DUBLIN The World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) said on Wednesday that first-quarter arrivals were down 83 per cent on the same period last year, as pandemic restrictions continued to hold back international travel. Official data collated by the United Nations agency showed Asia and the Pacific continuing "to suffer the lowest levels of activity with a 94 per cent drop in international arrivals over the three-month period." North America reported the smallest decline, at 71 per cent, while arrivals in Europe were down by over 80 per cent. The UNWTO said the weak first-quarter numbers followed last year's record annual 73-per-cent fall in arrival numbers worldwide, which cost the sector an estimated 1.1 trillion dollars, equivalent to Indonesia's gross domestic product (GDP). Travel ground to a halt in March 2020 after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the coronavirus outbreak to be a pandemic.
DUBLIN Pandemic restrictions have completely or partly closed two-thirds of destinations worldwide to international tourism, according to the World Tourism Organization (UNTWO), a United Nations agency.
Almost a year since the World Health Organization labelled the novel coronavirus outbreak a pandemic, 69 out of 217 destinations remain “completely closed,” the UNTWO said on Monday in its latest Travel Restrictions Report.
Around the same number of destinations are “partially closed,” the UNWTO calculated.
Thirty-eight of the 69 completely-closed destinations have been that way for at least 40 weeks, the UNWTO said, noting “regional differences” in how the border controls are applied.
Thirty Asia-Pacific destinations are completely closed, twice as many as in Europe, where the pandemic hit hard in second and third waves over the winter months. Some European countries reimposed domestic travel restrictions and advisories telling people to stay at home, but in gener
Govt announces new scheme for tourist vehicle operators, rules applicable from THIS date - Details
The new set of rules, to be known as All India Tourist Vehicles Authorization and Permit Rules, 2021 will be applicable from April 1.
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Updated: Mar 14, 2021, 07:20 PM IST
In a bid to promote tourism and grow state revenues, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has announced a new scheme, under which any tourist vehicle operator may apply for an All India Tourist Authorization/Permit through online mode.
According to the ministry, the permit will be issued after the submission of relevant documents and fees within 30 days of submission of such applications and the new set of rules will be applicable from April 1.