• More European Union nations ban travel from UK, fearing virus variant

    More European Union nations ban travel from UK, fearing virus variant

    A growing list of European Union nations and Canada barred travel from the U.K. on Sunday and others were considering similar action, in a bid to block a new strain of coronavirus sweeping across southern England from spreading to the continent.

    France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Ireland and Bulgaria all announced restrictions on U.K. travel, hours after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that Christmas shopping and gatherings in southern England must be canceled because of rapidly spreading infections blamed on the new coronavirus variant.

    Johnson immediately placed those regions under a strict new Tier 4 restriction level, upending Christmas plans for millions.

    France banned all travel from the U.K. for 48 hours from midnight Sunday, including trucks carrying freight through the tunnel under the English Channel or from the port of Dover on England’s south coast.

    Germany said all flights coming from Britain, except cargo flights, were no longer allowed to land starting midnight Sunday. It didn’t immediately say how long the flight ban would last.

    Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said he was issuing a flight ban for 24 hours starting at midnight “out of precaution.”

    Canada announced its own ban Sunday night. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a statement that for 72 hours starting at midnight Sunday, “all flights from the UK will be prohibited from entering Canada.” . Cargo flights were not included in the ban.

    The Central American nation of El Salvador, meanwhile, said it would refuse entry to anyone who has visited Britain in the preceding 30 days.

    The British government said Johnson would preside at a meeting of the government’s crisis committee, COBRA, on Monday in the wake of the other nations’ measures. They come at a time of huge economic uncertainty for the U.K., less than two weeks before it leaves the EU’s economic structures Dec. 31, and with talks on a new post-Brexit trade relationship still deadlocked.

    Johnson said Saturday that a fast-moving new variant of the virus that is 70% more transmissible than existing strains appeared to be driving the rapid spread of new infections in London and southern England in recent weeks. But he stressed “there’s no evidence to suggest it is more lethal or causes more severe illness,” or that vaccines will be less effective against it.

    On Sunday, British Health Secretary Matt Hancock added to the alarm when he said “the new variant is out of control.” The U.K. recorded 35,928 further confirmed cases, around double the number from a week ago.

    Germany, which holds the rotating EU presidency, called a special crisis meeting on Monday to coordinate the response to the virus news among the bloc’s 27 member states.

    The Netherlands banned flights from the U.K. for at least the rest of the year. Ireland issued a 48-hour flight ban.

    Italy said it would block flights from the U.K. until Jan.6, and an order signed Sunday prohibits entry into Italy by anyone who has been in the U.K. in the last 14 days.

    The Czech Republic imposed stricter quarantine measures from people arriving from Britain.

    Beyond Europe, Israel also said it was banning flights from Britain, Denmark and South Africa because those were the countries where the mutation is found.

    The World Health Organization tweeted late Saturday that it was “in close contact with U.K. officials on the new COVID19 virus variant and promised to update governments and the public as more is learned.

    The new strain was identified in southeastern England in September and has been spreading in the area ever since, a WHO official told the BBC on Sunday. “What we understand is that it does have increased transmissibility, in terms of its ability to spread,” said Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO’s technical lead on COVID-19.

    Studies are under way to better understand how fast it spreads and whether “it’s related to the variant itself, or a combination of factors with behavior,” she added. She said the strain had also been identified in Denmark, the Netherlands and Australia, where there was one case that didn’t spread further.

    British health authorities said that while the variant has been circulating since September, it wasn’t until the last week that officials felt they had enough evidence to declare that it has higher transmissibility than other circulating coronaviruses.

    Patrick Vallance, the British government’s chief scientific adviser, said officials are concerned about the new variant because it contained 23 different changes, “an unusually large number of variants” affecting how the virus binds to and enters cells in the body.

    Europe has been walloped this fall by soaring new infections and deaths due to a resurgence of the virus, and many nations have reimposed a series of restrictions to reign in their outbreaks.

    Britain has seen over 67,000 deaths in the pandemic, the second-highest confirmed toll in Europe after Italy.

    Europe as a whole has recorded nearly 499,000 virus deaths, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University that experts believe is an undercount, due to limited testing and missed cases.

    The European Medicines Agency, meanwhile, is meeting Monday to approve the first COVID-19 vaccine for the European Union’s 27 nations, bringing vaccinations closer for millions of EU citizens.

