Holiday & Travel

To solidify Nevis’ position as the definitive “Island of Love,” the Nevis Tourism Authority (NTA) has introduced a specialty cocktail with aphrodisiac properties for Valentine’s Day.

Inspired by Aphrodite, the ancient Greek goddess of love, beauty, and fertility, the Nevisan Kiss was conceived by the award-winning Nevisian mixologist, Mr. Kremour Maloney. Mr. Maloney says: “Aphrodite was also Cupid’s mother, the symbol of Valentine’s love and passion, and she was acclaimed to have given us the gift of pleasure and the power of seduction, all elements that stir those lustful feelings that are captured in her namesake, Aphrodisiac, and we deliver in the Nevisian Kiss.”

Aromatic and spiced, the Nevisian Kiss contains three magical elixirs with aphrodisiac qualities that have been used through the ages: Cinnamon for blood flow and sexual libido; Ginger to increase body heat and a heightened heart rate; and Nutmeg, reputed to be “Viagra for Women,” also raises body heat, sweetens breath, and acts as an all-round stimulant. The foundation of the Nevisian Kiss is the Nevisian rum, Captain Nils Viking Rum, and combined these ingredients are brewed to make a potent mix. 

The recipe for the Nevisian Kiss is a blend of 1.5 oz. Captain Nils Viking Rum, 1.0 oz. fresh lime juice, 1.0 oz. cinnamon infused simple syrup, 0.75 oz. apple juice, 2 slices of ginger root, and finished with a garnish of fresh grated nutmeg. To ensure you have your Nevisian Kiss blended to perfection, Mr. Maloney will host a demonstration via a live stream on @NevisNaturally, the handle for Instagram on Sunday, February 14, at 1 pm AST (12:00 pm EST).

“Nevis, The Island of Love,” is renowned as a destination for all things romance: engagements, weddings, and romantic holidays. This Valentine’s Day, Nevis wants to assist you in declaring your love to your significant other in grand style by illuminating your commitment on the NTA’s social media platforms.  To be featured, all it requires for your participation is to share your love story, titled “Nevis Love Story” with their social media handles for the NTA and they will create a personalized image in your honour.

On receipt of any story, the NTA will create a “Sandy Love” graphic by drawing a heart on a pristine beach, lapped by the warm Caribbean waters, and take photos of the images.  The graphic will feature the names of the lovers that submitted a “Nevis Love Story” with their social media handles tagged, and on Valentine’s Day, the tagged images will be posted on the NTA’s social media platforms and shared to all their followers. Participants are encouraged to share their love story with the world by reposting this virtual symbol to celebrate their love, sealing their commitment with a Nevisian Kiss.

Nevis is part of the Federation of St. Kitts & Nevis and is located in the Leeward Islands of the West Indies. Conical in shape with a volcanic peak at its center known as Nevis Peak, the island is the birthplace of the founding father of the United States, Alexander Hamilton. 

Eastern Airways is to serve the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar from Birmingham Airport starting from May 28, marking the return of Eastern Airways to the airport and the return of the route. The airline will start by re-connecting the Midlands with the popular destination located on the Iberian Peninsula, twice weekly on a Monday and Friday.

As the UK’s second largest city, Birmingham will be linked again to Gibraltar after a four year hiatus to provide connectivity for both the business and leisure markets. Southampton to Gibraltar has also been announced simultaneously. The service will be operated on the airline’s Embraer 190 e-Jet fleet with fares starting from £74.99 one-way, including taxes and a 15kg hold baggage allowance as standard. Flights are now available to book at www.easternairways.com

Roger Hage, GM for Eastern Airways, said: “This marks a major development in the network Eastern Airways offer as our first regular scheduled service to the Mediterranean peninsula adjoining Spain. With a quality array of hotels, beaches, water-sports and heritage, this UK territory offers an exciting short-break destination aside from its role in UK business, notably financial services and maritime. With easy access to the south-coast of Spain also a benefit, working together with HM Government of Gibraltar has enabled this to be the first service to be announced, supporting UK regional airports and their role in direct European connectivity.”

Minister for Business, Tourism, Transport and the Port of Her Majesty’s Government of Gibraltar the Hon Vijay Daryanani MP said: “I stated recently that I would be able to announce the addition of another airline with services to Gibraltar and therefore it gives me great pleasure to make the announcement on Eastern Airways today. The airline will be operating services to Gibraltar from Southampton Airport and Birmingham Airport in the UK.

“The services to Southampton open up a new catchment area for Gibraltar and the resumption of services from Birmingham will be welcomed by many. In these challenging times, these new routes will create further opportunities for business and leisure traffic to Gibraltar. The news will no doubt be welcomed and embraced by the local business community and the tourism, retail and hospitality industries.

