DUBAI: UAE authorities Saturday announced to extend travel restriction from Pakistan and 13 other countries until further notice. The banned list includes Liberia, Namibia, Sierra Leone, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Zambia, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Nigeria, and South Africa. Reports in international media quoting United Arab Emirates’ national carrier said ‘flights from Pakistan to Dubai will remain suspended until further notice.’ A suspension on flights from Pakistan to Dubai, which was started on May 12, has been extended as Emirates said that there is no confirmed date for the resumption of flights, adding that their website will…
Author: holidayweekly
KARACHI: The Sindh government has signed an agreement with Gerry’s Visa services for COVID-19 vaccinations for students, businesspeople, and people traveling for religious reasons. The Sindh health department signed a MoU with Gerry’s Visa Wednesday, June 23, in Karachi. They will streamline the Covid-19 vaccine process at select Gerry’s Visa branches. The MoU will come into effect from June 28. Those traveling abroad can obtain documentation and evidence of their vaccination status. Gerry’s will be providing the Pfizer vaccine or another shot permitted for international travel. The vaccines will be supplied by the health department. The attestation of the NIMS…
KARACHI: The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has granted permission to increase the number of flights up to 40 per cent to five countries. A NOTAM has been issued by the CAA’s air transport department following the orders of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) regarding the increase of flights to five countries. Following the new order, the airlines have been allowed to increase flights up to 40 per cent to Canada, Europe, United Kingdom, China and Malaysia. However, the inbound passengers will have to undergo a mandatory COVID-19 PCR test prior to departing from the countries. Upon their arrival…
LONDON: Travel agents, pilots, tour operators, aviation workers and cabin crew are among the thousands of people who will ‘speak up for travel’ today, as part of a day of action. The sector is seeking to put pressure on the government to capitalise on the Covid-19 vaccine rollout by safely reopening travel for the summer season and provide tailored financial support to businesses. The pandemic has been a catastrophe for the travel industry, closing borders, and even making most travel to and from the UK illegal for months on end. Data from ABTA estimates that as many as 195,000 jobs…
SINGAPORE: 2022 will see a bit of a ‘Singapore shuffle’ for the Hilton brand, with the iconic Hilton Singapore leaving the group’s portfolio to become part of the IHG Voco chain while the former Mandarin Orchard Singapore will be reborn as the Hilton Singapore Orchard. First up, the 423-room Hilton Singapore will be rebranded as the Voco Orchard Singapore in January 2022, making it the first Voco to open in Southeast Asia. Part of the IHG empire, Voco is positioned as an “upscale lifestyle brand… hotels that are reliable enough to depend on, but different enough to be fun.” IHG…
NEW YORK: A $30 million promotional campaign, aimed at luring back all the visitors who vanished during the pandemic, is about to get underway. The city’s biggest advertising campaign in decades hopes to encourage would-be visitors with the slogan: “It’s time for New York City.” As New York City fully reopens, tourism officials are hoping to revive a critical driver of its economy by making an urgent plea for visitors to start rushing back. Armed with $30 million in federal aid, the city’s tourism promotion agency, NYC & Company, is developing an aggressive campaign to overcome New York’s image as…
DUBAI: Emirates is ramping up their operations and expanding services across their network, as entry restrictions ease for travellers. The airline has been gradually and safely rebuilding their route network and advancing their strategy to optimise their presence in key markets; to serve leisure and growing business travel demand. Currently Emirates serves 115 global passenger destinations and by the end of July they will have recovered close to 90% of their pre-pandemic network, operating 880 weekly services across 124 cities. His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Emirates Chairman and Chief Executive said: “Emirates is committed to keeping Dubai,…
BANGKOK: The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) recently signed a MoU with the Thailand Greenhouse Gas Management Organisation (TGO) and the Thai Ecotourism and Adventure Travel Association (TEATA) to promote low-carbon tourism and implementation of climate action for sustainability. Under the partnership, TAT will be prominently involved in technical workshops with the TGO and TEATA to enhance understanding of the impacts of climate change and to strengthen competency development of tourism industry members on low-carbon initiatives. TAT strengthens tourism sustainability commitment through low-carbon initiatives; Tung Prong Thong in Thailand pictured TAT has been promoting awareness of green tourism with the…
PESHAWAR: The Tourism Department under the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Integrated Tourism Development Project (KITE) has launched a new initiative to promote responsible tourism for a waste-free future at the tourist sites of the province. The KITE, Galiyat Development Authority, Abbottabad, and Nestlé Pakistan jointly launched the initiative – Travel Responsibly for Experiencing Ecotourism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (TREK) – awareness campaign. The TREK is a collaboration between the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government and World Bank KITE Project and Nestlé to promote responsible tourism for a waste-free future in Nathiagali. KITE Project Director Touseef Khalid said that TREK was a unique initiative being implemented…
VENICE: From his booth facing the gondola station at St Mark’s Square, the photographer Maurizio Torresan is as much a witness to the ebb and flow of Venice’s high tides as he is to its tourists. The last time he took a photo of a packed square was on 21 February 2020, two days before the annual Venice carnival was abruptly cut short as the coronavirus pandemic took hold. Like many other Venice residents, the absence of tourists left Torresan struggling to makes ends meet. So as he watched a huge cruise ship glide by St Mark’s Square on 3…