World News

UK holiday group Saga expects to resume cruises from June 27

British over-50s holidays group Saga Plc said on Monday it would likely resume its cruises on June 27, encouraged by high demand for tours despite repeated lockdowns, echoing similar projections…

Read More Here

Malta: Elderly tourists to get €100 vouchers

In another move to lure more visitors and boost the tourism industry so badly hit by the pandemic, the government will be handing out €100 vouchers to elderly visitors travelling…

Read More Here

WHO issues COVID-19 warning to Europe before summer travels

The World Health Organization on Thursday urged Europeans to travel responsibly during the summer holiday season and warned the continent was "by no means out of danger" in the battle…

Read More Here

Thailand targets 3 million foreign tourists this year under phased reopening

Tourism-reliant Thailand expects about three million foreign tourist arrivals this year, tied to a phased reopening to vaccinated visitors later this year, the state tourism agency said on Wednesday. The…

Read More Here

Portugal to welcome vaccinated U.S. tourists, hopes to salvage summer

Portugal will allow vaccinated U.S. tourists into the country, which is trying to salvage its summer holiday season that has been badly affected by the pandemic. Portugal's tourism sector -…

Read More Here

Spain welcomes vaccinated tourists

Spain is reopening its borders to vaccinated international travellers today, hoping to revive its tourism sector which has struggled severely during the pandemic. It will also allow cruise ships into…

Read More Here

Russian charter flights to Egypt to resume in coming days

Russian charter flights to Egyptian resorts are expected to resume in the coming days after a years-long hiatus, the Interfax news agency cited the boss of Aeroflot as saying on…

Read More Here

EU backs 800 million euro Greek scheme to help tourism industry through pandemic

The European Commission has approved an 800 million euro scheme by Greece, designed to support tourism companies which have been heavily affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. “They (the companies) have…

Read More Here

Malta: Country will be launching vaccine certificate for travel and certain activities

Next week Malta is expected to launch a vaccine certificate which has the aim of facilitating travel. In comments to Television Malta, Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo said that the certificate…

Read More Here

Norwegian Cruise to return to U.S. sailing in August

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd announced it would return to sailing in the United States from Aug. 7, more than a year after the COVID-19 pandemic brought the industry to…

Read More Here

Turkey’s tourists a quarter of pre-pandemic levels in April

Turkey welcomed 790,687 foreign visitors in April, down from a month earlier and only a quarter of the arrivals in 2019 before the pandemic hit, according to official data on…

Read More Here

Spanish hotel bookings jumped 4.05 mln in April

The number of nights booked by tourists in Spanish hotels surged to 4.05 million in April from zero a year earlier when a strict coronavirus lockdown paralysed the travel sector…

Read More Here

Spain opens up to tourists from outside the EU

Instead of the traditional sand and sea holidays, foreign tourists are invited to enjoy the charms of the Spanish countryside, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on the weekend, launching an…

Read More Here

Portugal to launch VAT discount scheme for tourism sector

Portugal’s finance ministry is testing out a new way to boost revenue for the country’s struggling tourism sector - letting local customers use the VAT included in their bills as…

Read More Here

European Parliament and Council reach agreement on Commission proposal

The Commission welcomes yesterday's provisional political agreement between the European Parliament and the Council on the Regulation governing the EU Digital COVID Certificate. This means that the certificate (previously called the…

Read More Here

Maltese Editors’ Perspectives

Times of Malta says that the tourism industry needs to think long-term and not just about attracting large numbers The Independent says that we cannot remove all measures now and…

Read More Here

Spain working with EU to extend COVID passport outside the bloc

Spain is working with the European Commission to extend the European Union COVID-19 travel card outside the bloc, Spanish Health Minister Carolina Darias said on Friday. A pilot project trialing…

Read More Here

EU reaches deal on COVID-19 passes to rescue summer

The European Union reached a deal on Thursday on COVID-19 certificates designed to open up tourism across the 27-nation bloc this summer as a rapid pick-up of vaccinations allows widespread…

