Sweden scrapped almost all of its few pandemic restrictions on Wednesday and stopped most testing for COVID-19, even as the pressure on the healthcare systems remained high and some scientists begged for more patience in fighting the disease, reports Reuters. Sweden’s government, which throughout the pandemic has opted against lockdowns in favour of a voluntary approach, announced last week it would scrap the remaining restrictions – effectively declaring the pandemic over – as vaccines and the less severe Omicron variant have cushioned severe cases and deaths. “As we know this pandemic, I would say it’s over,” Sweden Minister of Health…
Author: Disha Ghosh
Kerala offers huge opportunities for investment in travel & hospitality sector as the state has unveiled several ambitious projects to tap its potential as an extended haven while bouncing back from the pandemic-induced crisis, P. A. Mohamed Riyas, Tourism Minister of Kerala, said, reports Emirates News Agency. Riyas said the state is keen to partner with UAE-based investors and Non-Resident Keralites (NRKs) in scripting a new story of growth and development in key sectors, especially tourism. Major initiatives promising attractive investment opportunities include ‘Exploring the Unexplored’ destinations, opening up the untapped Malabar region, Caravan Tourism, safe and regulated adventure tourism,…
The Madhya Pradesh Cabinet on yesterday approved the construction of a 108-feet tall statue of the 8th century Indian philosopher Adi Shankaracharya, a museum dedicated to him and an International Advaita Vedanta Sansthan at Omkareshwar, reports Shruti Tomar for HT. Addressing the press, State Home Minister Narottam Mishra said, “The Cabinet has given in-principle approval of budget INR 2141.85 crore for the construction of the Statue of Oneness, museum and the institute.” Madhya Pradesh’s Culture and Tourism Department has decided to build a multi-metal statue of Shankaracharya on Mandhata Parvat hill facing the River Narmada. “The Statue of Oneness will…
The Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) is set to position the country as a wedding destination, reports Economy Next. “We have already made a name as a wedding destination in many markets such as European, Asian and even the Middle East,” Kimarli Fernando, Chairperson of Sri Lanka Tourism Development told reporters. “We as an industry need to work to together to build relationships with our peers perhaps in India, Nepal, Maldives and Pakistan and promote weddings.” Before the Coronavirus crisis Sri Lanka’s hotels had seen modest weddings by young Western couples and large parties thrown by parents of Indian…
AirAsia India has received approval to operate its first international flight. This development comes eight years after the airline started operations. The airline will operate non-scheduled cargo flight on Kochi-Dubai-Kochi route, reports Saurabh Sinha for TOI. The airline’s first flight was in June 2014 and it achieved a fleet size of 20 aircraft in December 2018. It then met the 0/20 rule — no minimum requirement on number of years in operation and at least 20 aircraft in fleet — to fly abroad. But a number of cases over the airline’s effective control prevented the government from giving that clearance.…
Rahul Bhatia, Co-Founder & MD, IndiGo has said the airline needs to continue expanding its domestic and “regional international footprint” besides strengthening the cargo franchise in the near term. In an e-mail to employees on Tuesday, Bhatia, who was appointed as the Managing Director on February 4, said that he was looking forward to working closely with the management team just not only to establish and achieve near-term goals, but also to get the company to be future ready for the massive opportunity that lies ahead. The induction of A321 XLR will extend IndiGo’s reach into markets where it has…
Online travel agent MakeMyTrip will start selling foreign exchange and insurance to travellers via TripMoney Fintech Solutions, its fintech vertical, reports Varuni Khosla in Mint. Launched in 2021, TripMoney focuses on the financial services needs of the Indian traveller. Currently, it operates as only an app-in-app feature on two websites, MakeMyTrip and Goibibo. But the company intends to make it an independent app and solution that will also be available to customers booking on any travel agency. Since its launch, the platform has facilitated about 500,000 trips so far and issued about 2 million insurance policies through its other vertical…
22 Experiences in Philadelphia to Add to Your 2022 Travel Bucket List Philadelphia has something for everyone – quintessential history, unparalleled art, chef-driven cuisine, miles of outdoor space, walkable neighborhoods with distinct personalities, and plenty of unexpected yet memorable experiences around every turn. No surprise then that it was named a top destination in 2021 by both Condé Nast Traveler and TIME. In 2022, the City of Brotherly Love has an endless list of signature annual events, multicultural celebrations, world premiere exhibitions, new restaurant openings, major sporting events, seasonal happenings to add to the array of unforgettable experiences that Philadelphia…
Faiyaz Koya, Fiji Tourism Minister has said that the island nation is expecting to receive 447,000 visitors this year, reports Naveel Krishant for Fiji Village. He said this in the Parliament while answering a question on outlook for tourism in 2022. Koya says the estimate is an optimistic outlook projected by the Macro Economic Committee. He further says in 2021 there were a total of 31,680 visitors compared to 894,389 in 2019. The Minister adds in December last year, Fiji received more than 23,226 visitors which was 73.5 per cent of the total arrivals of 2021. Koya further says Fiji…
Indonesia has temporarily banned foreign tourists entering the country through Jakarta’s airport, the Transport Ministry said, in a bid to slow a spike in coronavirus infections driven by the Omicron variant. The Southeast Asian country has seen a jump in cases, with more than 36,000 infections recorded on Sunday and the bed occupancy rate at hospitals in the capital reaching 63%. The move to bar tourists flying to Jakarta comes just days after Bali welcomed the first international flight in nearly two years carrying foreign visitors. The new regulations apply to foreign tourists and Indonesians who have travelled abroad for…