Category Archives: NTO (National Tourist Offices)

Home to the world’s longest zip-line, Toroverde Adventure Park in Ras Al Khaimah has reopened with new safety rules after a two-month closure. Prior booking and face masks even mid-flight are essential for visitors. RAK’s Al Hamra has also re-opened its hotels and the golf club.

Switzerland Tourism invites the trade to participate in its webinar titled ‘Unlimited Swissness in Interlaken’ to be hosted today at 3:00 pm. Interlaken is situated between the Lakes Thun and Brienz and is centrally located in Switzerland. Surrounded by the mountains Eiger, Monch, and Jungfrau, it not only provides numerous excursion opportunities but is also a hub for adventure activities in Switzerland. This webinar will provide the trade with the latest information and updates about Interlaken. Travel partners who attend all their webinars stand a chance of winning a trip to Switzerland. For more information, please contact Jaspreet Kaur on 9650196532 or jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com.

Switzerland Tourism invites the trade to participate in its webinar titled ‘Unlimited Swissness in Interlaken’ to be hosted on Friday, May 22, 2020, at 3:00 pm. Interlaken is situated between the Lakes Thun and Brienz and is centrally located in Switzerland. Surrounded by the mountains Eiger, Monch, and Jungfrau, it not only provides numerous excursion opportunities but is also a hub for adventure activities in Switzerland. This webinar will provide the trade with the latest information and updates about Interlaken. Travel partners who attend all their webinars stand a chance of winning a trip to Switzerland. For more information, please contact Jaspreet Kaur on 9650196532 or jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com.

Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) is working closely with hospitality partners and Government Authorities to safely welcome guests back to the Emirate as restrictions are gradually eased, and hotel pools and beaches become accessible to visitors.  To ensure the wellbeing and safety of visitors and employees, the Authority is in ongoing dialogue with hotel partners to ensure they are strictly adhering to government and public health guidelines and complying with all social distancing advisories from the World Health Organization (WHO), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the UAE Federal Authorities. In Ras Al Khaimah, current hospitality standards and procedures include testing of all hotel staff for COVID-19, provision of masks and gloves for all guests, allocation of separate entrances and exits for guests and staff and mandatory thermal screening at all entrances on arrival.  RAKTDA inspectors will also be undertaking daily spot checks to ensure the measures are being adhered to and will provide support from Government Authorities to help hoteliers enforce the protocols designed for guest wellbeing. To ensure guests have confidence in their stay, RAKTDA is working closely with the Public Service Department (PSD) to oversee a dedicated certification process – the RAK ‘Stay Safe’ Hotel Certification – whereby hotels are required to fulfil a detailed set of measures to attain the certification.  The certification assesses all the measures in place across all areas of the hotels including reception and concierge areas, guest rooms, restrooms, restaurants and lounges, pools, beaches, spas fitness areas, kid clubs and retail spaces.  Guidelines are also being provided around guest transportation, meeting and function spaces, housekeeping, laundry and waste management. The ample space within hotel properties in Ras …

Luxury takes many forms in New Zealand. Clients can tailor their holiday to suit their needs, whether enjoying some pampering, tucking themselves away in a secluded paradise or packing in loads of adventurous activities. For more inspiration on how to include ‘New Zealand Luxury – Relaxation & Wellness’ in your itineraries, sign up for the upcoming webinar on Thursday, May 14, 2020 at 1430 hrs (2:30 pm). To participate, contact Jaspreet Kaur at jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com or call 9650196532.

Dhananjay Regmi, CEO, Nepal Tourism Board, has met with the presidents of various Indian tourism associations on a digital platform to discuss the way forward amidst COVID-19 crisis. Some of the notable attendees include, Jyoti Mayal, President, TAAI; PP Khanna, President, ADTOI; Swadesh Kumar, President, ATOAI; Pradeep Lulla, Acting President, TAFI and Mahendra Vakaria, Immediate Past President, OTOAI. The meeting was organised by Buzz Travel Marketing India and moderated by SanJeet, its’ CEO.

