This week, the Biden administration lifted restrictions on its pandemic travel ban, allowing vaccinated visitors from Canada, China, Mexico, and other countries to enter the U.S. for the first time in 18 months. For major American museums, where international visitors have historically accounted for major portions of yearly attendance figures, the news was surely welcomed.

Visitor numbers dropped roughly 70 percent at the Art Institute of Chicago, for example, from roughly 1.5 million to 420,000 in the 2020 fiscal year, according to a museum spokesperson. In previous years, international guests accounted for 25 to 30 percent of ticket buyers, representing about $5 million in admission revenue.

We are optimistic about the return of international travelers, but know that return will be gradual, the representative said, noting that, for the time being, the institution is continuing to focus primarily on local audiences.

The Smithsonian, which doesnt charge admission and thus cant track where visitors come from, saw similar decreases in its overall numbers during the same period of time, according to its public engagement data. Attendance numbers dipped 67 percent across the Smithsonians various museums, from roughly 23.3 million to 7.6 million in the 2019 fiscal year.

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Courtesy of the museum.

Meanwhile the New York Times reported this week that, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where international travelers account for about a third of attendance, daily visitor numbers have been cut in half since the start of the pandemic. And the effects have been even greater when it comes to admission profits, since the museum has a pay-what-you-want policy in place for New Yorkers.

However, not every institution can expect a bump in foot traffic with the amending of travel restrictions.At the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, a southern institution less frequented by foreigners than those on the coasts (90 percent of the museums annual visitors are local), the change to the travel ban will likely have no noticeable impact, a representative said.

In the last fiscal year, 455,000 visitors came to the museum, down from nearly a million during the previous cycle. But the museum has rebounded like few others have: At this time, attendance is back above pre-pandemic levels, the museum spokesperson said.

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As the Biden Administration Lifts Travel Bans on Visitors to the U.S., Museums Hope It Will Boost Lagging Attendance - artnet News

More than 250 Maryville College freshmen tested their abilities to navigate international travel Monday, Nov. 8, by speaking foreign languages, calculating currency exchanges and packing for the trip.

The challenges were among nine stations laid out on the campus grounds for "Around the World in 50 Minutes," an event sponsored by the college's Center for Global Engagement and Global+ initiative.

The immediate prize for students was water bottles, but the college also hopes the event piqued their interest in travel, showed them how to navigate potential obstacles to studying abroad and exposed them to different cultures.

Resuming travel

The global pandemic shut down study-abroad plans for about 200 MC Scots in the summer of 2020, and one student was forced to return early from studying in Milan when COVID-19 cases closed Italian schools and colleges in March of that year.

Kirsten Sheppard, the college's director of global engagement, said rebuilding the education abroad program will take time. "Heath and safety of our students is our first priority," she said.

Currently the college is monitoring countries where five students are scheduled to study next semester and plans to make a decision 75 days before their departures.

Maryville College also hopes to make decisions by the end of this semester about two travel programs with about 15 students each, a spring break trip to Switzerland and a May term trip to Amsterdam.

Global citizens

While it has been nearly two years since Maryville College sent students abroad, in the meantime it launched a Global+ Program that increases intercultural competencies throughout the curriculum.

The college explains on its website, "This generation of students lives in an interconnected, diverse, and rapidly changing world. Global (intercultural) competency is one of the main tools we, as educators, can give students to thrive in this new environment."

It defines global competence as "the capacity to understand and appreciate local and global issues, diverse perspectives and world views and interact appropriately and effectively with people from different cultures and identities.

During COVID-19, Sheppard said, the college "integrated virtual study and internships abroad, and we have developed several Global+ courses that embed global perspectives, guest speakers and projects."

The college also is developing a Global+Certificate program it hopes to take to the faculty and board this spring.

This program aims for students to be able to think globally, communicate across languages and build relationships with people from other cultures.

Packed for success

During Monday's event, facilitators included tidbits of information, such as the ability to receive scholarships for study abroad and the fact students can study in English in dozens of other countries.

Teams of students worked together on challenges such as packing a suitcase in 90 seconds. While several knew to roll clothes for packing, they also learned to place their passport for easy retrieval and take reminders of accommodations that don't include them.

They had to use chopsticks to move marshmallows or build an "Eiffel Tower" more than a meter high using aluminum foil.