“The Government continues to work, planning for the brighter future that will come after this pandemic. Work to ensure that tourism recovers and flourishes after this pandemic does not stop. This Government is delivering air services for Gibraltar in an unprecedented manner and is committed to adding further routes and more carriers in due course.”

Tom Screen, Aviation Director for Birmingham Airport said: "It is great news that Eastern Airways is back at Birmingham offering customers the chance to fly direct to Gibraltar again, this route has been un-served from Birmingham since 2017. Gibraltar is a popular destination to our leisure customers, for a sunny getaway, but also an important business route providing access to this British territory.

“We believe that this route will be a sign of things to come as they develop their network further. Both Birmingham Airport and Eastern Airways have a fully enhanced cleaning structure in place and can reassure customers that their safety if is of paramount importance.” Eastern Airways’ services have been carefully reintroduced, aligned to changes in Covid-19 restrictions, with extensive cleaning measures on-board and throughout all aspects of the airport for the safety of all passengers.

The U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism is on a mission to educate travellers that the Territory is an American overseas territory, and as such, travel to St. Croix, St. John, St. Thomas or Water Island is within the United States’ domestic jurisdiction. Though not part of the contiguous United States, travel to the USVI does not require a passport from U.S. citizens arriving from Puerto Rico or the U.S. mainland. 

“We, too, are American,” reminded Commissioner Joseph Boschulte as he and his team work around the clock to clarify misunderstanding of recent Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) travel requirements related to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic for all air passengers arriving in the United States.

“The new requirements do not apply to persons traveling or returning directly from the U.S. Virgin Islands to the U.S. mainland,” he said. However, passengers traveling by air from St. Maarten or the British Virgin Islands, for example, are subject to the CDC’s three-day testing requirement “because they are coming from a foreign country and their first point of entry into the United States is either St. Thomas or St. Croix.”

“But if you are leaving St. Thomas or St. Croix and you are heading to or returning to the U.S. mainland, the U.S. Virgin Islands does not require passengers to test,” said the Commissioner, who explained that the USVI’s testing requirements are for domestic travel to the Territory, for example, from Miami to St. Croix, or from Dallas to St. Thomas.

All travellers five years of age or older must use the Travel Screening Portal at usvitravelportal.com to submit the required COVID-19 test result prior to traveling to the Territory. Travellers are required to provide evidence of a negative a COVID-19 molecular or antigen test result taken within five days of commencement of travel to the Territory or a positive antibody result received within four months of commencement of travel to the Territory.

Despite the downturn in leisure travel since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, thousands of Americans continue to visit the islands, arriving by air and sea, validating findings by both Squaremouth.com and KAYAK, of an increase in demand for travel to the U.S. Virgin Islands. 

“Due to COVID-19, there are more travel protocols and restrictions in place now than ever before, and we realize that travellers may be overwhelmed and confused by the different requirements established by local, state or national authorities,” said Commissioner Boschulte. “Our team is here to help,” he offered, advising travellers to visit usviupdate.com for more details, and to check with their intended destination or state of residence concerning specific COVID-19-related travel requirements for arriving there.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson says he is "optimistic" people will be able to have summer holidays this year - but it depends on certain things going well. When asked about tourism in the UK, he said he did not want to give "concrete" dates for such trips but would set out more details on February 22. The success of the vaccine rollout and level of Covid cases would be factors taken into consideration, he added.

Nearly 10 million people in the UK have had their first dose of a vaccine - which has been offered to all older residents at eligible care homes in England, the NHS announced - an achievement Mr Johnson described as a "crucial milestone".

The government is aiming to offer all care home residents and carers, people over 70 and frontline care workers a vaccination by mid-February. Figures released on Monday show a further 18,607 Covid cases have been recorded. There have also been a further 406 deaths within 28 days of a positive test.

The prime minister, speaking during a visit to Batley, West Yorkshire, said: "I don't want to give too much concrete by way of dates for our summer holidays. I am optimistic - I understand the reasons for being optimistic - but some things have got to go right. The vaccine programme has got to continue to be successful.

"We have got to make sure we don't get thrown off course by new variants, we have got to make sure that we continue to keep the disease under control and the level of infections come down." He added that once he gives more details in the last week of February "people should certainly be able to plan on that basis".

His comments come after Health Secretary Matt Hancock predicted "a happy and free Great British summer". Meanwhile, the government has announced it is to carry out urgent door-to-door testing in parts of England for a new variant of coronavirus originally identified in South Africa, after cases were found with no known links to travel or previous cases.

All of the UK is currently under a lockdown, with people only allowed to travel abroad for essential purposes; such as work that cannot be done from home, medical appointments or educational reasons. These are the same "reasonable excuses" that apply to domestic travel.

