Holiday & Travel

Massive strike launched by German EVG labour union on Friday morning paralysed railway traffic across Germany. Organised labour action launched to demand pay raises for railroad workers coincided with similar walkouts at key German airports that started yesterday.

German railway ‘warning strike’ coincided with peak hours on Friday morning and began at 3am local time, seriously affecting the operations of national operator Deutsche Bahn. According to union representatives, the strike covered only the morning rush hours and was scheduled to end at 11am.

Passengers travelling between London Euston, the West Midlands, North West and Scotland are being advised to check before they travel ahead of multi-million pound railway upgrades over the early May bank holiday. Network Rail is investing £7.7m to improve future journeys on the West Coast main line between London and Crewe between Saturday 29 April and Monday 1 May.

Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has expressed optimism in the growth prospects for the sector stressing that “this is the biggest and best winter season Jamaica has ever had in the history of tourism” adding that the tourism industry was set on a path to continue the boom now being experienced.

He said: “For the January to March 2023 period, it is estimated that Jamaica welcomed 1.18 million visitors, which represents growth of 94.4% when compared to the same period in 2022.

Two thought-provoking panel discussions on the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) recently held by WTM Africa have brought to light the substantial roadblocks hindering the realization of open skies in African continent.

These obstacles include visa restrictions, exorbitant costs, and protectionism. Until these issues are effectively addressed, airlines will not be able to achieve the required load factors to make their routes financially viable, rendering the benefits of open skies irrelevant.

Voting is now open for organisations in the Caribbean and the Americas for the World Travel Awards 2023 program. Industry professionals, the media and consumers worldwide can vote for their favourite travel brands.

Voting runs until midnight 9 July. The nominee gaining the most votes in a category will be named as the winner in the landmark 30th anniversary year.

The Hon. Derek Hanekom is known as an outspoken and hardworking South African Minister of Tourism from May 25, 2014, to March 30, 2017. He was re-appointed to serve as the Minister of Tourism from February 27, 2018 to May 29, 2019.

Hanekom also served as the Minister of Science and Technology from October 4, 2012, to May 25, 2014, and as the Minister of Agriculture and Land Affairs from 1996 to 1999.

The winners of the hotly contested TravMedia Awards 2023 were announced tonight at a sold-out gala dinner at The Londoner, Leicester Square, with Ed Grenby named Travel Writer of the Year, on a night that saw big wins for Telegraph Travel, National Geographic Traveller (UK), TTG Media and others.

Hosted by comedian and travel writer Dom Joly, with VisitMalta the headline sponsor, the Awards drew a crowd of 300 media, influencers, PR professionals and industry executives. Grenby triumphed after winning the Freelance Writer of the Year category, and then got the judges' nod for the top prize over other individual category winners.

Brand new boutique hotel, Yi Hotel Mykonos brings an oasis of comfort, serenity and elegance to cosmopolitan travellers looking for an indulgent break.

Nestled on the hilltop of Elia Beach, overlooking the Aegean Sea, Yi Hotel Mykonos fuses transcendent minimalism with elegance for a lavish, well-appointed stay in one of their 42 guest rooms and suites, all with private pools and hot tubs. Some of their stellar amenities include a swimming pool featuring a resident DJ, spa, fitness centre and a restaurant inspired by Cycladic traditional cuisine.

The Hawaii Tourism Authority had its Spring Tourism Update at the Hawaii Convention Centre in Honolulu.

It was a friendly and feel-good event for Hawaii tourism professionals and some attending international and national marketing reps. It had a lot of flowers, leis, and an excellent Hawaii-inspired lunch with fresh local food ingredients.

The qualifying tournament for the UEFA Euro 2024 is currently underway, with football teams traversing across Europe to compete in matches. With a jam-packed schedule, limited opportunities for adequate rest, and crucial games ahead, several football teams opt for private charter flights as their preferred mode of transportation.

The Buccaneer Beach and Golf Resort, one of the Caribbean’s oldest family-owned and-operated resorts, is offering hundreds of dollars in savings for guests visiting the resort during its 75th anniversary year.

Throughout the year, The Buccaneer is highlighting the unique heritage and beauty of St. Croix, an island with “a vibe like no other”, that has captured the hearts of guests, staff and the local community.

Dominica in its effort to regain market share within the cruise sector, participated in Seatrade Cruise Global which ran from March 27 to 31, 2023 in Fort Lauderdale. Seatrade is an annual premier cruise event which attracts the global cruise community all in one place for networking and information gathering opportunities. The show saw an estimated 10,000 attendees exposed to the latest cruise products and services from 500+ exhibitors and new launches on the show floor.

Balancing the importance of maintaining healthy communities within a thriving tourism-based regional economy will take centre stage at the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA)’s 67th annual Health Research Conference set for the Bahamas from April 27 to 29, 2023.

Held in partnership with the Government of the Bahamas, through the Ministry of Health and Wellness, delegates to the longest-running health research conference in Latin America and the Caribbean region will explore the theme, “Caribbean Health and Tourism: Pathways to Recovery and Resilience”, at the popular Atlantis Paradise Island Resort.

Thailand is gearing up for this year’s highly anticipated Songkran, the grandest and most important Buddhist holiday. Happy Thai New Year!

The Thai New Year, known as Songkran, will take over life in the Kingdom of Thailand from April 13-15. It’s the best time to visit Amazing Thailand every year, and this year after COVID-19 restrictions were lifted for the second year.

A judge ruled Wednesday that the Dutch government cannot order Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport, one of Europe’s busiest aviation hubs, to reduce the number of flights from 500,000 per year to 460,000, dealing a blow to efforts to cut emissions and noise pollution. The ruling came in a summary case brought by airlines and civil aviation organizations led by Dutch carrier KLM that sought to halt the planned cuts unveiled last year.

A delegation from the British Virgin Islands attended Seatrade Cruise Global 2023 on 27th - 30th March 2023 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA. The delegation was comprised of individuals from the British Virgin Islands Ports Authority (BVIPA), Cyril B. Romney Tortola Pier Park (CBRTPP), British Virgin Islands Tourist Board (BVITB) and local cruise industry partners.