MICE & TOURISM around the World e-Magazine
OPEN US BORDER BRINGS HOPE TO EUROPEAN TRAVEL INDUSTRY With US borders now reopened, the European tourism sector is feeling positive about further recovery following the pandemic. Transatlantic travel is one of the most expensive routes in the world, providing good earning for airlines on the route before the health crisis. Increases in ticket sales have increase hugely now that borders are open but are not close to pre-pandemic levels yet. Passengers entering the US still have to provide evidence of full vaccination. In short it is a new beginning but not business as usual. The tourism industry lost US$6 trillion as a result of the pandemic and that is with the help from governments to bailout and support national airlines etc. The US supported its aviation sector with UK£45 billion, while Germany’s TUI borrowed UK£3.65 billion from the government. Other companies were forced to lay off staff; booking platform Expedia let go of 3,000 staff, British Airways cut staff by a third, and the Hilton hotel chain laid off 2,100 people and owed UK£3.3 billion. Recover is not expected until 2024 if nothing else happens in the meantime. What is more likely is new mergers of airlines and other tourism companies in a bid to remain in business as they ride this continuing wave.
NEW STRICT RULES FOR TRAVEL TO JAPAN In a bid to contain the new Omicron variant, Japan has tightened border restrictions. A total ban on the entry to Japan of all foreigners, including those with resident status, from Angola, South Africa, Botswana, Swaziland, Lesotho, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi and Zambia, including those with medium or long-term visas in the Asian country. Japan has a current list of 27 countries in which cases of omicron variant have been detected, on Whose travellers will require special quarantine measures upon arrival.
