Indeed, Luxembourg has always been a popular destination, but the country and the tourism industry have been severely affected by the current global pandemic. As tourism represents approximately nine percent of the country's GDP, the government and the ministry of tourism have taken several measures to support this sector and its actors during these challenging times.

The Luxembourg government has launched the next phase of its strategy to partially lift the national lockdown on 11 May, allowing all shops, libraries, museums, among others, to operate again following clear sanitary rules and social distancing recommendations. It is expected that the restaurants, bars and cafés will reopen at the beginning of June. My country had been gravely hit by this pandemic and the state of emergency had to be declared. A few days ago, the government decided to distribute 50 free masks to every citizen. Taking into consideration all these measures, I am therefore confident that the situation is going to improve progressively during the summer if people follow social distancing and other recommendations.

The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is a cosmopolitan country located in the heart of Europe with a thousand-year-old multicultural capital and different regions, each with their very own characteristics. And the Indian travellers are particularly impressed by its diversity. Luxembourg's geological location makes it home to an array of different landscapes. Such as the dense woodlands and valleys of the Ardennes, the fascinating rock formations of the Mullerthal region and the region of the 'Red Rocks' with its former mining landscapes. Further still, the vineyards of the Moselle region or Schengen, a small wine-producing town in the Southeastern part of Luxembourg in the 3-Border-Region with Germany and France, where the “Schengen Agreement” was signed in 1985.

As there are no direct flights from India, all major international airlines cover Luxembourg with transit flights. At the consulate, we have noticed a significant increase in our numbers and at the end of last year, New Delhi became the number one Luxembourg consulate in the world in terms of Schengen visa applications. The business and long-term visas represent quite a considerable part in our statistics, but the short-term visas, in the categories of tourism and visiting family and friends, represent approximately 40 percent of all visas delivered in 2019. Let me highlight as well the increasing number of Indian citizens living and working in Luxembourg, an increase in 20.5% compared to 2019. Indians rank 14th among foreign nationals living in the Grand Duchy, compared to 15th in 2019 and 27th in 2015. We remain quite optimistic about this trend.

The origins of Luxembourg, the only remaining Grand Duchy in the world, go back to 963 when Count Siegfried gained a castellum on a rocky outcrop, which he named 'Lucilinburhuc', the “small castle”, which developed over the centuries. In the 14th century, Luxembourg was one of the most influential dynasties in Europe and three consecutive emperors ruled over the Holy Roman Empire. Tourists can discover many historical sites in the capital by discovering 1000 years of Luxembourg's history in 180 minutes during the 'Wenzel Circular Walk', one among many walks organised by the Luxembourg City Tourist Office.

The remains of the centuries old fortifications are among the many tourist attractions called the Casemates, with 17 kilometres of underground tunnels. It offers panoramic views of this unique setting between tradition and modernity. The fortifications and old quarters of the capital have been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1994. A beautiful 'UNESCO Bike Tour' of approximately 9.5 kilometres lets tourists discover the architectural and technological urban landscape that beautifully illustrates this significant period in Luxembourg's history.

In the country's north, I particularly like the “Family of Man” exhibition in the castle in Clervaux. A legendary photographic exhibition initiated by the renowned Luxembourg-origin American photographer Edward Steichen. As a director of photography at the MoMA, he started this manifesto for peace and fundamental equality via humanist photography of the post-war years in 1955. It comprises 503 photographs by 273 artists from 68 countries. The exhibition toured the world and was on display in over 150 museums worldwide before its final version was permanently installed in the castle in 1994.

Despite the size of the country, Luxembourg is marked by its diversity, which every tourist can discover in various regions, from the Valley of the castles to the industrial heritage. But Luxembourg is also a true paradise for mountain bikers with a wide choice of mountain bike tracks and trails in the various regions. The Red Rock Mountain Bike Trail, for example, guides cyclists on the traces of Luxembourg's industrial and historical past through former open iron ore mines in protected nature reserves.

The Mullerthal Region is one of the most popular hiking regions in the country. Some spectacular award winning hiking trails or circular walks are in this region with breathtaking landscapes, ancient ruins and picturesque villages. All these regions are accessible, particularly as Luxembourg became the world's first country to make public transport free two months ago.

For the tourists interested in arts and architecture, I recommend visiting Kirchberg, part of the capital, where contemporary works of art and sculptures in public spaces meet unique architecture and designs created by world famous architects. The Contemporary Art Museum, Mudam, represents an excellent link with the past and present. Designed by the famous Sino-American architect Ieoh Ming Pei, the architecture of the museum is a true dialogue between the natural and historical context of this site. It neighbours the museum 'Dräï Eechelen' with its permanent exhibition illustrating the country's history in the restored Fort Thüngen and the Philharmonic Concert Hall designed by Christian de Portzamparc.

I wish to highlight that the agency 'Luxembourg for Tourism' has published a new magazine called 'Luci' that features inspiring travel stories. Passionate writers and photographers share their stories of encounters with people and places around the past, present and future of the Grand Duchy. The new magazine presents insights into Luxembourg's everyday life and the tourism industry.

In the 18th century, Luxembourg was an agricultural country plagued by years of famine and recurring epidemics. Small businesses and industries and nearly 60% of the active population worked in agriculture. In 1839, Luxembourg gained its independence. In the mid-19th century, it became the birthplace of the steel industry with the discovery of iron ore deposits in the south. That contributed to the wealth of the country. On the eve of the First World War, Luxembourg ranked among the world's six largest producers and is today home to the global headquarters of ArcelorMittal.

