Thailand tourism predicted at 80% of pre-Covid in 2023

Tourism Authority of Thailand Governor Yuthasak Supasorn just predicted that next year, revenue from tourism will hit 80% of the level it was before the Covid-19 pandemic. He made the bold prediction at the 22nd World Travel and Tourism Council Global Summit, being held in the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh.

At that summit, the TAT was invited to take part and present its path to successfully bringing back tourism as it nears the goal of 10 million international visitors by the end of this year. The governor served as a speaker on the panel “The Recovery of Travel in Asia and the Pacific.”

The National News Bureau of Thailand reports that Yuthasak highlighted Thailand’s more eco-friendly, sustainable, and inclusive tourism coming out of the pandemic. After borders were closed and then slowly reopened with various quarantines, lockdowns, and restrictions, Thailand has now fully reopened without restriction and seeing a boom in international travellers.

The TAT plans to continuously collaborate with the tourism industry and other sectors and concentrate on innovations to make tourism stronger and healthier going forwards. The Bio-Circular-Green Economy Model which has been a sustainability focus for the government is implemented in tourism campaigns as well. The TAT governor also touted the “Visit Thailand Year 2022-2023: Amazing New Chapters” marketing programme that promotes the country’s popular tourist attractions as well as introduces new ones.

With a goal of an 80% recovery of the tourism industry for 2023, which would be about 32 million visitors, Thailand surpassed the nine million visitor mark this year already. Some 9.4 million people entered the country from the beginning of the year to the end of November.

Now, between all airports and land borders, 50,000 to 60,000 people enter the kingdom per day. Malaysia continues to be the number one source of international tourists, with 1.5 million travellers crossing the Thai border this year. But, with the recent resumption of many flights from Russia, the number of European visitors and other long-distance travellers is increasing. The TAT governor attributed this in part to Thailand being a great warm-weather escape from the cold winters in Europe.

Source - The Thaiger

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Thai immigration reports over 900,000 tourists in Phuket since May

Phuket’s tourism is continuing to make its post-Covid-19 comeback. Thai immigration reported over 900,000 tourists in Phuket from May 1 to November 27.

The total number of tourists that visited the island province in that time frame is 934,164. Of those tourists, 914,746 are foreigners, and 19,418 are Thai.

Meanwhile the Phuket Walking Street Sunday Market, also well known as ‘Laad Yai’ is still full of tourists every week, The Phuket Express reported. The vice president of the Old Phuket Town Community, Somyos Patan, said…

“The market is one of the most important tourism destinations in Phuket which is a must for visitors to visit the signature market in the Phuket Old Town.”

Russians made up Phuket’s largest tourist demographic if November. This month, 55,097 Russians made their way to the island province.

The second largest tourist group in Phuket this month came from India, with 26,525 travellers, according to Phuket Immigration. The third largest group was Australians, with 13,868 tourists. British visitors made up the fourth largest group with 12,340 tourists. Germans came in fifth place, with 11,097 tourists.

The recent swarm of Russian tourists in Thailand has taken the country’s tourism forces completely by surprise. Despite the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, the Russian tourism market has returned much quicker than expected, according to the president of the Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA).

Chartered flights to Phuket and Pattaya are being filled by Russian tourists. Less than two weeks after Russian airlines made their triumphant return to Phuket, Aeroflot announced an increase in direct flights to the island. The flagship airline of Russia announced on November 12 that it would be adding 14 new flights a week from Russia to Phuket.

Last week, TAT’s deputy governor said the number of Russian tourists flying to Thailand is expected to reach 1 million next year.

As of October 26, Thailand witnessed 7,349,843 international tourists arriving, surpassing the seven million mark. It’s put the country within its goal range set by the TAT of seven to 10 million visitors for 2022.

Source - The Thaiger

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Pattaya’s Walk and Eat food festival coming up

 Foodies in Pattaya have something to look forward to. The city’s Walk and Eat food festival is coming up, after being cancelled or restricted for years due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The long festival will run from December 10 to January 29 at the Naklua fish market in Old Town Naklua. Attendees can sample tasty local dishes, and enjoy concerts and cultural events. But that’s not all, there will be activities for children, The Pattaya News reported. This will be the 14th Walk and Eat festival.

According to a Facebook post by the Direct Line to the Mayor of Pattaya City, the festival’s objective is “promoting and encouraging people and communities to participate in the conservation and development of tourist attractions in the local community area.”

Renowned as a tourism hub, Pattaya is known for hosting numerous festivals. These festivals have come back in full force now that Covid restrictions have been lifted.

