Sun-hungry Britons landing in Portugal on Monday after a four-month coronavirus travel ban between the two countries was lifted at midnight were elated to be back on holiday. "It's fantastic. The feeling is unbelievable. We got the sun, the people, the beaches, the bars. Can't wait," said British tourist Matthew Bolden, giving the thumbs up at the arrivals gate at Lisbon airport. Twenty-two flights from Britain were due to land in Portugal on Monday, with most heading to the southern Algarve region, famous for its beaches and golf courses but nearly deserted over the past months as the pandemic kept tourists away. People arrive at Faro Airport from Manchester on the first day that Britons are allowed to enter Portugal without needing to quarantine, as coronavirus disease (COVID-1...
Read MoreTag: travel restrictions
Demand for multi-currency cards and e-money apps has “significantly spiked” over the last month due to the pent-up demand for international travel, reveals one of the world’s largest independent financial advisory and fintech organisations. deVere Group reports a month-on-month jump in enquiries of 72% for deVere Vault, the pioneering global e-money app and multi-currency card launched in 2017. It comes as ahead of the summer holiday season and as countries around the world begin to ease international travel restrictions put in place due to the pandemic. Nigel Green, deVere’s chief executive and founder, says: “There’s always an uptick ahead of the start of peak summer travel season. Passengers wearing protective face masks arrive from Paris at Eurostar terminal at St Pancras sta...
Read MoreThe Chardham Yatra will have a lacklustre opening for the second consecutive year due to COVID-19 pandemic as the portals of Yamunotri and Gangotri will open on Friday and Saturday respectively without any pilgrims in attendance. Located in Uttarakhand's Garhwal region, all the four temples also called Chardham, have been kept out of bounds for devotees as a precautionary measure in view of the surge in COVID-19 cases. Not more than 25 people each, including priests, teerth purohits and district administration officials, will attend the opening ceremonies at Yamunotri and Gangotri which will be low-key affairs, Gangotri Mandir Samiti official Rajesh Semwal said. Last year also they had reopened after their closure in winters only so that the priests could conduct regular pray...
Read MoreThe European Union’s executive has recommended easing COVID-19 travel restrictions next month to let foreign travellers from more countries enter the bloc, hoping to boost the stricken tourism industry this summer. Under current restrictions, people from only seven countries, including Australia and Singapore, can enter the EU on holiday, regardless of whether they have been vaccinated but subject to tests or quarantine. New proposals from the European Commission on Monday, but still requiring approval by the EU’s 27 member states, would allow in fully vaccinated foreign citizens and those from countries with a “good epidemiological situation”. FILE PHOTO: Federal police officers check air passengers arriving from Britain at Frankfurt Airport, as the spread of the coronavirus dis...
Read MoreRhino poaching is on the rise again in South Africa since the government loosened coronavirus restrictions, following a year-long lull due to the pandemic, wildlife parks say. The strict limits on travel, including international travel, imposed in March last year had the happy side effect of keeping poachers at bay. In 2020, 394 rhinos were poached, 30% fewer than the year before and the lowest yearly tally since 2011. But then South Africa began easing international travel restrictions in November. Veterinarians attend to a tranquillised rhino before it is dehorned, amid mounting fears of a rebound in rhino poaching, as the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) travel restrictions ease, at the Balule Nature Reserve in Hoedspruit, Limpopo province, South Africa April 26, 2021. REUTERS/S...
Read MoreDespite travel restrictions caused by COVID-19, it appears that consumer confidence has not been deterred too drastically, as a recent survey by GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, revealed that 36% of respondents stated that they would consider an international trip to a different continent in the next 12 months, which is eight percent more than the percentage of respondents that stated they would consider an international trip to a country within the continent in which they live. Ralph Hollister, Travel and Tourism Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Due to COVID-19, there has been frequent adjustments made to travel restrictions, and each country has different regulations in place, which means that traveling to a different continent in the short-term will still be risky....
Read MoreIndian coronavirus variant reaches Switzerland
Spain, Italy, Philippines, Cambodia impose restrictions on travellers from India, Australia suspends direct flights The first case of the Indian variant of COVID-19 has been confirmed in Switzerland, the Federal Office for Public Health (BAG) said, as other countries introduce travel bans to contain its spread. On the other hand, few more countries including Spain, Italy, Cambodia and Philippines have imposed restrictions on travellers coming from India. Australia has now suspended all direct flights from India until at least May 15. FILE PHOTO: People wearing protective masks walk out a the arrivals terminal of Cointrin airport during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Geneva, Switzerland. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo The case in Switzerland involved ...
Read MoreDomestic travel restrictions imposed to tackle the spread of the COVID-19 virus are expected to be lifted on May 3, the government said on Wednesday after a cabinet meeting. FILE PHOTO: A woman makes her way in the departures area of the Terminal 2E at Charles-de-Gaulle airport amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Roissy, near Paris, France April 2, 2021. REUTERS/Christian Hartmann Government spokesman Gabriel Attal also said that President Emmanuel Macron’s administration was sticking to a base case scenario of bars and restaurants to re-open outdoor seatings by mid-May. “On May 3, it is expected that travel restrictions will be lifted”, he told reporters. The French government has also decided to order COVID-19 tests for travellers coming from India, Attal sa...
Read MoreThe International Air Transport Association (IATA), the Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA) and Airports Council International Latin America and the Caribbean (ACI-LAC) have renewed their call to governments in Latin America and the Caribbean in regard to the need to plan in advance and in a coordinated manner so that commercial aviation can resume once the new travel restrictions are lifted in the region. The industry understands that governments’ primary focus is addressing the public health crisis. Nevertheless, the sector has been devised and implemented the necessary policies and procedures to allow aviation to safely operate during the pandemic. The recent tightening of travel restrictions has forced airlines into last minute flight cancellations and...
Read MoreOne in three destinations worldwide are now completely closed to international tourism. According to the latest data from the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the emergence of new variants of the COVID-19 virus has prompted many governments to reverse efforts to ease restrictions on travel, with total closures to tourists most prevalent in Asia and the Pacific and Europe. The UNWTO Travel Restrictions Report provides a comprehensive overview of the regulations in place in 217 destinations worldwide. While previous editions had shown a movement towards easing or lifting restrictions on travel, the latest report shows that the persistent seriousness of the epidemiological situation has caused governments to adopt a more cautious approach. As of the beginning of February, 32% of...
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