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The content originally appeared on: Trinidad and Tobago Newsday Tobago Tobago Hotel and Tourism Association vice president Carol-Ann Birchwood-James wants to discuss plans for the sector with the new THA administration. - Photo by David Reid Tobago Hotel and Tourism Association (THTA) vice president Carol-Ann Birchwood-James is hoping the new Farley Augustine-led Tobago House of Assembly (THA) administration will meet with hoteliers and other businessmen early in the new year to discuss the future of island’s tourism sector. “Business is […]
South Africa is one of the hardest-hit countries in Africa with over 740,000 infections.
The country recorded 60 more virus-related deaths on Wednesday, bringing the death toll to 20,011.
Cities and town, where people live and work in close proximity, are among the worst hit in light of how the disease spreads
Lockdowns, enforced as one of the ways to curb the spread of the disease, have resulted in an economic downturn, with large numbers of people losing their jobs.
The urban dwellers are now faced with a looming food crisis as authorities disconnect cities from rural areas to contain the virus, and to protect elderly populations residing in the rural areas.
That means there is triple problem here; the virus causing death and havoc, a larger number of people sitting at home without work and a potential food crises in towns because little is being brought from the rural areas.
CGIAR centres and their partners can also support application of advanced hyper-resolution earth observation systems to map, characterise and recommend suitability of pockets of areas for urban or peri-urban farming.
Time is ripe for an urban and peri-urban agricultural economy to be re-engineered to create multifunctional cities that provide multiple benefits.
“THE ENVIRONMENT was clean and fresh. Staff were awesome, friendly, and professional. We had a lot of fun. I will recommend Pineapple Court Hotel. Thanks for your extraordinary hospitality,” Lurline, a visitor to Jamaica from the United States of...
The Caribbean’s economy is projected to grow this year despite the beating its tourism sector has taken; a new airport for Dominica; Grenada negotiates a stimulus, St. Maarten comes away with no money and more Caribbean business news this week.
The post Caribbean Business News Round-Up - June 11, 2021 appeared first on Haiti News.
SYDNEY — Australia risks being the “lost kingdom” of the South Pacific, as per the tourism bosses who are angry about a lack of support in the federal budget. The 2021/22 plan leaves the tourism sector high and dry with nowhere to go until at least the middle of next year, Tourism and Transport Forum chief executive Margy Osmond said. The […]
The post Australia At Risk Of ‘lost Kingdom’ Status first appeared on The Florida Star | The Georgia Star.
NASSAU, Bahamas (CMC) — The Bahamas Government says many new policies, safety measures, and precautions will be introduced to ensure the continued health and well-being of citizens and visitors as it prepares to “reinstate tourism to the country and effectively reopen our economy”.
Tourism and Aviation Minister Dionisio D'Aguilar said since March 24, airports and seaports throughout The Bahamas have been closed to all incoming visitors, adding that given that the Bahamian economy relies heavily on the tourism sector, this decision was not made lightly.
“It is critical that health and safety protocols are being adhered to and that the health sector remains well equipped,” he said, noting that before the general opening on July 1, it is intended that a phase one opening of the tourism sector will begin to roll out on June 15.
“Phase one is expected to see the opening of the tourism sector with the return of boaters, yachters, and private aviation being allowed to enter the destination.
D'Aguilar said this phase one opening of the tourism sector is intended to test the market and serve as a transition to the phase two opening on July 1, as well as test the efficacy of the new protocols that are entailed in this plan.
Partial lockdown from Thursday in Tunis capital as the number of coronavirus infections and related deaths has reached record levels.
The weather did not deter people from heading to the KwaKhethomthandayo royal palace to join a crowd of people – including dignitaries and President Cyril Ramaphosa – and pay tribute to King Goodwill Zwelithini.
With an economy battered by coronavirus, locust invasion and floods, Kenya’s Finance Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yatani on June 11 tabled a Ksh2.79 trillion ($27.9 billion) budget for the 2020/2021 fiscal year that seeks to revive almost every sector of the economy as quickly as possible and still keep the government running.
This year’s budget comes against a backdrop of weakening global economy, shrinking domestic revenue collections and a surge in public expenditures to address targeted interventions designed to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic whose level of infections in the country has surpassed the 3,000 mark.
