Tourism

UK minister warns anyone booking a holiday is taking a chance

Britons booking a summer holiday are taking a chance on the direction of the coronavirus outbreak, transport minister Grant Shapps said on Wednesday. European travel company TUI said on Wednesday there would…

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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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Abu Dhabi announces partial refund for restaurant and tourism property leases

Abu Dhabi has announced a 20% refund on annual commercial property leases for restaurants and for tourism and entertainment facilities, state news agency WAM reported on Monday. Eligible businesses…

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Genoa, Turin and Milan unite for tourism

The Municipalities of Genoa, Milan, and Turin have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to intensify their relationships through joint participation in projects related to economic and tourist development, cultural activities, and…

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Turkey unveils plan to revive tourism with health and hygiene certificates

Turkey has unveiled a plan to revive tourism by giving travellers, resorts and employees seals of approval in a programme meant to jumpstart a crucial industry hit hard by…

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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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Egypt sets strict conditions for hotels to re-open amid Covid-19

Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Khaled Al-Anani said during a cabinet meeting that hotels will operate at a maximum rate of 25% until the beginning of June after a long…

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International tourism to plunge up to 80% due to coronavirus

The number of international tourist arrivals could plunge by 60 to 80 per cent in 2020 owing to the coronavirus, the World Tourism Organisation said on Thursday (May 7), revising…

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Lufthansa negotiating a 9 billion euro bailout programme

Lufthansa is negotiating a 9 billion euro ($9.71 billion) bailout with Germany's economic stabilisation fund to ensure its future, the airline said on Thursday. The "stabilisation package" includes a non-voting…

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Over 40,000 firms, 184,000 jobs at risk in Italian tourism sector

The coronavirus crisis is threatening the survival of over 40,000 firms and a total of 184,000 jobs in the Italian tourism sector, research company Demoskopika said Wednesday. The firms risking…

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France to limit international travel this summer

French President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday that it was unlikely that French people would be able to undertake major foreign trips this summer and that even trips within Europe may…

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Norwegian Cruise Line doubts it will be able to continue operating

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd, the world’s third-largest cruise operator, raised doubts about its ability to continue operating on Tuesday, the first in the sector to signal it may succumb…

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Sicily to subsidise holidays for both domestic and international tourists

The Guardian reports that Sicily’s regional government is offering to subsidise holidays on the island for both domestic and international visitors in an effort to kickstart tourism after the coronavirus…

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Malta: ‘Dead’ tourism sector needs €2 billion to revive – Robert Arrigo

Malta’s tourism industry is in dire straits and will require a major investment if it is to return to normal after COVID-19, PN MP Robert Arrigo has warned. Source: Malta…

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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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Hotels in Poland to open for summer holidays

Hotels in Poland will be open for summer holidays, government spokesman Piotr Muller told state radio on Wednesday, while adding that the novel coronavirus infections were still on the rise…

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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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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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Greece to re-write tourism playbook for post Covid-19 reality

Packed pools, beaches and tour buses, as well as middle seats, hotel minibars and scrums at airport check-ins, may all be a thing of the past as Greece’s tourism industry…

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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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19

Apr

Airbnb landlords suffering the pain of the Covid-19 impact

Summer is canceled — at least for the thousands of Airbnb hosts who have seen their entire year’s income disappear due to the coronavirus crisis. As people cancel their holiday…

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Spain’s tourism industry unlikely to fully reopen before end of year

Spain's COVID-19 lockdown is unlikely to be fully lifted until the end of 2020, the Government has warned, according to a report published on The Olive Press. The report said…

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First in, last out

by Jesmond Saliba Tourism was the first sector to feel the brunt of the coronavirus and, given the overlapping nature of the situation, it may be the last to emerge…

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Tunisia tourism sector could lose $1.4 bln

Tunisia’s vital tourism sector could lose $1.4 billion and 400,000 jobs this year due to the new coronavirus pandemic, an official document showed, as the country seeks a loan…

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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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Thailand cancels visa on arrival for 18 countries, Malta included, due to spread of coronavirus

Thailand on Wednesday cancelled the grant of visa on arrival for 18 countries and visa exemption for three others to contain the spread of the coronavirus, the country’s interior minister…

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Malta & COVID -19 – This is not business as usual

We find ourselves at a point today where our immediate neighbours, and the world as a whole potentially face one of the most serious episodes in living memory. Not for…

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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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Problems expected tomorrow at Brussels airport passport control

There might be some chaos on Friday in Brussels airport after the Belgian airport police announced they will be carrying out a work to rule at passport control. The action,…

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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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Companies feel impact of coronavirus outbreak in China

Companies around the world have warned that a coronavirus outbreak in China could disrupt supply chains or hurt bottom lines as factories and shops shut and airlines suspend flights. Apple…

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Cruise ships ordered into quarantine increase to two

Thousands of passengers and crew on two cruise ships in Asian waters were placed in quarantine on Wednesday, as the death toll from an outbreak of a fast-spreading coronavirus rose…

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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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Calls for tourism boycott to Cyprus adds to pressure to reopen rape trial

Pressure is mounting on the Cypriot authorities to reassess the case of a British teenager found guilty of lying about being gang-raped as anger rises over the verdict. Calls for…

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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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EU court rules Airbnb is not an estate agent

The accommodation-booking service Airbnb does not need an estate agent's licence to operate in France, Europe's top court has ruled. The French tourism association had complained that Airbnb did not…

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Latest developments in Malta puts Manchester United’s sponsorship deal under spotlight – The Sun

The sponsorship deal between Manchester United and Malta is back in the spotlight because of the island’s ongoing political scandal. According to a report on The Sun the resignation of…

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Kraków chosen as best city break destination in Europe for third year running

Members of leading British consumer association Which? have chosen Kraków as Europe’s best city break destination for the third year in a row. The Polish city finished ahead of Spanish…

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Saudi Arabia opens tourist visas to U.S., European visa holders

Tourist visas for Saudi Arabia are now available online and on arrival to holidaymakers who already hold a visa from the United States, Britain or the EU’s Schengen zone, expanding…

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Thailand to demand proof of health insurance for ‘risky’ long-term visitors

Reuters reports that foreigners in the “risky” over-50 age group will have to present proof of health insurance when applying for Thai long-term non-immigrant visas, a minister said on Wednesday,…

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Final Thomas Cook holidaymakers to return home to Britain

The final contingent of holidaymakers stranded overseas after the collapse of tour company Thomas Cook last month will return to Britain on flights that departed on Sunday, bringing to an…

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Controversy over €430 paid for two spaghetti plates in Rome

A couple of Japanese tourists dining in Rome were shocked to receive a bill for more than €429.80 after ordering two plates of spaghetti and fish and two glasses of…

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