Cheapo Travels India

13/08/2020

While all the talk is of France, a clutch of other destinations are at risk of being taken off the UK’s quarantine-free list this week.

09/08/2020

Goa sets new quarantine guidelines for tourists’ stay

The state government of Goa has framed new quarantine rules as revealed by the Airports Authority of India recently. Institutional quarantine is mandatory for symptomatic passengers till test result is available.

Passengers can skip home quarantine in the following cases:

If the passenger furnishes a COVID-19 negative certificate issued by an ICMR-recognized lab. The test should not be older than 48 hours prior to the arrival in Goa.
If the passenger chooses to take a swab test upon landing at a cost of INR 2000, and goes into paid institutional/home quarantine till the result is out.

Guidelines for tourists opting for home quarantine are as under:

Booking the accommodation (registered hotels) is compulsory, and it will be verified at the entry points in Goa.
If a tourist shows COVID-19 related symptoms upon arrival during the screening at entry points, he/she will have to undergo a COVID-19 test at the authorised centres at his/her own expense.
The authorities will verify-
(i) If the visitor has made booking with any registered hotel unit affiliated to the Department of Tourism and has the license to operate, and
(ii) Validity of hotel booking for the duration of the visit.

The tourist will have to follow the following safety protocols:

If the tourist is carrying a COVID-19 negative certificate, they can directly proceed to the booked accommodations. If no such certificate is presented, he/she will be asked to get tested for COVID-19 at the authorised testing centres/hospitals.

After that, they will be required to go into self-isolation till the test results are out. The isolation amenity will be offered by the hotel/accommodation, where the booking was done by the tourist.

Once the test results are declared and if the tourist is found to be COVID-19 negative, he/she can be permitted to travel out of the isolation facility. However, if the tourist tests positive, the accommodation unit will act as per the rules issued by the state health department. All bills related to the quarantine, tests etc. shall be paid by the tourists.

If the tourist wishes to move from their initial booking for a stay in Goa, it will be sanctioned with the will of the accommodation units run by the tourism department. The tourist has to present the proof of re-booking, if any, to the Rapid Response Leader of the hotel/accommodation unit before they can be moved from the original accommodation.

In such cases, tourists will have to fill a self declaration form at the accommodation unit for contact tracing.

Passengers will have to update/certify the status of their health via the Aarogya Setu mobile app or a self-declaration form.

08/08/2020

India to soon get bullet trains on seven new routes

India will soon see bullet trains running on seven prominent new routes. Reportedly, the routes are—Varanasi to Howrah via Patna; Delhi to Varanasi via Noida, Agra and Lucknow; Delhi to Amritsar via Chandigarh, Ludhiana and Jalandhar; Delhi to Ahmedabad via Jaipur and Udaipur; Mumbai to Hyderabad via Pune; Mumbai to Nagpur via Nasik; and Chennai to Mysuru via Bangalore.

The latest to make it to the list is the 453 km high-speed rail corridor between Mysuru-Bengaluru-Chennai, which will likely turn into a reality soon. This is one of the seven routes that have been recently finalized. The said bullet train will run at a speed of 320 km per hour. And while the actual distance between Mysuru and Chennai is more than 485 km, the bullet corridor will be around 435 km. Thus, if the speed of the train is calculated, it will cover 145 km distance in just 45 min, i.e, from Mysuru to Bengaluru.

31/07/2020

Uttarakhand Char Dham Yatra: Pilgrims from other states now allowed, but COVID-19 report mandatory

The Uttarakhand state government recently announced that pilgrims from outside the state will now be allowed to visit Char Dham, i.e., the four sacred shrines of Kedarnath, Badrinath, Yamunotri, and Gangotri.

Referring to this, Chief Executive of Char Dham Devasthanam Board and commissioner of Garhwal division Ravinath Raman said that they have issued a standard operating procedure (SOP) for pilgrims visiting from outside the state with certain conditions, such as RT-PCR negative report conducted within 72 hours of entering the state, or the pilgrims will be required to undergo a complete mandatory quarantine period in Uttarakhand after entering the state.

Apart from this, the pilgrims will have to register themselves on the website of Char Dham Devasthanam Board, wherein as part of their registration process, they will have to upload their ID as well as the COVID-19 negative report. Pilgrims will then be able to download the e-print from the portal on their mobile phones.

27/07/2020

Officials expanded travel restrictions and increased advisories on Saturday for certain areas of the world that are experiencing COVID-19 outbreaks.

26/07/2020

TOURISTS returning from Spain are to face two weeks in quarantine as the nation is hit by a fresh spike of coronavirus cases, it has now been confirmed by the Department for Transport.

