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Travel restrictions: Greece bans British tourists in first phase of international travel

The Greek Tourism Ministry has announced that, as of June 15, people from 29 countries will be allowed to enter Greece on direct flights to Athens and to the northern city of Thessaloniki. The list of those eligible to enter the country will be expanded on July 1, but as of yet does not include the UK. The 29 countries currently include: Albania, Australia, Austria, Bulgaria, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Israel, Japan, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Malta, Montenegro, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, and Switzerland. This contradicts what tourism minister Harry Theocharis, speaking to Telegraph Travel earlier this month, had implied. He had said Greece would do “everything in its power” to ensure Britons were among the first international sun-seekers to return. Visitors arriving into Greece could still be subject to sample coronavirus testing. Safety measures are also being put in place nationwide with capacity limits at hotels and resorts, and each hotel due to have a designated doctor. Greece has so far had far fewer cases of coronavirus than the UK, with 2,906 confirmed cases and 175 deaths. The Greek islands, which rely heavily on tourism, have had no confirmed cases.

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Railways restores tatkal, 4-month advance booking

Railway ministry on Thursday said that tatkal quota will be restored for 200 special and 30 Rajdhani-type trains. Tickets for these trains can be booked 120 days in advance. It also allowed booking of parcel and luggage in these passenger trains, an indication that the operation of the national transporter is slowly inching towards normalcy, after over a two-month long lockdown. “Ministry of railways has decided to increase the advance reservation period (ARP) of all specials (trains) notified from 30 days to 120 days. Booking of parcel and luggage shall be permitted in all these 230 trains," an official statement said. “The changes shall be implemented with effect from 08:00 hrs of train booking date of 31 May 2020 onwards," it said. Indian railways will start operations of 200 passenger services across key cities across the country from June 1. These trains will have fully reserverd air-conditioned as well as non-conditioned coaches. It had flagged off 30 special AC trains that started ferrying people to and from Delhi May 12 onwards. Graded restoration of train services, is in sync with the easing of stringent nationwide lockdown rules. Earlier, the ministry has said that the advance reservation period or advance booking time will be a maximum of 30 days. While waitlisted tickets will be generated, passengers will be allowed to board trains only if the seat is confirmed. Tatkal and premium tatkal services will not be offered.

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Air India Cancelled 93 Fights Till May 31

New Delhi: Air India has cancelled around 92 flights scheduled between May 28 and May 31 as states have restricted the number of services their airports will allow during lockdown 4.0. However, there will be no extra charge levied on the flyers if they want to reschedule their flights till August 24, 2020, Air India has said. After a gap of two months, domestic flight services began their operations from May 25. Union civil aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri had earlier said that though the ministry and the airports were prepared to resume the operations from May 15, the states were not ready to handle the inflow of the passengers coming from other states. As several states initially opposed to resuming operations questions have been raised whether states were not consulted before announcing the resumption of flight operations. The minister has confirmed that states were on board initially, but then some states took a step back given the rise in the number of the COVID-19 cases. States were also late in framing the standard operation protocols for quarantining the incoming passengers. With West Bengal resuming its flight services from today — May 28 — all states are now connected via domestic flight operations — but in a restricted number. West Bengal, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu — the three states that objected to the resumption of the services — have largely curtailed the capacity of the airports. For example, Kolkata airport is only allowing 10 arrivals and 10 departures per day. Mumbai and Chennai airports are allowing only 25 arrivals and departures. As a result, several scheduled flights had to be cancelled as there is no slot.

