Tourism

Malta: Clerks to be increased to reduce queues at airport – Minister Bartolo

The Minister for Tourism and Consumer Protection, Clayton Bartolo told TVM that the number of clerks will be increased who are verifying and collecting the details of airport passengers as…

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Egypt eases guest limits in hospitality sector as infections fall

Egypt's cabinet eased guest limits for hotels, restaurants, cinemas and theatres to 70% of their capacity from 50 percent at present as coronavirus infections slow, a cabinet statement said. Egypt…

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Rising Delta virus, absent Brits dampen Europe’s tourism hopes

While not a complete wash-out, the summer tourism season vital to southern Europe's economies will be less than sizzling as the Delta coronavirus spreads and travel hurdles keep British and…

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Magaluf wrestles with uncertainty despite welcome return of Britons

Bar and restaurant owners in the Spanish resort of Magaluf cheered the return of British tourists after London loosened travel restrictions to the Balearic Islands, though many worry another weak…

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Italy’s restaurants and hotels are facing an unexpected problem, they can’t find the staff

Coronavirus curbs have eased, tourists are returning, but Italy’s restaurants and hotels are facing an unexpected problem -- they can’t find the staff. Prime Minister Mario Draghi’s unity government is…

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International tourism not seen rebounding until 2023 – UN report

International tourism arrivals are set to stagnate this year, except in some Western markets, causing up to $2.4 trillion in losses, a U.N. study said on Wednesday, adding the sector…

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Tourism-dependent Portugal to quarantine unvaccinated Britons

Passengers arriving in Portugal from Britain must quarantine for 14 days from Monday if they are not fully vaccinated against COVID-19, the Portuguese government said. The new rule will remain…

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Seychelles looking to diversity economy beyond tourism post-COVID

Seychelles said on Wednesday it is looking to diversify its economy beyond its mainstay of tourism into areas such as fisheries after visitor numbers were battered by restrictions to arrest…

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Belgium to ban British visitors due Delta variant cases increase

Belgium has said it is banning visitors from Britain. The measure will come into force on Saturday and includes an exemption for Belgian nationals or residents. Belgium said listed the…

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Russians’ return boosts Turkish tourism prospects

Thousands of Russian tourists began arriving in Turkey on Tuesday, boosting hopes for its tourism sector after a two-month suspension in flights imposed by Moscow due to concerns about a…

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British pilots call on politicians to rescue travel industry

British pilots on Wednesday urged politicians to save the summer holiday season through clearer travel guidance and provide direct financial support to rescue jobs as the industry grapples with an…

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International arrivals in Greece jump in May

Air traffic in Greece picked up strongly in May as the government eased restrictions on travel at the start of the vital summer tourist season, civil aviation authority data showed.…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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 -…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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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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…

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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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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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‘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…

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May