Mr Johnson said there were signs the lockdown measures were working but it was too early to "take your foot off the throat of the beast" by easing restrictions. "We are starting to see some signs of a flattening and maybe even a falling off of infection rates and hospitalisations," he said. "But don't forget that they are still at a very high level by comparison with most points in the last 12 months, a really very high level."

Rules around international travel were tightened last month, meaning all travellers must self-isolate for 10 days when they return to the UK, while people returning to England from high-risk countries will have to quarantine in government-provided hotels. People leaving England will soon have to make a declaration on why they need to travel, which will be checked by carriers prior to departure, Home Secretary Priti Patel has announced.

Some UK holiday providers have since reported a boom in domestic bookings for this summer. The boss of Ryanair, Michael O'Leary, said he is expecting "a strong return" for European beach holidays this summer thanks to the vaccination programme.

Airlines are betting on a bookings boost around Easter to stave off current financial difficulties. Industry experts say that while current traffic levels are very low, the first few months of the year are traditionally not important in terms of traffic. Speaking at a recent CAPA Live event, Stephen Furlong, senior equity analyst of Davy Research, says: “All airlines are really in hibernation. The focus is on bringing cash flow in for the summer season. It’s very crucial for the aviation industry that there is a summer 21 season because without that we’re going to have more dislocation and failures to be blunt.”

The consensus from market intelligence firms is that the ongoing uncertainty around local restrictions is impacting traveler confidence. Daniel Roeska, managing director and senior analyst, Bernstein Research, who was also speaking at the CAPA Live event, says: “It’s definitely unprecedented in the order of magnitude. With 9/11 we were counting planes, trying to find where they were and talking about minus 10% at Lufthansa in those times. But, if you put all this on a long-term time series, by now you can’t even see the movement of past recessions anymore, we’ve lost so much traffic. 

“The current environment in Europe with lockdowns, continued uncertainty about vaccine distribution and how fast we will return to something that resembles a normal travel pattern, will keep people from booking at this point.”

Sojern, however, in its latest Europe update says it doesn’t believe search and booking volumes will drop to the levels of April 2020. The company says it is seeing increasing interest in January with flight searches for departures dates from April.

Tripadvisor research reflects a similar trend with the reviews giant revealing that in the first week of January 85% of hotel clickers from both Germany and the UK are planning international breaks for later in 2021. It adds that domestic travel will also continue to do well with 70% of hotel clickers on Tripadvisor booking future domestic holidays.

On January 20, President Biden took bold action by revoking Proclamations 9645 and 9983, which had restricted issuance of visas to individuals from many Muslim and African countries. 

As President Biden said: "We will not turn our backs on our values with discriminatory bans on entry to the United States." Pursuant to President Biden’s Proclamation, the visa restrictions under Proclamations 9645 and 9983 are no longer applicable. 

The restrictions under those proclamations had applied to certain applicants from the following countries: Burma, Eritrea, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Libya, Nigeria, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Venezuela, and Yemen. 

Over the coming weeks, pursuant to the Proclamation issued by President Biden, the Department will develop a proposal to ensure that individuals whose immigrant visa applications were denied on the basis of the suspension and restriction on entry imposed by Proclamation 9645 or 9983 may have their applications reconsidered.  More details will be forthcoming.

·         The State Department will also develop a plan to ensure that visa applicants are not prejudiced as a result of a previous visa denial due to the suspension and restriction on entry imposed by Proclamation 9645 or 9983 if they choose to re‑apply for a visa.

·         The State Department is committed to ensuring that the highest security standards are met in adjudication of visa applications and pursuant to direction from President Biden, will develop a plan to strengthen international partnerships to help improve our screening and vetting process.

·         Interview wait times vary by location and have been severely affected by COVID‑related limitations. In the United Kingdom, following the UK national lockdown effective January 5, 2021, visa appointments remain limited for all applicants.    We will resume routine visa services as soon as possible but are unable to provide a specific date at this time.​  COVID travel restrictions for those physically present in the UK remain in place.

Qatar Airways is pleased to announce it will add its 12^th gateway in the U.S. with the resumption of four-weekly Atlanta flights starting 1 June. The carrier will also significantly increase frequencies adding an additional 13 weekly flights to operate a total of 83 weekly flights across its 12 gateways. Having become the largest international carrier during the early stages of the pandemic, the airline has applied its unrivalled knowledge of global passenger flows and booking trends to rebuild its global network and cement its position as the leading Middle East airline connecting the U.S. with Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “We are proud to be the leading Middle East airline providing safe and reliable connectivity to and from the United States via the Best Airport in the Middle East, Hamad International Airport. Having never stopped flying to the U.S. throughout the pandemic, we have steadily rebuilt our network, gradually resuming destinations and adding more frequencies. With the upcoming launch of Seattle and the resumption of Atlanta, we will reach 12 gateways in the U.S, two more than what we operated pre-COVID-19.