The government has revised the country’s growth prospects for 2020 to as low as 2.5 per cent from 6.1 per cent compared with last year’s growth of 5.4 per cent.
“Going forward the government will scale up efforts to boost the tourism sector by promoting aggressive post Covid-19 tourism marketing and providing support for hotel refurbishment through soft loans to be channelled through the Tourism Finance Corporation,” said Mr Yatani.
Mr Yatani said the government is also working on the post-Covid-19 Economic Recovery Plan, which among other things will focus on adequate local and foreign resource mobilisation to ensure sustainable funding of development programmes.
Duel between Covid-19 and oil prices continues
Wednesday, July 1, 2020 0:01
By GEORGE WACHIRA
The Covid-19 is playing a major havoc on nearly all oil industry supply chain players.
Covid-19 prevalence, especially in high GDP nations like USA, China and European Union, has become a good calibrator of oil price movements.
Oil markets fear of virus resurgence and reduced oil demands has in the past few days seen a reversal of oil price recovery, which are now heading back to $40, and with indications that prices could drop further depending on how the virus resurges in the US.
There is a consensus among major oil players that a “return to normal” oil demand will take longer than previously anticipated, with the low oil demands and prices not expected to recover to pre-March levels until after 2021.
Right here in Kenya we witnessed a lower-tier independent oil explorer Tullow Oil declare a Covid-19 justified force majeure on its contractual obligations with the government
Oil producing countries heavily dependent on oil for national budgets are having to scale back their economic ambitions and public service levels, while some of them are digging deeply into their sovereign wealth funds
It is the economic performance of the two largest economies (USA and China) that determines how and when global oil demands and prices move.
FILE PHOTO | NMG
The UK and the US have dealt local hospitality industry a fresh blow after postponing trips to late this year and next year amid travel restrictions over the Covid-19 pandemic.
Tom Blakey of UK's Wayfairer Travel said most of their customers had postponed their plans to late 2020 to 2021.
\"We have some bookings for those periods, but very few compared to 'normal' times,\" Mr Blakey said.
This came as latest Africa's safari company Safaribooking.com data shows that 93 percent of tour operators have lost three quarters of their bookings that they normally make during this time of the year.
The survey, which was done in June from 3 to 6, involved 308 tour operators in Kenya, Tanzania, Namibia, South Africa, among others.
(Jamaica Observer) Four Jamaican missionaries stranded in Río Abajo, Panama, are seeking the Governments assistance to return to the island, as they struggle to stay afloat in the Spanish-speaking country despite support from the Jamaican consulate in Panama City.
The article Jamaican missionaries stranded in Panama, desperate to return home appeared first on Stabroek News.
[Daily News] ON Monday at State House in Dar es Salaam, President Samia Suluhu received the Coronavirus assessment report from the committee she had formed under Prof Said Aboud as the chairperson. Congratulations Prof Aboud for the professional and fast-prepared report!
[Daily News] Tanzania is among the top ten countries in Africa which have recorded the fastest growth in the tourism sector.
[The Conversation Africa] Governments can build credibility over time through consistent commitment to implementing policies efficiently and effectively. South Africa hasn't done well on this score. As a result of the poor record of policy implementation, investors and the general public have become sceptical of government policy pronouncements.
Some airlines, like JetBlue , even require passengers to wear face coverings over their mouths and noses throughout check-in, boarding, in flight, and while deplaning, while others may only require that masks be worn on board.
“Some airlines, including Delta and Alaska, are limiting the number of people seated in first class, so that is basically 50 percent of the capacity,” said Henry Harteveldt, travel analyst and principal at Atmosphere Research.
While the experts agreed that there is likely to be more overall space, especially between passengers in first class, it’s likely not going to make much of a difference, unless you’re in a particularly secluded seat or suite, or the airline is limiting business or first-class capacity.
Andy Christie, global private jets director at Air Charter Service, a global charter brokerage service that helps connect travelers with private charter flights, says that taking a private charter flight can almost “completely minimize the risk of transmission,” simply by reducing the number of contact points and exposures.
Their flights operate out of private hangars and terminals, and planes have been reconfigured from 50 seats down to 30, giving passengers around 36 inches of seat pitch — or a similar seat experience to business class on a major domestic airline.
