About India Outbound Magazine
India Outbound, a brand of Media India Group, 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.
|
OTOAI receives WTTC Safe Travels Stamp
Outbound Tour Operators Association of India (OTOAI) has received the World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) Safe Travels Stamp accreditation. It is essential that each player in the travel & tourism sector develops clear and practical protocol to enable the sector’s recovery and the accreditation is useful for tour operators given their dependence on other tourism entities such as destinations, airlines, hotels, transportation, travel insurance as well as government policies on border restrictions.
“As a user of the stamp, OTOAI will have the opportunity to assume the role of a Safe Travel Ambassador for its members, advocating the implementation of the safe travels protocol and the uptake of the safe travel stamp to the association members and ensure their ongoing compliance with the said protocols. We are delighted to receive this accreditation and will ensure that all of our members follow the protocols and get the WTTC Safe Travels Stamp,” says Riaz Munshi, president, OTOAI.
For the purpose of alignment across industries within the travel & tourism sector, WTTC has divided the protocols into four pillars – Operational and Staff Preparedness; Delivering a Safe Experience; Rebuilding Trust & Confidence and Implementing Enabling Policies.
|
India on South Africa’s negative list for tourism
Travellers from a variety of high-risk countries, including the United States of America, the United Kingdom and India have been banned from entering South Africa for leisure. This announcement was made during a media briefing on September 30. South African minister of international relations and cooperation Naledi Pandor announced that South Africa has developed a risk categorisation model for different international travellers.
This model classifies international travellers according to a scale of high, medium and low risk. High-risk travellers are those who come from countries with higher numbers of Covid-19 infections and deaths compared to South Africa. Medium-risk travellers are from countries with a relatively similar number of infections and deaths as South Africa and low-risk travellers originate from countries with lower infections of Covid-19 and death toll than South Africa.
Leisure travellers from countries deemed high-risk will not be allowed in South Africa. The exception will be business travellers with scarce and critical skills including diplomats, repatriated persons, investors and people participating in professional sporting and cultural events will undergo the same health protocol screenings. Leisure travellers from medium- and low-risk countries will only be allowed into the country subject to the prevailing visa requirements.
It is also announced that the status of these countries are not final. Data will be reviewed every two weeks, and categories may change based on the data. It is important to note that all visas that may have expired during the lockdown period remain valid until January 31, 2021.
|
Maldives launches Border Miles loyalty programme
After almost four months since the suspension of on-arrival tourist visas, the Maldives reopened to international tourists on July 15th with guidelines issued by the ministry of tourism, along with a certification programme to ensure the safety and hygiene standards of all tourism facilities. Resorts and liveaboards on uninhabited islands have resumed operations whereas guest houses on inhabited islands will resume operations from October 10.
To give tourist arrivals a strong boost, the island has inaugurated a loyalty programme titled “Maldives Border Miles”, claimed to be the first of its kind developed in the world.
Maldives Border Miles is a tourism promotion programme initiated by Maldives Immigration, with joint stakeholders like Ministry of Tourism, Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) and Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL). This three-tiered loyalty programme will be officially implemented from December 1. Tourists who enroll in this programme will earn points based on the number of visits and duration of stay. Additional points will be awarded for visits to celebrate special occasions.
“Our sincere hope is that this programme aids in increasing the destination’s presence and produces a beneficial impact on the tourism industry, as well as increase the tourist arrival rate in the future,” says Thoyyib Mohamed managing director of Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC).
|
Thailand conducts a survey among Indian travel agents
A survey conducted by Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) New Delhi amongst more than 500 travel agents and tour operators, reveals that Phuket is the most popular destination to sell to Indian tourists, followed by Bangkok and Pattaya. According to 75 pc respondents, Indians will travel international once all restrictions are removed. Travel agents feel that once outbound tourism resumes from India, tourism will pick up to international destinations in 3-6 months. Respondents also feel that Phuket, Bangkok and Pattaya will remain as the top three destinations in Thailand, where Indian tourists would like to visit first when the situation normalises.
The survey also disclosed that visiting a beach is the top activity which Indian travellers prefer on their first trip to Thailand. Hygiene standard will be the most important concern for travellers when regular travel resumes. About 67 pc of agents said that Indian travellers are booking their full tour packages through travel agents, which indicates travellers trust travel agents for better service. Going forward, this trend will continue and travellers will prefer booking via a travel agent.
The survey was part of the ongoing efforts of TAT to stay in touch with the vast travel market of India during coronavirus pandemic. It has also has announced a #TogetherThailand themed quiz contest.
“The idea was to understand the travel business sentiments from the perspective of our agents who serve their clients on behalf of Amazing Thailand and who will be the frontline point of contacts of consumers to resume travel to Thailand under the new normal when restrictions are lifted for international air travel,” says Vachirachai Sirisumpan, director of Tourism Authority of Thailand, New Delhi.
|
Disney announces 28,000 job cuts in theme park segment
Disney has announced that it will have to lay off 28,000 people across its theme-park division in the United States, demonstrating the devastating toll Covid-19 has taken on its core business. About two-thirds of those losing their jobs are part-time employees, the company said.
“As heartbreaking as it is to take this action, this is the only feasible option we have in light of the prolonged impact of Covid-19 on our business, including limited capacity due to physical distancing requirements and the continued uncertainty regarding the duration of the pandemic,” Josh D’Amaro, chairman of Disney’s theme park unit, said in a letter to employees.
Disney parks in the United States employ a huge number of people but are largely facing trouble due to limited or scuttled public gathering as California remain closed while Florida parks, which reopened in July, have been underperforming. The company had furloughed 100,000 employees worldwide at the height of the lockdowns in the spring. Many were brought back when Walt Disney World reopened this summer.
In the most recent April-June quarter, Disney’s theme-park division reported less than a billion dollars in revenue, after taking in nearly $7 billion in the same period in 2019. The division posted a loss of $2 billion over the period. Meanwhile, Disney’s parks in other countries, including France and China, remain open, with the latter experiencing an increase in capacity in recent weeks.
|
Berlin’s new Brandenburg airport to open from October 31
Germany’s third-largest airport, Berlin Brandenburg Willy Brandt, is scheduled to open from October 31, 2020, after several mis-steps leading to a nine year delay in its opening and several billion euros in additional costs. IATA code for the airport location will change to BER with the start of the 2020/2021 winter schedule. While Tegel TXL will close, the nearby Schӧnefeld SXF will become Terminal 5 of BER.
With three terminals and two runways, the BER will have an initial annual capacity of 27 million passengers. The plan is to gradually increase that capacity to 45 million passengers by 2040, creating an estimated 60,000 new jobs by 2035.
With the opening of BER airport, all air traffic in the German capital region will be concentrated in one location. Berlin is a major tourist magnet, political centre and trade fair city that hosts one of the biggest travel trade fairs as well. The state of Brandenburg has been gaining economic importance, attracting many global companies, such as Tesla in recent years. The new airport location is an important hub for linking the strong economic and tourism region to more than 150 destinations worldwide. During the ceremonial opening, a Lufthansa and an EasyJet plane will be landing simultaneously at the new airport.
|
|
|
|
