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Introduction The COVID19 pandemic that originated in China in December 2019 and by the next two months spread to many other countries, went on to paralyse the whole world. Its global impact has caused an alarming rate of extreme disruptions of all types of economic and social activities. Preventive measures were taken up by various governments to restrict the spread of the virus. The result was consequential lockdowns and passing of suspension orders for all sorts of commercial activities by various governments vide specific ordinances and orders. Closed businesses, disrupted supply chains, reduced production, rescheduled timelines and cancelled contracts have resulted in a total breakdown in the organised sector resulting in unprecedented economic losses. In the unorganised sector, the impact of the pandemic has been even more catastrophic. While the former had some legal recourse, the latter did not. From an economic perspective, the full picture of the epidemic’s consequences is yet to be seen. We can only have a bare idea of the entire picture now. It is being said that in India, the infection curve will take some more time to flatten. But the good news is that the recovery rate has improved to a great extent and testing has also gone up. Even then, as I write this article today, the COVID-19 data of the country shows a total of 43,74,314 (out of 2,77,71,984 cases in the world) confirmed cases with active cases being more than 9 lakhs and close to 74,000 people already dead (out of 9,02,550 global deaths). India has moved to the second position in total cases (after the US) and the third position in number of deaths (after the US and Brazil). The vaccine, hopefully, is just round the corner. Tackling the pandemic – the Legislative Umbrella How well a country combats a pandemic situation largely depends on the existing laws and regulations of the land. The following is a glimpse of the extant Indian laws in this regard. The Disaster Management Act of 2005 provides for effective management of disasters and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto. Under the Act, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) was set up under the leadership of the Prime Minister, and the National Executive Committee (NEA) was chaired by the Home Secretary. On 24th March 2020, the NDMA and NEA issued orders directing the Union Ministries, State governments and authorities to take effective measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. They also issued guidelines laying down which establishments/services would be closed and which would continue during the lockdown period. Another Act that gained importance under the situation was the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897. Under this Act, special powers have been given to the State governments to take special measures and prescribe regulations when it considers necessary. Under this Act, the State governments in India issued further directions. In some parts of the country even Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code was invoked to prohibit gatherings in public places. Despite the existence of the above two Acts, the question remains as to whether these were sufficiently equipped to handle a pandemic of this gigantic nature. While the Disaster Management Act has allowed the Central Government to continuously direct the States, the almost a century and a quarter old extremely outdated Epidemic Diseases Act revealed its inadequacy to deal with a 21st century pandemic. There were many services and areas outside the ambit of this legislation, for which Central Government had to pass orders in piecemeal from time to time. The section 188 of Indian Penal Code deals with disobedience with orders promulgated by a public servant. During the lockdown imposed by the government, there were many situations when people disobeyed such orders. But in order to take action in such cases against the defaulter, there has to be a private complaint by a public servant against him and not through a First Information Report (FIR) registered by the police. This largely frustrated the main objectives of the lockdown. In sharp contrast to this, some countries have dealt with the pandemic by enacting laws. For example, the United Kingdom enacted the Coronavirus Act, 2020, a comprehensive legislation to deal with various issues related to COVID-19 like emergency registration of healthcare professionals, temporary closure of educational institutions, audio-visual facilities for criminal proceedings, powers to restrict gatherings, and last but not the least, financial assistance to industry. Singapore has similarly enacted the Infectious Diseases Regulations, 2020, providing for issuance of orders to send people at risk to government-specified accommodation facilities. These legislations set out legally binding obligations and strict penalty which included hefty fine and even imprisonment in some cases. Compared to these, the fine mentioned in Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code for similar violations is a meager amount resulting in violators ignoring many provisions. In India, not only is there a lack of a COVID-19-specific legislation, the notifications and circulars in bits and pieces have also been very confusing and difficult to keep up with. Rule making has essentially been reactive and not pro-active. Some sectors and sections were extremely mismanaged, an example may be cited of the migrant workers and their plight in the absence of a proper rehabilitation and transportation plan for them after the lockdown was suddenly announced and their work places shut down without a notice leaving them without work and money. There has been extreme lack of co-ordination between the Union and State governments in this regard. However, thanks to some NGOs and individuals who came forward to help, after a lot of trouble, the migrant workers were able to return home. But the overall initiative of the government has still been meager. And as of now, there is no clarity about the roadmap to economic recovery post COVID. What was ideally required from the government’s side in such a catastrophic situation was promulgating ordinances to deal with the emergent situation. Such ordinances could have paved the way for centre-state cooperation to deal with the pandemic and to revive the economic, education and public health sectors. The legislative role of the government has been extremely discouraging in the situation. Chronology of events In order to take the discussion further, let us first have a look at the outbreak of the pandemic and the resultant steps taken by the government chronologically. Originating from Wuhan in China in December 2019 (and coming to public knowledge largely in January 2020), the coronavirus pandemic spread like a wild fire across the globe, soon surpassing the 2002/2003 SARS-crisis in magnitude and impact. It soon came to be compared with the Spanish Flu of 1918. While initially lockdowns were imposed only in some parts of the China, as the virus spread beyond the country’s borders, the government of other countries too started imposing nationwide lockdown soon. To fight the COVID-19, the government of India initially imposed a countrywide lockdown for 21 days starting from March 25th, 2020 and ending on May 14th, 2020. The same were implemented through executive orders, and were accompanied by guidelines under the Disaster Management Act. Only essential services related to security, government utilities, food, medical supplies, municipal cleaning, hospitals, police etc. were permitted to continue operations, sometimes in lower capacity. Even transport was stopped and inter-state and district borders were sealed. All citizens, not engaged in the above ‘allowed’ activities, were strictly directed to stay at home and observe social distancing. Any violation amounted to a criminally offence. Testing facilities were started, strict quarantine rules implemented and contact tracing were employed to detect and prevent further transmission of the virus. The state governments also issued guidelines and implemented measures under the Epidemic Diseases Act of 1897 to further enforce the strict lockdown measures. These included measures for testing, quarantine, social isolation of affected persons, sealing of containment zones etc. The sudden lockdown, without a pre-planned and executed migration programme for migrant workers resulted in a big chaos. The lockdown resulted in sudden closure of all factories and transport. Migrant workers who depend on daily earnings for survival, were left with no work, no shelter in many cases and no money. Being away from their villages added to all the pain as they had no one to seek help from in the situation. Left with no other option, millions of migrant workers were forced to start their journey of hundreds of miles back home with their family including kids, on foot. Many met with accidents on the way and many others also died due to ill health and malnutrition. Many were put in temporary jails for violation of lockdown orders. Many others also faced the inhuman act of being sprayed with disinfectants at various state check posts. The central government finally issued an order dated 29th March 2020 under the Disaster Management Act, 2005 directing the state governments to provide food and shelter to the migrant workers. In reality however this was mainly done by NGOs and some individuals instead. A petition to pay minimum wages to the migrant workers was filed with the Supreme Court wherein the apex court directed the central government to take necessary steps to resolve the issues raised in the petition. Nothing was done in this regard as well. Under the Vande Bharat Mission the government arranged special flights to bring back to India many Indian tourists, businessmen, employees and students stranded abroad and all was done at the government’s expense. This step of the government won accolades from many. There was no such special arrangement for the migrant workers unfortunately. In many places the revolts of migrant workers were quelled by police action. Finally, just before the lockdown was partially lifted, the government arranged for special trains for migrant workers to return home. Then again initially the workers were made to pay for the train fare; the issue was resolved later when the government declared that the expenses would be borne by it. Then came the next problem, many states cancelled the trains. All these led to a lot of debate on the violation of the constitutional right to equality, the right to life and to move freely throughout India of the migrant workers. A petition was filed at the Supreme Court to which the latter directed the government to make necessary directions. After the four lockdown phases during which more or less all commercial establishments and businesses were closed, the Unlock phases were introduced from 1st June. The Unlock phases represented the gradual opening of the economy with more and more relaxations being given at successive phases. The dates of the phase-wise lockdown in India were as follows: Phase I (25th March to 14th April 2020), Phase II (15th April to 3rd May 2020), Phase III (4th May to 17th May 2020) and Phase IV (18th May to 31st May 2020). The dates of the Unlock phases are as follows: Unlock 1 (1st June to 30th June 2020), Unlock 2 (1st July to 31st July 2020), Unlock 3 (1st August to 31st August 2020) and Unlock 4 (1st September to 30th September 2020). And on the date of writing this article, the country is in Unlock phase 4. Economic and Legal impact The following is a detailed account of the economic and legal impact of the COVID-19 pandemic globally with special emphasis on the country: The impact of COVID-19 on domestic and international businesses has been severe. While most sectors have been negatively hit in some way or the other some sectors like transport, aviation, tourism, restaurants and hospitality, fashion and beauty products, sports and entertainment have been particularly the worst affected ones. A huge number of companies with production facilities in China closed their offices there. Many foreign companies procuring raw materials or parts from China have had to face disruption of supply chain thereby affecting the production in their home countries. Due to closure of factories and business the production and sales in first quarter of 2020-21 largely suffered across most industries globally. There were many legal issues arising from the pandemic like termination of employment, non-payment or short payment of salaries and wages, insurance coverage of loss in travel bookings due to the pandemic, losses due to disruption of supply chain, non-performance of contract and so on. As a result, the keywords, often included in agreements and contracts, ‘Acts of God’ and ‘Force Majeure’ gained all the more importance. The ‘Force Majeure’ clause or the term ‘Act of God’ included in contracts and supply agreements are meant to govern the cases of default in performance which are not intentional on the part of the party to the contract but is due to circumstances or events that are beyond the control of the contracting parties. Examples of such events are natural disasters like cyclones, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions etc. or political unrests, wars, terrorist attacks, strikes etc. Legal consequence of a ‘Force Majeure’ clause in a contract is that it gives the affected party a right to delay or suspend, or altogether cancel the performance of the contract which is beyond his capacity. Such clause also provide for obligations and requirements, which must be observed by the other contracting party not directly affected by the clause. Generally the other party is obliged to limit damages receivable by him due to non-performance or delayed performance of the contract. Now that we know what ‘Act of God’ or ‘Force Majeure’ clause means, the next question that arises under the current scenario is whether the COVID-19 pandemic can be regarded as a Force Majeure. This will largely depend upon the respective agreement and the exact scenario of implementation of the contract. Under the current situation not every type of performance of contract is impossible. The impossibility of the performance has to be judged with respect to the obligation of the parties and the circumstances where they are operating and whether the same is actually making the performance of the contract not possible or the same is getting delayed. Willful avoidance of performance must be ruled out before applying this clause. In a situation where there is no ‘Force Majeure’ clause included in the contract, the latter shall be subjected to the statutory provisions of the country in this regard like temporary impossibility, frustration of contract etc where the court will look into the facts of the case to decide whether the default on the part of one of the parties is willful or unintentional before granting relief. It is important to note that some countries like China have qualified COVID-19 pandemic as a Force Majeure and allowed contracting parties to use the same as a valid reason for non-performance etc. in court proceedings. Hence, for companies having plants and operations in China and now facing damage claims from the contracting partners, it is possible to claim that delay in performance or lack of performance is due to production disruptions attributable to the pandemic. Parties to the contract may opt for re-negotiation of price and terms of the contract. Now coming to the provisions of the Indian Contract Act, 1872, one may note that the word 'force majeure' is absent in the Act. However, Section 56 of the Act, allows for temporary discharge of obligations on grounds of impossibility of performance of the contract due to any event or circumstances totally outside the control of the parties to the agreement. The mandatory pre-conditions for invoking this clause are the following: (i) existence of a valid contract between the parties; (ii) the contract is yet to be performed; (c) the contract was good when it was entered but later it became impossible to perform due to a fact or law. Once the above conditions have been proved, if the period of force majeure continues for long, the court may allow the parties to terminate the contract also. In this context one may also note that the Ministry of Finance, Government of India vide its office memorandum dated 19th February 2020 has clarified in respect of the Manual for Procurement of Goods, 2017 that in the event of any disruption in the supply chains due to spread of coronavirus in China or any other country, such situation will be considered as a natural calamity and Force Majeure clause may be invoked. It may be noted that the Manual is issued by the Ministry of Finance for various Ministries or Departments which have been delegated powers to make their own arrangements for procurement of goods under the Delegation of Financial Power Rules, which have to be exercised in conformity with the 'Procurement Guidelines'. A similar office memorandum was issued by the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy with respect to 'solar project developers' on 20th March 2020. It declared that companies/parties missing contractual obligation deadlines due to COVID-19, may invoke the force majeure clause to avoid any financial penalties. Taking account of the current pandemic situation and the difficulties faced by litigants in filing petitions, appeals or applications for other legal remedies, the Supreme Court of India has invoked its plenary powers under Article 142 of the Constitution to extend the 'limitation period' in all these cases under the Limitation Act, 1963 by an indefinite time until further orders in this regard. The Ministry of Corporate Affairs has issued a number of notifications under the Companies Act, 2013, most of which seek to provide relaxations on timely compliances like holding of meetings, filing of returns etc. The holding of board meetings and general meetings via video-conferencing has been allowed and the time gap for ensuring compliances has also been increased. Additional fees required in case of late filing of forms and returns in many cases have been relaxed. Time limit for filing of certain important forms has also been increased. Similarly the Finance Ministry has issued many relaxations to people in respect of filing of returns, residency and other reliefs. Legal challenges during COVID-19 There have been a number of legal hurdles and questions confronting the nation during the pandemic. The following are some of them: The introduction of Aarogya Setu for all persons employed in workplaces was largely debated. It was said to be a privacy invasive technology employed to create lists of persons suspected to be infected with COVID-19. Drones were also said to be deployed to monitor compliance by quarantined individuals. In this regard one may note that in the Puttaswamy (Privacy) judgment of 2017, it was held that to validly introduce an action that restricts privacy of the people the State had to show the presence of the following in a case: i) restrictions sanctioned by law; ii) restrictions made pursuant to a legitimate state aim; iii) there is a rational relationship between the purpose and the restriction; and iv) it is the least restrictive measure available to achieve the objective. Further, the Puttaswamy (Aadhar) judgment of 2018 had also mandated that there should be a data protection law. It was contended that all of these were absent in the Aarogya Setu App. In a petition filed with the Supreme Court regarding the lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) of health care workers (HCWs), the apex court directed the Government to provide PPEs to HCWs, but it did not provide for any compliance monitoring system for the same to check whether the orders were being complied with. Way back in 1989, the Supreme Court had ruled in the case of Parmanand Katara vs Union of India in a writ petition filed by him that a person should not be deprived of treatment merely because he does not have the means to pay for it. During the current pandemic a similar concern arose when private hospitals were refusing admission to COVID-19 patients. A writ petition was filed to this effect and the SC directed the private hospitals to admit COVID-19 patients. In addition under the Disaster Management Act, 2005 the SC also directed hospitals not to turn away patients just because they cannot pay for the treatment. Long Term Impact in various sectors of the economy The COVID 19 impact on the economy is not just temporary; many businesses will have a long term impact. Certain sectors of the economy will take a substantial time to rise up again to the pre-pandemic normal. While most of the impacts have been negative, some good things have also happened during the pandemic and going forward business houses are likely to incorporate these learnings in their strategy and be better prepared for a future mishap like this. Many sectors have been extremely affected, and these include Tourism and Allied sector, Hospitality, Restaurants, Education, Media and Entertainment, Sports, Real Estate, Fashion and Accessories, Cosmetics, and so on. The service sector has also been badly hit. As of April 2020, 40 million people employed in the unorganized sector and those doing semi-skilled jobs have lost their employment as per an MRD report. The businesses will have to adapt to the new normal and the same is bound to have profound impact on the way business is conducted and revenue is generated. Offices will probably not be operated at full capacity anytime soon and ‘work from home’ options will be more openly offered and accepted now, which again is a good option for those staying in remote places, working mothers, pregnant women, persons temporarily ill, differently-abled persons and senior citizens on re-employment. Another positive side of the pandemic experience is that it will have a long-term impact on the drafting of contracts and agreements in future. Sales and revenue planning will also be done with these extraordinary situations in mind. Post COVID-19 Having discussed the current scenario at length, we are in a position to draw some inferences about the new normal after the pandemic. However, saying anything conclusively will be very difficult at the moment as we all are still very much uncertain about the future course of the pandemic (as to how long it will stay, whether it will resurge or not, when will the vaccine be discovered and so on) and the government roadmap for economic revival is yet to be made public. However, the following are some of the basic assumptions that can be made about the near future as to the Post COVID life. There has been a paradigm shift towards digitalization and the same is here to stay. Many businesses have discovered that surviving on e-platform is not that difficult after all. Examples are consulting businesses, professionals like lawyers, educational institutes, performers and so on. ‘Normal’ is now of two different types, the old normal and the new normal. The old normal is the ‘normal’ normal, to which none of us can probably ever return. The new normal will incorporate the elements of extreme precautions and health concerns. Shops, offices, schools, malls, hotels, restaurants and parlours will gradually open their doors (some already have) and each of them put a lot of efforts to ensure that they survive and get back their old clients. Restaurants will bring in the concept of cloud kitchens. E-concerts and other e-events will be the ‘in thing’, at least for a while, and there will be innovative ways to make them popular. Live performances may be replaced by the performer live streaming on YouTube or Instagram. This has happened during the period of lockdown and Unlock phases, and has been liked to a large extent by people. Hence, this system is probably here to stay. Gathering at the movie theatres for the first day first show may as well be a thing of the past as well as all types of movies will probably be released on streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+ Hotstar etc. as people will be apprehensive about going to movie theatres. Film producers will find a new way of earning revenues from movies. Business in physical mode is a thing of the past. Apps of every kind will be the new mantra for the new world. There will be increased reliance and emphasis on automation going forward. Transport will remain a major challenge but two-wheelers will be back in demand. A lot of jobs will be lost as digitization becomes the rule of the day. Gatherings will no longer be looked forward to. Live events and event management business are going to be very badly hit in the days to come as regulations will not permit large gatherings. Big sporting events may be played in empty stadiums and live-streamed to TV and mobile audience. It is not difficult to imagine the spectator galleries being replaced by huge screens showing fans and viewers watching the game sitting on their couches at home. Supply chains will need to be re-established, restored and repaired. Contracts would require renegotiation at all levels considering the economic disruption caused by the pandemic. Labourers will probably try to find employment within the state now. This will result in a shortage of labourers in many industries. There will be more surveillance system in place along with strict mobility tracking of people. A lot of innovation including but not limited to less-touch and less-interface will be required for the travel and tourism industry in order to bring it close to the pre-COVID-19 normal. Board Meetings, Committee Meetings and other conferences will probably continue to be organized via video-conferencing. Businesses as well as people have learnt to appreciate the fact that video conferencing saves a lot of cost. Pre-COVID the structure of offices were people in the front end and machines in the back end. In the post-COVID era, the opposite is going to happen with machines in the front end and people in the back end. More and more zero-touch interfaces will be developed by businesses going forward. Conclusion The impact of the pandemic is here to stay for some time, so is the knowledge acquired during this time. We are still in the middle of the pandemic and it is difficult to say yet as to when things will start getting back to normal. But at least, it is important for us to stay positive, focused on revival strategies and keep doing the best in our respective areas of work. Once the COVID-19 pandemic is over, things will gradually return to equilibrium after some time. Probably like a nightmare we are going to forget this dark period of modern history soon enough thereafter. But the need of the hour, as of now, is a COVID-19 vaccine, to start with, and then fail-proof strategies for economic revival of the country. This should be accompanied by stringent legal directions that on the one hand make people abide by the law for the sake of health and safety, and on the other hand encourage business organizations to carry on their operations hassle-free, without worrying about compliances that could not be made due to the extraordinary situations and not intentionally avoided. Businesses that can come up with innovative solutions to survive now, will remain in operation. For products and brands it is important to stay focused and continue to maintain its visual presence in front of its customers through social messages, innovations, charity etc. Going forward, staying in touch would ideally come with pre-conditions of ‘social distancing’ and human touch would probably lose its sheen forever. The challenge is to survive this paradigm shift.

8 September, 2020, Kolkata: “Dance is my pran, atman and soul. I loved both part of my life - being a dancer and a bureaucrat. I entered the world of dancing when I was barely three-year-old and before my formal education. There is a framed lehenga of mine at home which shows how small I was when I was initiated into dancing,” said kathak guru Padma Shri, Shovana Narayan, while connecting with a cross-section of audience across India through a session of Ek Mulakat presented by Shree Cement and organized by Prabha Khaitan Foundation. Shovana was responding to a question from kathak exponent and conversationalist Shinjini Kulkarni of Ehsaas Women - “How did you manage to become a dancer and a bureaucrat?” Shovana, a woman of stupendous achievements, is a kathak guru, choreographer, former bureaucrat, author and a researcher. Belonging to the guru-shishya parampara (tradition), Shovana believes in expanding the boundaries of kathak through cross-cultural experimentation and innovation in dance styles while rooted to kathak’s ancient Indian tradition. Prabha Khaitan Foundation showcases India's rich cultural legacy through various initiatives in India and abroad. Ek Mulakat is an exclusive initiative that allows patrons to rendezvous with legends and stalwarts from various walks of life like Shovana Narayan. It was an honour to host her and we look forward to more such enriching sessions,” said Manisha Jain, Branding & Communication Chief, Prabha Khaitan Foundation. Shovana Narayan has popularised kathak in international fora by weaving dance and philosophy in her craft. She has successfully choreographed many international collaborative works with kathak and Western classical dance, Flamenco, tap dance, Buddhist chants and so on. In 2003, she choreographed the opening and closing ceremonies of Abilympics. Shovana has won over 37 national and international awards including Padma Shri, Sangeet Natak Akademi award, Japan’s OISCA Award, Bihar Gaurav Award and so on. Shovana started learning kathak as a child in Calcutta under the tutelage of Sadhana Bose, then she moved on to Bombay and continued under guru Kundanlal ji Sisodia of the Jaipur Gharana and later she moved to Delhi under Pandit Birju Maharaj. “I will never forget my indebtedness to Guru ji Birju Maharaj who announced my performance prior to his own performance at the Sapru House in Delhi. That was the kind of launching pad I got for my first stage performance,” she said. Reflecting on her research on kathak, its antiquity, and “kathak villages”, Shovana recounted that about 17 years ago she was in Bodh Gaya for a performance and came to know about villages known as “kathak villages” for the first time from a journalist. “I found two or three such villages and later, along with an IAS colleague of mine, we started on our journey to discover these “kathak villages” and went from village to village, met people and gathered records and official documents and started delving deeper,” she said. Sharing her findings on how ancient kathak was, Shovana said, “An epigraph from Kameshwar archive in Mithila has been confirmed by epigraphists to date back to the Mauryan period which is BC. The inscription in prakrit and brahmi lipi clearly mentions kathak as devotional dancing and mentions the region around Varanasi.” “The kathak dance we see today is very different from the kathak community. The sculptures depicting dance forms in today’s standing temples, at best, go back to about a 1000 to 1100 years. So where are the temples and sculptures of the Gupta and Mauryan period which were so rich in architecture and sculptures! We don’t look into the small museums and archives of India which is the haven of information. That is where we have to see and find continuity in the form and stance of the kathak dance,” Shovana said. “I believed in myself and have never deviated from kathak, I was true to my kathak tradition just like the Western classical dancers were to their’s. So what did we do? We just found commonality in terms of poems, moods and even movements but the emphasis, the field and flow, as in the approach, tenor and flavour is different. I am careful about using the term fusion which means I lose my identity to merge myself into something. No, I keep my identity, so do they, and it is a beautiful collage of patterns and rhythmic dimensions,” she said Ek Mulakat series of webinars have connected artistes, achievers, cultural aficionados, thinkers and authors with people across India and other continents.

Sesto Fiorentino, 2 September 2020 – Richard Ginori, since 1735 the maximum expression of Italian excellence in the high-quality artistic creation of pure porcelain, takes a new step forward in its digital growth, opening its own official account on WeChat, the most important and widely used Chinese multi-function platform in the world, used for chatting, browsing, buying and paying online, with a monthly base of more than 1 billion active users and a penetration exceeding 93% of the population in the biggest cities of the country. The Official Richard Ginori Service Account on WeChat provides users with a unique touch experience, thanks to the innovative functionalities and the efficiency of a multi-function social communication platform. Through its Account, Richard Ginori can, in fact, send weekly push messages to users in the form of articles, with clickable content, animations and internal and external links to WeChat. The Account also features a series of APIs (Application Programming Interfaces, i.e. app that simplify the dialogue between one application and another, ed.) that allow Richard Ginori to integrate greater functionalities, including user analyses, loyalty initiatives, social CRM and e-commerce. Users can also comment on the content published and chat with the Company. Finally, an automatic bot system can redirect users according to their different needs, such as to lists of locations where to find Richard Ginori products in China, brand and product information and much more. The account will allow all fans of the Maison to stay in touch with the latest products by Richard Ginori, wherever they are, in real time, allowing the brand to increase its brand awareness and engagement with Chinese consumers. Thanks to this tool, Richard Ginori further reinforces its competitiveness in the Chinese luxury market that, according to estimates, will have a total value of approximately 160 billion euros in 2025, with internal demand that will account for 50% of worldwide demand, and online sales of approximately 19 billion euros1. The opening of the new Account is an integral part of the digitalisation and internationalization strategy of Richard Ginori, with the goal of approaching a younger and connected audience, desirous of alternative interactions with top brands.

