Newly launched Stranded in India portal helping foreigners in various parts of the country
New Delhi, April 3, 2020: The Ministry of Tourism is actively involved in ensuring that advisories and guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare regarding various steps to be taken by the tourists, hotels and other stakeholders and safety measures for tourists as well as staff to the Industry associations for wide circulation among the hoteliers and others.
The advisories and guidelines were also disseminated to various India tourism offices for coordination and active surveillance in their respective regions. Lists of passengers from countries which were COVID-19 hotspots have been circulated to the regional offices. They were asked to track and monitor their movement and for taking safety measures by the Hotels as per the advisory of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for separation and quarantine of the susceptible individuals in the wake of COVID-19. In all this the Ministry of Tourism has been actively collaborating with the State Tourism Departments and the State administration.
In the meantime the Stranded in India portal is working successfully to assist tourists to travel back safe to their countries. Some examples showcase how the platform is enabling multi-agency coordination. Government of Gujarat has issued vehicle passes for US nationals stranded in Gujarat. Gujarat Tourism and Ministry of Tourism, West Region office are coordinating with the US consulate for internal travel and flight back home.
An American citizen who was stranded in Bihar has been assisted to get her travel permit to travel to Delhi for her onward flight.
Three Australian groups got stranded at Siliguri and Kolkata and requested for evacuation through the Stranded in India portal. The Kolkata office of India Tourism swung in to action and has connected them with their High commission in Delhi and support for safe passage home has been initiated.