From Friday to Saturday, the Pattaya International Fireworks Festival met its goal of drawing over 100,000 spectators. The fireworks illuminated the skyline of Central Pattaya Beach, and could also be seen from other points including Bali Hai Pier, and Phra Tamnak Mountain Viewpoint near Bali Nai Pier.

The festival featured stunning fireworks displays from Canada, the Philippines, Belgium, and Malaysia.

Last month, tourists flocked to two seafood festivals in Pattaya over the three-day weekend. The Central Pattaya shopping mall held the “Sea Bear” food festival, bringing in income for vendors.

There was also a seafood festival at Terminal 21 shopping mall, which saw hundreds of vacationers stopping by, Pattaya Mail reported. The festival had planned to feature street food vendors from across eastern Thailand, under a street market theme. The festival was hoped to bring in revenue to local vendors to revive Pattaya’s tourism. In May, the 20 vendors at Pattaya’s new Squid Fair seafood festival earned almost 30,000-40,000 baht a day. The president of the Pattaya Business and Tourism Association said that 3,000-4,000 visitors went to the festival every day it was held.

The ‘Walk and Eat’ festival is another opportunity for Pattaya dwellers and visitors to savour delicious foods while supporting the local economy.

Source - The Thaiger

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Thailand tourism recovery already looks unlikely

International airports in Thailand have come alive over the past week, with more than 12,000 travellers flying in, mostly from 63 countries which have been exempted from quarantine or area restrictions.
If this momentum continues, the total number of incoming travellers this month is likely to overtake the total for the past 19 months, which saw zero tourists during the first nationwide lockdown in the second quarter of last year.

It will also be a big leap from the four months of sandbox programmes, which have seen Phuket and Koh Samui attract 12,000-18,000 international tourists per month.

The current flow of tourists might create a positive vibe for the travel industry, but it is still in stark contrast to the pre-pandemic era, which saw over 3 million tourists on average visit Thailand every month.
Before the sandbox programme kicked off on July 1 this year, the government vowed to bring back at least 100,000 international tourists through this scheme during its first three months.

However, after four months of countless hiccups from unsettled regulations, the total number turned out to be far below expectations, with around 63,000 foreign visitors coming through this scheme.

The sandbox, therefore, helped shape the minimal requirements of the new entry scheme, called “Test & Go”, that removes both mandatory quarantine and area restrictions for travellers from countries on the exempted list. The eligible countries will be updated biweekly, meaning more countries might be added in the future.

Fourteen of 15 countries that contributed the most revenue to Thai tourism in 2019 are on the list, with just Russia, which is still overwhelmed with new cases, missing.

As a result, the tourism outlook should be promising thanks to the relaxation of regulations. But in reality, bookings nationwide have not dramatically picked up, which is in line with many experts’ forecasts that a full tourism recovery might not be seen any time soon.

Moreover, as more countries start to loosen travel restrictions, Thailand might not be the only option for tourists to choose from, but will become one of several options for those who want to venture overseas.

Source - BangkokJack

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Australia finally reopens international borders

Australia eased its international border restrictions on Monday for the first time during the pandemic, allowing some of its vaccinated public to travel freely and many families to reunite, sparking emotional embraces at Sydney’s airport.
After 18 months of some of the world’s strictest coronavirus border policies that banned citizens from either returning to the country or leaving it, unless granted an exemption, millions of Australians in Victoria, New South Wales and Canberra are now free to travel.

A flight by flag carrier Qantas Airways from Los Angeles touched down in Sydney at 6 a.m. local time, Australia’s biggest airline said, with COVID-19 vaccinated travellers allowed to walk off the plane without quarantining.

International travellers also arrived in Sydney via Singapore Airlines early on Monday.

While the initial flights are limited to Australian citizens, permanent residents and their immediate families, it sets in motion a plan to reopen the country to international tourists and workers, both much needed to reinvigorate a fatigued nation.

Thailand is also welcoming vaccinated tourists, without quarantine, from Monday, as is Israel, in a boost to global air travel after a trying 18-month period.

Australia’s Treasurer Josh Frydenberg told the Australian Broadcasting Corp on Monday that the travel changes would immediately aid the economy.

“It’s a day for celebration – the fact that Australians can move more freely in and out of our country without home quarantine, if they’re double-vaccinated,” Frydenberg said.

Television and social media footage showed tearful family reunions, with strict travel rules previously prohibiting many people from attending significant events, including weddings and funerals.

The relaxation of travel rules is tied to rising vaccination rates with more than 80% of people aged 16 and older in Australia’s two most populous states, New South Wales and Victoria, fully vaccinated.