25/07/2020

The 'bubbles' to US, France and Germany have opened up air travel a bit. But in practice, whether you can fly international depends on who you are, where you want to go, and why you want to travel

23/07/2020

Italy reopened to travellers from Europe on Wednesday, three months after the country went into coronavirus lockdown, with all hopes pinned on reviving the key tourism industry as the summer season begins.

22/07/2020

In view of the ongoing COVID-19 scenario, all passengers arriving by International flights at the Delhi Airport will have to undergo seven days of institutional quarantine at their own cost, followed by one-week of home quarantine.

21/07/2020

After a three-month hiatus, Virgin Atlantic will be welcoming customers back onboard this evening with the first passenger flight departing London Heathrow to Hong Kong.

20/07/2020

The Scottish island of Eigg has closed all self-catering, hostel and guest house accommodation until August 31 to discourage visitors.

18/07/2020

Kerela "Gods own country"

18/07/2020

United Airlines has introduced one of the first touchless check-in experience of any airline at London Heathrow Airport, allowing customers to check-in without touching the check-in kiosk, even if they are checking luggage.

16/07/2020

Thailand has been 50 days without confirmed local transmission of the coronavirus, but two cases among foreigners this week has led to the self-isolation of more than 400 people and fears on social media of a new contagion.

14/07/2020

Border restrictions are slowly being eased across the world, but what does this mean for potential global travel? Here we rundown the destinations that are reopening to tourists, as well as some of those that remain firmly closed.

12/07/2020

Vaishno Devi yatra may start soon; Shrine Board ready with guidelines

A number of religious shrines in India have reopened for the public after staying shut for darshan during the COVID-19 induced lockdown. However, the famous Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine in Jammu’s Katra town is still closed for the public and silence pervades the vacant streets of Katra these days.

Ramesh Kumar, CEO of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, addressed the media, saying that the shrine board is now preparing SOP for public darshan. The plan is to allow darshan to only 5000 to 7000 devotees every day, and it would be mandatory to do online registration before reaching Katra.

Reportedly, pilgrims arriving for darshan will be screened at Katra trek entry point. They will be asked to furnish valid COVID-19 test certificates. All the pilgrims will be divided into small groups for the darshan to maintain enough distance among them. It would be compulsory to wear masks to cover the mouth. Hand sanitisers will be placed at every location. Inside the temple, no priest would anoint devotees’ forehead with tilak (vermillion). Children younger than 3 years and senior citizens above 65 years of age won’t be allowed for the yatra. Corona suspects will be put through a thorough health check-up.

Buzz has it that Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board has started deploying its personnel at different locations across the shrine. Therefore, it is likely that the yatra may start soon.

11/07/2020

Delhi airport quarantine rules: A heads-up if you are arriving or departing

The Vande Bharat mission is reaching its fourth phase now, whereas the domestic flights are touching the capacity of 45 per cent. Meanwhile, a lot of people have resumed travelling, and many are planning to do so in the coming days.

In such a scenario, a lot of confusion with regard to quarantine rules prevail, especially for those who are arriving and departing from Delhi's IGI International Airport. So, for hassle-free travel, get to know all the quarantine details applicable in Delhi here.

Those arriving at Delhi airport via a Vande Bharat flight, and has a connecting flight via a domestic flight, will be subjected to quarantine norms of the destination state if they do not exit the airport. This means that such travellers will not have to undergo any other institutional or home quarantine in Delhi.

For international travel
Delhi airport quarantine rules: A heads-up if you are arriving or departingCredit: iStock

Those arriving at Delhi airport via a Vande Bharat flight, and have no connecting flight to take, will have to undergo institutional quarantine for seven days after their exit from the airport. After this, they will have to remain under home quarantine for another seven days.
Now, if you arrive via Vande Bharat flight, and want to travel further via road to your destination state, both institutional and home quarantine rules will apply, as you are technically leaving the airport.
People taking international flights other than Vande Baharat and with further air connection must adhere to the quarantine norms of the destination state. That apart, they will also have to be under institutional quarantine for seven days.
If you are arriving at Delhi airport from any other country on an international flight, which is not a part of Vande Bharat mission, and want to exit, both institutional quarantine for seven days, and home quarantine for another seven days will be applicable.

