Indonesia reopened the island of Bali to fully vaccinated tourists from 19 countries in October. But only two foreign nationals arrived that month — both by sea — and its airport is not yet receiving international flights.

Bali, one of the world’s most popular destinations, is among several tourism hot spots in Southeast Asia that have reopened — technically, at least — to international visitors in recent weeks. For local hotels, tour operators and other businesses whose income was obliterated during the early part of the pandemic, the news originally brought a smidgen of hope that 2021 might end on a positive note.

But traveling to these destinations from other countries is such an undertaking — amid rules, fees, a lack of flights and lingering uncertainty around new outbreaks — that very few people have bothered.

“For all but the most determined, it’s a pretty convoluted process to plan a short holiday,” Stuart McDonald, a co-founder of Travelfish.org, a guide to Southeast Asia, said of international travelers who want to vacation in the region.

“There will be determined people who figure it out,” added McDonald, who lives in Bali. “But for anything at scale, we’ve got a while to wait yet.”

Bali, where tourism accounted for more than half of the pre-pandemic economy, had more than 6 million international arrivals in 2019. But so far this year, the figure is just 45, said Dayu Indah, the head of the marketing division at the island’s official tourism office. All of those travelers arrived by sea at Benoa Port, down the road from the international airport.

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“Where they come from I don’t know,” Indah said. “Whether they are tourists or expats, I have no details.”

Recent arrival numbers at other Southeast Asian tourist hot spots are not quite as extreme, but they are still miserable by pre-pandemic standards.

In Malaysia, only a few hundred foreign tourists have visited the resort island of Langkawi since the government partially opened it to visitors this fall — far fewer than the thousands that a local development authority had anticipated.

In Thailand, more than 100,000 foreign visitors arrived in November as part of a quarantine-free entry program for fully vaccinated tourists from dozens of countries. But the country’s total arrival figure for the year — less than 270,000 — is still a tiny fraction of the 40 million who came in 2019.

In Vietnam, foreign tourists began trickling in by the dozens under pilot programs in November, but such numbers are nowhere near the 1.8 million international arrivals that the country recorded in November 2019, according to official data. The programs were started before the omicron variant was discovered and the country’s case numbers hit a new high.

Part of the problem for Southeast Asia’s tourism industry is that China, a major source of visitors, has imposed so many restrictions on its citizens who travel overseas — including a 14-day quarantine when they return — that very few of them are leaving.

Another problem is a lack of direct flights. Cambodia, for example, reopened to international travelers last month and has waived quarantine for those who are fully vaccinated and submit to testing. But most travelers from outside Asia who want to visit the country would need to transit through aviation hubs elsewhere in the region, such as Malaysia, McDonald said. That means additional COVID screenings.

“It’s just too complicated,” he said. “You get stuck in quarantine and you test positive. Who wants to have a holiday like that?”

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/many-more-infected-with-omicron-variant-than-reported-say-uk-scientists-438070">Also read |&nbsp;Many more infected with Omicron variant than reported, say UK scientists</a>

As for Bali, the reasons not to visit include not only a lack of direct international flights, but also Indonesia’s 10-day quarantine for fully vaccinated people and the paperwork required to secure a business visa. (Tourist visas have been suspended.)

Indah said that Bali’s focus for now was on domestic tourists, and that 12,000 of them arrived by air last weekend.

The island has prepared as much as possible for a resumption of international tourism, she added. More than 90% of residents have been fully vaccinated, and more than 2,000 facilities have passed a COVID-specific health and safety inspection.

“But if we talk about opening borders, opening the country, the authority is with the central government, and that’s not easy, I’m sorry to say,” she said. “There are many considerations to consider.”

Indonesia reopened the island of Bali to fully vaccinated tourists from 19 countries in October. But only two foreign nationals arrived that month — both by sea — and its airport is not yet receiving international flights.

Indonesia reopened the island of Bali to fully vaccinated tourists from 19 countries in October. But only two foreign nationals arrived that month — both by sea — and its airport is not yet receiving international flights. Bali, one of the world’s most popular destinations, is among several tourism hot spots in Southeast Asia that have reopened — technically, at least — to international visitors in recent weeks. For local hotels, tour operators and other businesses whose income was obliterated during the early part of the pandemic, the news originally brought a smidgen of hope that 2021 might end on a positive note. But traveling to these destinations from other countries is such an undertaking — amid rules, fees, a lack of flights and lingering uncertainty around new outbreaks — that very few people have bothered. “For all but the most determined, it’s a pretty convoluted process to plan a short holiday,” Stuart McDonald, a co-founder of Travelfish.org, a guide to Southeast Asia, said of international travelers who want to vacation in the region. “There will be determined people who figure it out,” added McDonald, who lives in Bali. “But for anything at scale, we’ve got a while to wait yet.” Bali, where tourism accounted for more than half of the pre-pandemic economy, had more than 6 million international arrivals in 2019. But so far this year, the figure is just 45, said Dayu Indah, the head of the marketing division at the island’s official tourism office. All of those travelers arrived by sea at Benoa Port, down the road from the international airport. Also read | The strongest typhoon to hit Philippines this year claims over 80 lives “Where they come from I don’t know,” Indah said. “Whether they are tourists or expats, I have no details.” Recent arrival numbers at other Southeast Asian tourist hot spots are not quite as extreme, but they are still miserable by pre-pandemic standards. In Malaysia, only a few hundred foreign tourists have visited the resort island of Langkawi since the government partially opened it to visitors this fall — far fewer than the thousands that a local development authority had anticipated. In Thailand, more than 100,000 foreign visitors arrived in November as part of a quarantine-free entry program for fully vaccinated tourists from dozens of countries. But the country’s total arrival figure for the year — less than 270,000 — is still a tiny fraction of the 40 million who came in 2019. In Vietnam, foreign tourists began trickling in by the dozens under pilot programs in November, but such numbers are nowhere near the 1.8 million international arrivals that the country recorded in November 2019, according to official data. The programs were started before the omicron variant was discovered and the country’s case numbers hit a new high. Part of the problem for Southeast Asia’s tourism industry is that China, a major source of visitors, has imposed so many restrictions on its citizens who travel overseas — including a 14-day quarantine when they return — that very few of them are leaving. Another problem is a lack of direct flights. Cambodia, for example, reopened to international travelers last month and has waived quarantine for those who are fully vaccinated and submit to testing. But most travelers from outside Asia who want to visit the country would need to transit through aviation hubs elsewhere in the region, such as Malaysia, McDonald said. That means additional COVID screenings. “It’s just too complicated,” he said. “You get stuck in quarantine and you test positive. Who wants to have a holiday like that?” Also read | Many more infected with Omicron variant than reported, say UK scientists As for Bali, the reasons not to visit include not only a lack of direct international flights, but also Indonesia’s 10-day quarantine for fully vaccinated people and the paperwork required to secure a business visa. (Tourist visas have been suspended.) Indah said that Bali’s focus for now was on domestic tourists, and that 12,000 of them arrived by air last weekend. The island has prepared as much as possible for a resumption of international tourism, she added. More than 90% of residents have been fully vaccinated, and more than 2,000 facilities have passed a COVID-specific health and safety inspection. “But if we talk about opening borders, opening the country, the authority is with the central government, and that’s not easy, I’m sorry to say,” she said. “There are many considerations to consider.”

Some Southeast Asian tourism spots reopen, but arrivals are down

The famous Phi Phi Islands in Thailand, earlier on the verge of collapse and destruction due to mass tourism, witness an ecological revival due to the COVID-19 pandemic and travel restrictions worldwide.

