SOFIA: “We need at least 100 charter flights a day,” says Plamen Kopchev, head of the hotel owners’ association in Bulgaria’s Black Sea resort of Sunny Beach, laid waste by the coronavirus pandemic.

But the trouble is, only a fraction of those flights have been arriving, a disaster for a resort Kopchev explains “is made for mass tourism” — a model that some Bulgarians have long been questioning and which"...

There has been a $320bn loss in international tourism receipts between January and May this year, according to the latest edition of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) World Tourism Barometer.

The enormous toll of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on international tourism has now become clear, translating into a fall of 300 million tourists and a 56% year-on-year drop in tourist arrivals. The figures, which cover the first five months"...

Four Seasons Hotel George V, Paris has announced it will re-open its doors to welcome guests from September 1. This follows the opening of Michelin-starred restaurant Le George in June, 2020.

“We are thoroughly looking forward to welcoming guests again and writing with them a new chapter of our story,” said Jean-Claude Wietzel, Regional Vice-President and General Manager of Four Seasons Hotel George V, Paris.

“At all Four Seasons hotels, we have implemented a strict health protocol"...

The coronavirus crisis has pulverised Spain’s economy, triggering its worst recession since the civil war, with collapsed tourism numbers boding ill for hopes of a swift rebound.

Hit by one of Europe’s worst virus outbreaks and strictest lockdowns, the economy came to a virtual halt in March and remained paralysed until the end of June.

It shrank 18.5% in the second quarter, a drop so harsh it wiped out all the recovery achieved since the 2008 global financial crisis, figures from the"...

Come Eid, UAE residents can treat the whole family to the La Perle show at specially discounted rates to celebrate the holiday.

Eid is the perfect time to share experiences with family and friends, and spurred by high demand, Dubai’s magnificent aquatic-acrobatic theatre steps up its game with additional shows during the long Eid weekend.

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The travel and tourism industry contributes 3 to 3.5% of the global GDP. If we also count related industries, the total contribution of tourism to the global GDP nears 10%. The entire part of the global economy was hit hard with the coronavirus pandemics. As the economies were locked down, the revenue declined by more than 90%. Now the economies reopen, it may be estimated the hospitality industry would recover. According to Alpho analysts it will very likely take a long time.

Stocks"...

Tartous, (ST) - The Atlantic Rose ship was launched from Tartous port on its first cruise after the national cadres working in the maritime transport sector were able to convert it from a damaged and inoperable ship to a large ship that transports livestock according to the best international specifications.

In a statement to SANA reporter, Director of TartousPort, Eng. Thaer Wannous said that the national technical and labor cadres succeed in converting"...

Al Hamra International Exhibition & Conference Centre in Ras Al Khaimah has been recognised as the first safe MICE (meeting, incentive, convention & event) facility in the region by Bureau Veritas, a world leader in testing, inspection and certification services.

This certification further underlines the group’s commitment to deliver a safe environment"...

Homs, (ST)- In an initiative to reduce the burden of living and provide the basic materials to citizens at low prices, the Ministry of Internal Trade and Consumer Protection and the Homs Governorate in cooperation with the Homs Chamber of Commerce recently, launched the shopping festival(Souria Btejmaana ), 'Syria brings us together' in the old Homs markets.

The festival, which will last until the 30th of the current month, displays many"...

A new set of recommendations published today outline how the global tourism sector can continue in its fight against plastic pollution while effectively facing the public health and hygiene challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The ongoing pandemic has hit the tourism sector hard, putting more than 100 million jobs at risk. Now, as countries begin to recover and tourism"...