Making things worse is that some countries that are specifically hard-hit by the coronavirus are also heavily dependent on tourism, like Italy and Spain.

The Ministry of External Affairs organises the yatra from June-September each year through two different routes -- Lipulekh Pass (Uttarakhand) and Nathu La Pass (Sikkim).

The crisis has jeopardised India's 5 lakh crore tourism industry and employment of an estimated 3.8 crore jobs, FAITH said in a statement.

In February 2020, international passenger capacity reduced by 13 per cent, mainly related to traffic from/to States experiencing an early outbreak and States deeply interconnected to China.

''The opening ceremony of the four temples in Uttarakhand is an important annual event attended by thousands of pilgrims but the extended lockdown to halt the spread of coronavirus has cast its shadow on the yatra this year. The Chardham yatra begins with the opening of Gangotri and Yamunotri temples on April 26 this year.''

The annual "Chandan Yatra" and "Akshaya Tritiya" festivals of Lord Jagannath will be held inside the temple premises in Puri on Sunday.

More than 1 lakh Indian nationals from the state of Kerala have expressed their desire to come back from different countries in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Kerala government has asked Keralites who are stranded in different parts of the country to register on the Non-Resident Keralites Affairs (NORKA) website for their safe return to the state.

Now nearly 3 lakh expats spanning 150 countries are expected to return to Kerala, with registrations already taking place on the online registration facility called Norka Roots.

All states have been requested to give a complete waiver on all fixed electricity and other utility charges as well as excise duties without any penalties to the tourism and hospitality industry, FAITH said in a statement.

The airline may make further changes in compliance with regulatory guidelines once they are finalized and notified, Vistara said in a statement.

Earlier this month, people of Jalandhar also witnessed snow-capped mountain peaks of the Himalayas after decades.

These three flights transported over 50 Tonnes of cargo including pharmaceuticals, fruits and vegetables in the belly and cabin.

India will send flights to several countries between May 7 and 13. Among the countries, India is likely to send 10 flights to the UAE, seven flights each to the US, and the UK. Apart from these, India will send five to Saudi Arabia, five to Singapore, and two flights to Qatar

The operation of two flights from Qatar to Kerala is a part of Modi's government's mega mission to evacuate close to 15,000 Indians stranded in 12 countries between May 7 and May 13.

The earlier forecast, which was shared with the government in March 2020, had put tourism's economic value at risk at around Rs 5 lakh crore, FAITH said in a statement.

While currently the flights are operated by state-owned carriers, Puri said private airlines may also join in during subsequent evacuation efforts.

Expecting many stranded non-resident Keralites to be evacuated from the Middle East stating Thursday onwards, the Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) is gearing up with several safety measures!

The government also said that Air India will operate 64 flights from May 7 to May 13 to bring back around 15,000 Indian nationals stranded abroad amid the COVID-19-induced lockdown.

The purpose is to ensure that they are isolated from others and stay safe before they are cleared by the concerned medical authorities to go back to their homes.

In order to counter coronavirus threat, Qatar Airways has been maintaining the highest possible hygiene standards.

The president emphasised the need to focus promoting medical tourism by highlighting the "successful efforts taken by Sri Lanka to contain the spread of the coronavirus."

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