BEIJING: China’s domestic flights rose by about a fifth in March from the previous month, the aviation regulator said, but that was still less than half the flights before the shutdowns due to the coronavirus, showing the sector is recovering only gradually. The number of daily flights climbed 20.5 percent in March to 6,533, JinJunhao, an official at the Civil Aviation Administration of China, told a press conference on Thursday. That was still just 42 percent of the daily flights before the coronavirus struck. Most of the increased travel demand in March was from labour abundant regions such as southwest…
Author: holidayweekly
ISLAMABAD: Serena Hotels has started distributing rations to communities in locations surrounding their hotels countrywide, to support affected segments at a time when the global Coronavirus pandemic is wreaking havoc on the country’s economy. More than 3400 deserving families and households in areas where Serena Hotels are located, including in Islamabad, Faisalabad, Quetta, Swat, Gilgit, Hunza, Shigar and Khaplu have been provided with rations that include food staples and essentials. In addition, the employees of Serena Hotels have donated one day’s salary, with the company double matching the donation as a goodwill gesture, to contribute Rs. 10 million to the…
WRITTEN BY CH. FAISAL MAHMOOD We haven’t seen in our 40 plus years of publication such devastating impact of any menace on travel, hotel, cruise, airline and on ever-increasing world tourism and on world visitor’s economy. Tourism industry all over the world from one end to another has entered into an unprecedented, unparallel and matchless crisis since World War 2.The horrifying thing is that the duration and devastating impact of the killer virus is still unknown. Truly, we never witnessed tourism industry of the world in such big trouble before. As we mentioned that the Tourism industry of whole world,…
KARACHI: As you are aware that due to the ongoing crisis of COVID-19, travel Industry in the world was the first business victim of the virus as abrupt travel restrictions caused the closure of almost all Airports and cancellation of millions of air tickets, umrah pilgrimage, tours, corporate and other traveling across the globe. Travel/tourism sector facing colossal financial losses and are at much higher risk of closure/bankruptcy where hundreds of thousands of jobs are in danger because of predatory, unilateral and unfair policies adopted by IATA and the Airlines. Summary of the issues that directly impact the travel/tourism sector…
DUBAI: Emirates has announced that the airline has received approvals to carry passengers on certain flights, which will start from April 6. The initial flights will commence from Dubai to London Heathrow, Frankfurt, Paris, Brussels and Zurich, with four flights a week to London Heathrow, and three flights a week to the other cities, the airline said. Operating from Dubai International airport Terminal 2 until further notice, these flights will only carry outbound passengers from the UAE. Emirates will also carry belly-hold cargo in both directions, supporting trade and communities with the transport of essential goods, it said. Sheikh Ahmed…
CHICAGO: Coronavirus fears have shut down hotels around the world, but some operators are able to keep at least a few lights on due to healthcare demand. [huge_it_slider id=”534″] With business and leisure travel depleted, many U.S. hoteliers are positioning their largely vacant properties for healthcare or social service functions. The American Hotel & Lodging Association launched the Hospitality for Hope Initiative on March 24 to connect hotels with local healthcare providers and governments. About 15,000 properties have already registered with the program, according to the AHLA. “There are a lot of parties at the table, and one of the…
KARACHI: Acting on the government’s decision to partially resume international flight operations, the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has announced a schedule for its 10 flights to be operated to the United Kingdom and Canada from April 4 to April 10. PIA spokesman Abdullah Hafeez told that two special flights, one PK-789 with 264 passengers on board departed for Toronto from Lahore, while another flight PK-781 carrying 242 passengers departed from Karachi for Toronto on Thursday. These flights were not part of the international flight schedule of 10 flights announced by the national flag carrier. In addition to the scanning of…
Dear Friends, We remain united in facing an unprecedented challenge. The COVID-19 virus does not discriminate. It knows no borders and, as we have seen over recent days, nobody is immune. We are all, therefore, grateful to all those who cannot stay safe at home right now: To the healthcare workers on the frontline in the fight against the virus, and to everyone working to keep vital supply chains moving, thank you. The situation is also constantly evolving: Predictions, statements of hope, as well as statements of fear quickly become irrelevant. This is particularly true for tourism. Ours has been…
BANGKOK: The Pacific Asia Travel Association has opened its 2020 PATA Gold Awards for submissions with several new categories. Submissions must be filed with the association on or before 14 May. The PATA Gold Awards Dinner and Presentation will take place during PATA Travel Mart 2020. Sponsored by the Macau Government Tourism Office for the 25th consecutive year, the PATA Gold Awards sets industry standards for excellence and innovation. This year several new categories are open for submissions such as Climate Change Initiative, Tourism for All, and Youth Empowerment Initiative. Judged by an international panel of experts, the Gold Awards…
DUBAI: Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said the Government of Dubai is fully committed to supporting Emirates airlines in the current critical period. As a shareholder of Emirates airlines, the Government of Dubai will inject equity into the company, considering its strategic importance to the Dubai and UAE economy and the airline’s key role in positioning Dubai as a major international aviation hub, Dubai Media Office reported. Further details in this regard will be announced at a later stage, His Highness said.