(Washington, DC) – Destination DC (DDC), the official destination marketing organization for Washington, DC, today announced that pre-COVID-19, the nation’s capital welcomed 24.6 million total visitors, with 22.8 million domestic visitors (up 4.1 percent), and 1.8 million overseas visitors (down 7.9 percent). (Sources: MMGY Travel Intelligence, Travel Market Insights, National Travel & Tourism Office, U.S. Department of Commerce). According to 2019 data from IHS Markit, visitation supported 78,266 jobs across all sectors in Washington, DC, up 2.3 percent from 2018. Tourism also generated $8.2 billion in visitor spending and $896 million in local tax revenue to the District. Elliott L. Ferguson, II, president and CEO of DDC, addressed approximately 1,000 attendees virtually at the organization’s annual Marketing Outlook Meeting. He also shared data from Tourism Economics that projects approximately 11 million domestic visitors, down 53 percent,will travel to the city in 2020. However, if a vaccine is available early next year, and if the recession does not deepen in a significant way, that estimate could rise to 20 million by 2022.By comparison, it took the travel industry 10 years to recover following 9/11. “We set the bar high with 10 consecutive years of growth before the pandemic changed things for us, and as we can expect, this year won’t look good,” said Ferguson. “The key for us will be securing funds to market our destination when the time is right, adapting our sales efforts virtually and focusing on the safety measures the city and industry have adopted to keep visitor safety in mind.” Mayor Muriel Bowser spoke about the importance of tourism to the local economy. “We know that Washingtonians are resilient, and so is our culture and our community. Together, we will bring our tourism and hospitality industries back and better than before,” said Mayor Bowser. “As we continue through our pandemic response and recovery, we remain focused on supporting the local businesses that represent the livelihoods and dreams of Washingtonians. And with Destination DC’s help, and when the time is right, we are ready to remind everyone that DC is still a city with something for everyone – whether you’re here to live, work or play.” Data from MMGY Global shows that consumers view their personal cars as a safer mode of transportation than travel by air or train. Once advertising resumes, DCC will prioritize the drive market, comprised of more than 50 million people within a four-hour radius, through its Discover the Real DC marketing campaign. The Stay Local DC campaign will target locals in the region, a key market in destination recovery. Shifts in messaging prioritize safety, proximity and masks. Editorial outreach and content are key, especially until advertising is in place, and DDC’s website, washington.org, is undergoing a redesign that will launch at the end of the year. The new site will feature captivating video and photography contenttobetter engage consumersand ultimately inspirevisitation. Currently, users can find the latest travel status updates and safety measures, what’s open and closed, virtual events and ways to support local businesses on  washington.org. COVID-19 has greatly impacted tourism spending. According to Tourism Economics, visitor spending was down 83 percent, or $5.6 billion, for March 8-Aug. 22, 2020 compared to 2019. When it comes to large-scale events and groups booked by DDC, there have been 42 cancellations to date, resulting in a $422 million total loss, not including in-hotel meetings and leisure groups. Thirty-fivemajor events would have taken place in 2020, resulting in a loss of $369 million, and seven events in2021, valued at $53 million.However, during the pandemic,DDC has booked five citywide meetings, including Delta Sigma Theta sorority’s57th national convention in 2025 with an estimated economic impact of $14.5 million. The team is positioning DC to attract combination virtual and in-person events in addition to being a connected city that provides access to local innovators and global leaders. In 2019, DC’s top 10 overseas markets, in order of visitation, are China, UK, India, Germany, South Korea, France, Australia, Italy, Brazil and Spain. Though overseas visitors only represent 7 percent of the total number of visitors to DC, international visitors [overseas visitors plus visitors from Canada and Mexico] represented 27 percent of visitor spending for 2019. According to Tourism Economics, overseas visitation is not expected to fully rebound until 2024. During the down period for international travel, the tourism team has launched a virtual travel agent training program that provides education for group operators to sell DC. The program has trained more than 570 people from 40 countries. There are new tourism opportunities ahead, in addition to DC’s reopened restaurants, hotels, attractions and museums. On June 5, Mayor Bowser created Black Lives Matter Plaza. DC welcomes a newborn baby panda at the Smithsonian National Zoo on Aug. 21. MLK Libraryreopens Sept. 14 after a three-and-a-half-year renovation. DC Jazz Fest is virtual from Sept. 24-28. Planet Word, dedicated to language arts, opens Oct. 22. Three new memorials are expected, the National Native American Veterans Memorial on Veterans Day, the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial on Sept. 17 and the National World War I Memorial park in December. The city will also welcome new brands in the coming months including Viceroy, YOTEL, CitizenM and the city’s first Tribute Portfolio hotel from Marriott International, The Ven at Embassy Row, as well as new hotels AC Hotel Convention Center and Cambria Hotel Capital Riverfront. In 2021,arts and culture milestones include the 175th anniversary of the Smithsonian; the 125th anniversary of the DC Public Library system; the 100th anniversary of The Phillips Collection; the 50th anniversary of the Kennedy Center, 50th anniversary of Amtrakand the 40th anniversary of the National Building Museum. Preparations are also underway for Inauguration on Jan. 20, 2021.

A B to B Network operating a digital portal that connects luxury travel buyers to verified sellers in Japan New Delhi, 25th August 2020: India’s leading luxury hotel sales representation company – One Rep Global is delighted to announce its appointment as the India partner for Bear Luxe Japan to represent them in the outbound tourism sector of the Indian market. Bear Luxe Japan, a Japan specific B2B networking operating a concierge service and an industry-first digital portal that connects a global network of luxury travel designers specializing in travel to Japan with leading luxury travel suppliers. A member’s only platform, Bear Luxe Japan provides access to services and amenities of leading Japanese agents who have been verified to provide bespoke travel programs and offer the most spectacular travel experiences by way of showcasing authentic insights and contributing to the experience of Japanese culture and traditions. Designed and created in response to international buyers’ difficulty in communicating with independent Japanese suppliers, add to which was the ambiguity and absence of a standard payment and commission system, the portal bridges the gap by offering a one-stop window for accommodation, transportation, custom experiences, negotiations, reservations and payments. Along with providing a comprehensive access to a host of services, the goal is to contribute to the creation of meaningful luxury travel experiences that in turn support the further development of Japanese culture and tradition and sustain local industries. According to reports, the government of Japan expects Indian tourist footfall in Japan to reach 40 million by 2020. Ryoji Noda, consul general of Japan in Mumbai, said the Land of The Rising Sun has a lot to offer on its tourist landscape. Bear Luxe Japan co-founder and COO Hiroyuki Miyatake said, “India is a land of opportunity! Partnering with One Rep Global increases our visibility in the Indian market and to the Indian consumers and we look forward to welcoming them in the near future.” Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Hemant Mediratta, the founder of One Rep Global said, “Post Covid 19, people will be more encouraged to take fewer, more immersive trips as opposed to travelling multiple times a year. Their emphasis will be on experiential travel and their choice of hotels will follow suit. To that end, our partnership with Bear Luxe Japan is tremendous as it will open up the doors to many experiential hotels and destinations in Japan for the Indian consumer. ” One Rep Global is responsible for sales and marketing initiatives for Bear Luxe Japan and will be showcasing its unique services and offerings to the luxury travel trade, corporate and MICE sectors and to the Indian media. One Rep Global is a sales and marketing organisation that offers a 360 degree approach and bespoke solutions to luxury hotels, travel, luxury lifestyle and wellness brands. It is known to be a one stop solution across multiple disciplines offering sales and marketing representation, creative studio and digital, public relations and consulting. The company is driven by a team of luxury hoteliers and seasoned professionals to offer partners their expertise in innovation, creativity and technology and offers solutions across India and the Middle East for some of the most prestigious hospitality, travel and lifestyle brands.

Mumbai, September 1, 2020: The pent-up travel demand due to the lockdown has resulted in a new-found interest in Destination India. Consumers are moving away from crowds/traditional tourist spots while seeking to discover India’s untold stories and traveller secrets. And to tap into this demand for non-standard/unique journeys, Thomas Cook India, India’s leading integrated travel services company and its Group Company, SOTC Travel, have introduced India’s Hidden Gems. Starting at an attractive price of Rs. 11 500.00*, the holidays include accommodation for 2 nights/3 days at 4-5 star hotels or delightful boutique properties, breakfast and an additional dining experience, unique sightseeing, private transport and travel insurance. Bringing to life nuggets of India’s fascinating history-heritage, spectacular scenic beauty and unparalleled travel experiences, Thomas Cook India and SOTC’s Hidden Gems incorporates a handpicked selection of Exquisite Locales: from Khajuraho, Rishikesh, Udaipur, Munnar, Jawai Sagar, Manali, Coorg, Kollam, Thekkady, Pachmarhi, Kabini, Bandhavgarh, Lalsot and Goa, amongst others. Exceptional Experiences: An array of exciting traveller secrets have been woven into each journey, including a jeep safari amidst the lush plantations of Kolukkumalai, Munnar - the highest tea estate in the Western Ghats, a royal 4-course dining experience set against an evening bonfire at the luxurious Amritara Pali Jawai Sagar, picturesque coffee & spice plantation tours in Coorg aboard a specially designed jeep, an exclusive, private, night drive and star gazing experience in a gypsy at Pachmarhi, a unique bush-dining experience in Bandhavgarh, a vintage car drive around Udaipur’s picturesque lake, mangrove walks in the Sundarbans biosphere or the heady adrenalin rush of bungee jumping in Rishikesh, etc. Mr. Rajeev Kale, President & Country Head – Holidays, MICE, Visa, Thomas Cook (India) Ltd. said, “Together with significant pent up travel demand, the lockdown has seen growing interest from Indians wanting to re-discover their own country, yet seeking non-standard experiences. And so, our teams have conceptualised Hidden Gems - holidays that offer unparalleled experiences at exquisite locations across India - at attractive prices starting at just Rs. 11 500.00*. Catering to a range of segments from families, couples, solo travellers to adventure seekers and wildlife enthusiasts, our Hidden Gems offers a well-deserved break, coupled with exceptional experiences that rejuvenate: be it bush-dining in Bandhavgarh, mangrove walks amidst the stark beauty of the Sundarbans or the thrill of bungee jumping in Rishikesh, etc.” He added, “Our Assured Program in partnership with Apollo Clinics ensures meticulous health & safety protocols across every touch-point and to further assist our customers, we have tied up with ICMR accredited labs to offer seamless end-to-end COVID-negative certification services with contactless facilitation – across India. Our Safe Holiday Helpline is yet another meaningful consumer initiative - a free service to support customers in safe holiday planning. With our zero cancellation, flexible rescheduling and our guaranteed refund promise, we want to ensure that all our customers travel smooth.” Mr. Daniel D’souza, President and Country Head, Leisure, SOTC Travel said, “The choice of destination and the experiences offered inspires travel decisions across all age groups, especially among millennials. From exploring the local cuisine, to finding offbeat experiences at every destination, Indian travellers wish to explore the unknown. Given the current situation and in order to satisfy their desire for immersive experiences, SOTC has designed unique domestic experiences that highlight this trend of experiential travel. These include incorporating workshops, wellness experiences, culturally immersive activities, food and drink experiences, outdoor activities and more.” He added, “As health and safety is a key concern, all our holidays come with ‘Assured’ - a comprehensive program to safe travel in the COVID-19 era in partnership with Apollo Clinics. To further assist our customers, we have launched India’s first Safe Holiday Helpline, a free service to the public - offering expert guidance & assistance for safe holiday planning, visa assistance, country specific updates, on-ground health and safety measures, travel documentation, health certification, etc. and have also tied up with ICMR accredited labs to offer seamless end-to-end COVID-negative certification services with contactless facilitation – across India.” For details on Thomas Cook India’s Hidden Gems Holidays click here

Air pollution poses a significant risk to health. It kills about 7 million people per year and is responsible for one third of all stroke, lung cancer and heart attack deaths. More than 90 per cent of the world's population lives in areas where the WHO standards for outdoor air quality are not met, and about two-thirds of this pollution is caused by fossil fuel burning, which also drives climate change. Efforts to regulate COVID-19 transmission have decreased economic activity and, in some regions, resulted in temporary improvements in air quality. By comparison, since carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses that drive climate change remain in the environment for a long time, temporary emission reductions have only a small impact on atmospheric concentrations. In the first months of 2020, carbon dioxide concentrations at observation stations around the world were higher than in 2019. Environmental gains resulting from the COVID-19 response may be reversed by a rapid expansion of polluting economic activities once the steps are finished, unless a strong emphasis is put on fostering fairness, environmental health, and a just transition to a green economy.Any short-term environmental benefits arising from COVID-19 would result in unsustainable human and economic costs. And they are no substitute for expected, sustained air quality and climate action.

An Adept Course For Hoteliers and Restauranteurs Bengaluru, 31st AUGUST, 2020: Skill India today announced the launch of its specialized program “Food Safety And Sanitization” program that equips hoteliers and restauranteurs adapt to the new norms of food handling in the current times. Skill India or the National Skills Development Mission of India is a campaign launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2015. It is managed by the National Skills Development Corporation (NSDC) of India. Since its inception, Sector Skill Councils (SSCs) are one of NSDC’s significant pillars of strength, which play a vital role in bridging the gap between industry demand and the skill ecosystem. Playing an instrumental role, SSCs bring together all the stakeholders - industry, labour and academia together to ensure that the industry is furnished with skilled and efficient workforce. Through six extensive modules and assessments, food handlers gain an adept knowledge on heightened measures of food and safety hygiene required at hotels and restaurants. A one-of-its-kind certification, one gains an education on the art and science of food, the cause, prevention and spread of Corona Virus and the importance of personal hygiene in food production. A module wise assessment results in a certification, issued by Tourism & Hospitality Skill Council. Mr. Rajan Bahadur, CEO, Tourism & Hospitality Skill Council said, “Tourism & Hospitality Skill Council (THSC), as an Industry Body under the aegis of Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) is well-aligned to hand-hold & guide our workforce to embrace the new normal in these unprecedented times. The launch of this app is one of many significant steps in the direction of combating the situation & restrictions owing to the pandemic & creating a better awareness and preparedness to overcome health & safety concerns across our sector. The need of the hour is to inculcate and restore the trust, comfort and confidence of our guest to continue to use our facilities, and the best possible way to do this is through skilling our people right. We at THSC would like to thank our Knowledge Partners Conrad Bangalore and BCIC who have put in their heart and soul to create such a wonderful & empowering program keeping in line with our vision and mission.” Setting a new benchmark for the industry, Conrad Bengaluru, Exclusive Knowledge Partner to Skill India for this program, has paved the path with an Online Certificate Program in Food Safety & Sanitization on the guidelines of FSSAI for businesses during Covid-19 pandemic. Conrad Bengaluru, a leading luxury hotel and partner to Bangalore Chambers of Industry & Commerce is the knowledge partner in creation of multimedia content which is certified by THSC. Vidyashree C.V., Hygiene Manager at Conrad Bengaluru has been instrumental in designing the course material for this program. Possessing six years of experience, Vidya holds a degree in MSc Microbiology, she is Certified ISO 22000:2015 Lead Auditor(2017, Certified ISO 22000:2018 Internal Auditor and Food safety team leader for the hotel’s ISO system. Srijan Vadhera, General Manager, Conrad Bengaluru and Chairman – Tourism, Hospitality & Facility Expert Committee (Karnataka), Bangalore Chamber of Industry & Commerce (BCIC), said, “I am humbled to be a part of this initiative and to be able to contribute to the growth and wellbeing of the industry. With two decades of experience as a hospitality professional, I have had firsthand exposure to the criticality of appropriate food handling and the nuances that it brings along with it.” Also, a member of the Management Committee at BCIC for 2020-21 he added, “More than ever before, we need to understand the responsibility we carry when we serve millions of guests at our restaurants and hotels. At Conrad Bengaluru, we have a dedicated Hygiene Manager who ensures compliance, as the impact of mishandling procured items can be immense. It is my submission to industry colleagues to ensure that their teams are aware and comply with heightened safety and sanitization standards.” Speaking on the occasion, Mr. TR Parasuraman, Whole Time Director of Toyota Industries Engines Pvt Ltd. And President Bangalore Chamber of Industry & Commerce said, “I am very excited to be associated with Skill India through BCIC, a 43 year old chamber of leading industry honchos. This is the first big time Skill India and BCIC have brought synergies of working together after signing the MOU. I am confident that restaurant and hotel operators will see great value in the e-learning platform. Intended for upskilling the knowledge of food handlers, this is a unique program that offers a certified course, absolutely free of cost amidst a pandemic.” Offering a range of employment linked learning of vocational skills, the 6 hour online course will be offered over Android App powered by Learnet Skills Limited. Participants can complete the course and obtain certificates post successful completion of assessments absolutely free. This widely used platform enables employers and recruiters to identify potential hired by evaluating working skills and job readiness. For this reason, emphasis is laid upon evaluating the knowledge of applied skills gained through real work experience rather than theoretical knowledge. Steps to take the course: ● Type "Linq Skills" in Google Play Store ● Download the App ● Register with your email id and 10 digit mobile number ● Take the course under Hospitality ● Complete the course and Online Certificate will be generated

The 2nd edition of the International Conference, ICST 2020 was organised by TOURIOSITY on 21st and 22nd August 2020 (10am -7pm IST)after the tremendous success of the 1st edition of the conference held in kolkata in August 2019. There were 31 speakers from 20+ countries and hundreds of participants from more countries. The best part of the conference this year was the interdisciplinary and global approach of the Speakers. The theme this year was "Post COVID Global Economic Revival". There were a total of 12 Sessions with 6 Moderators chosen from amongst professionals by TOURIOSITY. Here some pictures:

The MoU will give us an opportunity to increase participation of women in the tourism sector and make them an integral part of the tourism workforce of the country - Tourism Minister In the presence of the Union Minister of State for Tourism (IC), Shri Prahlad Singh Patel, a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was virtually signed today by the Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) and FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO) with Ministry of Tourism for women empowerment.  Through this initiative FLO & TAAI would lay emphasis on personal and hospitality skills, a more flexible work balance and greater options for entrepreneurship with significantly lower capital. Speaking on the occasion Shri Prahlad Singh Patel said that women in our country are excelling in different fields. We have the best of women doctors, pilots, Scientists, businesswomen. Women have also excelled in various adventure related activities and sports like mountaineering, trekking, bicycling, etc. Today, women form an important component of our Armed Forces. And we are a nation where women have assumed positions of the Prime Minister and President of the country. Shri Patel further said that there is a need to organize and popularise training and skill development programmes targeting women, including those in rural and remote areas, make them aware of digital technologies and facilitate them to be part of decision making at the community level. Therefore, it becomes our moral responsibility to ensure that women in the travel and tourism sector are encouraged to come forward and participate in the development of tourism, which would not only benefit the sector, but would also help in their upliftment and empowerment. There are many areas in tourism where women can excel, like homestays, tourist facilitators, catering business and more. He expressed his happiness to see the work being done for the betterment of women by TAAI and the FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO), through their chapters across the country. The MoU signed today between the Ministry of Tourism, TAAI and FLO, will give us an opportunity to join hands and take initiatives right till the grass root level to increase participation of women in the tourism sector and make them an integral part of the tourism workforce of the country. The MoU marks the beginning of a new era of cooperation and synergy between the Ministry of Tourism, TAAI and FLO. The State Chapters of FLO and TAAI will create awareness, along with state tourism departments and state tourism corporations, to highlight the vital role, the tourism industry can play as a model for sustainable livelihood for women and ensure their economic upliftment.  This collaboration will help in initiating and engaging women at grassroot level, the middle level in semi urban, urban areas and the urban educated unemployed.  FLO and TAAI will be the facilitators in the process connecting women with the relevant stakeholders, undertake training in specific verticals for enhancing their livelihood opportunities, increasing their self-awareness as equal partners in the nation’s growth and working towards their economic empowerment. The Representatives took the pledge of DekhoApnaDesh to visit 15 destinations within the Country. The main components proposed under the initiativeare: (i)         Encourage travel to at least 15 destinations within the country under the DekhoApnaDesh initiative. This will be a mandate for FLO’s & TAAI’s membership base of over 8000 women and their family support systems. (ii)        Conduct community-based tourism activities around one Iconic Monument or Tourist Landmark in each state. Women will be the tour guides, run food stalls, souvenir stalls with their own arts & crafts, handle the overall accounts and running of the landmark. (iii)       FLO – TAAI chapters will raise awareness on Sustainable Tourism practices and focus on Tourism as a vital sustainable livelihood tool for women’s empowerment, by way of advocacy and awareness, educational workshops, seminars and panel discussions. (iv)       Tie up with training agencies for Tourism workshops for training women about concepts on food safety, health & hygiene, sanitation, environment, culinary skills and entrepreneurship skills. (v)        Women to be engaged and sensitised about the Atithidevo bhava motto through sensitisation workshops to be organised by NGOs, some implementing agencies, travel industry associations etc. (vi)       Create community-driven and women-led initiatives for rural and urban homestays to provide livelihood opportunities for women. (vii)      Create awareness about the Incredible India Tourist Facilitator (IITF) Certification Programme. The Ministry of Tourism would support the initiative by way of : Endorsement of FLO – TAAI Initiatives under this MoU Co-Branding with MoT logo presence Guidance & Interventions Facilitation through the right connects Posted On: 21 AUG 2020 4:12PM by PIB Delhi

New exhibition dates: 27th - 29th May 2021 – International trade fairs will offer a comprehensive exhibition and accompanying technical programme, covering the current topics of agricultural and horticultural solutions for the Asian markets (DLG). DLG International and VNU Asia Pacific are postponing AGRITECHNICA ASIA and Horti ASIA, which were scheduled to take place at BITEC, Bangkok, in October 2020. The uncertain travel entry regulations for Thailand have led organisers to the conclusion that it will not be possible to organise AGRITECHNICA ASIA and Horti ASIA in a form that is appropriate for such leading international trade fairs for exhibitors and visitors this year. The new dates for the exhibitions are 27th to 29th May 2021. This decision to postpone AGRITECHNICA ASIA and Horti ASIA has been taken in close coordination with the partners, exhibitors and visitors of both trade fairs. “Our decision to postpone both of the trade fairs was not taken lightly. In view of the continuing uncertainty surrounding the overall international travel situation and uncertain entry regulations for Thailand in the context of the coronavirus pandemic, however, we cannot foresee that it will be possible to conduct AGRITECHNICA ASIA and Horti ASIA in the usual form that is appropriate for exhibitors and visitors. The international nature of both exhibitions is precisely what makes the events an important international meeting point for experts and decision-makers,” says Bernd Koch, Managing Director of DLG International. “We are convinced that postponing AGRITECHNICA ASIA and Horti ASIA until May 2021 will enhance the reputation of both events, as leading international trade fairs for the Asian markets and will further ensure optimal planning and preparation for exhibitors and visitors alike. The decision was taken after extensive consultation with our key stakeholders with the end result being that the large majority preferred to postpone the exhibitions to May 2021,” adds Heiko M. Stutzinger, Managing Director of VNU Asia Pacific. AGRITECHNICA ASIA & Horti ASIA – Digital Connect In order to bridge the time until May, the organisers will offer a series of online sessions and product pitches starting from October 14th. Manufacturers, buyers and agricultural experts will be invited to experience and get connected with exhibitors via this new interactive online platform `AGRITECHNICA ASIA & Horti ASIA - Digital Connect´. Up-to-date information on the two trade fairs and the planned online platform can be found at: www.agritechnica-asia.com and www.horti-asia.com

BANGKOK - JAKARTA – August 13, 2020 – Over the past 10 years, VNU Asia Pacific (VNU AP) has been organizing the International Livestock, Dairy, Meat Processing and Aquaculture Exposition (ILDEX Indonesia) in collaboration with PT Permata Kreasi Media (PKM). As PKM transitions to a new business entity named PT Global Permata Perkasa (GPP), the group is working to develop a pilot project – Aquatica Asia. Aquatica Asia aims to strengthen the Aquaculture Industry and will launch alongside ILDEX Indonesia. It will take place on odd-numbered years beginning September 15-17, 2021 at the Indonesia Convention Exhibition (ICE) in Jakarta. During even-numbered years Aquatica Asia will co-locate with a local government show. Business Opportunities for the Aquaculture Sector Aquatica Asia will be a strategic step towards a dedicated business platform to improve the production of fisheries within the aquaculture industry. In past years, organizers have worked to include the aquaculture segment in ILDEX Indonesia, however, the new event will help to further highlight the industry for the existing show and industry professionals. “In 2020, Indonesia’s marine affairs and fisheries is one of the three main sectors contributing to the country’s economic development. The efforts done by the Indonesian Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries are the appropriate steps. These efforts include improvements of fisheries production and commodities that have been dominating both exports and local markets such as shrimps, seaweed, catfish, grouper, etc. Another part of the efforts was the initiative of GPP to run Aquatica Asia in 2018 with fishery stakeholders co-locating with Indo Aqua under the support of the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries of the Republic of Indonesia by Directorate General of Aquaculture” stated Panadda Kongma, Director of Agri-business and Operations of VNU Asia Pacific. “VNU-AP has gathered valuable insights on the entire agribusiness value chain in the region, and the two parties will further develop good relationships with regional key stakeholders”, said by GPP managing Director is Mr. Ir. Ruri Sarasono, MBA Full Coverage of the Livestock–Aquaculture Value Chain To maximize the customer’s return on investment, ILDEX Indonesia and Aquatica Asia will together present a full value chain of animal breeding, animal health, animal housing & farm equipment, industrial feed, grain & raw material processing equipment, feed, feed ingredients/additives, fish processing, seasoning, packaging, handling, refrigeration, laboratory, testing equipment and services, logistics & handling, wastewater treatment and hatching/incubation for livestock and aquaculture businesses. The events will cover over 10,000 sq.m. of the Indonesia Convention Exhibition (ICE). Since 2018, ILDEX has had key buyers throughout their editions and activities. 200 key buyers, who passed qualifying criteria, were invited from ASEAN countries and will continue the Hosted Buyer Program for ILDEX Indonesia 2021, co-located with Aquatica Asia. Key buyers will focus on Livestock and Aquaculture sectors and come from the exhibitor’s research and referral, who recommends potential key buyers that they meet onsite. ILDEX Team will prepare welcome packages and special privileges for buyers. ILDEX Indonesia 2019 Success Story In 2019, ILDEX Indonesia had greater attendance than its past editions, when it was relocated to the new venue at the Indonesian Convention Center (ICE). The exhibition space increased and showcased 250 leading brands from 25 countries with 73% being international exhibitors. The main business sectors at ILDEX include animal health, animal housing & farm equipment, animal feed & ingredients, breeding & genetics, incubation & hatchery, and slaughter to processing. The show welcomes 200 hosted buyers and 80 businesses through the business matching system. ILDEX Indonesia 2019 welcomed over 12,200 trade visitors from 40 countries. During the 3-day exhibition, more than 2,032 conference delegates attended the 48 seminars. New Look and New Features for ILDEX Indonesia The VNU management team combined the ILDEX Exhibition into the VIV Portfolio to boost and develop both shows. VIV’s mission is to continue linking professionals from Feed to Food. As part of the VIV Portfolio, the ILDEX Exhibitions will strengthen VNU AP’s outreach in Vietnam and Indonesia markets. The new look of ILDEX Indonesia will include a diamond frame as symbol of VIV as well as the Borobudur National Landmark of the country. ILDEX Indonesia and Aquatica Asia are scheduled for September 15-17, 2021 at the Indonesian Convention Exhibition (ICE) in Jakarta.

