Air travel from Kolkata airport picks up as Covid cases fall

 Domestic air travel has started picking up once again as the receding third wave of Covid is prompting many to cast away fears of the disease.

Travel industry is hopeful that the number of international passengers will go up, too, following the health ministry’s announcement on Thursday easing restrictions for in-bound travellers.

The number of passengers and flights to and from Kolkata had taken a plunge during the third wave of infections.


With the number of daily new cases now going down rapidly, passenger footfall and flights have started going up again, said officials.

“In the last five days, we have seen a growth in the number of domestic passengers and flights,” C. Pattabhi, director of the Kolkata airport, said on Friday.

The daily passenger footfall at the airport has gone up from around 17,000 on an average to 30,000, said Pattabhi. The number of daily flights has gone up, too - from 160 to around 200 in the last five days.

“We are expecting a further growth in the passenger count after April, when the examinations are over, if there is no fresh surge in Covid cases,” Pattabhi said.

This newspaper reported in January that the daily passenger footfall at the airport had gone down from 50,000 to 25,000 during the third wave. It reduced further to 17,000 before picking up again.

However, the number of international passengers and flights is not going up, said officials.

Now, around 14 international flights are taking off from or landing at the Kolkata airport. The passenger count stands at a little more than 1,000.

“We are expecting the number of international passengers arriving in India to increase following the easing of travel norms,” said Anil Punjabi, chairman, east, Travel Agents Federation of India.

The health ministry on Thursday announced that a person arriving in India should monitor their health for 14 days. The new protocol will kick in on February 14.

The current rule for such travellers is to quarantine for seven days on arrival.

One tour operator in Thailand said he was organising a group tour of Thai nationals to India.

“We are organising a tour of the Buddhist circuit in May. A group of 80 people will be travelling to Kolkata and onwards to the Buddhist destinations,” said Gautam Gurbani, general manager, The Expedition Co. Ltd.

He said such trips would be organised every month before the outbreak of Covid-19. The pandemic has brought such tours to a halt.

“With the Indian government announcing relaxations in quarantine rules, people are again wanting to travel,” he said.

rehanshienterprises.com/news/3622/Air-travel-from-Kolkata-airport-picks-up-as-Covid-cases-fall

Sri Lanka resumes visa on arrival facility for international tourists

 Travelling to Sri Lanka is all set to become hassle free for international travellers. As per the latest reports, the island nation has announced resumption of visa on arrival facility for international travellers entering the country.

Reports have it that the on-arrival Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) facility will now be available for Indian tourists, as well as those visiting from other countries. However, as of now, the said facility will not be available for passport holders of some countries, such as Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Syria, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Myanmar, Cameron, North Korea, and Nepal.

Referring to this, the Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka (CAASL) issued a notification stating that the on-arrival ETA at the port of entry to Sri Lanka will be put into effect immediately for tourists who are unable to obtain ETA by online mode due to time constraints while planning their travel to Sri Lanka within a very short period.

CAASL Chairman Upul Dharmadasa in the notification advised arriving tourists to get the online ETA wherever possible prior to their arrival in Sri Lanka. And if reports are to go by, India has emerged as a major tourist source market for the island nation post-pandemic, and has received record numbers of Indian visitors since its reopening. Reportedly, attractive offers on flight tickets and quarantine-free stay have lured tourists from India to visit the island nation for vacations and leisure travel.

As reported earlier, Sri Lanka had also made it clear that all tourists on arrival must hold a valid travel insurance policy, while the COVID-19 insurance coverage can be purchased online from www.portal.pionline.lk/covid insurance with coverage of a minimum of USD 50000 including cover for COVID-19 treatment. While the insurance coverage is not required to board an aircraft, upon landing in Sri Lanka, travellers will be required to purchase it prior to leaving the respective airports in Sri Lanka.

rehanshienterprises.com/news/3617/Sri-Lanka-resumes-visa-on-arrival-facility-for-international-tourists

No more tests for fully vaccinated arrivals in UK

 From 4 am on Friday, the Boris Johnson government lifted all testing requirements for fully vaccinated international arrivals, spreading cheer in travel and tourism sectors ahead of half-term holidays, when a large number of Britons briefly travel abroad.

