travel restart – आवारा मुसाफिर

China’s tourists hit Thai beaches for first time in 3 years

January 22, 2023859 Views

Hitting the white sand beaches and eating mango sticky rice and seafood, Chinese tourists are returning to Thailand for their first trips abroad since China ended its strict COVID-19 curbs and reopened its borders. “Because of the pandemic, we hadn’t been out of China for three years,” said tourist and business owner Kiki Hu, 28, in Krabi on Thailand’s southwest coast. “Now that we can leave and come here for holiday. I feel so happy and emotional”. People gather at a Taoist temple to celebrate the Lunar New Year in Phuket, Thailand January 22, 2023. REUTERS/Jorge Silva With China celebrating the Lunar New Year, Asia’s tourist hotspots have been bracing for the return of Chinese tourists, who spent $255 billion a year globally before the pandemic. Countries from Thailand to Japan...

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Japan reopens to tourists with shuttered souvenir shops, hotel staff shortage

AWARA MUSAFIR BUREAU

October 10, 2022790 Views

As Japan throws open its doors to visitors this week after more than two years of pandemic isolation, hopes for a tourism boom face tough headwinds amid shuttered shops and a shortage of hospitality workers. From Tuesday, Japan will reinstate visa-free travel to dozens of countries, ending some of world's strictest border controls to slow the spread of COVID-19. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is counting on tourism to help invigorate the economy and reap some benefits from the yen's slide to a 24-year low. Arata Sawa is among those eager for the return of foreign tourists, who previously comprised up to 90% of the guests at his traditional inn. FILE PHOTO: Pedestrians wearing protective face masks, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, are seen behind artificial cherry ...

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Japan to reopen to mass tourism in October

AWARA MUSAFIR BUREAU

September 23, 2022678 Views

Japan’s strict border restrictions will be loosened next month, the prime minister announced Thursday, allowing tourists to easily enter for the first time since the start of the pandemic. In a news conference at the foot of Central Park in New York, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said independent tourists would again be welcomed as of Oct. 11, not just those traveling with authorized groups. A cap on the number of tourists—currently set at 50,000—who are granted entry — which has been gradually increased this year — will be nixed altogether. And visa requirements that were imposed in response to the pandemic will also be rescinded. It may revise regulations on hotels, allowing them to refuse guests who don't abide by infection controls, such as mask wearing, during an outbreak, domes...

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Chile’s Easter Island reopens to tourists

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August 5, 2022792 Views

Chile's Easter Island received its first group of tourists on Thursday after closing its borders for more than two years due to the coronavirus pandemic. Easter Island, over 2,000 miles (3,219 km) from the coast of Chile, has over a thousand stone statues -- giant heads that were carved centuries ago by the island's inhabitants -- which have brought it fame and UNESCO World Heritage Site status. FILE PHOTO: A tourist looks at a statue named "Moai" at Easter Island, Chile February 13, 2019. Picture taken February 13, 2019. REUTERS/Marion Giraldo "(Easter Island) is the biggest open air museum in the world," said Pedro Edmunds, the mayor of Easter Island, adding that it was time to open the island after it shut its borders 868 days ago. "We've learned what the pandemic is about ...

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Bhutan and Amankora to reopen doors on 23rd September

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July 15, 2022730 Views

The sole remaining Himalayan Buddhist Kingdom will reopen its borders to international travel on 23 September 2022, enabling Amankora to once again offer unparalleled journeys of discovery through this mystical land in its five lodges. For over two years Bhutan has retreated into the mists of its Himalayan eyrie to ensure the wellbeing of its people. Now ready to emerge, like a gilded peak after the storm clouds have passed, the Kingdom will present an ever rarer and more awe-inspiring cultural safari. Accommodation at Paro lodge, Amankora, Bhutan and firepit terrace with view of Drukgyel Dzong Honoured to be Bhutan’s first and most trusted international travel partner since the Kingdom opened to the outside world, Amankora has joined in every endeavour to uplift and rebuild during...

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After two pandemic years, a summer travel bounce — and chaos

AWARA MUSAFIR BUREAU

July 3, 2022261 Views

At a tourism conference in Phuket last month, Thailand’s prime minister looked out at attendees and posed a question with a predictable answer. “Are you ready?” Prayuth Chan-ocha asked, dramatically removing his mask and launching what’s hoped to be the country’s economic reset after more than two years of coronavirus-driven restrictions. When the crowd yelled its answer — yes, according to local media — it might have been speaking for the entire pandemic-battered world. Tourists visit Grand Palace in Bangkok, Thailand, Friday, June 17, 2022. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit) But a full recovery could take as long as the catastrophe itself, according to projections and interviews by The Associated Press in 11 countries in June. They suggest that the hoped-for rebound is less like a defini...

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Bhutan to now charge $200 per tourist per night

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July 1, 20221025 Views

Will welcome tourists 'who can spend' from September 23 Bhutan will reopen for international tourists from September for the first time since the pandemic began more than two years ago, officials said on Thursday, as the tiny Himalayan kingdom looks to revive its economy. Wedged between China and India, the country with scenic natural beauty and ancient Buddhist culture, took drastic early steps and banned tourism, a major source of income, in March 2020 when the first COVID-19 case was detected there. FILE PHOTO: Paro International Airport in Bhutan. The constitutional monarchy of less than 800,000 people has reported fewer than 60,000 infections and only 21 deaths, but the $3 billion economy contracted in the last two fiscal years, pushing more people into poverty. read more...

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As COVID fears ebb, Japan readies for tourists from abroad

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June 28, 2022217 Views

The rickshaw men in Tokyo are adding English-speaking staff, a sure sign Japan is bracing for a return of tourists from abroad. Japan’s border controls to curb the spread of coronavirus infections began gradually loosening earlier this month. That’s great news for Yusuke Otomo, owner of Daikichi, a kimono rental shop in Asakusa, an old district of Tokyo famous for its temples, quaint restaurants and rickshaw rides. He can barely contain his excitement. A rickshaw puller carries his customers around Tokyo's Asakusa area famous for sightseeing, Wednesday, June 22, 2022. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae) “Those were a hard three years. But we managed to endure until today. And after such an experience, to think people from abroad can finally come back is simply thrilling,” Otomo told The Ass...

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France’s Travel & Tourism could surpass pre-pandemic levels in 2023

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May 26, 2022807 Views

Employment in the sector could also exceed 2019 levels next yearTravel & Tourism growth expected to outstrip France’s GDP The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has revealed the Travel & Tourism sector in France will propel the national economic recovery and could even surpass pre-pandemic levels next year, when it is projected to rise 2.2% above 2019 levels. The forecast from WTTC’s latest Economic Impact Report (EIR) shows the sector’s contribution to GDP could reach more than €216 billion by next year. Employment within the sector could also exceed 2019 levels, creating almost 90,000 additional jobs, representing nearly 2.8 million by the end of next year. FILE PHOTO: People walk past the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel next to the Louvre museum on a sunny day i...

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Accelerate Asia-Pacific aviation recovery, urges IATA

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May 17, 2022490 Views

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has urged Asia-Pacific states to further ease border measures to accelerate the region’s recovery from COVID-19. “Asia-Pacific is playing catch-up on restarting travel after COVID-19, but there is growing momentum with governments lifting many travel restrictions. The demand for people to travel is clear. As soon as measures are relaxed there is an immediate positive reaction from travelers. So it is critical that all stakeholders, including governments are well-prepared for the restart. We cannot delay. Jobs are at stake and people want to travel,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General, in his keynote address at the Changi Aviation Summit. The Asia-Pacific region’s international passenger demand for March reached 17% of pr...