COVID-19 & travel restrictions breathes fresh life into the ecology of Phi Phi Islands in Thailand

Widespread use of covid certificates and successful vaccine rollouts have helped tourism in European Union recover faster from the covid pandemic than elsewhere in the world.

EU COVID-19 Passports, Vaccines Helped European Tourism Recovery -UN

After a long period of pandemic shutdown, Thailand was one of the first countries in Asia to reopen for foreign, tourists. The country is now seeing a slow economic recovery as tourists are gradually returning.

Thailand: Vaccinated travellers from over 60 countries allowed

The second largest lake in Turkey, Lake Tuz has become the latest casualty of climate change. The water body has completely dried up leaving agriculture and tourism struggling for survival.

Second largest lake in Turkey, Lake Tuz dries up due to climate change

Thailand was among the first countries in Asia to reopen for foreign tourists, and it is now seeing a slow recovery. Tourism is an incredibly important sector for the countries economy.

A month after reopening, Thailand sees gradual tourism recovery

The incident of a dog left to die in a crate for transporting cabbages has sparked a lot of controversy in Indonesia. It has also triggered a discussion on 'halal' tourism, which is practiced in several parts of the Southeast Asian nation.

The incident of a dog left to die in a crate for transporting cabbages has sparked a lot of controversy in Indonesia. It has also triggered a discussion on 'halal' tourism, which is practiced in several parts of the Southeast Asian nation. Ten provinces in Indonesia, including East Nusa Tenggara, Aceh, the Riau Islands, West Sumatra, West Java, Jakarta, Central Java, Yogyakarta, East Java and South Sulawesi, come under the category of halal (“permitted”) tourism destinations. This means that these places are sharia compliant and abstain from haram products and services, such as alcohol and gambling. A social media post went viral last month. It showed that a black canine named Canon was seized from the Kimo Resort off Sumatra island by local government officials. The resort is located on an island that is part of Aceh. This province adheres to sharia or Islamic law. The video which went viral shows officials trying to capture Canon using a long wooden pole. This led to allegations of animal cruelty and the hashtag #JusticeForCanon started trending on Indonesian social media. There was also a petition on Change.org. It demanded a thorough investigation into the incident. The seizure of the dog was allegedly a part of an exercise to make sure that tourist facilities are sharia compliant. In this particular case, it meant removing animals considered haram or forbidden. This incident has sparked a discussion around what exactly does 'halal tourism' stand for. Also read | 'Staring into an abyss': UN says 3 million in Afghanistan, 45 million worldwide knocking at famine's door A police chief has confirmed that the force was investigating an animal abuse complaint from a rights group. After the dog was captured, he was placed in a discarded cabbage crate and covered with a tarp. He suffocated before he could be with his owner. According to a report by SCMP, Ramadhan Syahmedi Siregar, a lecturer in Islamic Law at the State Islamic University of North Sumatra, claimed that the districts issue their own local regulations, thus contributing to the confusion. Also read | Iran: Gay couple sentenced to death for adultery after family demanded execution Any of these local laws, which are known as peraturan daerah or perda, related to halal tourism only apply to the specific areas in which they were drafted rather than at a national level. Various people said that the issue should not be complicated. Sebastian Hutabarat, who is a local activist and tourism entrepreneur said that halal tourism has existed for decades. However, it is without the label. He revealed that while the area around Lake Toba is mostly populated by members of the Batak ethnic subgroup, there had been Muslim and halal restaurants at Lake Toba ever since he was a child.

Indonesia: Pet dog's death triggers discussion around 'halal tourism', here is what people have to say

In a world that is still grappling with sporadic spurts of COVID-19 cases in different parts of the world, resuscitating the tourism industry is not going to be an easy task. Kimarli Fernando, Sri Lanka's Tourism Chairperson tells us how the country intends to attract international tourists while at the same time ensuring that COVID-19 does not rear up its head again on the island nation .

WION Exclusive: Sri Lanka offers the best compact Asian experience, says Kimarli Fernanado

Thailand prepares to welcome back tourists after devastating shutdown

The tourism industry - across the globe was pushed to get creative during the pandemic with the subsequent movement restrictions. We saw a boom in incentivised domestic tourism staycations and creative activities. Hong Kong has taken that a step further - sleepy Hong Kongers can now get on a snooze bus tour to relax and unwind at least that's what the organisers hope to achieve. Here's a report.

Hong Kong takes a step further in tourism

As competition in the space tourism industry heats up, a US-based firm said Friday it was excited to re-enter the sector with the upcoming launch of a Japanese billionaire.

Space Adventures, headed by Tom Shelley, is set in December to send Japanese tycoon Yusaku Maezawa to the International Space Station (ISS) from the Russia-leased Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

It's the company's first launch in over a decade after suspending trips to the ISS as NASA bought up seats on Russia-operated flights and no other vehicles were available.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/top-us-naval-commander-hosts-senior-indian-navy-officers-aboard-uss-carl-vinson-420814">Top US naval commander hosts senior Indian Navy officers aboard USS Carl Vinson</a>

"It's a very exciting time for us," Shelley, 48, the president of Space Adventures, told AFP during an interview in Moscow on Friday.

He added that Space Adventures with Russia was planning &nbsp;future launches "to innovate and find new offerings" for clients.&nbsp;

Shelley said the next Space Adventures flight to the ISS -- scheduled for late 2023 or early 2024 -- will give one of its clients an opportunity to complete a spacewalk.

The return of Shelley's company to the industry with Russia was made possible after the succesful flight of Elon Musk's SpaceX last year that delivered astronauts to the ISS.

The move rendered NASA less dependant on Russian launches, freeing up seats with Moscow's space agency, Roscosmos.

Maezawa, 45, will board a Soyuz rocket operated by Roscosmos together with his assistant Yozo Hirano and cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin.

The December launch &nbsp;comes in the middle of a flurry of non-professional launches.

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SpaceX this year sent an all-civilian crew on an orbit of the Earth, a first in the history of amateur space travel.

In Moscow, Shelley said the boom in civilian launches meant the general public was becoming "more aware" of space travel.

"2021 has turned into a very interesting year within the private spaceflight industry," he said.

It's "not just something that has been talked as something for the future, but it is happening now".

Space Adventures has sent seven tourists to the ISS. The last was Canadian Cirque du Soleil co-founder Guy Laliberte in 2009.

As competition in the space tourism industry heats up, a US-based firm said Friday it was excited to re-enter the sector with the upcoming launch of a Japanese billionaire.

