Dubai to allow tourists from July 7

Key Take Away

Dubai to welcome tourists from 7 July 2020; tourists required to present recent COVID-19 negative certificate or undergo testing and adhere to strict protocols at Dubai airports

International tourists must download the COVID-19 DXB app and register their details. They must also have valid health insurance and the airline has the right to refuse to board. Tourists must do a PCR test with a maximum validity of four days (96 hours) ahead of the date of departure.

Those who test positive for COVID-19 should isolate themselves for 14 days at their home or in an institutional facility provided by the government at their own expense.

For More Details Click below :

www-hoteliermiddleeast-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.hoteliermiddleeast.com/business/118146-dubai-to-allow-tourists-from-july-7?amp

Auckland hotel put into lockdown after report of new Covid-19 case

Key Take Away

A New Zealander in isolation at the Auckland Airport Novotel says they have all been put into lockdown after being told of a new case of Covid-19 at the hotel.

That brings the total number of current cases in the country to eight, with the Ministry of Health officially announcing another two new cases.

For More Information Click Below :

www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/419523/auckland-hotel-put-into-lockdown-after-report-of-new-covid-19-case

Sri Lanka to open Borders for Tourists on 1st August with 100$ Visa Fee, Minimum 5 Days Stay and COVID Test on Arrival

Key Take Away

From August 1, 2020, the following airports; Bandaranaike International Airport [BIA], Colombo Ratmalana Airport [RMA], and Mattala Rajapaksa Hambantota Airport [MRIA] will resume operations to greet tourist arrivals.

According to visa procedures, all travelers will require a valid visa; this will be issued for 30 days and extendable for up to 6 months after arrival. Tourists are required to stay a minimum of 5-nights in Sri Lanka. Travelers staying for more than 10 days will be required to take a third test during their stay. 

For More Information Click Below :

theislandchief.com/post/?id=52165#.Xt0aIGLQHlU.linkedin

Hospitality industry calls for two-metre social distancing rule to be halved

Key Take Away

Actioning advice from the World Health Organisation to use one meter for social distancing from July would enable many more pubs to viably reopen and serve their communities again.

UK Hospitality Chief Executive Kate Nicholls told BBC Radio 4'sToday program: "At two meters you are receiving 30 percent of your normal revenues, at one meter it gets up to 70 percent - so it is the difference between success and failure for many of those businesses.

The reopening of venues is expected to begin from July 4 in England and the Government is expected to publish its guidelines

For More Information

www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1292492/coronavirus-lockdown-two-metre-social-distancing-halved-hospitality-industry

NCHM JEE 2020 postponed; NTA to announce new dates for Hotel Management entrance exam soon

Key Take Away

National Council for Hotel Management Joint Entrance Examination or NCHM JEE 2020  were scheduled to be conducted on June 22 after it was deferred. Initially, the NCHM JEE 2020 was supposed to be held on May 5. The entrance exam dates were postponed twice by National Testing Agency (NTA) in the wake of the coronavirus situation in the country. 

As per the official notification, the NCHM JEE 2020 Admit Cards will be released 15 days prior to the date of examination on the official websites -- nta.ac.in or nchmjee.nta.nic.in.

For More Information Click Below :

www.indiatvnews.com/education/news-nchm-jee-2020-postpone-nta-hotel-management-entrance-exam-new-dates-624294

Kolkata restaurants to reopen from June 8 with new innovative measures to ensure social distancing

Key Take Away

The nationwide lockdown has led to various restrictions being lifted in many parts of the country, restaurants in Kolkata are also set to function from June 08 .In this regard, they have come up with various innovative measures to ensure social distancing as well as smooth functioning .

There are quite a few interesting measures which include: glass partitions between tables, an option to place an order on phone from the table, virtual instruction cards to inform guests about the new guidelines, a marked waiting area for those queuing up at the entrance door.

For More Information Click Below :

www.timesnownews.com/kolkata/article/kolkata-restaurants-to-reopen-from-june-8-with-new-innovative-measures-to-ensure-social-distancing/602755

Vande Bharat Mission: Authorities seek hotel rooms across the country

India begins its biggest repatriation exercise to bring back 14,800 nationals stuck in 12 countries, the government is earmarking a range of hotel rooms across the spectrum, from one star properties to plush five-stars, for quarantining these travellers who will be landing in different cities
Hotels newly earmarked in Delhi include the Taj Palace Hotel, Shangri-La’s Eros Hotel and Le Meridien, according to people aware of the matter. Besides Taj Palace, the Indian Hotels Company Limited ..
(IHCL) has earmarked rooms in five of its hotels in Bengaluru for the exercise, including in Taj MG Road, Taj West End and the Vivanta hotel in Whitefield.

