Vietnam has pushed back a plan to re-open the resort island of Phu Quoc to foreign tourists until November, after failing to meet targets for inoculating residents due to insufficient vaccine supplies, state media reported.Views from a beachside restaurant are seen at the Mango Bay resort in Phu Quoc island The Southeast Asian nation, which is currently shut to all visitors apart from returning citizens and investors, has been struggling to speed up inoculations to help contain a spike in Covid-19 cases driven by the Delta variant in recent months. Authorities had initially planned to allow vaccinated foreign tourists to … Continue reading Vietnam delays reopening resort island over low vaccination rate

The Chedi Andermatt, a luxury hotel controlled by billionaire Samih Sawiris, said it will allow guests to use cryptocurrency to pay for their stay in the Swiss Alps.  The hotel will accept both Bitcoin and Ethereum and will consider taking other cryptocurrencies in the future, it said in a statement.  A top-end suite at the five-star Chedi Andermatt, about a 110 kilometers (70 miles) drive from Zurich, can cost thousands of dollars per night, according to the hotel’s website.   The resort began considering taking cryptocurrencies as a payment option about four years ago, but waited until it was able to … Continue reading Billionaire’s Swiss luxury hotel to accept crypto payments

After numerous visitors called officials of Ribadesella, Spain, to complain about the mess left behind by various animals, the village had one response…don’t come here. “Last week we had a lady who called us three or four times over a rooster that was waking her up at 5 a.m.,” said Ramón Canal, Ribadesella’s mayor. “She told us that we had to do something.” Town officials wanted the complaining public to know how they really felt and came up with a tongue-in-cheek poster campaign that asks the urban tourists to “assume all the risks” that come with life in the rural … Continue reading Strange: Spanish village tells visitors who complain about the mess to not go there

A British Airways plane was damaged when it tipped on to its nose at Heathrow Airport. It happened while the aircraft was parked on tarmac at the west London airport earlier. The airline said it was a freight aircraft and there were no passengers on board. Images on social media showed more than a dozen emergency service vehicles in attendance. A BA spokesman said: “Safety is always our highest priority and we are investigating the matter.” Continue reading Just in: BA plane damaged after tipping forward at Heathrow

India’s iconic Taj Mahal has reopened to the public as the country, still reeling from a disastrous second wave of the pandemic, rushes to lift restrictions in a bid to revitalise its economy. The 17th-century monument, built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in the northern city of Agra, was closed in early April as India introduced strict lockdown measures in an effort to contain a surge in Covid-19 infections that is still killing thousands every day. Only 650 tourists will be allowed inside the premises of the Taj Mahal at any point in time, Prabhu Singh, the district magistrate of … Continue reading Taj Mahal reopens for tourists as India eases curbs

United Airlines announced on Monday that it is giving travelers a chance to win a year of free flights to anywhere in the world it flies in exchange for getting vaccinated against Covid-19. As part of United’s “Your Shot to Fly” sweepstakes, frequent fliers in the airline’s MileagePlus program can upload their vaccination records to a mobile app or website until June 22. On July 1, the airline will announce the five MileagePlus members who won a year of travel for themselves and a companion, in any class of service, to anywhere United flies. United will also give away 30 pairs … Continue reading WOW: United Airlines offering free travel for a year to promote vaccinations

Spain has said it is officially lifting restrictions for UK travellers from Monday, when a decree takes effect. The government says the UK and Japan will be on a list of countries whose residents are not affected by restrictions on non-essential travel to the EU. They will not need a PCR test. The EU is currently deciding on an expanded “white list” of countries whose citizens can enter the EU freely. Only seven, with very low Covid-19 infection rates, are on the list now. The BBC has been told a final decision has been delayed for another two weeks. The … Continue reading Spain to lift restrictions for UK and Japanese travellers

Airline passengers may have to reveal their own cabin size before boarding, a new report claims. Citing an FAA advisory, travel site View from the Wing reports that because Americans are getting heavier, airlines may have to revisit estimates on how much cargo each plane is carrying for the sake of safety. According to that report, when it comes to planes that carry more than 70 passengers, estimates based on standard weights published by the CDC will suffice. But new considerations are being given for smaller airliners where passenger and baggage weights need to be more accurate. Being weighed or … Continue reading What???: Airline passengers may have to get weighed before boarding

Reporting results fully seven and a half months after the fact, Hongkong Disneyland Resort said that it lost nearly $1 million per day last year. For the financial year to September 2020, theme park and hotel revenues were $185 million. Net losses reached $341 million (HK$2.66 billion). The global coronavirus pandemic meant that the theme park was closed for some 60% of the financial year. The park’s hotels were open longer, but operated at minimum safe levels. Management described the turmoil as: “a year of unprecedented uncertainty and challenges to the global tourism industry.” “These numbers do not provide a meaningful … Continue reading Losses deepen at Hong Kong Disneyland

A man at a tourist resort in northeast China was trapped on a glass-bottomed foot bridge standing nearly 330 feet (100 meters) high after the structure was partially shattered by gale force winds, according to the city government. Several glass panes of the Piyanshan Glass Footbridge in the city of Longjing were damaged by extreme weather in the Piyan Mountain tourist area, according to a statement posted on the city’s official Weibo social media account. Glass panels beneath the tourist’s feet were reported to have cracked and crashed toward the cliffs below the bridge. The man reportedly clung onto the … Continue reading Chinese glass bridge breaks leaving tourist clinging on 330ft above the ground

Visitors to Dracula’s castle are being jabbed with needles rather than fangs after a Covid-19 vaccine centre has been set up at the Transylvanian site. Medics with fang stickers on their scrubs are offering Pfizer shots to everyone who visits the 14th-century Bran Castle in central Romania. It is part of a government drive to encourage more Romanians to get jabbed, some believe the castle inspired the vampire’s lair in Bram Stoker’s iconic novel Dracula. Romania has recorded just over a million infections since the pandemic began, and nearly 29,000 deaths. The country’s government says it wants to vaccinate 10 … Continue reading Dracula’s castle in Romania offers tourists vaccine

Singapore and Hong Kong have agreed to start quarantine-free travel between the two cities from 26 May. The long delayed travel bubble was first slated to begin in November, but was suspended after a sudden spike of Covid-19 infections in Hong Kong. If it goes ahead, this travel bubble will be the second major air route in the region to open after Australia and New Zealand resumed flights last week. It is expected to provide a boost to the tourism sectors of both cities. “I am happy that Hong Kong got the Covid-19 situation under control. It has been a … Continue reading Singapore and Hong Kong to open travel bubble