The major changes to the UK’s Covid-19 travel rules that came into force will make international journeys cheaper and easier for passengers, officials here said, adding that the relaxation is thanks to the success of the UK’s vaccine and booster rollout.

Eligible fully vaccinated travellers are, therefore, only required to fill out a simplified passenger locator form, confirming their vaccination status, travel history and contact details.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “The UK has eased international travel measures for Covid-19 and now has one of the most free-flowing borders in the world – sending a clear message that we are open for business. As our travel sector rapidly recovers, and we accelerate towards a future where we want travel to remain open for good, these rule changes coming ahead of half term are good news for families, businesses and the travel sector”.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid added: “As we learn to live with Covid-19, we are taking a balanced approach to opening up international travel and removing all tests for people who have played their part and have been vaccinated. Thanks to the millions of people who have come forward for their Covid-19 jabs, we are one of the most boosted countries in Europe and are able to take these steps”.

Also, from Friday, arrivals who do not qualify as fully vaccinated will only need to take a pre-departure test in the 2 days before they depart for the UK and a PCR test on or before the end of day 2 after they arrive in the UK, as well as completing the passenger locator form.

These passengers will not need to self-isolate on arrival and will only need to do so if they test positive. Leading figures in the travel and tourism sectors welcomed the relaxation.

rehanshienterprises.com/news/3616/No-more-tests-for-fully-vaccinated-arrivals-in-UK

Malaysia Edges Closer To Fully Reopening

 Malaysia—one of the last Asian nations that’s yet to reopen its borders—is preparing to reopen its borders in March. Malaysia’s coronavirus recovery panel has recommended a full reopening of its borders as early as March 1 without mandatory quarantine for travelers.

The reopening is part of a plan to speed up the nation’s economic recovery. Since March 2020, Malaysia has closed its borders for most reasons—including tourism. The news comes as Thailand, The Philippines, and Singapore waive quarantine requirements for fully vaccinated tourists.

Malaysia’s New Entry Requirements
Although the Malaysian government is yet to release a reopening date, reports suggest travelers will have to undergo screening before departure and on arrival.

Muhyiddin Yassin, a former chairperson of Malaysia’s National Recovery Council (NRC), said: “This means tourists can visit, investors can enter… It means AirAsia (AIRA.KL) can fly again, as an example,”

Malaysia reopened a Langkawi travel bubble last year, but entry requirements were strict. As a result, very few travelers bothered to visit Malaysia in 2021

The Current COVID-19 Situation In Malaysia
Malaysia has recorded record cases of COVID-19 in recent weeks. The current 7-day case average is 10,610. However, with that said, Malaysia has fully vaccinated 98% of its entire adult population; this is one of the highest vaccine take-ups in the world.

Currently, Malaysia has internal restrictions in place. A movement control order, whereby people can’t freely move around Malaysia, is currently in place.

However, some states have reduced restrictions as they move into the National COVID Recovery Plan.

Travelers must wear a face mask in airports and public transport. There is a social distancing mandate of 1 meter. To enter many facilities, they’ll take a test of your temperature before you enter; this includes shops, cinemas, tourist destinations, and cinemas.

What About Other Asian Nations?
It’s great to hear that Malaysia is planning to reopen its borders in March; however, what about other Asian nations?

Asia has typically pursued a strict zero-COVID policy at all costs throughout the continent.

But as many countries outside Asia learn to live with COVID-19—Asia is now opening for tourism.

Here are some travel options in 2022:

Vietnam

Vietnam is reopening for tourism by April 2021. The nation pursued an extremely stringent zero-COVID policy throughout 2020 and 2021. Still, the nation will reopen will the following requirements:

- Show proof of full vaccination—at least 14 days before entry—or Proof of recovery from Covid-19 within the previous 6 months
- Travelers must take a negative PCR test result at least 72 hours before departure
- Travel medical insurance with coverage of at least USD 50,000
- Separate requirements will apply for partially vaccinated individuals and children (news to follow)

Thailand

Thailand has restarted its Test & Go system. It allows travelers to skip quarantine requirements and enjoy Thailand if they meet the following requirements:

- Travelers need a scanned copy of their passport and visa
- Proof of fully vaccinated status, such as a vaccination certificate or proof of recovery
- Travel insurance with coverage worth USD 50,000
- Confirmation of fully paid SHA Extra+/AQ hotel reservations (Day 1 and Day 5 with RT-PCR tests and airport transfer). The hotel for Day 1 must be within five hours of the traveler’s port of arrival, and the second hotel can be anywhere in the country.

