HolidayWeekly

The Voice of Tourism in Pakistan

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volume 63-2021

Yes To Corporate Social Responsibility | Legend Islamabad Initiates Trees Plantation Campaign

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ISLAMABAD: As a part of its Corporate Social Responsibility, Legend Hotel Islamabad has initiated a tree plantation campaign, starting with its hotel in Islamabad on the 16th March 2021. In the same context, the management of the hotel has invited some of our celebrities and the press to join them in this environmental activity, and make it memorable. After the tree plantation ceremony, there was an environmental awareness press conference by Mr. Azeem Qureashi and Ms. Laila Zuberi.

“We regard our media as the real tool to motivate the masses and another corporate sector to participate in such drives, making Pakistan Green,” said Azeem.

The event was followed by a sumptuous lunch in honor of the guests and media.

UK Bans | Qatar Airways Flights Indefinitely

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LONDON: As The UK has added Qatar to its read list for travel besides adding Ethiopia, Oman, and Somalia, from an aviation perspective, this action has the biggest implications here are for Qatar Airways, given how big the carrier’s network is in the UK. The travel ban implemented at 4 AM on Friday, March 19, 2021

British, Irish, and third-country nationals with residence rights who are arriving from or who have transited these countries in the past 10 days will have to quarantine in a government facility for 10 days; all others will be refused entry. Even those who have just transited Doha will be banned.

There are around three dozen countries on the UK’s “red list,” which is primarily based on the risk of the importation of different strains of coronavirus. For example, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been on the list for several weeks.

The airline could still operate cargo flights between Qatar and the UK, as the ban is specific to passengers.

The airline could operate flights from Qatar to the UK without passengers, and then operate flights from the UK to Qatar with passengers, since the ban is specifically on entry to the UK; this is what Emirates has done, as the airline has continued operating flights to the UK, but the UK-bound flights just don’t have any passengers on board.

A vast majority of Qatar Airways passengers are only briefly transiting in Doha, given that Qatar’s borders are closed, so is it really logical to ban passengers based on where they’ve briefly transited, rather than where they’ve spent a significant amount of time?

Oman Bans | All Direct Flights from UK

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MUSCAT: Oman’s Supreme Committee decided to impose a ban on all direct flights from the UK, except cargo flights, and prohibiting entry of passengers arriving from the UK or who were in transit there over the past 14 days.

The ban takes effect from 12 pm, Friday, March 19, and continues till further notice, reported Oman News Agency (ONA), adding that Omani citizens are exempt from the ban.

The Supreme Committee has also decided to downsize to 70% the number of employees at the workplace in units of the State’s Administrative Apparatus and other legal entities with effect from March 21 till April 1.

The Supreme Committee urges all departments to continue to take precautionary and preventive measures to curb the spread of the disease and to follow up the commitment of all to the instructions.

It has also issued directives to extend the closure of all commercial activities in all governorates of the Sultanate from 8 pm to 5 am till April 3.

An exemption from this covers fuel filling stations, health establishments, private pharmacies, tire sale and repair outlets based at filling stations, transport, cargo, and unloading services and the operation of factories without the option of receiving clients and customers, home deliveries, the handing over of food orders to customers in their vehicles from restaurants, cafes, mobile cafeterias, and licensed street vendors, as well as offering “guests-only service” at restaurants located within hotel establishments.

UNWTO Emphasises | More Sustainable Future For Tourism

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BERLIN: The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) stressed that sustainability was high on the agenda, leading efforts to ensure the sector lives up to its responsibilities for the planet as well as people, at ITB Berlin, a global tourism fair.

As the United Nations specialized agency leads the restart of global tourism following the unprecedented crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, three virtual events brought together voices from across the sector at the leading trade fair.

Against a backdrop of ongoing uncertainty, UNWTO outlined a positive narrative for tourism, stressing its historic ability to lead from the front and adapt to new challenges.

“Eliminate. Innovate. Circulate: Strategies from the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative”, hosted jointly by UNWTO, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, featured key insights from both public and private sectors. The event showcased how addressing plastic waste and pollution within tourism can support the sustainable recovery of the sector in the aftermath of the pandemic, noting both the progress that has been made and the challenges still to face.

Alongside UNWTO’s commitment to greater sustainability, a commitment to gender equality is a key priority. On the second day of ITB Berlin, and against the backdrop of Women’s History Month, UNWTO hosted a special panel on “Gamechangers” and female entrepreneurs within tourism. The event featured presentations by the five female winners of the UNWTO SDGs Startup Competition, outlining how their enterprises can contribute to addressing key issues such as gender equality, poverty alleviation, and providing decent work for all.

Also at ITB Berlin, UNWTO looked ahead to tourism’s restart, bringing together leading voices from across the media to explore the need for a new narrative to fit the rethink and restart of tourism with sustainability as the driving goal.

