News

Bhutan mulling over introducing $250 fee for regional tourists.

Travelling to Bhutan might soon turn costlier for Indian tourists. As per the reports, the Himalayan kingdom now proposes to extend the mandatory daily package of $250 (which is around INR 17700) to regional tourists, i.e., those from Bangladesh, India, and the Maldives. Earlier, the mandatory daily package was applicable to only foreign tourists. While the price includes a $65 for sustainable development fee, 3-star accommodation, visa charges, meals, camping equipment, intra-Bhutan transport, and services of a guide. However, travel operators are of the view that even after covering all those expenses, the cost of spending a day in Bhutan would still be higher than what most Indian tourists can afford. Currently, regional tourists are required to pay INR 50 to INR 500 per person for every entry to different sightseeing points. But, if the said rule changes, the sustainable development fee alone would cost a family of five INR 23000 a day, which is reasonably high for budget travellers, who constitute 65 per cent to 70 per cent of Indian visitors to Bhutan, stated the general secretary of the Himalayan Hospitality and Tourism Development Network. As per the Travel Agents Federation of India, the Bhutanese authorities have not yet notified the change, but the buzz in tourism circles is that it might likely be implemented next year.

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Tourism at risk from too many tourists.

It’s that time of the year again when tourism industry people look to the 2020 horizon, cogitating on what the 12 months ahead holds for Ireland. While record visitor numbers have mixed with concerns over Brexit fallout during recent years, a mood of generally optimistic caution prevails amongst seasoned players in the business as the new year edges closer. Many cities around the world are already grappling with visitor numbers so large that they are negatively impacting local commerce. Cities like Barcelona, Venice, Rome and Paris are well known for their over-powering crowds during the summer months, and while Dublin and Ireland are nowhere near these levels of saturation yet, the danger signs are gathering. In addition, the growing concern around sustainability will trouble tourism over the next decade as air travel. Tourism is responsible for 5% of all global greenhouse gas emissions — with transport, including flying — accounting for three-quarters of this. Around 1.4bn people now travel and holiday around the world every year, and while this has brought significant economic benefits to many regions, its environmental impact has been largely ignored up to now. Recent government statistics showed that Ireland’s tourism revenue targets of €5bn, and visitor numbers of 10m were reached seven years early — prompting the establishment of new targets for 11.6m arrivals and a revenue of €6.5bn by 2025. The Destination 2030 study by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) listed Amsterdam, Barcelona, Paris, Prague, Rome, San Francisco, Stockholm, Toronto, and Vancouver, as the urban centres most likely to be particularly stretched to cope.“Tourism authorities in many major cities around the world are working incredibly hard to prepare for the future,” said WTTC president and CEO Gloria Guevara.

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White Sands Monument is now U.S. national park.

President Donald Trump’s signature on defense legislation enacted by Congress means White Sands National Monument in southern New Mexico is now White Sands National Park. White Sands became the 62nd designated national park Friday with Trump’s signing of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020. White Sands contains not only the world’s largest gypsum dunefield, including gypsum hearthmounds found nowhere else, but also is home to the globe’s largest collection of Ice Age fossilized footprints. White Sands sees hundreds of thousands of visitors every year, more than any other park service location in New Mexico. In 2017, White Sands logged more than 600,000 visits and spurred more than $31 million in spending for the local economy. U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, a New Mexico Democrat who was among those who pushed for the re-designation, has said he expected the change would boost the local economy and spur more recognition for the unique spot. Aside from the name change, the federal legislation included provisions for a land exchange between White Sands and the U.S. Army, which operates an adjacent missile range. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham earlier this year signed a measure that prompted the creation of a dedicated division in state government to focus on expanding outdoor recreation and related economic development.

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Tourists still struggling to travel around Paris amid France union strikes.

Traffic improved slightly on French trains Thursday as nationwide strikes over the government’s retirement reform entered a 15th day and small signs of progress emerged in negotiations with unions. However, the crisis hitting one of the world’s biggest economies at the height of the holiday season is far from over. Anti-government protesters are keeping up pressure on President Emmanuel Macron with a new march through Paris in the afternoon. And some workers are expected to maintain their strike through the Christmas holidays and beyond. The SNCF national rail authority said about 60% of trains were at a standstill Thursday, down from 90% earlier in the strike. While provincial cities have suffered fewer problems, tourists and Paris commuters alike are still struggling to get around the French capital, spending hours fighting through clogged intersections or waiting for elusive subway trains. The government hopes to reach a deal with more moderate players such as France’s largest union, CFDT, which Macron hopes may divide and weaken the protest movement. CFDT Secretary General Laurent Berger said Thursday the government showed a “willingness to discuss” the issue. French strike shuts down the Eiffel Tower, trains, metro. He acknowledged that given lengthening life expectancy and the high cost of France’s pension system, “yes, we will have to work a bit longer” — but said if the government doesn’t abandon the idea of a fixed new retirement age of 64 by January, his union will continue to protest. Recent polls show a majority of the French support the strikes and protests, as they fear the proposals will make them work longer in return for lower pensions.

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Dubai to host 5 mln tourists during Christmas, New Year

DUBAI, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- Dubai is expected to host some five million tourists during the peak period of the Christmas and New Year, the official WAM news agency reported Sunday. Dubai is ranked among the top ten favorite international destinations in 2020 on the annual list of Lonely Planet, a leading international travel and tourism guide. The city will host Expo 2020, an international event ready to attract people from all over the world. Expo 2020 Dubai is the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East. Dubai, rich in tourism and entertainment options, receives millions of tourists annually.

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American Airlines and Royal Air Maroc set date for new partnership.

American Airlines and Royal Air Maroc have a Boxing Day present for travelers, launching their new codeshare partnership ahead of the U.S. carrier’s first foray into Africa. The carriers will begin codesharing on certain routes across each others networks on Dec. 26, American said Friday. Routes covered include Royal Air Maroc’s between the U.S. and Casablanca (CMN) as well as onward service to Marrakech (RAK) in Morocco, and select American routes in the U.S. The codeshare will expand to additional routes in 2020, including Royal Air Maroc service to Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire (ABJ), Lagos, Nigeria (LOS), and Luanda, Angola (LAD). A codeshare allows one airline, American for example, to sell flights operated by another carrier, Royal Air Maroc let’s say, under its own flight number. This facilitates connections and allows airlines to artificially expand their route maps without adding new service. The partnership is expected to grow further when American begins flights between Philadelphia (PHL) and Casablanca in June. The route will be American Airlines’ first ever to Africa. Royal Air Maroc is also on track to join Oneworld with American in 2020. The airline will be the alliance’s first in Africa.

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