One of the language challenges had students translate a key text from one of five languages taught on campus, although they could use an app too. The translation: "Excuse me. Would you please help me?"

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Maryville College freshmen travel 'Around the World in 50 Minutes' - Maryville Daily Times

Before there was bread or pasta, much less meat or fish, there was rice. Growing up in Hawaii, Texas and Maryland, I ate rice three times a day: with fish for breakfast; with Spam and nori for lunch; with hamburger or more fish or tofu for dinner. In my childhood, Thanksgiving turkey was served not with mashed potatoes but rice; steak not with frites but rice; scrambled eggs not with toast but rice. (It wasnt until I went to college on the East Coast that I finally experienced classic American dishes accompanied by their traditional starches.) And it was always the same kind: white, short-grain Japanese rice, polished and glossy, pleasantly clumpy and quick to yield between the teeth, clinging to the chopstick, sticking to the spoon. In adulthood, when rice became a kind of decadence, sacrificed in adherence to a supposedly healthier, definitely less satisfying low-carb diet, the mere scent of it made me wistful how much easier life seemed before rice became so complicated.

- Tracing Mexicos history through its ambivalent relationship to rice, a staple inextricable from colonialism.

- When scorched on the bottom of the pot by a skilled cook, rice transforms from bland supporting actor to rich, complex protagonist.

- Mansaf, a Bedouin dish of lamb and rice, is both a national symbol in Jordan and a talisman of home for suburban Detroits Arab American diaspora.

- Senegal, which consumes more rice per capita, most of it imported, than almost any other African nation, is attempting to resuscitate homegrown varieties.

Over the past few years, however, Ive returned to rice, eating it as I once did (if not as often as I once did), with everything from meatloaf to poached salmon. And why not? Much of the rest of the world never abandoned it. After wheat, rice is our most, and most widely consumed, grain and, although it has origins in both Asia and Africa, its today difficult to find a culture that hasnt made it its own, often in recipes that have become synonymous with a regional or national cuisine: risotto in Italy, horchata in Mexico, rice and beans in the Dominican Republic. The fact that, as Aatish Taseer learns on his trip to Oaxaca, rice remains in some places a 500-year-old interloper, its introduction the result of conquest and colonization, fails to diminish our species gift for culinary interpretation and resourcefulness.

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Seeing the World Through a Grain of Rice - The New York Times

Just a few changes to our flying habits would be enough to partly reverse global warming caused by the aviation industry. According to a new study, if we were to reduce air traffic by just 2.5 per cent each year, warming will consistently level off over the coming decades.

However, with the current growth rate of aviation, the industry will be responsible for around nearly 0.1C of heating by 2050. This is a huge amount for one industry to be responsible for.

Report author, Milan Klwer, from the University of Oxford and colleagues from Manchester Metropolitan University calculated that to date, aircraft are responsible for 0.04C of global heating. This is about 4 per cent of the 1.2C temperature increase humans have caused since the Industrial Revolution.

If aviation continues to grow at about 3 per cent a year then it will have caused 0.09C of heating by 2050.

Mr Klwer warns that as world leaders and delegates at COP26 haggle over targets to limit global warming to 1.5C, aviation is unlikely to be included in them, given the lack of low-carbon alternatives to long-haul flights

Sustainable aviation fuels, and hydrogen or electric planes, are being developed, although the climate scientist believes that none of these technologies are currently available at the necessary scale. He says that at the current rate, the world will have warmed by 2C within three decades.

On Monday British Airways' first flight to the newly-reopened US departed for New York. It was fuelled by a 35 per cent blend of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) provided by BP and made from used cooking oil.

According to BA, it's the first commercial transatlantic flight ever to be operated with such a significant level of the fuel blended with traditional jet fuel. The flight was also carried out by the airline's most fuel-efficient long-haul aircraft, the A350, making its overall CO2 emissions more than 50 per cent less than its now-retired 747 aircraft, the company said.

"Aviation has so far been quite slow to make the step change in technology that they need to make, which is to move to hydrogen and renewable energy," said Harold Goodwin, Responsible Tourism Director at the Institute of Place Management, Managing Director of the Responsible Tourism Partnership and adviser to the World Travel Market on its Responsible Tourism programme.