As competition in the space tourism industry heats up, a US-based firm said Friday it was excited to re-enter the sector with the upcoming launch of a Japanese billionaire. Space Adventures, headed by Tom Shelley, is set in December to send Japanese tycoon Yusaku Maezawa to the International Space Station (ISS) from the Russia-leased Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. It's the company's first launch in over a decade after suspending trips to the ISS as NASA bought up seats on Russia-operated flights and no other vehicles were available. Also Read | Top US naval commander hosts senior Indian Navy officers aboard USS Carl Vinson "It's a very exciting time for us," Shelley, 48, the president of Space Adventures, told AFP during an interview in Moscow on Friday. He added that Space Adventures with Russia was planning future launches "to innovate and find new offerings" for clients. Shelley said the next Space Adventures flight to the ISS -- scheduled for late 2023 or early 2024 -- will give one of its clients an opportunity to complete a spacewalk. The return of Shelley's company to the industry with Russia was made possible after the succesful flight of Elon Musk's SpaceX last year that delivered astronauts to the ISS. The move rendered NASA less dependant on Russian launches, freeing up seats with Moscow's space agency, Roscosmos. Maezawa, 45, will board a Soyuz rocket operated by Roscosmos together with his assistant Yozo Hirano and cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin. The December launch comes in the middle of a flurry of non-professional launches. Also Read | US Open stars fall at Indian Wells, which struggles to draw a crowd SpaceX this year sent an all-civilian crew on an orbit of the Earth, a first in the history of amateur space travel. In Moscow, Shelley said the boom in civilian launches meant the general public was becoming "more aware" of space travel. "2021 has turned into a very interesting year within the private spaceflight industry," he said. It's "not just something that has been talked as something for the future, but it is happening now". Space Adventures has sent seven tourists to the ISS. The last was Canadian Cirque du Soleil co-founder Guy Laliberte in 2009.

US firm sees 'exciting' moment as space tourism booms

Indonesia's top holiday destination Bali has reopened to foreign tourists after 18 months of pandemic hiatus. However the island is lacking one crucial ingredient: international flights.

Indonesia's top holiday destination Bali reopens to foreign tourists

Six member states of the East African Community (EAC), a regional bloc, lost 92 per cent revenues in the tourism sector due to the Covid-19 pandemic, a top official said here.

Peter Mathuki, the EAC Secretary General, said that tourist arrivals to the region fell from 6.98 million before the pandemic to 2.25 million at present, causing the losses, adding that the tourism sector was the worst hit by the health criris, reports Xinhua news agency.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/as-international-travel-returns-confusion-over-vaccines-reigns-419399">As international travel returns, confusion over vaccines reigns</a>

"The region is now open again for business," said Mathuki, urging EAC member states governments and other stakeholders to work together to market the region's tourist attractions and products as part of efforts to ensure speedy recovery for the sector.

The EAC member nations are Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, South Sudan and Uganda.

"Despite the fact that the pandemic has reversed the gains that we had made in the tourism sector, we are quite confident that through collective and collaborative efforts, we should be able to bounce back to pre-pandemic levels of performance and even do better within a span of less than five years," Mathuki told the first East African regional tourism expo in Tanzania's northern city of Arusha, also the headquarters of the EAC.

He said that the region had drawn a number of important lessons from the pandemic especially in relation to the economic sectors that were hard hit.

"One lesson that stands out and resonates with most destinations around the world is the need to entrench resilience in the tourism sector," said Mathuki, adding that the EAC will take a number of steps to enhance recovery in the sector.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/malaysia-eases-travel-curbs-as-covid-outbreak-slows-419630">Malaysia eases travel curbs as Covid outbreak slows</a>

Tourism is one of the most significant sectors in all the economies of the EAC region.

The sector contributes an average of about 17 per cent to export earnings and its contribution to GDP is quite substantial averaging at around 10 per cent.

It generates about 7 per cent of employment in the region. Moreover, tourism has important linkages with other sectors of the economy including agriculture, manufacturing, insurance, and finance among others.

Six member states of the East African Community (EAC), a regional bloc, lost 92 per cent revenues in the tourism sector due to the Covid-19 pandemic, a top official said here.

Six member states of the East African Community (EAC), a regional bloc, lost 92 per cent revenues in the tourism sector due to the Covid-19 pandemic, a top official said here. Peter Mathuki, the EAC Secretary General, said that tourist arrivals to the region fell from 6.98 million before the pandemic to 2.25 million at present, causing the losses, adding that the tourism sector was the worst hit by the health criris, reports Xinhua news agency. Also Read | As international travel returns, confusion over vaccines reigns "The region is now open again for business," said Mathuki, urging EAC member states governments and other stakeholders to work together to market the region's tourist attractions and products as part of efforts to ensure speedy recovery for the sector. The EAC member nations are Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, South Sudan and Uganda. "Despite the fact that the pandemic has reversed the gains that we had made in the tourism sector, we are quite confident that through collective and collaborative efforts, we should be able to bounce back to pre-pandemic levels of performance and even do better within a span of less than five years," Mathuki told the first East African regional tourism expo in Tanzania's northern city of Arusha, also the headquarters of the EAC. He said that the region had drawn a number of important lessons from the pandemic especially in relation to the economic sectors that were hard hit. "One lesson that stands out and resonates with most destinations around the world is the need to entrench resilience in the tourism sector," said Mathuki, adding that the EAC will take a number of steps to enhance recovery in the sector. Also Read | Malaysia eases travel curbs as Covid outbreak slows Tourism is one of the most significant sectors in all the economies of the EAC region. The sector contributes an average of about 17 per cent to export earnings and its contribution to GDP is quite substantial averaging at around 10 per cent. It generates about 7 per cent of employment in the region. Moreover, tourism has important linkages with other sectors of the economy including agriculture, manufacturing, insurance, and finance among others.

African regional bloc loses 92 per cent tourism earnings due to Covid

After more than a year, India will be resuming international tourism. The country will start granting fresh tourist visas later this month.

India to resume international tourism, grant fresh tourist visas

In good news for international travellers, Britain has decided to scrap its tough covid-19 quarantine requirements for 47 countries including India.

Britain decides to scrap its tough covid-19 quarantine requirements

The Japanese government will look into the right timing to restart a popular subsidised travel programme that was suspended late last year as coronavirus infections spread, broadcaster NHK reported on Tuesday, citing tourism minister Tetsuo Saito.

Saito, the newly appointed minister for land, infrastructure, transport and tourism, also said at his inaugural news conference that the government would stand by its goal of reaching 60 million inbound tourists by 2030 as a key source of economic growth, NHK said.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida`s new cabinet, which formed on Monday, is looking to revitalise an economy hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in the service industry as tourism dried up under state-of-emergency restrictions and closed borders.

The "Go To Travel" programme that began in July last year helped boost domestic travel but was put on hold by the end of the year amid fears it would help the virus spread&nbsp; "It is important to balance the prevention of contagion and the promotion of tourism," Saito said, according to NHK.

A ministry official said he could not immediately confirm the minister`s reported comments. 
The subsidised programme offered various travel-related discounts and vouchers to prop up regional economies.

Japan as a whole emerged from a state of emergency on October&nbsp;1 for the first time in about six months, although some governors are lifting restrictions in stages to prevent a rebound.

Data showed on Tuesday that Japan`s services sector activity shrank for a 20th straight month in September because of the pandemic.

The Japanese government will look into the right timing to restart a popular subsidised travel programme that was suspended late last year as coronavirus infections spread, broadcaster NHK reported on Tuesday, citing tourism minister Tetsuo Saito.

The Japanese government will look into the right timing to restart a popular subsidised travel programme that was suspended late last year as coronavirus infections spread, broadcaster NHK reported on Tuesday, citing tourism minister Tetsuo Saito. Saito, the newly appointed minister for land, infrastructure, transport and tourism, also said at his inaugural news conference that the government would stand by its goal of reaching 60 million inbound tourists by 2030 as a key source of economic growth, NHK said. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida`s new cabinet, which formed on Monday, is looking to revitalise an economy hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in the service industry as tourism dried up under state-of-emergency restrictions and closed borders. The "Go To Travel" programme that began in July last year helped boost domestic travel but was put on hold by the end of the year amid fears it would help the virus spread "It is important to balance the prevention of contagion and the promotion of tourism," Saito said, according to NHK. A ministry official said he could not immediately confirm the minister`s reported comments. The subsidised programme offered various travel-related discounts and vouchers to prop up regional economies. Japan as a whole emerged from a state of emergency on October 1 for the first time in about six months, although some governors are lifting restrictions in stages to prevent a rebound. Data showed on Tuesday that Japan`s services sector activity shrank for a 20th straight month in September because of the pandemic.

