Travel and Recreation News 5

First European country to lift all domestic COVID-19 restrictions Iceland is the first country in Europe to achieve this milestone in the ongoing battle against the COVID-19 pandemic. Recently, Iceland became the first country in Europe to remove all restrictions related to COVID-19 from June 26. Previous restrictive measures, including the wearing of masks, restrictions on gatherings and hours of service have been lifted after the country recorded 87% of the adult population had received at least one dose of the vaccine. apply, in parallel with 60% of the population who have been fully immunized. So far, the country's vaccination program and guiding principles for testing, tracing, quarantine and isolation are considered successful. Icelandic Minister of Health Svandís Svavarsdóttir said: “Continuous and honest communication between the people and our trusted scientists has greatly contributed to the willingness of the people to participate in it. efforts to reduce the impact of t...

UNWTO urges countries to restart tourism The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) believes that governments have the most important role to play in restoring tourism, through cooperation, data sharing and digital solutions. Phuket (Thailand) welcomed international guests back on July 1. Source: Reuters In a notice released on July 5, UNWTO said that only three destinations, Albania, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic (accounting for 1%) were fully open to international tourists and had no restrictions. Still 29% of destinations worldwide are completely closed to international visitors; 34% partially closed and 36% required visitors to test negative for Covid-19. Notably, 70% of destinations in Asia and the Pacific remained completely closed, compared with just 13% in Europe, 20% in the Americas, 19% in Africa and 31% in the Middle East. The launch and recovery of global travel will still be difficult if governments continue to recommend caution. Up to four of the world's top 10 s...

Italy and the problem of reducing tourism load when reopening Over the past two years, Italy's huge tourism sector has been a case of contrast between the overcrowding at most popular tourist destinations and the lack of visitors. Now, Italian tourism professionals are trying to strike a balance, moving towards sustainable tourism. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, Italy's biggest worry and overtourism, millions of tourists from all over the world flocked to popular tourist destinations like Florence, Rome and Venice. This has adversely affected the infrastructure, environment and quality of life of residents. But like all the rest of the world, the pandemic broke out violently in Italy, causing tourism activities to suffer. The beaches were always overcrowded before the pandemic (Image: CNN) According to data firm Statista, in 2019, the tourism sector brought the Italian economy 236.4 billion euros ($280.6 billion). But the pandemic has cut tourism's contribution by more than ...

After nearly 9 months, visitors can enjoy the panoramic view of Paris from the Eiffel Tower With the message "Welcome" in many languages, the Eiffel Tower reopened to visitors on July 16 for the first time after nearly nine months of closure - the longest closure since World War II. Visitors excitedly took pictures with a panoramic view of Paris city from the Eiffel Tower (Image: AP) Smiles and emotions surged as the first visitors entered the elevator to the top of Paris' iconic spire. “It was a lovely place and great people…and now the wonderful Tour Eiffel,” German tourist Ila Mires said of visiting the tower. She arrived with her 19-year-old daughter before the young girl left for school in Amsterdam. Seeing the tower on her last day in Paris "was a gift for mother and daughter", Ms. Mires said. Paris's "Iron Lady" was forced to close in October 2020 when France was fighting a second wave of Covid-19, and remained closed for renovation even aft...

Japan offers special tour for international journalists ahead of Tokyo Olympics After completing 14 days of isolation, international journalists who come to report the Tokyo Olympics will be given special tours to rest, relax and contribute to promoting Japan's tourism. Reporters take a tour ahead of the Tokyo Olympics. Source: Reuters Named "out of the bubble", the short tours are designed by the Japanese side to promote tourism and help journalists and international media. The economy has time to relax after a long period of isolation. Mikai Asai from the Japan Tourism Agency said: “All journalists and media staff are required to undergo a 14-day quarantine period, and due to many restrictions, they are not allowed to go out to take pictures. But we want to share Japanese culture and want people to enjoy it as part of our hospitality.” According to the schedule, the tour will only be available to journalists who have completed a 14-day quarantine. Expectedly, the tour w...