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Karnataka Tourism Industry In A Wait-And-Watch Mode

Bengaluru: Tourism industry in Karnataka and Mysuru that has earned global recognition is staring at the reality of having to live with the Coronavirus. With hundreds of tourist spots and being the bellwether for Indian tourism, all eyes are focussed on how the State opens up for travel. The Karnataka Tourism Society has submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa demanding that tourism destinations be opened up from June 1. Society President K. Shama Raju told reporters in Bengaluru on Tuesday that although the CM was keen to accord permission, he had said that the decision will be taken after consulting the Central Government. Even the Shopping Centre Association of India (SCAI) – Karnataka Chapter handed over a memorandum to the CM requesting that malls be permitted to operate with precautions in place. SCAI said that a comprehensive standard operating procedures had been devised to ensure crowd management. Five-stage recovery plan Meanwhile, Karnataka Tourism Minister C.T. Ravi has proposed a five-stage recovery process to bring the crippled sector back on its feet, which includes promoting local tourism on the lines of Singapore’s ‘Love Your Local’ campaign. According to the Minister, the five-stage recovery is based on suggestions received from officials and industry representatives. While the first stage involves creating awareness among citizens on the Coronavirus, the second one will have local tourism activities ‘Nodu Baa Nammoora’ (Come, See Our City), dining out within the city and ‘Love Your Local’ model. In the third stage, the Government will look at the regional or inter-State tourism followed by the fourth stage where preparation will be made to attract domestic and international tourists. The final stage will see staggered tourism activities involving domestic and international tourists. Local tourism According to tourism stakeholders in Mysuru, a lot of tourist destinations in Mysuru are ideal for post-COVID travel since space is not a problem and physical distancing can be managed very well. Local tourism can be revived by allowing tourists from Karnataka into spacious destinations like Mysore Palace, Zoo and the Chamundi Hill. This will definitely build confidence in people to start travelling again, they said. Slowly, tour and travel operators are opening up in Mysuru and travel agencies are calling up their regular customers to sign up a travel deal. “The focus will be on local travel and we need to start the confidence-building measures for the crippled industry to start taking baby steps. This is the only way to support Mysuru’s tourism industry,” Mysuru Travel Association’s Honorary President C.A. Jayakumar told ‘Star of Mysore.’ Travel within Mysuru Right now the industry is in a wait-and-watch mode but is chalking out an action plan. If things improve, then they are scheduled to begin marketing by June 15. “Mysuru has managed the COVID situation well and people will get the confidence to travel. We don’t see international travel starting till the end of the year. Inter-State travel too will take time, but travel within Mysuru and Karnataka will be possible,” said stakeholders. There are over 60 registered tours and travel agencies in Mysuru and there are over 100 unregistered ones. “We are optimistic and are seeking a financial revival package from the Government. Tours or no tours, we have to maintain our offices and we have been prompt in paying taxes. We are confident that the sagging industry will be back on its feet. But international travel will take time. We need to start somewhere and the response from the people is encouraging. Faith in the industry must be restored if the economy has to improve,” said Srinivas of Bharat International Travels (BIT) and A.N. Aiyanna of Soukya Travel & Tours. Sources from the Tourism Department said that it will push for inter-district, inter-State and then international tourists. The Union Government has decided to set up a Tourism Task Force to look into ways to revive tourism. The State Government has conveyed to the Task Force suggestions and ideas it has obtained from various stakeholders including hotel owners, taxi operators and travel agents, sources added.

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Air corridors can kickstart post-virus tourism: UN agency

So-called air corridors allowing tourists to travel between countries at low risk of coronavirus contagion could help to restart the global tourism industry, a UN agency said on Wednesday. he corridors would represent the "first steps" towards re-establishing international links, said Zurab Pololikashvili, secretary-general of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). The idea has already gained traction in parts of Europe—officials in Spain's tourism-reliant Balearic Islands have suggested German travellers should be allowed to fly back as soon as possible. The number of tourists worldwide could fall by between 60 and 80 percent in 2020 as a result of the pandemic, according to UNWTO forecasts published in early May. Countries with large tourism sectors in Europe and beyond have suffered badly as travel restrictions have decimated visitor numbers and left many businesses that rely on the trade struggling to survive. Attractions including Italy's buried city of Pompeii and Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity have reopened in recent days, but travel restrictions have seen many sites remain virtually empty. Pololikashvili said the UNWTO had opposed the travel shutdowns from the start and criticised the coordination of lockdown measures as chaotic. He called on the European Union to reopen not only to tourism within the bloc but also to external countries such as Turkey, arguing that it was "impossible to have 100 percent security" from the virus. Measures such as so-called health passports, better communication, rapid COVID-19 tests and temperature checks could all help to reduce the risks, he said.