Japan to gauge timing for restarting subsidised travel programme

World tourism surged in July, thanks to vaccination rollouts and fewer travel restrictions, but traveller numbers still fell far short of pre-pandemic levels, the UN's tourism body said on Monday.&nbsp;

Some 54 million tourists crossed international borders in July, the highest figure since April 2020, in the early months of the coronavirus crisis, the World Tourism Organization said in a statement.

That represented an increase of 58 percent compared with the level recorded in July 2020, but was still a drop of 67 per cent from the 164 million recorded in July 2019.&nbsp;

"This improvement was underpinned by the reopening of many destinations to international travel, mostly in Europe and the Americas&nbsp;coupled with progress made in the roll-out of COVID-19 vaccines" which contributed to "gradually restoring safe mobility in Europe and other parts of the world," it said.&nbsp;

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"Nevertheless, 2021 continues to be a challenging year for global tourism, with international arrivals down 80 per cent in January-July compared to 2019," said the Madrid-based organisation.&nbsp;

In the first seven months of the year, Asia and the Pacific continued to see the steepest declines, with a drop of 95 percent in international arrivals, followed by the Middle East where numbers were down 82 per cent, Europe and Africa, which registered a fall of 77 per cent, and the Americas which sustained a drop 68 per cent.

Only a few small islands in the Caribbean, Africa, Asia and the Pacific, alongside several small European destinations recovered and counted arrivals close to, or even higher, than pre-pandemic levels.&nbsp;

Spain, which before the pandemic was the world's second most popular tourist destination, on Monday said it welcomed 15 million tourists in the first eight months of the year, a decline of 4.2 percent from the same period last year, the National Statistics Institute said.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/new-zealand-tightens-travel-rules-as-covid-spreads-417811" hreflang="en">New Zealand tightens travel rules as Covid spreads</a>

The data cast doubt on the objective set by the Spanish government of attracting some 45 million foreign visitors this year, around half the number of 2019.

"The true restart of tourism and the benefits it brings, remains on hold as inconsistent rules and regulations and uneven vaccination rates continue to affect confidence in travel," UNWTO head Zurab Pololikashvili in the statement.

The UN body said it was expecting to see a "rebound" in 2022 although global tourism is not expected to reach pre-pandemic levels until 2023 or 2024.&nbsp;

World tourism surged in July, thanks to vaccination rollouts and fewer travel restrictions, but traveller numbers still fell far short of pre-pandemic levels, the UN's tourism body said on Monday.

World tourism surged in July, thanks to vaccination rollouts and fewer travel restrictions, but traveller numbers still fell far short of pre-pandemic levels, the UN's tourism body said on Monday. Some 54 million tourists crossed international borders in July, the highest figure since April 2020, in the early months of the coronavirus crisis, the World Tourism Organization said in a statement. That represented an increase of 58 percent compared with the level recorded in July 2020, but was still a drop of 67 per cent from the 164 million recorded in July 2019. "This improvement was underpinned by the reopening of many destinations to international travel, mostly in Europe and the Americas coupled with progress made in the roll-out of COVID-19 vaccines" which contributed to "gradually restoring safe mobility in Europe and other parts of the world," it said. Also Read: UK set to discontinue compulsory 10-day quarantine rule "Nevertheless, 2021 continues to be a challenging year for global tourism, with international arrivals down 80 per cent in January-July compared to 2019," said the Madrid-based organisation. In the first seven months of the year, Asia and the Pacific continued to see the steepest declines, with a drop of 95 percent in international arrivals, followed by the Middle East where numbers were down 82 per cent, Europe and Africa, which registered a fall of 77 per cent, and the Americas which sustained a drop 68 per cent. Only a few small islands in the Caribbean, Africa, Asia and the Pacific, alongside several small European destinations recovered and counted arrivals close to, or even higher, than pre-pandemic levels. Spain, which before the pandemic was the world's second most popular tourist destination, on Monday said it welcomed 15 million tourists in the first eight months of the year, a decline of 4.2 percent from the same period last year, the National Statistics Institute said. Also Read: New Zealand tightens travel rules as Covid spreads The data cast doubt on the objective set by the Spanish government of attracting some 45 million foreign visitors this year, around half the number of 2019. "The true restart of tourism and the benefits it brings, remains on hold as inconsistent rules and regulations and uneven vaccination rates continue to affect confidence in travel," UNWTO head Zurab Pololikashvili in the statement. The UN body said it was expecting to see a "rebound" in 2022 although global tourism is not expected to reach pre-pandemic levels until 2023 or 2024.

World tourism surges in July, but falls short of pre-Covid levels

After a long leap due to covid-19, tourism in Italy is actually clawing its way back. Entrepreneurs are offering different ways to see the country, the latest one is in Tuscany, watch this bulletin for more.

Italy's tourism industry clawing its way back after hit by Covid-19

Israel on Sunday said it would reopen it’s borders for foreign tourists from selective countries from September 19, in a bid to kickstart the tourism industry that has been massively hit since the COVID-19 began.

Israel government’s tourism department said groups of between five and 30 people from countries on it’s green, yellow and orange lists would be allowed to enter provided they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Under the new plan, there will be no restrictions on the number of tour groups that Israel will let in, the ministry said, but the groups from countries on Israel’s red list—which comprises Bulgaria, Brazil, Mexico and Turkey—will not be eligible, news agency Reuters reports.

Individual tourists, who have not been allowed to visit Israel since the outset of the coronavirus pandemic there in March 2020 unless they are visiting family members, will still not be allowed to enter outside of a tour group, it said.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/new-normal-israels-health-expert-says-fourth-shot-of-covid-vaccine-needed-410904">New normal: Israel's health expert says fourth shot of Covid vaccine needed</a>

The government said foreign tourists would be asked to show proof to show that they are vaccinated within the last six months or a booster shot in order to qualify for entry.

Apart from that, the tourists will also have to provide a negative PCR test, taken up to 72 hours before arrival at Tel Aviv airport.

In May, Israel had allowed small tour groups as cases started to ebb. More than 2,000 visitors arrived, mainly from the United States and Europe. But the government put the plan on hiatus in August as the Delta variant started fuelling a surge in cases despite a brisk vaccination rollout.

Israel reported nearly 5,000 new cases of the coronavirus on Saturday.&nbsp;According to local media reports, 5.5 million out of 9.3 million population have received a second shot and another 2.5 million have received a third dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.

(With inputs from agencies)

Israel on Sunday said it would reopen it’s borders for foreign tourists from selective countries from September 19, in a bid to kickstart the tourism industry that has been massively hit since the COVID-19 began.

