Home-grown vaccine drive takes hold, restrictions eased Cuba will open its borders and ease entry requirements next month after vaccinating most of its people with home-grown COVID-19 drugs, allowing it to welcome back overseas visitors and giving a shot in the arm to its ailing tourist industry. Tough restrictions due to the pandemic, a drastic reduction in flights to Cuba, and a U.S. ban on most travel to the Communist-run island under former U.S. President Donald Trump have hobbled the business and left it trailing behind regional competitors such as the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, the Bahamas and Cancun. Tourists rest on the beach amid concerns about the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Varadero, Cuba, October 22, 2021. Picture taken on October 22, 2021. R...
Read MoreTag: tourism revival
Surf school owner Halfia Londa is pinning all her hopes on Indonesia's plan to reopen the island of Bali to some foreign tourists from mid-October. Halfia's business at Kuta Beach is among hundreds of tourist businesses to have been crippled by the Indonesian government's decision to suspend all international flights to and from the popular island destination from April 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic. The closure stripped away most of Halfia's business virtually overnight, plunging her into debt. With very little income, she was evicted from her rented house and has been relying on the generosity of friends to get by. A surfing business owner, 38-year-old, Halfia Lando poses holding a surfboard at a Kuta beach in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia, October 12, 2021. REUTERS/Sult...
Read MoreThailand will end coronavirus quarantine requirements for vaccinated visitors from 10 low-risk countries starting Nov. 1, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said on Monday, as the Southeast Asian nation tries to revive its pandemic-hit economy. Thailand last year suffered its deepest economic contraction in more than two decades, with the key tourism sector still struggling. FILE PHOTO: The first foreign tourists arrive at the airport as Phuket reopens to overseas tourists, allowing foreigners fully vaccinated against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) to visit the resort island without quarantine, in Phuket, Thailand. REUTERS/Jorge Silva Visitors from at least 10 countries including the United Kingdom, Singapore, Germany, China and the United States will be exempted from quarantin...
Read MoreBanking on festive surge for travel, bookings and expectations upbeat In a leg-up to the COVID-battered tourism industry in West Bengal, bookings for the Durga Puja festive season have surged beyond expectations, tour operators said. According to industry sources, bookings for trips during Durga Puja are in full swing amid fears of a possible third wave of the pandemic. "Many people are mixing travel with family get-togethers at exotic locations, having missed out on meeting each other for a long time owing to the restrictions," Anil Punjabi, the eastern region chairman of the Travel Agents Federation of India, said. "This time, the response and bookings are much more than our expectations. We are getting a very good response. If you compare it with pre-COVID times, for ex...
Read More# In a slower than expected recovery GDP contribution will only increase by less than one third# Nearly 19 million Travel & Tourism jobs in the balance in 2021# With the right measures, governments could see jobs surpass 2019 levels by 2022 The Travel & Tourism sector’s continued sluggish recovery will see its year-on-year contribution to global GDP rise by less than one third in 2021, according to new research from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC). WTTC, which represents the global Travel & Tourism private sector, says the recovery of the sector has been hampered by the lack of international coordination, severe travel restrictions and slower vaccination rates in some parts of the world which still hamper many regions of the world. In 2019, the Trave...
Read MoreInternational tourism enjoyed signs of rebound in June and July 2021 as some destinations eased travel restrictions and the global vaccination rollout advanced in many parts of the world. According to the latest edition of the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer, an estimated 54 million tourists crossed international borders in July 2021, down 67% from the same month in 2019, but the strongest results since April 2020. This compares to an estimated 34 million international arrivals recorded in July 2020, though well below the 164 million figure recorded in 2019. Moderate rebound for most destinations Most destinations reporting data for June and July 2021 saw a moderate rebound in international arrivals compared to 2020. Nevertheless, 2021 continues to be a challenging year for glo...
Read MoreVietnam has pushed back a plan to re-open the resort island of Phu Quoc to foreign tourists until November, after failing to meet targets for inoculating residents due to insufficient vaccine supplies, state media reported. The Southeast Asian nation, which is currently shut to all visitors apart from returning citizens and investors, has been struggling to speed up inoculations to help contain a spike in COVID-19 cases driven by the Delta variant in recent months. FILE PHOTO: Views from a beachside restaurant are seen at the Mango Bay resort in Phu Quoc island, Vietnam. REUTERS/James Pearson Authorities had initially planned to allow vaccinated foreign tourists to start returning to Phu Quoc in October to revive the tourism sector and prop up the economy. "We have to inoculat...
Read MoreAs tourism in Kerala is regaining the pre-pandemic exuberance, the state has made a strong presence as a prime safe and clean destination of the country at the Travel and Tourism Fair (TTF) that opened in Ahmedabad on Thursday. Around 14 tour operators and hoteliers are participating as co-exhibitors at the Kerala pavilion set up by the State Tourism Department at the three-day expo at The Forum Celebration and Convention Centre, Ahmedabad, an official statement said here. India's biggest travel trade show, TTF provides a strong marketing and networking platform for the travel and tourism industry by bringing together major sellers and buyers. The theme of Kerala Tourism is 'A Change of Air', which subtly sums up the fresh ambience palpable in all destinations in the state, o...
Read MoreThailand has pushed back plans to re-open Bangkok and some other major cities to foreign arrivals until November, due to vaccination rates falling short of targets, a senior official said on Wednesday. Officials earlier this month said they planned here to welcome vaccinated tourists without quarantine to major cities like Bangkok, Hua Hin, Pattaya and Chiang Mai in October to revive the country’s crucial tourism sector. FILE PHOTO: Boats that are used to transport tourists around the Chao Phraya river are seen idle due to travel bans and border closures from the global coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in downtown Bangkok, Thailand. REUTERS/Jorge Silva “Cities we’ve targeted have not reached 70% vaccination rates and so we have to push out the date to November,” Tourism Au...
Read MoreVietnam plans to reopen the beach-fringed island of Phu Quoc to foreign tourists from next month, authorities said, as the country looks at ways to revive an economy suffering from extended lockdowns due to the coronavirus pandemic. The island, 10 km (6 miles) off the coast of Cambodia here, is expected to open for a trial period of six months, the government said in a statement issued late on Thursday. FILE PHOTO: A sunset is seen in a resort after the Vietnamese government eased the lockdown following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Phu Quoc island, Vietnam May 8, 2020. REUTERS/James Pearson Vietnam, which is currently shut to all visitors apart from returning citizens and investors, had managed to contain the virus for much of the pandemic but in the past three...
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