"We will see short or very short-haul electric flights soon. Airbus is also making great progress on hydrogen". However, according to Mr Goodwin the developer of the famous Rolls Royce engine recently told him, "if the engineers were just given the money to get on with the job, they would have hydrogen-powered aviation in the near future."

Resolving to fly less can also contribute considerably to reducing the number of unnecessary flights, says Mr Kloewer and Mr Goodwin agrees: "People need to think about holidaying closer to home and see what's available in their own country."

Individual travellers should also try to take direct flight, and just take hand luggage rather than checking in bags to reduce the aircraft's weight.

"Fly with the budget carriers in the more modern planes then carbon emissions will go down. Any traveller can now look up the most carbon-efficient flights on Google."

"I've had a look at some of those and the majority of them, the most carbon-efficient, are also the cheapest".

On current trends, Mr Goodwin believes that by 2050 the aviation industry will be subject to serious regulation.

The risks to the aviation industry and for travel and tourism, in general, are extremely serious; "For countries like the Gambia or the Caribbean islands, which are highly dependent on tourism, losing the opportunity to travel by air is a real existential threat for them".

Mr Goodwin suggests that we only fly once a year and make it a longer trip, rather than lots of short trips.

"Look at the way the Japanese travel. They come to Europe, they do several different European countries and they stay for a while. It's that kind of approach.

The group of travellers that concerns Mr Goodwin the most are those on zero-hours contracts or short term contracts, who are "very prone to travelling short notice on short hall on European city breaks. They generally fly because they have no paid holidays". A three week holiday for them is "not an option."

"I think we need to think about how the travel and tourism industry works to try and encourage a proper holiday structure for people so they can travel for longer."

In his study, Mr Klwer suggests that politicians should shift subsidies from flying to more sustainable modes of transport, such as train journeys.

"Travelling by train is not such an issue in Europe," says Mr Goodwin, "but it's a big issue in the UK because we just don't have the rapid transit available".

"In China and Japan, where the bullet trains are operating, it's really quick. There are a lot of people not using flights anymore, including tour operators. Those changes will make a really big difference".

"If you look at Intrepid, they are doing all the transfers within the itinerary for their travellers. But without flying.

One travel company that's stepping up is No Fly Travel Club. As the name implies, they organise trips that don't involve any flights.

Itineraries mostly use high-speed rail thereby helping customers to shrink their carbon footprint by 70 per cent. Weekend breaks include exploring Mediterranean Marseille, a night-train adventure to Vienna and wine tasting in the Loire Valley.

Founder Catherine Livesley said that when people want to take a city break, pre-pandemic, "just hopping on a plane becomes the default option" because train travel can be confusing to organise and people aren't aware of all the great places you can reach by train.

In designing their trips the company looked at how straightforward the journey would be: "Not necessarily how long, but how many connections and with most places there is only one change".

"Also the cities or locations have a lot of small businesses that are sustainable and you can make your own decisions while you're there, such as eating organic food or buying local produce".

No Fly Travel Club have recently launched flight-free city breaks, departing from London.

These can often be as quick as flying to your destination. "For example, the train to Marseille takes roughly seven hours and by the time you've got to the airport and flown there, the time works out more or less the same, and the price doesn't work out that different, either," says Catherine.

Prices for the trip start from 450 per person and go up to 800-900 per person. "Some are slightly more high-end, but there's a range of prices because we really wanted it to be accessible. There's no point having a sustainable city break that only millionaires can afford".

Firstly, there needs to be more awareness of the options available to us, says Catherine. "In the UK we're so fortunate to be plugged into this network of European rail. You can reach so many destinations in less than a day's travel and I honestly don't think people know that".

A lot of people want to see rail travel become "more accessible, cheaper" she added.

"Unfortunately, [UK Chancellor of the Exchequer] Rishi Sunak's decided to provide more subsidies for domestic flights. But it would be possible to make rail travel cheaper if governments decided to move in that direction".

Part of what No Fly Travel Club does is campaigning on these issues and raising awareness at the government level of what can be done to help people choose lower carbon types of transport.

"We work with flight free UK and other campaign groups, but at the moment it's about generating awareness of this problem".

"We need to give people these choices and not just default to the airlines being the voice of authority on aviation".

