Tag: tourism

Tourist Footfalls Going Up in Kashmir

Post author By Newsdesk
Post date 10 July 2021
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In Kashmir , tourists can be seen lining up at the ticketing counters of the historic gardens of Srinagar — Mughal, Nishat, Shalimar and Chasme Shahi. Elsewhere, too, the hospitality industry had reasons to celebrate, reports Asian Lite News

For the first time since the beginning of the year, tourist footfalls have started going up in Kashmir, raising hopes all over again in the local hospitality industry.

Tourists can be seen lining up at the ticketing counters of the historic gardens of Srinagar — Mughal, Nishat, Shalimar and Chasme Shahi. Elsewhere, too, the hospitality industry had reasons to celebrate.

“It now takes over an hour to cross the Wayil Bridge on the Srinagar-Leh highway in the evenings,” said Jan Mohammad, who runs a restaurant near this famous bridge.

ALSO READ – A New Era of Progress At Jammu & Kashmir

“Vehicles returning with tourists from Sonamarg are lined up on the northern side of this narrow bridge waiting for their turn to cross over,” he said.

Shikarawallahs, who earn their livelihood taking visitors across Dal Lake on joy rides, have started getting their first customers this year.

Kashmir -Kids enjoys at mustard filed on the outskirts of Srinagar-Umar Ganie

“There has been a gradual increase in the number of tourists coming to visit Dal Lake,” confirmed Abdul Salam, a shikarawallah in the Gagribal area of the Lake. “I expect the flow to pick up and increase till the end of the summer tourist season,” Salam added.

Reports are equally encouraging from hoteliers and tour operators in Pahalgam and Gulmarg.

“We had bookings for the spring, but those were cancelled because of the second wave of COVID-19,” said the manager of a Pahalgam hotel. “Now we have started getting guests and also bookings for the coming months.”

Gulmarg, the most sought-after tourist destination in Kashmir, has been getting tourists in good numbers for the first time after the winter tourist season.

“All of us, from the taxi operators to pony owners, trekking guides and hoteliers, have started getting back our clientele,” said Shabir Ahmad, a ski trainer in Gulmarg.

Kashmiri farmers carrying baskets of Strawberries inside their farm during corona curfew , on the outskirts in Srinagar, Kashmir India (Pic from Umar Ganie)

“If all goes well, we will get a good number of tourists in Gulmarg by the end of this month,” Ahmed said.

The main worry for the the administration is the absence of strict compliance with the Covid-19 protocols among the tourists coming into the Valley.

“We have to keep on reminding the visitors and the local people accompanying them that the pandemic is still around,” a Srinagar police officer said.

ALSO READ – The story of peace and development in Kashmir

“As a deterrent we impose fines on those not wearing masks or those who wear them in the most casual manner. A word of caution followed by a fine has been working, but both tourists and tour operators are duty-bound to keep the pandemic at bay. This message is being delivered at every place where we check tourist vehicles,” the official said.

The hospitality industry, while trying its best to follow the Covid-19 protocols, is not letting such fears cloud their optimism. Steadily growing footfalls through the rest of the tourist season is just what they need to lift their businesses out of the extended slump.

ALSO READ – Kashmiris, Diaspora Ignore Wani Anniversary

Tags Jammu and Kashmir, tourism

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Europe tourism plummets 61% during Covid

Post author By Newsdesk
Post date 26 June 2021
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Paris, Sept. 4, 2020 (Xinhua) -- People wearing masks walk on the Trocadero Place near the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, Sept. 3, 2020. The French government aims to mobilize 100 billion euros (118 billion U.S. dollars) in a recovery plan "of historic size" to help the country recover from the coronavirus pandemic crisis, Prime Minister Jean Castex announced on Thursday. Ecological transition, competitiveness and social cohesion were identified as the three pillars of the plan dubbed "France Relaunch," which Castex said was "the most massive announced to date among major European countries." (Xinhua/Gao Jing/IANS)

Eurostat said this drop was reflected in the number of nights spent in EU tourist accommodation establishments between April 2020 and March 2021, reports Asian Lite News

Tourism in the European Union (EU) during the year of the Covid-19 pandemic fell by a staggering 61 per cent, according to figures released by Eurostat, the statistical office of the bloc.

Friday’s figures confirmed how tourism was among the sectors most affected by the pandemic due to travel restrictions as well as other precautionary measures taken by individual countries in response to the outbreaks, reports Xinhua news agency.

