NITN | @notintownlive | 21 Sep 2020, 11:08 am

Tashkent/Xinhua: Uzbekistan has allowed tour operators to organize group tours for foreign citizens to visit the country from Oct. 1, the country's special commission on COVID-19 said Friday.
Tour operators will be able to bring in foreign tourist groups of between five and 15 people, and must ensure that visitors are free from COVID-19 and other infectious diseases, the commission said.
Members of foreign tourist groups with a negative COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests should not be subject to 14-day quarantine restrictions, and should not face additional tests upon arrival in Uzbekistan, according to the commission's decision.
However, if coronavirus symptoms appear upon arrival, tourists should take a paid PCR or express test or antigen, and if the test results are positive, the tourist will be put under quarantine or should return to their home country, it said.
The decision is directed at creating necessary conditions for the development of international tourism, which has been hit seriously due to the pandemic, and tour operators will be provided with benefits for bringing foreign tourists, according to Uzbek authorities.
Over the past three years, the Uzbek government has taken a series of measures to boost tourism, with a goal to receive more than 9 million foreign tourists by 2025 while promoting the tourism industry to 5 percent of gross domestic product from 2.3 percent in 2017.
Uzbekistan has so far registered 49,994 COVID-19 cases, with 417 deaths and 46,092 recoveries.
- India announces free e-visas to Filipino tourists
- Sweden unveils Nämdöskärgården – A new Marine National Park in the Baltic Sea
- Monsoon Charity Fair in Kolkata highlights efforts of social changemakers
- Jordan showcases Adventure Tourism with 2025 Marathon Des Sables
- 10 Indian nationals among 99 denied entry into Malaysia after security screening at Kuala Lumpur airport
- Visiting US just got $250 more expensive; here's why
- Air India begins phased resumption of international flights after AI171 crash; Heathrow to replace Gatwick on Ahmedabad-London route
- We took a hit post-Pahalgam but tourism is flowing back: J&K CM Omar Abdullah assures safety to visitors
- Air India expands codeshare partnership with Air Mauritius
- Air India announces network-wide sale ahead of the summer holiday season
Malaysia Airlines will expand its South India network by adding more flights on the Kuala Lumpur–Trivandrum route to meet rising demand, the airline said. From September 12, the carrier will operate five weekly services, with daily flights to start from December 1.
IndiGo has expanded its codeshare agreement with KLM, the Netherlands’ national airline, providing its passengers with enhanced access to destinations across Europe and the United Kingdom through KLM’s network, the airline said.
Etihad Airways and Azul Brazilian Airlines have signed a frequent flyer partnership, allowing members of Etihad Guest and Azul Fidelidade programme to earn and redeem loyalty points across both airlines.