ROME: The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has appointed two new Special Ambassadors as it leads the restart of the sector across Europe. On the occasion of a visit of the Secretary-General to Italy, the first official delegation to travel since the closure of borders in response to COVID-19, UNWTO has named renowned fashion designer Giorgio Armani and celebrated chef Gino Sorbillo its latest Special Ambassadors for Tourism. [huge_it_slider id=”560″] In their new roles, both Special Ambassadors will draw on their status and influence promote the work of the United Nations specialized agency for responsible and sustainable tourism. As leaders in…
Author: holidayweekly
FLORIDA: A Florida company is planning to fly passengers to the edge of space in a high-tech version of a hot air balloon, with a pilot and up to eight travelers riding in a pressurized capsule suspended from an enormous blimp. [huge_it_slider id=”559″] Human space flight company Space Perspective has scheduled the test flight of its Spaceship Neptune for early 2021, from the auspicious surroundings of the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. “We’re committed to fundamentally changing the way people have access to space, both to perform much-needed research to benefit life on Earth and…
ABU DHABI: The UAE, represented by the National Emergency, Crisis and Disasters Management Authority, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship, has announced that all citizens and residents in the UAE are now free to travel in accordance with the health preventive and precautionary requirements enforced within the UAE’s airports and the destinations’ regulations. However, the authorites have advised people above 70 years or those with chronic diseases against travelling due to the increased risks associated. The UAE’s national carriers, as well as international carriers, will operate their flights according to…
ROME: Against the backdrop of the re-opening of borders across Europe, a high-level delegation from the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has arrived in Italy to begin a first official visit to a Member State since the Covid-19 pandemic brought international travel to a standstill. The closure of tourism operations for several months has had a devastating effect for many businesses and millions of livelihoods across the world. To kickstart recovery, countries within the Schengen Zone (26 countries in Europe) are now reopening their borders to tourists. Following an official invitation by Italy, the UNWTO Secretary-General started an official visit (July…
Mediterranean cruise operator Celestyal has cancelled all cruises until next spring. The cruise line, which was one of the first to suspend cruise operations in mid-March, said it wouldn’t resume sailings until March 2021. Chief commercial officer Leslie Peden said: “Given the prevailing uncertainty regarding travel restrictions through the balance of our operating season from our largest international source markets, coupled with the continuing discussions at European Union level regarding the enhanced health protocols that will apply to cruise operations, we made the difficult but prudent decision to postpone resuming cruise operations until the scheduled start of our normal spring…
MANAMA: Gulf Air, the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain, is proudly announcing that it will resume its direct Abu Dhabi and Dubai flights with scheduled operations starting from 5 July 2020. Gulf Air has been operating direct flights between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates since 1954 and both Abu Dhabi and Dubai have always been key successful routes within the Gulf Air’s network. The airline currently flies to and from London, Paris, Frankfurt, Manila, Athens, Cairo and several destinations in Pakistan and with the addition of Abu Dhabi and Dubai services, Gulf Air will…
NEW YORK: Norwegian Air Shuttle canceled orders for 97 Boeing jets, the largest cancellation by a single Boeing customer since the grounding of the 737 Max 15 months ago. But the canceled orders were due to Norwegian’s financial problems, not the problems with the jet. The Max had its first test flight by FAA pilots Monday, June 29, one of the final steps it will need before it is approved to carry passengers again. There was a time that Norwegian, one of the world’s largest discount carriers, was one of Boeing’s major customers. It was the first European airline to…
GENEVA: The world’s tourism sector could lose at least $1.2 trillion, or 1.5% of the global gross domestic product (GDP), having been placed at a standstill for nearly four months due to the coronavirus pandemic, UNCTAD said in a new report. [huge_it_slider id=”557″] The UN’s trade and development body warned that the loss could rise to $2.2 trillion or 2.8% of the world’s GDP if the break in international tourism lasts for eight months, in line with the expected decline in tourism as projected by the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). UNCTAD estimates losses in the most pessimistic scenario, a…
MANAMA: Gulf Air, the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain, will resume its direct Athens and Cairo flights with scheduled operations starting from 01 July 2020. Gulf Air has been operating direct flights between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Arab Republic of Egypt and the Hellenic Republic since 1974 and 1980 respectively. Both destinations are key within the Gulf Air’s network and are popular amongst the airline’s points in the Mediterranean and North African region. The airline currently flies to and from London, Paris, Frankfurt, Manila and Pakistan. Being one of the few airlines that continued operations in…
BEIJING: China’s tourism industry saw a steady recovery during the three-day Dragon Boat Festival, with travel rebounding to about 50 percent of last year’s level. The recovery came despite a spike in coronavirus cases in Beijing, which bodes well for China’s consumption market. There has also been a shift in the behavior of Chinese tourists, who now opt to make reservations before making trips amid epidemic prevention efforts. Also, short-distance and high-end trips gained in popularity among Chinese tourists during the three-day holidays. China received 48.81 million visitors during the three-day Dragon Boat Festival holidays, which is 50.9 percent of…