ALSO READ – Europe warned of Delta variant spread across continent

Eurostat said this drop was reflected in the number of nights spent in EU tourist accommodation establishments between April 2020 and March 2021.

This translates into a drop of 1.7 billion from the 2.8 billion nights spent between April 2019 and March 2020, prior to the start of the pandemic.

Among the EU member states with available data, the highest decreases were recorded in Malta, where tourism dropped by a massive 80 per cent; Spain, down by 78 per cent; and Greece, down by 74 per cent.

Tourism shrank by 70 per cent in Portugal, and 66 per cent in Hungary.

Eurostat said data for Ireland, France, and Cyprus were not available.

The pandemic also had an adverse effect on internal tourism, with the total nights spent by domestic tourists down by 45 per cent.

This was not the case in Malta and Slovenia, the only two EU countries where internal tourism increased by 20 and 25 per cent, respectively, in the year under review.

ALSO READ – Japan seeks strong EU military involvement in Indo-Pacific

Tags Covid-19, Europe, EUROPEAN UNION, tourism

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Abu Dhabi launches new company to promote tourism

Post author By Newsdesk
Post date 23 June 2021
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The launch of the company is in line with ADNEC’s new broader role to support the growth of Abu Dhabi as a tourism destination…reports Asian Lite News

Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC) has launched “Tourism 365” to create experiential travel opportunities for tourists coming to Abu Dhabi, and enhance the emirate’s regional and global positioning in the wider tourism sector.

The launch of the company is in line with ADNEC’s new broader role to support the growth of Abu Dhabi as a tourism destination, increasing leisure visitors, enhancing guest experiences, and extending their stay in the UAE’s capital.

The company will work in concert with key stakeholders across Abu Dhabi’s tourism sector and the UAE. It will include Capital Experience, a high-quality destination management company, and Capital Travel, a premium travel operator.

Humaid Matar Al Dhaheri, Managing Director and Group CEO of ADNEC, commented, “In launching Tourism 365, ADNEC continues to fulfil its strategy in developing Abu Dhabi’s tourism sector. Through strengthening and enhancing our business portfolio in tourism, and expanding to include leisure tourism, we actively amplify the economic impact of ADNEC Group.”

Tourism 365 will play a critical role in growing the emirate of Abu Dhabi as one of the Middle East’s leading tourism destinations. “It will do so through close collaboration with partners across the government and private sectors, most notably the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), alongside local and global companies specialised in this critical sector,” he added.

Al Dhaheri went on to say that the new company will contribute to enhancing Abu Dhabi’s vibrant tourism ecosystem, bringing significant returns on investment to the emirate. It will do so by launching a range of companies that will promote the tourism industry and other supporting sectors, securing major partnerships with dominant international and travel companies.

Tourism 365 will also enable innovation across the tourism sector, increasing the emirate’s attractiveness to international visitors, and showcasing all that Abu Dhabi has to offer across the Middle East.

ADNEC has appointed a qualified team to lead the new entity, ensuring that its staff are fully qualified to lead this important initiative. Roula Jouny has been appointed as the Executive Director of Tourism 365 and will lead the launch of the destination management entity. With over 20 years in the travel, tourism, and hospitality industry, Jouny brings a wealth of experience to enable the wider strategic vision of the company.

Speaking on the launch of Tourism 365, Jouny said, “Over the coming months, Tourism 365 will collaborate closely with other tourism-focused entities, helping to collectively grow the future of the tourism sector. Our subsidiaries will bolster the wider tourism offerings of not just Abu Dhabi, but the UAE as a whole, increasing visitor numbers and promoting the nation’s tourism assets across the globe.”

ALSO READ: Abu Dhabi receives new anti-Covid medication

Tags tourism

-Top News EU News Europe

Italy cable car crash kills 13

Post author By Newsdesk
Post date 24 May 2021
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Rescuers work by the wreckage of a cable car after it falls in north Italy's Piedmont region, May 23, 2021. (Vigili del Fuoco/Handout via Xinhua/IANS)

The cable car had been on a 20-minute panoramic trip from the village of Carciano di Stresa on the edge of Lake Maggiore, up to an altitude of 1,491 metres on Mt Mottarone..reports Asian Lite News

Thirteen people were killed and two children have been hospitalised with multiple injuries after a cable car crashed in Italy’s Piedmont region, the country’s National Corps of Alpine and Speleological Rescue (Cnsas) said.

“Stresa-Mottarone cable car in Piedmont: the final death toll of the tragic incident is 13 fatalities and two seriously injured,” Cnsas said on Twitter on Sunday.

