WTTC lays out health protocols to regain traveller confidence

As part of WTTC’s efforts to restore consumer confidence in travel, the council has released standardised protocols for hospitality and retail operations worldwide to be adhered to presently as well as post-Covid-19.

Drawn up using existing medical evidence and World Health Organisation (WHO) and Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations, the protocols were designed to “provide consistency” for destinations, countries, travel providers, and travellers themselves, shared WTTC in a press statement.

WTTC wants its health and safety protocols to be […]

IHG signs Crowne Plaza hotel in India

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has inked a deal to bring the Crowne Plaza brand to the northern Indian city of Lucknow, underscoring confidence in the industry despite challenging times.

Slated to open in late 2024, the 110-key Crowne Plaza Lucknow Sultanpur Road will feature a gym, an outdoor pool, an all-day dining restaurant, a bar, a club lounge, as well as 1,765m2 of meeting and banquet space.

IHG plants Crowne Plaza flag in India with new Lucknow signing

Sudeep Jain, managing director, South West […]

Maldives may reopen borders by July

Preparations are underway for the Maldives to resume tourism by July after a prolonged shutdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic, government and industry officials said.

Tourism minister Ali Wahed and finance minister Ibrahim Ameer have both said the most likely scenario is that the borders would be re-opened by July for tourist arrivals.

Maldives set to welcome tourists against in July

However, Abdulla Ghiyas, former President of the Maldives Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators, said that the reopening of borders in […]

Airlines restarting international flights

SEOUL – International airlines this week are at the early stages of resuming international flights amid signs of an improvement in containing the spread of the coronavirus.

Korean Air said on Thursday (7 May) that it will be restarting dozens of international routes in June.

The airline, South Korea’s largest by sales, plans to resume flights on 19 international routes to “offset the sharp decline in passenger travel demand with an increased demand for cargo deliveries”.

The routes include Washington, DC, Seattle, Vancouver, […]

China Vietnam travel sentiment survey: Vietnam rising to reopen travel markets

Vietnam’s remarkable reopening of its domestic travel sector is expected to be replicated by focusing on short-haul Asian markets in a quest to restore their international tourism profile. The country has effectively demonstrated a Covid-19 leadership model in Southeast Asia with a focus on the all-important driver of airlift demand.

A newly released survey of qualified travelers from first tier cities in China by leading hospitality consulting group C9 Hotelworks and Delivering Asia Communications, created to understand relevant overseas travel sentiment […]

Bali seals off a central village, overall infections remain low

BALI – Bali authorities have expanded a lockdown to cover an entire village in the central region, sealing off more than 2,000 residents after rapid tests indicated that hundreds were likely to be infected by the coronavirus.

The Abuan village in Bangli regency, located about 40km north of Denpasar, has been isolated and villagers are required to stay at home. The military has set up a communal kitchen to provide villagers three meals a day.

Bali authorities had initially put only one […]