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5 VISA UPDATES FOR 2024 THAT INDIAN TRAVELLERS WILL BENEFIT FROM

5 visa updates for 2024 that Indian travellers will benefit from With the summer holiday season fast approaching, it's time to start mapping out your travel plans. And as you do, it's also essential to stay updated on the latest visa regulations to ensure a smooth and hassle-free journey. Also, staying updated will help you choose your options more wisely, and make the most out of it. In short, knowing the visa requirements and updates can make all the difference. Here are some noteworthy visa updates for 2024 that every Indian traveller should be aware of. 01. Japan's introduction of eVisas for Indian travellers 02. Dubai's introduces five-year, multiple-entry tourist visa 03. Thailand's visa-free option for Indian travellers 04. Kenya's eliminates visa requirements 05. Romania and Bulgaria's access to Schengen Visas

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Fliers cancel Vistara bookings, airline crisis could drive up fares

Air travel is going to get more expensive with the Vistara crisis widening the supply-demand gap. Tata Group’s Vistara Airlines cancelling over 100 flights this week, so far, has left many fliers disgruntled. They are either facing flight delays or cancellations. If the issue is not resolved soon, the cost of travelling by air will get dearer, said travel agents and platforms. "Any curtailment of capacity is bound to impact fares, which are already high. If the issue is not resolved urgently, it does not bode well for the upcoming summer holidays," said Ajay Prakash, Board Member, Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism & Hospitality (FAITH), the apex body of the tourism and hospitality industry. A travel agent said that Vistara passengers are annoyed due to the flight delays and are no longer making bookings with the airlines. Supply-demand gap, airfare increase There is already a supply-demand gap, and this has led to a 15 percent increase in domestic airfares. Consequently, Vistara fares could increase further, said Sanjay Dang, Managing Director of travel agency Le Travelworld. India has over 3,000 flights per day and even small disruptions can cause temporary increase in airfares, especially since it's peak summer travel season now, noted Chirag Agrawal, Co-Founder, TravClan, a business-to-business (B2B) platform for travel agents. "Those who are purchasing tickets now are looking at Air India, IndiGo, and Akasa as there is a lot of uncertainty around Vistara . Vistara is offering passengers refund and alternate flights, but what if someone has a morning meeting and Vistara is offering an evening flight? In that case, people have to make last-minute bookings, which are expensive. Booking a flight in the last minute can increase cost by 10-40 percent," Dang said.

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UAE visa cancellation: Govt introduces five digital guidelines

Abu Dhabi: The UAE government has introduced five digital guidelines for the cancellation of visas. The visa of family members are to be cancelled by the sponsor while the employee visa should be cancelled by the respective companies or employers. Individuals cannot cancel their visas on their own. To cancel an employee’s visa, the company should first apply for cancellation of his/her employment contract and labour card at the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation. The employee too should sign on the application. Besides, an affidavit signed by the employee stating that he/she had duly received the wages and other benefits. After this, the employer can apply to the ICP or GDRFI for visa cancellation. Meanwhile, the individuals could cancel their visa only after the visa cancellation process of the family members is completed. The visas could be cancelled online via the official website of ICP or through approved typing centres. Persons would be allowed to stay in the country only if the visa is renewed before it expires. However, individuals may be allowed to stay in the country for 1 – 6 months after visa cancellation depending upon the nature of the visa. Meanwhile, AED 50 would be charged as a fine for each day that a person stays in the country with an expired visa. It must be noted that the Emirates ID too would be invalid as soon as the visa expires. So, the application for visa cancellation should be submitted at the ICP before it expires.