    The vaccine made by German pharmaceutical company BioNTech and American drugmaker Pfizer is already in use in the United States, Britain, Canada and other countries. -Source : AP

    File photo : Passengers from international flights arrive at Heathrow Airport, following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), London, Britain, July 29, 2020. REUTERS/Toby Melville

    Dec. 21 , 2020

    • Connecting you with the world of travel and tourism

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      CHINA- Beyond your imagination

      China – Lunar New Year 2025 

      This Lunar New Year (LNY) is shaping up to be a festive season of exploration and connection as celebrating families and friends worldwide embrace the holiday spirit.

      This year marks the year of the Snake, a symbol of wisdom, intuition, and transformation — themes that reflect the everchanging travel landscape. While some choose to celebrate at home, others have taken the opportunity to create memories in destinations far and near. With travel back in full swing, Trip.com Group has unveiled its latest LNY trends for 2025, showcasing how travellers are prioritising longer stays, meaningful experiences and unconventional destinations this year.

      Data reveals strong year-on-year growth for cross-border travel, with travellers combining public holidays and annual leave to increase their length of stay.

      Notably, in the Chinese mainland, a key source of LNY travel, New Year’s Eve is officially recognised as a holiday in 2025. This allows travellers to take just two days of leave for an eleven-day holiday. Korean travellers need to take one day for a nine-day break, while Singaporeans can create a five-day holiday with a single day off. As such, extended stays are a hallmark of this year’s LNY. On average, Asia-Pacific travellers will stay up to 10% longer this festive period.

      Popular destinations frequented by travellers who celebrate LNY include Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore and the Chinese mainland. -PRNewswire Jan. 20, 2025 /

      FITUR tourism exhibition

      opens as sector fully recovers

      The 2025 FITUR international tourism exhibition opened  in Madrid, showcasing a robust recovery in the global tourism sector. Over 9,000 companies from 156 countries are participating in the event, which marks the 45th edition of the exhibition. Running until Jan. 26, FITUR is hosting 153,000 industry professionals, highlighting its significance as a key gathering for the global travel industry.

      The United Nations Tourism (UN Tourism) announced Tuesday that 2024 saw international tourism fully recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, with 1.4 billion international travelers recorded. The organization forecasts further growth of 3-5 percent for 2025.

      Spain, a leading global tourism destination, recently reported a record-breaking 94 million visitors in 2024, underscoring the sector’s resilience and strength.

      Brazil takes center stage as the invited nation at this year’s FITUR. The exhibition also features 10 specialist areas, including cruises, sports tourism, film tourism, and language-learning tourism, reflecting the growing diversity of travel trends.

      The Asia-Pacific region has reached 87 percent of its pre-pandemic tourist numbers, according to the UN Tourism. China has a strong presence at FITUR, with companies such as Enjoy China, Fantastica China, The Chinese Office of Tourism in Spain, and Focus China showcasing their offerings over the coming days. – Xinhua ,Jan. 22 ,2025

      France holds off Spain

      as world’s tourist favourite

      Olympic host France retained its spot as the world’s top tourist destination in 2024 with 100 million visitors, holding off stiff competition from countries including Spain.

      As world tourism returned to pre-pandemic levels with 1.4 billion people taking a trip abroad, according to the UN, both France and Spain announced record visitor numbers.

      Spain said last week that a record 94 million foreign tourists flocked to the Iberian nation in 2024, a 10 percent increase from the previous year.

      France, which hosted the Olympic Games in July – September 2024, welcomed two more million visitors in 2024, an increase of two percent compared with 2023.

      But although France had more visitors, they spent less than those in Spain — 71 billion euros ($74-billion) compared with 126 billion euros in Spain.

      France’s takings from international tourists rose by a total of 12 percent year-on-year, driven largely by Belgian, English, German, Swiss and US citizens, the tourism ministry said in a statement.

      Despite the return of customers from Asia, the number of Chinese visitors to France remained 60 percent lower than before the pandemic.Thirty percent fewer Japanese visited the country than in 2019.

      Good snowfall in late 2024 meanwhile drove a rebound for the end-of-year holidays as snow sports lovers flocked to the French ski slopes.

      “The outlook for the first quarter of 2025 is very good, with visitor numbers on the rise,” the ministry statement added.- enca.com ,22 January 2025

      Nepal hikes Everest climbing fee

      KATHMANDU – Nepal has sharply increased Everest climbing permit fees and introduced a slew of measures aimed at controlling garbage pollution and preventing accidents on the planet’s tallest peak.

      Under the revised rules, every two climbers must hire a guide to climb any mountain over 8,000 metres, including Everest.Under the revised mountaineering regulations, the royalty fee for foreigners climbing Everest from the normal south route in the spring season (March-May) has been raised to $15,000 from the current $11,000 per person.