Australians and permanent residents living abroad may now return, with foreign ministry data showing about 47,000 people are hoping to do so.

Most tourists – even vaccinated ones – have to wait to come to Australia, although vaccinated tourists from New Zealand will be allowed in from Monday. Citizens of Singapore will be able to travel to Australia, without quarantine, from Nov. 21.

Unvaccinated travellers will still face quarantine restrictions and all travellers need proof of a negative COVID-19 test prior to boarding.

The change in travel rules, however, is not uniform across Australia, as the country’s states and territories have differing vaccination rates and health policies.

Western Australia, which takes in one of the world’s biggest iron ore precincts, remains largely cut off from the rest of the country – and the world – as the state tries to protect its virus-free status.

Australia previously let only a limited number of citizens and permanent residents return from abroad, with a mandatory 14-day quarantine period in a hotel at their own expense.

But the change has come as it switched a COVID-zero pandemic management strategy towards living with the virus through extensive vaccinations.

While the Delta outbreak kept Sydney and Melbourne in lockdowns for months until recently, Australia’s COVID-19 cases remain far lower than many comparable countries, with just over 170,500 infections and 1,735 deaths. – Reuters

Source - BangkokJack

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94% of Thais still concerned about country reopening

Some 94 per cent of Thais are still concerned about the Covid-19 situation once the country reopens from November 1, according to a survey conducted by the Department of Health from October 14 to 20.
The survey showed only 28 per cent are confident in disease control measures and the prevention of further infections.

Meanwhile, 72 per cent said the measures should be increased or intensified to ensure health safety.

This includes accelerating vaccinations for everyone across the country to meet the criteria of covering 70 per cent of the population in each province.

Some 60 per cent of the respondents said they would like to see tighter controls on illegal entry along the border, and 55 per cent said they would favour strict monitoring and compliance with Covid-19 preventive measures at workplaces and for the general public.

There was no mention of how many people took part in the survey.

Source - The Nation / BangkokJack

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CCSA operations director say detailed announcements on Thailand’s reopening plan to vaccinated foreign tourists without quarantine will come this week

A clear and actual plan for Thailand’s reopening to welcome fully vaccinated foreigners will be discussed and finalized within 1-2 days, the director of the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration’s (CCSA) operations center stated today, October 18th.

General Supot Malaniyom from the CCSA’s operations center revealed today to the press that the details of the plan to open the country to fully vaccinated tourists without mandatory quarantine, according to the Prime Minister’s policy, will be announced at a major CCSA meeting within 1-2 days from today, October 18th, 2021.

Additionally, details on what should be prioritized and considered in terms of how and if the plan will be able to be implemented next month will be available this week and will not be “held off until the last moment”, according to the director. This statement appeared to be directed at many people commenting on social media who had been afraid that any “official” announcements about the plan would be held off until possibly the last several days of October, like the Phuket Sandbox previously, leaving people with little time to plan potential trips in November.

Full Story: https://thepattayanews.com/2021/10/18/ccsa-operations-director-say-detailed-announcements-on-thailands-reopening-plan-to-vaccinated-foreign-tourists-without-quarantine-will-come-this-week/

Source - ASIAN NOW

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PM can't wait any longer: 27 countries could be granted no quarantine access to Thailand

Daily News reported that nationals of up to 27 countries could be allowed to enter Thailand without having to quarantine.

ASEAN NOW has also been told that 20 countries could be on the list.

PM Prayuth Chan-ocha said Monday that the CCSA was expected to confirm 10 countries including the US, UK, Germany, Singapore and China were on the list to be announced today.

But now the Thai media is saying this could be wider than expected come November 1st. A second stage is January 1st.

They reported that the PM no longer wants to wait for virus numbers in Thailand top come down or for enough people in the country to be vaccinated.

Three stipulations for visitors will be having had two jabs of vaccine, RT-PCR tests before and after arrival and it only applies to air passengers (no road or sea passengers included).

The list is made up by analysing data and information from the last two weeks of Covid-19 stats, International Health Regulations 2005 and the GCI Global Advisory Council or Global Covid-19 Index.

Twenty seven countries satisfy these criteria:

Andorra, Australia, Bahrain, Czech Republic, Dominica, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macao, Malta, Moldova, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Qatar, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Taiwan, Uruguay, Barbados, China and Croatia.

Germany qualifies as a medium risk country because of the number of vaccinations done there.

The UK and the US are high risk but also qualify because of the number of vaccinations done in those nations.

At a meeting held in Hua Hin yesterday about that resort's reopening ASEAN NOW was told that 20 countries would be on the non-quarantine list.

