Holiday & Travel

From January 2024 travellers from more than 60 countries who currently able to travel through the EU’s Schengen travel area without a visa will now need to apply for an EU Travel Information & Authorization System – or ‘ETIAS’ – travel authorisation ahead of travel.

This will include countries whose passport holders are not used to applying for permission to travel to many counties, such as Canada, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Singapore and the United States. Whilst the requirements are relatively simple and the plans is that approvals should be quick, nonetheless those who don’t have the necessary ETIAS approval in place will face not being able to board their flights or rejection at the EU borders.

From yoga and meditation sessions to unique Extraordinary Experiences, this renowned resort of The Lux Collective – LUX* South Ari Atoll knows how to turn a couple getaway, a family vacation, or a solo retreat into a life-changing adventure.

Landing in secluded tropics amidst the Indian Ocean is a perfect opportunity to slow down. Take a deep breath. Sink the toes in the warm white sand. Enjoy a bike ride along LUX* South Ari Atoll’s 1.8 kilometres long island with lush gardens.

As the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season got off to a busy start, key stakeholders in the Caribbean tourism sector convened a virtual forum last week, placing a spotlight on the pivotal role of effective, strategic crisis communications when responding to, and recovering from, natural and manmade disasters.

During the forum, hosted by the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) and the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA), the consensus was clear: collaboration across regional, national and community levels, paired with efficient, proactive communications, forms the backbone of successful crisis management and resilience in the tourism sector.

The Ministry of Tourism and the St. Kitts Tourism Authority has announced the inclusion of Caribbean Airlines to its airlift roster as it continues to strengthen its position as a premier tourism destination. This development will amplify the accessibility of St. Kitts for travellers within the region, firmly positioning the island as a premier Caribbean vacation spot.

The Premier Partnership announcement comes as Morocco experiences growth in its tourism activity, aiming to double the number of incoming tourists to 26 million by 2030, elevating Morocco as a leading leisure destination to the world’s travel trade.

It is already known that Morocco’s presence at World Travel Market London will focus on the “Morocco, Kingdom of Light” international campaign of the Moroccan National Tourism Office.

A new national study on friendship reveals mates win over dates, with more than a quarter of Brits (28%) aged 40 to 65 in relationships confessing they would rather holiday with friends than their partners. Almost half (48%) of women polled admit to having more fun with friends and nearly a third of men (32%) prefer the quality one-on-one time with mates that holidays offer. 

Barbados will soon have a new airline service to connect with the USA and the Northern Caribbean.

Starting as a charter service from July 18, through August 16th 2023, Bahamas Air will commence flights from Nassau, The Bahamas to Bridgetown, Barbados, via Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The twice-weekly service presents a new alternative for visitors and the diaspora to visit Barbados during the busy Crop Over period, and for Barbadians to connect to the USA and Northern Caribbean seamlessly.

Serengeti, Tanzania’s flagship national park, has been voted the third premium nature destination in the world in 2023, raising the country’s profile as Africa’s premier tourism destination.

Nature and outdoor enthusiasts across the World have casted their votes in favour of Serengeti in Tanzania, as the number three destinations, alongside Mauritius, and Kathmandu in Nepal, as the first and the second-place winners respectively. “Serengeti has been voted by nature and outdoor fans as the third premium nature destination in the World for 2023,” announced the Trip Advisor, the World’s largest travel platform serving 400 million tourists per month and organizer of the annual travellers’ choice award.

Qatar Airways has landed its inaugural flight to the French city of Lyon, with the new direct service operated by a Boeing 787-8, with four weekly flights on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. This new route expands Qatar Airways’ presence in France, whilst also growing its global network of more than 160 destinations.

The flight was celebrated in both the Business Class and Economy Class, where passengers were welcomed with traditional French delicacies and a curated menu offering premium French cuisine.

The 4th of July is a cherished American holiday, commemorating the nation's independence and fostering a spirit of unity and patriotism. 

While celebrations take place across the country, some cities truly shine when it comes to creating dazzling firework displays that leave spectators in awe. If you're seeking the ultimate experience to celebrate America's birthday, here are the best cities in the United States to immerse yourself in breathtaking firework shows.

The Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) expressed gratitude to the union government for partial relief for tour operators. The union government, in particular the Finance Ministry, withdrew an increase of Tax Collection at Source (TCS) on overseas tour packages which will remain in effect until September 30, 2023.

In addition, the TCS percentage increase from 5% to 20% on amounts up to Rs 7 lakh per annum has also been withdrawn. IATO also thanked the Minister of Finance and Secretary Revenue for considering non-applicability of TCS on an amount of Rs.7 lakh per person per annum on overseas tour packages. While appreciating the government’s decision, Mr. Rajiv Mehra, President of IATO, said: “Though we are happy with this roll back, our long-standing demand is that the TCS should be reduced to 2.5%, as the main objective of the government is to bring more into the tax net.

Setting to capture aviation business over the African continent, Air France-KLM is planning major expansion in Africa, banking on the growing demand of air services within the continent. Air France-KLM executives have rated the African skies as a strategic priority for the airline group.

Africa is the fifth biggest business area in the group’s network of 12 regional operations, behind North America, Greater China, Korea and Japan, said Marius van der Ham, the regional manager for the East and Southern Africa, Ghana and Nigeria region.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the American Automobile Association (AAA), this Independence Day weekend will be setting a new record for the holiday travel.

The FAA predicted that the busiest day to fly ahead of the July 4 holiday will be Thursday of next week, forecasting a peak of 52,564 flights on June 29. 4.17 million Americans projected to fly to their destinations Independence Day weekend, an increase of 11.2% over 2022 and 6.6% over 2019.

In an historic first, the world’s two leading Travel & Tourism organisations representing the global public and private sectors agreed to work together across a number of key objectives.

The Memorandum of Understanding, signed by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and the World Tourism Organisation of the United Nations (UNWTO) at the G20 Ministerial meeting (Goa, India), focused on advancing public-private sector cooperation at the global level whilst promoting job creation, talent development and business opportunities around the world.

Targeting tourism and business development cooperation with Indonesia, Tanzania has opened its Embassy in Jakarta to coordinate and strengthening cooperation between the two countries. Tourism is among the key areas of cooperation between Tanzania and Indonesia. Cruise ship tourism and beach holidays are the leading tourist activities set for joint cooperation between the two states.

For some, mainly those with excessive discretionary funds, normal travel experiences are ho-hum. That’s where space tourism steps in.

With a space flight for tourists costing on average between a quarter of a million to a half million dollars (US$150,000 – US$500,000) per person, there is only that upper 2% of the population that can afford a trip into outer space. All the prepping before the actual trip including orientation and suiting up, will last much longer than the actual 15 minutes or so onboard the spacecraft to get from Earth to the edge of outer space and back.