Holiday & Travel

Businesses working in Morocco's key tourism sector say the country's tough COVID-19 restrictions, including a full flight ban, are undermining its competitiveness compared to rival destinations.

Morocco shut its borders in late November and will only reopen them at the end of January.

The tourist port of Taino Bay, located in the port of Puerto Plata, the Dominican Republic, received the Odyssey of the Seas cruise ship, one of the largest ever built, with 2,647 passengers and 1,514 crew members.

The ocean liner, owned by Royal Caribbean International, arrived from Fort Lauderdale, United States.

Earlier this week, Scenic Eclipse departed the Red Sea and is making its way to Antarctica in preparation for its highly anticipated return to the Antarctic peninsula this coming January. Following an almost two-year hiatus, this marks a significant milestone for the luxury truly all-inclusive operator as Scenic Eclipse is set to resume the first of its scheduled sailing programme since the beginning of the pandemic and will be among the first ships in the world to return to Antarctica. 

The Datai Langkawi is delighted to announce the 2022 edition of The Chef Series. This year the focus is on Malaysia, bringing the best of eclectic Malaysian dining experiences to guests of the resort.

The Chef Series is a signature dining experience of The Datai Langkawi, it has previously welcomed culinary luminaries such as Michel and Sébastien Bras, Michel Roux, Nils Henkel, and other acclaimed Michelin-starred Chefs from around the world, showcasing their peerless talent to guests in the beautiful setting of the resort's ancient rainforest.

Preliminary Ministry of Tourism (MOT) data in The Central Bank of The Bahamas’ (CBOB) Monthly Economic Financial Developments (MEFD) report for November 2021 shows that visitor arrivals to the island by air and sea in October reached 260,942 compared to 265,799 in 2019.

The report notes that with those visitor numbers near pre-pandemic levels, the tourism sector remains in a “gradual pace of recovery”.

Jamaica has been downgraded from level 3 to level 2 on the United States Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) travel recommendations ranking system. The decision comes in recognition of efforts to contain the spread of Covid-19.

This new classification places the destination in a risk category lower than that of more than 70 percent of countries worldwide. Jamaica minister of tourism, Edmund Bartlett, has expressed his satisfaction at this new classification.

British Airways and Qatar Airways mark the next milestone in their Joint Business Partnership, as they announce their intent to extend their Joint Business.

The news follows British Airways’ relaunch of daily services to Doha, with the airline’s first flight taking off from Gatwick last week, giving customers access to Qatar Airways’ expansive global network with connections from Doha to over 100 destinations across the world.

After nearly two years of waiting, people are getting back to travel with a vengeance, heading straight for destinations that are further afield and often ignoring the price tag, according to HomeToGo, one of the largest vacation rental companies in the industry. At the same time, people are booking farther ahead, while also seeking out companies with flexible options, such as non-traditional accommodations.

With 2022 on the horizon, now is the perfect time to look for travel inspiration and research new destinations for next year's getaway to paradise. Susith Jayawickrama, Managing Director at Aitken Spence Hotels, shares his eight reasons why Sri Lanka should be at the top of everyone's travel list in 2022:

Jamaica has been downgraded from a Level 3 to a Level 2 designation by the United States Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in recognition of the country’s efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19 effectively. This new classification places the destination in a risk category lower than that of more than 70 percent of countries worldwide.

Jamaica Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, has expressed his delight at this new classification, noting that it will undoubtedly positively affect the number of visitors travelling to the island from the United States during the Winter Tourist Season.

Qatar Airways welcomes the holiday season with a series of festive delights for passengers visiting the Al Safwa First and Al Mourjan Business Class Lounges at Hamad International Airport (HIA) and the airline’s Premium Lounge in Beirut, as well as for travellers to and from destinations in the U.S., Europe, Australia and New Zealand, and select destinations in Asia and Africa. From 19 to 26 December 2021, customers will experience the warmth of the season with a specially-curated holiday theme throughout their journey.

Carnival Corporation & plc celebrated the official opening of Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal with Shamal Holding following their strategic partnership signed in 2018 to develop the new cruise port as the main hub for cruise tourism in Dubai.

Qatar Airways and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that Qatar Airways became the first carrier to make a transaction on the IATA Aviation Carbon Exchange (ACE) using IATA Clearing House (ICH).

The IATA Aviation Carbon Exchange (ACE) is a centralised marketplace where airlines and other aviation stakeholders can trade CO₂ emission reduction units for compliance or voluntary offsetting purposes.

easyJet and easyJet holidays have announced two new routes from Birmingham to Malaga and Palma de Mallorca, which will take off this summer.

Flights to Palma are scheduled to launch from 29 March 2022, with departures 4 times a week on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

The Republic’s Presidency reports on the resignation of Minister of Tourism Gustavo Segura as of December 1, following an outstanding opportunity for his professional development in the private sector.

The Governing Council appointed the Costa Rican Tourism Institute’s (ICT) Executive President and Minister of Tourism, Gustavo Alvarado, who has had a noteworthy career in the ICT and worked as the Presidency’s Deputy Minister during the 2011-2014 administration.

Ryanair, Europe’s No.1 airline, have announced an additional route to its UK S’22 schedule – Birmingham to Knock – operating twice weekly from Mar ‘22. The opening of this new route reinforces the airline’s commitment to the UK and the rebuilding of the country’s tourism industry, playing a key role in the recovery of local jobs and the economy.

To celebrate this new S’22 route, Ryanair has launched a seat sale with fares available from just £19.99 for travel until the end of Oct ’22.