AS international travelling makes a comeback today after a six-month hiatus, tourism players have said they are ready to start receiving tourists with all health protocols now in place to contain the spread of COVID-19. BY FIDELITY MHLANGA Zimbabwean tourism players have welcomed the re-introduction of domestic and international flights following a six-month suspension due to the outbreak of COVID-19. This was after government approved the resumption of domestic flights on September 10, while international flights will restart today. Tourism minister Nqobizitha Mangaliso Ndlovu told NewsDay Business that government was happy with the tourism players’ readiness to receive international travellers. “I think they are all well prepared, have done assessments and visits. I am satisfied,” Ndlovu said. Hospitality Association of Zimbabwe president Clive Chinwada said the sector was ready to receive international tourists, adding that COVID-19 protocols were in place in hotels to ensure the safety of travellers. “Our sector is ready and relieved at the same time once again at being able to serve travellers from within Zimbabwe and eventually international travellers due to the easing of travel restrictions. COVID-19 management protocols as guided by WHO, government and hospitality industry standards are in place and we believe travellers will come back to very safe hotels and restaurants,” Chinwada said. He said the sector was going to exercise patience as it anticipates a gradual return to normal operations. “We are pragmatic and understanding of the fact that you do not open borders tomorrow and have a sudden influx of tourists. Even with domestic travel, the lifting of intercity and interprovincial travel is a good development for the industry. However, planning for travel requires time. As such, the return of travellers will be gradual. The industry will need time to recover and the journey is going to be long, and will take at least more than a year,” he said. According to set guidelines, tourists that would have tested negative for COVID-19 within 48 hours of their travel will not be required to go into quarantine centres. Emmanuel Fundira, the chairperson of the Safari Operators Association of Zimbabwe, told our sister paper The Standard last month that the COVID-19 restrictions gave the country’s wildlife sector time to recover. “The opening of domestic and international flights is something we welcome greatly in our sector,” Fundira said. “You will also be surprised to hear that wildlife has been thriving because of lack of disturbances since March up to now. The amount of wildlife, which we now have is so significant and it’s arousing a lot of appetite among would-be visitors.” United Nations World Tourism Organisation recently noted that the global travel industry had been hard hit by COVID-19, with international tourist arrivals predicted to plunge by between 60% and 80% this year, translating to a loss of up to US$1,2 trillion. Up to 120 million global jobs that are directly related to tourism are at risk in one
More than 14 million people have received the first dose of the vaccine, many with the Sinopharm jab. In May, Morocco gradually relaxed some restrictions, and it resumed international flights in June
Well over 2,000 tourism workers have been vaccinated using one of three vaccines made available to them at a number of strategic blitz sites organised by the new Tourism Vaccination Task Force in its first three days of major activities. The task...
In an effort to begin the reopening of some of the airports in Nigeria, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) held a skype meeting with Munich Airport International to share experiences and compare notes on the effects of the COVID19 lockdown on the airports.
The meeting which was at the instance of the Managing Director of
FAAN Captain Rabiu Hamisu Yadudu had in attendance the Munich Airport Expert Team, Herbert Keffel, Georgios Elkolids and Julian Duerdoth and was coordinated by Fortune Idu, Managing Director of
FCI International Ltd with Nike Aboderin, the Director of Finance as the team lead on the Nigerian side of 30
FAAN participants.
In initiating the meeting, Captain Yadudu had commented that ‘while
FAAN is responding to the guidelines set by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (
NCAA) for gradual airport reopening and
POST COVID 19 operations, “ it is important also to compare notes with other airports in the world to make sure we are on the right track and join the global industry in building back travel confidence,” he said.
Munich airport has successfully reopened its airport and has recommenced domestic and international flights, so it is worth sharing their experience with them according to the MD of
FAAN.
In response to a question raised by Aboderin,
FAAN Director of Finance on the issue of orderly management of human traffic in a relatively small airport space, the Munich airport team not only compared notes on how they have carried out flow management and social distancing orders with the
FAAN team but also showed a willingness to continue the backend co-operation and information sharing to help build traffic, passenger confidence and also improve operational efficiency, non-aeronautical services and route development.
