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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.

Flights between Bangladesh and India to resume from August 22

Flight operations between Kolkata and Dhaka are set to resume from August 22 with a thrice-a-week frequency after a gap of more than four months. Though there are no restrictions on passenger capacity in flights reaching Kolkata, those departing for Dhaka can carry a maximum of 120 passengers, the circular issued by the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh has stated.

Passengers flying to Bangladesh will have to undergo Covid-19 test within 72 hours prior to departure. This is applicable to all passengers above 10 years. While it is being advised that those above 18 years should travel only after full vaccination, there is no compulsion to follow that. However, all travellers are mandated to undergo 14 days strict home quarantine on reaching the country.

The news came as a big booster to the travel trade sector in Kolkata and Dhaka as a huge amount of business depends on cross border travel for medical, business, education, family visit and tourism purposes.

Mauritius plans to reopen international border in October 2021

Mauritius is looking forward to the full reopening of its borders on October 1, when vaccinated international travellers will be welcomed in without restrictions. Visitors who present a negative PCR test taken in the 72 hours before their departure will be able to explore the island freely from the moment they arrive.

Currently, vaccinated guests spend 14 days in a special ‘resort bubble’ hotel before going on to discover more of the Indian Ocean paradise.

“We have been welcoming international visitors to our island since the middle of July and the ‘resort bubbles’ have proven a great success. We are looking forward to the next stage of our reopening when vaccinated visitors will be able to explore the island without restriction from the moment of their arrival," said Arvind Bundhun, director of Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority (MTPA).

Cambodia lifts travel ban on travellers from India

Cambodia has lifted its ban on travellers from India after the latter witnessed a decline in new Covid-19 cases, the Cambodian health minister Mam Bunheng has said in a statement.

The Southeast Asian nation had banned all Indian nationals and foreign passengers travelling through India from entering Cambodia in late April to curb the spread of the pandemic. Cambodia is popular among the Indians travellers for its age-old heritage and religious sites, primarily the Angkor Wat Temple among others. It is a popular destination for backpacking travellers.

Kazak Tourism & TAAI sign MoU

The Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) and Kazak Tourism signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aiming to promote mutual interest and tourist arrivals between Kazakhstan and India via cooperation and collaborative relationship and experience changes on a reciprocal basis. The signatories were Jyoti Mayal, the president of TAAI and Kairat Sadvakassov, the acting chairman of the Kazakh Tourism Board.

Tourism promotions include bilateral assistance in organising events and demonstrating tourism potentials of the two countries during trade shows and training programmes and webinars using over 2,500 members of TAAI in India.

Jizera Mountain Beechwood in the Czech Republic placed on UNESCO world heritage list

The national natural reserve of the Jizera Mountain Beechwood covers an area of about 27 square kilometres and is located on the northern slopes of the Jizera Mountains of Czech Republic. Its unique nature is evidenced by its inclusion on the UNESCO world natural and cultural heritage list as the first natural reserve.

“Our beechwood now finds itself among a number of other unique reserves and monuments, such as the Grand Canyon Natural Park in Arizona, the Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia, and the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. This brings with it, many opportunities, but above all else compels us to treat nature in a responsible way and with all the necessary respect,” said Denisa Merenusová, director of Jizerky Tourist Region.

For the autumn of this year, the Jizerky Tourist Region is preparing a campaign connected with the presentation of the Jizera Mountain Beechwood. Although the name of the natural reserve suggests that it is an area full of beech trees, the character of the area is not formed by the trees alone. The beechwood also includes rocky outcrops of various shapes, unique rocky lookout points and astonishing waterfalls on rivers. Due to its sloping terrain, it is mostly accessible only by foot, with the exception of Viničná cesta. The magic of the Jizera Mountain Beechwood lies in its calm harmony, natural wisdom, and beauty at every time of the year.

'Jurassic Park' project by Indonesia on track

In July, officials from the UNESCO had warned that the much-anticipated 'Jurassic Park' project required a new environmental impact assessment over illegal fishing concerns and the potential risk to the Komodo dragon's natural habitat in Indonesia.

Construction on this ambitious tourism project, dubbed as Jurassic Park on the social media, will continue, said the Indonesian environment ministry, despite UNESCO warnings that the plans could have a negative environmental impact.

Work on a series of tourism projects in Indonesia's Komodo National Park, a UNESCO world heritage site, began last year, sparking concerns about threats to the local economy and the fragile habitat of the park's namesake, the Komodo dragon.

UNESCO had requested for an updated assessment from the Indonesian government but received no response. However, the Indonesian spokesperson said that the new assessment was being drafted and could be sent in September. They also stated in a separate statement that the project mainly included renovation work on existing structures and did not pose any danger to the rare Komodo dragons. Indonesia is home to approximately 3,100 Komodo dragons, according to the available government data. The unique lizards grow up to three metres long and have a yellow forked tongue.

Monaco launches phase one of its responsible tourism strategy

Having been committed to the fight against climate change and for the protection for the oceans for many decades, the Principality of Monaco is implementing a few environment-friendly actions and has launched phase one of its new white paper on responsible tourism strategy.

As part of the entire process certified hotels and signatories to the Energy Transition Pact are working to tackle food waste in restaurants, find soft mobility solutions and showcase the green heritage and credentials. An environment-friendly approach is implemented both inside and out in all the establishments of Monaco.


India Outbound is a publication of Media India Group