Holiday & Travel

According to the European OrganiSation for the Safety of Air Navigation (Eurocontrol), Istanbul Airport saw a 12% surge in daily traffic as football fans were returning home after attending the 2023 Champions League Final in Istanbul.

Turkey’s main air hub, which already enjoys the status of Europe’s busiest, serviced 1,684 flights recently, breaking the record of 1,624 flights set by Frankfurt Airport on September 11, 2019. The previous three daily arrival-departure records at a European airport were all set in quick succession in 2019 before the pandemic, according to Eurocontrol.

In the month of April 2023 alone, nearly 184,000 Americans visited Japan, an 8 percent increase over April 2019.

The Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO) announced that American visitor arrivals to Japan increased by 3.6 percent year-to-date in 2023 over the same period (January-April) in 2019, a year that broke the record for international travel to Japan. In the month of April 2023 alone, nearly 184,000 Americans visited Japan, an 8 percent increase over April 2019 – making the US the only Western nation (aside from its North American neighbour, Mexico, which saw a 13.1 percent increase in its visitor numbers to Japan over the same period) to experience a rise in tourism to Japan.

Tourism Trinidad welcomed travel agents from the Benelux region from June 2–9, 2023, as we hosted a Familiarization Tour in Trinidad and Tobago. The Benelux region is a politico-economic union of three neighbouring states in Western Europe, namely Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.

A Familiarization, or FAM Tour, is a visit organised by Tourism Boards to introduce travel agents, journalists, and other influencers to a particular destination. The agents while here, had the opportunity to experience our dynamic sites and attractions, cuisine, culture, and eco-tourism.

Top US ports serving international locations were New York (JFK), Los Angeles (LAX), Miami (MIA), Newark (EWR) and San Francisco (SFO). The latest data released by the National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO) shows that in May 2023, US-international air traffic passenger enplanements totalled 20.765 million, up 23.9% compared to May 2022, with enplanements reaching 94.3% of pre-pandemic May 2019 volume.

As the travel bug bites, and we gear up for our next escapade, the dreaded layover may seem like a roadblock. However, some airports have everything you need to make the most out of your connecting flight, from world-class amenities to jaw-dropping attractions.

With summer approaching, many of us are looking forward to packing our bags and embarking on our next adventure, but when your trip requires a stopover on the journey, which airports top the ranks as the best for a layover? From a seed list of 40 of the world’s busiest airports, travel industry experts have revealed the best airports for a layover by considering factors such as the availability of shops, food and beverage options, hotels within a two-mile proximity to the airport as well as passenger ratings of airport facilities such as lounges, Wi-Fi and food and retail services.

The Hon. Haydn Hughes, Minister of Infrastructure, Communications, Housing, Utilities and Tourism for Anguilla, joined by Mr. Kenroy Herbert, Chairman of the Anguilla Tourist Board (ATB) and Mrs. Stacey Liburd, Director of Tourism, attended the Caribbean Tourism Organisation’s (CTO’s) Caribbean Week when it returned to New York.  The series of events is staged under the auspices of the CTO Foundation, and aims to showcase the vibrant Caribbean culture, foster engagement with the media, promote thought leadership, and encourage networking within the tourism industry.

New research has revealed the top 10 countries Brits want to spend their retirement in, with Spain placing first. 

Equity release specialists at Retirement Solutions analysed the average monthly Google search volume for different terms relating to retiring abroad. They wanted to determine the countries that Brits are most seeking to move to, upon retirement. 

It is that time of the year again when Saudi Arabia comes under global spotlight with the annual Muslim Hajj pilgrimage approaching, an event on which the Kingdom is expected to host 2.5 million devotees from 193 countries.

While success in organizing the annual Hajj is not uncommon for Saudi Arabia, yet millions of pilgrims still require high quality means of transportation with exceptional fluidity at the holy sites, which are expected to be the most crowded cities in the world, relative to area and time. According to data released by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), 5,780 public buses currently operate in New York City, transporting around 1.2 million passengers on daily basis within an area that measures tens of times that of the combined area of the valley of Mina, Mount Arafa, and Muzdalifah in Saudi Arabia.

