GREECE to open tourism earlier in spring 2022

Plaka, Athens, Greece

Greece is to extend the tourist season and open up early next year. Already in discussion with low cost airline, Jet2 to support its efforts, with the aim of offering UK travellers flights to Greece earlier than usual as well as, for the 1st time to Athens.

Promotion of autumn and winter destinations, and supporting hotel units that open for 12 months a year as well as promoting urban getaway tourism in the main urban centres will be a focus.

Traditional and new strategic travel and tourism partners will continue as before and an increase in flights from the United States is being developed with long standing US agents, ensuring that flights to Greece remain active until at least the end of this season.

The Ministry is prioritising tourism training and education in an effort to create added value from the tourism product and national human resources. It is in talks with French hospitality giant Accor to look at establishing a tourism academy in Greece, as well as with TUI.

WORLD VOYAGEUR DOCKS AT INAUGURAL STOP TO GIBRALTAR

Cruise ship ‘World Voyageur’ has been welcomed on its inaugural visit to Gibraltar. Operated by Nicko Cruises and Quark Expeditions, it is owned by Mystic Cruises. The ship was built in 2020 and has 86 cabins with a capacity of approximately 200 passengers and 100 crew.

The ship will help support the tourism sector on the British Overseas Territory and proves that Gibraltar is still a popular destination in the Mediterranean.

BRITISH MOTOR MUSEUM CONFERENCE FACILITIES ACCREDITED ‘SILVER’ FOR ITS ECO-FOCUSED ACTIONS

The British Motor Museum is the 1st Museum to be accredited with ‘Silver’ status by Greengage ECOsmart, the accreditation programme which recognises and supports eco-friendly hotels and conference venues that meet certified standards of sustainability.

Silver status is awarded to venues that have taken steps to achieve a wide range of eco-focussed actions and can demonstrate an eco-friendly service approach in 5 key areas: Energy & Water Conservation, Waste Management & Recycling, Rooms & Facilities, Food & Beverage and Corporate & Social Responsibility.

The Museum is committed to continually improving its environmental performance and is providing greener ways to do business and host events. It has installed a building management system that automatically optimises the heating and air conditioning, all its lights are LED, it has Solar PV array panels on the Collections Centre roof which supplies the power to this low energy usage building. The centre has achieved Zero Waste to Landfill and endeavours to source all consumable products from local quality suppliers. It has also invested in 10 electric charging points for visitors and event organisers to use, with the infrastructure to support more. 2019 saw a drive to eliminate 80% of its single use plastic, replacing plastic bottled water in their Café for cans of water, reduced their plastic usage by 1.21 tons (46, 644 bottles) in the first 12 months, whilst its own bottling plant provides still and sparkling filtered water in recyclable glass bottles for conference delegates. Partnership with Fair Trade coffee supplier Paddy & Scotts, who also run a Community Wellbeing Initiative in Kenya, has

resulted in the Museum’s coffee sales to date contributing to the equivalent of 1688 school meals along with 2.8% of the capex required for the new roof and windows at the Ruiga School in Kenya.

Greengage Business Solutions Ltd supports environmental sustainability in business travel, meetings and events helping organisations make the right decisions to implement a sustainable business travel and events approach. “We are pleased to have awarded the British Motor Museum silver status following their accreditation process. The ECOsmart award symbol reassures meeting organisers that the Museum has been assessed and has taken a range of eco-friendly steps to demonstrate their commitment to environmental sustainability”.

As home to the world's largest collection of historic British cars, the British Motor Museum is an independent Museum and registered charity which receives no central government funding. All profits generated from the Museum’s commercial activities are donated directly to the Trust. Companies choosing to use the conference facilities are, therefore, contributing directly to the sustainability of the Trust and its aims for future generations.

VIETNAM TO WELCOME VACCINATED FOREIGN TRAVELERS IN DECEMBER

Hanoi, Vietnam

A country that relies heavily on tourism, like many Southeast Asian countries, Vietnam’s tourism sector provides approx 10% of the country’s GDP.

To date any foreign visitors have been only able to travel to the popular resort island of Phu Quoc as long as they were fully vaccinated and all islanders were vaccinated too.

Tourists are to be allowed into the country from approved foreign countries and can now visit Halong Bay, (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), the ancient city of Hoi An, the city of Dalat in the central highlands and access to the coastal area of Nha Trang.

Neighbouring Thailand has had a similar approach with only specific destinations open for fully vaccinated foreign arrivals. Up until now the islands of Phuket and Samui have been open for tourism, but now other destinations are open for arrivals including Bangkok, Hua Hin, Pattaya and Chiang Mai.

Vietnam received 3.8 million foreign travellers in 2020, compared to the 18 million international visitors in 2019.

ISRAEL PUTS OUT TO TENDER HOTELS AND MORE TOURISM IN THE DEAD SEA REGION

The Ministry of Tourism of Israel is looking to invest further in the Red Sea area. It has released a tender to build 1,675 new rooms in the Ein Bokek-Hamei Zohar region, located next to the Dead Sea. It would include the development of 7 complexes with 2 hotels being built on the water, with a separate plot that will house tourist attractions also on water. In addition, the tender includes commercial and office space.

Eilat, Israel