Airbnb recognizes that Friendship Day this year may feel different. To give you and your bestie some fun time together, Airbnb has a collection of perfect online experiences and some amazing properties that you can drive down to. Whether your buddy lives in your city, another country, or even just down the street, Airbnb has got you covered. From planning the perfect weekend getaway with the entourage, or just sharing a laugh over a zoom call, we have something for everybody. Guests can choose from a collection of Online Experiences that allow you to connect with friends virtually or just hop into your car and drive down to the nearest Airbnb and celebrate the special bond of friendship. Here is a list of properties that are perfect for your road trip with the gang (Don’t forget to refer to government travel advisories before booking your trip and packing your bags!) Cocktails And Boardgames By The Poolside EL Lodge, Lonavala Driving distance from Mumbai : 83 km (Approx. 2 hours) A trip with you and your best buddies could mean the craziest, fun filled getaway from the monotony of daily life. You can book an entire villa located in the enchanting hills of Lonavala with the scenic views of the valley. Whether it is a pool party with al fresco dining, or chilling in the cabana while sipping on cocktails, this Airbnb property has it all. So, kick back and relax at this luxurious home, perfect for spending the weekend with your friends. Don’t forget to pack your board games! Tranquility Amidst Apple Orchards Meena Bagh Ratnari, Shimla Driving distance from Delhi : 270 km (Approx. 5.5 hours) If you and your friends are looking to spend some quality time together, snuggled with a cup of coffee, with nothing to do, this beautiful farm stay should be your abode. This eco-friendly property in the hills of Himachal is perfect for those who prefer the quiet and calm of nature and want to enjoy luxury in serenity. With no disturbances from the outside world, you and your friends can spend some great time together while basking in the sun during the day and tracing constellations in the beautiful night sky. Nature’s Retreat In A Treehouse Forestvalley Tree House, Coorg Driving distance from Bangalore : 270 km (Approx. 5.5 hours) If you and your friends need a break from the traffic and noise of the city, we have the perfect getaway for you. Spend some quality time together in this treehouse hidden amidst the coffee plantations in Coorg. This unique cottage is 32ft above the ground level and has been completely built with Red Cedar Wood. With a stream flowing close by, you can dip in your feet and to relax or can go on long walks with your confidant to enjoy the clean fresh air. Turn off your phones and alarms, sit by the bonfire and sing along to some old songs at this treehouse in Coorg. Soak In Some Vitamin Sea Villa Al'Mar, Puducherry Driving distance from Chennai – 150 km (Approx. 3 hours) If you want your first trip away from home after the lockdown to be exciting and filled with adventure, what better than the Serenity beach in Pondicherry. This beautiful Airbnb is located on right on the beach and is perfect for your first getaway with your friends. Sit back with a bottle of beer and watch the sun set in this former French Colony. With good music and a group of friends, you are sure to make spend some unforgettable evenings at this villa. Barbeque Nights Away From City Lights Pinewood Sunrise - with treehouse and barbeque, Kasauli Driving distance from Chandigarh – 60 km (Approx. 1.5 hours) With the panoramic views of the valley and surrounded by beautiful flora and fauna, this villa is perfect for a memorable getaway with your buddies. Turn up the fireplace on the deck for some delicious barbeque and tune out the world for a fun and relaxing getaway. Some Online Experiences to share the spirit of friendship virtually Secrets of Magic – Berkhamstead, UK Prepare to be inspired and spellbound as you go on an epic 90 minute journey through the magical world. The Secrets of Magic Zoom Classroom is where you will take part in a mind-blowing magic show with everyday objects such as cards, coins & the gold-dust of our times - a roll of toilet paper! Duration – 1 hour and 30 mins Living Room Legends Scavenger Hunt Game - Austin, USA Alley Kat Adventures’ lively, unique, interactive game encourages you to get outside of your comfort zone at home to complete creative, challenging, & quirky missions for points! And fun little virtual prizes too! Duration – 1 hour Sangria and Secrets with Drag Queens – Lisboa, Portugal Fabulous Drag Queens will teach you how to make the most authentic, fresh, and delicious Portuguese sangria, ALL from scratch, step by step! We will not only share this traditional secret recipe, but we will also be serving up our unique live performances on stage! It’ll be a cabaret-style digital cocktail class you’ll never forget. Get ready for fireworks, smoke effects, lights, and AMAZING costumes that we created, especially for you! Duration – 1 hour and 30 mins Revealing Incredible India by Street Art – New Delhi, India Celebrate India’s art, colorful festivals and infinite stories with this one its kind Online Experience. The murals here will help you discover and dive into the world of India's vivid culture and help you learn about what these artworks reflect, the stories behind their making & the culture. Some of these are extremely profound, witty, sarcastic & scenic! Duration – 1 hour and 30 mins Crepes & Hazelnut spread by Notre-Dame – Paris, France You will be making a delicious Hazelnut and Chocolate spread, but unlike the famous one, it will contain no Palm Oil! You will also make Crepes from Bretagne (French pancakes) which, as luck would have it, goes so well with the spread. Duration – 1 hour and 30 mins Airbnb Online Experiences, launched in April 2020, migrate the platform’s beloved Experiences from in-person to online. Through Online Experiences, people can unlock unprecedented access to inspiring hosts across the world, have the chance to connect with new people, and be given the opportunity to travel virtually, all from the comfort of their own living room. For more, visit airbnb.com/online-experiences.

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Tourism & Culture Shri Prahlad Singh Patel, as Chief Guest inaugurated the Webinar on “Cross Border Tourism” organised by the Association of Buddhist Tour Operators on 15th July 2020 Inaugurating the Webinar, Shri Prahlad Singh Patel listed the important sites in India related to the life of Lord Buddha.  He mentioned that Buddhism has a large following across the world and India being the ‘Land of Buddha’ and endowed with rich Buddhist heritage attracts very small percentage of Buddhist Pilgrims. Shri Patel stressed the point that it was important for all to ascertain the reasons for India receiving a fraction of global Buddhists as tourist/Pilgrims and take corrective measures accordingly. The Minister also shared the initiative of having signage in international languages  at important Buddhist sites in the country including signages in Chinese language that  have been put up at 5 Buddhist sites / monuments in Uttar Pradesh including Sarnath, Kushinagar and Sravasti. Similarly, since Sanchi receives a large number of tourists from Sri Lanka, signages in Sinhalese language have been put up at the Sanchimonuments. The MoS (I/C) Tourism & Culture also highlighted the decision of Government of India to declare the Kushinagar Airport in Uttar Pradesh as an International Airport which will offer better connectivity to the air-travellers resulting in boosting of domestic/international tourism and economic development of the region. He further informed that the Ministry of Tourism, under its various schemes has taken several initiatives for the development and promotion of Buddhist sites in the country. The Association of Buddhist Tour Operators is the association of dedicated inbound tour-operators engaged in promoting Buddhist tourism, with over 1500 members in India & Overseas. Participants in the Webinar included representatives from the UN Peace Keeping Forces Council, Travel & Hospitality Associations of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam amongst others. [Source: 17 JUL 2020 12:36PM by PIB Delhi]

Ministry of Tourism, Government of India’s DekhoApna Desh Webinar Series titled, “The Mystical Triangle- Maheshwar, Mandu & Omkareshwar” was organised on 18th July 2020. Presented by Ms. Ashima Gupta, Commissioner of Income Tax, Indore and Sarita Alurkar, Singapore based marketing professional, the webinar showcased the richness of the destinations covered under the mystical triangle and acquainted the viewers with the serene, captivating getaways in State of Madhya Pradesh namely Maheshwar, Mandu & Omkareshwar.Dekho Apna Desh Webinar Series is an effort to showcase India’s rich diversity under Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat and it is continuously spreading spirit of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat through virtual platform. The first stop of the mystical triangle was Maheshwar or Mahishmati is one of serene and captivating destinations of Madhya Pradesh with historical significance which is 90 kms away from Indore city. The city got its name after Lord Shiva/ Maheshwara, it also finds a mention in the epics Ramayana and Mahabharatha. The presenters described in detail the life & times of Queen Rajmata Ahilya Devi Holkar. The Town lies on the north bank of the Narmada River. It was the capital of the Malwa during the Maratha Holkar reign till 6 January 1818, when the capital was shifted to Indore by Malhar Rao Holkar III. In the late eighteenth century, Maheshwar served as the capital of the great Maratha queen Rajmata Ahilya Devi Holkar. She embellished the city with many buildings and public works, and it is home to her palace, as well as numerous temples, a fort, and riverfront ghats. The queen is also known for her simplicity, this is evident to present day through Rajwada or the Royal Residence where the queen used to meet her people, a two-storied building. Tourists can see and experience the then royal setup as the things related to queen. Ahilyeshwar temple, where Ahilya devi used to offer prayers, Vitthal temple near Ahileshwar temple are must stop places for aarti and to admire architecture. There are around 91 temples that are built by the Rajmata. Ghats in Maheshwar are the best places to see the beauty of sunrise and sunset and the fort complex can also be seen at its best from Ahilya ghat. One can also go on a boat ride, evenings after sunset boat men light small diyas as an offering to Narmada River. Baneshwar temple which is dedicated to Lord Shiva is one of the must-see temples of Maheshwar especially during sunsets. Narmada aarti is performed after sunset at Narmada ghat. Textiles are another important aspect that is developed by Ahilya Devi, she invited master weavers from Surat and South India to weave sarees that are unique from the existing ones. The designs used on these are inspirations from fort architecture and Narmada river. These were gifted to royal guests. Rajmata Ahilya Devi Holkar was a generous patron of the arts. She loved sarees and in 1760 sent for the famed weavers of Surat to enrich her kingdom with fine cloth - something worthy of the royal family. Under the princely state the weavers arts flourished and specialized into the present day Maheshwari cloth. Once an all cotton weave - in the 1950's silk started being used in the wrap and slowly became the norm.Rehwa Society was founded in 1979, is a non profit organisation working for the welfare of weavers of maheshwar. Omkareshwar has 33 deities and 108 impressive shivling in divine form and this is the only Jyotirlingawhich is situated on the north bank of Narmada. Omkareshwar is a spiritual town in Madhya Pradesh, 78kms away from Indore. A visit to Omkareshwar temple is incomplete without visiting Mamleshwar temple. It is also believed that Lord Shiva comes here to rest everyday considering this a special aarti called Shayan aarti is performed everyday at 8:30pm in the evening and arrange game of dice for Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvathi. Siddhanth temple is the most beautiful temple one should definitely save their time to explore this divine temple. Mandu located in Dhar district of State of Madhya Pradesh is also known by the name of Mandavgarh, Shadiabad (City of Joy). It is about 98km. away from Indore and at an elevation of 633 meters. Nearest Railway station for Mandu is Ratlam (124km.) TheFort in Mandu is spread over an area of 47 sq km and the fort wall is 64 kms. Mandu is mainly known for the love story of Sultan Baz Bahadur and Rani Roopmati. Once out hunting,Baz Bahadur chanced upon a shepherdess frolicking and singing with her friends. Smitten by both her enchanting beauty and her melodious voice, he begged Roopmati to accompany him to his capital. Roopmatiagreed to go to Mandu on the condition that she would live in a palace within sight of her beloved and venerated river, Narmada. Thus was built the RewaKund at Mandu. On knowing about Roopmati’s beauty and sweet voice, Mughals decided to invade Manduand capture both Baz Bahadur and Roopmati. Manduwas easily defeated and when Mughal forces marched towards fort, Roopmati poisoned herself to avoid capture. Baz Bahadur's Palace built in 16th-century is famous for its large courtyards encompassed by large halls and high terraces. It is situated below Roopmati's Pavilion and can be seen from the pavilion. Rewa Kund A reservoir constructed by Baz Bahadur for the purpose of supplying water to Rani Roopmati'sPavilion. The reservoir is situated below the pavilion and hence is considered an architectural marvel. Jahaz Mahal/Ship Palace Situated between two artificial lakes, this two-storied architectural marvel is so named as it appears as a ship floating in water. Built by Sultan Ghiyas-ud-din-Khalji, it served as a harem for the sultan. One cannot afford to miss the local food like poha, kachori, bafla etc while travelling in this circuit. Summing up the webinar Rupinder Brar, Additional Director General stressed the importance of travelling and experience the priceless joy. The sessions of webinars are now available on the given links https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbzIbBmMvtvH7d6Zo_ZEHDA/featured http://tourism.gov.in/dekho-apna-desh-webinar-ministry-tourism https://www.incredibleindia.org/content/incredible-india-v2/en/events/dekho-apna-desh.html The sessions of webinars are also available on all social media handles of Ministry of Tourism, Government of India. The next webinar titled Exploring Vizag is scheduled on 25th July 2020 at 11.00 am. [Source:20 JUL 2020 12:56PM by PIB Delhi]

In a move to tap into the expertise of past sporting champions for grassroot-level training of athletes and also to ensure a sustained source of income for them in the sports ecosystem, the Sports Ministry has decided to establish 1000 Khelo India Centers (KIC) at the district level across the country. These centers will either be run by a past champion or have them as coaches. The decision, while strengthening grassroot level sports, will also ensure that past champions can contribute in to making India a sporting superpower while earning a livelihood from sports. Speaking about this decision to provide a platform for past champions to be professionally involved in sport, Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Shri Kiren Rijiju said, “As we strive to make India a sporting superpower, one of the things we have to ensure is that sports becomes a viable career option for youngsters. Only when sports can offer a sustained means of livelihood to athletes, even after they stop playing competitive sports, will parents be motivated to allow their children to take up sports as a serious career option. And that is the only way to tap the best talent, who may otherwise decide to take up other career options. This decision is a step in that direction. We want to ensure that anyone who has played sport at the national level has a life of dignity and financial stability.” A shortlisting mechanism has been put in place to identify past champions who are eligible to either establish their own academy or work as a coach in a KIC. The first category of athletes who will be considered are those who have represented India at recognised international competitions under a recognised NSF or association. The second category is of medal winners in Senior National Championship conducted by a recognised NSF or a medal winner at the Khelo India Games. The third category of past champions are those who have won medals in the National All India University Games. The fourth category will include those who have represented the state in a senior National Championship conducted by recognised NSFs or participated in Khelo India Games. An exception has been made in the case of Jammu and Kashmir, Andaman and Nicobar islands and Ladakh, where coaches trained with NIS certification will also be eligible to apply. To build the country-wide network of Khelo India Centres, existing SAI extension centres will be given the option of converting into a KIC and recruiting a past champion to avail the financial grant under the scheme. Any past champion can also establish a new KIC with infrastructure owned by themselves, the central and state government, local authorities, clubs or educational institution. To be eligible for grant under the scheme, the past athlete will be required to personally impart full-time training to athletes at the centre. Organisations which have been promoting sports for at least 5 years will also be eligible to establish a KIC, provided they recruit past champions as coaches. Organisations in J&K, Ladakh, Daman and Diu, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadeep and north east states are exempt from this 5-year rule. Training will be imparted at the Khelo India Centres in 14 Identified Sports for Excellence in Olympics (ISEO) including archery, athletics, boxing, badminton, cycling, fencing, hockey, judo, rowing, shooting, swimming, table tennis, weightlifting, wrestling. Football and traditional sports have also been included. The grant to each KIC will be extended for remuneration of the past champion athlete as coach, support staff, purchase of equipments, sports kits, consumables, participation in competition and events. The process of identifying new KICs will be carried out by the sports department of the respective state and union territory in liaison with District Collectors and the proposal will be forwarded to the Sports Authority of India’s regional centre for further evaluation. During the current Financial Year, 100 KICs are planned to be established. [Source: PIB Delhi, 19 JUN 2020 7:20PM]

New Delhi, India, 22nd July 2020 - To support the recovery of the country’s tourism industry, Airbnb has today announced the launch of its Enhanced Cleaning Protocol for its local hosts in the country. The initiative is one of the first overarching standardized protocols for cleaning and sanitization for homestays in the country, and is aimed at providing guidance to hosts offering small-scale accommodations. These practices have also been reviewed by the Indian Medical Association. In the coming months, and as people begin to travel again, cleanliness and safety will continue to be a key consideration for travellers. Airbnb’s Enhanced Cleaning Protocol will play an important role in helping to revive confidence in the safety of travel and stay within India, among hosts and guests. “We have reviewed Airbnb’s enhanced cleaning protocol for the homestay sector. Airbnb protocols are comprehensive and are in compliance with the standard procedures related to sanitation and hand hygiene. This initiative will ensure safety and hygiene of guests," said Dr R V Asokan, Hony Secretary General, Indian Medical Association. An Industry-Leading Approach towards Cleanliness The new Protocol, which will be progressively rolled out in India in the coming weeks, will provide hosts in India with step-by-step guidance on how to clean and sanitise their homes to the highest standard, to prevent the spread of COVID-19. These industry-first guidelines include a step-by-step cleaning handbook designed for everyday hosts. Hosts who attest to follow the program will receive a special badge on their listing, making it easy for guests to identify and book listings that follow the homestay industry’s most robust set of cleaning standards. These efforts build upon Airbnb's already strong track record of cleanliness: To date, more than 94% of all Airbnb users were satisfied with cleanliness, scoring it at 4 or 5 stars after their stays[1] Airbnb’s Enhanced Cleaning Protocol has also been endorsed by prominent medical practitioners globally. Enhanced Cleaning Standards Will Aid the Future of Travel Dr. Marcus Ranney, a healthcare professional and formerly a frontline medic has said, “Airbnb has gone to great efforts to develop processes around cleanliness, in order to protect the health and safety of their hosts and guests. A key message, for the global efforts to manage this pandemic and build a COVID-ready world, is the importance of self-care and personal hygiene. These simple yet effective steps will help each of us play our part in stopping the spread”. “With the health and safety of our guests and hosts in India top of mind, these Enhanced Cleaning Protocols are the need of the hour in the sector. These measures are aimed at restoring traveller confidence and towards driving the systematic recovery of communities through the economic impact of tourism and travel. We are working to bring our hosts global best practices backed by expert counsel and medical guidance from professionals who are at the forefront of the industry. We strongly believe that this can inform an industry-wide standard,” said Amanpreet Bajaj, General Manager - Airbnb India, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan. You can access the comprehensive protocol on Airbnb.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 19 July 2020: UAE-headquartered upscale residential, hospitality, and commercial property developer Seven Tides has confirmed Minor Hotels will be the new operator of its iconic five-star, 396-key Ibn Battuta Gate property in Dubai. Minor Hotels is now managing the property, which will be rebranded to Oaks Ibn Battuta Gate Dubai Hotel, the newest addition to the Oaks Hotels, Resorts, and Suites portfolio, its second branded property in Dubai and its third in the United Arab Emirates. Abdulla Bin Sulayem, CEO, Seven Tides, said: “The hotel first opened in 2010 and we’ve enjoyed an excellent relationship with the previous management company over the past ten years. However, we decided that the Minor Hotels' Oaks brand was better aligned to our strategic business objectives as we move forward, through and post-COVID-19. “The Minor Hotels group is no stranger to Seven Tides, we have worked with them on a range of successful projects, including the Anantara The Palm Dubai Resort. Having witnessed first-hand the success the group contributes to a property, I am confident this strategic decision will allow us to adapt seamlessly to the parameters of the 'new normal'," he added. The five-star hotel is situated opposite Ibn Battuta Mall, which has more than 270 shops, 50 restaurants and a 21-screen cinema. With the Dubai Metro close by, guests can travel conveniently across the city, to many of Dubai’s tourist highlights and business districts. Dubai International Airport (DXB) is only 30 minutes’ drive away, with Dubai Al Maktoum Airport (DWC) also easily accessible and Abu Dhabi International Airport under an hour away. The hotel is also close to the Jebel Ali Freezone and the Expo 2020 site in new Dubai South district, which is expecting 25 million visitors, when the event takes place between 1st October 2021 and 31st March 2022 “We are delighted to add Oaks Ibn Battuta Gate Dubai to our portfolio of hotels and resorts,” commented Dillip Rajakarier, CEO, Minor Hotels and Minor International. “With its close proximity to the Dubai Expo 2020 site, the property is perfectly situated to capitalise on this significant global event. We look forward to working with our partners Seven Tides, to build on the success of this impressive hotel.” Oaks Ibn Battuta Gate Dubai Hotel offers modern accommodation options for both business and leisure travellers. These include 352 guest rooms across three different categories, plus 44 suites. The three guest room types – Premier, Deluxe and Executive – are stylishly furnished with Moroccan influences, whilst the Suites have décor inspired by the explorer Ibn Battuta’s adventures across the world. Restaurants and bars at the property include Mistral, the all-day dining restaurant offering international cuisine and live cooking stations, Revo Café for freshly brewed coffee, pastries and healthy options, Moroc Lounge & Bar, a Moroccan-inspired terrace and lounge to enjoy sundowners and shisha, and a pool bar. Additional hotel facilities include a swimming pool and gym, a spa and a kids’ club.