“Our commitment to the U.S. market has also seen us add and expand strategic partnerships with American carriers, offering our passengers hundreds of additional flight connections with Alaska Airlines, American Airlines and JetBlue. As we look forward to global travel recovering in 2021, we will remain focused on providing seamless, safe and reliable connectivity to our millions of passengers and ensuring we continue to earn their trust every time they choose to fly with Qatar Airways.” In line with the airline’s steady rebuild of its U.S. network, Qatar Airways plans to resume services and increase frequencies to several destinations:

·         Atlanta (four weekly flights starting 1 June)

·         Chicago (increasing to 10 weekly flights from 4 March)

·         Dallas-Fort Worth (increasing to 10 weekly flights from 2 March)

·         Houston (increasing to daily flights from 14 March)

·         Miami (increasing to three weekly flights from 3 July)

·         San Francisco (ramping up to daily flights by 2 July)

·         Seattle (four weekly flights starting 29 January and ramping up to daily flights by 1 July)

Seattle is the seventh new destination and the second in the U.S. to be added by Qatar Airways since the start of the pandemic. The launch of flights to Seattle and resumption of Atlanta will increase Qatar Airways’ U.S. network to 12 destinations in the U.S., connecting onwards to hundreds of American cities through strategic partnerships with Alaska Airlines, American Airlines and JetBlue. Atlanta and Seattle join existing U.S. destinations including Boston (BOS), Chicago (ORD), Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), Houston (IAH), Los Angeles (LAX), Miami (MIA), New York (JFK), Philadelphia (PHL), San Francisco (SFO) and Washington, D.C. (IAD). The national carrier of the State of Qatar continues to rebuild its global network, which currently stands at over 120 destinations with plans to increase to over 130 by the end of March 2021.

Qatar Airways has become the first global airline in the world to achieve the prestigious 5-Star COVID-19 Airline Safety Rating by international air transport rating organisation, Skytrax. This follows HIA’s recent success as the first airport in the Middle East and Asia to be awarded a Skytrax 5-Star COVID-19 Airport Safety Rating. These recognitions provides assurance to passengers across the world that airline health and safety standards are subject to the highest possible standards of professional, independent scrutiny and assessment. 

Passengers can book flights with peace of mind, knowing that Qatar Airways offers unlimited date changes and fee-free refunds for all tickets issued before 30 April 2021, for travel completed by 31 December 2021. The carrier’s industry-leading flexible booking policy also provides the permanent feature of exchanging tickets for a travel voucher with 10% additional value for all customers booking travel via qatarairways.com.

A multiple award-winning airline, Qatar Airways was named ‘World’s Best Airline’ by the 2019 World Airline Awards, managed by Skytrax. It was also named ‘Best Airline in the Middle East’, ‘World’s Best Business Class’, and ‘Best Business Class Seat’, in recognition of its ground-breaking Business Class experience, Qsuite. The Qsuite seat layout is a 1-2-1 configuration, providing passengers with the most spacious, fully private, comfortable and social distanced Business Class product in the sky. Qsuite is available on flights to more than 45 destinations including Johannesburg, Maldives, Riyadh and Singapore. It is the only airline to have been awarded the coveted ‘Skytrax Airline of the Year’ title, which is recognised as the pinnacle of excellence in the airline industry, five times. 

Jamaica’s Tourism Minister has declared the country ready to meet the coronavirus testing demands for people who are travellers to the United States now that they (the demands) – that travellers to the US must present a negative test result before departure - have come into full effect. Travellers, on arrival, will then be quarantined for 14 days.

Previously there were concerns that travellers from Canada were not able to secure testing there. Now, however, Tourism Minister, Edmund Bartlett, says that the infrastructure has been bolstered to meet the demand for WHO (World Health Organisation) COVID-19 virus testing.

"All visitors who come to Jamaica will have access to approved testing arrangements that will, he says, “in turn, enable them to meet the requirements of their respective countries for re-entry." Testing requirements were previously introduced by the Canadian and UK governments to facilitate entry or to avoid self-quarantine.

With a special task force in place, there have been great improvements to the testing framework, with Mr Bartlett declaring: "The task force has done a lot of work, including taking steps to assess and determine the capacity to respond to the need for testing of all visitors going back to their country.

“I am pleased to say that that work is completed." He also said that they are now able to assist in securing accreditation and resources for labs to do the necessary COVID testing, with facilities now in place at all of Jamaica’s major hotels.

He added: “Furthermore transportation arrangements are also in place to facilitate the movement of visitors to the closest testing centre, if one is not available on property.” Mr Bartlett said that visitors will also be able to pay for the tests before arrival at the facilities with a policy that is being developed for visitors who test positive before leaving Jamaica.