“We are glad to be able to offer support and care for our community,” said a Shangri-La spokesperson. “The hotel will accommodate some of these returning travellers as and when required. During this period, we will take all necessary precautions and strictly abide by the guidelines provided by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare,”.

“We have got 200 rooms. The Delhi government had approached us. As per the instructions that we have received, all the guests are supposed to pay for the rooms. The government is not footing the bill. In our case it’s Rs 4,000 for a single room and Rs 4,800 for a double room, inclusive of meals plus taxes,” said Tarun Thakral, Chief Operating Officer at Le Meridien. “I think they are giving options to arriving passengers to choose from hotel categories and rates.”
The Delhi government has reportedly allocated 1,200 rooms in Delhi and National Capital Region for the purpose.

The Hotel and Restaurant Association of Western India (HRAWI) said it has been in constant touch with the authorities in Maharashtra and has arranged more than 1,500 rooms at discounted rates in Mumbai across categories
At IBIS New Delhi Aerocity, there are 200 rooms which have been committed for the repatriation exercise
Lemon Tree Hotels said it has been approached by different state authorities on room availability and quotation in locations like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Alleppey, Kochi, Amritsar and Lucknow.
Besides IHCL, hotel chains such as Lemon Tree, Accor and Radisson Hotels have been offering quarantining services for asymptomatic people during the lockdown.

OYO owners dub Covid-19 impact assistance by the company as hogwash

OYO, the largest aggregator of budget hotels in the country, is claiming that the hotel company has initiated a slew of initiatives to financially support OYO owners “to blunt the Covid-19” impact, the hotel owners are not ready to accept the claim at its face value.

The hotel owners suspect the content of the offer which the company has released through the media, is another ploy to “dupe” them to stay put in their assets

 OYO had said that the company, in order to “lessen the burden of payments due and accrued”, will waive off multiple charges like value added service charges, wizard membership accruals, etc. from March onwards from the owners. “Under these initiatives, a total of INR 24 crore discounts has already been offered to over 3000 OYO partners and continues to impact several others,”

Covid-19 support incentives to owners include weekly payments and reconciliation, reduced joining fee and complimentary top up for those who want to join OYO Secure programme, retention linked incentives ranging from 50% starting from April, etc.

The asset owners also question the attempt by OYO to garner brownie points in the name of CSR by offering hotels for covid-19 quarantine purposes to government and disaster management authorities while the company is not paying any rental or minimum guarantee.

 Oyo staff in India to go on leave with limited benefits from May 4 for four months, and also asked all employees in the country to accept a cut in their fixed salaries by 25% due to the impact of the Covid-19 on the hospitality industry

Upcoming Live Webinars - Restaurant Industry in NYC and Travel Industry’s Road to Recovery

What's Next for NYC Restaurants

 COVID-19 and social distancing have completely changed the way restaurants and bars can do business. Because foodservice is considered an essential service, operators can choose to remain open if they limit their sales to takeout and delivery only.

While this “new normal” will work for some operators, others will be forced to shut down. Neither choice is ideal in this new, ever-changing, and volatile business environment, and owners, operators, and their suppliers are being forced to make difficult decisions every day to protect their businesses, assets, employees, and guests.

The Travel Industry’s Road to Recovery

 COVID-19 presents a challenge of historic proportions for the travel industry. The measures put in place to stop the spread of the pandemic – border closures, stay-at-home orders, and quarantines – have brought travel to a standstill, and no one can say when these policies will be eased or if additional measures will be implemented.

This panel of travel industry experts will discuss the current market dynamics and different recovery scenarios.

Six Taj hotel staff test positive

At least six staff members of the Taj group of hotels in Mumbai have been hospitalised after testing positive for COVID-19. The Taj Mahal Palace, The President, Taj Lands End, Taj Santacruz and Ginger Andheri have offered their premises to the medical fraternity and health workers.

The Taj staff were admitted to Bombay Hospital and are reported to be stable. Dr. Gautam Bhansali, consultant physician at the hospital, said they had very mild symptoms.

Approximately 500 of our employees who are at work in our Mumbai hotels have been tested. Those who have tested positive mostly were asymptomatic, showing absolutely no signs of illness. However, staff testing positive and symptomatic were duly hospitalized and others who were in contact with them have immediately been put in quarantine in accordance with World Health Organization (WHO) norms and guidelines issued by the local Government authorities

South Mumbai’s Taj Mahal Palace does not have any guests and is working with minimum staff in areas like housekeeping, security, maintenance and staff dining to ensure the upkeep and maintenance of the hotel.

IHCL has been supporting the Government with various humanitarian initiatives by offering its hotels to the medical fraternity, health workers, supporting certain States with quarantine facilities and also providing almost 4 lakh meals till date to doctors, health workers and migrant workers