Union Minister of State(IC) for TourismSh. Prahlad Singh Patelvirtually joined Chief Minister of GujaratSh. Vijaybhai Rupanion the inauguration of project“Development of Pilgrimage Amenities at Somnath, Gujarat”  today.  The project “Development of Pilgrimage Amenities at Somnath, Gujarat” sanctioned under the PRASHADscheme in March 2017 has been successfully completed with the cost of Rs. 45.36 crores.  High quality world class facilities for Parking, Tourism Amenities Centre and Solid Waste Management have been developed under the project. Shri Patel praised the State Government for the optimum use of the funds released by the Government of India for creating the facilities of international standards. Minister further, assured the State Government for every cooperation and support required from the Ministry of Tourism under tourism sector. The ‘National Mission on Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual, Heritage Augmentation Drive’ (PRASHAD) launched by the Ministry of Tourism in the year 2014-15 with the objective of integrated development of identified pilgrimage and heritage destinations.  The scheme aimed at infrastructure development such as entry points (Road, Rail and Water Transport), last mile connectivity, basic tourism facilities like Information/ Interpretation Centers, ATM/ Money exchange, eco-friendly modes of transport, area Lighting and illumination with renewable sources of energy, parking, drinking water, toilets, cloak room, waiting rooms, first aid centers, craft bazars /haats/ souvenir shops/ cafeteria, rain shelters, Telecom facilities, internet connectivity etc. [Source: 16 JUL 2020 7:40PM by PIB Delhi]

New Delhi, 16th July:Airbnb, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) are announcing a five-day summer festival featuring more than 100 Olympian and Paralympian Online Experiences hosted virtually by some of the world’s best athletes. The festival of Olympian and Paralympian Online Experiences will kick off with an opening act on July 24, when the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 were originally scheduled to begin, and is an opportunity for athletes to generate income while they share their passion for the Olympic and Paralympic Games and their sport with guests. “At a time when it is difficult for people to gather and celebrate the exceptional performance of athletes, Airbnb is proud to host the summer festival which is a new way to experience the Olympic and Paralympic spirit online. Guests will be able to connect and interact with some of the most elite competitors within the Olympic and Paralympic Movement, giving them even more reasons to cheer them on next year,” said Airbnb Co-Founder Joe Gebbia. On Partnering with Airbnb ace tennis star, Sania Mirza said “As a professional tennis player, a mother, wife and homemaker, I juggle and balance multiple roles. This has made me realize the importance of not just physical health but also mental wellbeing. For me, a good workout is not just essential to keep for my physical performance but also helps me rejuvenate my mind. I am excited to partner with Airbnb to share my journey of motherhood and fitness and how I got back to the game. During the experience, I will take guests through a quick functional training, share my training regime and inspire them to strike the perfect balance between wellness of the mind and body, all from the comfort of my home in Hyderabad.” Throughout the five days of programming across multiple time zones, the lineup will showcase a variety of interactive Online Experiences that guests can book* on Airbnb from July 22. Spectators can also watch select Online Experiences live or on replay on Airbnb and Olympic and Paralympic YouTube channels. While many hosts will continue to offer their activities after the event ends, like the art of reinvention with Olympian Simidele Adeagbo (skelton, Nigeria) and positive thinking with Paralympic hero Stephen Miller (athletics, Great Britain), several will be once-in-a-lifetime Online Experiences available exclusively during the festival**, like: ● July 25: Build resilience to overcome obstacles with Yusra Mardini (swimming, IOC Refugee Olympic Team Rio 2016), learn about returning to sport after motherhood with Allyson Felix (athletics, USA), and work up a sweat in an inclusive session with Tatyana McFadden (athletics, USA), ● July 26: Cook up a storm with legend Colin Jackson (athletics, Great Britain), join a scenic training ride with Jonny Brownlee (triathlon, Great Britain), and discover velodrome secrets with Elia Viviani (cycling track, Italy) ● July 27: Chat mind, body and spirit with Jackie Joyner-Kersee (athletics, USA), push through boundaries and level up in life with Meb Keflezighi (marathon, USA), get vulnerable to unlock greatness with Kerri Walsh Jennings (beach volleyball, USA), and Zumba beachside in paradise with Tom Hintnaus (athletics, Brazil) ● July 28: Get a glimpse into quarantine training with two time grand slam winning Naomi Osaka (tennis, Japan), run, breathe and connect with world record sprinter Zhenye XIE (athletics, China), learn a grand slam inspired training regime with Sania Mirza (tennis, India), and master perseverance with Pita Taufatofua (Taekwondo and cross country skiing, Tonga) ● July 29: Fall in love with sneaker culture with Rui Hachimura (basketball, Japan), get up close and personal at home with Jordy Smith (surfing, South Africa), and see beyond the boundaries of vision with blind champion Lex Gillette (athletics, USA) “The Olympic Games bring the whole world together and whilst we will all have to wait one more year to celebrate in Tokyo, the Olympic flame continues to be the light at the end of the dark tunnel humankind is currently going through. It demonstrates that we are stronger together. This festival is a great platform to unite and inspire the world in the spirit of friendship and solidarity this summer. The IOC puts the athletes at the heart of the Olympic Movement and supports them at every stage of their journey. We are delighted to collaborate with Airbnb to provide innovative economic empowerment opportunities for Olympic and Paralympic athletes around the world,” said IOC President Thomas Bach. "Paralympians and Para athletes are masters of innovation and finding creative solutions to daily challenges they face,” said IPC President Andrew Parsons. "The summer festival of Olympian and Paralympian Online Experiences celebrates this tenacity and gives Para athletes a platform to share their stories to empower others, while also offering a new earning opportunity especially needed during these difficult times." While the festival will give fans unprecedented global access to connect with athletes from over 20 countries and regions all from the comfort of their homes, numerous Online Experiences in the lineup will also meaningfully promote: ● Economic opportunities for athletes: As Online Experiences launched as a way for hosts to earn money during the global pandemic, Olympian and Paralympian Online Experiences is a new platform to provide direct earning opportunities for athletes, underlining the efforts of Airbnb, the IOC, and the IPC to support athletes, and to put them at the heart of the Olympic and Paralympic Movement. ● Resilience through adversity: Numerous athlete hosts will inspire perseverance through their Online Experiences, like Yusra Mardini, the Syrian swimmer who became a member of the first ever IOC Refugee Olympic Team in 2016 and whose story became known for saving 20 lives with her sister, including their own lives, during a treacherous journey from Syria to find safety in Europe, who will host a one-off workshop on resilience. Another inspiring option is co-hosted by Tegla Loroupe, Chef de Mission for the IOC Refugee Olympic Team, and Rio 2016 Olympian, IOC Refugee Olympic Team hopeful for Tokyo 2020 James Chiengjiek Nyang, as they will welcome guests will transport guests virtually to the Tegla Loroupe Training Centre in Kenya.Tegla has been the guide and mentor to the IOC Refugee Olympic Team. ● The world-class hospitality of Japan: In addition to the Olympian and Paralympian Online Experiences and as a way to celebrate Tokyo 2020, local hosts in Japan will offer guests a way to travel and explore the cultures and traditions of the country from their living rooms. Through support from Shibuya City Tourism Association, local hosts will lead a package of unique online activities like Become a Ramen Expert and A Tour of Historic Shibuya. Other ways to virtually transport to Japan will include Sake Secrets from Japan's Oldest Brewery and Explore Kyoto Where Unique Old Gods Live.

Bavaria-based Outdooractive, Europe's largest outdoor portal for hiking, cycling, mountain biking, and skiing, has launched a new social media campaign to help tourism providers around the world address the challenges of COVID-19. As part of the www.exploremyregion.com campaign, over 100 tourism companies and destinations from across Europe, the USA and beyond, will raise awareness of the tourism offering in their respective towns and regions in a bid to attract visitors. Several global brands have also committed their support to the campaign with Intersport, Wanderfit, and Scarpa, amongst others, helping locals understand exactly what they have available on their doorstep while showcasing a new destination to potential visitors. Hartmut Wimmer, the Founder, and CEO of Outdooractive, which connects tourism stakeholders with a global outdoor community of over 7.3 million enthusiasts, said: “We wanted to develop a campaign that created a platform empowering local tourism as well as our partners around the world. We have adopted a collaborative approach, because it is only by working together that we can coordinate and then amplify the noise surrounding this campaign to offset the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic. "The campaign also provides a helping hand to shop owners, craftsmen, and restaurant owners, who guided, wowed, and inspired visitors with their local knowledge, handicrafts, and unique culinary skills. The platform is designed to give back to the people who have helped to make travel experiences so rewarding and to help them get up and running once again.” It is expected there will be a rise in the number of domestic tourists participating in adventure tourism, which includes desert safaris, climbing, surfing, hunting, caving, diving, cycling, rafting, and hiking, as the appeal of local destinations and healthy outdoor pursuits gather momentum in the wake of COVID-19. “Now is the time to step up, support the tourism industry and enjoy the many fantastic opportunities we have available to us, now that restrictions have been lifted and we are more able to experience the great outdoors,” concluded Wimmer. Hugo van Donselaar, Managing Director for Campspace, an online platform that provides unique camping spots throughout the Netherlands, that has been supporting the campaign through their website and social media channels, said: “ExploreMyRegion aligns seamlessly with our mission to support local industry. We believe in true sustainable travel and adventures, that can be found just around the corner, which this campaign really helps to deliver.” James Simpson, Project Manager for Finnish-based St Olav Waterway, added: “This initiative is exactly what we need to help raise awareness of the local tourism industry. We’re delighted to be playing our part in a campaign that is not only supporting tourism in Finland, but also local tourism in other countries around the world.” For more information, visit outdooractive.com or search for #exploremyregion on all social media channels

Dubai, UAE, 14 July 2020: UAE-headquartered hospitality company, TIME Hotels, has launched three new summer promotional packages making it more convenient to book a stay at TIME Hotels in Dubai. TIME Crystal, TIME Topaz and TIME Oak Hotel & Suites in Dubai, have introduced special packages for Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS), which runs from the 9th July to 29th August 2020, as well as staycation offers for UAE residents over the summer months. Mohamed Awadalla, CEO, TIME Hotels, said: “Staycations are becoming extremely popular, with families preferring to take leisure breaks in local destinations. However, international flights are gradually being reintroduced and the first tourists started arriving in Dubai on 7th July. “So, to satisfy both domestic and potential international demand, we’ve created three promotional offers for this summer, the first two, ‘TIME Free Night’ and ‘TIME to Relax’ which are valid until the 30th of September 2020, are aimed at two distinct market segments.” The ‘TIME Free Night’ is a straightforward offer - stay for three nights - pay for only two, with free access to all hotel leisure facilities, complimentary WIFI and covered parking, a guaranteed 4pm late check out and an early check in from 10:00 am – an uncomplicated offer that represents great value for money. The ‘TIME to Relax’ offer come with a host of added benefits such as complimentary breakfast and a choice of complimentary lunch or dinner, free shuttle to Jumeirah Beach, with a 10am early check-in and a 6pm late check out. TIME is also launching a longer term exclusive ‘UAE Residents’ staycation deal, which offers guests up to 35% discount on best available rates, inclusive of breakfast, guaranteed 4pm late check out. Kids up to 12 years of age stay for free when sharing a room with their parents and includes full access to all hotel leisure facilities, complimentary WI-FI and covered parking. All guests can also join the TIME Eliteclub and earn points and enjoy additional benefits during their stay. All offers are subject to availability. TIME Hotels is also continuing with its fully flexible booking option. Not only will guests be able to book now and pay for their stay when they check-in, they will also be able to take advantage of free cancellations or modify their booking free of charge, as well as enjoy hassle-free booking without the need to enter or give out their credit card details during the process. “These are uncertain times, so, we wanted to make the booking decision as simple and as risk-free as possible to reassure our loyal guests that they won’t be impacted financially should circumstances suddenly change,” said Awadalla. Furthermore, TIME Hotels has implemented a wide range of new and intensified cleaning measures and sanitisation procedures throughout all public areas as well as in each individual guestroom, in an initiative called ‘Sanitised & Ready’. The improved protocol focuses on the disinfection of all hotel transportation, reception areas, elevators, public rest rooms and guestrooms as well as all F&B outlets and kitchens, complying with the latest government and public health directives. “After a period of lockdown and home schooling, I’m sure many families will be looking for a change of scenery and entertainment to keep the kids occupied in a safe environment. A staycation and DSS will fit the bill perfectly,” added Awadalla. For more information, please visit www.timehotels.ae

Step into the world of leopards with your dad or mix up some delicious cocktails for him – all from the comfort of your home Without capes and often without acknowledgment, fathers are the superheroes we have grown up admiring and loving. Whether it is parting with their last slice of pizza for their little ones, or planning their kids’ dream vacation, fathers always put their children and families before them. Father’s Day brings the perfect opportunity to take a pause and celebrate them and all that they do for us. So, this Father’s Day, make sure to appreciate them, spend quality time with them and make a new memory together. Airbnb has handpicked top 5 ways of spending this Sunday with your dad. Whether you are both in the same house or city, or separated by miles, these Airbnb Online Experiences will be a unique and memorable gift that will allow you to bond together. Leopard spotting from your living room Embark on a virtual safari for a lesson on leopards, jaguars and other cats, without stepping out of your home. Transport dad and yourself to the Yala and Wilpattu national parks of Sri Lanka, accompanied by safari guide. This Online Experience will let you step into the secretive lives of the elusive leopards which roam these National Parks. Dhanula will bring alive electrifying leopard stories and even help you master the art of identifying individual leopards. Grab your apron and chopsticks – its dumpling time! A special occasion calls for a special meal. Join a hands-on Online Experience and to learn how to make Chinese dumplings that will not just be delicious to eat but also perfect to pose with for the customary Father’s Day post on the gram! #Fathersday #QuarantineCooking This experience is hosted by Elaine, who is the founder of Dash of Soy, a local culinary school in Seattle that focuses on sharing the love healthy home cooking inspired by her family and her travels. Play Detective with your Dad You, your dad and your team of detectives will need to solve the case together to escape from this mystery room. With an intriguing plot line and lots of riddles and clues, this digital mystery room is a fun filled way to spend time together this weekend. So, involve your entire family, and put on your thinking caps! Raise A Toast to your Father Learn to shake up some sensational drinks for your father to celebrate his day. Turn some simple ingredients into some truly tasty drinks to enjoy a relaxing weekend with your dad. This is the most unique, interactive gin tasting you'll ever go on, where you'll make (and drink) some great cocktails and learn the tipsy history of gin—the perfect way to enjoy a great evening and a great way to celebrate Father’s Day! Choose Health and Fitness for the family Father’s often end up ignoring their own health. This Father’s Day encourage your dad to put himself first. Here’s a healthy way to spend time together as a family, designed to coach you to embody and model behaviors, while engaging in physical and mental practices that help improve executive functions in the brain. All while having a meaningful bonding time together as a family! Beyond Father’s Day, Online Experience offers fresh ways to connect and play through shared activities that are great for families. With school out and many vacations postponed, guests can choose from a variety of virtual options to create lasting memories this summer, including a Cultural Journey Through London Chinatown, Inclusive Family Dancing Freedom, Family Art Adventure with a Penguin Pro and more. Online Experiences are led by expert hosts around the world. Guests can opt for private bookings and request specific dates, making it easier to reserve activities for the whole family to participate together. Airbnb Online Experiences launched in April 2020, migrating the platform’s beloved Experiences from in-person to online. Through Online Experiences, people can unlock unprecedented access to inspiring hosts across the world, have the chance to connect with new people, and be given the opportunity to travel virtually, all from the comfort of their own living room. For more, visit airbnb.com/online-experiences.

Bavaria-based Outdooractive, Europe's largest outdoor portal for hiking, cycling, mountain biking, and skiing, has launched a new social media campaign to help tourism providers around the world address the challenges of COVID-19. As part of the www.exploremyregion.com campaign, over 100 tourism companies and destinations from across Europe, the USA and beyond, will raise awareness of the tourism offering in their respective towns and regions in a bid to attract visitors. Several global brands have also committed their support to the campaign with Intersport, Wanderfit, and Scarpa, amongst others, helping locals understand exactly what they have available on their doorstep while showcasing a new destination to potential visitors. Hartmut Wimmer, the Founder, and CEO of Outdooractive, which connects tourism stakeholders with a global outdoor community of over 7.3 million enthusiasts, said: “We wanted to develop a campaign that created a platform empowering local tourism as well as our partners around the world. We have adopted a collaborative approach, because it is only by working together that we can coordinate and then amplify the noise surrounding this campaign to offset the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic. "The campaign also provides a helping hand to shop owners, craftsmen, and restaurant owners, who guided, wowed, and inspired visitors with their local knowledge, handicrafts, and unique culinary skills. The platform is designed to give back to the people who have helped to make travel experiences so rewarding and to help them get up and running once again.” It is expected there will be a rise in the number of domestic tourists participating in adventure tourism, which includes climbing, surfing, hunting, caving, diving, cycling, rafting, and hiking, as the appeal of local destinations and healthy outdoor pursuits gather momentum in the wake of COVID-19. “Now is the time to step up, support the tourism industry and enjoy the many fantastic opportunities we have available to us, now that restrictions have been lifted and we are more able to experience the great outdoors,” concluded Wimmer. Hugo van Donselaar, Managing Director for Campspace, an online platform that provides unique camping spots throughout the Netherlands, that has been supporting the campaign through their website and social media channels, said: “ExploreMyRegion aligns seamlessly with our mission to support local industry. We believe in true sustainable travel and adventures, that can be found just around the corner, which this campaign really helps to deliver.” James Simpson, Project Manager for Finnish-based St Olav Waterway, added: “This initiative is exactly what we need to help raise awareness of the local tourism industry. We’re delighted to be playing our part in a campaign that is not only supporting tourism in Finland, but also local tourism in other countries around the world.” For more information, visit outdooractive.com or search for #exploremyregion on all social media channels.

India, June 24, 2020: The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) hosts an online forum titled “Beyond COVID-19: Global Tourism’s New Normal” – the first event of its kind focusing on the post-pandemic tourism prospects for Hong Kong, Mainland, Asia, and the world. Over 4,000 tourism industry representatives, journalists, and academics registered for the event as global industry leaders share insights into the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on travel, how the industry should respond, and the trends to expect as people begin travelling again in the post-pandemic period. In his opening remarks, HKTB Chairman Dr YK Pang emphasised the importance of restoring consumer confidence. “As an industry, our central mission must be to give every traveller the confidence and reassurance that their trip is safe from start to finish,” he said. “Our cooperation must cross geographical and business boundaries. We must pool our knowledge and expertise and draw on our collective ingenuity to navigate the challenges that lie ahead of us.” Dr Pang highlighted initiatives Hong Kong’s tourism industry has taken to stay ahead of the curve in containing the spread of the pandemic, and announced that the HKTB would team up with the HKSAR Government and trade partners to create “Open House Hong Kong” – a unique and region-leading travel platform to tell the world Hong Kong is a COVID-safe destination ready to welcome back visitors with attractive offerings and exciting experiences. He invited trade partners from around the world to support the platform by providing enticing offers for travelling to Hong Kong as a leading destination for visitors from every continent. Seven internationally-respected speakers representing different sectors discussed the latest consumer sentiments and behaviour, and gave their insights into the challenges confronting the industry. Here is a selection of their expert observations: Steve Saxon, Partner, McKinsey & Company “COVID-19 is a major humanitarian challenge. Yet there are implications for the wider economy and businesses. For instance, USD 0.9 trillion to 1.2 trillion has been lost in export revenues from tourism worldwide. While global tourism may return to previous levels in 2022, China, Indonesia, and the US stand out in optimism, with travel in China coming back to around half of the previous levels currently. However, traveller confidence is still low, and recovery is slower than expected. On the other hand, there is a major opportunity to capitalise on domestic travel and younger and family travellers, as most consumers are expecting to travel less – especially internationally – after COVID-19. China, the UK, and Germany are among those with greatest potential in domestic travel.” Hermione Joye, Sector Lead, Travel & Vertical Search APAC, Google “COVID-19 has led to a generational shift in the way the world operates, the travel industry almost came to a halt with global interest in travel dropping 3 times of that of pre-COVID times (based on search data). As a result, there is no longer a predictable normal when it comes to how consumers behave, and this is particularly true when it comes to the way they are thinking about travel. I am looking forward to sharing trends, consumer insights and principles that could help marketers respond in the ‘new normal’.” Jane Sun, CEO, Trip.com Group “At Trip.com Group, we believe it is our duty to guide travellers and the industry through this challenging period. That’s why from the onset of the pandemic, our teams have worked tirelessly to process over RMB 30 billion in cancellations, and we’ve given our partners over RMB 1 billion in financial support. Now, as things come under control, we’re seeing a rebound in demand, we’ve launched a USD 500 million fund for partners, and we’re offering flexible, safe, and discounted travel options for customers – to help our customers and the industry ‘travel on’.” Gloria Guevara, President & CEO, World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) “The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating global socio-economic impact, our recent research shows that more than 197 million jobs are at risk, which would cause a loss of more than USD 5.5 trillion to Travel & Tourism GDP worldwide. It is vital for the survival of the Travel & Tourism sector that we work together and map out the road to recovery, through coordinated actions, and rebuild the confidence that people need to begin travelling once again. Our recently launched ‘Safe Travels’ stamp will enable travellers to recognise the businesses and destinations worldwide which have implemented the WTTC global protocols and will encourage the return of ‘Safe Travels’ around the world. It will, in turn, enable the Travel & Tourism sector to reopen for business and move in a coordinated approach.” Alexandre de Juniac, Director General and CEO, International Air Transport Association (IATA) “The revival of the travel and tourism sector is vital. Millions of livelihoods depend on it. As some parts of the world begin to reopen their economies, I have no doubt that people will still want to travel. But adapting to the realities of COVID-19 and rebuilding people’s confidence is a challenge that must be met head-on with cooperation. Aviation is a case in point. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) developed global guidelines to mitigate the risk COVID-19 transmission when traveling by air. Now governments need to align in leading the implementation with the full support of the industry. We will only be successful by working together.” Peter C. Borer, COO, the Hong Kong and Shanghai Hotels Ltd “The hospitality industry will move forward towards a ‘new normal’, with unprecedented health and safety measures in place. As leaders of the industry, we must collaborate, leave behind the paradigms of the past and look towards a new future. The hotel industry was already moving towards digitisation, artificial intelligence and robotics, and the health crisis has accelerated this trend. In the short term, we must regain the confidence and the trust of our guests and reassure them that they are safe when they stay with us. However, in the long term, the fundamentals of hospitality will not change, and guests will always appreciate personalised service.” Kai Hattendorf, Managing Director & CEO, The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI) “Exhibitions and business events are the market places and the meeting places for every industry around the world. They are key to any economic recovery, and we have the know-how and standards to make them safe to attend. COVID-19 will lead to new procedures, standards, and processes. The pandemic is accelerating trends that were already shaping up around the ‘marriage’ of the on-site event with online services before, during, and after the event. Business events will become more digital. But the main element that is driving success is and remains the direct exchange, the face-to-face meeting. Clicks don’t discuss deals, and eyeballs don’t sign orders.” A recording of “Beyond COVID-19: Global Tourism’s New Normal” is available for registrant to review from 8am Hong Kong time on 25 June 2020. Each registered account can view the recording on one device at a time. Video link: https://onlinexperiences.com/scripts/Server.nxp?LASCmd=AI:4;F:QS!10100&ShowUUID=ABC3688D-5064-4F68-82CA-1222C186581A

National, July 2nd, 2020: Airbnb India today announces the launch of – At Home With Airbnb, a unique set of online experiences that brings together India’s most popular celebrities, artists and influencers. Each experience has been curated keeping in mind the diverse and engaging ways in which guests can connect with people across cultures and hone their skills through the platform. The At Home With Airbnb experiences allow guests to visit the host’s personal spaces to learn their craft in small groups that allow for personal connections and conversations. Building on Airbnb’s global concept of Online Experiences, At Home With Airbnb, will bring together people from across the globe over their shared passions and hobbies. Ranging from work out sessions with celebrity trainer Nam Wook for fitness enthusiasts, to Zero wastage cooking with Sandeep Sreedharan for food fanatics, and learning the art of fashion illustrations from popular designers, Shivan and Naresh, each experience offers the opportunity to learn something new and interesting. “Airbnb’s Online Experiences are an extension of our Experiences platform to foster connections at a time when travelers are unable to do so in real life. We are excited to announce At Home with Airbnb, which offers intimate and engaging virtual experiences curated by well-known Indian personalities across fitness, food, fashion and home décor. At Home With Airbnb brings together our community in India and all over the world, allowing them to choose from a range of experiences and enjoy these from the comfort of their own homes.” Said Parin Mehta, Regional Director, Experiences APAC. As a unique way to travel, learn and connect with new people, the platform brings together well-known names Sarvesh Shashi, Sanjana Chatlani, Pankaj Balachandran, and Devika Narain among others who will be hosts for these Online Experiences. Through At Home With Airbnb, guests can also learn unique and niche skills such as calligraphy, cocktail making and table designing from experts in their respective fields. Globally acclaimed designers, Shivan and Narresh, will be hosting fashion illustration classes that will take guests through the process of sketching for fashion design, the colour palette and silhouettes – all helping guests visualize the piece of clothing on the fashion runway. Shivan and Narresh celebrated Airbnb’s efforts saying “At Shivan & Narresh, we converge our love for fashion and travel when we experience the world with a local lens and translate it through our inspired collections. Partnering with Airbnb for its online experience helps us cement this belief and exhibit our expertise at a global platform to bring the world closer together, while it matures through a global health crisis. The fashion illustrations experience is to encourage originality and drive ingenuity for guests - straight from the mind to the paper - as they hone their art skills. It is to assist in co-creating a stronger and richer world by soothing its mental and emotional habitat.” Sarvesh Shashi, titled the coolest yogi and the youngest CEO in the yoga and wellness world globally, will be combining his knowledge of ancient Indian martial arts, modern functional training and traditional yoga techniques, to create smooth flowing yoga sessions for guests. Speaking on the collaboration, Sarvesh Shashi said “Our association with Airbnb fits seamlessly into what we stand for, and that’s building a community that’s social, engaged, active and a community that goes on to become the brand’s best advocate. We understand the value our customers hold for us and that’s one of the biggest advantages of this association. We’re excited to see the doors this partnership opens and the many more ways that we can work together.” Using some of Ayurveda’s principles and Yin-Yang as a guiding philosophy, Chef Sandeep Sreedharan shall be taking his guests on a culinary journey of sustainable cooking. With over a decade of experience in his field, Sandeep has successfully built a reputation for introducing a new genre of modern coastal cuisine to India. Speaking about the collaboration, Sandeep Sreedharan of Mahe said “As a chef I have always believed in delivering distinct flavours and textures keeping things simple and honest. My collaboration with At Home With Airbnb gives me an opportunity to share my expertise with a larger audience that is looking for quick tips to create gourmet experience at home by approaching one ingredient at a time. I look forward to exploring the concepts of zero wastage and minimalistic cooking to produce some stunning yet simple dishes without compromising on taste or health.” Through At Home With Airbnb, guests can also enjoy - ● An opportunity to become a master in the art of Calligraphy with the founder of The Bombay Lettering Company Sanjana Chatlani ● Insights into how to make the perfect “kitchen cocktails” using easily available ingredients at home, through a specially curated mixology workshop with Pankaj Balachandran, Brand Ambassador, Monkey Shoulder ● A work out session from home using only their body weight with celebrity fitness trainer and Under Armour India brand ambassador Nam Wook ● The art of table settings with celebrity wedding planner and event stylist, Devika Narain Guests can book their spots for these exclusive Experiences for an opportunity to meet and learn from the experts with unprecedented access. Booking opens immediately, and guests can explore a diverse range of Online Experiences here. These Experiences will be hosted on Zoom, and Airbnb has provided Hosts access to Zoom free of charge along with personalized support services for curating, capturing and sharing their online content.