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SOTC Travel redefines Incentive Travel in India with the launch of MICE Plus

SOTC MICE has been at the forefront of innovation and development with introductions of new services, products, concepts and destinations. The impact on organisations in India is visible and planning for post COVID-19 takes prime importance. With an opportunity to rethink and reimagine offerings to customers, SOTC MICE has elevated the next level of MICE experience for the next generation with its latest innovation- MICE PLUS. Given that the MICE business is directly influenced by the business health of the corporates it operates, it becomes critical that an estimate on the business recovery and MICE plans of corporates is needed. In an interesting internal survey report across key corporates to understand their MICE plans: * 32 per cent of the corporates stated that Aug - Sep will be the right time to restart discussions and operations on MICE while 55% felt it will be Oct-Dec. * 25 per cent of the corporates look at foreign destinations * 39 per cent of the corporates indicated that their MICE budgets would remain the same. SD Nandakumar, President & Country Head , B2B & Foreign Exchange, SOTC Travel said, “These unprecedented times have given us an opportunity to rethink and reimagine our offerings to our customers. The recent announcement on domestic civil aviation recommencing operations from May 25th, 2020 will aid in the revival of corporate MICE Travel. While the learnings from the survey help augment our post COVID-19 business plans, the new normal that is being established coupled with our innovative mindset has helped us create the next level of MICE experience – MICE Plus." "SOTC Travel’s new-age MICE Plus presents the extra edge and niche skill to handle the needs of domestic and global clients of the MICE segment. MICE Plus has been curated with inputs from our esteemed corporate customers, global hotel chains, airlines, tourism bodies and also feedback received from our passengers. It also lays the framework for the industry to follow for the coming years. With safety, health and hygiene protocols a need of the hour, MICE Plus caters specifically to the current travel requirements. At SOTC Travel, we always ensure that we provide end to end valuable MICE experiences to our customers,” he added. With sanitization and safety now a greater priority for corporates today, the offerings of MICE Plus focus on an immersive customer experience to better serve the next generation of MICE Travellers. Top UPS’s of MICE Plus include: H&S Measures * Enhanced Health and Safety (H&S) protocols to ensure highest level of compliance to global standards. * Entire delivery partners chosen on basis of adherence to SOTC H&S standards. * Trained tour managers on hygiene requirements. * Various contact points for immediate medical assistance and repatriation if needed. * Adequate travel insurance to ensure peace of mind. Technology and Automation * Real time information of all travel related processes such as visa application and insurance. * User friendly mobile app for passengers to get updates and contests. * Technology tools to minimise human interface. * Feedback and Networking platform. Virtual MICE: ‘Events As Usual’ using technology! * Virtual MICE – A new & unique way to conduct meeting and conferences. * Using world class event technologies, Virtual MICE will deliver a virtual event that aligns to company’s objectives. Team of Experts * Proficient tour managers with rich experience of destinations across the globe. * Over 1000 Destination Specialist Certifications to help curate innovative products. * Expert in-house event management team to cater to both real & virtual events. * Expert F&B consultants catering to every culinary need. Best-In-Class F&B Capabilities * Serving creative and authentic Indian food on a global platform, adhering to the highest food safety & standards. * Usage of authentic Indian herbs & spices sourced from reputed Indian companies. * Unique Indian F&B concepts and ethnic cuisines from across the globe. * Region specific specialty menus curated by our celebrity chefs and culinary experts. * Special care taken to customise dishes to ensure the guest’s medical, allergy, or any religious requirements with regards to food preparation are met.

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