"For visitors who test positive, we have a dedicated care programme that is set in place.

“Hotels in the country will now be able to allow visitors to stay at their facility, in a specially designated area, during the allotted period, so that the relevant requirements to enable them to go back home, are met.”

Qatar Airways continues where it left off in 2020, further expanding its strategic partnerships signing an expanded codeshare agreement with Iberia. The agreement will enhance connectivity between the two airlines’ complementary networks and will offer additional travel options to our customers travelling between the Iberian Peninsula, Latin America, Africa, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East via the Best Airport in the Middle East, Hamad International Airport. Sales of the added destinations have commenced already with the additional codeshare flights already started.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “We are pleased to further expand our codeshare cooperation with Iberia, Spain’s largest carrier and the leading airline connecting Europe with Latin America. Despite the challenges of 2020, it has been our priority to maintain reliable global connectivity for our passengers.

“This expansion of our strategic partnership with Iberia further strengthens connectivity between the hubs of Doha and Madrid ensuring more flexible travel options for our customers. Qatar Airways and Iberia have enjoyed the mutual benefits our partnership has brought us since its establishment in 2017, providing more choice and seamless global connectivity for our millions of passengers. As global travel recovers, we look forward to further expanding our commercial cooperation with Iberia and continuing to provide the unrivalled five-star service our passengers have come to expect.”

Iberia Group Chief Excutive, Javier Sanchez-Prieto, said: “The extension of the codeshare agreement with Qatar Airways is very good news for us. At Iberia we work so that, when countries eliminate their restrictions, we can offer our clients the widest and most comprehensive network possible. The extension of this codeshare agreement with our oneworld partner, Qatar Airways, opens up new markets in Australia and Africa and improves the connectivity we offer between Spain and the rest of the world with a very high-quality service offered by our partner, Qatar Airways.”

The expanded commercial cooperation will increase the number of destinations available to Iberia passengers from 29 to 36 on Qatar Airways’ network, including new destinations in Angola, Australia, Mozambique, New Zealand and South Africa. Qatar Airways passengers will also benefit from additional connectivity, with the ability to book travel to and from an additional four destinations on Iberia’s network in Brazil, Chile, El Salvador, Guatemala and Senegal. As oneworld alliance partners, Qatar Airways Privilege Club and Iberia Plus members are ensured recognition of their tier status with benefits including access to lounges worldwide, through check-in, extra baggage allowance, priority check-in and boarding plus accrual and redemption of miles, across the partner carriers’ networks.

Qatar Airways has become the first global airline in the world to achieve the prestigious 5-Star COVID-19 Airline Safety Rating by international air transport rating organisation, Skytrax. It also provides assurance to passengers across the world that airline health and safety standards are subject to the highest possible standards of professional, independent scrutiny and assessment. Qatar Airways’ strategic investment in a variety of fuel-efficient, twin-engine aircraft, including the largest fleet of Airbus A350 aircraft, has enabled it to continue flying throughout this crisis and perfectly positions it to lead the sustainable recovery of international travel.

The airline recently took delivery of four new state-of-the-art Airbus A350-1000 aircraft, increasing its total A350 fleet to 53 with an average age of just 2.7 years. Due to COVID-19’s impact on travel demand, the airline has grounded its fleet of Airbus A380 as it is not environmentally justifiable to operate such a large, four-engine aircraft in the current market. Qatar Airways has also recently launched a new programme that enables passengers to voluntarily offset the carbon emissions associated with their journey at the point of booking.

The national carrier of the State of Qatar continues to rebuild its network, which currently stands at over 120 destinations with plans to increase to over 130 by the end of March 2021.

A multiple award-winning airline, Qatar Airways was named ‘World’s Best Airline’ by the 2019 World Airline Awards, managed by Skytrax. It was also named ‘Best Airline in the Middle East’, ‘World’s Best Business Class’, and ‘Best Business Class Seat’, in recognition of its ground-breaking Business Class experience, Qsuite. The Qsuite seat layout is a 1-2-1 configuration, providing passengers with the most spacious, fully private, comfortable and social distanced Business Class product in the sky. It is the only airline to have been awarded the coveted ‘Skytrax Airline of the Year’ title, which is recognised as the pinnacle of excellence in the airline industry, five times.

Hamad International Airport (HIA), the airline’s home and hub, was recently ranked 'Third Best Airport in the World', among 550 airports worldwide, by the SKYTRAX World Airport Awards 2020. Rising from fourth position in 2019 to third in 2020, HIA has been steadily rising in the ‘World's Best Airports’ rankings since the start of its operations in 2014. In addition, HIA was voted the ‘Best Airport in the Middle East’ for the sixth year in a row and ‘Best Staff Service in the Middle East’ for the fifth year in a row.