Earlier in the day, Cnsas had tweeted that two children who had survived with injuries were airlifted to hospital in the city of Turin, the capital of Piedmont.

The cable car had been on a 20-minute panoramic trip from the village of Carciano di Stresa on the edge of Lake Maggiore, up to an altitude of 1,491 metres on Mt Mottarone, a scenic area that is popular with tourists and holidaymakers.

Rescuers work by the wreckage of a cable car after it falls in north Italy’s Piedmont region, May 23, 2021. (Vigili del Fuoco/Handout via Xinhua/IANS)

ALSO READ: Italy resumes int’l tourism

It detached and crashed a few hundred metres short of the top, Cnsas officials told RAI News 24 public broadcaster.

There were some foreign visitors among the victims, Stresa Mayor Marcella Severino told Sky TG24 private broadcaster.

“It is with profound sadness that I learned of the tragic incident on the Stresa-Mottarone cable car. I express the sympathies of the entire government to the families of the victims, with special thoughts for the children who have been seriously injured, and their relatives,” Prime Minister Mario Draghi said in a tweet.

The two surviving children were hospitalised in serious condition with multiple fractures and head and chest injuries, Sky TG24 reported.

ALSO READ: Italy reopens doors for tourists

Tags ITALY, tourism

EU News Europe Travel & Tourism

Italy resumes int’l tourism

Post author By Newsdesk
Post date 17 May 2021
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Italy: A tour guide explains the background information of the Fontana di Trevi in Rome, Italy, May 15, 2021. (Xinhua/Cheng Tingting/IANS)

Many streets, parks and squares in the Italian capital were overwhelmed with visitors over the weekend…reports Asian Lite News

Italy has formally reopened its borders for restriction-free travel for visitors from some countries, almost a year after the Covid-19 pandemic ravaged the country.

Many streets, parks and squares in the Italian capital were full of visitors over the weekend, Xinhua news agency reported.

As of Sunday, travellers from European Union (EU) member states, the UK, and Israel have been allowed to enter Italy without restrictions if they could show a recent negative coronavirus test, proof of vaccination, or if they have recovered from the virus in the last six months.

Prime Minister Mario Draghi had announced earlier this month at the G20 Tourism Ministers’ meeting that Italy would begin welcoming foreign tourists in mid-May, about a month before the EU’s own Digital Green Certificate pass for tourists went into effect.

A staff member measures a visitor’s temperature at Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence, Italy, on Sept. 4, 2020. (Photo by Alberto Lingria/Xinhua)

Draghi’s decision came as coronavirus indicators such as the infection, hospitalisation, and mortality rates improved over the last month.

The move Draghi announced formally went into effect Sunday for visitors from some countries.

Travellers from other parts of the world can still enter the country as long as they follow quarantine rules on arrival, and those in the country must obey national health restrictions, such as the 10 p.m. national curfew and seating for bars and restaurants limited to outdoor areas.

Meanwhile, predictions are that the tourism sector that accounted for 13 per cent of Italy’s gross domestic product before the pandemic will have to wait until the second half of 2023 to return to 2019 levels.

#LetsDoLondon: Sadiq launches campaign for domestic tourism

Post author By Newsdesk
Post date 12 May 2021
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The 50-year-old politician from Britain’s main opposition Labour Party has allocated 6 million pounds ($8 million) to directly support the new campaign…reports Asian Lite News.

A pedestrian walks by a pub, The Hope, shuttered in London due to coronavirus regulations. Thousands of British pubs have not survived the pandemic, according to an industry association, and the ones that have will need financial support “for years if they are to recover.” Photo: Yui Mok/PA

The 50-year-old politician from Britain’s main opposition Labour Party has allocated 6 million pounds ($8 million) to directly support the new campaign.

The campaign and events program will bring together London’s world-leading hospitality, culture, night-life and retail venues to promote all that the city has to offer.

“With restrictions on international travel likely to continue this year, Londoners and visitors from the UK have a unique opportunity to experience all the capital has to offer without the queues.

“In doing so you’ll be providing vital support for our world-leading venues as they start to re-open and need our help more than ever.

“My mission over the next three years is to put the dark days of the pandemic behind us and to deliver a better and brighter future for London, creating a fairer, greener and more prosperous city, where everyone gets the opportunities they need to fulfil their potential,” he added.

Khan confirmed that a top priority for his second term will be jobs, standing up for the Londoners who lost their jobs during the Covid-19 pandemic and helping to skill up the city’s residents to get back into work.

