Tourism tips

In what he describes as an “ambitious but achievable” target, Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, has revealed that he is pushing for 500,000 visitors to Jamaica from Canada by 2025. Minister Bartlett made the disclosure today (September 19) ahead of his departure to the North American country, where he will be joined by senior tourism officials on a five-day ‘winter marketing blitz’ as Jamaica seeks to engage critical travel partners in the Greater Toronto Area.

The Scarlet Hotel, an eco-inspired sanctuary nestled on the clifftops of Cornwall’s Mawgan Porth, has launched four new wellbeing journeys inspired by Ayurvedic wellness principles.

The World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) 2023 Economic Impact Research (EIR) today reveals the UK Travel & Tourism sector is forecast to exceed the 2019 peak this year. The sector is set to contribute £252.4BN to the UK economy this year, surpassing the 2019 pre-pandemic high of £248.5BN.

This summer, every day seems to bring another headline of tourists around the world behaving badly.

It’s been ten days since Hawaii’s governor announced that West Maui would reopen to tourists on October 8th, but the debate seems to just be heating up now.

Our Where Locals Go series features under-the-radar holiday destinations that are often overlooked by visitors but cherished by locals. Here, we ask four experts on India for their top picks.

2024 will mark the 50th anniversary of the opening of Bhutan to foreign travelers, and in that relatively short time it has been one of the least visited great places in the world. Bhutan has always been a true “Bucket List” destination for select niches of travelers, including romantics, nature lovers, the spiritually inclined, and that enviable group who has been “everywhere else.” But after a total pandemic shutdown, Bhutan has gone prime time, re-emerging with new hotels, activities, travel options and revamped tourism policies that make the logistically challenging destination easier to visit than ever before.

A journey along southern Albania’s Vjosa River, one of Europe’s last undammed waterways, means traversing a landscape that looks much as it has for centuries. Flowing from Greece’s northwestern border to the Adriatic Sea, the Vjosa rushes into box canyons and gorges formed by steep forests of maples, oaks and firs. Ancient stone bridges connect its banks, spanning turquoise water. Sheep graze the valley floor, and vineyards, family farms, orchards and olive groves intermingle with fields of dandelions and red poppies.

Afghanistan’s first ever female tour guide is launching a second virtual tour with Untamed Borders, after the success of her first online sessions, showcasing Herat.

More than 60 years ago, La Plagne was created. To do so, men shaped mountains to construct the resort we know, and love. Today, faced with our current challenges, it’s becoming increasingly apparent that the mountains, in fact, shape us.

Global guests involved in mountain tourism and outdoor sports met in China’s mountainous rich Qianxinan Bouyei and Miao autonomous prefecture unveiled the 2023 International Conference of Mountain Tourism and Outdoor Sports, or MTOS, in Xingyi city on Saturday. This year’s meeting aims at exploring the deep integration of mountain tourism and multi-industries, promoting the high-quality development of mountain tourism, and providing high-quality tourism experiences for tourists.

The Botswana Tourism Investment Summit aims to spotlight the country as an economic tiger in the making for its untapped tourism and investment opportunities.

For Europeans, fall in America looks like the stuff of wanderlust, with fiery trees and pumpkin spice lattes à la Gilmore Girls. 

The Royal Thai Government led by Prime Minister H.E. Mr. Srettha Thavisin has announced the temporary tourist visa exemption scheme to passport holders of the People’s Republic of China and Republic of Kazakhstan effective from 25 September 2023 to 29 February 2024, to achieve this year’s tourism revenue target of 2.38 trillion Baht. Chinese and Kazakhstani nationals will be granted a temporary visa exemption for a 30-day stay on tourism purpose in Thailand during the five-month visa exemption period.

Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) in partnership with award-winning creative agency, Beautiful Destinations, harnesses the power of short-form video in a new landmark creative video campaign.

The fourth ITB China marked its grand live- return, concluding its 2023 edition with impressive achievements in business meetings and Chinese and international dialogues.

Jet2.com is giving skiers and snowboarders the chance to hit the slopes for less this winter across eight ski destinations, as the award-winning airline has launched an unmissable ski carriage promotion. With snow sports enthusiasts clamouring to hit the slopes on the French, Swiss, Austrian and Italian Alps, as well as the Tyrolean Mountains and Pyrenees, Jet2.com is offering 50% off return ski carriage for a limited time only. There is ‘snow’ way that skiers and snowboarders will want to miss out on this fantastic promotion, as it means they can save a huge £30 on ski carriage (normally £60 return) and get out to the slopes for the very best value.

Saudia will become the first airline to operate in and out of the Red Sea International airport (RSI). This is after the airline signed an MoU with the Red Sea Global (RSG) and daa International.

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) partnered with Hotelbeds to bring sector leaders together in Palma, Mallorca, to delve into the ever-evolving dynamics of global Travel & Tourism. Titled “Global Trends in the Tourism Sector”, the event provided a platform for attendees to gain valuable insights into the current state of Travel & Tourism through presentations and discussions led by Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, and Hotelbeds’ CEO Nicolas Huss.

In a recent report published by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), it has been unveiled that the count of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) ventures within the tourism cluster surged by an impressive 23 percent. This remarkable increase is marked by a shift from 286 investments in 2021 to a substantial 352 investments in the year 2022.

According to the latest research study 2023, India Outbound Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) tourism market size is expected to reach US$ 13.4 billion by 2031. The Indian Outbound Tourism (MICE) is experiencing significant growth due to a combination of economic factors, government support, infrastructure development, and increasing awareness among businesses and individuals of the benefits of attending international MICE events. As India continues to expand its global business presence, the outbound MICE tourism market is likely to continue its growth trajectory.