Iberia is the main Spanish airline and the leading carrier on routes between Europe and Latin America. It offers easy and convenient connections at its hub in T4 in Madrid-Barajas airport. Since 2014 it ranked among the five most punctual airlines in the world according to FlightStats, while it was awarded its 4th Skytrax star in 2017. The airline is a member of the oneworld alliance.

Responding to strong demand for travel to the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI), Frontier Airlines has announced new twice-weekly service between Miami and St. Thomas, on Sundays and Thursdays, beginning March 7, 2021.

USVI Commissioner of Tourism Joseph Boschulte welcomed the announcement from the Denver-based carrier, which earlier signalled the start of service between Orlando and St. Thomas, with flights twice per week (on Mondays and Fridays), beginning February 19, 2021.

“We are once again thankful for this partnership with Frontier as the carrier works to meet existing and create new demand for travel to the U.S. Virgin Islands with affordable fares,” said Commissioner Boschulte, who along with Governor Albert Bryan Jr., Virgin Islands Port Authority Executive Director Carlton Dowe and other senior government officials, met with Frontier executives in Miami in March last year to explore airlift possibilities.

Daniel Shurz, Frontier Airlines’ senior vice president of commercial, cited the airline’s “exceptional growth at Miami’s convenient airport” to herald the new service, which starts in time for spring break travel. He said the new flights will maintain Frontier’s high health standards, including required wearing of face masks, temperature screenings and enhanced onboard cleaning.

Frontier requires all customers and crew members to wear a face covering throughout their travel journey. Plus, anyone flying with Frontier must complete a health acknowledgement prior to flying confirming that:

• Neither they nor anyone in their household has exhibited COVID-19-related symptoms in the last 14 days
• They will wash/sanitize their hands before boarding the flight
• They understand and acknowledge the airline’s face covering policy and pre-boarding temperature screening policies

During flight, main cabin air is a mix of fresh air drawn from outside and air that has been passed through an air filtration system that features HEPA filters capable of capturing respiratory virus particles at more than 99.9% efficiency – similar to those used in hospital environments. Frontier’s modern all-Airbus fleet is among the youngest in the world; all aircraft currently in operation are less than four years old.

Every traveller aged five or older who enters the U.S. Virgin Islands, by air or sea, including anyone in-transit to another destination, is required to use the USVI Travel Screening Portal and submit a COVID-19 test result prior to travel at: usvitravelportal.com.

Curiosity never goes out of style and this year ToursByLocals has introduced a selection of new tours to explore. In a year where connection is more important than ever, allow exceptional guides to help you uncover local stories and destination secrets, travelling like an ‘insider’ for a truly authentic experience.

The world's leading online marketplace for private tours, ToursByLocals provides highly curated, customisable, private tours for the discerning traveller, led by local guides in 188 countries. Pick from carefully tailored, hassle-free itineraries curated by expert local guides who know the destination inside and out, or work with a friendly, handpicked guide to co-create the exact experience and level of enrichment you require in 2021.

The half-day, full-day and multi-day private tours are continually awarded five-star ratings by the more than one million travellers who have discovered destinations with ToursByLocals since 2008. Enjoy immersing in a destination in the knowledge that every last detail will be taken care of, from the South of England, sunny Sierra Leone to South America’s smallest country. With no-risk refunds, with cancellation for any reason up to the day of the tour, these are some of the new tours to explore in 2021:

England

The Hound of the Baskervilles Tour: Uncover clues like detective Sherlock Holmes on this gripping tour that unravels the story behind the novel The Hound of the Baskervilles, including the people, places and legends that inspired Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The tour is delivered by an award-winning guide who is a descendant of one of the people involved in the creation of the plot, making it completely unique with secrets in abundance. Explore fascinating Bronze Age villages and previously burned down churches with mysterious black magic associations; hear about the evil Squire Cabell and his pack of hounds, the coach driver whose name is now etched into fictional folklore and see the 200-year-old prison that Seldon escaped from in the story.

Plymouth Devon Private Walking Tour: Join local guide Chrissie in discovering Plymouth which has seen the departure of some of the world’s most famous voyages - namely the Mayflower, which set sail to America 400 years ago. Explore the old medieval town, take in sensational views across the water and learn about the city’s survival in wartime Britain. Reach the Mayflower Steps, which commemorate the sailing of the Pilgrims in September 1620 and imagine excited travellers setting sail for the New World.

Sierra Leone

Banana Island Leisure and Historical Tour: Explore the peninsular coast of Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone. Set off with a guide brimming with local knowledge in the morning and marvel at views of a historic fishing village. Enjoy a boat ride and tour of Banana Island which is also referred to as ‘Banana Islands’ because of its combination of three smaller islands named Dublin, Ricketts and Mes-Meheux (not habited). Meet friendly locals and admire stunning natural scenery with Shekuba, a Sierra Leonean guide based in Freetown.

