Travellers from non-EU countries who need a Schengen visa to enter the Schengen Area might have to cancel or change their summer holiday plans if they have not obtained a visa yet, as there are no available appointments until September. Immediately after the European Union/Schengen Area countries decided to ease their COVID entry restrictions for the summer, third country travellers who needed a visa to enter the EU/Schengen Area applied for one. However, due to the high demand, those who have not applied yet will most likely be unable to find available appointments until mid-September, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports. The travel industry…
Author: Disha Ghosh
All Nippon Airways (ANA) will continue to make its international flight content inventory available to Amadeus-connected travel sellers around the world with a renewed agreement to modern retailing. The carrier will also be working with Amadeus to modernise its retailing capabilities in the future to include richer and more tailored offers. “We have always enjoyed a successful working relationship with Amadeus and are happy to continue with Amadeus as a long-term partner. Together, we are working to future proof and digitally transform the way we deliver customized travel experiences to ever discerning travelers ” said Keiji Omae, Vice President, Global…
The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has decided to restore the services of passenger trains from July 22 which were earlier cancelled due to breaches in several locations of the Lumding – Badarpur section under Lumding Division in Assam, reports The Morning Express. According to a press release from Sabyaschi De, Chief Public Relations Officer, NFR, railway officials worked day and night to bring back the national transporter on track in these affected areas so that scarcity of essential items in states like Manipur, Tripura, Mizoram, and Barak Valley areas could be avoided. Freight train services were started with effect from…
The city of Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, showcasing India’s culture and traditions over the ages, will be declared the first “Cultural and Tourism Capital” of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, Secretary-General of the bloc Zhang Ming has said. The Beijing-headquartered Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is an eight-member economic and security alliance comprising China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India and Pakistan. Ming said Varanasi will become the “Cultural and Tourism Capital” of the SCO for 2022-23 under a new rotating initiative by the eight-member organisation to promote people-to-people contacts and tourism among the member states. “We are about to implement a…
The newly-appointed Minister of Tourism and Heritage for Zanzibar, Simai Mohammed Said, talks to TravelBiz Monitor about creating a brand image about the island nation among the high-end well-travelled Indians, and collaborating with the travel trade and private sector to drive awareness. How are you looking at positioning Zanzibar in the Indian market? Zanzibar is beautiful destination with its own vibrant vibe, largely unexplored by Indians. Besides the turquoise blue waters, shallow sandbars and small deserted islands virtually unexplored, Zanzibar is known for its variety of spices and handicrafts. We also have tourists coming to Zanzibar for visiting our coconut…
A ship which sank near Vasco in South Goa district more than half a century ago is drawing diving enthusiasts from across the country, reports PTI. The SS Rita carrying rail tracks from Gujarat to Goa met its watery grave near the Grand Island sometime in the 1960s. It is believed that the ship capsized after running into the rocks, but no records of the incident are available. The wreckage lies at the bottom of River Zuari. “There is a lot of interest among tourists in seeing the shipwreck. It is one of the seven diving sites near the island,”…
Canada is set to resume mandatory random Covid-19 testing of fully-vaccinated international travellers arriving in the country by air at four major airports Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver, and Montreal from Tuesday, July 19, reports Mint. According to the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), both those who qualify as fully and partially vaccinated or unvaccinated will be completed outside of airports, either via an in-person appointment at select testing provider locations and pharmacies, or a virtual appointment for a self-swab test. Those selected for random testing must complete the test within one day of their arrival, the government said. Travellers who…
Sabre Corporation, a software and technology provider that powers the global travel industry, has signed an agreement with Hotel M’s Co. Ltd in Kyoto, Japan, to help the chain to grow geographic reach and attract international travellers as Japan eases border restrictions. Japan has been steadily relaxing travel restrictions since March ahead of a wider-scale re-opening to foreign visitors. To prepare for, and capture, the expected influx of tourism, Hotel M’s Co. Ltd has inked a new technology agreement with Sabre. The deal will enable the chain to put its inventory in front of hundreds of thousands of travel agents…
Malaysia Airlines has renewed its partnership with SITA for a comprehensive upgrade that will link its global operations to its hub in Kuala Lumpur with fast, secure, and reliable network connectivity. As part of the five-year agreement, Malaysia Airlines will leverage SITA Connect, specifically designed for the air transport industry, to meet the airline’s needs in and outside airports. SITA Connect will lower connectivity costs, improve the quality of service, enable ease of access to new features and applications, and facilitate their passengers’ check-in process worldwide, benefiting from SITA’s global presence at over 650 airports across 220 countries and territories.…
Thomas Cook (India) Limited has partnered with Mastercard and HDFC Bank to launch a holiday campaign – #FunTasticAsia. This campaign provides an instant discount to customers when they book their holidays to South East Asian destinations of Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia. The offer is exclusively available for payments made on HDFC Bank Mastercard debit or credit cards. The special offer is valid until September 12, 2022. Easing of restrictions coupled with no visa/easy visa regime for short-haul destinations have created strong demand for South East Asia. To capitalise on this strong demand and accelerate bookings, Thomas Cook has collaborated…