New Delhi (July 1, 2020): Preferred Hotels & Resorts, the world’s largest independent hotel brand, is celebrating the highly anticipated return of travel by making a series of valuable updates to its I Prefer Hotel Rewards loyalty program. From a new Flexible Member Rate and an Elite Platinum Offer to the brand’s first-ever I Prefer E-Gift Cards and more than 25 new participating hotels worldwide, these program enhancements demonstrate Preferred’s unwavering commitment to offer best-in-class independent hotel experiences to its loyal and discerning I Prefer members as they ask, ‘Where Next?” following an extended period at home. “Listening to and engaging with our loyal I Prefer members throughout this pandemic has been a top priority, and through these candid dialogues, we have learned that they want greater flexibility and more diverse offers as travel restrictions are lifted,” said Jeri Salazar, Vice President of Loyalty for Preferred Hotels & Resorts. “We are confident that the decisions we’ve made to enhance the program will provide travelers with a less restrictive, more valuable way to book authentic, one-of-a-kind independent hotel experiences whenever they decide to travel next.” Flexible Member Rate Recognizing the importance of member-only value and flexibility, Preferred Hotels & Resorts is doubling down through a new Flexible Member Rate that offers access to savings of 10 percent or higher on top of the best available rate when they book stays at more than 300 participating hotels. The new flexible rate is also fully cancellable up through day of arrival, providing travelers with the peace of mind needed if travel plans get disrupted. Bookings must contain a valid I Prefer member number and be made through PreferredHotels.com, IPrefer.com, the I Prefer app, the GDS, participating hotels’ websites, or the Preferred Hotels & Resorts’ Global Reservations team. The new rate is available now for travel through December 31, 2020. Elite Platinum Offer In addition to everyday Elite member benefits – which include complimentary room category upgrades, early check-in and late check-out, VIP welcome amenities, free internet, and 50 percent bonus points earning per eligible stay – the newly launched Elite Platinum Offer features daily breakfast for two and a resort credit of US$100 per stay that can be used toward on-property expenditures. Available for travel now through December 31, 2020, this unique benefit is valid exclusively to I Prefer Elite members for stays at more than 170 participating properties worldwide such as JA Manafaru (Maldives); The Upper House (Hong Kong); Grand Hotel Tremezzo (Lake Como, Italy); Finca Cortesin (Casares, Spain); Shutters on the Beach (Santa Monica, California); and Grand Velas Riviera Maya (Mexico). Members can access this benefit by visiting www.PreferredHotels.com/eliteplatinum or contacting I Prefer member services at +1 636 736 4397. I Prefer E-Gift Cards with 20% Bonus Value For the first time ever, Preferred Hotels & Resorts is offering I Prefer E-Gift Cards, which are available for a limited period now through June 27 as part of the company’s International Pineapple Week celebrations. The I Prefer E-Gift cards may be purchased exclusively online now in denominations of US$100 and US$250 with no expiration date, which can be used towards future stays at participating hotels and resorts in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean. As an additional gesture of hospitality, every purchase comes with 20 percent more value in the form of a US$20 or US$50 bonus card, respectively. To purchase I Prefer E-Gift Cards, see participating hotels, and read terms and conditions, visit shop.preferredhotels.com/giftcards through June 27, 2020. Newest Hotel Options for I Prefer Travels With a portfolio of more than 700 distinctive hotels and resorts worldwide, I Prefer offers the benefits of a robust points-based loyalty program with access to authentic hotel experiences to suit every travel need. More than 25 new properties have recently joined Preferred’s prestigious loyalty program, including Biltmore Hotel (Coral Gables, Florida); Montage Healdsburg (Sonoma County, California); The Social House (Nairobi, Kenya); Banyan Tree Tamouda Bay (Fnideq, Morocco); La Villa Haussmann (Paris, France); Brenton Hotel (Newport, Rhode Island); Palmaia, The House of AiA (Riviera Maya, Mexico); Bluedoors York Luxury Suites (Medellin, Colombia); Rancho Santana (Rancho Santana, Nicaragua); Middle Eight (London, United Kingdom); Hayfield Manor (Cork, Ireland); Deltapark Vitalresort (Gwatt, Switzerland); JA Oasis Beach Tower (Dubai, United Arab Emirates), and Noku Maldives (Noonu Atoll, Maldives). Protecting I Prefer Members’ Hard-Earned Loyalty Status and Points Today, Preferred Hotels & Resorts made the official announcement that it was extending the points expiration date for all I Prefer members globally through December 31, 2020. In March 2020, Preferred was among the first travel companies globally to announce its plan to protect the hard-earned benefits of its loyalty members by announcing that all I Prefer Elite members globally will maintain their status through June 30, 2021, regardless of their travel activity this year. With more than 3.5 million travelers currently enrolled in membership, I Prefer is complimentary to join. Travelers who would like to take advantage of these exclusive promotions are invited to enroll in the program via www.IPrefer.com/enroll.

New Delhi, India, 30th June 2020: Crafting distinctive journeys in sync with evolving expectations of perceptive high-end travellers, A Travel Circle – launches today in India. The world is changing with new norms influencing how we adapt in everyday life, but it is our resilience and the cherished bonds we share – that make it worthwhile. Celebrating the spirit of wanderlust, our bespoke travel brand is dedicated to crafting the most carefully planned holidays, away from the rigmarole of urban life with those who matter. Our in-house creative team at A Travel Circle has the calibre to design an array of special interest vacations and unique bonding experiences for guests such as – milestone birthdays, anniversaries, or intimate celebrations – like bachelors and bachelorettes, multigenerational meet ups with family from around the world, or just quality time away with loved ones. Dedicated to creating exclusive travel experiences, we have a meticulously handpicked selection of the finest private villas or small boutique hotels for buy-outs, offering customised service that suit the lifestyle preferences of each guest. In India, A Travel Circle is a preferred partner for prominent luxury hospitality brands located across idyllic destinations globally, such as – Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Marriott International, Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts, Rosewood Hotels & Resorts and more, where consumers can benefit while booking directly with us. We are also a part of the Traveller Made network and have access to some of the most prestigious travel shows worldwide. These aspects differentiate us as expert curators of immersive travel experiences with insights into the latest trends. In the current times, the pandemic has made us realize the importance of family and friends even more, and many of us yearn to spend time together, away someplace, getting to know each other better or all over again. As the safety, privacy and convenience of our guests is paramount at every step of the travel planning process, we assure #CovidSafeJourneys where the they can enjoy #AllThingsPrivate. Sharing his vision for the launch, Pritish Shah - Founder & CEO said, - "A Travel Circle is the newest addition to our experiential travel brands. During the past 10 years of successfully curating travel journeys for couples, we frequently received requests from numerous guests wanting tailor-made experiences for their varied holiday requirements. We conducted a comprehensive market research to better understand the evolving preferences of this ultra-wealthy segment. Spending quality time in a fabulous setting and more importantly, to be able to bond with loved ones - emerged as the most prominent trends. This pandemic has fast tracked us to launch A Travel Circle, as the changing travel expectations in the new normal world align very well with our product offerings - private villas for social distancing, private jets to avoid commercial airports, highest standards in safety with our carefully selected hospitality partners and other service vendors.”

New Delhi, June 25, 2020: Beverage brand Pepsi®️ today announced #PepsiSaveOurRestaurants, a fund-raising initiative in association with the leading restaurant industry association, National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) and leading online food delivery aggregator Swiggy. With cause at the heart of it, the initiative aims at providing approximately 2.5 million meals to the workers of the restaurant community who are in distress. As part of the initiative, whenever any consumer adds any soft drink to his/her meal order on Swiggy from June 25, 2020 – July 19, 2020, Pepsi will contribute part of the proceeds in respect of each soft drink ordered to the NRAI COVID-19 Relief Corpus. This fund will be further used to provide meals (dry ration) to restaurant workers who have served us and are suffering due to these challenging times. The offer is valid on any packaged soft drinks ordered from restaurants listed on Swiggy platform which includes carbonated soft drinks, packaged iced tea, packaged juices & packaged juice-based drinks and is not restricted to just the purchase of Pepsi®️. Speaking about the initiative, PepsiCo India spokesperson said, “The environment that we operate in, matters to us. The restaurant industry is an integral part of our ecosystem and has been severely impacted by the ongoing health challenge. Both restaurants and restaurant workers are struggling. Hence, in our endeavor to find various meaningful ways to provide support to the ecosystem, we found that mobilizing a movement with consumers & providing food security support to our restaurant workers & their families who are in distress is a timely intervention and need of the hour. Through #PepsiSaveOurRestaurants, we are committed to supporting the ones in need and are extremely thankful to Swiggy and NRAI for their support and partnership for this initiative.” Srivats TS, VP - Marketing, Swiggy, said “During these times when the hospitality sector is facing major setbacks in adjusting to the ‘new normal’ and sustaining themselves, Swiggy is focused towards supporting the restaurant community in every way possible. As several restaurants evaluate their next course of action to remobilize their operations, we are happy to support #PepsiSaveOurRestaurants initiative along with NRAI towards striving to ensure that restaurant workers and their families don’t stay hungry. With this initiative, we hope to help the restaurant workers with an intent to stabilize their lives in these challenging times.” Anurag Katriar, President of NRAI; CEO & Executive Director of deGustibus Hospitality Pvt. Ltd., further added, “While the current pandemic has impacted every sector, it has perhaps manifested itself more sharply on the workforce in the restaurant sector because of the sheer volumes; after all we are the second largest employers of human capital in India after agriculture. In light of the magnitude of this problem, the initiative of Pepsi India to help the employees of the sector in distress is highly applaudable. On behalf of NRAI, I express my heartfelt gratitude to Pepsi India and thank them for their beautiful gesture and benevolent contribution. This contribution will help us provide food to families of thousands of marginalised workers in the industry and will further cement our relationship with Pepsi.”

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 22 June 2020: Travel trade professionals from across the world gathered in their thousands to attend the three-day Arabian Travel Market (ATM) Virtual, which debuted on 1-3 June 2020. The online event which attracted almost 12,000 attendees from 140 countries around the world, focused on the ME region’s tourism sector, addressed emerging trends, as well as the opportunities and the challenges which are directly impacting the travel and tourism industry amid the COVID-19 global health pandemic and beyond. In total, the event facilitated 11,301 prescheduled one-to-one meetings, of which over 92% were rated four or five, out of five stars. A series of one-to-one pre-scheduled 30-minute meetings between editors, exhibitors, and buyers also took place, and 23 live video sessions included Q&As and polls which ran alongside the presentations to enable audience interaction. Overall, the webinars had more than 24,000 views over the course of three days. Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market (ATM), said: “Considering that this was a debut event, the outcome clearly validated our strategy to virtually support and guide the region’s travel and tourism industry. The resilience and determination to get through these challenging times was clearly evident. “It also underscored our commitment to organise an event with positive and constructive business insight and opinion, as well as offering networking opportunities across the entire community. “There were so many highlights during the event, that it would be extremely difficult to single out any particular session. The event was seamless, each session complemented the next and it is also fair to say that the whole was greater than the sum of its parts.” The highlight of the opening day was an interview with Sir Tim Clark, President of Emirates Airline. During a discussion with aviation expert John Strickland, Sir Tim predicted a degree of tourism recovery during the course of 2021, and expectations for Emirates to be operating its network prior to COVID-19 by 22/23, 23/24. Another key event that took place on the first day was the Arival-run OTAs & Distribution for Tours & Attractions Post-COVID session, which explored the changes amid the rise of online travel agencies (OTAs), the re-opening of operations and what this means for tour and attraction operators across the Middle East. The much anticipated The Virtual ATM China Forum took an in-depth look at the potential of the Chinese outbound leisure market post COVID-19’s closed borders and what overseas destinations and attractions can do to reassure and convince Chinese tourists, of whom 45% are willing to travel overseas, that their destination is safe to visit. Other issues discussed included, technology, the role of international industry associations and the need for destinations to change their propositions, with a focus on safety, trust, and consumer confidence. Another highlight of the second day was the live webinar ‘Bouncing Back: Tourism Strategies for the Future’ where Keith Tan, CEO, Singapore Tourism Board, underscored the importance of governments implementing ‘green lanes’ to aid tourism recovery and promote bilateral travel agreements. He cited the common standards Singapore and China have implemented to allow travel between the two countries. The third and final day included the interview with Wizz Air CEO, Joszef Varadi where he confirmed his ambitions for the low-cost carrier’s impending move to operate out of Abu Dhabi, and their plans to have 100 aircrafts serving the GCC markets by 2035. Other highlights on the final day included the International Travel Investment Conference summit, the responsible tourism session, ‘The Implications of COVID-19 for Responsible Hospitality’, and the Influencers’ session, ‘Make Your Connection: Influencers as a Key Part of the Marketing Mix – COVID-19 The Road to Recovery. “As an organiser we have learnt a lot from this virtual experience and to give our seminar programme broader reach and greater inclusivity, we will certainly be looking to integrate more virtual elements into our physical show next year,” said Curtis. The sessions and other content are now available on demand via the WTM Global Hub. To view, please go to: https://hub.wtm.com/atm-virtual/

NEW DELHI, INDIA – June 18, 2020: As the hospitality industry begins to usher in the highly anticipated return to travel, Preferred Hotels & Resorts – the world’s largest independent hotel brand – is pleased to announce International Pineapple Week 2020, running from Saturday, June 20 through Saturday, June 27 (this year’s official International Pineapple Day). The campaign is set to celebrate independent hotels around the world as they begin to reopen their doors and connect them to a global community of interrupted travelers seeking inspiration for future adventures through the symbolism of the Preferred brand pineapple logo – the universal icon of hospitality. This year’s International Pineapple Week will feature the brand’s first-ever travel gift card offering, a digital postcard coloring contest, and pineapple-themed social media initiatives, all of which will be displayed on PreferredHotels.com/PineappleWeek and promoted via social media using #PreferredPineappleWeek. “There has never been a more appropriate time to celebrate the virtues of travel and its ability to make people better versions of themselves, as well as highlight the importance of demonstrating genuine hospitality to families, friends, neighbors, and strangers – something that our brand and independent hotels have championed for decades,” said Lindsey Ueberroth, CEO of Preferred Hotels & Resorts. “The Preferred Hotels & Resorts global network has always represented an unwavering belief in travel – even during the most challenging times, as we have recently witnessed. We are pleased to welcome all audiences to join in the 2020 International Pineapple Week celebrations as a way to become more familiar with the incredible experiences offered across our portfolio as hundreds of our member hotels begin to re-open, while finding inspiration for future travel and reconnecting with loved ones.” International Pineapple Week Debut: I Prefer Gift Cards with 20% Bonus Value As a symbol of gratitude to members of the brand’s loyalty program, I Prefer Hotel Rewards, Preferred Hotels & Resorts will debut I Prefer gift cards that are exclusively available for purchase during International Pineapple Week 2020. As a continuation of Preferred’s “Where Next?” global merchandising campaign that debuted in 2019, this special incentive invites travelers to purchase gift cards in denominations of US$100 and US$250 with no expiration date, which can be used towards future stays at participating hotels and resorts in the United States and the Caribbean. As an additional gesture of hospitality, every purchase will come with a 20% bonus value in the form of a US$20 or US$50 gift card, respectively. To purchase the gift certificates and for information on participating hotels and terms and conditions, travelers are invited to visit IPrefer.com between June 20-27, 2020. Pineapple Postcard Contest To fill the recent void of “snail mail” featuring fun greetings from loved ones during travels afar, Preferred will introduce a social media contest, issuing 20 limited-edition digital postcards with blank artwork of a selection of the brand’s celebrated member hotels for followers to print, color, and send virtually to loved ones for a chance to win a dream hotel stay for two people. All of the postcards, which were specially commissioned and designed by London-based artist Maxwell Tilse include a hidden pineapple in each design and will be released for download via PreferredHotels.com/PineappleWeek on Saturday, June 20. For a chance to win an experience at one of the 20 featured hotels, participants will be asked to share their completed postcard with a message on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Weibo, or WeChat that tags the brand’s social handle @PreferredHotels and the campaign hashtag #PreferredPineappleWeek. Three winners will be selected to enjoy a two-night luxury hotel stay for two people in 2021, inclusive of breakfast and a special pineapple-inspired treat. Preferred Pineapple Inspiration - Daily Recipes Each day of International Pineapple Week, Preferred will share pineapple-themed recipe cards on its brand social media channels, @PreferredHotels. Each recipe has been custom-crafted for International Pineapple Week by a selection of the brand’s member hotels from destinations around the world, and audiences will be encouraged to share photos or videos of their attempt to re-create them. Travelers wanting to access all of the dishes will find all of the recipe cards via PreferredHotels.com/PineappleWeek. Social Media and Microsite Activations Throughout the week, Preferred will share other inspiring and informative content across its digital channels, to include original and curated content such as imagery and video from member hotels, influencers, and opinion leaders, as well as pineapple recipe cards, travelers’ illustrated postcards, and I Prefer Hotel Rewards updates. PreferredHotels.com/PineappleWeek will serve as the hub of International Pineapple Week, housing all of the week’s activations and contributions from the travel community. The Pineapple’s Journey and Place in Hospitality As the story goes, the pineapple became the emblem of hospitality more than 500 years ago when seafarers sought places to relax in port towns and would look for homes that had pineapples hung in their entrance, a signal that those friendly locals would welcome them for a meal or place to sleep. Since then, the pineapple has been used to express that ‘you are welcome here’ in a multitude of ways including depictions in monuments and the designs of doors, gates, and entryways across cities worldwide. With a rich history of continuously inspiring travel and independent hospitality for over 52 years, Preferred Hotels & Resorts utilizes the pineapple as its brand logo to serve as a global guide for travelers, visually signifying that ‘you are welcome’ and inviting them to enjoy personalized and genuine luxury experiences across its portfolio of 750 one-of-a-kind, independent hotels and resorts in 85 countries. For more information on International Pineapple Week, visit PreferredHotels.com/PineappleWeek or join in on social via Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Weibo and WeChat. For more information on I Prefer Hotel Rewards and to purchase gift cards, visit IPrefer.com starting Saturday, June 20.

(Hong Kong, 17 June 2020) Shangri-La Group announced today that it is introducing the “Shangri-La Cares” commitment which elevates its already rigorous hygiene and safety protocols for all properties worldwide. As people look to travel in the future, health, safety and sustainability will remain top of mind, particularly as the world continues to react and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. “Shangri-La Cares” reinforces the Group’s commitment to caring for people, as well as its distinctive Asian hospitality as it begins welcoming guests back to hotels and resorts. “The health and safety of our colleagues and guests is of utmost priority. At Shangri-La, it is in our nature to look after people, to anticipate their needs and go above and beyond to ensure they have a memorable experience. We remain humble and true to our founding ethos with this commitment that will ensure we do our best to take care of people” said Lim Beng Chee, Chief Executive Officer of Shangri-La Group. “To meet new challenges and evolving customer expectations, we are focusing on enhanced hygiene protocols, elevating our standards and safeguarding our guests and colleagues’ well-being. We would like to convey our heartfelt care by creating a safe environment where everyone feels comfortable and trusts in our ability to ensure their safety and health - so that they can focus on moments that truly matter,” he added. With this in mind, Shangri-La Group has rolled out a pilot programme at select hotels which have been operating throughout April and May, to refine additional health and safety protocols and to expand on already rigorous operational protocols with respect to the pandemic situation. All new procedures and protocols form the cornerstone of an ongoing commitment which will be introduced globally in June 2020 to ensure guests have complete confidence and peace of mind during their stay. Implementing Enhanced Cleanliness Protocols and Procedures Shangri-La has followed recommendations laid out by the World Health Organization or more stringent local directives where appropriate, to ensure its operational protocols are comprehensive. Concrete measures have been adopted at all hotels and resorts to combat the risk of COVID-19 so that guests can feel safe when staying at or visiting its properties. These protocols include: ● Increased frequency and full attention to deep cleaning of all high-touch surfaces and areas used by guests throughout the hotels; ● Use of medical grade sanitisers and disinfectants which are approved by the United States Environmental Protection Agency; ● Increased cleaning frequency of air filters and air-conditioner systems to ensure optimal air quality; ● Safe dining, meetings and events with extra precautions to respect physical distancing and enhanced food safety practices. Enabling Our People Caring for people is the bedrock of Shangri-La’s service value. To reinforce the strong culture of health and safety, the Group has enhanced training, learning and development resources for colleagues on essential preparatory and prevention measures. This includes direction on cleaning and sanitisation frequency, ultimately enabling them to better serve guests and safeguard their own well-being. This training is certified by long-term partner and global hygiene solutions provider, Diversey. As a leading global hygiene and cleaning company, Diversey specialises in developing cleaning and hygiene technologies across industry sectors, such as health care, hospitality, retail and food services. Colleagues will also be equipped with personal protective equipment where necessary. Shangri-La will continue to build awareness on sanitation standards, as well as developing programmes for colleagues on stringent personal hygiene practices to ensure a safe work environment.