For domestic travel
Delhi airport quarantine rules: A heads-up if you are arriving or departingCredit: iStock

If you took a domestic flight from any other state and arrived at Delhi airport, you can exit the airport but will have to remain in home quarantine for seven days.
If you are arriving at Delhi airport, with further air connectivity, no quarantine rule will apply. However, you will have to follow the destination state’s quarantine rules.
In case you arrive on a domestic flight and want to take a Vande Bharat flight out of the country or any other international flight, and are not leaving the airport after arriving, no quarantine rules will be applicable in Delhi. But the destination quarantine rule will be applicable.
If you arrive at Delhi airport and leave the airport to travel to your respective destination, as per the state’s protocol, you need to remain in home quarantine for seven days.

10/07/2020

International tourism could decline by 60-80% in 2020: UN

Read more at:
http://m.timesofindia.com/articleshow/75669131.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

International Business News: UNITED NATIONS: International tourism could decline by 60-80 per cent in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, resulting in the revenue loss of $910 bill.

08/07/2020

Madhya Pradesh launches ‘Intezaar Aapka’ campaign to attract tourists

After lifting all travel restrictions, Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board (MPTB) has introduced Intezaar Aapka campaign to attract tourists who would like to visit the state. The campaign is running successfully on all social handles of the state tourism board, and is getting positive responses too.

The tagline which says Intezaar Aapka states that the state tourism understands the current situation of travellers who were under lockdown for quite some time now.

The campaign includes a series of communication about The destination is waiting for you to explore. Being under lockdown for more than 100 days now, travellers are eager and willing to come out of their houses with families, not far but for a short weekend getaway.

Keeping such points in mind, the MPTB is promoting places of tourist interest such as Ujjain, Panchmari, Amarkantak, Bandhavgarh, Kanha and Mandu, among others. The campaign highlights the prime factors of all these historic destinations in MP. The campaign further highlights all the key attractions of all these destinations.

07/07/2020

Traffic Jam at Parwanoo barrier as tourists line up to enter Himachal:-

Barely 48 hours after the state government permitted the entry of tourists, the eager visitors made a beeline for the hills at Parwanoo, the gateway to Himachal Pradesh. As per the standard operating procedure (SOP), a tourist has to register himself on the e-Covid portal 48 hours before entering the state. A large number of them had to undergo spot registration as they had not done so before and this led to hundreds of vehicles queuing up at the barrier.

Details like Aadhar card number, type of vehicle, purpose, reasons for entering the state etc are required to be filled in the form. The form is then scanned on the state’s e-Covid portal as well as on the district’s portal.

06/07/2020

SINGAPORE - Close to 2,000 people visited the Singapore Zoo on Monday (July 6), the first day of the reopening of the park, Jurong Bird Park and River Safari to the public.

The three parks had been closed for nearly three months since the start of the circuit breaker in April and first reopened their doors to members only from last Friday.

The Night Safari will remain closed for the time being.

06/07/2020

Breaking news

Several monuments to reopen today: Time slots, separate entry and exit points

Several monuments across the country will reopen from Monday for the first time in more than 100 days since the lockdown to fight the spread of coronavirus disease was clamped in March.

However, only those monuments that are in non-containment zones will be open for visitors

Here are the rules visitor have to follow while visiting these places:

* No physical tickets will be issued until further orders and visitors will have to buy entry tickets through e-mode only

They will have to mandatorily use the contact-tracing Aarogya Setu mobile application

* They will have to compulsorily wear masks and use sanitisers regularly

* There will be separate paths for entry and exit

There will be thermal scanners at the entry points

* Visitors’ status on Aarogya Setu will be checked before they are allowed to get in

* There will be staggered entry and a cap on the number of people who can be present in a monument at a given time

ASI will also collect visitors’ phone numbers in case contact-tracing needs to be done later

* E-ticketing facilities will also be ramped to ensure smooth and easy access

* The number of visitors will be capped and there will be slots every day.

* Visitors will have to stick to a time limit in order to ensure social distancing.

05/07/2020

Finally some good news

Himachal Pradesh allowed entry of tourists with conditions such as a test report showing negative for COVID-19 and a prior hotel booking of at least five days, about three-and-a-half-months after a ban was imposed to check the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Tourists with valid booking, preferably for durations not less than five days and having been tested for COVID-19 by an ICMR-accredited laboratory not earlier than 72 hours at the time of entry may also be exempted from the requirement of quarantine," the order stated.
All inter-state movement will be monitored through registration in the COVID e-pass software ("http://covid19epass.hp.gov.in"covid19epass.hp.gov.in

The people coming to Himachal Pradesh from other states shall strictly adhere to the prevailing guidelines/standard operating procedure (SOP) issued by the health and revenue departments of the state," the order stated.
The order, however, does not mention the exact date from which tourists may visit the state.