ABUJA – Abuja resident Joseph Abba wished to honeymoon with his wife in the United States after their wedding in 2018.

He readied their documents and applied for a visa but says his visa was denied, even though he met the basic requirements.

“As an applicant, the pain of being refused, even when you know you’re qualified, is something else,” Abba said. “Having known the already concluded decisions even before going for the interview, it’s a discouragement on the applicant.”

Nigeria was one of several African nations included in the travel bans imposed by former U.S. president Donald Trump. As a result, travel between Nigeria and the U.S. became almost impossible.

The Trump administration said the restrictions were imposed because of terrorism concerns, saying the countries on the list did not meet minimum security standards.

But critics like Abba doubt security issues were the real reason.

Trump was highly criticized in his early days in office for derogatory comments about Africa countries.

“Nigeria is not the only country in the world that is having insecurity as a problem. Insecurity is just like the pandemic, it’s a global problem,” Abba said.

On his first day in office, Trump’s successor, Joe Biden, signed 17 executive orders, including one that overturned the travel restrictions.

Nigerian business owners like Taiwo Charles, who runs a travel agency in Abuja, welcomed the move.

“It’s a big relief for entrepreneurs like me, especially in the travel industry, who can now begin to see so many opportunities coming up and then begin to enjoy the benefits of influx between Nigeria and America,” Charles said.

With travel made easier once again, Nigerians like Abba said they will begin to visit the United States again, and travel companies are expecting to see a rise in revenue.

Source: VOA News

Travel Agents & Tour Operators can meet, negotiate and interact with 25 African & Indian Ocean Exhibitors Airlines, Tour Operators, Resorts, Tourism Organisations, , and Safari Lodges from 15 different countries in Africa & Indian Ocean islands.

The main objective of the Spotlight Travel Virtual TravelExpo is to promote Inter-regional Travel & Domestic Tourism within Africa & Indian Ocean Islands. The Virtual TravelExpo will take place over two days on 04 & 05 November allowing members to register for both days or for one day only……read more

Do you want to mix business with pleasure in Dubai? With a new one-year virtual working programme, you can live and work by the beach – and enjoy daily sunshine in one of the most dynamic cities in the world.

The new programme gives you the freedom to come to Dubai, bring your family, work remotely all while remaining employed in your home country.        

Why work remotely in Dubai?

Dubai is a connected city with a strong digital infrastructure. It’s also one of the safest places in the world, with a blend of cultures from around the globe.

With sandy beaches, incredible dining and world-class entertainment, you’re offered a great quality of life and a range of attractions – with world-class safety and hygiene measures.

You will also have access to convenient facilities and resources to help you further your career or grow your business.

Work culture has changed. Many of us don’t need to share an office with our colleagues or employer – so why stay at home when you can work from Dubai? Take a look at some of the experiences on offer in Dubai.

How does it work?

• Your virtual working programme is valid 1 year.
• It costs US$287 plus medical insurance with valid UAE coverage and processing fee per person.
• You get access to all required services, including telecoms, utilities, and schooling options.
• You connect to a global hub and a skilled workforce, composed of 200+ nationalities.

What are the steps?

Applicants will need the following:

Passport with minimum 6 months validity

Health insurance with UAE coverage validity

Proof of Employment from current employer with a one-year contract validity, a minimum of US$5,000 per month salary, last months’ payslip and 3 preceding months’ bank statements

Or, if a company owner, then proof of ownership of company for one year or more, with an average monthly income of US$5,000 per month and 3 preceding months’ bank statements

*Payment of processing fee does not guarantee approval of application

How safe is Dubai?

Dubai is fully committed to following all guidelines and measures, ensuring your family’s health is our top priority.

Tourism has reopened in Dubai thanks to safety and hygiene management across the city – with open access to hotels, restaurants, theme parks, beaches and shopping malls.

Dubai was awarded a ‘Safe Travels’ stamp from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC). This recognises the emirate’s work to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

Dubai has also introduced the ‘Dubai Assured’ stamp to certify establishments that have implemented all necessary health protocols.

We are uniquely positioned to offer both a safe and dynamic lifestyle, with a positive work-life balance.