Source - ASIAN NOW

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PM sets Nov 1 for reopening to foreign tourists from low-risk countries

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said on Monday that he will push for the opening up of the country to fully vaccinated foreign tourists from at least 10 countries on Nov 1, as the government earlier planned.

Gen Prayut said in a nationally televised broadcast that fully vaccinated tourists from at least 10 low-risk countries would be allowed to enter Thailand by air with no quarantine requirements.

The prime minister named the United Kingdom, Singapore, Germany, China and the United States among the first group of countries to benefit from the move.

"I have instructed the CCSA and the Ministry of Public Health to urgently consider within this week to allow, as of Nov 1, international visitors to enter Thailand without any requirement for quarantine if they are fully vaccinated and arrive by air from low-risk countries," he said.

He pledged to open the gates for more countries by Dec 1 and targeted others by Jan 1.

Tourists from countries not on the low-risk list would be allowed but they would be required to quarantine, he added.

The announcement came after other countries including Singapore and Australia eased travel restrictions for their citizens to travel overseas.

Gen Prayut hoped the decision to open up the country next month would draw foreign tourists to Thailand over the next three months, including the forthcoming year-end holidays.

They would revitalise the sector and related businesses that involved millions of people in the country, he went on.

The government had earlier planned to open only Bangkok and several provinces for foreign tourists on Nov 1. The other provinces are Chon Buri (Pattaya city, Bang Lamung district, and Sattahip district), Phetchaburi (Cha-am district), Prachuap Khiri Khan (Hua Hin district) and Chiang Mai (Muang, Mae Taeng, Mae Rim and Doi Tao districts).

Monday's announcement indicated that the reopening would cover all parts of the country.

The announcement came after the country saw the number of fatalities drop below 100 in recent days, with new cases hovering around 10,000.

Although the situation was improving in most parts of Thailand, a surge of new infections continued in Narathiwat, Pattani, Songkhla and Yala. The southern border provinces were in the spotlight of health authorities who were mulling additional measures to clamp down on the spike in the areas.

Tourism was the main sector driving the economy before the pandemic floored the industry last year. The sector accounted for about 20% of gross domestic product if both local tourists and foreign arrivals were counted. Revenue from foreign tourists alone was about 15% of GDP, as the country welcomed almost 40 million travellers from abroad, especially Chinese.

The Bank of Thailand estimated only 200,000 foreign arrivals this year with the number jumping to 6 million next year.

Restrictions eased for alcohol sales

The prime minister said the government will allow restaurants and other places to sell alcohol by Dec 1 to promote tourism and the entertainment sector as people plan to celebrate the new year.

"By Dec 1, we will also consider allowing the consumption of alcoholic beverages in restaurants as well as the operation of entertainment venues under appropriate health precautions to support the revitalisation of the tourism and leisure sectors, especially the new year period," he said.

Source - BangkokPost

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Thailand Nov 1 reopening to go ahead providing COVID-19 situation remains stable

The proposed reopening of Bangkok and other major tourist destinations in Thailand will go ahead on November 1, providing the COVID-19 situation does not worsen.

Speaking on Saturday (Oct 10) government spokesperson Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said the reopening of Bangkok, Chiang Mai (Mueang district, Mae Rim, Mae Taeng and Doi Tao), Prachuap Khiri Khan (Hua Hin and Nong Khae), Phetchaburi (Cha Am) and Chonburi (Pattaya, Bang Lamung and Sattahip) will go ahead as long as there is not a sudden spike in cases or no large clusters are discovered between now and the end of October.

Following the reopening, the government expects to earn 1.5 trillion baht from tourism in 2022, Mr Thanakorn said.

Domestic tourists will account for 850 million baht with Thais expected to make 160 million trips next year.

Meanwhile, the government expects 15 million foreign tourists to visit Thailand in 2022, generating 650 billion baht in revenue.

Mr Thanakorn said the 1.5 trillion baht revenue target is approximately half the amount the country's tourism industry earned in 2019 before the start of the pandemic.

Mr Thanakorn also gave an update on the Phuket Sandbox, which has been hailed a success.

As of Thursday (Oct 7) 43,026 foreign tourists had visited Phuket via the Sandbox program.

Most tourists came from the United States, Israel, the United Kingdom, Germany and France.

Source - ASIAN NOW

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Thai Industry calls 500 Baht tourist fees ‘unsuitable’

 

Tourism operators have raised concerns about the 500 baht fee to be collected from foreign tourists next year, worried that the timeline of this policy may not be appropriate for an industry in dire need of recovery.
Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi, president of the Thai Hotels Association (THA), said the concept of setting up a transformation fund for the tourism industry is promising, but there are uncertainties next year that could jeopardize the tourism situation.

