Iceland Tourism Prepares for a Comeback

This year, the Icelandic government is investing roughly 1.7 billion Icelandic krona (about $12.3 million) in infrastructure at both public and private tourist spots across the country, said Skarphedinn Berg Steinarsson, director general of the Icelandic Tourist Board. Roughly 1 billion krona has been set aside for infrastructure at national parks, protected areas and large public tourist sites, while 700 million krona is going into the country’s Tourist Site Protection Fund. The investments were already being planned last year, but the government increased the funding after the pandemic hit. Further investments will support harbor and road improvements throughout the country.

The improvements at tourist sites have two goals, Mr. Steinarsson said in an interview, “allowing them to receive bigger numbers — creating parking spaces, walking paths, etc. — but also preserving the nature to make sure that the sites will not be worn down when we get the visitors back.”

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Exclusive! New Tourism Policy to overhaul India’s travel sector



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The Narendra Modi Government has started work on making India the next Tourism Destination with big changes proposed. As a travel destination few other nations can offer the diversity of products & experiences found in India.  The New Tourism Policy 2020 which has been formulated revolves around ten strategic pillars which are Welcome the Visitor, Seamless connectivity, Destination planning, Investment promotion, Develop and Diversify Tourism Products, Market India, Quality assurance & standards, Market research & intelligence and Skill development said sources privy to the development. The draft new tourism policy 2020 has been floated to ministries for comments and we are hopeful that the cabinet approval will be sought soon, the source added.

The policy marks a decisive shift from department & scheme centric approach to a tourist and destination centric approach. The government is looking at providing incentives to attract investors to make investments

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Tourism Association concerned about N.B. restaurants, hotels survival through winter, 2nd COVID-19 wave

HALIFAX —
As the leaves fall, temperatures drop, and patio season winds down, the tourism industry association of New Brunswick is growing concerned about the well-being of restaurants and hotels in the province.

Carol Alderdice says the Explore NB Travel Incentive program did help lots of operators this summer, but she’s worried about their survival through the winter and a second wave of COVID-19. 

“I am very concerned about restaurants especially because they’re patios are winding down,” said Alderdice.

“I am also concerned about hotels. Although the incentive program was designed to get one room night in order to qualify, a lot of people didn’t go to hotels, they went to campgrounds or cottages, because I believe that people like to control their own environment. Although the hotels are probably some of the safest places you can go to with all their cleaning policies. I do worry about, specifically, those

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A new Hawaii tourism chief steps in at a critical time for the Aloha State: Travel Weekly

John De Fries took the reins of the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) one month, almost to the day, before this week’s planned launch of a pretravel program that is crucial to the state’s tourism reboot.

“It’s a vertical learning curve,” De Fries said. “Not only for me, frankly, but for the entire industry.”

The program, which would enable visitors to bypass a strict 14-day quarantine if they test negative for coronavirus within 72 hours of arrival, would be the state’s first major step toward reviving its economy. Among U.S. states, only Nevada is more dependent on tourism, but Hawaii’s isolation has become a factor, as well. Nevada’s biggest feeder market is the California drive market, but the Islands depend on long-haul flights to deliver visitors.

De Fries, the first Native Hawaiian to be named CEO of the HTA, grew up in Waikiki and was previously director of the Native Hawaiian

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Dusit, TAT and TCEB Partner to Promote Sustainable Tourism in Thailand

Dusit International recently partnered with silent live concert specialists Sounds of Earth, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) and the Thai Chamber of Commerce to host an exclusive event designed to showcase how events and functions can be held safely, responsibly and sustainably in the new normal while delivering meaningful experiences for guests.

Called ‘Listen to the Earth in Silence’ – the exclusive event was held on Friday October 2 at Dusit Thani Hua Hin resort and was attended by travel industry specialists and high-ranking diplomats.

The programme focused on low-impact, eco-friendly travel methods, community-focused activities, wellness-focused cuisine, and innovative solutions for events and functions which Dusit, the TAT and TCEB believe will be central to facilitating and encouraging responsible MICE travel in a post COVID-19 world.