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Train travel can be as quick, cheap and easy to book as flights. Here's how to get onboard. - Euronews

"We're There To Help" Stimulus Plan provides resources and funding for franchise owners with Dream Vacations/CruiseOne

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Feb. 15, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, home-based travel agency franchise Dream Vacations/CruiseOne has been an industry leader with its support of its franchise owners. With the financial backing of its parent company World Travel Holdings, the nation's largest cruise agency and award-winning leisure travel company, the franchisor has raised the bar even higher by offering up to $1 Million in commercial loans to its franchise owners as part of its "We're There to Help" Stimulus Plan.

"For our franchise owners, travel is more than a passion, it is their livelihood and the pandemic has had serious implications on their businesses," said Drew Daly, senior vice president and general manager of Dream Vacations/CruiseOne. "As a franchisor, we take pride in providing our franchise owners the resources they need to succeed. However, in times like these, it is crucial to go beyond providing a 'business-in-a-box.' The success of our franchisees is our only business and this Stimulus Plan supports the foundation of our business model to support small business owners."

The "We're There to Help" Stimulus Plan, which represents World Travel Holdings' initials, has a three-pronged approach to providing franchisees with additional resources and financial assistance to navigate through 2021 and the COVID-19 pandemic.

World Travel Holdings-Funded Commercial Loan World Travel Holdings will make up to $1 Million available in commercial loans to qualified Dream Vacations/CruiseOne franchisees. Applicants will have to explain how they plan to use their funds and submit a business plan to be considered.

PPP Assistance with Bank Through a partnership with World Travel Holdings' banking institution, they negotiated an agreement where Dream Vacations/CruiseOne franchisees can receive assistance from the bank in securing a PPP loan.

Cares Page Dream Vacations/CruiseOne created a special section on its Business Center intranet that consolidates financial assistance information from World Travel Holdings, government, franchising, trade and business organizations in one easy-to-find location.

"We are seeing the biggest pent-up demand for travel in history and extremely strong bookings for the end of 2021 and into 2022, and after more than a year of minimal travel and sales, we want to help ensure our franchisees can sustain their business for when this travel boom arrives," said Brad Tolkin, co-CEO/chairman of World Travel Holdings. "In spite of World Travel Holdings not qualifying for PPP funds due to our size, it was very important to us to find a way to provide additional assistance for the small business owners within our franchise system. We know the future of leisure travel is bright and we want to do our part and assist our travel agency franchise owners to be ready to meet this demand."

Story continues

The "We're There to Help" Stimulus Plan is just one of many initiatives that Dream Vacations/CruiseOne has implemented to provide assistance to its franchisees during COVID-19. They have provided enhanced support to its existing franchisees by offering the option to defer monthly fees for up to six months; hosting Town Halls and webinars with industry executives; presenting robust virtual training and conferences; creating increased and unique engagement opportunities such as a Walking Club and more. Dream Vacations/CruiseOne has steadily been recruiting the entire year and new travel agency franchises are opening each month. The franchisor has adapted its onboarding process for new franchisees to better meet the unique challenges they are facing while opening during a pandemic. The saying "We Care More" has always been a mantra for Dream Vacations/CruiseOne, and it has never been as meaningful as it has these last 14 months.

To learn more about joining the travel agency franchise that cares more about its franchise owners, please visit http://www.dreamvacationsfranchise.com or call 888-249-8235.

About World Travel Holdings World Travel Holdings is the nation's largest cruise agency and award-winning leisure travel company with a portfolio of more than 40 diverse brands. In addition to owning some of the largest brands distributing cruises, villas, resort vacations, car rentals, resort day passes and luxury travel services, World Travel Holdings has a vast portfolio of private-label partnerships comprised of top leisure travel providers, including almost every U.S. airline, leading hotel brands and prominent corporations. The company also operates a top-rated travel agency franchise and the country's original host agency, and is consistently recognized as an industry leader in work-at-home employment. Its global presence includes operating multiple cruise brands in the United Kingdom. World Travel Holdings has offices in Wilmington, Mass.; Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.; New York, NY; and Chorley, England. For more information, visit WorldTravelHoldings.com.