16th June 2020, New Delhi: Let’s face it; how we live, work and travel may never be the same again. At Kandima Maldives we believe in continuous innovation and are working super hard to meet the new normal head on and bring you extraordinary experiences that are playful, different and fresh. To us, change is a good thing! We know many of you are missing the Maldives’ crystal clear waters so today we are oh-so excited to launch our totally immersive, state-of-the-art virtual platform - Kandima D.I.V.E (Digitally Immersive Virtual Experiences) Looking to plan your next romantic escape, or downtime with family, or an adventure with friends? D.I.V.E. gives you a little taste what you are in for and lets you reimagine your favourite tropiKal paradise with just the click of a button. All you need to do is sit back & relax in the comfort of your home and we’ll take you to our snow white beaches, dip your feet into clear blue waters, let you sunbathe on the deck of your water villa or soak in the amazing vibes at all the Kool places around the resort. Explore our oh-so-exotic 3 km long island as we tell you our story. Seeing is believing! So, want to join us on a D.I.V.E.? Simply visit Kandima.com/dive and take an exciting digital plunge into the amazing world of everything at Kandima Maldives. We now no longer need traditional brochures or pamphlets – D.I.V.E is a multi-sensory journey through an interactive 360° virtual world that takes customer engagement to a whole new level. D.I.V.E. is available for viewing on any device including VR headsets, desktops, smartphones or tablets, with a multi-dimensional sound experience as you swim through #YourKindOfPlace! Too much already? Wait, there is more! D.I.V.E helps our trade partners to be better equipped through immersive training where we can educate their staff by providing them an in-depth and interactive experience or the resort, helping them visualize the property better for effective sales. We can take site inspections to a new level with guided group tours where you can explore our rooms and restaurants in 360 views, ask questions in real-time and get feedback on the spot while still in a virtual tour. Kandima Maldives makes sure that no presentation is boring and adds some magiK in all its experiences. #KInnovation Mr. Brett Castleman, General Manager for the resort said “Kandima Maldives has been the first mover in terms of new and innovative lifestyle experiences in the destination, D.I.V.E. is yet another remarkable virtual platform that will help our trade partners to be future ready. Our partners can experience and conduct the virtual tours remotely throughout the property. They not only navigate through the resort showcasing an immersive 360°view, but also have a fully interactive session with an ability to see the host and converse with everyone joined on the virtual tour. We want to equip our partners to be able to offer a ‘never seen before’ 360° immersive experience of the outstanding amenities to their clients. As we prepare to welcome back our guests to the New Maldives, at Kandima - ‘what you see is what you get’, with real visuals and walk-throughs from different experiences or decks across the resort.” Want more? Watch out for our Kool and exciting additions to make you want to D.I.V.E deeper! Stay tuned for the lots more game changing experiences from your K’ Krew – we can’t wait to have you back with us! #AnythingButOrdinary Enter the world of Kandima where the virtual will just become a term added to reality! http://kandima.com/index.php/en/kool-things/dive

11th June, New Delhi: Airbnb launches Go Near, a new initiative to support economic growth through domestic travel. The announcement comes as local travel begins to recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and as the world begins to travel again. Our booking data shows that travel globally is beginning to bounce back and new research has identified a series of trends that will shape travel in the weeks and months to come. This fact sheet details the steps we are taking to work with local communities and our efforts to best serve hosts and guests around the world based on the trends we are seeing. 1. Partnering with local communities to promote travel and economic growth We are working with governments and tourist agencies to help restore travel in a responsible way that benefits local citizens and small businesses economically. In India we have signed partnerships with SEWA, Princess Diya Kumari Foundation and Nagaland Tourism to promote community-based tourism. What we have found is that as people travel again, conscious choices and preference for sustainable travel will lead recovery, benefiting communities and encouraging safe travel. ● SEWA hosts have earned almost $18,000 (INR 1.45 million) by hosting over 700 guests from across 15 different countries. In 2019, our SEWA hosts’ earnings from hosting increased by 25 percent compared with the previous year. ● The in-person experiences we offer in partnership with the Princess Diya Kumari Foundation in Jaipur also give visitors the opportunity to learn local crafts from rural women in Rajasthan, which in turn helps them market their products better and aids them in taking the next step towards financial self-sufficiency. ● Holidays in farms, nature holidays off the beaten track, and other unique destinations that are a road trip away may do well. This will also be a sensible choice as local small-scale businesses will be supported benefiting the local economy, and for travellers it will also result in more unique, individual experiences. The effort to make the Airbnb platform available as a tool for community recovery is also informed by data on how Airbnb has supported economic empowerment in the past. For example, in India, Airbnb had an estimated direct economic impact of around $150 million (over INR 1,035 crore), with Indian hosts earning over INR 190 crore in 2018. 2. Go Near In a survey commissioned by Airbnb, nearly half of respondents in the US said that they would prefer to stay within a day’s drive for their first trip once lockdown restrictions lifted 1 . Since the pandemic began, the percentage of bookings made on Airbnb which have been within 300 kms ( a round trip travelers can generally complete on one tank of fuel), has grown from one-third in February to over a half of all bookings in May. In India, 51% of our business comprises domestic bookings (people from India travelling within the country). In addition, search trends and Wish Lists by Airbnb users in India indicate that long lockdowns have only piqued interest in and aspirations to travel, once the lockdown is eased. Key domestic markets for Airbnb are Goa, New Delhi, Rajasthan, Mumbai & Bangalore, but we are also seeing a surge in searches for stay options in nearby cities especially near metros like Alibag, Lonavala, Panchgani near Mumbai. We have seen through travel trends that summer travel is top of mind. The most common words in recent Wish Lists by Airbnb users are ‘beach’ and ‘summer 2020’, and in India, 70% of visitors to the platform (many of whom are exploring stays for couples, with friends, and for families) are searching with dates in the near future (starting July 2020). As states in India open up, driving holidays, experiential travel, rural & farm stays and generally conscious travel choices, are some of the biggest trends emerging from India. 3. Social Connection The power of connections is strong even when people can’t travel. We have seen close to 50,000 bookings of more than 400 Online Experiences since the offering was launched less than two months ago, making Online Experiences the fastest-growing product Airbnb has launched. ● India is one of the most popular markets for Online Experiences in terms of bookings in the APAC region. There has been a 3x increase in bookings from India since we launched Online Experiences over a month ago. ● Across APAC, the top Online Experiences users are booking are in the Food & Drink, Sports & Wellness and Art & Culture categories. Bring the Flavors of India to Life at Home (from New Delhi, India) is a Top 5 APAC Online Experience, which features a host offering know-how on traditional Indian cooking. This is one of the most booked Experiences in India, with over 130 reviews in less than a month. It is also priced at $19/ INR 1,500. ● We are working with other local influencers and experts to teach yoga, fitness, cocktail-making and cooking across different cities in India. 4. Affordable Travel With the prospect of an economic downturn, people are looking for more affordable ways to travel as well as make money, while businesses are communities are looking forward to the economic benefits that travel brings. ● Two fifths (38 percent) of Americans surveyed said that their financial circumstances have changed for the worse due to the pandemic and 37 percent expect to spend less on travel over the next 12 months compared to what they spent in 2019. ● Even with reduced travel, Airbnb has the potential to generate millions of dollars for local economies. ● Near-city travel and road trips may be a more affordable option in India for travellers, given this consideration. Gen Z travellers, who may be the first generation that takes to travel, may also look to exercise budget-friendly options for travel, through unique stays and nature/adventure experiences. Addressing the new campaign, Amanpreet Bajaj, Country Manager - Airbnb India, said, “We believe that the pursuit of human connection and experiences is perennial. For India, the launch of ‘Go Near’ is a reflection on people’s desire to travel closer home to some really amazing domestic destinations that India has to offer - the trends show us that people are eager to travel once again with new considerations of safety. Airbnb will continue to follow guidance from local officials and encourage safe, responsible travel and work to ensure guests have great experiences. At Airbnb we are also going back to our roots, ensuring our hosts are heard, and making sure that we are doing everything we can in partnership with authorities to help them in their economic recovery”. As part of that work, in April, we announced that we had engaged former US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy to help develop an industry standard-setting Enhanced Cleaning Protocol for hosts on Airbnb. This Protocol, which includes a step-by-step cleaning handbook designed for everyday hosts, is now available to hosts in the United States and will be available to hosts around the world in the weeks ahead. Hosts who attest to following the program will have a specific highlight on their listing making it easy for guests to identify and book listings that follow the first overarching standardized protocol for cleaning and sanitization in the home sharing industry. The Enhanced Cleaning Protocol has been developed in consultation with leading experts in hospitality and medical hygiene, with tools and support to help hosts meet these standards.

India – Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Scoot has implemented several measures to safeguard the health of our customers and crew. Scoot will be further enhancing its operational procedures and introducing additional precautionary measures to allow customers to travel with even greater confidence. Scoot CEO Campbell Wilson said: “Scoot has been at the frontlines of the fight against COVID-19 from the start, with our highest priority always being the health and safety of our customers and crew. As travel starts to resume, we are working closely with regulators and health experts to implement a comprehensive suite of enhanced measures to ensure the highest possible standards of hygiene, and to give our customers peace of mind that they can fly with Scoot safely.” These enhanced precautions are: 1. When Booking Flights a) Temporary suspension of products and services Scoot will be suspending certain products and services to minimise contact between crew and customers, and to facilitate effective contact tracing. These are: • FlyBagEat and ScootPlus • Board Me First (priority boarding) • Extra Cabin Bag • Online Seat Selection • Inflight seat upgrade • Meals and beverages will not be available for purchase online and onboard, food packs will be pre-placed on seats where applicable. • Inflight duty-free shopping will also not be available. • Snooze Kit 2. Pre-Flight a) Submission of health declaration forms Customers are required to complete a health declaration form prior to check-in. Forms may be completed at Scoot check-in kiosks or via an online form accessible through an SMS notification 24 hours prior to flight departure. b) Bring a mask All customers are required to bring and wear a mask to board their flight, which must be worn throughout the flight. c) Temperature screening Temperature screening will be conducted prior to boarding1 and any customers with a temperature of 37.5 degrees and above (or as otherwise stipulated by local regulation) will not be allowed to board. These customers can re-book to travel at a later date when they are well, or they can call Scoot’s call centre to obtain a refund. 2. Pre-Flight a) Submission of health declaration forms Customers are required to complete a health declaration form prior to check-in. Forms may be completed at Scoot check-in kiosks or via an online form accessible through an SMS notification 24 hours prior to flight departure. b) Bring a mask All customers are required to bring and wear a mask to board their flight, which must be worn throughout the flight. c) Temperature screening Temperature screening will be conducted prior to boarding1 and any customers with a temperature of 37.5 degrees and above (or as otherwise stipulated by local regulation) will not be allowed to board. These customers can re-book to travel at a later date when they are well, or they can call Scoot’s call centre to obtain a refund. d) Limit on cabin baggage Previously, Scoot permitted up to 10kg cabin baggage in Economy Class. With effect from 1 June 2020, Scoot will allow each customer one small piece of carry-on baggage of up to 3kg that must fit under the seat in front of them, so as to facilitate safe distancing for passengers during security clearance, boarding and disembarkation. The remaining cabin baggage (up to 7kg) will be checked in at no cost. e) Self-service check-in To minimise physical interactions, Scoot strongly encourages customers to check in online on FlyScoot.com or via our mobile app. Alternatively, they can use the selfservice check-in kiosks and automated bag-drop facilities at Changi Airport. f) Implementation of safe distancing measures Safe distancing measures will be put in place at gate-hold rooms and queuing areas including check-in kiosks, gate-hold rooms and before boarding. Scoot strongly encourages all customers to arrive at the airport early to ensure there is sufficient time for the additional pre-flight procedures. 3. In-Flight a) Seat assignment for contact tracing and safe distancing To facilitate contact tracing and safe distancing, customers will be assigned seats when they check in. Where possible, Scoot will endeavour to seat customers travelling with family, or customers in the same booking, together. Customers should not change seats in-flight. b) Inflight service changes All Scoot flights will operate with limited in-flight service with no sale of food and beverage items or duty-free shopping products. Instead, refreshments that have been packaged following strict food safety standards will be pre-placed on seats to limit physical interactions between customers and crew. c) Always wear a mask Customers are required to keep their masks on throughout the flight, except in specified circumstances (e.g. eating, drinking or taking oral medication). d) Observe safe distancing measures Customers are required to observe safe distancing measures when not seated, including during boarding and disembarkation, and when queueing to use a lavatory. e) Cabin hygiene Scoot will be making hand sanitisers available on board our flights for use by customers and crew. Lavatories will also be regularly cleaned and disinfected, at least three times in an hour. f) Provision of passenger care kit for hygiene Care kits consisting of items like anti-bacterial wipes, sanitizer and a surgical mask will be pre-placed on each seat for our customers’ personal use. g) Removal of seatback literature Seatback literature such as the Scoot Café Menu, the Scoot in-flight magazine and Scootalogue duty-free shopping catalogue have been removed from seat pockets to reduce surface contact. The safety card and airsick bag will remain. h) HEPA air filtration systems Scoot’s aircraft are equipped with cabin air filtration systems that have High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters, which are up to 99.98% effective at trapping microscopic particles such as small as bacteria and viruses. These air filters have a similar performance to those used in hospital operating rooms and are replaced at regular intervals in accordance with manufacturer’s guidance. Air flows into and out of the cabin on a continuous basis, from top to bottom, with cabin air refreshed every two to three minutes (or 20-30 times hourly). i) Infectious disease handling protocol Scoot has in place a set of standard operating procedures for crew to handle inflight medical emergencies, including managing and segregating customers who may develop symptoms of potentially infectious diseases during flights. This includes a designated seating area for passengers who become unwell. j) Precautionary measures for cabin crew and pilots All Scoot crew undergo pre-flight temperature taking, are required to monitor and report their health, and must wear the appropriate Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) while on duty. For Scoot crew, these comprise a mask, gloves and face shield. The crew are also aware that if they are unwell, they should see a doctor immediately and not report for work. Crew members reporting for duty must not have any symptoms or physical contact with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 cases. The crew will also be seated at a designated section of the aircraft, at least 2m away from customers and will be using a separate lavatory. 4. Post-Flight a) Enhanced aircraft cleaning procedures Scoot has enhanced operating procedures for cleaning our aircraft, which include thorough cleaning of the aircraft’s interiors including surface wipe-downs, deep cleaning of the aircraft’s lavatory systems with the appropriate disinfectants, and fogging of the aircraft to ensure disinfectant mist is evenly spread across all surfaces in the interior of the aircraft. Aerosol spray disinfectants are also uplifted as a backup should the standard disinfection procedures be unavailable. To give customers added confidence, in case they need to amend their travel plans after booking, Scoot has extended its offer of a one-time free date change to all bookings made from now till the end of June 2020. Scoot will continue to monitor the situation, as well as evolving regulatory guidance, and will review our procedures as required to ensure our customers can fly with us safely, with peace of mind.

During an interview with aviation industry consultant John Strickland, during ATM Virtual, Wizz Air CEO, Joszef Varadi, confirmed his ambitions for the low-cost carrier’s impending move to operate out of Abu Dhabi. “If you look at what we’ve been able to achieve in the EU, we managed to grow our fleet to 100 aircraft over the last 15 years and we should be able to do the same thing in Abu Dhabi.” Expanding on his forecast, he added, “You should be looking at our platform, not necessarily just Abu Dhabi, we want to serve the UAE and possibly the broader GCC markets.” Celebrating its 16th anniversary, Wizz Air employs more than 4,500 people and flew 40 million passengers, to 151 airports in 44 countries, on 710 routes last year. It has a young fleet of 120 Airbus aircraft with an option to buy a further 20 Airbus A321XLR aircraft, the most cost-efficient aircraft of its type. Varadi went to talk about the current situation and the desire to travel, versus the ability to travel. He claimed that his customers were motivated to travel especially younger customers, who generally are more adventurous and less affected by the pandemic. However, the inconsistent response from different governments to the COVID-19 situation was not supporting the industry and that a framework of regulations was needed, to enable aviation to recover. “Airports did well after 9/11 introducing heightened security measures and we need similar measures regarding health and safety. While airports and airlines are quiet it is easier to practice social distancing, but not when we start to become busier,” he said. Regarding onboard health and safety, Varadi believes the industry is stepping up. But measures such as simply blocking the middle seat, or implementing onboard distancing, is impractical and will not work. “There is no scientific evidence to suggest any passengers have contracted the virus while flying. In fact, the air filtration onboard aircraft is comparable with an intensive care unit,” he said. He also made an interesting comparison. “Why is going to the restaurant, or the supermarket, safer than boarding an aircraft, when we can manage and trace our passengers more easily? “However, I do support wearing masks, hand sanitising, disinfecting and reducing the amount of high touch points such as cash payments for onboard catering and inflight magazines,” he said. According to Strickland, Wizz Air has funding totalling 1.5 billion euros and current ‘operating’ expenses of 90 million euros per month during the summer and 70 million euros per month during the winter, which compares favourably with Lufthansa which is burning through one million euros per hour! When asked about surviving the current coronavirus crisis, Varadi had a typically upbeat message. “It’s all about liquidity and what that provides to your business. If we do not fly a single passenger for the next 24 months we will still be in business, so we are well positioned to take advantage of the situation,” he said. Coming out of the crisis, Varadi believes that the ensuing recession will also create greater challenges for the industry than the outbreak itself. Short-haul, low-cost carriers such as Wizz Air will be better placed to recover initially, because the lowest costs prevail. Some passengers will also look to downgrade from legacy carriers to save money. In terms of corporate travel, companies will look to reduce their expenses post COVID-19, so corporate travel will take longer to recover. But he believes that would also be of benefit to Wizz Air, as businesses look for more cost-effective flights. The aviation industry has been a recurring theme throughout the three-day virtual event and included an interview with aviation industry veteran Sir Tim Clark, President of Emirates Airline with respected aviation expert John Strickland, Director of JLS Consulting during the opening session, where he outlined the company’s response to COVID-19 and its impact on their future strategy. Also on day one, was the ‘Communicating and Building Confidence Now’ session led by Travel Weekly Executive Editor, Ian Taylor. The panel of global travel leaders provided thought leadership on empathetic communication during a crisis and included Dr. Taleb Rifai, Chairman, International Institute of Peace for Tourism (IIPT) and former Secretary General of the UNWTO; Bernard Dunn, President, Middle East, North Africa and Turkey, Boeing; Gerald Lawless, World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) ambassador and Director of ITIC; and Haitham Mattar, CEO, Beyond Tourism. In addition, a webinar by Cirium, the data intelligence experts, which took place on the final day of the virtual event, showcased the power of analytics in supporting business performance. The Ministry of Tourism Saudi Arabia and the Italian Tourist Board are both Gold sponsors of ATM Virtual. ATM Virtual concluded on Wednesday 3rd June 2020. This session is available on demand until tomorrow (Friday 5th June) for those who are already registered. For access, please go to: atmvirtual.eventnetworking.com/online-conference/1579 Those who did not register for ATM Virtual will be able to access the session from next week on the WTM Global Hub: hub.wtm.com.

At a time when face to face communication has not be possible as a result of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the face of travel technology has evolved with consumers turning to messaging to interact with all forms of travel brands from airlines to hotels and resorts, industry experts revealed during the debut Travel Forward at ATM Virtual event. During the month of March 2020 alone, messaging increased by more than 50% in many of the countries hardest hit by the global health crisis, according to the latest data from Facebook, with over 20 billion messages currently exchanged with businesses every month on Messenger. During Travel Forward session Conversational Commerce for Travel Brands, Facebook’s Head of Destinations & Events, Sara Gentile, and Head of Aviation & Hospitality MENA, Ameen Malhas, provided insights into what travel technology will have to offer beyond 2020, including the potential c-commerce will have in helping travel and hospitality brands to connect and transact with consumers. “Travellers value personalisation from brands and this trend is only likely to heighten in a post-COVID-19 world, with around 54% of travellers who opt to book with online travel agents (OTAs) seeking on-location recognition from brands. Adding to this, the top three engagement travellers seek from aviation and hospitality brands are live updates, discounts and helpful tips,” said Sara Gentile. “By combining chat with automated and AI-driven systems, brands can target information and offers precisely to individual travellers. This increases relevance, which is exactly what people want, with an overwhelming majority more likely to buy from brands that remember who they are and that provide relevant recommendations.” Personalisation isn’t the only factor driving the popularity of messaging in today’s society, convenience, immediacy and scalability also make it well suited for engaging with travellers. However, the execution must be right to succeed. “Ultimately, messaging must be responsive and sophisticated to meet consumers’ needs – especially during these challenging times when travellers want interactions to be fast and efficient,” said Ameen Malhas. “A messaging system which is executed correctly - with a clear strategic role, anticipates what consumers want to talk about with the help of innovative technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and is built around a strong ecosystem - can be a powerful and convenient tool for engaging consumers and driving purchase intent.” As governments begin to lift lockdown restrictions across the Middle East, businesses are cautiously re-opening workplaces with strict social distancing measures in place and asking employees to travel again. During the final Travel Forward session of day two, Technology and the New Normal, Heidi Myers, Head of Marketing, EMEA, Uber for Business, discussed how technology can be a force for good and support businesses in the challenge of the ‘new normal’ that we are beginning to embrace. According to a recent survey conducted by Uber, around 44% of businesses said employee safety is their primary concern, with 60% of employers saying they will only allow essential workers to commute and 33% of organisations surveyed considering implementing daily commute programmes. With getting to work in the post COVID-19 landscape a primary concern for a large number of employees and a stressful commute sited as one of the leading causes of employee dissatisfaction and turnover, Uber are implementing a number of stringent hygiene and safety procedures in an attempt to support businesses during this challenging period. Heidi Myers, said: “At Uber, the safety of both our employees and our customers is of prime importance and as a result, in line with government and public health authority guidance in the regions in which we operate, we have implemented a number of strict health & safety procedures. “Before drivers can begin using the Uber app, they are fully screened and provided with access to resources and education which focus on how to wear a mask properly, how to wash their hands in line with guidance and how to disinfect their vehicle. “In addition, both drivers and riders are required to wear masks or face coverings in most countries, with drivers required to verify through our Selfie-Verification technology that they are wearing a mask which fully covers their nose and mouth.” With Global Exhibitions Day 2020, taking place today (3rd June), WTM London will be using the event to tell the world it will be open for business as usual at the ExCel in London this November. Due to the devastation caused by the global COVID-19 pandemic, GED2020’s message is a simple one: Exhibition are key to rebuilding economies. Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market, said: “As we look ahead to restarting and rebuilding the global travel and tourism industry, exhibitions such as ATM and WTM London will be a crucial platform for kick-starting global economies. “The debut ATM Virtual has been a huge success and has further underscored ATM’s mission to support and guide the region’s vast travel and tourism industry during and beyond COVID-19.” Also part of the debut Travel Forward on day two was the ‘How Cross-Sector Collaboration is Key to Igniting Economic Growth in the Tourism Industry in the MENA Region and Beyond’ session moderated by Intelak Manager, Mia Jafari. The panel discussed how cross-sector collaboration between the government, corporates and start-ups will create the fertile ground for economic growth in the travel sector post COVID-19. Other sessions taking place today include an interview with Wizz Air CEO, Joszef Varadi; the International Travel Investment Conference summit and the responsible tourism session, ‘The Implications of COVID-19 for Responsible Hospitality’, followed by the Influencers’ session titled ‘Make Your Connection: Influencers as a Key Part of the Marketing Mix – COVID-19 The Road to Recovery’. Videos of all sessions will be available on demand – to view them, please log on to atmvirtual.eventnetworking.com/online-conference/ Concluding the event this afternoon is a webinar titled ‘What are you doing to energise your operational performance?’, which will discuss the power of data analytics in helping to maximise performance. ATM Virtual concludes today, Wednesday 3rd June 2020, however a series of independently moderated, roundtables are available on-demand and include ‘The Future of Corporate Travel’ led by Breaking Travel News; The Changing Face of Luxury Family Travel hosted by Destinations of the World News; ‘The New Normal: What the Future Looks Like for the Hotel and Tourism Industry’ and ‘Middle East: The New Asian Source Market’ both by Trav Talk Middle East, as well as TTN Middle East’s ‘Challenges Faced Today by the Travel Providers’ and ‘Latest travel updates, projections and upcoming trends and focus on near-, mid- and long-term travel prospects’. The Ministry of Tourism Saudi Arabia and the Italian Tourist Board are both Gold sponsors of ATM Virtual.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 3 June 2020: Tourism strategies to support industry recovery and the use of technology and analytics to create resilience, took centre stage on the second afternoon of Arabian Travel Market’s virtual event, ATM Virtual. The ‘Bouncing back: tourism strategies for the future’ session, which took place on Tuesday 2nd June, discussed the long-term tourism development strategies put in place by the region’s governments to provide a catalyst to recovery when travel patterns return to relative normality. The panel, which was moderated by industry consultant Gemma Greenwood, included Fahd Hamidaddin, Chief of Investment, Strategy and Tourism Marketing, Ministry of Tourism Saudi Arabia and Keith Tan, CEO, Singapore Tourism Board. “We are trying to do things at a bilateral level with countries that we feel we can move forward with. We have announced initiatives such as ‘green lanes’ and introduced the idea of ‘travel bubbles’. For example, in our negotiations with China, we have agreed common standards to permit travel and we hope to replicate this with other countries, not dissimilar to the idea of free trade agreements,” said Tan “We all agree that we don’t want to develop a patchwork of different standards and requirements. But this is not going to be easy,” he added. Discussing the measure implemented by Saudi Arabia, Hamidaddin highlighted the importance of the industry and the need for government support to help the tourism industry recover. “We look at the tourism sector from a strategic perspective in Saudi Arabia, but we also realise that this sector contributed 20% of all jobs in the last five years, across the world, underscoring the importance that must be placed on the sector by governments,” said Hamidaddin. “Our job is to help the private sector survive and weather as much as we can during this pandemic. As such, Saudi Arabia launched a US$61 billion stimulus package that went into multiple tracks, including waiving licensing and tourism fees as well as deferring VAT and government fees for all SMEs, helping those most in need,” he added. During the session, Tan outlined the importance of being able to react quickly and develop partnerships between the public-private sectors to address the pandemic. "The government can't do everything. It is therefore important to have tight public-private partnerships. As early as February, we had announced the formation of the Tourism Recovery Action taskforce, comprising private sector individuals and key players from within the government. "This was designed to layout plans, not only for recovery, but crisis communications, how we engage with the sector, and how we translate the advisories and directives from the health ministry to the tourism sector. This has proven to be very effective,” said Tan. Also addressing strategies for recovery was the ‘Catapulting Resilience through Technology and Analytics’ session, moderated by Lee Hayhurst, Executive Editor of Travel Weekly. He was joined by a panel of international industry experts including Tony Smyth, Senior Vice President, iFree Group; Carlos Cendra, Chief Marketing Officer, Mabrian Technologies; Akemi Tsunagawa, Founder & CEO, Bespoke; Robin Ingle, CEO, Ingle International; and Gavin Harris, Commercial Director, Skyscanner. Each discussed the development of applications and services addressing the varied needs due to the impact of COVID-19, such as managing frontline medical volunteers, analysing where to find demand, tracking, tracing, and training. According to the global search engine, Skyscanner, there are some early signs of green shoots in terms of search traffic. According to the company’s most recent weekly pulse survey, which monitors global sites, an overall improvement has been witnessed week-on-week. Harris outlined the confidence of travellers to fly, with 70% of Skyscanner’s global passengers feeling safe enough to travel on an international flight in the next six months. However, when discussing flying within a three-month time period, confidence levels fell to 24%. From a domestic perspective, the confidence to travel on flights within a six-month period increased to 89% and, globally, Middle East and European passengers were the most confident overall when compared to other regions around the world. Other sessions taking place today, the third and final day of the debut ATM Virtual (Wednesday 3rd June), include an interview with Wizz Air CEO, Joszef Varadi; the International Travel Investment Conference summit and the responsible tourism session, ‘The Implications of COVID-19 for Responsible Hospitality’, followed by the Influencers’ session titled ‘Make Your Connection: Influencers as a Key Part of the Marketing Mix – COVID-19 The Road to Recovery’. Videos of all sessions will be available on demand – to view them, please log on to atmvirtual.eventnetworking.com/online-conference/ Concluding the event this afternoon is a webinar titled ‘What are you doing to energise your operational performance?’, which will discuss the power of data analytics in helping to maximise performance. ATM Virtual concludes today, Wednesday 3rd June 2020, however a series of independently moderated, roundtables are available on-demand and include ‘The Future of Corporate Travel’ led by Breaking Travel News; The Changing Face of Luxury Family Travel hosted by Destinations of the World News; ‘The New Normal: What the Future Looks Like for the Hotel and Tourism Industry’ and ‘Middle East: The New Asian Source Market’ both by Trav Talk Middle East, as well as TTN Middle East’s ‘Challenges Faced Today by the Travel Providers’ and ‘Latest travel updates, projections and upcoming trends and focus on near-, mid- and long-term travel prospects’. The Ministry of Tourism Saudi Arabia and the Italian Tourist Board are both Gold sponsors of ATM Virtual.

