The Dispatch

World tourism inched back in 2021, still a fraction of pre-pandemic levels

The world tourism industry barely improved last year compared to 2020, with all indicators staying way below pre-pandemic levels and industry professionals not expecting a full recovery before 2024, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)…

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42% of all EU tourism nights in 2020 were spent in July and August

In 2020, the tourism industry suffered from the COVID-19 outbreak: the number of nights spent at EU tourist accommodation establishments dropped by 52% in 2020 compared with 2019, Eurostat data…

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Royal Caribbean to ask unvaccinated guests on Florida cruises for travel insurance

(Reuters) - Royal Caribbean International said it would require unvaccinated guests over 12 years of age traveling from Florida to show proof of insurance that covers COVID-19 related medical expenses,…

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Bali reopening to foreign tourists delayed as COVID surges

ndonesia's government will wait until COVID-19 cases fall significantly before opening Bali to foreign tourists, the country's tourism minister said in an interview. The coronavirus pandemic has devastated the economy of Bali, for…

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Greece banks on tourists for bad loan relief

Rhodes ferry operator Paris Kakas cannot afford another summer lost to the pandemic if he is ever to repay the millions of euros he owes. "We faced a lot of…

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Maltese hotelier gets top appointment at Hilton Seychelles

Andre Borg has been appointed Area General Manager for Hilton in the Seychelles responsible for several existing properties in the region and the coming-on-stream of new state of the art…

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MHRA surprised that Malta is not on UK ‘Green List’

The Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association (MHRA) is surprised that Malta is not on the UK government's ‘Green List’ for travel. MHRA states that objectively Malta is meeting the COVID-19…

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Summer holiday abroad? Too soon to guarantee that, says French minister

PARIS, April 11 (Reuters) - France said on Sunday it was too soon to say whether holidays abroad would be possible this summer as a third wave of coronavirus infections…

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Malta to pay tourists who visit this summer

VALLETTA, April 9 (Reuters) - Aiming to revive its tourism industry and get ahead of rival destinations, Malta plans to offer foreign visitors a handout of up to 200 euros ($238.10) each…

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CDC updates guidance to cruise ship industry, urges vaccinations

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention on Friday issued new guidance to the cruise ship industry, including the need for COVID-19 vaccinations, a necessary step before passenger…

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Spanish hotel chain Melia sues government for lockdown damages

MADRID, March 17 (Reuters) - Spain's largest hotel chain Melia Hotels has filed a complaint against the government with an administrative court seeking 116 million euros ($138 million) in damages…

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Singapore, Australia discussing possible air travel bubble

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Singapore and Australia are discussing an air travel bubble that would allow travel between the two countries without the need for quarantine, looking to reopen borders that…

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Tunisia hopes to save its tourism season, as it will ease COVID-19 measures

TUNIS, March 5 (Reuters) - Tunisia said on Friday it hoped to save its economically vital summer tourism season as it announced an easing of COVID-19 restrictions including quarantine measures,…

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Europe’s summer abroad cancelled as staycation bookings soar

CONNEMARA, Ireland, Feb 10 (Reuters) - Up until late January Terry O'Toole was fielding a trickle of enquiries from Irish holidaymakers happy to settle for another summer at home in…

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Domestic tourism recovers faster than foreign tourism – Eurostat

During the early part of 2020, the tourism industry suffered as a result of travel restrictions implemented in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Tourist numbers dropped sharply during March and…

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Saudi Arabia to resume tourist visas by early 2021

Saudi Arabia plans to resume tourist visas by early 2021 after months of suspension amid strict government measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus, the kingdom's tourism minister told Reuters.…

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German hospitality industry still far below pre-crisis revenues

The German hotel and restaurant industry in July further recovered from its slump caused by the coronavirus pandemic, but sales were still down more than a quarter when compared to…

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Spain hopes easing of UK quarantine will save Canary Islands winter tourism

After a disastrous summer tourism season, Spain is hoping a more flexible British quarantine police will make it possible to save some of the winter season in the Canary Islands,…

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Hostels in Europe see modest recovery in bookings – Hostelworld

Youth hostels in Europe have seen very modest growth in bookings in the past few weeks, but the Americas, Asia and Oceania remain very depressed due to COVID-19, leading hostel…