About CruiseOne / Dream Vacations A member of the International Franchise Association, the top-ranked home-based travel agency franchise CruiseOne has been in operation since 1992, and its sister brand Dream Vacations launched in April 2016, giving franchisees a choice in how they want to brand their travel business. CruiseOne / Dream Vacations franchisees have the resources to plan and create seamless vacation experiences for their customers while offering the best value. CruiseOne / Dream Vacations is part of World Travel Holdings and has received franchise partner of the year, a top-ranking status, by all the major cruise lines as well as national recognition for its support of military veterans. For more information, visit http://www.DreamVacationsFranchise.com. Like CruiseOne / Dream Vacations on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/DreamVacationsFranchise, follow on Twitter at @Dream_Franchise and watch its videos at http://www.youtube.com/DreamVacationsBusiness.

Media Contact

Rachel Shapiro, Dream Vacations/CruiseOne, 954-958-3664, rshapiro@wth.com

SOURCE Dream Vacations/CruiseOne

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World Travel Holdings Offering Up to $1 Million in Commercial Loans to its Network of Travel Agency Franchise Owners as Part of a Financial Assistance...

anthony bourdain

Anthony Bourdain passed away in 2018, and it was a heartbreaking loss not only for food media, but also for people who loved living vicariously through his CNN travel show, Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown. Ive caught myself wondering a few times what hed think about our current situation, from the shitshow of the presidency to the pandemic, because Im guessing hed have a lot of deeply cutting things to say. But well never know.

His book World Travel: An Irreverent Guide will be released on April 20, and serves as a practical and fun travel guide from the perspective of someone who had been from Buenos Aires to a tribal longhouse in Borneo and practically everywhere in between. He covers some of his favorite places, and his words will guide you through how to get there, where to stay, what to eat, andjust as valuablewhat to avoid.

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This book has been put together by co-author Laurie Woolever, who functioned as Bourdains long time lieutenant. Shes also a food writer whos been published in New York Times, GQ, Food & Wine, Lucky Peach, and Saveur, and she also co-hosts a food podcast called Carbface for Radio with Chris Thornton (full disclosure: I make a guest appearance in one episode).

Other essays are peppered in Bourdains stories, some by friends and family, like his brother Chris and music producer Steve Albini, who will contribute a guide to Chicagos cheap food. The book is illustrated by Wesley Allsbrook. You can read an excerpt here at Entertainment Weekly, but mark your calendars for what surely will be a collection of lively essays from our favorite traveler.

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World Travel: An Irreverent Guide, Anthony Bourdains last, posthumous book, to be released on April 20 - Yahoo Lifestyle

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS Waverly Gebhardt didnt know she had the chance to go to Finland for the World Junior Championships until a week and a half before. She knew she was an alternate on the womens team and when a team member backed out, Gebhardt was asked if she wanted to make the trip. She and fellow Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club skier Wally Magill made the journey to Europe to compete in the FIS cross-country junior world championships and came home with some solid results.

Mentally preparing to race was tricky, and mentally making the decision to travel right now, that was a hard decision to make, Gebhardt said. The U.S. team and the crew there we were traveling with and the organization in Finland, they had all taken the right steps. They wouldnt have put the event on if it wasnt COVID safe. I felt good about that. Ultimately skiing is what we do. I couldnt pass up the opportunity.

At 19, Gebhardt is in her last year of eligibility for the junior championships. That was a factor in her decision to attend the event in Vuokatti, Finland. She said international travel felt a lot safer than domestic travel, since everyone traveling has to have a negative test. She also enjoyed that the international terminals and flights were far less crowded than domestic terminals.

Once in Finland, Gebhardt made the most of the long flight. In her first race, the sprint qualifiers, Gebhardt took 28th. That put her in the finals, which were sent out in heats, a format that she hadnt seen since last winter, before the pandemic. Gebhardt thrived, speeding to a 25th-place finish.

I was really happy with my sprint day, she said. That was sort of the race I was going there really fired up for.

A few days later, Gebhardt and Magill competed in the 5K and 10K freestyle race. Magill took 68th, just over three minutes behind the winner. Gebhardt finished the 5K in 51st. Although there were 50 skiers between her and the victor, she was less than two minutes behind the winner.

Magill was on track to finish in the 30s, but he crashed, and his binding disconnected from his ski entirely, leaving him scrambling to reattach it while the field passed him and his momentum halted.

In the 15K classic race two days later, Gebhardt earned 53rd. Magill finished the 30K classic race in 59th.

That last race, he basically said it was the worst race of his life, said Josh Smullin, SSWSC U20 head cross-country coach. Something went wrong in his body. It just wasnt working right.