Read More Here

Next British review of international travel ‘green list’ in first week of June

The “green list” is to expand, the British transport secretary Grant Shapps said Thursday morning. When asked on Radio 4’s Today programme whether he was pushing for the green list…

Read More Here

U.S. weighs changes to COVID-19 travel restrictions

The Biden administration has been weighing changes to sweeping travel restrictions that bar much of the world’s population from coming to the United States, but has reached no decisions, government…

Read More Here

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…

Read More Here

Egypt keen for tourism recovery by year-end as visitor numbers rise

Egypt is optimistic about welcoming more visitors this year with numbers increasing steadily since January to around half a million tourists a month, Tourism and Antiquities Minister Khaled El-Enany told…

Read More Here

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…

Read More Here

Greece pledges extra 400 million euros help tourism industry

Greece will help its key tourist industry with an additional financial package worth more than 400 million euros ($486 million), the country's finance minister said on Monday. The country, which…

Read More Here

Dubai eases COVID-19 restrictions, allows full hotel capacity

Dubai on Monday eased COVID-19 restrictions, allowing hotels in the regional tourism hub to operate at full capacity and permitting concerts and sports events where all attendees and participants have…

Read More Here

BA and Heathrow urge UK to ease travel restrictions

The bosses of British Airways and London's Heathrow Airport urged the government to go further in easing restrictions around travel on Monday, saying links to much of Europe and the…

Read More Here

Thousands in the UK set to jet overseas on holiday as rules ease

Holidaymakers from England, Scotland and Wales are expected to jet off for some early summer sun from Monday as the ban on foreign holidays is lifted. Travellers will now be…

Read More Here

Portugal to allow EU and UK tourists with a negative coronavirus test

Portugal will allow tourist flights from European Union countries with low infection rates and from the UK, but passengers must show a negative coronavirus test on arrival, the Interior Ministry…

Read More Here

Spectre of another lost tourism season haunts emerging markets

Fresh outbreaks of COVID-19 and travel curbs are deterring tourists from flocking back to Thailand's beaches and Turkey's bazaars, stalling a recovery in tourism, a crucial source of foreign currency…

Read More Here

‘Restrained optimism’ for Greek tourism recovery – industry body

The head of Greece's tourism confederation SETE expressed "restrained optimism" on Friday for a recovery in the industry this year after the hammering from the COVID-19 pandemic, forecasting revenues could…

Read More Here

14

May

Airbnb holiday bookings soar as Covid restrictions ease

Airbnb has reported a surge in bookings as coronavirus restrictions are eased in some countries. The value of bookings made by holidaymakers shot up 52% year on year to $10.3bn…

Read More Here

Greece woos foreign tourists ahead of reopening

Greece kicked off the formal start of its tourist season, announcing a multimillion euro promotional campaign on Thursday aimed at saving its most important economic sector from a second summer…

Read More Here

UPDATED: Portugal leaves UK tourists on tenterhooks over travel

Update: Portugal will allow tourists from Britain to enter from May 17, following Britain’s go-ahead last week for its holidaymakers to travel to Portugal from that date, the national tourism board said on…

Read More Here

UPDATED: Spain says will be ready for COVID travel certificate in June, on track for herd immunity

Spain will be ready in June to use COVID certificates that would facilitate travels, Tourism Minister Reyes Maroto said on Thursday, urging the European Union to adopt this measure quickly.…

Read More Here

Greek tourism minister hopeful of joining Britain’s ‘green list’

ATHENS (Reuters) -Greek Tourism Minister Harry Theoharis said on Wednesday he was hopeful Britain would include Greece on its "green list" of quarantine-free holiday destinations when the list is reviewed…

Read More Here

Malta: Vaccination drive could see tourism rebound in second half of 2021

Malta's fast vaccination drive, paired with a gradual easing of restrictions in the EU and a high vaccination rate in the UK, is set to put the tourism sector on…

Read More Here

Maltese Editors’ Perspectives

Times of Malta says that Malta appears to be slowly clawing its way out of the hole it had dug for itself when it comes to money-laundering legislation The Malta…