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Barcelona changes tourism tactics in the COVID era

The sight of local kids playing under the palm trees in an almost empty Plaça Reial square reminds Gloria Gomez of her childhood in the 1980s before tourism swamped the…

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Norwegian Cruise Line posts bigger-than-expected loss on pandemic hit

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd reported a bigger-than-expected quarterly loss as travel curbs and no-sail orders due to the COVID-19 pandemic brought the industry to a grinding halt. The health…

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Hilton posts bigger-than-expected loss as coronavirus hammers bookings

Hotel operator Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc posted a bigger-than-expected quarterly loss on Thursday, as the coronavirus pandemic decimated global travel demand and hammered bookings. The company's RevPAR - a key…

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Spain’s international tourist arrivals drop 98% in June

International tourist arrivals to Spain fell 98% year on year in June, official statistics released on Monday showed, as the country continues to reel from the effects of the global…

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U.N. study shows global tourism stands to lose up to $3.3 trillion from COVID-19

Global tourism revenues are expected to fall by up to $3.3 trillion due to COVID-19 restrictions, with the United States standing to lose the most, according to a U.N. study…

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Britain to announce safe countries for travel

Britain will ditch a 14-day quarantine period for people arriving from countries it deems to be lower risk for COVID-19 , the government said on Friday. Ministers are poised to…

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27

Jun

It took us 12 years to build Airbnb, and we almost lost everything in 4 to 6 weeks – Airbnb CEO

"Tourism as we knew it is over. I don't want to say that the journey is over, but rather that the model we knew has died and will not return."…

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26.8% hotels in Italy opt to stay closed

Only 40% of Italy's hotels are currently open even though the nation's coronavirus lockdown is over and the ban on travelling between regions has been lifted, the Federalberghi association said…

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Spain seeks to open up to some foreign tourism from June 22

Spain is working on starting to gradually open up to tourists from countries considered more secure in the fight against COVID-19 from June 22, a tourism ministry spokesman said on…

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Catering establishments to require all-clear certificate prior to welcoming clients

Tourism Minister Julia Farrugia Portelli and MTA CEO Johan Buttigieg have provided further details on the re-opening of catering establishments as from this Friday. "As the population returns to normality,…

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Tui Group to cut 8,000 jobs due to pandemic impact

Tui Group is to cut 8,000 jobs worldwide due to COVID-19, which it describes as "the greatest crisis" the travel industry has faced. The company said: "We are targeting to…

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“Europe needs a break” – EU Commission’s post Covid-19 tourism strategy

Tourism normally brings some 150 billion euros every season form June through August with some 360 million international arrivals, according to the Commission. Tourism, that normally contributes almost a tenth…

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Europe’s tourism industry not expected to return to pre-coronavirus levels until 2023

The coronavirus crisis has flung Europe’s tourism sector into chaos, with borders closed and airlines grounded. But if that is frustrating for holidaymakers, it risks ruining holiday businesses and devastating…

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Germany expected to extend travel warning for tourist trips abroad to mid-June

The German cabinet will on Wednesday extend a travel warning for all tourism trips abroad until at least June 14, magazine Der Spiegel reported, saying that a Foreign Ministry document…

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Saving the tourism sector from the coronavirus pandemic

Hotel Metropole is one of the most iconic tourist hotspots in Brussels, and has been welcoming guests in its lavish rooms since 1895. But this hotel has also fallen victim…

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Hotels in Romania will reopen in May, masks to become mandatory in all enclosed public spaces

The hotels in Romania will reopen after May 15, when Romania will start to ease the restrictions imposed during the state of emergency, prime minister Ludovic Orban said. However, the…

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Countries should not run to reopen tourism destinations too early – German foreign minister

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas on Sunday urged European countries not to reopen tourism destinations too early, or risk another wave of coronavirus contagion. “A European race to see who…

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G20 vows to boost tourism sector battered by Covid-19

G20 nations pledged Friday to cushion the economic blow of the coronavirus pandemic on global tourism, one of the hardest-hit industries in which millions risk losing their jobs. COVID-19 lockdowns…

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The ‘last cruise ship on Earth’ finally docks