At 18, Magill was among the youngest field of competitors and will have two more years to improve upon his results, should he make the team again.

The World Junior Championships are the most competitive races between athletes younger than 20 from across the world.

They got a big experience, Smullin said. I think Waverly came away with one solid result, and Wally came away hungry for more.

All the while, Gebhardt was taking classes virtually at the University of Vermont, where shes studying neuroscience. In a normal year, Gebhardt would have flat out missed a weeks worth of in-person classes, but the online classes allowed her to keep up.

Shell continue taking classes on the computer for the next week while she self-isolates. When she returns to training with her team, shes focusing her sights on the NCAA championships in mid-March.

To reach Shelby Reardon, call 970-871-4253, email sreardon@SteamboatPilot.com or follow her on Twitter @ByShelbyReardon.

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Steamboat cross-country skiers travel to closed-down Finland for World Junior Championships - Steamboat Pilot and Today

Frederick M. BrownGetty Images

When Anthony Bourdain passed away in 2018, the entire culinary world felt the loss. Three years following his death, a posthumous travel guide about his life and travels is set to hit shelves, which was started by the chef and author prior to his passing and was finished with the help of his assistant and those closest to him.

World Travel: An Irreverent Guide was originally due to be published in October 2020 but was left unfinished after Anthony's death in 2018. The travel guide is a 480-page book co-authored by his longtime assistant Laurie Woolever. After his death Woolever and Anthony's closest friends, family, and colleagues worked together to finish the piece. After his death Woolever and Anthony's closest friends, family, and colleagues worked together to finish the piece.

World Travel: An Irreverent Guide

Anthony was always adamant about the important of travel and immersing oneself in the culture of a place to get to know the food and people. This book, set to be released in April 2021, will follow those same themes. According to the book's description on Amazon, it will dive into the fascinating stories of Anthony's global adventures.

"Anthony Bourdain saw more of the world than nearly anyone, " the description reads. "His travels took him from the hidden pockets of his hometown of New York to a tribal longhouse in Borneo, from cosmopolitan Buenos Aires, Paris, and Shanghai to Tanzanias utter beauty and the stunning desert solitude of Omans Empty Quarterand many places beyond."

World Travel: An Irreverent Guide is currently available for preorder on Amazon for about $35. It will be available in hardcover, Kindle, and audiobook versions.

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io

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Anthony Bourdains Posthumous Travel Guide Will Be Available This Spring - Delish

Sonya Bernard-Hollins once produced a coloring book about prominent Black graduates of Kalamazoo Public Schools, among them former Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter. Now shes at it againthis time shes created a coloring book of firsts of Kalamazoo African-American women and a similar coloring book of firsts about local African-American men. And shes involved her all-girls Merze Tate Explorers travel and community-service group in the project.

WMUK's Earlene McMichael talks with Sonya Bernard-Hollins (aired 2/16/21) Scroll down for a longer version

We use our organization to not only teach girls about history but to allow them to teach their next generation as well, Bernard-Hollins says in an interview that aired today on WMUK 102.1 FM, as a part of a monthlong series featuring local citizens making a difference. The girls have made mini-documentaries about the women in her new "Your Turn!" coloring book series.

Bernard-Hollins, a Kalamazoo native, and her graphic-designer husband, Sean, own Season Press Publishing. They both earned Community Arts Awards from the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo in 2020. Sean won the Business Arts Award; Sonya won the Gayle Hoogstraten Arts Leadership Award for Arts Education.

Sonya Bernard-Hollins graduated in 1993 from Western Michigan University with a degree in English and journalism. She named her Merze Tate Explorers travel club after a fellow alumna, Merze Tate, who, in 1927, became the first African-American to earn a bachelors degree from WMU. The group's members, who are in fourth through 12th grades, are exposed to careers and the world through traveling, meeting trailblazing women and doing multi-media projects.

Tate spoke five languages. She was a world traveler and high-school and college educator in history. Tate would expand her students world view by taking them on trips. Bernard-Hollins has authored a children's book about this accomplished woman. She also developed a traveling exhibit about Tate. It debuted at the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame in 2011.

Bernard-Hollins founded the Merze Tate Explorers in 2008. Her girls have visited France, Japan, Canada, Italy, Hawaii and many other places. Every year, they publish a magazine detailing their journeys and interviews with high-profile career women. They also chronicle their projects on their YouTube channel.