Suriname

Highlights of Paramaribo: Suriname’s beautiful, undiscovered capital offers a fusion of cultures and religions as well as fascinating heritage sites in this South American country. Let local guide Nelson lead the way on this walking tour through the historic city. Highlights include visiting vibrant markets, lush gardens and the elegant wooden cathedral in Paramaribo, located on the banks of the Suriname River and home of almost half of the small nation’s population.

Liberia

Monrovia Highlights and History - Half Day Tour: Explore the lesser-known glistening coast of Liberia with local guide, Nitto. Get an insider’s point of view on the best spots to visit in this vibrant coastal city. Learn about the tumultuous slave trade history, visit the National Museum of Liberia and enjoy a stop at the art stores at Mamba Point.

· Duration: Three hours, 30 minutes

· Price: £572 per tour (up to five people)

In response to the latest U.S. CDC travel requirements, AMResorts and Sandals Resorts are deploying Covid-19 testing programs at their properties. Beginning January 26, AMResorts guests will be able to schedule a test through their concierge. The tests will be administered by the Hospiten international network of private hospitals, and results will be available the same day.

Hospiten's testing program will be available at most AMResorts destinations, except in Costa Rica, Curaçao, San Martin and Acapulco, Ixtapa and Huatulco, Mexico. According to AMResorts, details of the test provider in those markets are "pending".

In addition, AMResorts is providing free and extended quarantine coverage for all guests traveling to the U.S., through March 31. Under this policy, a guest who receives a positive test result while on the property and is unable to leave will be covered for the cost of quarantining the property for up to 14 days.

Meanwhile, the all-inclusive Sandals and Beaches resorts are also offering free on-site Covid-19 testing through March 31. In a statement, Sandals Resorts International said all tests "will be conducted by approved and practicing medical professionals, with the utmost convenience of our guests in mind. Appointments for the tests will be scheduled by resort staff once guests arrive at the property.

Staycations are expected to boom in 2021 after lockdown ends, UK holiday firms have said.

Bosses at the Caravan and Motorhome Club said the lifting of restrictions would be like "a cork popping from a bottle". Director general Nick Lomas said although coronavirus had hit the industry hard, they were optimistic about the coming season. Other firms said they also expected more people to holiday in the UK.

Mr Lomas said: "2020 was a very difficult year for the tourism and hospitality sector and the Caravan and Motorhome Club had suffered significant financial losses." He did, however, add: "When our campsites were allowed to be open last year we actually saw record levels of bookings, with new memberships up by 14%. Sadly, this surge does not make up for the losses we suffered during nearly six months of lockdown."

But, despite the current restrictions, Mr Lomas said he had every reason to believe this year could finish as one of "the best and busiest yet", due to the appetite for outdoor UK holidays. "In fact, we think that 2021 is going to be like a cork popping from a bottle," he said.

Experience Freedom, which operates glamping holidays in the UK, said bookings for 2021 were already up as people looked to spend more time in the "great outdoors". Smaller operators such as Anne's Vans, based in Lincoln, are also expecting to benefit.

Owner Anne Davies said so far they had no bookings, saying "uncertainty over when lockdown will end" was putting people off at the moment. However, she said: "Based on last years’ experience we are expecting a bumper year in 2021... once this latest lockdown is over."

The chief executive of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, David Butterworth, said visitor numbers after the first lockdown ended were "unprecedented". He added: "The challenge for 2021 is to capitalise on this trend, and capture the hearts and minds of the people who have experienced the Dales for the first time to make sure they keep coming back."

Royal Caribbean has extended its suspension in the U.S. through April 2021, with the first sailings from the country now planned for May.

The new adjustments announced by Royal Caribbean Group on Tuesday morning impacts all owned cruise brands including Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, Silversea Cruises, and Azamara. 

Royal Caribbean International which is the leading operator was previously planning on returning in March but now that won’t be the case. The cruise line has canceled sailings through April 30, 2021. This means cruises will not resume until the start of May at the earliest.

The cruise company continues to focus on new health and safety protocols to make sure guests and crew remain safe. Royal Caribbean is working with the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) on the framework for the Conditional Sailing Order.

The appointment of British supermodel Naomi Campbell as Kenya's tourism ambassador has caused a Twitter storm in the East African nation. Many queried why it had not been given to a prominent Kenyan like Hollywood actress Lupita Nyong'o. Others leapt to her defence, saying the debate already justified her role. Kenya's tourism sector has been badly hit by coronavirus, with visitor numbers down by 72% between January and October last year.

Kenya's Tourism Research Institute reported: "The sector hence lost over 110bn Kenyan shillings [$1bn, £738m] of direct international tourists' revenue due to the Covid-19 pandemic." The country is famous for its wildlife safaris and beach resorts. Kenyan Tourism Minister Najib Balala said the deal with Ms Campbell was done over the weekend after he met the model, who is currently on holiday in Kenya.