The Philippines

After two years of closure, The Philippines is reopening its borders to international visitors. Here are the new entry requirements:

- Travelers—regardless of their vaccination status—need evidence of a negative PCR test taken no more than 48 hours before departure.
- Fully vaccinated travelers won’t need to undergo any quarantine measures
- Children under 18 don’t need proof of vaccination.

rehanshienterprises.com/news/3609/Malaysia-Edges-Closer-To-Fully-Reopening

Food Tourism Market To Witness Excellent Growth | TU Elite, Greaves Travel, India Food Tour

 Latest survey on Global Food Tourism Market is conducted to provide hidden gems performance analysis of Food Tourism to better demonstrate competitive environment . The study is a mix of quantitative market stats and qualitative analytical information to uncover market size revenue breakdown by key business segments and end use applications.

The report bridges the historical data from 2015 to 2020 and forecasted till 2026*, the outbreak of latest scenario in Global Food Tourism market have made companies uncertain about their future outlook as the disturbance in value chain have made serious economic slump. Some are the key & emerging players that are part of coverage and profiled in the study are Classic Journeys, Abercrombie & Kent, ITC Travel Group, G Adventures, TU Elite, Greaves Travel, India Food Tour, The FTC4Lobe Group, The Travel Corporation, Topdeck Travel, TourRadar & Intrepid Travel.

If you are part of the Global Food Tourism industry or intend to be, then study would provide you comprehensive outlook. It is vital to keep your market knowledge up to date analysed by major players and high growth emerging players. If a different set of players need to be analysed as per geography or regional target then enquire us with your customized requirements.

Food Tourism Market: Competition Analysis
With drastic change in consumers behaviour, firms, brands and value stakeholder in Food Tourism are curious to understand the implications for their products and services. Some of key competitors or manufacturers included in the study are Classic Journeys, Abercrombie & Kent, ITC Travel Group, G Adventures, TU Elite, Greaves Travel, India Food Tour, The FTC4Lobe Group, The Travel Corporation, Topdeck Travel, TourRadar & Intrepid Travel

Market Analysis by Types: , Domestic Tourism & International Tourism

Market Analysis by Applications: Individual Tourism & Group Tourism

Food Tourism Quantitative Market Data

Market Data breakdown by major geographies, Type & Application/End-users
• Food Tourism Market Revenue & Growth Rate by Type [, Domestic Tourism & International Tourism] (2016-2026)
• Food Tourism Market Revenue & Growth Rate by Application [Individual Tourism & Group Tourism] (2016-2026)
• Food Tourism Market Revenue & Growth Rate by Each Region Specified (2016-2026)
• Food Tourism Market Volume & Growth Rate by Each Region Specified, Application & Type (2016-2026)
• Food Tourism Market Revenue Share & Y-O-Y Growth Rate by Players (2020)

Important Features that are under offering & key highlights of the Food Tourism market report:
1. Why lots of Key players are not profiled in Study?
–> The market study is surveyed collecting data of various companies from Food Tourism industry, and the base for coverage is NAICS standards. However, the study is not limited to profile only few companies; connect with sales executive to get customized list. The standard version of research report is listed with players like Classic Journeys, Abercrombie & Kent, ITC Travel Group, G Adventures, TU Elite, Greaves Travel, India Food Tour, The FTC4Lobe Group, The Travel Corporation, Topdeck Travel, TourRadar & Intrepid Travel

2. Does Scope of Market Study allow further Segmentation?
—> Yes, for a deep dive analysis add-on segmentation is applicable in premium customized version of report to better derive market values. The standard version of this report covers segmentation by Application [Individual Tourism & Group Tourism], by Type [, Domestic Tourism & International Tourism] and by regions [North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific etc]

3. What value addition does Country landscape will provide?
—> In the premium version of report, two-level of regional segmentation allows user to have access to country level break-up of market Size by revenue and volume*
* Wherever applicable

HTF MI provides customized study specific to regional and country-level reports for the following areas.
• North America: United States, Canada, and Mexico.
• South & Central America: Argentina, Chile, and Brazil.
• Middle East & Africa: Saudi Arabia, UAE, Turkey, Egypt and South Africa.
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• Asia-Pacific: India, China, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Singapore, and Australia etc.