The three last cruise ships still sailing with passengers will dock today - and one has had quite the odyssey. The MSC Magnifica left Europe in January, and was in…

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Predictions cruise holiday business may never recover from coronavirus

Some travel industry experts fear the cruise holiday business may never recover from coronavirus and shares in cruise companies have collapsed. Governments across the world have banned new cruises setting…

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UN Global Tourism Crisis Committee releases coronavirus recovery blueprint

The World Tourism Organisation has released a set of recommendations calling for urgent support for the global tourism sector. If followed, the body hopes the sector will not only…

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Royal Caribbean, NCL, Costa Cruises suspend operations due to coronavirus pandemic

Royal Caribbean Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Lines are both suspending all cruises for the next 30 days. The decision comes as officials recommend people forgo taking cruises during the coronavirus…

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Coronavirus ‘could cost millions of tourism jobs’

The global coronavirus outbreak means millions of travel and tourism jobs are at risk, says a leading industry body. The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) says up to 50…

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Tourism sector in Italy to lose ‘7 billion euros’

The coronavirus is expected to cost Italy's tourism sector 7.4 billion euros in losses in the upcoming trimester - March 1-May 31 - with an estimated loss of 31.625 million…

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Doubts on ITB Berlin due to coronavirus outbreak

A banner advertising the International Travel Trade Show ITB Berlin hangs on the facade of the Messe Berlin convention centre in Berlin, Germany, 28 February 2020. According to media reports,…

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Tourist cancellations reach 90% in Rome over coronavirus fears

Tourist cancellations have reached 90% in Rome for March due to the coronavirus emergency, sector bodies said Wednesday. Bookings are down 60% for next month, Assoturismo Confesercenti Roma e Lazio…

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Russia relaxes visa rules for EU citizens

Russia is to relax its draconian visa rules from 2021. The 16-day e-visas will go into effect Jan. 1, 2021, for citizens of the European Union and different countries in…

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Amsterdam seeking to bar tourists from buying cannabis

The mayor of Amsterdam has sought to win political backing for her clean-up of the overcrowded red-light district by revealing that a third of foreign would be less likely to…

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Cruise lines apply measures on coronavirus risk

Major cruise lines operating in Asia are banning tourists who have been in the city of Wuhan or come from Hebei Province in a bid to prevent an outbreak of…

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Plan for barrier around Rome’s iconic Trevi Fountain

Barriers are set to be placed around the iconic Trevi Fountain in Rome to stop tourists sitting on the monument, after the city council approved a motion to protect it.…

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Spain to crack down on alcohol-fuelled holidays

Spain's Balearic Islands have passed a law banning pub crawls and happy hours in three popular tourist destinations in a bid to crack down on alcohol-fuelled holidays. Restrictions apply to…

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New travel advice for British travelling to EU after Brexit

The travel industry is trying to reassure tourists that their summer holidays won't be affected by the UK's departure from the European Union. Little is certain about how travellers may…

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Australian tourism industry seeks urgent help as cost of bushfires grows

Australia’s peak tourism body estimated the country’s bushfire crisis has so far cost the industry almost A$1 billion ($690 million) and called for urgent help from the government to lure…

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Photo Story: Amsterdam’s largest hotel opens its doors

The exterior of Hotel nhow Amsterdam RAI, The Netherlands. The largest hotel in Amsterdam opened on Friday, has 650 rooms and is a design by architectural firm OMA of Rem…

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The Netherlands doesn’t want to be called Holland anymore

The Netherlands will stop using Holland as its nickname in the new year as part of a €200,000 rebranding campaign. The country's government is looking to update its international image…

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Japan Airlines to offer 50,000 free round-trip domestic flights to foreign tourists

Japan Airlines Co. has said it will launch a campaign to offer free round-trip domestic flight tickets to up to 50,000 foreign nationals who visit Japan next summer. The initiative,…

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Tourists stay away from Taj Mahal, other Indian attractions as protests flare

India’s tourism industry has been hit by a wave of violent anti-government protests against a new citizenship law that have rocked several cities this month, with at least seven countries…

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Tourist bookings to Venice down 40 %

Hotel bookings in Venice are down by 40 per cent as images of the city under water during last month’s record flooding dissuade tourists around the world from visiting. Tens of…

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