Israel on Sunday said it would reopen it’s borders for foreign tourists from selective countries from September 19, in a bid to kickstart the tourism industry that has been massively hit since the COVID-19 began. Israel government’s tourism department said groups of between five and 30 people from countries on it’s green, yellow and orange lists would be allowed to enter provided they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Under the new plan, there will be no restrictions on the number of tour groups that Israel will let in, the ministry said, but the groups from countries on Israel’s red list—which comprises Bulgaria, Brazil, Mexico and Turkey—will not be eligible, news agency Reuters reports. Individual tourists, who have not been allowed to visit Israel since the outset of the coronavirus pandemic there in March 2020 unless they are visiting family members, will still not be allowed to enter outside of a tour group, it said. Also read | New normal: Israel's health expert says fourth shot of Covid vaccine needed The government said foreign tourists would be asked to show proof to show that they are vaccinated within the last six months or a booster shot in order to qualify for entry. Apart from that, the tourists will also have to provide a negative PCR test, taken up to 72 hours before arrival at Tel Aviv airport. In May, Israel had allowed small tour groups as cases started to ebb. More than 2,000 visitors arrived, mainly from the United States and Europe. But the government put the plan on hiatus in August as the Delta variant started fuelling a surge in cases despite a brisk vaccination rollout. Israel reported nearly 5,000 new cases of the coronavirus on Saturday. According to local media reports, 5.5 million out of 9.3 million population have received a second shot and another 2.5 million have received a third dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. (With inputs from agencies)

Israel to reopen borders for tourists from Sept 19 for selected countries

Kashmir's tourism industry is witnessing a boom after hitting the lowest level in the last two years in July and this month Kashmir has seen the maximum tourist arrival since the outbreak of COVID-19.

India: Return of peace spurs revival of tourism in J&K

Kashmir's tourism Industry is witnessing a boom after hitting the lowest in the last two years. In the month of July and August, Kashmir has seen maximum tourist arrivals. The Srinagar airport has more than 8,000 travellers flying in and out of Srinagar with a total of 62 flights everyday.&nbsp;

The numbers have increased after the authorities started late evening flights in Srinagar. It has not only helped the tourists but locals of the valley too.

"A total number of 8,059 passengers travelled on 62 flights (31 Arrivals and 31 Departure)," tweeted Srinagar Airport Authority.&nbsp;

The tourism stakeholders of Kashmir valley have finally had some respite. They are hoping the tourist arrivals continue like this so that the industry flourishes again.&nbsp;

"The flow of tourists is much better than what it was earlier. After Covid we are thankful to the tourism department for the promotion and with time its getting better and better. Department started a vaccination drive and we were the first ones to open for tourists in the country. We are adding new attractions like water transport and a new destination Gurez also picked up. We are hoping that with festivals coming the number of tourists will increase. We are also doing regional promotions in different states," said Manzoor Pakhtoon, a tour operator.

After the second wave of Covid subsided in the country, people have finally started travelling and Kashmir is one of the most favourite destinations for the domestic tourists.

A lot of tourists could be seen around Dal Lake, Gulmarg and places like Pahalgam.&nbsp;

"We have come to Kashmir for the first time and we are liking it. What we hear in the news, it's not like that at all. We like everything from people to places. We are going to Pahalgam and Gulmarg for the next three days. Everyone should come to Kashmir and there is nothing to worry about. People are bored at home so people should travel now," said Naresh Kumar, a tourist.

The tourists also asked people from across the country to visit the Valley.&nbsp;

"Kashmir is a paradise and it's the truth. We are so happy to be here. And I would also come again for sure. I would ask people to come as it's a very beautiful place," said Aakash Tilak, a tourist.&nbsp;

The government of Jammu and Kashmir has also given special discounts and offers to the tourists coming to the valley. Some new sites are being added as well as adventure tourism is also being promoted.

Kashmir's tourism Industry is witnessing a boom after hitting the lowest in the last two years. In the month of July and August, Kashmir has seen maximum tourist arrivals.

Kashmir's tourism Industry is witnessing a boom after hitting the lowest in the last two years. In the month of July and August, Kashmir has seen maximum tourist arrivals. The Srinagar airport has more than 8,000 travellers flying in and out of Srinagar with a total of 62 flights everyday. The numbers have increased after the authorities started late evening flights in Srinagar. It has not only helped the tourists but locals of the valley too. "A total number of 8,059 passengers travelled on 62 flights (31 Arrivals and 31 Departure)," tweeted Srinagar Airport Authority. The tourism stakeholders of Kashmir valley have finally had some respite. They are hoping the tourist arrivals continue like this so that the industry flourishes again. "The flow of tourists is much better than what it was earlier. After Covid we are thankful to the tourism department for the promotion and with time its getting better and better. Department started a vaccination drive and we were the first ones to open for tourists in the country. We are adding new attractions like water transport and a new destination Gurez also picked up. We are hoping that with festivals coming the number of tourists will increase. We are also doing regional promotions in different states," said Manzoor Pakhtoon, a tour operator. After the second wave of Covid subsided in the country, people have finally started travelling and Kashmir is one of the most favourite destinations for the domestic tourists. A lot of tourists could be seen around Dal Lake, Gulmarg and places like Pahalgam. "We have come to Kashmir for the first time and we are liking it. What we hear in the news, it's not like that at all. We like everything from people to places. We are going to Pahalgam and Gulmarg for the next three days. Everyone should come to Kashmir and there is nothing to worry about. People are bored at home so people should travel now," said Naresh Kumar, a tourist. The tourists also asked people from across the country to visit the Valley. "Kashmir is a paradise and it's the truth. We are so happy to be here. And I would also come again for sure. I would ask people to come as it's a very beautiful place," said Aakash Tilak, a tourist. The government of Jammu and Kashmir has also given special discounts and offers to the tourists coming to the valley. Some new sites are being added as well as adventure tourism is also being promoted.

Tourism industry in Kashmir booms again: 8,000 travellers fly in and out in a day

Chisel and hammer in hand, this artist carves out a design. From tribal figures to African wildlife, the finished results are popular keepsakes for tourists visiting Kenya. But amid a pandemic, the demand for these objects has plummeted.

Tourist industry sees trickle of post-pandemic recover

Tourism was one of the sectors that were the hardest hit during the COVID-19 pandemic. The city of St. Petersburg which attracts from around the world is now betting on domestic travellers who are looking for a staycation.

Tourism industry collapses in Russia post COVID pandemic, sector now bets on domestic travellers

After lockdown lull, Kashmir is witnessing a rise in tourist footfall. What are the best places to visit? How safe is it? What is being done to develop tourism in the region? On Kashmir Road To Progress, Johan Castell discusses this and more with Farah Zaidi Ali and Rauf Tramboo.

Kashmir Road To Progress: Tourism sector becomes driving force of economic development

After years of waiting, Richard Branson's journey to&nbsp;space&nbsp;this month on a Virgin Galactic vessel was supposed to be a triumphant homecoming. Instead, the jaunt attracted significant criticism -- about its carbon footprint.

With Jeff Bezos set to launch on a Blue Origin rocket on July 20, and Elon Musk's SpaceX planning an all-civilian orbital mission in September, the nascent&nbsp;space&nbsp;tourism&nbsp;industry finds itself facing tough questions about its&nbsp;environmental&nbsp;impact.

Right now, rocket launches as a whole don't happen often enough to pollute significantly.

"The carbon dioxide emissions are totally negligible compared to other human activities or even commercial aviation,"&nbsp;NASA's chief climate advisor Gavin Schmidt told AFP.&nbsp;

But some scientists are worried about the potential for longer term harm as the industry is poised for major growth, particularly impacts to the ozone layer in the still poorly understood upper atmosphere.

Virgin Galactic, which came under fire in op-eds on CNN and Forbes, as well as on social media, for sending its billionaire founder to&nbsp;space&nbsp;for a few minutes in a fossil fuel-guzzling spaceship, says its carbon emissions are about equivalent to a business-class ticket from London to New York.