LONDON: UK-based travel agents and tour operators have welcomed news that the four-month-long ban on flights to Jamaica has been lifted as of this week. The restriction was part of plans to check the spread of the COVID-19 in the island and had...
While the ANC welcomed the move to Level 1 lockdown, it said South Africans must work hard to ensure its gains are not reversed.
The Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) yesterday called on the Government to give the nation a clear indication of the reopening timeline for the country's borders and the resumption of both local and international tourism.
Pointing out that other Caribbean countries have already made known when they intend to reopen air and seaports, the JHTA said the closure of the tourism industry since March when the first COVID-19 case was reported here has had a devastating effect on businesses, resulting in job losses.
“Additionally, since our businesses are now closed, the thousands of suppliers, including farmers, entertainers, distributors, craft traders, taxi drivers, banks, artisans, tradesmen and many more have seen precipitous and devastating declines in their businesses, resulting in massive job losses and business closures in those sectors as well,” the JHTA added.
The association said it has been working in close partnership with the Government for the development of strengthened sanitisation and personal health protocols to govern the operations of businesses in the tourism sector.
Even after Jamaica announces its borders reopened, we in the tourism sector still have a massive amount of work to do to rebuild travel trade agreements and relationships, so the time is now to allow us to get out there and do the job our sector is designed to do for the country.”
A Tourism Recovery Task Force is guiding the repoening of sector, according to Ed Bartlett.The task force, which is a public-private sector collaboration consisting of key stakeholders from the tourism sector, the tourism ministry and its agencies will be supported by two working teams - one for general tourism and another for cruise tourism - as well as the secretariat.
[Monitor] The tourism industry must co-exist with a future that has been permanently altered, thanks to Covid-19.
THE EDITOR: As I look with nostalgia at my windsurfing boards I wonder if I am the only one missing the beach? Can the beaches ever be reopened safely?
We have already been through two cycles of reopening - virus spike - and closing again. Beaches always get blamed but there are lots of limes in other places and not all beach activities are equal.
If we apply the same method it is likely the cycle will repeat. Physical distancing helps but it's difficult to enforce. New and future covid19 strains are becoming virulent, making herd immunity ever more elusive. So is there a better way? Actually yes, but it does not involve all beaches and all people unfortunately.
You need a beach with controlled access. Pigeon Point Heritage Park is the perfect candidate. All visitors must present proof of immunity - immunisation card or other medically acceptable document. The space becomes a vaccination bubble. Maybe some physical distancing as added precaution but this idea is sustainable even in a pandemic.
With the borders about to reopen, only vaccinated foreigners will be allowed in the country. Tourism is more likely to pick up with some beaches open. Reef boats could operate with vaccinated guests and crew. It is not a full reopening but a breath of oxygen for the tourism sector. Based on medical immunity, not on politics.
More vaccines are coming so more people will be able to enjoy the beaches soon. As long as they are willing to take the jab. It might even encourage them a bit.
This could be adapted to other beaches and other venues, like sporting and musical events. It is a way to exit the vicious circle.
Really hoping for a day on the water.
THIERRY RUIDANT
via e-mail
The post Yes, possible to reopen some beaches safely appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.
Press Release:- The Saint Lucia Hospitality & Tourism Association (SLHTA) has described Government’s adjustments to the COVID-19 Prevention and Control regulations some from Friday, June 25, 2021 and others from Thursday 1st July, as a positive move worthy of praise. On Thursday, June 24, 2021, the Office of the Prime Minister released a statement indicating […]
This article SLHTA Applauds Adjustments To COVID-19 Protocols appeared first on St. Lucia Times News.
President Uhuru Kenyatta has announced plans to help businesses and Kenyans survive the economic storm caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
The president said infrastructure spending is set to be ramped up so as to stimulate and support micro and small business enterprises.
The President also announced that the government will buy locally manufactured vehicles worth Sh600 million to promote local car assembly firms.
The government will hire 5,000 more healthcare workers with diploma and certificate education level for one year to enhance public health system, the President announced.
President Kenyatta vowed to provide the necessary support for healthcare workers in the fight against Covid-19 disease which has now claimed 50 lives in Kenya with 1,192 infections.
Caribbean hotel, tourism, and health officials have unveiled a new initiative they say will help safeguard the health of travelers and employers within the tourism sector.
