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About India Outbound Magazine

India Outbound is India’s only B2B travel media platform, that encompasses a print magazine, a website, an online TV channel and dynamic social media platforms, entirely dedicated to the promotion of foreign destinations and products in India. India Outbound is a niche platform not just for tourism destinations and products to promote themselves to the Indian travel industry, but also for decision makers to build/change their strategy in a context where the Indian outbound market is not only growing but changing with new dynamics. India Outbound brings to you the latest trends of the market with in depth analysis.

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Egypt to open for all tourists from July 1

The Egyptian government says it will open its borders to tourists from around the world from July 1, after having remained closed for over three months due to the coronavirus pandemic. The ministry of tourism and antiquities, in coordination with the ministry of civil aviation, the ministry of health and population, and the Egyptian Tourism Federation has put forward a guideline for outlining hygiene safety regulations in hospitality establishments, tourism activities, archaeological sites, museums, airports and onboard Egyptian aircraft.

After the cessation of international tourism and travel due to the spread of Covid-19 worldwide, the Egyptian government established hygiene safety regulations based on the recommendations of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and a "Safety and Hygiene Certificate" was introduced which must be attained as a prerequisite for the various establishments, archaeological sites and museums to resume their activities and receive visitors in the best conditions.

On May 15, Egypt began gradually reopening hotels and resorts that have obtained the certificate to receive domestic tourism, with a maximum occupancy of 25 pc. The occupancy rate was then increased to 50 pc on June 1. As of July 1, Egypt will once again welcome inbound tourists in certified hotels and resorts in the coastal governorates (Red Sea, South Sinai and Matrouh). These three governorates have had excellent epidemiological results, in addition to having equipped hospitals (public and private). But as a precautionary measure, travel between the three governorates and other governorates of Egypt is not allowed until further notice. The museums and archaeological sites closed since March 23 will also gradually reopen.

For international tourists a simple declaration form is required stating that the passenger is not diagnosed with Covid-19, nor did have any close contact with any person suspected or confirmed Covid-19 case, or did not suffer from any symptoms during the past 14 days. Should the tourists experience any symptoms of the illness during the stay in Egypt, they would immediately report the incident to the hotel management and doctor and seek the necessary medical assistance. The passengers will also have to have an overseas medical insurance plan valid until the date of departure from Egypt.

Dubai will open for all international visitors from July 7

Dubai government has announced that under the new air travel protocols, it will welcome international tourists from July 7, 2020. However, tourists will be required to present recent Covid-19 negative certificate or will have to undergo testing at Dubai airports.

The detailed guidelines issued by Dubai government says tourists will be given the option to show their PCR test results (valid for 96 hours) upon their arrival in Dubai or carry out the test. All positive cases will be quarantined for 14 days, with travellers bearing the costs of treatment and isolation. Tourists will also have to ensure that they have international health insurance coverage before travelling.

All arrivals must register their details on the Covid-19 DXB app and downloading the app before boarding the flight is mandatory. Tourists will also have to sign a special declaration form stating to bear all costs of quarantine and treatment and complete the Health Declaration Form before departure to ensure the passenger has no symptoms.

Turkey is ready to welcome Indians; awaits India to begin flights

Tourism businesses & international flights which remained suspended in Turkey since March 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic resumed from June 15 2020. Turkey has officially communicated its readiness to re-start scheduled flights between India and Turkey as of July 10, 2020. The country is waiting for the nod from the Government of India.

Turkey's ministry of culture and tourism, has introduced a set of measures called 'Safe Tourism Certification Programme' covering a broad range of measures including transportation, accommodation, health condition of employees of the facilities and passengers. Hence if any Indian travellers intend to travel to Turkey, they would be able to check which hotels, restaurants & other facilities in Turkey have this validation and choose for a safe travel experience.

On arrival in Turkey, no Indian passenger will be deported or kept in quarantine due to the test result. For the passengers found positive upon arrival in Turkey, qualified health staffs and well-equipped vehicles will transfer the passengers to the nearest health institutions where his/her treatment will start. However, the government will not implement any treatment without the consent of the individual.

Also, Indian tourists arriving in Turkey and testing positive for Covid-19 need to be treated at a hospital only and the treatment cost will have to be covered by their own health insurance which must be valid in Turkey. Hence, Indian travellers must buy medical insurance covering Covid-19 treatment before arriving in Turkey. An insurance of 15 Euros will cover up to the treatment of 3000 Euros and so on. Visa application process for the Indian travellers has already started from June 22.

The Maldives to re-open for international travellers on July 15

The Maldives has announced that it will re-open its borders to international tourists on July 15, 2020. Resorts, liveaboards and hotels located at the uninhabited islands will be open from July 15 while guest houses and hotels located at the inhabited islands will be open from August 1.

The Maldives relies heavily on the tourism industry as it accounts for the largest foreign exchange earnings, making it the biggest economic contributor in the country. However, it has come to a standstill due to the stringent public health measures taken to curb Covid-19.

The guidelines for re-opening the tourism sector, “Public Health Interventions to Prevent Covid-19 Transmission in the Tourism Sector”, was released by the ministry of tourism giving comprehensive information for all sectors across the tourism industry on their standard operating procedures, as well as important information to tourists.

According to the guidelines, tourists are not required to pay any additional fee, produce a certificate or test result indicative of negative status for Covid-19 prior to entry into the Maldives. For tourists without symptoms, there is no requirement for quarantine either. The guidelines will be periodically reviewed based on further developments.

Hong Kong Tourism Board hosts global online forum

The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) hosted an online forum on June 25 titled “Beyond Covid-19: Global Tourism’s New Normal” – focusing on the post-pandemic tourism prospects.

According to HKTB, over 4,000 tourism industry representatives, journalists, and academics registered for the event as global industry leaders shared insights into the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on travel, how the industry should respond and trends to expect as people begin travelling again in the post-pandemic period. Seven international speakers representing different sectors of the travel industry discussed the latest consumer sentiments and behaviour and gave their insights into the challenges confronting the industry.


India Outbound is a publication of Media India Group