Holiday & Travel

Tourism leaders from across Asia and the Pacific have placed building resilience and embracing innovation at the heart of the sector’s restart and sustainable future. The 34th Joint Meeting of the UNWTO Commission for East Asia and the Pacific and the UNWTO Commission for South Asia (34th CAP-CSA), was held as destinations across the region begin welcoming back international tourists.

Hamad International Airport (HIA) has been ranked and named the “Best Airport in the World” for the second year in a row by the prestigious SKYTRAX World Airport Awards 2022 at the global event Passenger Terminal Expo in Paris, France. The airport has also retained its title as the “Best Airport in the Middle East” for the eighth year in a row.

Wales’ Bluestone National Park Resort has cut the amount of wasted single-use plastic bottles by 25,000 a year, it was revealed on World Refill day. Guests have been urged to use reusable bottles and cups at the resort as part of efforts to reduce waste and the use of single-use disposable plastic bottles and cups after it stopped selling them.

Following eighteen months of close consultation and working hand in hand with the Japanese Government and Japanese National Tourism Office, in preparation for the reopening, Wendy Wu Tours, who carry the largest number of tourist groups to Japan from the UK, Australia, and New Zealand, have been given the green light by the Japanese Government to take this first official group tour to Japan on the 26 July 2022, one of the first travel companies allowed back into Japan from Friday.

Tourism continues to recover at a strong pace. Globally, destinations welcomed almost three times as many international arrivals in the first quarter of 2022 as in the same period of 2021, with Europe leading the sector’s rebound.

According to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer, international tourism saw a 182% year-on-year increase in January-March 2022, with destinations worldwide welcoming an estimated 117 million international arrivals compared to 41 million in Q1 2021.

Qatar Executive, the private jet charter division of Qatar Airways Group, is set to introduce a new Air Ionisation System on its state-of-the-art G650ER aircraft.

The active system is capable of eliminating potentially harmful pathogens and allergens, including bacteria, viruses, and mould spores. 

The northern Italian region of Emilia Romagna will be hosting a new edition of the annual Italian Bike Festival 9-11 September 2022. Held for the first time at the Misano World Circuit, in the seaside town of Rimini, cycling enthusiasts and holiday seekers alike will be able to come together at what it is considered the leading event for the bike industry and for soft mobility.

Flight cancellations are on the rise these days, showing signs of little improvement for this summer. Being prepared for travel plans to change at any point before take-off is key to adapting to the ever-changing travel industry. One sure way of doing that is by having a travel insurance policy in place.

Malvern Hills District Council is recognising the efforts of local tourism businesses in reducing their impact on the environment with its very own scheme. The council is the first local authority to launch the Green Tourism Accreditation Scheme which offers Green Mark accreditation specifically for tourism and hospitality businesses operating across The Malverns. 

The unofficial start of summer over the Memorial Day weekend offers a troubling glimpse of what lies ahead for travellers during the peak vacation season.

U.S. airlines cancelled more than 2,800 flights from Thursday through Monday, or about 2% of their schedules, according to tracking service FlightAware.

The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) and the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) have urged the tourism sector to step up preparations for the 2022 Atlantic Hurricane Season. The Atlantic Hurricane Season runs from June 1 until November 30, and the U.S.-based National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is predicting activity will be “above average” this year.

Airbnb has signed a landmark agreement with the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, becoming the Official Hosting Provider for the biggest multi-sport event ever in the West Midlands.

Birmingham 2022 is expected to attract more than one million spectators to the city from around the world, as well as around 4,500 athletes from 72 Commonwealth nations and territories.

Bali's first urban resort, Mamaka by Ovolo, is excited to announce their partnership with Quiksilver Bali Surf Academy – the island's most renowned surfing school. As official partners, the Academy will be nestled within the resort and provide the finest surfing lessons to those keen on learning the sport.  

Passengers are being advised that rail routes between London, the Midlands and North West will be open as usual during the Platinum Jubilee bank holiday weekend (2-5 June).

It’s after Network Rail engineers made the most of bank holidays earlier on in the year to carry out £41m of essential work to build a more efficient railway as part of Britain’s Rail Recovery.

NOAA (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) is predicting an above-average hurricane season this year. However, travel insurance aggregator, Squaremouth.com, says an uptick in tropical weather shouldn't cause a major impact for summer travellers.

After being closed to tourists for two years, Japan is opening its borders to visitors from 98 countries and regions.

It marks the most significant moment so far in the country's slow relaxation of its Covid-19 entry restrictions. But some restrictions will remain, including a requirement to visit the country as part of a tour group.