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rehanshienterprises.com/news/3610/Food-Tourism-Market-To-Witness-Excellent-Growth-TU-Elite-Greaves-Travel-India-Food-Tour

Air India Can Make India An ‘Aviation Hub'

 Air India has finally returned home to Tata! TATA is one of the most professional organizations, not only in India but all over the world. Air India’s coming back to TATA is a proud moment for every Indian and the future of Air India seems bright in their hands. We hope Air India is able to expand its route network further and India once again see the glorious days in the field of Civil Aviation that it once saw.

The whole tourism industry is very happy because Air India is our national carrier, our pride and our country’s national flag which goes round in the whole world. So, Air India coming back to a professional organization is a historical and welcome step for India as well as for the tourism industry.

Air India has traffic rights all over the world which were not being utilized properly. Air India being a member of Star Alliance can benefit from it which they had not being doing. For example, Air India has a codeshare agreement with Ethiopian Airlines and Air India can utilize this to serve whole of Africa, which will get them extra revenue. Similarly, Air India does not have any connection for South America so Air India can codeshare with any airline to connect the whole of South America and simultaneously tourism can be started from South America as well. This way India will become an aviation hub with this kind of development.

We hope Air India now does route rationalization, stop operating to non-profitable routes and open profitable routes. Hope the employees are motivated and reassured that all efficient and productive people will be retained even after the one-year interim period is over so that the morale of the work force is maintained, and efficient people do not start to look for jobs elsewhere.

Air India has a lot of experienced professionals, and they can convert the following departments into full-fledged profit centers: Air India Engineering, AI Charters, Air India Cargo and IT and Training Centre of Air India can be converted into full-fledged training institute.

Air India has been receiving a lot of complaints which are not even acknowledged therefore it is very important for Air India to have CRM with artificial intelligence so that all complaints are attended to and redressed. People will be expecting on-time performance from Air India now. I hope as a professional company Tata will look into these opportunities and take Air India to glorious heights.

There are 75 million people, directly or indirectly involved or connected with the Aviation & Tourism industry in this country. Unfortunately, due to Covid, 51 million people have either lost their jobs or in the verge of losing their jobs. With the covid cases on the decline I am sure the international scheduled flights will also start shortly maybe in the month of March.

If the scheduled international flights start soon and Air India along with the Ministry of Tourism start marketing internationally, both digitally & traditionally, a lot of jobs will be created, and millions of people will regain their lively hood. In 2019, we had earned US$30 billion s in foreign exchange from tourism and for the last two years there is no income in this industry. If we open tourism and aviation then I believe, US$50 billion foreign exchange will come from this industry only and our country’s economy will get back on a faster track.

rehanshienterprises.com/news/3602/Air-India-Can-Make-India-An-Aviation-Hub-

Tourist spots in South Andaman to reopen with immediate effect

 The Andaman & Nicobar administration has announced that all tourist spots in the South Andaman district will be opened for tourism activities with immediate effect. The authorities have added that tourists will however, have to abide by the strict COVID protocols, and follow COVID appropriate behaviour. As reported earlier, the authorities had announced the reopening of sound and light show at the Cellular jail, museums, and NSCB island for tourists.

Meanwhile, District Magistrate of the South Andaman District Suneel Anchipaka in the official order released by the island UT, announced several other relaxations in COVID guidelines, such as allowing political, social, entertainment, sports, religious, cultural, and festival-related gatherings and congregations. As per the reports, all playgrounds, parks, gyms, stadiums, and yoga institutes have also been allowed to reopen, whereas night curfew has also been revoked with no restrictions in place. Reportedly, the order has been put into effect immediately and shall remain in force till further notice.

In the second week of January, the Andaman and Nicobar administration announced closure of all tourist spots in view of rising Omicron cases. However, last week, the authorities announced reopening of tourist spots at 50% capacity, and announced specific operational timings for tourism activities.

As regarding entry requirements, all arrivals above two years of age, including those who are partially and fully vaccinated landing at the Veer Savarkar International Airport in Port Blair, will be required to provide a negative COVID-19 test report that has been taken within 48 hours before departure.