In the aftermath of World War II, Luxembourg's participation in the European integration process was crucial, because of the importance of its steel industry. In 1952, the capital became the temporary seat of the 'European Coal and Steel Community', which later become the European Union. Luxembourg remains one of the three European capitals hosting many European institutions such as the European Investment Bank, the European Court of Justice, the Court of Auditors to EUROSTAT and the statistical office of the EU. Staunch belief in multilateralism and the importance of regional peace and unity led Luxembourg to become a founding member of all the major international organisations. The BeNeLux Union, the UN and UNESCO, OECD, the Council of Europe, NATO and the OECD are a few examples. It is not without surprise that the Schengen Agreement, creating a Europe without borders, was signed in 1985 in the small wine-producing town of Schengen, which borders France and Germany.

Luxembourg's oldest banking institution was created in 1856. What was the country's small banking centre in the early 20th century gradually grew into an international financial centre. It developed and specialised over the decades and Luxembourg is today among the top three financial centres in the EU with an AAA credit rating and has the second largest global investment fund centre. The Luxembourg Stock Exchange listed the first ever Eurobond in 1963, the world's first green bond in 2007 and the first listing of a dim sum bond in Europe in 2011. In 2016, the world's first Green Exchange, a dedicated platform for green, social and sustainable securities, was created. Luxembourg is one of the most important hubs for cross-border RMB business in Europe and the EU hub for seven major Chinese banks. For two decades, the Luxembourg Stock Exchange, the worldwide leader in the listing of international securities, works with the Bombay Stock Exchange. The first Masala Bond was listed in Luxembourg in 2008.

After the steel crisis in the 1970s, Luxembourg's economy diversified. It included varied sectors, such as space and logistics. The creation of the “Société Européenne de Satellites (SES)”, the world leader in operational satellites, the recent launch of the “Space Resources”, the establishment of Cargolux Airlines, Europe's biggest all-cargo airline, and the impressive development of Amazon's European Headquarters are just a few to name. In the Automotive sector, Luxembourg developed as a leading business hub for innovation and smart mobility. Global component suppliers such as Delphi, Goodyear, IEE and CEBI have European sales and R&D headquarters in the Grand Duchy. In the ITC sector, the country developed into a globally recognised hub and it further positions itself as a centre of excellence in cybersecurity and data protection. “Digital Luxembourg” is leading the way to a digital nation, since the country became one of Europe's top locations for ICT infrastructures (Data-centres, connectivity and Internet traffic).

I share this as a short description of the many facets of Luxembourg's evolution over the last decades. I further wish to highlight a range of examples to show that the secret of Luxembourg has always been its multi-linguistic diversity and clear vision for the development of the country. Our stable government, the strength of our monarchy and our sovereignty, His Royal Highness the Grand Duke, are guarantors of our national independence.

As soon as our consulate in Delhi is going to be operational again. Following the reopening of the 17 VFS Global centres throughout India, the traveller can deposit a Schengen visa application at any of these centers. We had quite a large number of remaining passports in the consulate before the start of the national lockdown and the closure of the consulate. These travel documents will be delivered to VFS Global as soon as the operations restart.

For the pending short-term visa requests, we will grant a longer period of validity to each of the applicants, allowing them to reorganise their travels by taking into consideration these special circumstances. A longer validity period will offer a greater flexibility to make new flight reservations, fix new appointments with their business partners or reschedule the visits with their friends or relatives in Luxembourg. For any new visa application submitted after the nationwide lockdown, the rules of the common Schengen Visa Code will apply.

The Grand Ducal regulation of March 18, 2020 introduced a series of measures in the fight against the virus. Per this regulation, third country nationals currently staying in Luxembourg with a short-term visa and one that may expire during the lockdown are regularised to stay until July 31, 2020. That spans the duration of the state of emergency in Luxembourg.

The post-COVID-19 period is still going to be challenging as our daily life and routine are going to be marked by some restrictions and the importance of social distancing will remain for some time. In Luxembourg, the government from an early stage implemented restrictive measures that are going to be lifted slowly with the overall improvement of the situation and the reduction of recent cases. Our national carrier LUXAIR has suspended all flight operations until May 30, 2020, and we are going to see a gradual return in operations at the beginning of June. Each traveller needs to plan in advance and take into consideration all these aspects and restrictions before starting the travel journey.

I reduced the embassy staff to its absolute minimum before the start of the national lockdown on March 25th. With my small team and the assistance of our honorary consuls, we continued our daily consular and embassy related work. We helped many stranded Luxembourg tourists in India. We answered consular enquiries, provided repatriation flight assistance and solved transport and hotel booking complications. Our problem solving hours exceeded regular office hours. Further, since we are co-accredited in Nepal and Sri Lanka, we also supported our citizens there. Our local honorary consuls there were very involved. Since we are a smaller embassy, it was a very challenging period. Nonetheless, it was highly rewarding, as we could assist so many citizens to return home safely. We continue to provide our services for the Indian nationals who, as resident permit holders, live and work in Luxembourg. While the consulate is still closed, we are responding to daily consular enquiries besides carrying out our diplomatic duties.

On a personal note, since the start of the national lockdown, we have been auto-confined to the embassy complex, which also hosts our residence. I finally have some time with my wife to read some of the many books we bought during our travels throughout India. It's been a time of reflection as well as catching up on certain projects. We're enjoying our time at home while cooking new recipes and trying out lovely Indian specialties.