Travel and Tourism

By Kristof Eyckmans  Often Africa is left aside when looking for a luxury escape from everyday life. But the continent has a lot to offer, and not only for budget travellers but also for the ones that aren’t shy to spend some cash in return for the most exclusive travel experiences out there. Here are a few of my favourite experiences. Rovos...

With a significantly reduced demand worldwide for hotel stays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some forward-thinking initiatives could benefit guests who are prepared to invest now and reap the rewards later. Several hotels are offering deals in which people can buy gift vouchers now for future stays, and they will increase in value by the time they are redeemed. One...

The COVID-19 crisis has disproportionately affected tourism, a sector that accounts for millions of jobs around the globe. While no one can say with certainty when tourism will recover, people are starting to dream again of getaways whether closer to home or to remote destinations. As more and more people go online to search where and when they can travel, accelerating...

Belgium is giving all residents free train journeys and cultural vouchers in an effort to boost domestic tourism as lockdown ends. The government announced last week that it would provide all residents with a free 10-journey rail pass as it emerges from three months of lockdown. Valid from July until the end of December, the rail pass can be used anywhere...

Italy’s largest Mediterranean island, Sicily, has proposed various schemes intended to revive the island’s post-pandemic tourism economy, including a 50% Discount on all Post-Pandemic Flights. Following the ban on non-essential travel in light of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the Sicily economy which relies heavily on tourism has taken an almost irrecoverable hit, losing over USD$1.09 billion in revenue since imposing...

MediaCity Mauritius (MCM) Ltd has announced the development of the first integrated, international hub for the media and creative industries in Africa. MediaCity Mauritius will be the home for international production companies; creative agencies; video game companies; broadcasters; and global media companies, within the smart city of Beau Plan in Mauritius. The media city will host the infrastructure and technology required...

With the world carefully and slowly opening up again in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Emirates has announced its plan to operate scheduled flight services from 21 May to nine destinations. These include London, Frankfurt, Paris, Milan, Madrid, Chicago, Toronto, Sydney and Melbourne. It will also offer connections in Dubai for customers travelling between the UK and Australia. In...

The coronavirus pandemic has changed all of our worlds, and not just in the short-term. Outside of healthcare - where heroes dressed in gowns are battling on the front lines - few industries have been hit like travel. In my own company, bookings are down by over 95%, while nations have been ordered to stay at home, airlines have gone...

By Aditi Maheshwari The Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA) has launched a tourism and hospitality industry application, Opus4business. The new app will aid in the safe reopening of the industry by training business owners on the safe implementation of the Covid-19 tourism safety protocols. Based on industry designed tourism protocols, South Africa has received the World Travel & Tourism Council’s...

All over the world, travel and tourism industries have been greatly affected by the impact of COVID-19. Following the restrictions on movements, and travels, lockdowns and cancellations of major events. Prior to the pandemic, it was predicted that ‘tourist destinations were to hit 1.6 billion international arrivals globally in 2020’, providing 10% to global GDP as a major contributor...