Destination Canada has launched a new pilot project called the Tourism Corridor Strategy Program, which aims to accelerate the intentional development of tourism corridors or clusters of tourism assets across Canada.

In partnership with a variety of stakeholders across provincial and territorial boundaries, this collaborative project will benefit not only the communities and destinations involved but will also bolster Canada’s competitiveness by giving visitors more reasons to travel to new regions across Canada. A corridor is a geographic region or a route that connects different destinations with significant tourist attractions, such as:

Atlanta, GA (Sonique Solutions) – The city of Atlanta was filled with vibrant colours, infectious rhythms, and a celebration of cultural diversity as the annual Atlanta Caribbean Carnival took place this past Memorial Day Weekend. This highly anticipated event brought together thousands of people from various backgrounds to revel in the rich traditions and heritage of the Caribbean.

The 36^th edition of the event which is produced by the Atlanta Caribbean Carnival Bandleaders Association (ACCBA) proved to be an overall success, and captivated attendees with a kaleidoscope of Caribbean culture, music, dance, and cuisine. The festival showcased the vibrant spirit of the Caribbean islands and provided a unique platform for Caribbean communities to share their traditions and customs with the wider Atlanta community.

Kenneth Bryan, President of the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO), speaking to senior tourism and government officials, scientists and members of the media from across the region who gathered last week, stated that hurricanes and hazards climate-related threats threaten the development of the region and its tourism sector, and that preparedness and mitigation are of paramount importance.

He further argued that, as a counterbalance to life in one of the world's most desirable tourist destinations, "the price we pay for living in the beautiful Caribbean is that we face a variety of climate-related threats that can have enormously detrimental effects." effects on human life, property, livelihoods, business, investment and the environment”.

The Himalayan Travel Mart 2023 opened tonight at the impressively decorated ballroom at the Hotel Yak & Yeti in Kathmandu. Right Honourable Prime Minister of Nepal, Mr. Pushpa Kamal Dahal, personally rushed in from a security conference to open this event, indicating the rebegin of a bright tourism future for Nepal.

The Chief Guest inaugurates the 4th Himalayan Travel Mart (HTM 2023) by lighting the traditional Nepali Lamp. The Honourable Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation for Nepal, Mr. Sudan Kirati, spoke at the opening, as did Mr. Bibhuti Chand Thakur, Chairman PATA Nepal Chapter. This is the first Travel Mart since 2019, when COVID closed tourism worldwide.

Zanzibar is trying at its best to attract Qatar tourists, taking advantage of the Islands’ tourism attractions and appeal. Ocean beaches, historical and cultural heritage sites are now pulling big crowds of holidaymakers from the Middle East.

Zanzibar President Dr. Hussein Mwinyi had visited Qatar in May and attracted tourism investors and other business people in Qatar to invest in the islands of Zanzibar. Dr. Mwinyi said the Zanzibar government was interested in developing heritage and conference tourism, banking on the attractive tourist resorts available on the island.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA), announced that leaders of the global aviation industry are gathering in Istanbul, Türkiye, for the 79th IATA Annual General Meeting (AGM) and World Air Transport Summit, with Pegasus Airlines as the host airline.

The event attracts the industry’s most senior leaders from among IATA’s more than 300 member airlines, as well as senior government officials, strategic partners, equipment suppliers, and media.

Costa has returned to service in Asia with Costa Serena. Following two May departures around Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, Costa Serena departed June 1 from Busan, South Korea, heading to Nagasaki and Yatsushiro, Japan. This is the first outbound cruise to resume in South Korea after the end of cruise travel restrictions.

“With the departure of Costa Serena from Busan, we celebrate a historic event for cruises in Asia.

In honour of National Caribbean-American Heritage Month this June, Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts are celebrating the region they call home with the ‘Rhythm and Blues Caribbean’ sale, offering travel advisors a number of incentives – from bonus commission to cash back, while providing consumers with air credits up to $500 and $150 in spa credits at the award-winning Red Lane Spa on eligible bookings.