Even though the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) predicted that Thailand will win back 10 million tourists in 2022, the latest forecast from the Bank of Thailand (BoT) revised down the number to 6 million, mainly attributed to possible virus spread and new variant, low consumer confidence and stimulus measures that still need consistency.

“Fee collection will impact decision making as the additional cost is considerably high compared with the average expenditure while traveling in Thailand, such as hotel room per night of just 1,000 baht. If the government really has to move forward, it should not implement this policy in the first half of next year,” said Mrs Marisa. (continues)

Source - BangkokJack 

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Thailand to charge foreign arrivals 500 baht “tourism fee” from next year

 

Despite Thailand struggling to reboot its decimated tourism sector, the government is pushing ahead with a proposed tourism fee – and has increased it by 200 baht. The National Tourism Policy Committee originally approved a fee of 300 baht at the start of this year, which would be used to develop tourism destinations and provide tourists with insurance benefits. According to a Bangkok Post report, the fee has now increased to 500 baht.

Yuthasak Supasorn from the Tourism Authority of Thailand says the extra 200 baht will be used to fund projects aimed at transforming the country’s tourism model from mass market to a more high-value, environmentally-conscious model. He’s pretty confident tourists won’t mind paying it.

“The additional cost won’t have an impact on tourists as we want to focus on the quality market. We hope this fund will support a national tourism makeover creating more safe and clean places.”

The Centre for Economic Situation Administration has approved the 500 baht fee, part of a wider “tourism transformation fund” to support transformational projects with a focus on sustainable, high-value tourism. The TAT says the fee will be collected from next year, with officials counting on getting 5 billion baht within the first year, based on 10 million foreign arrivals.

The Bangkok Post reports the TAT and the Tourism and Sports Ministry will hold talks with the relevant authorities to set up a fund committee and agree funding mechanisms, as well as deciding how the fee will be collected from foreign visitors. The fund committee will be tasked with deciding which projects qualify for support. Yuthasak adds that the goal of the fund is not to alleviate the economic devastation of Covid-19, but instead to focus on long-term growth.

Source: Bangkok Post

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#US travel industry to see 40% drop in spending: Study

Domestic US travel spending is expected to collapse this year amid the corona-virus pandemic, suffering a 40 percent decline compared to 2019, while international spending will plunge 75 percent, according to new research.

The report, commissioned by the US Travel Association, showed spending by US residents will drop to $583 billion this year from $972 billion last year.

Total travel spending, including domestic and international visitors, is projected to fall 45 percent to $622 billion, according to research by Tourism Economics, a division of Oxford Economics.

That decline follows three years of steady, albeit modest, growth of around four percent a year, although international travel dipped in 2019.

The association labeled the downturn "The Great Travel Depression," and said 8.1 million travel jobs have been lost.

The group is lobbying Congress to provide additional support for the travel industry, including expanding the popular Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) to include organizations that promote tourist or business venues and also provide $10 billion in grants to provide healthy travel practices.

These destination marketing organizations "drive demand and economic development to communities across the country and are vital to recovery," the association said in a LinkedIn post Thursday.

"We need relief, protection and stimulus to revive the travel industry and set America on the path toward recovery."

Other sectors also are seeking more support beyond, and a bipartisan group of lawmakers are crafting legislation to help the food services industry, which has been hard hit by the shutdowns and fears of the virus, leaving businesses struggling to attract customers and remain profitable.

Some businesses may face renewed struggles when the short-term PPP funding runs out if shoppers and diners fail to return.

The National Press Club in Washington -- which has two restaurants and hosts numerous events and luncheons -- told its members Friday it will furlough 50 of 113 employees, and cut the pay of remaining workers by 15 percent after its PPP funds were used up.

Source - TheJakartaPost

#Greece to open airports to arrivals from 29 countries from June 15

Greece said Friday it would reopen its airports in Athens and Thessaloniki to arrivals from 29 countries from June 15, the start of the tourist season.

Visitors would be allowed to fly into Greece from 16 EU countries, including Germany, Austria, Denmark, Finland, the Czech Republic, Baltic countries, Cyprus and Malta, the tourism ministry said in a statement.

But countries hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic -- such as France, Spain, Britain and Italy -- were not on the list.

Outside the European Union, holidaymakers from Switzerland, Norway, and neighboring Balkan countries such as Albania, Serbia and North Macedonia will be allowed to land at Greece's main airports from June 15.