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IndiGo Partners With Malaysia Airlines – India Report

Malaysia Airlines has entered into a codeshare agreement with India’s largest airline IndiGo. The agreement would allow the airlines to provide the networks of both carriers to their respective customers. In a statement, Datuk Captain Izham Ismail, group managing director, Malaysia Aviation Group, said that India is its largest international market. He added, “We are delighted to partner with IndiGo to widen our reach beyond the nine hubs we currently operate within India.” The Malaysian flag carrier currently operates 71 weekly flights to India. IndiGo’s partnership agreements: IndiGo plans to double in size by 2030. As part of this plan, it is seeking to fly more international routes, and increase its codeshare partnerships. Malaysia Airlines is its latest codeshare partner. IndiGo has existing agreements with Australia-based Qantas Airways, Turkish Airways, Qatar Airways, KLM-AirFrance, American Airline, and British Airways, among others.

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Uzbekistan Airways Expands Its Wings with New Service Linking Mumbai and Tashkent

Today, Uzbekistan Airways JSC, Uzbekistan’s flagship airline, inaugurated a new bi-weekly service connecting Mumbai with Tashkent. For more than twenty years, this carrier has facilitated continuous service to New Delhi, offering daily journeys to Tashkent that provide further connections to cities across Europe, the USA, the Middle East, and Central Asia. The inaugural flight departing from Mumbai on Tuesdays is scheduled at 5:40 am, arriving in Tashkent by 9:10 am. Conversely, the return flight departs from Tashkent at 11:20 pm, arriving back in Mumbai at 4:10 am. The airline also operates a second service on Saturdays, taking off from Mumbai at 3:05 pm and reaching Tashkent by 6:35 pm. For the return journey, the flight departs Tashkent at 8:50 am and arrives in Mumbai at 1:40 pm. Uzbekistan Airways has chosen the A320 Neo aircraft for this Mumbai route. Ticketing and passenger services for Uzbekistan Airways are coordinated by its PSA in New Delhi, Aero World Travels & India Sales & BSP Consolidator Arya Enterprises. Ajay Arya, the Managing Director of Arya Enterprises and Aero World Travels, brings over forty years of leadership experience with Soviet and CIS airlines. His efforts have been instrumental in supporting Uzbekistan Airways’ growth in India and in promoting Uzbekistan as a preferred destination for tourism and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) from India, enhancing the country’s profile over the last two decades.

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Tourism activities temporarily banned in Kerala's coastal areas: Precautions to take

Due to the rough seas experienced in many coastal areas of Kerala, beach tourism activities have been halted in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, and Thrissur districts. The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), a central government agency that issues weather warnings for fishermen in the country, has found that as a result of the low-pressure system moving into the Indian Ocean, very high waves -- which reached 11 meters at some places -- were created and reached the Kerala coast. The waves, known as the 'swell surge' or 'kallakkadal' (as it is locally known), are likely to continue on the eastern coast of India (Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal) and Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The term 'kallakkadal' literally means a sea which comes suddenly like a thief. The waves are expected to continue tonight on Kerala coasts and probably in the following days as well. Here are the precautions that tourists should take to ensure safety: Avoid heading to beaches or activities in open waters while the administration's warnings are on. The swell surges can cause strong currents that flow from shores to deeper waters. If required, collaborate with your tourism operator to reschedule your trip or change your destinations, bookings, and itineraries. The swell surges have also damaged roads in many parts of the Kerala coastal areas. Therefore, check with your tourism operators and authorities before embarking on road trips. If you can't avoid coastal roads, proceed with caution and pay heed to alerts by local authorities and people. Check weather forecasts following credible news sources like local TV channels, the Kerala State Disaster Management website, the India Meteorological Department's website, and your tourism operators, to plan a safe trip. Do not resort to collecting fish or marine resources left behind by the sea as they can have many environmental pollutants and can pose health risks. Keep emergency contacts for both local and foreign tourists ready. The contact number of the Tourist Police is 112, and the ambulance service is 108. The Kerala Tourism Helpline number is 1800 425 4747 (toll-free within India) or +91 471 2321132 (international). The email address is info@keralatourism.org. A 24/7 WhatsApp chatbot called 'Maya' also provides tourists with updates. Send a 'hi' message to the WhatsApp number 7510512345, or scan the provided QR code to communicate with Maya.

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