Singapore had recorded low international arrivals in 2021, but saw signs of recovery after introducing a quarantine waiver system for vaccinated visitors and offering cash vouchers, its tourism authority said. Singapore had 330,000 international arrivals in 2021, the lowest since the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) started tracking the numbers in the 1970s, data showed. That was less than 2% of the pre-pandemic visitor number. Revenue was an estimated S$1.9 billion ($1.41 billion) in 2021, also one of the lowest on record. In comparison, Singapore had 19.1 million visitors and generated S$27.1 billion in 2019. For much of 2020 and last…
Author: Prasenjit Chakraborty
There is an ongoing buzz that the Union government may grant infrastructure status to the tourism industry along with other sectors to make it eligible for attractive tax benefits. It is a well-desired move, aimed to help industries hit hard by the pandemic and boost investments. Gaining infrastructure status has been a long-standing demand for several sectors, including tourism. Infrastructure status usually comes with several incentives, including cheaper bank loans, tax concessions and a higher capital inflow. Commenting on the proposed move, Jyoti Mayal, President, TAAI, said, “Travel Tourism & Hospitality has been the most hit in these unprecedented times…
One of India’s leading luxury travel company ATD Journeys Pvt Ltd announces its new visual identity today, establishing a synergy between the three brands, A Travel Duet, A Travel Circle and A Travel Quest, the new visual identity encapsulates the evolution of luxury travel, adapting to consumers distinct travel needs, taking personalization and service to the forefront, while gearing up for our 10-year anniversary in 2023. The brand’s pastel tones reflect the warmth the company exudes, and its elements are inspired by world design, silhouettes, contemporary art piece, urban and scenic textures, geometric shapes, and tiled patterns. While speaking on…
AirAsia India is curtailing its flights till February 10 as the third wave of the pandemic has hit the travel demand, the airline said on January 23. This includes all its daily flights to/from Mumbai. Domestic traffic has shrunk nearly 38 per cent in January forcing airlines to adjust schedules. (Source BS)
The Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) has sought ‘One India One Tourism’ approach, which is inclusive of ‘One Tax Structure,’ in the forthcoming Union Budget to revive the pandemic-hit domestic travel, tourism and hospitality industry. The association strongly believes that there are several aspects which can be expected in the upcoming budget session to support the entire sector holistically ‘Travel Tourism & Hospitality’ which will help in making this sector survive, revive & economically support India to become the largest hub for the world. For this, it is extremely important for both the central and state governments to work…
According to a TOI report, the World Health Organization (WHO), in a latest COVID recommendation, has called travel bans ineffective and has suggested nations to either lift or ease the present COVID-19 travel restrictions. The WHO said that these travel bans can worsen the economy and increase social stress. The WHO recommended the same at the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee on COVID-19. As per report, the nations should remove the travel bans and restrictions as the committee found “they do not provide added value and continue to contribute to the economic and social stress experienced” by citizens. The report…
Domestic air passengers should be allowed to carry only one baggage in the cabin of the aircraft subject to certain exemptions, the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has told the civil aviation security agency BCAS. Citing issues of congestion at pre-embarkation security checkpoints at airports due to passengers carrying 2-3 hand baggages, the CISF has asked the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) to ensure that the one bag rule is enforced by all stakeholders and airlines. The rule provides for certain exemptions, including lady’s bags. In its communication to BCAS Director-General Nasir Kamal on January 19, the CISF said…
Travel optimism is back for Indians in 2022, after months of start-stop travel restrictions the travel and hospitality industry has to be agile to capture this pent-up demand according to digital travel platform Agoda’s India-genous Travel” Survey. The survey reveals 68% of Indians plan to travel domestically in 2022, with over a fifth (21%) anticipating travelling domestically within one month of restrictions easing. Products like Agoda’s GoLocal Tonight, and Agoda Special Offers can play a role in capturing demand for domestic stays as restrictions lift, as well as HygienePlus, which reassures travellers of good hygiene measures. With many not having…
Türkiye signed a collaboration agreement with Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), the world-leading organization for sustainable tourism accreditation certification. The signing of the agreement marks an exemplary step toward sustainability as Türkiye becomes the first government in the world to sign an agreement to develop a national program with GSTC. The Turkish tourism industry will be restructured with the 3-year agreement signed with GSTC, which sets the best and most widespread standards in sustainable tourism. In the first stage of the agreement, which Türkiye signed as a government with the utmost gravity towards sustainability, the national program criteria will be…
Tourism arrivals around the world are not expected to return to their pre-pandemic levels until 2024 at the earliest, the World Tourism Organization said. The highly contagious Omicron variant, though mild, will “disrupt the recovery” in early 2022 after last year saw four percent growth over 2020, according to the Madrid-based UN agency’s World Tourism Barometer. Tourism revenue in 2020 was 72 per cent down on the previous year — which closed with the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. “The pace of recovery remains slow and uneven across world regions due to varying degrees of mobility restrictions, vaccination rates and…