The company "has already taken steps to offset the carbon emissions from its test flights and is examining opportunities to offset the carbon emissions for future customer flights, and reduce our supply chain's carbon footprint," it said in a statement to AFP.

But while transatlantic flights carry hundreds of people, Virgin's emissions work out to around 4.5 tonnes per passenger in a six-passenger flight, according to an analysis published by French astrophysicist Roland Lehoucq and colleagues in The Conversation.

That's roughly equivalent to driving a typical car around the Earth, and more than twice the individual annual carbon budget recommended to meet the objectives of the Paris climate accord.

"The issue here is really one of the disproportionate impacts," Darin Toohey, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Colorado, Boulder told AFP.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/dreamers-programme-deemed-unlawful-by-us-federal-judge-biden-says-deeply-disappointed-398708">Also read |&nbsp;'Dreamers' programme deemed unlawful by US Federal Judge, Biden says 'deeply disappointed'</a>

"I actually grew up on the&nbsp;space&nbsp;program and that got me into science.... but if someone offered me a free ride, I would be very nervous taking it because I would know that my own footprint is way larger than it should be," he said.

Cleaner fuels possible&nbsp;

Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo uses a type of synthetic rubber as fuel and burns it in nitrous oxide, a powerful greenhouse gas.

The fuel pumps black carbon into the upper stratosphere, 30-50 kilometres (18 to 30 miles) high.&nbsp;

Once there, these particles can have multiple impacts, from reflecting sunlight and causing a nuclear winter effect, to accelerating chemical reactions that deplete the ozone layer, which is vital to protecting people from harmful radiation.

"We could be at a dangerous point," said Toohey, who wants more scientific investigations into these effects before the launches become more frequent.

Virgin has said it wants to conduct 400 flights a year.

Compared to Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo spaceplanes, Blue Origin's are much cleaner, according to a recent paper by scientist Martin Ross of Aerospace, which Bezos' company plugged on Twitter.

That's because it burns liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, which combusts as water vapor.

Ross' paper found Blue Origin's vertical launch reusable rocket causes a hundred times less ozone loss and 750 times less climate forcing magnitude than Virgin's, according to ballpark calculations.

But that doesn't mean it's totally clean.&nbsp;

"It takes electricity to make liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen," Ross told AFP.

"You could go back and calculate how much electricity was used to make the propellant," he said. "It depends how far back in the supply chain you look."

&nbsp;Space&nbsp;shaming?

The impact of suborbital launches such as those by Virgin and Blue Origin pale in comparison to the impact of rockets that achieve orbit.

When SpaceX puts four private citizens into&nbsp;space&nbsp;in September, it will use its Falcon 9 rocket, which calculations show puts out the equivalent of 395 transatlantic flights-worth of carbon emissions.

"We are living in the era of climate change and starting an activity that increases emissions as part of a&nbsp;tourism&nbsp;activity is not good timing," Annette Toivonen, author of the book "Sustainable&nbsp;Space&nbsp;Tourism," told AFP.

The world is far more aware of the climate crisis now than when these companies were founded in the early 2000s and that could encourage businesses to look at ways to minimize pollution through cleaner technologies to get ahead of the problem.

"Who would want to be a&nbsp;space&nbsp;tourist if you can't tell people you were a&nbsp;space&nbsp;tourist?" argued Toivonen, who lectures at Finland's Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences.

After years of waiting, Richard Branson's journey to space this month on a Virgin Galactic vessel was supposed to be a triumphant homecoming. Instead, the jaunt attracted significant criticism -- about its carbon footprint.

After years of waiting, Richard Branson's journey to space this month on a Virgin Galactic vessel was supposed to be a triumphant homecoming. Instead, the jaunt attracted significant criticism -- about its carbon footprint. With Jeff Bezos set to launch on a Blue Origin rocket on July 20, and Elon Musk's SpaceX planning an all-civilian orbital mission in September, the nascent space tourism industry finds itself facing tough questions about its environmental impact. Right now, rocket launches as a whole don't happen often enough to pollute significantly. "The carbon dioxide emissions are totally negligible compared to other human activities or even commercial aviation," NASA's chief climate advisor Gavin Schmidt told AFP. But some scientists are worried about the potential for longer term harm as the industry is poised for major growth, particularly impacts to the ozone layer in the still poorly understood upper atmosphere. Virgin Galactic, which came under fire in op-eds on CNN and Forbes, as well as on social media, for sending its billionaire founder to space for a few minutes in a fossil fuel-guzzling spaceship, says its carbon emissions are about equivalent to a business-class ticket from London to New York. The company "has already taken steps to offset the carbon emissions from its test flights and is examining opportunities to offset the carbon emissions for future customer flights, and reduce our supply chain's carbon footprint," it said in a statement to AFP. But while transatlantic flights carry hundreds of people, Virgin's emissions work out to around 4.5 tonnes per passenger in a six-passenger flight, according to an analysis published by French astrophysicist Roland Lehoucq and colleagues in The Conversation. That's roughly equivalent to driving a typical car around the Earth, and more than twice the individual annual carbon budget recommended to meet the objectives of the Paris climate accord. "The issue here is really one of the disproportionate impacts," Darin Toohey, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Colorado, Boulder told AFP. Also read | 'Dreamers' programme deemed unlawful by US Federal Judge, Biden says 'deeply disappointed' "I actually grew up on the space program and that got me into science.... but if someone offered me a free ride, I would be very nervous taking it because I would know that my own footprint is way larger than it should be," he said. Cleaner fuels possible Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo uses a type of synthetic rubber as fuel and burns it in nitrous oxide, a powerful greenhouse gas. The fuel pumps black carbon into the upper stratosphere, 30-50 kilometres (18 to 30 miles) high. Once there, these particles can have multiple impacts, from reflecting sunlight and causing a nuclear winter effect, to accelerating chemical reactions that deplete the ozone layer, which is vital to protecting people from harmful radiation. "We could be at a dangerous point," said Toohey, who wants more scientific investigations into these effects before the launches become more frequent. Virgin has said it wants to conduct 400 flights a year. Compared to Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo spaceplanes, Blue Origin's are much cleaner, according to a recent paper by scientist Martin Ross of Aerospace, which Bezos' company plugged on Twitter. That's because it burns liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, which combusts as water vapor. Ross' paper found Blue Origin's vertical launch reusable rocket causes a hundred times less ozone loss and 750 times less climate forcing magnitude than Virgin's, according to ballpark calculations. But that doesn't mean it's totally clean. "It takes electricity to make liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen," Ross told AFP. "You could go back and calculate how much electricity was used to make the propellant," he said. "It depends how far back in the supply chain you look." Space shaming? The impact of suborbital launches such as those by Virgin and Blue Origin pale in comparison to the impact of rockets that achieve orbit. When SpaceX puts four private citizens into space in September, it will use its Falcon 9 rocket, which calculations show puts out the equivalent of 395 transatlantic flights-worth of carbon emissions. "We are living in the era of climate change and starting an activity that increases emissions as part of a tourism activity is not good timing," Annette Toivonen, author of the book "Sustainable Space Tourism," told AFP. The world is far more aware of the climate crisis now than when these companies were founded in the early 2000s and that could encourage businesses to look at ways to minimize pollution through cleaner technologies to get ahead of the problem. "Who would want to be a space tourist if you can't tell people you were a space tourist?" argued Toivonen, who lectures at Finland's Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences.