Apart from this, all arriving passengers with a history of foreign travel in the past 30 days, as well as partially and unvaccinated passengers will undergo RT-PCR on arrival, and will have to be isolated until the test results are released. And, if anybody on arrival is tested COVID-19 positive, they will have to follow prescribed quarantine protocol.

rehanshienterprises.com/news/3603/Tourist-spots-in-South-Andaman-to-reopen-with-immediate-effect

Direct international flights to Bali resume for the first time in two years

 Direct international flights to Bali have resumed for the first time in two years as Indonesia opens the resort island to foreign travelers from all countries, but mandatory quarantine remains in place for all visitors.

Officials had said in October that Bali would welcome foreign arrivals from 19 countries that meet World Health Organization criteria, such as having their COVID-19 cases under control. But there were no direct international flights to Bali until Thursday, when Garuda Indonesia operated its first such flight in two years from Tokyo.

Singapore Airlines will introduce a regular direct route to and from Denpasar in Bali starting Feb. 16, said Taufan Yudhistira, the public relations manager at Bali’s international airport.

Fully vaccinated travellers need to quarantine for five days in a hotel or on a liveaboard boat certified by the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, and travelers who have received one dose of COVID-19 vaccine must quarantine for seven days.

Indonesia reported 27,197 new coronavirus infections and 38 deaths on Thursday in the latest 24-hour period. The country has seen more than 4.4 million total cases since the pandemic began.

The country’s latest surge in cases, driven by the highly transmissible omicron variant, has mostly been concentrated in Jakarta, but in recent days infections have “increased significantly” in Java and Bali, said Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, the government minister who leads the COVID-19 response in Java and Bali.

rehanshienterprises.com/news/3575/Direct-international-flights-to-Bali-resume-for-the-first-time-in-two-years

Australia to allow foreign tourists by Feb-end after two-year lockout

 Australia may open its borders to foreign tourists by February end after a hiatus of almost two years due to the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic, local media reports said. The Herald Sun reported Sunday that the government could announce it as soon as Monday following a meeting of the national security committee.

A government minister told a TV news channel that the government plans to open the borders to overseas tourists as soon as possible.

“We are getting ready to open as soon as we can,” home affairs minister Karen Andrews told ABC TV in an interview. “We don’t have all the information we need to be able to take the decision, but we are very close.”

The hospitality sector in Australia has been hard-hit due to Covid-induced border restrictions and lockdowns. Prior to the pandemic, the tourism industry generated over $84.9 billion in annual revenue, according to Tourism Australia. The annual revenue was down by 41% in 2020-2021, the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The industry employs a significant 5% of the Australian workforce.

Back-to-back emergence of variants of concern delayed the opening of international borders and even witnessed local travel restrictions.

Australia and New Zealand had to suspend the trans-Tasman travel bubble following the emergence of the highly contagious Delta variant, which drove a disastrous Covid wave in India. The variant prompted the cancellation of major events in Australia while the residents remained less confident about booking travel in advance, affecting domestic tourism as well.

rehanshienterprises.com/news/3577/Australia-to-allow-foreign-tourists-by-Feb-end-after-two-year-lockout

Turkey will now be known as ‘Turkiye’

 Turkey will now be known as ‘Turkiye’. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently released a statement and announced tweaking the country’s internationally recognised name to Turkiye.

Reportedly,the Turkish President announced the name change in early December. This decision will mainly impact how public and foreign nations address the country,

As per the statement, the term ‘Turkiye’ represents and expresses the culture, civilization and values of the Turkish nation in the best way.

As per the reports, the country is called Turkiye in Turkish language, and the country now wants to carry the said name over to international recognition.

Reports have it that in the context of strengthening the ‘Turkiye’ brand, all types of correspondence and activities, especially in official relations with other international institutions, organisations, and countries, will now use the term ‘Turkiye’ instead of ‘Turkey’, ‘Turkei’, ‘Turquie’ and so on.

Referring to this, the Turkish President stated that Turkiye is accepted as an umbrella brand for the country in national and international venues, further adding that Turkiye is the best representation and expression of the Turkish people’s culture, civilization and values.

So going forward, ‘Made in Turkiye’ will now appear on all of the country's exports, whereas the country's tourism website, GoTurkiye.com, has also undergone the rebranding.

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