health and safety protocols that are in place. Summer travellers will also be able to enjoy the region’s popular Dubai Summer Surprises festival, which kicked off on July 9, offering enriching experiences for the whole family.

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