JAKARTA: The Indonesian government has suspended the visa exemption policy for a short-stay visit, visa on arrival, and diplomatic/service visa-free facilities for all countries for a period of one month, starting March 20, to further curb the spread of Covid-19. The government has denied entry or transit in Indonesia for visitors who have travelled to Iran, Italy, Vatican, Spain, France, Germany, Switzerland and UK in the last 14 days. Earlier measures taken for visitors from China, and South Korea’s Daegu city and Gyeongsang province remain in effect. Retno Marsudi, Indonesia’s minister of foreign affairs, announced yesterday: “All foreigners/ travellers who…
Author: holidayweekly
MARYLAND: In an emotional video message to Marriott International employees on Thursday, March 20, CEO Arne Sorenson characterized the coronavirus crisis as more severe for the hotel chain than the Great Depression and World War 2. He added that the chain’s global business is running about 75 percent lower than normal, hundreds of hotels have closed, and some may never re-open. The current financial situation, he said, is more dire than the worst quarter ever in the company’s business, which saw roughly a 25 percent decline on average in hotel revenue globally. He didn’t detail which quarter that was. “In…
BRUSELLS: As many as 48,200 flights and 10.2 million seats could be scrapped after the European Union moved to close external borders for 30 days earlier this week. Olivier Ponti, Vice President with the analytics company, commented: “At present, it is not clear exactly what proportion of the 48,200 flights between the EU and so-called ‘third countries’ will be cancelled, because the EU guidelines clearly contemplate that a skeleton service needs to be maintained for essential travel and it is up to each member state to decide on the extent of implementation in their own territory. “However, it is inevitable…
NEW DELHI: India is preparing a $1.6 billion rescue package for the aviation sector, which has suffered immensely following the coronavirus outbreak, which has forced countries to close borders and brought air travel to a near-halt, said a report. The Finance Ministry of India is considering a proposal that includes temporary suspension of most taxes levied on the sector, including a deferment of aviation fuel tax, said a Reuters report citing sources who have direct knowledge of the matter. “Taxes could be deferred till the coronavirus spread is contained and the aviation sector can come back to its feet,” one…
SYDNEY: Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd., a leading global cruise company which operates the Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises brands, announced a voluntary suspension of all cruise voyages embarking between 13 March and 11 April 2020 for its three cruise brands. The temporary suspension is aimed at contributing to efforts around the globe to contain the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. This measure is taken in an abundance of caution and the Company has not experienced any confirmed cases of COVID-19 across its 28-ship fleet. “The safety, security, and well-being of our guests and crew…
GENEVA: People and their wellbeing must come first, the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) has said while acknowledging that tourism is the hardest hit sector by the growing global restrictions due to the novel Coronavirus outbreak. As the COVID-19 situation evolves, the WTO observes that full or partial travel restrictions have been – and continue to be – introduced across the world. These decisions are made with public health as the primary concern, it said. “For now, we must be patient and stand ready. By staying home today, we can travel tomorrow. And travelling tomorrow will support jobs, celebrate culture and…
The airline industry is warning that it must shed jobs and obtain state support to survive the coronavirus crisis, as carriers around the globe grounded the majority of their fleets and took steps to conserve cash. In the past 24 hours, United Airlines in the US, IAG (parent of British Airways, Aer Lingus and Iberia), Air France-KLM, EasyJet, Finnair, Air New Zealand, and Aeroflot all unveiled drastic measures to cut costs after several countries, including Germany and Spain, closed their borders. An Irish union source told The Irish Times: “The situation is grim. It looks like there will be a…
NEW DELHI: India’s tourism sector has taken a huge hit due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, with the outbreak affecting business worth $66.5 billion, said a report. During a recent meeting held by the Parliamentary Committee on Transport, Tourism, and Culture, the tourism ministry gave a detailed presentation in which they said that as much as 70 percent of the industry had been hit in this calendar year when half of the summer is gone, said a report in NDTV. It was also pointed out in the presentation that 95 percent of the small and medium scale industries were hit…
CHICAGO: Australia and Taiwan have joined a growing list of countries offering financial aid to their ailing aviation sectors as global airlines are forced to cut capacities due to plummeting demand and stricter border controls due to the coronavirus, said a report. US carriers have already asked Washington for $50 billion in grants and loans, plus tens of billions in tax relief, said a report. The Australian government said it would refund and waive charges to airlines such as domestic air traffic control fees worth $430 million, including A$159 million upfront, as it advised citizens against all travel outside the…
LONDON: Global airlines need to up to $200 billion of government support to help them survive the coronavirus crisis, the International Air Transport Association said on Tuesday. Issuing a rallying call for the aviation industry, IATA Chief Alexandre de Juniac said governments needed to act decisively to support carriers as many of the companies are running out of cash. “If we want to maintain a strong airline sector able to cope with this difficult crisis and provide the resources to ensure the recovery will happen in due time, we need governments to act strongly and quickly,” he said. The $150…