 Impressive place where the first surfing competition in the Olympics took place Located 80km east of Tokyo, the coastal town of Ichinomiya in Chiba Prefecture (Japan) has become the first place in the world to host a surfing competition in an Olympic Games. If it weren't for the Covid-19 pandemic, this place would be an international tourist attraction. At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, the place for the surfing competitions is the Tsurigasaki coast. (Photo: VISITCHIBA) In 2016, according to the proposal of Japan - the host country of the 2020 Olympics, surfing was one of five sports added to the Olympic program. The proposal aims to include youth-oriented sports in the Olympic content, with the hope of attracting more spectators of a wider age range. The waves at Ichinomiya are good enough for world tournaments of extreme water sports (Image: VISTITCHIBA) The town of Ichinomiya has a small population, about 12,000 people. But every year, this surfing "mecca" of Japan attracts...

 IATA: Travelers have restored their confidence in aviation Most passengers believe in the safety of air travel during the pandemic and support wearing masks on flights in the near future. Global travelers trust the safety of air travel (Image: ST) The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced on July 21 that, while expressing their confidence, most travelers were also disappointed with the "complicated factor" surrounding regulations to prevent and control Covid-19. 19, including confusion and uncertainty about travel rules, test requirements, and exorbitant testing costs. The survey conducted by IATA in May with 4,700 travelers in 11 markets around the world gave quite positive results. Up to 85% believe planes are thoroughly cleaned and disinfected; 65% agree that the air on an airplane is as clean as an operating room. Among those who have traveled since June 2020, 86% feel safe getting on a plane thanks to Covid-19 prevention and control measures. In which...

The US tourism and aviation industry recovered strongly The new variant makes many people concerned about the risk of an outbreak of the Covid-19 disease, but airports in the US still see a lot of people going on summer vacation. The US travel and aviation industry recovered strongly. Source: AP/Steven Senne Domestic travel in the US started to recover earlier this year, when vaccinations were boosted. U.S. government figures show that about 57% of Americans of age to be vaccinated are fully vaccinated. According to data from the US Transportation Security Administration, in recent times, about 2 million people have boarded flights every day, most of them on vacation. This number accounts for about 74% of traffic during the same period in 2019. Airlines in the US said that, despite concerns about the Covid-19 epidemic and virus variants, the number of bookings has not decreased but is increasing every week. According to a representative of United Airlines, 84% of the airline's regu...

 Singapore is expected to open to tourism in September Singapore is expected to complete vaccination of 80% of the population by September, setting the stage for the lifting of quarantine for vaccinated travelers after about a year of border closure. Changi Airport, Singapore. Source: Reuters The Singapore government today (July 26) said that about 54% of the country's population is fully vaccinated, this number will increase to about 66% by National Day 9/8 and towards the target of 80% by the end of the year. September. Nearly 75% of Singapore's population has received at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine, mainly Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna. Higher vaccination rates will allow Singapore to ease quarantine measures, including allowing mass gatherings with fully vaccinated people. The country can also reopen its borders and establish tourism corridors with countries and territories that have well controlled the Covid-19 epidemic. According to Singapore's Finance Minister L...

 Saudi Arabia allows tourists who have had enough doses of Covid-19 vaccine to enter After 17 months of closure due to the pandemic, on July 30, Saudi Arabia announced that it would open its borders to foreign tourists who had received a full dose of the Covid-19 vaccine. Foreign tourists who have had enough doses of the Covid-19 vaccine will be allowed to enter Saudi Arabia and not be quarantined. (Source: khaleejtimes) Saudi Arabia still maintains restrictions on the Muslim pilgrimage that attracts millions of followers around the world each year, the tourism ministry said. Saudi Arabia's new regulation takes effect from August 1, according to which foreign tourists have received all doses of vaccines licensed by the country, including vaccines from Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson, and who have a negative PCR test for SARS-CoV-2 virus performed within 72 hours before departure, will be allowed to enter Saudi Arabia without needing to be quarantined. In addit...