The list also includes Australia, Japan, Israel, Lebanon, China, New Zealand and South Korea.

The ministry said that further countries could be added before July 1 when the country's regional airports also reopen.

"The list... has been drawn up on the basis of the epidemiological profile of each country," taking into account the recommendations of the European Aviation Safety Agency and a report by Greece's commission for infectious diseases, the statement said.

Some visitors will be tested at random for the virus, the tourism ministry said.

Since the start of the outbreak in March, there has been a limited number of flights arriving at Athens international airport, with passengers mandatorily tested and ordered to quarantine for 14 days.

Greece began the gradual easing of lockdown restrictions on May 4, and will start reopening its hotels next month.

It has been less severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic that many EU countries, with 175 deaths and 2,906 infections officially registered so far.

Accounting for around 20 percent of Greece's gross domestic product, the tourism sector is hoping to salvage at least some of this year's summer season. 

Source - TheJakartaPost

#Denmark opens border to Germany, Norway and Iceland

Denmark announced Friday it would reopen its border to visitors from Germany, Norway and Iceland from June 15, but said the UK and the rest of the EU would have to wait a few more months.

"On the other side of summer we are expecting an opening for the other Schengen countries and the UK," Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told a press conference.

On entry to Denmark, tourists will have to present proof of a hotel, holiday home or camp site reservation outside the capital Copenhagen for at least six consecutive nights.

Overnight stays will be banned for tourists in Copenhagen, but they will be able to visit the city for day trips.

"The ban on stays for tourists in Copenhagen is about keeping the intensity" of the virus spread down, Justice Minister Nick Haekkerup said.

"We must avoid a super spread," he added.

Optional screening tests for COVID-19 will be offered upon entry and at holiday destinations.

In 2019, Germans accounted for nearly 60 percent of all foreign visitors to Denmark, in terms of hotel nights.

Norwegians, many of whom have second homes in Denmark, account for eight percent.

Meanwhile in Oslo, Prime Minister Erna Solberg, announced that Danes would also be able visit Norway in the summer.

However both countries will remain closed to Sweden and Finland for the time being, with Norway also being closed to Icelanders.

"There are today areas in all Nordic countries with a low level of infection, but there are areas in some Nordic countries with a very high level of infection," Solberg told a press conference.

"That means we can't have a general opening between Nordic countries immediately."

The Danish border remains closed to Finland and Sweden, which will, however, be able to benefit from an agreement before the rest of the European countries.

With 430 deaths per million people, Sweden has a much higher death rate linked to the new coronavirus than that of neighboring Nordic countries Norway (43 death per million), Denmark (98), Finland (56) and Iceland (29), which have all imposed much stricter measures aimed at curbing the spread of the disease.

Both Norway and Denmark however said they were currently in talks with Sweden about opening the border between the countries.

Source - TheJakartaPost

#Portugal ready to welcome back tourists, says government

 

 Portugal's doors are open to tourists, the country's Foreign Minister Augusto Santos Silva said on Friday, one of the first European countries to welcome back visitors from elsewhere in the continent.

"Tourists are welcome in Portugal," Santos Silva told newspaper Observador, explaining that some health checks will be introduced at airports but there will be no compulsory quarantine for those flying in.

Portugal, which has so far recorded 30,200 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 1,289 deaths, is slowly easing restrictions in place since it locked down in mid-March.

It has been less affected than its neighbor Spain or Italy, which both plan to reopen next month.

Many shops and restaurants in Portugal have already reopened under strict restrictions as part of an effort to revive the country's export-oriented, tourism-dependent economy.

"Portugal's health system responds well, and this is very important for us to be able to welcome people," Santos Silva said.

The minister's comments came a day after British low-cost airline easyJet, which operates in various Portuguese cities, said it would restart a small number of flights next month.

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Earlier this month Portugal's flag carrier TAP resumed some of its international operations, with flights to London and Paris.

Flights to and from outside the European Union are still temporarily suspended until June 15, with some exceptions, including some routes to and from Portuguese-speaking nations like Brazil.

The Spain-Portugal land border, which has been closed to tourists since March, will also remain shut until then.

"We are gradually going to start looking at easing border controls," Internal Affairs Minister Eduardo Cabrita said on Friday.

The tourism industry, one of the hardest hit by the outbreak, contributed 14.6 percent to gross domestic product in 2018, according to the latest official data, and helped Portugal to recover from a severe debt crisis.

The sector registered a 62 percent slump in the number of people staying in holiday accommodation in March from a year ago and total hotel revenues fell by over 57 percent.