He also confirmed he will continue to prioritize the long-standing issues that matter most to Londoners, including safer streets, more affordable housing and action to tackle air pollution and the climate emergency.

During the May 6 local elections, more than 5,000 seats were up for grabs in city hall and town hall elections, with the Mayor of London and 12 provincial mayors along with police and crime commissioners also being elected.

ALSO READ-UK sets out post-Covid plans in Queen’s Speech

Tags economy, revive, Sadiq Khan, tourism

London News Politics UK News

London Mayor to rebuild domestic tourism

Post author By Newsdesk
Post date 11 May 2021
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Sadiq Khan on Monday launched the new campaign “Let’s Do London” to bolster economic recovery…reports Asian Lite News

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has launched a domestic tourism campaign to kick-start the British capital’s economy as restrictions on international travel will likely continue this year, local media reported.

In his signing-in speech for a second term as Mayor, Khan on Monday announced the new “Let’s Do London” campaign to attract domestic visitors to the city and bring its economy back to life, reports Xinhua news agency.

The 50-year-old politician from Britain’s main opposition Labour Party has allocated 6 million pounds ($8 million) to directly support the new campaign.

The campaign and events program will bring together London’s world-leading hospitality, culture, night-life and retail venues to promote all that the city has to offer.

“With restrictions on international travel likely to continue this year, Londoners and visitors from the UK have a unique opportunity to experience all the capital has to offer without the queues.

ALSO READ: Sadiq Khan re-elected as London Mayor

Khan confirmed that a top priority for his second term will be jobs, standing up for the Londoners who lost their jobs during the Covid-19 pandemic and helping to skill up the city’s residents to get back into work.

He also confirmed he will continue to prioritize the long-standing issues that matter most to Londoners, including safer streets, more affordable housing and action to tackle air pollution and the climate emergency.

During the May 6 local elections, more than 5,000 seats were up for grabs in city hall and town hall elections, with the Mayor of London and 12 provincial mayors along with police and crime commissioners also being elected.

ALSO READ: Sadiq Khan Supports IPL in London

Tags economicrecovery, Mayoral Election, Sadiq Khan, tourism

EU News Travel & Tourism

Greece resumes tourism from May 14

Post author By Newsdesk
Post date 12 April 2021
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“Holidaymakers will either have to be vaccinated or show a (negative) PCR coronavirus test,” said Official…reports Asian Lite News

Greek Vice-Minister of Tourism Sofia Zacharaki announced on Monday that holidaymakers from European Union (EU) nations will be able to travel Athens without having to quarantine from May 14 onwards.

However, there will be preconditions, dpa news agency quoted the Minister as saying.

“Holidaymakers will either have to be vaccinated or show a (negative) PCR coronavirus test,” she told the Greek news channel Skai.

Afterwards, they will be free to take their holidays in Greece, Zacharaki added.

This regulation will also apply to some non-EU states, among them Serbia and the UK, the Deputy Minister added.

Athens had already abolished the quarantine obligation for visitors from Israel on a bilateral level at the end of March.

Nepal relaxes curbs on Tourism

Post author By Newsdesk
Post date 26 March 2021
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Nepal has amended the quarantine rule for foreign tourists to bring back tourism….reports Asian Lite News

Tourists flying into Nepal will no longer have to quarantine if they have a negative test result for Covid-19 upon arrival, officials said on Friday.

Previously, visitors were required to undergo a week-long quarantine at their hotel and wait until the fifth day for a Covid-19 test, reports dpa news agency.

“Now, they can have tests as soon as they arrive here,” Prem Subedi, a spokesperson of the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoCTCA), said in a statement.

He said that those who test negative for the virus can continue their trips; otherwise, if they test positive, they have to remain at their hotel until recovery.

Before flying to Nepal, visitors are still required to show proof of negative results in a coronavirus test conducted within 72 hours before boarding the flight, or proof that they have received a Covid-19 vaccine.

The new rules seek to attract more visitors during the spring season, especially trekkers and climbers going to some of the world’s highest peaks, including Mount Everest.

Also read:Nepal President embarks on visit to B’desh

Tags NEPAL, tourism

ALSO READ: Italy resumes int’l tourism

ALSO READ: Italy crosses 5mn jabs milestone

The 50-year-old politician from Britain’s main opposition Labour Party has allocated 6 million pounds ($8 million) to directly support the new campaign…reports Asian Lite News.

Also read:Covid cases surge in Greece again