In line with TCEB’s basic guidelines for sustainable events in the new normal, which includes, amongst

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Committee on Tourism welcomes the Uplifting of Restrictions on International Travel

Republic of South Africa: The Parliament
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The Portfolio Committee on Tourism welcomes the uplifting of travel restrictions imposed on international travel due to the global Covid-19 pandemic.
 
The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Tourism, Mr Supra Mahumapelo, said: “We are heartened that international flights have resumed after more than six months since lockdown restrictions have been imposed worldwide”. Yesterday, South Africa welcomed travellers from the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, Germany, Kenya, Zambia and Zimbabwe on the first day of its opening.
 
The impact of the pandemic has been felt across all sectors, with tourism being the hardest hit. According to the Tourism Business Council of South Africa, the tourism sector contributes to 1.5 million jobs and 8.5% to the gross domestic product of South Africa. However, we have seen the devastating impact of the pandemic as more than 600 000 jobs have been lost and many businesses in the tourism sector and supply

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Bali coronavirus deaths could be dire for Australian tourism

With Bali seeing a surge in coronavirus cases and a significant spike in the popular resort island’s death rate, Australians are being warned holidays to the Indonesian destination could be one of the last places we can visit in the world.

Locals are struggling to keep businesses afloat on the holiday island, and local tourism fails to meet the same tourist spend that the island received pre-pandemic.

With the island still plagued by empty beaches, deserted dance floors and whisper-quiet resorts, there’s fear the island’s recovery will get much worse before it gets better.

The holiday island – along with other parts of Indonesia – has seen a significant spike in confirmed COVID-19 cases since attempting to resurrect some form of tourism traffic on the island by welcome Indonesian locals to holiday in popular spots like Kuta, Ubud and Uluwatu.

RELATED: Indonesia sees biggest COVID spike in months

In the

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Sustainable Tourism in Thailand – Rus Tourism News

Dusit International recently partnered with silent live concert specialists Sounds of Earth, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) and the Thai Chamber of Commerce to host an exclusive event designed to showcase how events and functions can be held safely, responsibly and sustainably in the new normal while delivering meaningful experiences for guests.

Called ‘Listen to the Earth in Silence’ – the exclusive event was held on Friday October 2 at Dusit Thani Hua Hin resort and was attended by travel industry specialists and high-ranking diplomats. The programme focused on low-impact, eco-friendly travel methods, community-focused activities, wellness-focused cuisine, and innovative solutions for events and functions which Dusit, the TAT and TCEB believes will be central to facilitating and encouraging responsible MICE travel in a post COVID-19 world.

In line with TCEB’s basic guidelines for sustainable events in the new normal, which includes, amongst

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Deals and discounts for expats at Bangkok wellness tourism event

Expats in Thailand will be offered discounts and promotions at a 2 day fair focusing on health and wellness travel, including deals on flights, accommodation and spa packages.

Domestic flights start at 490 baht, and if the booking is made on the spot, customers get a free 15 kilogram baggage allowance. There will also be many deals for health and wellness services like spa treatments and massages starting at 199 baht, or up to 65% off.

The “Expat Travel Bonus, the Healthy Journey” organised by the Tourism Authority of Thailand will go on this Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 10pm at the Eden 1, Central Department Store at Central World in Bangkok.

53 tourism related industries are planned to offer deals and promotions to expats. TAT Governor Yuthasak Supasorn says fair is intended to encourage the expat community to take advantage of Thailand’s health and wellness products and services.

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Pandemic deals 4 trillion yen blow to domestic tourism market : The Asahi Shimbun

With foreign tourists shut out from Japan due to the coronavirus pandemic, about 15 percent of overall domestic travel revenue will be lost between February and December, according to a research institute estimate.

The forecast by Resona Research Institute also showed that Tokyo, Osaka and three other prefectures will be hardest hit among Japan’s 47 prefectures, representing 60 percent of the projected losses in consumption from the absence of inbound tourists.

The estimate, which was compiled by Hideyuki Araki, a senior researcher at the institute, is based on the assumption that spending among foreign travelers in 2020 remained at the same level as last year.

Araki made the projection based on trends in accommodations and spending, which is released by the government’s Japan Tourism Agency.

His report showed that a plunge in revenues associated with overseas tourists will have totaled 4,068.2 billion yen ($38,744 million) nationwide in 2020, about 15

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