● A joint survey by Ivy Alliance, CCT and PATA has found that 60% of Chinese intend to travel in 2020 and 45% are willing to travel abroad ● According to China Tourism Academy, 155 million Chinese tourists travelled overseas in 2019 ● Chinese visitors spent $277.3 billion in 2018 making it the top outbound market With the spread of coronavirus under control and domestic leisure travel growing, Middle East travel professionals are now looking to China to initiate international tourism. A joint survey conducted by the Ivy Alliance Tourism Consulting, China Comfort Travel Group (CCT), and Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), was discussed by a panel of experts during the three-day ATM Virtual event that is currently taking place. The Virtual ATM China Tourism Forum, took an in-depth look at the potential of the Chinese outbound leisure market post COVID-19’s closed borders and what overseas destinations and attractions can do to reassure and convince Chinese tourists, that their destination is safe to visit. Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director Middle East, Arabian Travel Market, said: “In China we are already witnessing the green-shoots of recovery and many industry experts are looking to China to kickstart international tourism.” Moderated by Dr. Adam Wu, the panellists for this session, included Dr. Taleb Rifai, Chairman, International Institute of Peace for Tourism (IIPT) and former Secretary General of the UNWTO; Helen Shapovalova, Founder & Director, Pan Ukraine; Lisa Dinh, Tourism Director, VIA Outlets and Tony Ong, Chief Business Officer and Vice President of HCG International Travel Group, which has over 7000 local travel agents across China focusing on outbound travel. Dr. Rifai, opened the debate comparing COVID-19 to other crises that the industry has faced in the past. “After 9/11, people had to get used to security restrictions such as removing their shoes and belts, no liquids, now that is a way of life. People are now afraid to travel, but things will change, new protocols will be introduced and the quicker that happens the more trust and confidence will be communicated, bringing travellers back.” He also added that governments need to cooperate by signing bi-lateral agreements and an international certification programme would help to standardise levels of sanitisation and general protocol. Helen Shapovalova commented that ecotourism would be major trend when international travel restrictions were lifted. “Natural settings with green open spaces, mountains, rivers and fresh air will play a big part post COVID-19.” Shopping has always been a top attraction for Chinese tourists especially luxury goods and Lisa Dinh, expected changes here as well, balancing risk management with the customer experience. “Trust is the new currency. The demand is still there, but health and safety and relationship building will be key. Training will be essential to changing mindset.” Other issues discussed included, technology, the role of international industry associations and why destinations need to change their propositions, safety, trust and consumer confidence were often cited throughout the hour-long debate. Returning to the survey, nearly half of those questioned said they preferred group tours but given the coronavirus outbreak, many Chinese would now travel, in smaller groups catering for better social distancing. Tony Ong remarked, “Groups will be smaller, reduced to 10-50 people, which will probably happen one to two months after the borders have opened.” Other sessions today (Tuesday 2nd June) included, ‘Bouncing Back: Tourism Strategies for the Future’ and ‘Catapulting Resilience Through Technology and Analytics’. Videos of both sessions are now available on demand – to view them, please log on to atmvirtual.eventnetworking.com/register/ The third and final day of the debut ATM Virtual will feature an interview with Wizz Air CEO, Joszef Varadi, taking place from 11am – 12pm GST (8am – 9am BST), while the International Travel Investment Conference summit, will discuss sustainable investment measures for the Middle East travel and tourism sector to restore travellers’ confidence post-pandemic. The responsible tourism session, ‘The Implications of Covid-19 for Responsible Hospitality’, will also take place on day three, followed by the Influencers’ session titled ‘Make Your Connection: Influencers as a Key Part of the Marketing Mix – COVID-19 The Road to Recovery’. This session will feature a panel of prominent travel and lifestyle influencers discussing the importance of creating relevant, engaging, and impactful travel and lifestyle content in the current climate of best practices. A special networking event focusing on the Influencer Tourism market will follow. Concluding the event is a webinar titled ‘What are you doing to energise your operational performance?’, which will discuss the power of data analytics in helping to maximise performance. There will also be a series of independently moderated, roundtables designed to discuss emerging hot topics such as domestic travel, luxury travel trends, corporate travel, food travel and tourism recovery plans. Day three will kick-off with the ‘Will Hygiene Surpass Price, Facilities and Services, in the ‘New Normal’ Hotel Experience?’ live webinar from 10am – 10.45am GST (7am – 7.45am BST), moderated by Hotelier Middle East editor Claudia de Brito. Other round tables are available on demand and include ‘The Future of Corporate Travel’ led by Breaking Travel News; The Changing Face of Luxury Family Travel hosted by Destinations of the World News; ‘The New Normal: What the Future Looks Like for the Hotel and Tourism Industry’ and ‘Middle East: The New Asian Source Market’ both by Trav Talk Middle East, as well as TTN Middle East’s ‘Challenges Faced Today by the Travel Providers’ and ‘Latest travel updates, projections and upcoming trends and focus on near-, mid- and long-term travel prospects’. The Ministry of Tourism Saudi Arabia and the Italian Tourist Board are both Gold sponsors of ATM Virtual. ATM Virtual runs until Wednesday 3rd June 2020. To register for the event, please visit: atmvirtual.eventnetworking.com/register/

· Hotels must not drop rates to increase occupancy, instead they should adapt to ‘new normal’ - embracing innovative technologies and being creative with offerings · Global set of transparent hospitality standa rds relating to health, safety and hygiene will be key in regaining trust of travellers Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 2 June 2020: Developing a global set of transparent hospitality standards relating to health, safety and hygiene will be key to regain the trust of travellers in a post COVID-19 landscape, a panel of industry experts explained during the opening day of Arabian Travel Market’s inaugural virtual event, ATM Virtual. ‘The Hotel Landscape in a Post-COVID-19 World’ session which took place on Monday 1st June, discussed the importance of hotel brands providing both hospitality workers and consumers with confidence that their property, and indeed the wider destination, is safe and secure to visit. The panel which was moderated by industry consultant Gemma Greenwood, also included Tim Cordon, Senior Area Vice President for Middle East & Africa, Radisson Hotel Group, Christopher Lund, Head of Hotels, Colliers International, Middle East & North Africa, Simon Casson, President of Hotel Operations, EMEA, Four Seasons and Raki Phillips, CEO, Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority. “There has never been a global pandemic of this scale in modern times, building confidence will be key as we look ahead to the post-COVID-19 hospitality recovery. Not only is it important that our workers have confidence that their health and wellbeing is of prime importance, but for consumers too. They will need full reassurance that our properties are safe, secure and following the highest standards when it comes to hygiene and cleanliness,” said Cordon. “Our properties rely predominantly on corporate and business travel. So, having a global standard will be essential before we start to see large organisations send their employees all over the world again. It is important that everyone can understand that what’s being offered is consistent and trustworthy.” While the global pandemic has severely impacted the hospitality industry worldwide, the MENA region alone has witnessed an estimated 42% decrease in occupancy since March, according to the latest data from Colliers International, with many people forced to cancel or postpone their travel plans in the first half of the year. Phillips said: “Our industry is very resilient and will recover and for this reason it’s important that hotels don’t drop their room rates. Tourists will come back, we are already seeing this in Ras Al Khaimah where we are lucky to have large, spacious resorts with some offering private villas, making the implementation of social distancing measures much easier. Hotels need to adapt to a new normal with increased sanitisation at the forefront, while being creative with their offerings and embracing innovative technologies which can help differentiate them from their competitors.” Travellers still want to go on holiday, but safety has now become a top priority over price, location, facilities, and services. In preparation for the resurgence, it is crucial hospitality companies can provide consumers with peace of mind by implementing and virtually showcasing the stringent hygiene and deep cleaning procedures performed rigorously across their properties. “One way of achieving this consumer trust, and I believe the hospitality industry in the UAE is leading the way in this respect, is by partnering with accreditation agencies such as the Bureau Veritas to ensure your property is following disinfectant and sanitisation protocols implemented by government bodies and abiding by the highest levels of hygiene. Passing these audits provides your property with a label that guests can view and take reassurance from,” said Lund. “In addition, the implementation of immersive technologies that provide potential guests with virtual 3D tours of properties, as well as phone apps which allow you to enter your hotel room, change the temperature, call the elevator, book excursions and order room service are going to be vital in helping hotels recover and stand out from their competitors.” Casson added: “At Four Seasons we have been spending a lot of time exploring how the new guest journey, from the moment they arrive to the moment they leave, will look. While we are doing everything we can to ensure the wellbeing and safety of our guests, it’s important that we continue to work with our local partners, such as airlines, airport transfer providers and activity and tour guides, to ensure they are abiding by the same level of santisation and hygiene. Consistency across the entire experience is key.” The hospitality industry will be a recurring theme throughout the three-day virtual event and will include a series of roundtables including ‘Will hygiene surpass price, facilities and services, in the ‘new normal’ hotel experience’, ‘Effects that COVID-19 could have on food-driven travel’ and ‘The Changing Face of Luxury Family Travel’. The third and final day of the debut ATM Virtual will feature an interview with Wizz Air CEO, Joszef Varadi, taking place from 10:00am – 10:45am GST (7.00am – 7.45am BST), while the International Travel Investment Conference summit, will discuss sustainable investment measures for the Middle East travel and tourism sector to restore travellers’ confidence post-pandemic. A webinar titled ‘What are you doing to energise your operational performance?’, which will discuss the power of data analytics in helping to maximise performance and the responsible tourism session, ‘The Implications of Covid-19 for Responsible Hospitality’, will also take place on day three. Concluding the event is the Influencers’ session titled ‘Make Your Connection: Influencers as a Key Part of the Marketing Mix – COVID-19 The Road to Recovery’. This session will feature a panel of prominent travel and lifestyle influencers discussing the importance of creating relevant, engaging, and impactful travel and lifestyle content in the current climate of best practices. A special networking event focusing on the Influencer Tourism market will follow. There will also be a series of independently moderated, roundtables designed to discuss emerging hot topics such as domestic travel, luxury travel trends, corporate travel, food travel and tourism recovery plans. Day three will kick-off with the ‘Will Hygiene Surpass Price, Facilities and Services, in the ‘New Normal’ Hotel Experience?’ live webinar from 10am – 10.45am GST (7am – 7.45am BST), moderated by Hotelier Middle East editor Claudia de Brito. Other round tables are available on demand and include ‘The Future of Corporate Travel’ led by Breaking Travel News; The Changing Face of Luxury Family Travel hosted by Destinations of the World News; ‘The New Normal: What the Future Looks Like for the Hotel and Tourism Industry’ and ‘Middle East: The New Asian Source Market’ both by Trav Talk Middle East, as well as TTN Middle East’s ‘Challenges Faced Today by the Travel Providers’ and ‘Latest travel updates, projections and upcoming trends and focus on near-, mid- and long-term travel prospects’. The Ministry of Tourism Saudi Arabia and the Italian Tourist Board are both Gold sponsors of ATM Virtual. ATM Virtual runs until Wednesday 3rd June 2020. To register for the event, please visit: atmvirtual.eventnetworking.com/register/

EazyDiner will now also power takeaway and delivery from Safe+ select restaurants at a 5% commission only EazyDiner – India’s largest eating out platform, continues to believe that eating out will come back in a safe way. With its extended operations in Dubai, EazyDiner is already seeing a healthy revival in the eating out. With high focus on safety and hygiene protocols, EazyDiner has launched Safe+ Dining for diners and restaurant employees. A comprehensive hygiene and safety protocol monitoring will be done by EazyDiner by vetting and validating restaurants before onboarding them on Safe+ and also continuing to review via periodic visits. The EazyDiner app will also allow diners to give real-time feedback on hygiene standards of the Safe+ restaurant. Speaking on the launch, Chairman of the Board for EazyDiner, Kapil Chopra, says – “Safe+ Dining will be offered to those restaurants which adhere to the strict guidelines ensuring health and safety of both diners and restaurant employees. We are launching an additional feature of delivery and takeaway with select restaurants at a commission of only 5% - the lowest in the industry. Besides ensuring higher revenues for restaurants, Safe+ will also aid in the discovery of restaurants for diners and alliance partners. Additionally, restaurants will also benefit from access to data to know who is ordering from their restaurants and service their customers better.” EazyDiner also runs the country’s most premium membership dining program, EazyDiner Prime, spanning over 2100 premium restaurants across 15 cities. EazyDiner will also be able to showcase its partner restaurants and their offerings to premium diners as it also runs EazyDiner Prime for top Indian and international banks premium cardholders. These include American Express Centurion, American Express Platinum, Citibank Ultima, Citibank Prestige, Citibank Gold, IndusInd Pioneer, Axis Bank Burgundy, Axis Bank Reserve, HDFC and SBI, which constitutes to millions of high-end diners using the app. Safe+ also comes with stringent guidelines for takeaway and delivery as an added revenue and profit opportunity for select restaurant partners across India. As an immediate solution, in key markets, EazyDiner will work with a secure delivery partner, having employees on payroll- not outsourced or freelanced- enabling constant and periodic health-checks as well as access to health history of these delivery personnel over period of time. As a long-term measure for sustainable operations, EazyDiner recommends restaurants set-up their own delivery fleets, hiring their own delivery personnel, for a stronger end-to-end control on safety, hygiene and food quality. Aggregated delivery fleets that have teams moving between multiple restaurants and services are not safe from a hygiene standpoint- also not allowing for consistent health and hygiene monitoring or addressing any illness symptoms. EazyDiner will also provide restaurants with LiveTable, a top of the line software, to enable effective management of operations for delivery and takeaway. This will be provided at no charge to the restaurants for use over the next 3 months. What is Safe+ Dining? In a recent survey, after nearly 60 days of quarantine, 69% percent of EazyDiner users said they would like to go back to their favourite restaurants for a meal within a week of opening. Rohit Dasgupta, CEO EazyDiner says “The big question in eating out will be how safe is the restaurant kitchen and the restaurant itself? An additional visible proof of the restaurants’ hygiene and cleanliness practices will definitely be welcome. Digital ordering and digital payments at restaurants are just 10% of the ‘contact’ experience, the critical bit is food preparation in the kitchen where there is high human involvement. ‘Contactless dining’ in most cases is just a marketing gimmick, a way of repacking an existing product without giving deep thought to the end product. Marketing gimmicks will not work in the current crisis and pandemic situations demand real thought through products which can solve the problem being faced by diners and restaurants.” Key Highlights of Safe+ Dining: 1. Real-time safety and hygiene rating of restaurants by EazyDiner users when they eat at a restaurant. 2. Broadcasted live feed of the kitchen or an opportunity to see the kitchen processes. Transparent display of sanitisation and hygiene policies to the customer on the app or on demand at the restaurant. 3. E-menu on EazyDiner app for self-ordering or menu sent to you on WhatsApp when reserving a table. Digital bill payments on EazyDiner app to ensure minimal contact and quicker check-out through PayEazy. 4. Feedback and review for all Safe+ activations to take immediate measures for any gaps that diners point out leading to a 360-degree improvement cycle. Safe+ Dining initiatives by the restaurants will include a display of self-declaration on the measures that they are taking on the following: · Residential accommodation hygiene and sanitation of the restaurant employees · Raw material supply chain sanitisation · Restaurant team temperature checks everyday along with hygiene practices on shift including usage of gloves and masks · Sanitization measures before and after every guest use of a table and also all guest use items including plates, glasses and cutlery As a team of ex-hoteliers and restauranteurs, EazyDine understands how restaurants run. It is feasible for EazyDiner to see beyond technology and create a 360-degree product to enable a true Safe+ experience for our customers while at the same time helping restaurants to achieve the same. Safety, hygiene and sanitization is an on-going process and if not reinforced- will start failing. This will be the underlying construct of Safe+ dining. Dining which ensures that people are safe, no matter which side you access it from.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 1 June 2020: During the opening session of Arabian Travel Market’s inaugural virtual event, ATM Virtual, aviation industry veteran Sir Tim Clark, President of Emirates Airline, has outlined the impact of COVID-19 on the aviation industry, as well as the measures implemented by the company in response to the pandemic. Speaking during an interview with respected aviation expert John Strickland, Director of JLS Consulting, on the opening day of the virtual event, Sir Tim, said: “I don't think in my career I have seen anything like this, it is a huge structural change to our industry. In general terms, we have seen a US$15 trillion torpedo hit the global economy and its crippled many, many sectors, with transportation and leisure just a few of the casualties.” “My own belief is there is sufficient resilience in the global economy to take this trauma as long as it doesn’t go on for too long. If we can accept there is a finite point where we will see the back of this, with adjustments to the way we go about our lives, the way we go about our business, and our travel aspirations, we will see things moving back to some kind of normality during the course of 2021,” he added. With many fleets around the world grounded and potentially some not coming back, Sir Tim, who has dedicated 35 years to growing Emirates Airline to become the largest long-haul airline in the world and helping transform Dubai into a major global travel hub, also discussed the future of the airline. “Planning for resumption is quite complicated, needless to say, we have a 24/7 watch on it as countries start to relax their access requirements but I see some difficulties as I don’t believe they will open at the pace we would like. I think there will be a degree of what they started to call the bubble effect, i.e. countries selecting other countries that are relatively COVID free and therefore allowing services between those countries. “We’ve seen the beginning of this and until we get much more clarity on quarantine, flight protocols and how airports are going to handle these passengers when they eventually get moving, it’s still early days in terms of understanding what is going to happen.” Speaking more generally about the aviation industry, Sir Tim concluded by outlining the important role that governments play around the world, understanding what the airline industry requires, he said: “The aviation business is in a critical and very fragile state at the moment and needs all the help it can get. Access, getting passengers and freight moving again, not necessarily to the levels pre-COVID, but at least getting things going to give the cash lifelines they need, otherwise I’m not optimistic that some of the carriers here today, having already been significantly bailed out, will get through the next few months.” The aviation industry will be a recurring theme throughout the three-day virtual event and will include an interview with aviation heavyweight, CEO of Wizz Air, Joszef Varadi on Wednesday 3 June. Varadi is set to discuss the measures implemented by the budget airline which has enabled it to continue operating during the pandemic. He will also be discussing the forthcoming opening of Wizz Air’s subsidiary in Abu Dhabi, in partnership with Abu Dhabi Developmental Holding Company. In addition, a webinar by Cirium, the data intelligence experts, will showcase the power of analytics in supporting business performance. The webinar, which takes place on the final day of ATM Virtual, will be led by Cirium’s Paul Trewin and Seera Group’s Data Vice President, Louise Blake. The webinar, which will be focused on the aviation industry, and will utilise Cirium’s years of analytical experience, will highlight the power of analytics and outline new ideas for incorporating analytics into team performance. ATM Virtual features a range of comprehensive webinars, live conference sessions, roundtables, speed networking events, and one-to-one meetings. Highlights on day two will include The Virtual ATM China Forum, which will focus on the recovery of outbound travel from China, taking place from 11am – 12pm GST (8am – 9am BST) and the debut Travel Forward Virtual event, featuring the ‘Catapulting Resilience Through Technology and Analytics’ session. A live webinar titled ‘Bouncing Back: Tourism Strategies for the Future’ will see a range of industry experts discussing how the long-term tourism development strategies implemented by the region’s governments will become a catalyst for recovery when travel patterns adjust to the new norm. Travel Forward will include Facebook-led session, ‘Conversational Commerce for Travel brands’, which will look into the potential of conversational commerce and how it can help businesses keep their customers connected and engaged. The day will conclude with the ‘Technology and the New Normal’ session, hosted by Uber, which will discuss how technology can support businesses post-Covid-19. There will also be a series of independently moderated, roundtables designed to discuss emerging hot topics such as domestic travel, luxury travel trends, corporate travel, food travel and tourism recovery plans. Day two will kick-off with the ‘Effects that Covid-19 could have on food-driven travel’ live webinar from 10am – 10.45am GST (7am – 7.45am BST), moderated by Caterer Middle East editor Simon Ritchie. Other round tables are available on demand and include ‘The Future of Corporate Travel’ led by Breaking Travel News; The Changing Face of Luxury Family Travel hosted by Destinations of the World News; ‘The New Normal: What the Future Looks Like for the Hotel and Tourism Industry’ and ‘Middle East: The New Asian Source Market’ both by Trav Talk Middle East, as well as TTN Middle East’s ‘Challenges Faced Today by the Travel Providers’ and ‘Latest travel updates, projections and upcoming trends and focus on near-, mid- and long-term travel prospects’. Also, key travel editors and leading travel and tourism experts have written blogs on topical subjects spanning not just regional but international industry verticals. The Ministry of Tourism Saudi Arabia and the Italian Tourist Board are both Gold sponsors of ATM Virtual. ATM Virtual takes place from today, Monday 1st to Wednesday 3rd June 2020. To register for the event, please visit: atmvirtual.eventnetworking.com/register/