The city, widely regarded as a leading entrepreneurial hub, also boasts a wealth of top co-working spaces, offering flexible packages ranging from hour-long meeting rooms through to weekly, monthly or quarterly bookings.

Dubai does not levy income tax on individuals.

Source: https://www.visitdubai.com/en/sc7/travel-planning/travel-tools/work-remotely-in-dubai?confirm=1#thankyou

Qatar Airways is pleased to announce it has expanded it’s interline agreement with Kenya Airways to cover 43 destinations across the continent via its 14 weekly flights to and from Nairobi.

The agreement with Kenya Airways will provide two domestic connections to Mombasa and Kisumu in addition to 41 international connections across the continent, including Abidjan, Ivory Coast; Antananarivo, Madagascar; Bamako, Mali; and Monrovia, Liberia.

Qatar Airways Vice President Africa, Mr. Hendrik Du Preez, said: “Since 2016, both airlines have witnessed the significant benefits interline cooperation have brought, providing passengers with unrivaled service and seamless connections.

The expansion of the interline agreement between Qatar Airways and Kenya Airways is a natural next step in the strengthening of our partnership. With our network rebuilding recently surpassing 100 destinations and more than 700 weekly flights, we look forward to working closely with Kenya Airways to support the recovery of international tourism in Kenya.”

“This partnership displays Kenya Airways goal of offering the best to passengers in terms of partners and destinations. In this new environment, we continue our commitment to providing unparalleled safe travel to and from Africa through our Nairobi hub.” said Martin Gitonga, Kenya Airways Head of Planning and Alliances.

Qatar Airways strategic investment in a variety of fuel-efficient twin-engine aircraft, including the largest fleet of Airbus A350 aircraft, has enabled it to continue flying throughout this crisis and perfectly positions it to lead the sustainable recovery of international travel. By the end of 2020, Qatar Airways’ plans to rebuild its network to more than 125 destinations including 20 in Africa, 11 in the Americas, 41 in Asia-Pacific, 38 in Europe and 15 in Middle East. Many cities will be served with a strong schedule with daily or more frequencies.

Qatar Airways operations are not dependent on any specific aircraft type. The airline’s variety of modern fuel-efficient aircraft has meant it can continue flying by offering the right capacity in each market.

Due to COVID-19’s impact on travel demand, the airline has taken the decision to ground its fleet of Airbus A380s as it is not commercially or environmentally justifiable to operate such a large aircraft in the current market.

The airline’s fleet of 49 Airbus A350 and 30 Boeing 787 are the ideal choice for the most strategically important long-haul routes to Africa, the Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific regions.

Qatar Airways’ onboard safety measures for passengers and cabin crew include the provision of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for cabin crew and a complimentary protective kit and disposable face shields for passengers.

Business Class passengers on aircraft equipped with Qsuite can enjoy the enhanced privacy this award-winning business seat provides, including sliding privacy partitions and the option to use a ‘Do Not Disturb (DND)’ indicator.

Qsuite is available on flights to more than 30 destinations including Colombo, Karachi, Maldives and Singapore.

Qatar Airways’ home and hub, Hamad International Airport (HIA), has implemented stringent cleaning procedures and applied social distancing measures throughout its terminals.  It is the first entity in the world to achieve independent verification from BSI (British Standards Institution) for its implementation of COVID-19 ICAO Aviation Health Safety Protocols.

The verification was conducted following successful audits for Compliance to International Civil Aviation Organization Civil Aviation Recovery Taskforce ICAO CART. This important achievement marks the State of Qatar as the first country in the world to be verified by BSI for its COVID-19 Aviation Health Safety Protocol Implementation.

Sparing no effort in safeguarding its passengers, HIA continues to maintain a 1.5 metre physical distancing across all passenger touchpoints around the airport, through floor markings, signage and distanced seating.

All passenger touchpoints are sanitized every 10-15 minutes. All gates and bus gate counters are being cleaned after each flight. HIA’s retail and food and beverage outlets encourage contactless and cashless transactions through cards and are considering introducing online or in-app purchases in the future. The airport also conducts regular disinfection of all baggage trolleys and tubs.