It is famous for its tapas, flamenco, fiestas and endless beaches. But Spain is so much more. To participate, please contact Jaspreet Kaur at jaspreet.kaur@ddppl.com or call 9650196532. A country with four official languages, home to 15 UNESCO World Heritage cities, and diverse gastronomy and landscapes, Spain is also home to the most extraordinary architecture and a perfect wedding destination. Its cities are as diverse as the landscapes, but one thing that never changes is the Spanish lifestyle. But all this can wait. #SpainWillWait until the global crisis of COVID-19 is over. For now, the Tourism Office of Spain invites the travel trade to learn more about the destination through its webinar titled ‘The Spanish Travel Experience’ today at 1500 hrs (3 pm)

Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) is gearing to come up with a Recovery Plan to sustain the industry for the days to come, revealed an official statement from the tourism board. “We are conducting an online survey to assess the data of the tourism industry to make recommendations to the Government on possible support and relief packages to overcome the crisis brought about by the COVID-19 outbreak,” it stated. The release further stated, “We have now zero active cases in major tourists’ destinations including Kathmandu and Pokhara and no deaths in the country from COVID till now. With the destinations opening after the containment of the Virus, the travellers of tomorrow will be looking for destinations with better Hygiene and Sanitation. As such, to prepare Nepal as the newly defined Normal Destination, we have prepared a separate Hygiene and Sanitation Protocol/code of conduct for different sectors of the tourism industry, which we will soon upload/ distribute. These protocols will have to be mandatorily followed in order to re-open the respective businesses.” “The global pandemic COVID-19 has put a huge threat everywhere and the tourism sector is no exception. In fact, one of the most hit sectors by the terrorizing disease spread is Tourism. Following the enforcement of the lockdown since 06:00 am, March 24, Nepal Tourism Board is going extra miles to address several problems brought by the alarming spread of the virus. The Tourism and Crisis Management Communication Cell, formed under the Board to address the rampant issue, initiated the #StrandedInNepal campaign and helped rescue over 1,721 tourists stranded in different parts of Nepal. We introduced a crisis hotline number and a crisis email to respond to various queries and …

Isabel Oliver, Secretary of State for Tourism, Spain, recently chaired a meeting of the Tourism Sector Commission, in which it was agreed to coordinate a single health protocol against COVID-19 to prepare for the reopening of the tourism sector once its containment measures have been eased. “Security is going to be fundamental in the new normality that awaits us. There is no certainty about when we can restart tourism, but we must reopen in safe sanitary conditions for those who visit us and for workers, residents and the environment,” she explained. This homogeneous protocol will include the requirements that each subsector or tourist activity must comply with in terms of hygiene and sanitary security. It will work in the field of concertation of economic and social agents to prepare this protocol and with the participation of the Institute for Spanish Tourist Quality (ICTE). At the meeting, the Secretary of State has conveyed to the Spanish Autonomous Communities the intention of developing a campaign to stimulate national tourism once the evolution of the pandemic allows it. Later, a promotion and marketing plan will be developed in international markets.

Taking a step further in the virtual engagement sphere, the Azerbaijan Tourism Board (ATB) has announced that it is preparing to conduct a virtual familiarisation tour for travel agents soon. Sharing this information is Florian Sengstschmid, CEO, Azerbaijan Tourism Board, who via a Zoom interview said, “We will conduct our first virtual familiarisation trip for the Indian travel agents in May 2020. We will select a few key partners and invite them to be part of this tour. It will be in real time and highlight the attractions of Azerbaijan, just like a regular fam trip with agents visiting our key attractions, hotels, etc. with the possibility of asking questions and interacting with us the way it is on a fam.” ATB is also preparing to launch 20 virtual experiences in Baku soon on its Salam Baku website.