Unemployment in the Algarve region more than doubled in April compared with the same month last year as the lockdown kept foreign visitors away and wiped out seasonal jobs.

Source - TheJakartaPost

#Greece to restart tourism mid-June, international flights July 1

Greece will restart its tourism season on June 15 and gradually restore international flights from July 1 to boost its economy after the virus lockdown, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Wednesday.

With Greece suffering fewer than 170 COVID-19 deaths over two months into the pandemic, Mitsotakis said the country's prompt response to the virus would be a "passport of safety, credibility and health" to attract visitors.

"The tourism period begins June 15, when seasonal hotels can reopen, and direct international flights to our tourist destinations will gradually begin July 1," Mitsotakis said in a televised address.

"We will win the economy war just as we won the health battle," Mitsotakis said.

Tourism Minister Harry Theocharis said a list of nations resuming flights to Greece would be announced by the end of May, noting that Athens would focus on reviving a travel front "from the Balkans to the Baltic."

Bulgarians and northern Europeans including Germans will be among the first visitors, the minister said, in addition to Israelis and Cypriots.

Incoming travelers will not be required to undergo virus testing or quarantine, but sample tests will be carried out in tourist areas for epidemiological purposes, the minister said.

Greece so far has carried out fewer than 140,000 tests among 11 million.

Theocharis added that 600 beds would be specifically set aside for coronavirus care on Greek islands, which are traditionally among the country's top travel destinations.

The EU last week said holidaymakers could be asked to wear facemasks on planes, respect social distancing on the beach and even book slots to use hotel pools.

Restaurants to reopen Monday

The country, which is still recovering from a decade-long debt crisis, badly needs tourism income that directly and indirectly accounts for over a fifth of its economy.

Many operators have expressed skepticism about reopening owing to strict spacing rules.

Lockdown restrictions began to be lifted on May 4, reversing a wave of shutdowns which followed Greece's first recorded COVID-19 death on March 12.

Restaurants are scheduled to reopen on Monday after open-air archaeological sites were opened earlier this week and paid beaches over the weekend. Museums are to reopen on June 15.

According to Bank of Greece figures, the country in 2019 had over 34 million visitors and revenue of over 18 billion euros ($20 billion).

To increase Greece's appeal, tax on all transport will be reduced to 13 percent from the current 24 percent for the coming five months, the prime minister said.

And struggling businesses can be flexible with staff working hours to cut cost, he said.

The Greek finance ministry earlier on Wednesday noted that without support measures for businesses, the country could face an economic contraction of up to 13 percent this year.

The jobless rate is also expected to approach 20 percent this year.

The Greek government has announced a support package of around 24 billion euros, including EU funds, to help shore up the economy.

Source - TheJakartaPost

Italy to reopen borders for EU tourists in early June

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Italy will reopen to European tourists from early June and scrap a 14-day mandatory quarantine period, the government said on Saturday, as it quickened the exit from the coronavirus lockdown.

Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte also said on Saturday that gyms and cinemas would soon be able to welcome the public again, as the government seeks to restart economic activity while treading cautiously amid the lingering, though waning, coronavirus.

"We're facing a calculated risk in the knowledge that the contagion curve may rise again," Conte said during a televised address. "We have to accept it otherwise we will never be able to start up again."

Conte enforced an economically crippling shutdown in early March to counter a pandemic that has so far killed nearly 32,000 people in Italy.

The shutdown halted all holidaymaking in a country heavily dependent on the tourism industry.

Although Italy never formally closed its borders and has allowed people to cross back and forth for work or health reasons, it banned movement for tourism and imposed a two-week isolation period for new arrivals.

In March, the European Union banned foreign nationals from entering its Schengen zone, an open border zone comprising 22 of 27 member states, with exceptions for medical workers and essential travel.

But on Wednesday, the EU set out plans for a phased restart of summer travel, urging member states to reopen its internal borders, while recommending that external borders remain shut for most travel until at least the middle of June.

Beginning on June 3, visitors within the Schengen zone will be allowed to enter Italy with no obligation to self-isolate. Italians will also be able to move between regions, though local authorities can limit travel if infections spike.

Movements to and from abroad can be limited by regional decree "in relation to specific states and territories, in accordance with the principles of adequacy and proportionality to the epidemiological risk", the government said in a statement.

The latest decree is also a boon to Italy's agricultural sector, which relies on roughly 350,000 seasonal workers from abroad.

Farming lobby group Coldiretti said farms were already preparing to organie some 150,000 workers from places including Romania, Poland and Bulgaria.