HIA was recently ranked Third Best Airport in the World, among 550 airports worldwide, by the Skytrax World Airport Awards 2020. HIA was also voted the ‘Best Airport in the Middle East’ for the sixth year in a row and ‘Best Staff Service in the Middle East’ for the fifth year in a row.

Source: https://www.capitalfm.co.ke/business/2020/10/qatar-airways-expands-interline-agreement-with-kenya-airways/

Forward bookings for air travel in the fourth quarter show that the recovery continues to falter, says International Air Transport Association (IATA).

While domestic travel is picking up across Africa as countries re-open their borders, international travel remains heavily constrained as major markets including the EU remain closed to citizens of African nations.

Currently, residents from only two African countries– Rwanda and Tunisia – are permitted to enter EU borders.

“The further fall in passenger traffic in 2020 is more bad news for the aviation industry in Africa.  A few months ago, we thought that demand reaching 45% across the continent in 2020 compared to 2019 was as grim as it could get. But with international travel remaining virtually non-existent and a slower than expected pick up in domestic travel, we have revised our expectations downward to 30%,” said Muhammad Albakri, IATA’s Regional Vice President for Africa and the Middle East.

More airlines expected to fold without Committed Relief 

Four airlines across Africa have ceased operations due to the impact of COVID-19 and two are in voluntary administration, with many more in serious financial distress. Without urgent financial relief more carriers and their employees are at risk, as is the wider African air transport industry, which supports 7.7 million jobs on the continent.

The governments of Rwanda, Senegal, Côte D’Ivoire and Burkina Faso have pledged a total of USD 311 million in direct financial support to air transport. A further USD 30 billion has been promised by some governments, international finance bodies and other institutions including the African Development Bank, African Export Import Bank, African Union and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for air transport and tourism.  However, most of this relief is yet reach those in need.

“Hundreds of thousands of airline jobs are at risk if there is a systemic failure in African aviation. And this is not just in aviation but across industries that depend on efficient global connectivity. Much needed financial relief has been pledged, but little has materialized. The situation is critical. Governments and donor organizations need to act fast or the challenge will move from supporting an industry in severe distress to resurrection from bankruptcy,” said Albakri.

Source: https://www.theafricalogistics.com/2020/10/22/iata-revises-2020-passenger-traffic-forecast-down-for-africa/

The Government of India has relaxed visa restrictions for international passengers, with only those on tourist visa now barred from entering the country.

“It has been decided to permit all Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) and Person of Indian Origin (PIO) cardholders and all other foreign nationals intending to visit India for any purpose, except on a Tourist Visa, to enter by air or water routes through authorized airports and seaport immigration check posts,” said a statement from Ministry of Home Affairs on October 22.

“This includes flights operated under Vande Bharat Mission, air transport bubble arrangements or by any non-scheduled commercial flights as allowed by the Ministry of Civil Aviation,” the statement added.

The easing of restrictions comes even as the government has expanded the air travel bubble arrangement with 18 countries. Earlier this week, Bangladesh and Ukraine were added to the list that already includes the US, the UK, France, Germany, Canada and UAE.

All the travelers, the MHA statement added, will have to “strictly adhere to the guidelines of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare regarding quarantine and other health/COVID-19 matters.”

In August, the government had given a partial relaxation for the OCI card holders. But this was only for those from Germany, the US, the UK and France, with whom India had the travel bubble arrangement. The latest communication eases all restrictions.

What are not restored 

While the government has restored, with immediate effect, all existing visas, the relaxation excludes electronic visa, tourist visa and medical visa.

But the statement added that foreign nationals intending to visit India for medical treatment, can apply for a medical visa. This is also applicable for their medical attendants.

“This decision will enable foreign nationals to come to India for various purposes such as business, conferences, employment, studies, research and medical purposes,” the ministry statement said.

Source: https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/companies/international-flights-oci-and-pio-cardholders-can-now-visit-india-government-relaxes-visa-restrictions-5998041.html

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) welcomed the release of the results of testing by the United States Transportation Command (US Transcom) confirming the low risk of COVID-19 transmission onboard an aircraft.