Alongside hosting events, UNWTO also contributed expert insights to a discussion on Tourism for Sustainable Development. The event was organized by the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the German Corporation for International Development (GIZ).

Heathrow Airport Records | Lowest Passenger Numbers Since 1966

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LONDON: Heathrow Airport Holdings said its monthly passenger numbers for February fell below 500,000, the lowest since 1966, as a result of strict travel restrictions amid the pandemic.

It said in a statement the collapse in numbers was “due to the ban on all but essential travel, blanket quarantine, pre-departure and post-arrival testing.”

Limits on passenger flights, which normally carry freight, also meant cargo volumes remained nearly 30% down on an annual basis.

The company pointed out that its EU rivals including Frankfurt, Paris Charles de Gaulle, and Schiphol airports returned to pre-pandemic cargo tonnage levels.

“We are working with the PM’s Global Travel Taskforce to facilitate the safe restart of international travel after 17 May. The aim should be to simplify and standardize the checks that are required, with a goal of returning to travel as it used to be,” Heathrow said.

The business also said it is preparing to restart operations safely, noting its “biggest single concern” is the ability of the Border Force to be able to cope with additional passenger numbers, given recent unacceptable queue times. Recent news reports have said waiting times in immigration queues have been as long as six to seven hours.

Heathrow CEO, John Holland-Kaye, said: “Aviation has always led the UK economy out of recession, and we will do so again. The PM’s Global Travel Taskforce can lead the way on reopening international travel and trade safely – but ministers must get a grip of Border Force’s performance so that visitors get a warm welcome to Britain, not a six-hour queue.”

The travel industry has been one of the worst-hit during the pandemic and this continues to be the case as the UK bans travel out of the country except for those with a legitimate reason, such as a medical one, or wanting to attend a funeral. Those traveling in must self-isolate for ten days and pay £210 to get tested on day two and day eight of their quarantine.

Those coming in from the ‘red list’ of countries including Portugal, Brazil, and South Africa need to cough up £1,750 and stay in a hotel for ten days.

Some of these restrictions, particularly the ones about traveling out of the country, are meant to ease in May as per Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s four-step plan to ease lockdown.

Last month, Heathrow said it suffered an annual loss of £2bn ($2.8bn) in 2020.

A Firm with Firm Approach | Tourism Consultancy ‘TravelinPk’ Launched

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KARACHI: TravelinPK, a tourism consultancy, and facilitation company launched here in Karachi with a bang among a large number of members of the travel fraternity, friends, and media.

A partnership of nine people who have been working together for over a year as FPCCI’s Central Committee of Tourism Development under Convener Shanaz Ramzi, the office bearers of the organization are president – Shanaz Ramzi; SVP – Syed Baqar Mahdi, and VPS — Zubair Baweja and Nasira Faiz. The other partners are Anadil Khan, Almas Tariq, Amena Khan, Rabeea Minai, and Fareeda Nishtar. Friends of TravelinPK who are working closely with the partners are Ch Faisal Mahmood, Jehanzeb Salim, Atiq ur Rehman, Mehrin Ansari, Shumaila Hadi, and Madiha Fatima.

The event kick-started with VP Nasira Faiz hosting the show and inviting a young student, Mohammed Ali, for tilawat, followed by the national anthem. President Shanaz Ramzi then welcomed all and gave an introduction to the company. She said “TravelinPK is unique in more ways than one. Its partners – and there are many – all bring varied and rich experiences of a sector that we feel needs to be taken head-on in a holistic fashion. Not only are the partners experienced, resourceful, and connected, but they are also all avid travelers with a wealth of knowledge of how things can be improved in the country. From hoteliers, to travel agents to entrepreneurs we have the lot. And that’s not all – beyond our very active partners we have very active friends of TravelinPK who have been part of our committee since last year and who are an integral part of our company even today, even if they have no financial stakes involved for the time being.”

After her introduction, she showed a visual presentation of all the services that TravelinPK would provide to its clients as well as to other travel-related businesses so as to up their act and facilitate them in providing a pleasurable experience to their clients. A beautiful video was also shown of all that Pakistan has to offer in terms of sights, culture, ethnicities, cuisine, crafts, heritage, and much more.

All partners were then introduced and invited to the stage. MPA Dr. Imran Ali Shah was also invited to air his views and he commended the launch of a much-needed facility especially keeping in mind that the prime minister was also focusing on tourism development. Mr. Amin WaliMohammed, Managing Director, Gerry’s Pvt. Ltd was then invited on the stage to sign an MOU with TravelinPK. He was followed by Khurram Zafar, CEO Majestic Lounge. Other organizations that are also already on board are Legends, Super Savari, Polanis, and Daewoo.

Mr. Wali Mohammed also spoke on the occasion and wished the company the best for the future. After a Vote of Thanks, high tea was served.