Environmental concerns grow as space tourism lifts off

Post-pandemic Europe: Countries you can visit this summer

New Zealand is known for its warm welcome and beautiful natural attractions. However, like every good thing, this too is coming to an end.

While the heart-warming smiles and warm welcome will remain, New Zealand is planning to cut down access to some of the best natural attractions for tourists to protect the environment.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/new-zealand-fires-nine-border-workers-who-refused-coronavirus-vaccines-382562">New Zealand fires nine border workers who refused coronavirus vaccines</a>

On Tuesday, the tourism minister, Stuart Nash, announced plans to "reset" the country’s tourism in a post-<a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">Covid</a> world.

Under this plan, attractions such as Unesco world heritage site Milford Sound-Piopiotahi will now be open to limited visitors as the site "cannot return to its pre-Covid state," Nash explained.

While the tourism industry makes more than five per cent of the total GDP of the country and employs nearly 13.6 per cent people directly or indirectly, the country cannot risk harming its environment any further.

Also read |&nbsp;<a data-ctorig="https://www.wionews.com/world/new-zealand-pm-ardern-plans-summer-wedding-report-382915" data-cturl="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/new-zealand-pm-ardern-plans-summer-wedding-report-382915&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiw5ZD34LTwAhVuxzgGHdrgBdwQFjADegQIBxAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw0OiwT9OutsEQQpbabWJ970" dir="ltr" href="https://www.wionews.com/world/new-zealand-pm-ardern-plans-summer-wedding-report-382915" target="_blank">New Zealand PM Ardern plans summer wedding: Report</a>

"The reality is that we have a responsibility to take an intergenerational view of the role of tourism in New Zealand," Nash said. "It can’t go back to how it was."

Nash also explained that the high level of tourism puts immense pressure on several communities. "Unsustainable tourism levels put far too much undue pressure on communities and our natural attractions and many communities have struggled to absorb," he explained.

New Zealand government has unveiled a $200 million package which will help support the South Island towns, which have been hit due to the pandemic, and also in supporting small businesses.

"The economic impact of the loss of international visitors is felt beyond the tourism workforce and businesses," Nash said. "Whole communities, especially in five South Island regions, are facing new challenges to their way of life."

New Zealand is known for its warm welcome and beautiful natural attractions. However, like every good thing, this too is coming to an end. While the heart-warming smiles and warm welcome will remain, New Zealand is planning to cut down access to some of the best natural attractions for tourists to protect the environment.

New Zealand is known for its warm welcome and beautiful natural attractions. However, like every good thing, this too is coming to an end. While the heart-warming smiles and warm welcome will remain, New Zealand is planning to cut down access to some of the best natural attractions for tourists to protect the environment. Also read | New Zealand fires nine border workers who refused coronavirus vaccines On Tuesday, the tourism minister, Stuart Nash, announced plans to "reset" the country’s tourism in a post-Covid world. Under this plan, attractions such as Unesco world heritage site Milford Sound-Piopiotahi will now be open to limited visitors as the site "cannot return to its pre-Covid state," Nash explained. While the tourism industry makes more than five per cent of the total GDP of the country and employs nearly 13.6 per cent people directly or indirectly, the country cannot risk harming its environment any further. Also read | New Zealand PM Ardern plans summer wedding: Report "The reality is that we have a responsibility to take an intergenerational view of the role of tourism in New Zealand," Nash said. "It can’t go back to how it was." Nash also explained that the high level of tourism puts immense pressure on several communities. "Unsustainable tourism levels put far too much undue pressure on communities and our natural attractions and many communities have struggled to absorb," he explained. New Zealand government has unveiled a $200 million package which will help support the South Island towns, which have been hit due to the pandemic, and also in supporting small businesses. "The economic impact of the loss of international visitors is felt beyond the tourism workforce and businesses," Nash said. "Whole communities, especially in five South Island regions, are facing new challenges to their way of life."

New Zealand restricts tourism to protect environment in post-Covid world

The Maldives is still welcoming Bollywood stars and other rich Indians to its secluded beaches and crystal-clear lagoons even as countries ban flights because of a brutal Covid surge.

The Indian Ocean archipelago of more than a thousand islands reopened its international borders in mid-July after being shut for three months, and Indians have accounted for the most visitors.

This week, as a string of other countries banned visitors from India, the Maldives government made only slight changes to its rules for passengers from its giant neighbour.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;COVID-19: These countries are latest to impose restrictions on Indian travellers

Holidaymakers arriving from India now can only stay at a resort or a safari boat and are not allowed to check into guest houses in inhabited islands where locals also live.

"The geographical location of our islets help us to minimise the (virus) risk," Thoyyib Mohamed, the head of the country's tourism authority, Visit Maldives, told AFP.

"Each islet is a self-contained single resort. Even if we have a few cases popping up here and there, we can contain it within the resorts without exposing the local population."

Thoyyib said that they have also launched a campaign to vaccinate the entire workforce of 50,000 in the tourism sector and many others providing services relating to the hospitality trade.

"We want to be the first fully vaccinated tourism sector in the world," Thoyyib told AFP by telephone. He said about 90 percent of workers were already vaccinated.

Media reports have suggested that the Maldives might even offer Covid vaccines to foreign visitors.

But officials said they had no such immediate plans until all Maldivians and resident non-nationals had received both doses of the AstraZeneca or the Sinopharm vaccine.

More than two-thirds of its 330,000 population has already received their first dose, according to health ministry figures.&nbsp;

It has reported just over 29,000 virus infections with 73 deaths, although case numbers have been rising sharply in recent weeks.

Thoyyib said there was a decline in the number of Indians visiting in the past week but they remained the largest single group of visitors to the archipelago this year.

Bollywood stars escaping India in recent weeks include Alia Bhatt, her partner Ranbir Kapoor and Shraddha Kapoor, who posted Instagram photos of herself doing yoga at sunset at a Maldives resort.

Press reports suggest that private jet firms have seen a surge in demand to Europe, the Middle East and the Maldives, including from people clubbing together to hire an aircraft.

"It’s not only the ultra rich," Rajan Mehra, head New Delhi-based private plane firm Club One Air told The Print. "Whoever can afford to take a private jet are taking private jets."

India on Friday reported 385,000&nbsp;new cases in the past 24 hours -- a new global record -- and almost 3,500 deaths,&nbsp;according to official data that many experts suspect falls short of the true toll.&nbsp;

With the surge blamed on new virus variants and huge religious and political gatherings in recent months, India's hospitals are struggling to cope, particularly but not only in the capital New Delhi.

The Maldives attracted a record 1.7 million foreign tourists last year, a 15-percent increase from 2018, according to the government, with China the biggest source of visitors.

The numbers fell to 555,494 last year because of the pandemic, but was showing signs of a recovery. Some 381,000 tourists have visited so far this year. China has now dropped below the top 10.

The Maldives is still welcoming Bollywood stars and other rich Indians to its secluded beaches and crystal-clear lagoons even as countries ban flights because of a brutal Covid surge.