The 50-year-old style icon and philanthropist has been posting images of her stay on Instagram, where she has 10 million followers. Mr Balala said: "We welcome the exciting news that Naomi Campbell will advocate for tourism and travel internationally for the Magical Kenya brand." But the statement, posted on Twitter on Tuesday, prompted instant outrage from some, and the supermodel's name has since been trending in the country.

One tweeter cited other Kenyan celebrities better suited to the ambassadorial role, including models Ajuma Nasenyana and Debra Sanaipei, as well as Nyong'o. Another tweeter said the backlash revealed an unhealthy attitude in Kenya: "At the end of the day, it's all about who will get the job done. This mentality is what causes nepotism and tribalism in Kenyan institutions, it should be about the most suitable candidate not 'one of our own' thing."

Ms Campbell's defenders praised the Londoner for visiting Kenya several times and said it was not only the model's social media following that made her the perfect appointment. Her circle of friends was equally important as she would attract wealthy tourists willing to spend money. The tourism industry usually contributes about 8.8% to Kenya's annual Gross domestic product (GDP), according to Kenya's East African newspaper.

Qatar Airways has announced that it has achieved Diamond Standard in the Airline Passenger Experience Association’s (APEX) Health Safety Powered by the SimpliFlying audit. The ‘Diamond Standard’ status, which is the highest level attainable, was announced by APEX and global aviation marketing consultancy, SimpliFlying, following a meticulous assessment of the airline’s robust COVID-19 hygiene and safety standards.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “As an industry leader, we welcome the further recognition of Qatar Airways’ commitment to providing the most rigorous and stringent virus monitoring, detection and COVID-19 safety programme throughout our end-to-end passenger experience, in existence within the global aviation community.

“The awarding of the APEX Health Safety ‘Diamond Standard’ was the result of a thorough and extensive independent audit of the airline’s comprehensive COVID-19 protection and prevention measures, both on board and at Hamad International Airport, and reinforces the fact that air travel does not need to be a source of concern to passengers.

“As commercial aviation continues to deal with the challenges and impact of the global pandemic, we welcome the introduction of this and other relevant COVID-related hygiene and safety reviews, and would encourage other airlines to continue to build passenger confidence and assist with the recovery of the industry by participating wherever possible.”

APEX Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Joe Leader, said: “Qatar Airways’ COVID-19 protocols definitively met the highest marks for the Diamond certification level backed by their extraordinary steps for customer safety.  The actions taken by Qatar appear centered around a singular philosophy: how can we innovatively maximize both our customer service and passenger safety hand-in-hand.

“Having flown recently on Qatar Airways with my family to the Maldives after negative COVID-19 PCR tests, the level of health safe service both in-flight and on-the-ground surpassed my highest expectations and even surpassed our best-ever pre-pandemic experience on the airline.”

SimpliFlying Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Shashank Nigam, said: "Qatar Airways has raised the bar for health safety standards in the industry by initiatives such as providing a face shield to all passengers, using Honeywell’s UV disinfection systems and advanced biosafety measures at its hub in Doha. Taking such hospital-grade in ensuring health safety will help bolster trust among travellers."

Qatar Airways’ onboard safety measures include the provision of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for cabin crew and a complimentary protective kit and disposable face shields for passengers. Business Class passengers on aircraft equipped with Qsuite can enjoy the enhanced privacy this award-winning business seat provides, including sliding privacy partitions and the option to use a ‘Do Not Disturb (DND)’ indicator. Qsuite is available on flights to more than 30 destinations including Frankfurt, Kuala Lumpur, London and New York. For full details of all the measures that have been implemented onboard and in HIA, please visit qatarairways.com/safety.

In addition to this, the airline also uses the most advanced HEPA air filtration systems on board all aircraft, and recently introduced Honeywell’s state-of-the-art Ultraviolet Cabin System, operated by Qatar Aviation Services, as a further step in the cleaning of its aircraft.

Qatar Airways currently operates more than 800 weekly flights to over 110 destinations across the globe. By the end of March 2021, Qatar Airways plans to rebuild its network to 129. Many cities will be served with a strong schedule with daily or more frequencies.

A multiple award-winning airline, Qatar Airways was named ‘World’s Best Airline’ by the 2019 World Airline Awards, managed by the international air transport rating organisation Skytrax. It was also named ‘Best Airline in the Middle East’, ‘World’s Best Business Class’, and ‘Best Business Class Seat’, in recognition of its ground-breaking Business Class experience, Qsuite. It is the only airline to have been awarded the coveted ‘Skytrax Airline of the Year’ title, which is recognised as the pinnacle of excellence in the airline industry, five times.