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 31 May 2020: Travel trade professionals from across the world will gather online tomorrow (Monday, 1st June 2020) for the first day of Arabian Travel Market (ATM) Virtual, a newly-launched three-day event for the region’s tourism community. The debut event, which will run from 1-3 June 2020, will place a focus on emerging trends, opportunities, and the challenges which are directly impacting the travel and tourism industry amid the COVID-19 global health pandemic. Over the course of three days, ATM Virtual will feature comprehensive webinars, live conference sessions, roundtables, speed networking events, and one-to-one meetings, as well as facilitating new connections and offering a wide range of online business opportunities. Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market (ATM), said: “Our debut event not only underscores ATM’s mission to support and guide the region’s vast travel and tourism industry during and beyond COVID-19, but it also demonstrates our commitment to delivering positive business and networking opportunities to the entire community, during even the most challenging times. “With up to four live high-level sessions each day, industry experts will address a range of topics including a road map to recovery, tourism strategies for the future, the hotel landscape in a post-COVID-19 world, and the resilience of the travel industry, as well as exploring the ‘new normal’ that lies ahead, emerging travel technology and sustainability trends.” Kicking off proceedings, the opening session ‘A Conversation with Sir Tim Clark’ will take place from 11:00am – 12:00pm GST (8.00am – 9.00am BST) on Monday 1st June. The President of Emirates Airline will speak to John Strickland about his time at the airline, its response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its plans for the future, as well as unveiling Emirates strategy, including planned fleet and network changes. Another key event taking place on the first day is ‘OTAs & Distribution for Tours & Attractions post-COVID’. Run by Arival, the global research authority on the tours, activities and attractions sector, this session will focus on the rise of online travel agencies, the re-opening of operations, and what this means for tour and attraction operators across the Middle East. Meanwhile, other highlights from day one include ‘Communicating and Building Confidence Now’ and ‘The Hotel Landscape in a post-COVID-19 World’ sessions. Day two will feature The Virtual ATM China Forum. Taking place from 11:00am – 12:00pm GST (8.00 – 9.00am BST), the forum will focus on the recovery of outbound travel from the country and how Chinese travellers have been changing their way of accessing information about foreign destinations. The packed agenda will also feature the debut Travel Forward Virtual event. Over the course of three days, suppliers and senior executives will be provided with innovative insights of what travel technology has to offer beyond 2020. Addressing the impact of COVID-19, the event will help bridge the gap between uncertainty and resilience during these unprecedented times. Highlights of on the second day will include the following sessions: ‘Catapulting Resilience Through Technology and Analytics’ and ‘Conversational Commerce for Travel Brands.’ Another highlight of our second day will be live webinar ‘Bouncing Back: Tourism Strategies for the Future’ which will see industry experts including Fahd Hamidaddin, Chief of Investment, Strategy and Tourism Marketing for the Ministry of Tourism Saudi Arabia and Keith Tan, CEO, Singapore Tourism discuss how the long-term tourism development strategies implemented by the region’s governments will become a catalyst for recovery when travel patterns adjust to the ‘new norm’. Fahd Hamidaddin, Chief of Investment, Strategy and Tourism Marketing, Ministry of Tourism Saudi Arabia, said: “As global travel restrictions ease, our focus is on ensuring that Saudi Arabia is ready to welcome visitors as soon as they are ready to travel. We are collaborating across the public and private sectors, to safeguard the wellbeing of visitors, while continuing to invest in high quality tourism experiences. Saudi Arabia offers endless appeal to the modern traveler. We are optimistic about the future of tourism in the Kingdom and we remain committed to our long-term targets.” Drawing the debut ATM Virtual to a close, the third and final day, Wednesday 3rd May, will include highlights such as an interview with Wizz Air CEO, Joszef Varadi, the International Travel Investment Conference summit and a webinar titled ‘What are you doing to energise your operational performance?’ which will discuss the power of data analytics in helping to maximise performance. Also, on the third day will be the Responsible Tourism session, ‘The Implications of Covid-19 for Responsible Hospitality’, with an interview between Harold Goodwin, the WTM Responsible Tourism Advisor, and Inge Huijbrechts, Global Senior Vice President Responsible Business and Safety & Security, Radisson Hotel Group. Inge will be speaking about the latest thinking on post-COVID-19 hospitality, managing hotels and the supply chain and about advancing the responsibility agenda when resources are limited. The Influencers’ Summit will also take place the last day and will include a session entitled ‘Make Your Connection: Influencers as a Key Part of the Marketing Mix – COVID-19 The Road to Recovery,’ featuring a panel of prominent travel and lifestyle influencers including Abdullah al-Jumah, Author, Lawyer and Influencer and Talel al-Rashed, Hospitality and Gastronomy Expert, who will discuss the importance of best practices and how to create relevant, engaging and impactful travel and lifestyle content in the current climate. This will be followed by a special networking event focusing on the Influencer Tourism market. Meanwhile, a series of independently moderated, pre-recorded on-demand roundtables have been designed to discuss emerging hot topics such as domestic travel, luxury travel trends, corporate travel, the challenges faced by travel providers and agencies and tourism recovery plans. And, one-to-one pre-scheduled 30-minute meetings between editors, exhibitors, and buyers will also take place, while live video sessions will include Q&As and polls which will be run alongside the presentations to enable audience interaction. Curtis added: “In addition, a host of hour-long speed networking sessions, between key buyers and exhibitors, will culminate in over 900 5-minute meetings that can then be extended into more in-depth meetings where a business need is identified. “Targeting exhibitors from this region predominantly, the dedicated networking events will feature one Middle East-focused session per day, as well as sessions for buyers, focused on purchasing European and Asian products, plus a session specifically targeting Chinese buyers.” As well as addressing the impact the global health pandemic has had on the hospitality industry, the debut ATM Virtual will provide travel professionals with a wealth of information, advice and support to cope with the current crisis and planning for the future. Arabian Travel Market would like to thank the Ministry of Tourism Saudi Arabia and the Italian Tourist Board for their support of ATM Virtual as Gold Sponsors. ATM Virtual takes place from Monday 1st to Wednesday 3rd June 2020. To register for the event as a visitor, please log on to: atmvirtual.eventnetworking.com/register/ For media registrations, please go to: atmvirtual.eventnetworking.com/register/media

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 27 May 2020: Arabian Travel Market (ATM) has confirmed that the Chairman of the International Tourism & Investment Conference (ITIC) and former UNWTO Secretary-General, Dr. Taleb Rifai, will host a virtual summit as part of ATM Virtual. The summit, which is titled ‘Restructuring to Attract Sustainable Development and Customers in the New World Order’ and takes place on Wednesday 3rd June between 12.15pm - 1.45pm GST (9.15am - 10.45am BST), will examine sustainable investment measures for the Middle East travel and tourism sector and the strategies to restore travellers’ confidence post-pandemic. “We are living in unprecedented times for the tourism industry, which is facing its toughest challenge ever. Stay home means no travel, and no travel means no tourism. This ITIC summit is vital at this critical time and I am therefore pleased to be part of ATM Virtual, who I commend for facing the challenges and ensuring the industry is in direct contact during these difficult times,” said Dr. Rifai. Moderated by BBC Presenter and broadcaster Rajan Datar, a series of topics will be discussed throughout the day including prospects for Dubai’s travel and tourism industry in the post-COVID-19 era. The summit will feature two expert panel discussions where World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) ambassador and director of ITIC Gerald Lawless will address the initiatives to be taken to revive the travel and tourism industry to secure sustainable investment in the region, as well as how to reposition your business to kick start when the pandemic comes under control. The panel discussions will also focus on the part governments must play in helping sector recovery, the expectations of the industry going forward, and how travel and tourism businesses can plan for their financial future. Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market, said: “We are delighted to be working with ITIC to reflect on the financial impact COVID-19 has had on the tourism sector and to garner their insights and advice on strategies to restore visitor confidence and how the industry can begin to recover during these difficult times.” “We must all think together, out of the box, and imaginatively. This is our real historic test. The Middle East has proven in the past that it is robust and can bounce back. I am saddened by what we are living through but optimistic that the recovery will be positive,” concluded Dr. Rifai. The panel discussion The initiatives to be taken to revive the travel and tourism industry to secure sustainable investment in the region will take place from 12.30 pm – 1.15 pm GST (9.30 am – 10.15 am BST) and Repositioning your business to kick start when the pandemic comes under control from 1.15 pm – 1.45 pm GST (10.15 am – 10.45 am BST), both on Wednesday 3rd June. Arabian Travel Market would like to thank the Ministry of Tourism Saudi Arabia and the Italian Tourist Board for their support of ATM Virtual as Gold Sponsors. ATM Virtual takes place from Monday 1st to Wednesday 3rd June 2020. To register for the event please visit:atmvirtual.eventnetworking.com/register/

One of the most eagerly awaited sessions during the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) three-day ATM Virtual event that takes place from 1-3 June 2020, is undoubtedly The Virtual ATM China Tourism Forum. The debate will take an in-depth look at the potential of the Chinese outbound leisure market now that China seems to have the viral outbreak under control and domestic tourism is growing once again. Many Middle East travel professionals will be looking for insight into the current state of the market and more importantly, how and when to start planning for inbound Chinese visitors. Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director Middle East, Arabian Travel Market, said: “Travel and tourism professionals around the globe will not need reminding that the global industry has been hit badly by the effects of Covid-19 – but in China we are witnessing the green-shoots of recovery. “The relatively swift rebound of domestic travel during the May Golden Week Holiday in China for example, underscores the bullish view of certain analysts regarding China’s integral role in leading the global tourism industry post Covid-19’s closed borders. “Some hoteliers in China were reporting occupancy levels for the recent national holiday in excess of 45% with resort markets close to 70%, a significant improvement from the overall average of 30% occupancy, confirming leisure demand is robust.” Specifically, The Virtual ATM China Tourism Forum will focus on the potential recovery of outbound travel and how Chinese travellers have been changing the way that they access information about foreign destinations and making contacts with local hotels, tour operators and ground handlers. Moderated by Dr. Adam Wu, the panellists for this session, which takes place on day two (Tuesday 2nd June) at 11am to 12pm GST (8am to 9am BST), include Dr. Taleb Rifai, Chairman, International Institute of Peace for Tourism (IIPT) and former Secretary General of the UNWTO; H.E. Khalid Jasim al-Midfa, Chairman, Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority; Helen Shapovalova, Founder & Director, Pan Ukraine; Lisa Dinh, Tourism Director, VIA Outlets and Tony Ong, Chief Business Officer and Vice President of HCG International Travel Group, which has over 7000 local travel agents across China focusing on outbound travel. The experts will share their opinion and experience on how to overcome the current crisis by identifying new buying patterns, new demand streams and innovative ways of reaching customers as well as of course enhancing existing partnerships. “We have an impressive line-up of tourism experts and Dr. Wu’s credentials are exemplary. He is CEO of CBN Travel & Mice and World Travel Online, which is the leading outbound travel portal on the China Wide Web providing destination information in Chinese to the entire outbound travel trade and millions of Chinese travellers,” added Curtis. With it being a live session, members of the online audience will also have a chance to ask questions, through a Q+A function at the end of the discussion. In addition, viewers will also have an opportunity to share and exchange thoughts and ideas, during a speed networking session, immediately following the panel debate. Another highlight of ATM virtual, will be a series of hour-long speed networking sessions, between key buyers and exhibitors, will culminate in over 1,400 5-minute meetings that can then be extended into more in-depth meetings where a business need is identified. “For exhibitors from this region, the dedicated networking event will also include one specifically targeting Chinese buyers,” said Curtis. Over three days, ATM Virtual, will also feature a host of comprehensive webinars, live conference sessions, roundtables, speed networking events, one-to-one meetings, as well as facilitating new connections and offering a wide range of online business opportunities. With up to four live high-level sessions each day, industry experts will address a range of topics including tourism strategies for the future, the hotel landscape in a post-COVID-19 world, and the resilience of the travel industry, as well as exploring emerging travel technology and sustainability trends, amongst other key topics. Sessions on the first day of the virtual event include, amongst others, ‘Communicating and Building Confidence Now’ and ‘The Hotel landscape in a post-COVID-19 world’. Day two will also include the sessions entitled, ‘Bouncing Back: Tourism Strategies for the Future’ and ‘Catapulting Resilience Through Technology and Analytics’. On day three, the event will conclude with the International Travel Investment Conference summit, ‘Restructuring to attract sustainable investment and customers in the new world order’. Arabian Travel Market would like to thank the Ministry of Tourism Saudi Arabia and the Italian Tourist Board for their support of ATM Virtual as Gold Sponsors. ATM Virtual takes place from Monday 1st to Wednesday 3rd June 2020. To register for the event please visit: atmvirtual.eventnetworking.com/register/

It is a flagship event of Touriosity Travelmag, to be held in Kolkata on Friday, the 21st and Saturday, the 22nd of August 2020. After the tremendous success of the first edition of the conference held at IIHM Global Campus in Kolkata on 23rd August 2019, we are happy to announce the second edition of the Conference. www.icstglobal.com The conference will be an ideal platform for high-level theoretical research and empirical studies with policy-relevant analysis in regard to tourism and allied industries. It is designed to be an influential and challenging intellectual confluence not only for the business world but also for the society at large. The conference is an open platform for collaborations with National and International public and private research institutions, governmental bodies, professionals, representatives of industrial groups active in the policy arena and various stakeholders in the travel and tourism industry. We are collaborating with a number of national and international organisations for this conference.

New Delhi, May 19, 2020 – FYI Health, a community health monitoring solution exclusively designed for enterprise use launched today in India. Backed by former cricketer and current member of the Lok Sabha, Gautam Gambhir, FYI Health allows companies of all sizes to create a safe environment for their workforce by enabling a daily health check-in for employees, employers and guests visiting the corporate eco-system and contact tracing, if and when required. FYI Health is unique to the work community it is deployed in and provides employers with a health dashboard that showcases the overall health index of employees in a corporate location, that allows them to take timely and pre-emptive action pertaining to flagged cases and those vulnerable to transmission. FYI Health works on herd intelligence. It qualifies each user to contribute to the community on the enterprise network within an establishment such as a hotel, factory, corporate office, schools and more. Hence, it presents any establishment that has FYI Health with a business continuity plan and social immunity against any challenging health emergencies. Early adopters include the Radisson Blu Hotel in Dwarka, Delhi and educational institutions such as - Ramjas School (R.K. Puram, Delhi) and Lilawati Vidya Mandir Senior Secondary School (Shakti Nagar, Delhi), that have committed to deploying FYI Health to secure their corporate environment and workforce. “FYI Health is a pioneering effort and is a much-required innovation in the fight against Covid-19 and the potential rebound if any. It provides companies and its employees a win-win, easy to use health-tech product. It gives employers the control to further their goal of keeping their workforce safe and to employees the privacy and control they desire over their own data”, said Gautam Gambhir. “We are in the thick of this fight against Covid-19 and all indicators point to this being long drawn. My personal backing and support to FYI Health comes from my own desire to contribute towards helping fight this crisis in whatever way I can. Testing and tracing are vital measures in helping reduce the virus spreading”, he added. Once deployed at any of its location by a company, its workforce that use the location become a part of the FYI Health safety net and their health status is captured on the system in real time. In case of any health red flag, FYI Health identifies all employees that are exposed to possible transmission of the virus through a highly secure Bluetooth based contact tracing technology solution. This enables the corporate administrator to take speedy action and secure all vulnerable employees. User and data privacy, which is a predominant focus of FYI Health is achieved by ensuring that all user data is stored locally on the user’s mobile phone and is automatically deleted every 21 days. Only in the case of a confirmed case displaying Covid-19 symptoms, is the contact data made available to the administrator for informing the potentially exposed, so that they can get tested. Available on Android currently and for iOS shortly, FYI Health is a subscription based pricing model and is available on its website at www.fyihealth.in. “In a recent survey by FYI Health with India Inc. employees, we found them to be stressed to return to the workplace after the lockdown, owing to health concerns. The survey made other interesting discoveries, chief among them being that employees expect their employers to deploy innovative solutions to protect their health. Employees said they would comply with such measures despite perceived inconveniences for the larger good of the organization and their co-workers”, said Yash Raj Gupta, Founder & CEO, FYI Health. “With FYI Health, companies can build a health index for their organisation that puts them in the driver’s seat by being aware of any potential health safety concerns in real time and can take action with both isolating the user and mapping out their contact history, when the need arises. FYI Health can help employers empathetically address employee concerns about their health and the assurance they need on their return to the workplace”. A recent survey by FYI with employees of India Inc. confirms that the pandemic has raised the expectation that employees have of their employer towards their health. An overwhelming 99% employees said that they would like to see a system of Corporate Health Responsibility (CHR) made mandatory for employers, just like there is in force a system of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Currently with the launch of this solution and in the long term, FYI Health is focused on offering innovative solutions that allows companies to enable Corporate Health Responsibility (CHR) actions.

Bavaria-based Outdooractive, Europe’s largest outdoor portal for hiking, cycling, mountain biking and skiing, has acquired UK-based ViewRanger, featuring a range of additional destinations and exceptional routes and trails, across the globe. ViewRanger, which is based in Cambridgeshire, in the UK, is a GPS navigation app which runs on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Android smartphones and watches.It is used by more than 4.6 million explorers around the world to plan, navigate, and share outdoor adventures. ViewRanger also works with more than 600 organisations – including national parks and major outdoor brands – who publish and promote route guides through the app; and is used and trusted by more than 500 Search and Rescue teams across Europe, the US and Canada. Hartmut Wimmer, the Founder and CEO of Outdooractive, commented, “Our two brands complement each other perfectly and we have already been working closely with ViewRanger to consolidate our combined routes and showcase additional destinations to a wider community of subscribers across both platforms. “Our users share a passion for exploring and enjoying the outdoors. By bringing together insider tips from travel writers and tourism partners with recommended routes from publishers and other enthusiasts, we help them to plan their adventures. “As such, Outdooractive is becoming the platform of choice for international outbound operators and outdoor enthusiasts wanting to connect with specialist outdoor trade partners, national and regional tourist boards, as well as agents and other professionals. Craig Wareham, the co-founder of ViewRanger said, “Integrating our technology with the Outdooractive platform, not only improves the user experience, but adds significant value, to trade professionals looking for a comprehensive resource.” The outdoor adventure market in Europe and the UK, is expecting major growth, as social restrictions, in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, are gradually lifted. Initially research suggests that staycations and local tourism will be the first to recover, but given time international visitors will want to experience the great outdoors as well. “We firmly believe that healthy activities in tranquil open countryside, staying in small family-run guesthouses and hotels, will be in great demand, and offers a more sustainable alternative to busy beach resorts and other mainstream attractions. “Indeed, creating awareness of hidden gems off-the-beaten track means visitors are encouraged to stay longer to discover a region, generating greater value for these destinations,“ added Wimmer. According to the CBI adventure tourism in general contributes greatly to local economies, with approximately two-thirds of the money spent on adventure travel staying on location. This can reach up to €350 per day per visitor on average and experts predict that the European market will grow by an average annual rate of over 20%. The Adventure Tourism Trade Association (ATTA) estimated that the global market was worth €580 billion in 2017. Outdooractive has also recently announced the acquisition of mountNpass, the market leader in France for cycling tourism. Its digital cycling network includes 8,000 recommended cycling routes and 120,000 subscribers an exciting addition for keen cyclists. Outdooractive now connects tourism stakeholders with a global outdoor-community of 7.3 million.

Local tourism and domestic travel are expected to lead the UAE and wider GCC’s recovery from COVID-19 as we begin to see the easing of lockdown restrictions, according to the latest research released ahead of Arabian Travel Market (ATM) Virtual, a newly-launched three-day event that will take place from 1-3 June 2020. The research from Colliers International, in partnership with ATM, revealed the percentage of bookings to Abu Dhabi within a 48km radius increased from just 20% in January 2020 to 43% in March. While, in Dubai, the percentage rose from 19% to 36%. Adding to this, research by Sojern, suggests staycations are expected to become the most popular choice of travel in the short to medium-term, with data revealing hotel bookings to Abu Dhabi within a 48km radius accounted for 77% of all bookings in April and domestic travel from Dubai accounting for 91% of searches and bookings within the same radius. With this in mind, ‘The Hotel Landscape in a Post-COVID-19 World’ session taking place on Monday 1st June from 1.30 pm – 2.30 pm GST (10.30 am – 11.30 am BST), will focus on the hospitality industry, exploring the profound impact of COVID-19 on the Middle East’s hotel sector as well as outlining what the landscape is likely to look like when travel resumes and what will be considered new ‘norms’ in terms of guest behaviours and expectations. Confirmed session panellists will include Tim Cordon, Senior Area Vice President for Middle East & Africa, Radisson Hotel Group and Christopher Lund, Head of Hotels, Colliers International, Middle East & North Africa, and will be moderated by Gemma Greenwood. Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market, said: "The global COVID-19 health crisis severely impacted worldwide travel, tourism, events, and leisure activities, with many people being forced to cancel or postpone their travel plans in the first half of 2020. However, what we are now beginning to see is a sense of pent up demand due to an eagerness among the larger populace to make up for lost time and cancelled plans. “Travellers still want to go on holiday, but safety has become a top priority. As a result, the staycation trend is expected to grow in the coming months, with residents keen to take a break away from their home for a few days in a location that is familiar to them, whilst flights are grounded, and international travel restrictions still in place." Families and solo travellers are expected to be among the first market segments to start travelling and making new reservations, according to the research from Colliers. In addition, Millennials and Gen Z are being touted as the most eager to travel, as they seek a change of scenery following long lockdown periods across the globe. In preparation for the travel and tourism recovery - on a local, regional and international level - it is crucial hospitality companies can provide future guests with peace of mind by implementing and virtually showcasing the stringent hygiene and deep cleaning procedures performed rigorously across their properties. In addition, the implementation of immersive technologies that provide potential guests with virtual 3D tours of properties and their facilities, as well as customised online booking experiences will be vital in helping hotels stand out from their competitors. “As travel and tourism begins to return, it is crucial that hotels add value to their existing offerings with incentives such as F&B discounts for in-house guests, free upgrades and booking flexibility that enables free cancellation if personal circumstances were to change as well as reinvented loyalty programmes with increased offers and points in an attempt to stimulate demand through their existing customer bases,” Curtis said. Also on the agenda, there will be a series of hospitality-focused roundtables including ‘Changing face of hotels in terms of design and sanitisation,” which will discuss how hotels can effectively integrate hygiene and new stringent cleaning protocols into key brand messaging as well as exploring whether hygiene and safety will become more important for guests than price, facilities, and services in the 'new normal' hotel experience. ‘Changing face of F&B travel’ will address the effects of COVID-19 on food-driven travel in the region, and indeed across the globe. A panel of F&B experts and influencers will explore how hotels can provide a safe middle-ground for food adventures as well as the impact a lack of travel from GCC countries could have on Asian food capitals. ‘The Changing Face of Luxury Family Travel’ will discuss how personal space and wellbeing peace of mind has become paramount, what impact this will have on luxury family travel, from new preferential destinations and accommodation to the factors shaping the decision-making process. Curtis said: "As well as addressing the impact the global health pandemic has had on the hospitality industry, ATM Virtual, will discuss in-depth a road map to recovery for the wider travel and tourism industry, identifying the trends and opportunities that are likely to shape the future as well as the 'new normal' that lies ahead.” Over the course of three days, the debut ATM Virtual will feature comprehensive webinars, live conference sessions, roundtables, speed networking events, and one-to-one meetings, as well as facilitating new connections and offering a wide range of online business opportunities. ATM Virtual takes place from Monday 1st to Wednesday 3rd June 2020. To register for the event as a visitor, please log on to: atmvirtual.eventnetworking.com/register/

If you’re single right now and looking to mingle virtually, you’re not alone. In fact, you may be among the more than 100,000 Bumble users globally who have updated their dating profiles to mention that they are quarantining. To help star-crossed matches connect from afar, Airbnb is releasing a collection of Bumble-approved Online Experiences perfect for spicing up virtual dates and engaging with each other in fun, meaningful ways. Lean into your shared culinary cravings with a wine class with an expert in Portugal or a how-to on Mexican street tacos. Or virtually sneak away to a hidden date-night spot, like the secret Amsterdam jazz club, a live show with sangria and drag queens in Lisbon, or Japan's oldest brewery for sake secrets. Other Online Experiences perfect for virtual dating include: ● Turkish Fortune Coffee Reading (New York, New York) ● Fall in Laugh (Lisbon, Portugal) ● Tarot Reading with Mak Jagger (Austin, Texas) ● Meet the Wooly Sheep of My New Zealand Farm (Rotorua, New Zealand) ● GINspiration History & Cocktails at Home (Bath, United Kingdom) ● Discover the Rhythms of Puerto Rico (Hatillo, Puerto Rico) ● Pasta with Luca & Lorenzo (Florence, Italy) ● All about Coffee with a Pro Taster (Bogotá, Colombia) ● Drink and Draw (Lisbon, Portugal) ● Farm to Table from the Mediterranean (Klis, Croatia) While having the backup of other guests from around the world on an Online Experience with you and your match may help put first date jitters at ease, those who want to sneak away for quality time together can opt for private bookings and request specific booking dates. Booking seats through this feature has been gaining popularity, as they have tripled since pre-pandemic bookings. Bumble recently announced the launch of its new virtual dating tools, including a “Virtual Dating” badge that will appear in users’ profiles who are open to date via video chat. This badge allows Bumble users to find and filter their prospective matches based on who is looking to date virtually. During this time when it’s best to take dates virtual, Bumble has also expanded its distance filters to allow users to match with anyone in their country. Launched in April 2020, Online Experiences unlock unprecedented access to inspiring hosts across the world, including Buddhist monks, sommeliers, magicians, and more. Whether visiting the dogs of Chernobyl, bringing the flavors of India to life at home, or making cheese with a mama goat and her kid in Malibu, guests have the chance to connect with new people and travel virtually from their own living room. For more information on virtual first date ideas, visit airbnb.com/online-experiences.