The US Transcom testing, which was conducted in August, found that “the overall exposure risk from aerosolized pathogens, like coronavirus, is very low” on the types of airline aircraft typically contracted to move Department of Defense (DOD) personnel and their families, US Transcom stated. More than 300 aerosol releases, simulating a passenger infected with COVID-19, were performed over eight days using United Airlines Boeing 767-300 and 777-200 twin-aisle aircraft.

“Last week, IATA reported that since the start of 2020 there have been 44 cases of COVID-19 reported in which transmission is thought to have been associated with a flight journey, out of 1.2 billion passenger journeys in 2020. The US Transcom research provides further evidence that the risk of infection onboard an aircraft appears to be very low, and certainly lower than many other indoor environments,” said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s Director General and CEO.

The US Transcom testing showed that the aerosol was “rapidly diluted by the high air exchange rates” of a typical aircraft cabin. Aerosol particles remained detectable for a period of less than six minutes on average. Both aircraft models tested removed particulate matter 15 times faster than a typical home ventilation system and 5-6 times faster “than the recommended design specifications for modern hospital operating or patient isolation rooms.” Testing was done with and without a mask for the simulated infected passenger.

The testing was conducted in partnership with Boeing and United Airlines, as well as the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Zeteo Tech, S3i and the University of Nebraska’s National Strategic Research Institute.

Source: https://www.iata.org/en/pressroom/pr/2020-10-16-02/

The Additional Director General of the India Ministry of Tourism, Ms. Rupinder Brar, said that technology will be a game-changer for the travel start-up industry and government is ready to support new ideas and collaborate with start-ups.

Addressing a webinar on “Travel Start-up Accelerator Series – Towards A Self-Reliant India,” organized by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI), Ms. Brar said that COVID-19 will accelerate the digital transformation in the India travel and tourism industry that will lead to innovative, creative, and out of the box thinking. “We cannot miss out on the software product opportunity that lies in front of India, and this is the time for start-ups to ‘Make in India’ and for the world,” she added.

Ms. Brar stated that as travel restrictions are easing, both the government and industry are coming up with ideas to implement minimum or no-contact set up. “E-visa seems to be the way forward which can act as a supporting tool for the promotional campaigns run by the governments. This will also help in recognizing a tourist destination as a safe destination,” she said.

Highlighting the global competition in the tourism industry, Ms. Brar said: “Adopting digital technology provides the best opportunity for the tourism industry to cement their position in the Indian economy. There has never been a better time for the industry to use it and make themselves globally competitive.”

The slow easing of international travel restrictions in the future will result in intense competition as countries will target the same markets. This calls for an aggressive strategy focusing on the intense use of technology, noted Ms. Brar. 

The Director of Travel, BFSI, Classifieds, Gaming, Telco & Payments for Google India, Ms. Roma Datta, said digital adoption by consumers has increased in the past few months, and travel start-ups must leverage the opportunities in digitization.

“Understanding the changing needs of the travelers; reinventing, reimagining, and being relevant are key factors for travel start-ups. COVID-19 has taught India to be ‘Atmanirbhar [self-reliant],’ and several start-ups will emerge from this adversity by seeking inspiration from the global market,” said Ms. Datta.

The Co-Chairman of the FICCI Travel Technology Committee & Thought Leader, Mr. Ashish Kumar, said that companies need to focus on innovation which is the key for sustained growth. Travel companies and businesses must promote their safety protocols and encourage travelers to also keep sustainability in mind, he added.

The Co-Chairman of the FICCI Travel Technology Committee & Co-Founder TBO Group, and Managing Director of the Nijhawan Group, Mr. Ankush Nijhawan, said that the new travel companies are extremely talented but require mentorship to take the next step. He also urged the government to support and boost the start-up sector in India. 

The Secretary General of FICCI, Mr. Dilip Chenoy, said that start-up as a concept challenges the existing business models, markets, and thought process and brings in disruption. “During the pandemic, we must identify the start-ups and help them accelerate. This is a time to create a new experience which is safe, secure, and generates a growth paradigm for the industry,” he added.

The webinar was moderated by Mr. Kartik Sharma, Board Member of the Start-Up Mentor Board.

Source: https://www.eturbonews.com/823370/technology-will-be-game-changer-for-travel-start-ups/