Cannot await vaccine 
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The peak of Italy's contagion passed at the end of March but with experts warning a second wave cannot be ruled out, Conte had been reluctant to lift the lockdown quickly.

In his address, Conte said the country should ideally await a vaccine before opening up for business again, "but we can't afford it, we would end up with a strongly damaged economic and social structure".

His approach in recent weeks frustrated many of Italy's regions, with some already allowing businesses to reopen before the restrictions were lifted.

Restaurants, bars and hairdressers are being allowed to reopen on Monday, two weeks earlier than initially planned.

Shops will also open and Italians will finally be able to see friends, as long as they live within their same region.

Church services will begin again but the faithful will have to follow social distancing rules and holy water fonts will be empty. Mosques will also reopen.

Gyms, pools and sports centers will be able to open up again on May 25, Conte said on Saturday, provided they respect security protocols.

Theaters and cinemas will be allowed to reopen on June 15, he said.

Gatherings of large groups remain banned.

Source - TheJakartaPost

EU looks to save summer holiday

 The EU will present recommendations on Wednesday to save the summer season in Europe’s reeling tourism sector, which has been pounded by the coronavirus crisis.

The European Commission will urge EU countries to gradually reopen shuttered internal borders and to above all treat each member state on the same criteria.

According to a draft seen by AFP, the Commission insists that reopening of everyday life after the pandemic must be done in a "concerted" and "non-discriminatory" manner and must remain "as harmonious as possible".

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The points are only recommendations on the part of the EU's executive as it is up to national governments to decide whether to lift the restrictions put in place to deal with the coronavirus pandemic.

Brussels recommends that when countries are in a comparable epidemiological situation and have adopted the same precautionary measures, they should be treated in the same way.

If, for example, Austria opens its borders with Germany, it must also open its borders with the Czech Republic if that country is in a comparable situation to Germany.

Similarly, when a country opens its borders with another country, it must do so for all the residents of that country, whether or not they are nationals of that country. 

This issue of restoring freedom of movement within the passport-free Schengen area is crucial for European tourism, a sector which accounts for 10 percent of the EU's GDP and 12 percent of employment.

In some southern European countries, such as Greece, Italy, Spain and Portugal, this impact is even greater and if holidaymakers were to stay home, their already bad economic situation could worsen further.

In its recommendations, the commission also addresses the thorny issue of whether or not to reimburse cancelled trips and holidays.

Under EU rules, the European consumer is entitled to a cash refund, but many operators and airlines prefer to offer a credit instead.

"Carriers and tour operators should follow a common approach, offering passengers and travellers an attractive choice between a cash refund, in line with their rights under EU law, or the acceptance of a voucher," the document said.

Late last month, 12 European countries asked the European Commission to suspend the obligation for airlines to reimburse passengers whose journeys have been cancelled because of the coronavirus. 

Source - TheJakartaPost

#Switzerland is the safest country for travelers

Collating data on the frequency of natural disasters, the quality of healthcare systems and levels of violent crime and terrorist threat, the travel insurance comparison website Insurly has established a ranking of the safest countries for travelers.

According to the methodology developed by Insurly for its "2020 Ranking of the World's Safest Countries", Switzerland is the world's safest travel destination with an overall score of 93.4 out of 100. In particular, travelers will be reassured by the country's excellent score for transport risks (98 out of 100), one of the four criteria evaluated by the study, which takes into account the annual number of tourists killed or injured on roads as well as the prevalence of airlines on the European Commission's blacklist.

Placed second, Singapore scored 92.7 out of 100, making it the safest Asian country. The risk of natural disasters on the island city state was estimated at 93 out of 100. For this criterion, the study drew on data from the the United Nations University risk report, which also takes into account measures established to cope with such events.

Ranked third, Norway was rewarded with an overall score of 91.1 out of 100. It is worth noting that the Scandinavian country would have come first were it not for its score for risks of violence (75 out of 100, as opposed to 98 for 100 transport risks, and 95 out of 100 for health care). The violence criterion took into account figures for the number of murders relative to the size of populations, and also for the prevalence of acts of terrorism. 

For its part, France was ranked 32nd in the list of 180 destinations. The country scored well for transport risks (88 out of 100) and risks of natural disasters (89 out of 100).

Finally, the three riskiest destinations for travelers were South Sudan (14.8), the Democratic Republic of Congo (15.4) and the Central African Republic (21) 

The list of the top-10 safest countries for travelers:

1. Switzerland

2. Singapore

3. Norway

4. Luxembourg

5. Cyprus

6. Iceland

7. Denmark

8. Portugal

9. Finland

10. Japan