The Maldives is still welcoming Bollywood stars and other rich Indians to its secluded beaches and crystal-clear lagoons even as countries ban flights because of a brutal Covid surge. The Indian Ocean archipelago of more than a thousand islands reopened its international borders in mid-July after being shut for three months, and Indians have accounted for the most visitors. This week, as a string of other countries banned visitors from India, the Maldives government made only slight changes to its rules for passengers from its giant neighbour. Also read: COVID-19: These countries are latest to impose restrictions on Indian travellers Holidaymakers arriving from India now can only stay at a resort or a safari boat and are not allowed to check into guest houses in inhabited islands where locals also live. "The geographical location of our islets help us to minimise the (virus) risk," Thoyyib Mohamed, the head of the country's tourism authority, Visit Maldives, told AFP. "Each islet is a self-contained single resort. Even if we have a few cases popping up here and there, we can contain it within the resorts without exposing the local population." Thoyyib said that they have also launched a campaign to vaccinate the entire workforce of 50,000 in the tourism sector and many others providing services relating to the hospitality trade. "We want to be the first fully vaccinated tourism sector in the world," Thoyyib told AFP by telephone. He said about 90 percent of workers were already vaccinated. Media reports have suggested that the Maldives might even offer Covid vaccines to foreign visitors. But officials said they had no such immediate plans until all Maldivians and resident non-nationals had received both doses of the AstraZeneca or the Sinopharm vaccine. More than two-thirds of its 330,000 population has already received their first dose, according to health ministry figures. It has reported just over 29,000 virus infections with 73 deaths, although case numbers have been rising sharply in recent weeks. Thoyyib said there was a decline in the number of Indians visiting in the past week but they remained the largest single group of visitors to the archipelago this year. Bollywood stars escaping India in recent weeks include Alia Bhatt, her partner Ranbir Kapoor and Shraddha Kapoor, who posted Instagram photos of herself doing yoga at sunset at a Maldives resort. Press reports suggest that private jet firms have seen a surge in demand to Europe, the Middle East and the Maldives, including from people clubbing together to hire an aircraft. "It’s not only the ultra rich," Rajan Mehra, head New Delhi-based private plane firm Club One Air told The Print. "Whoever can afford to take a private jet are taking private jets." India on Friday reported 385,000 new cases in the past 24 hours -- a new global record -- and almost 3,500 deaths, according to official data that many experts suspect falls short of the true toll. With the surge blamed on new virus variants and huge religious and political gatherings in recent months, India's hospitals are struggling to cope, particularly but not only in the capital New Delhi. The Maldives attracted a record 1.7 million foreign tourists last year, a 15-percent increase from 2018, according to the government, with China the biggest source of visitors. The numbers fell to 555,494 last year because of the pandemic, but was showing signs of a recovery. Some 381,000 tourists have visited so far this year. China has now dropped below the top 10.

Vacation from the virus: Maldives still welcoming rich Indians

Cruise&nbsp;ships&nbsp;may be able to resume sailing from ports in Florida in mid-July&nbsp;after being shut down for over a year by the coronavirus pandemic, according to new guidelines from US health authorities.

The US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) informed&nbsp;cruise&nbsp;companies on Wednesday of the requirements they would need to meet to begin sailing&nbsp;again.

At least 98 percent of the crew and 95 percent of passengers will need to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19, according to the letter obtained by AFP on Thursday.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="EU set to let vaccinated US tourists visit this summer">EU set to let vaccinated US tourists visit this summer</a>

"Ships&nbsp;may now bypass simulated voyages and move directly to open water sailing with passengers if a ship attests that 98 percent of its crew and 95 percent of its passengers are fully vaccinated," the CDC said.

Cruise&nbsp;lines were asked to submit their plans "as soon as possible to maintain the timeline of passenger voyages by mid-July."

The multi-billion dollar&nbsp;cruise&nbsp;industry employs thousands of people in Florida and is critical to a state that relies largely on tourism.

The three largest&nbsp;cruise&nbsp;lines in the world -- Norwegian, Carnival and Royal Caribbean -- run operations out of south Florida.

Norwegian announced on April 5 that it would require proof of vaccination for passengers and crew in the hope that the CDC would lift the sailing ban in&nbsp;July.&nbsp;

A Norwegian spokesman said the company "is encouraged by the ongoing constructive dialogue (with the CDC) that resulted in recent meaningful modifications to previously issued technical guidelines and the incorporation of vaccines."

Jonathan Fishman, a Royal Caribbean spokesman, said the company was encouraged "that we now see a pathway to a healthy and achievable return to service."

A Carnival spokesperson said the company is still reviewing the new CDC guidelines.

Cruise&nbsp;operations were suspended on March 14, 2020 when the CDC issued a "no&nbsp;sail&nbsp;order" to prevent the further spread of the coronavirus.

Several&nbsp;ships&nbsp;had already had deadly outbreaks on board.

Some&nbsp;cruise&nbsp;ships&nbsp;resumed operations in Europe and elsewhere last year but the ban remained in place in the United States.

The CDC issued a roadmap in October for&nbsp;cruise&nbsp;ships&nbsp;to resume operations and updated it in April.

Didier Arino, head of the Protourisme consulting firm in Paris, told AFP this month that the pandemic has caused $48.3 billion in losses to the&nbsp;cruise&nbsp;industry and he doesn't expect it to resume normal activity until 2025.

Cruise ships may be able to resume sailing from ports in Florida in mid-July after being shut down for over a year by the coronavirus pandemic, according to new guidelines from US health authorities.

Cruise ships may be able to resume sailing from ports in Florida in mid-July after being shut down for over a year by the coronavirus pandemic, according to new guidelines from US health authorities. The US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) informed cruise companies on Wednesday of the requirements they would need to meet to begin sailing again. At least 98 percent of the crew and 95 percent of passengers will need to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19, according to the letter obtained by AFP on Thursday. Also read: EU set to let vaccinated US tourists visit this summer "Ships may now bypass simulated voyages and move directly to open water sailing with passengers if a ship attests that 98 percent of its crew and 95 percent of its passengers are fully vaccinated," the CDC said. Cruise lines were asked to submit their plans "as soon as possible to maintain the timeline of passenger voyages by mid-July." The multi-billion dollar cruise industry employs thousands of people in Florida and is critical to a state that relies largely on tourism. The three largest cruise lines in the world -- Norwegian, Carnival and Royal Caribbean -- run operations out of south Florida. Norwegian announced on April 5 that it would require proof of vaccination for passengers and crew in the hope that the CDC would lift the sailing ban in July. A Norwegian spokesman said the company "is encouraged by the ongoing constructive dialogue (with the CDC) that resulted in recent meaningful modifications to previously issued technical guidelines and the incorporation of vaccines." Jonathan Fishman, a Royal Caribbean spokesman, said the company was encouraged "that we now see a pathway to a healthy and achievable return to service." A Carnival spokesperson said the company is still reviewing the new CDC guidelines. Cruise operations were suspended on March 14, 2020 when the CDC issued a "no sail order" to prevent the further spread of the coronavirus. Several ships had already had deadly outbreaks on board. Some cruise ships resumed operations in Europe and elsewhere last year but the ban remained in place in the United States. The CDC issued a roadmap in October for cruise ships to resume operations and updated it in April. Didier Arino, head of the Protourisme consulting firm in Paris, told AFP this month that the pandemic has caused $48.3 billion in losses to the cruise industry and he doesn't expect it to resume normal activity until 2025.

US cruise ships could sail again by July: CDC

Zimbabwe is planning to sell hunting rights for endangered elephants in their forests. The move is aimed at shoring up the tourism industry which has been hit by COVID-19 pandemic.

Zimbabwe to sell elephant hunting rights for endangered elephants

Inspired by their native balloon flower, residents of South Korea's Banwol and Bakji Islands, known as the ‘Purple Islands’, have painted their houses, roads and bridges in shades of the hue, and planted purple flowers such as lavender and asters to transform their town into a tourist attraction.

The tale of South Korea's 'Purple Islands'

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