      The autumn season (September-November) climbing fee has increased from $5,500 to $7,500. At the same time, the permit cost per individual for the winter (December-February) and monsoon (June-August) seasons has risen from $2,750 to $3,750.The new rates will take effect on September 1, 2025.

      The last royalty fee revision was made on January 1, 2015, when the government switched from a group-based system to a uniform fee of $11,000 per climber for the spring season from the normal route.

      For Nepali climbers, the royalty fee for the normal route during the spring climbing season has doubled from Rs75,000 to Rs150,000.Climbing permits, previously valid for 75 days, will now be limited to 55 days. The reduced validity is aimed at streamlining climbing activities.

      As per the amended rules, from the upcoming spring season, Everest climbers will be required to bring their poop back to base camp for proper disposal. Climbers must carry biodegradable bags to collect waste in the upper reaches.

      Base camps typically have designated toilet tents with barrels to collect human waste during expeditions. However, in higher camps, only a few agencies provide similar facilities, while others rely on pits. Very few climbers use biodegradable bags to transport waste from the summit.

      The government has also hiked the insurance coverage for high-altitude workers.Insurance coverage for high-altitude guides has gone up to Rs2 million ($14,400) from Rs1.5 million ($10,800), and for base camp workers, it has been raised to Rs1.5 million ($10,800) from Rs800,000 ($5,760).

      According to the Himalayan Database, which records all expeditions and deaths in the Himalayas, more than 200 people died on the Nepal side of Everest between 1953, when Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa first scaled the peak, and 2022.

      Nearly 8,900 people have summited the world’s highest peak from Nepal’s side since 1953.- Kathmandu Post , January 22, 2025

      Bangkok named the world’s

      second-best city by Time Out

      The ranking, based on surveys of city dwellers worldwide, highlights culture, food, affordability and overall happiness as key factors in making a city truly great.

      Climbing from 24th place last year to an impressive second place, Bangkok is celebrated for its rich cultural heritage, dynamic food scene, and vibrant lifestyle.

      The city’s affordability is a major plus, with 84% of residents agreeing that dining out, grabbing a coffee, or catching a movie is accessible to all. Additionally, 86% of locals rated Bangkok’s food as “good” or “excellent”.

      One urban expert described Bangkok as “a city of contrasts”, where the scent of sizzling street food fills the air, Michelin-starred restaurants thrive, and the majestic Chao Phraya River flows past luxury hotels.

      The city’s temples such as Wat Arun and the Grand Palace stand as timeless cultural icons, while modern parks like Benjakitti Park provide much-needed green spaces.

      Beyond affordability, the city exudes happiness and warmth. The famous Thai hospitality, vibrant night markets, and world-class nightlife districts like Thonglor and Ekkamai offer endless excitement.

      Time Out has previously recognised Bangkok’s nightlife, listing it among the coolest neighbourhoods in the world. The growing BTS and MRT public transport networks have also made exploring the city more convenient than ever.

      Bangkok’s diverse culinary scene is another highlight, from the bustling Chatuchak Market to the legendary street food in Yaowarat (Chinatown).

      Whether it’s a bowl of boat noodles or an extravagant fine-dining experience, food is an undeniable part of Bangkok’s appeal.

      The No 1 city this year is Cape Town, South Africa, known for its breathtaking landscapes and cultural vibrancy. Following Bangkok in third place is New York City, while Melbourne, London and New Orleans round out the top six. Mexico City, Porto, Shanghai and Copenhagen complete the top 10.

      Thailand’s rising global status is further reflected in Chiang Mai, which secured the 28th spot, adding to the country’s reputation as a must-visit destination.

      With its blend of tradition and modernity, Bangkok is more than just a tourist hotspot – it’s a city where people genuinely love to live. Whether you’re exploring hidden street-food gems, temple-hopping, or dancing the night away, Bangkok remains a city of endless possibilities. -The Nation ,January 20, 2025

      FACTS —

      Tourism helps in:

      👉Reducing poverty

      👉Reducing Inequalities

      👉Promoting gender equality

      👉Fostering decent work and economic growth

      World Tourism Day 2021: ‘Tourism for Inclusive Growth’

      In 2019, Travel & Tourism’s direct, indirect and induced impact accounted for:
      -US$8.9 trillion contribution to the world’s GDP
      -10.3% of global GDP
      -330 million jobs, 1 in 10 jobs around the world
      -US$1.7 trillion visitor exports (6.8% of total exports,
      28.3% of global services exports)
      -US$948 billion capital investment (4.3% of total
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