Read More Here

Greece reopens beaches after lockdown hoping to lure back tourists

With widely spaced sun loungers and regular disinfections, Greece reopened its organised beaches on Saturday as the popular Mediterranean holiday destination eases COVID-19 curbs in preparation for the return of…

Read More Here

Greece tiptoes to the official start of the tourism season

Museums in Greece will reopen to visitors next week, a day before the official start of the tourism season on May 15, authorities announced. Venues such as Athens' Acropolis museum,…

Read More Here

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…

Read More Here

Spain tourist arrivals slump 76% in March, recovery still far off

Foreign tourism in Spain in March fell 76% from a year ago when a lockdown was imposed in mid-month, data showed on Thursday, meaning a recovery of the crucial sector…

Read More Here

TUI lures UK holidaymakers with cheap COVID-19 tests ahead of travel restart

Holiday company TUI launched a 20 pound ($28) testing package for its UK customers on Thursday, as Britain prepares to allow travel again from May 17 but with strict testing…

Read More Here

EU countries agree to open up to Israeli tourists

The European Union on Thursday added Israel to the list of countries who's citizens will be allowed to visit for leisure, as Europe seeks to revive travel and salvage summer…

Read More Here

Draghi urges foreigners to book their summer holidays in Italy

Prime Minister Mario Draghi urged foreigners to book their summer holidays in Italy, saying it was set to introduce travel passes from the middle of May, sooner than much of…

Read More Here

Forbes puts Malta among cheapest places to retire in

Malta is actually one of the cheapest islands to retire and live on without a job, according to Forbes magazine. In a feature which is sure to ruffle some feathers…

Read More Here

Turkey still sees 30 million tourists in 2021 if lockdown succeeds

Turkey will still expect to welcome 30 million arrivals this year, twice the number last year, if daily coronavirus cases fall below 5,000 after a lockdown ends on May 17,…

Read More Here

Malta: Tourism license fees cancelled for 2021 in government bid to prop up industry

Operators in the tourism industry have been excempt from paying any licenses and fees due to the Malta Tourism Authroity for all of 2021, tourism minister Clayton Bartolo announced today.…

Read More Here

Spanish tourism minister receives red-stained knife, follows death threats to others

MADRID (Reuters) -Spanish Tourism Minister Reyes Maroto said on Monday she had received a knife covered in red stains by post, days after senior security officials and a left-wing party leader were sent death threats. The ministry released a photo…

Read More Here

Greece, looking to tourist season, makes islands vaccination priority

Greece, which will open its tourist season on May 15, is prioritizing the COVID-19 vaccination of residents of its islands, authorities said. The country has hundreds of inhabited islands and…

Read More Here

Maltese Editorials’ Perspectives

Times of Malta says that an increase in taxation will be inevitable if we do not have high economic growth The Independent reacts to the Super League proposed by 12…

Read More Here

Greece opens to tourists, anxious to move on from crisis season

RHODES, Greece (Reuters) - Greece began opening to tourists on Monday with few bookings but hopes for a better season to help make up for a 2020 devastated by the…

Read More Here

Hopes rise for Britain’s summer getaway season

Hopes that the great British getaway would be possible this summer grew on Wednesday, with easyJet predicting that most of Europe would be open for travel and British Airways confident…

Read More Here

Portugal seeks to avoid summer visitor quarantines “at all costs”

Portugal will do its best to avoid visitors having to quarantine on arrival this summer, its secretary of state for tourism said, as Europe moves towards adopting a COVID-19 passport…

Read More Here

Turkey could lose 500,000 tourists due to Russia flight restrictions

Turkish Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said flight restrictions imposed by Russia until June could cost Turkey 500,000 tourists, broadcaster NTV reported on Wednesday. Russia said it will restrict flights…

Read More Here

Malta: ‘No blessing for mass activities’, tourism minister says amid party adverts

Tourism authorities have not given the go-ahead to any mass events, Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo has said after a series of large-scale festivals set dates for late summer. At least three…

Read More Here

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…

Read More Here

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…

Read More Here