For more about Merze Tate, check out this just released WMU News Service article. For more about Sonya Bernard-Hollins, watch an interview with her at 7 pm Friday, Feb. 26 on the city of Portage's website.

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Showing Girls the World With Travel, Service & Media - WMUK

Landscapes of New Zealand stun, from one end of the island chain, to the other.

Last Friday wrapped up the much needed New Zealand wine week, a bright spot in a dark winter thats dragging for much of America. Tasting through a dozen wines sparked memories of my last visit to this extraordinary placeand a bit of envy that New Zealand is not only in the throes of summer exuberance but largely back to normal as far as domestic life. Its for these memories of places and people pastand hopes for future experiencesthat I open wine. Ive temporarily lost interest in analyzing it, taking notes or keeping score; reducing wine to its molecules. Who cares in this moment, really. Rather, Im looking for joy, deliciousness, and honest intentions. I want to feel the wine, be transported by it, have my eyes pop open and utter dammit, this is why wine exists. New Zealand sets a high bar when it comes to this criteria.

As I wrote in my first No Passport Necessary column, wine represents so much more than just the liquid in the bottle. Its a snapshot in time, a lesson in impermanence, the embodiment of the truth that change is the only constant. Wine tells the story of the vintage, the ethos of the winemaker; it hints at the soil, climate, and labor to make it. Wine speaks to the history, culture, and traditions of a place, if you are open to listening to the tales in your glass. If you just want to drink and relax, thats okay, too. Wine is both teacher and tonic. Today, I mostly want a tonic.

During this year-long withdrawal into a cabin in New Yorks Catskills, I frequently recite the phrase this too, shall pass as comfort in meltdown moments. Then I select a bottle, with purpose, to transport me to faraway places.

Visit New Zealand with these five wines, no passport necessary.

Lakes and mountains define the landscape around Queenstown

Central Otago

Once an adventure sports capital, Queenstown developed into a bucket list destination for oenophiles. Outstanding restaurants, boutique hotels, and area wineries making life-changing Pinot Noir lured folks down there in the Before Covid or BC Timesback when people crossed borders in planes to travel. My maiden voyage to Queenstown was for the Central Otago Pinot Festival. On that first afternoon, still recovering from jet lag, I ran into an old friend. Shed left New York to become a winemaker, settling in permanently with vines, dogs, and a man in Otago. With a bottle of her wine, we headed out into the summer sun to sip and catch up on a decade of life. I remember the glacial blue water of the river, the purity of the air, the clarity of the Pinot, and the strangeness of seeing an old face in a new place. I now realize another ten years may pass before we do that again.

Valli, Bannockburn Vineyard Pinot Noir, 2016, $50 If youre the winemaker, this Bannockburn tastes like home. To the rest of us, it tastes like strawberries, spiced cocktail cherries and fantasies of a place to which wed flee if we couldlike Jen Parr did, the American winemaker (my friend) who joined Grant Taylor at Valli in 2015. This wine has power, concentration, and ethereal beautyand is meant for the long haul.

Quartz Reef, Bendigo Estate Single Vineyard Pinot Noir, 2017, $29 Fragrant and seductive, balancing elegance with confidence and focus. It smacks of churned dirt and raspberries; a languorous summer afternoon on a blanket by the river. It evokes carefree weekends and barbecues with friends, when we could commune over a meal in BC times.

Hawkes Bay

Hawke's Bay Vineyards

One of New Zealands warmer growing areas, the region produces outstanding Bordeaux blends, as well as varietal Merlot, Cabernet, and Syrah. The area is also home to great bike trails, fantastic beaches, and lots of independent restaurants. Well-preserved Art Deco buildings in the quaint town of Napier could serve as backdrop for a film set in the 1930s. Though I spent most of my time in wineries and comparative tastings, I made copious notes on places Id visit on a future trip. For now, a glass of wine will suffice.

Trinity Hill, "Gimblett Gravels" Syrah, 2017, $30 One might say New Zealand Syrah is woefully underrated because few Americans drink it; the truth is that its hard to find. For those writers, sommeliers, and consumers who do get their hands on a bottle, they often become lifelong converts. Trinity Hill makes outstanding Syrah, some quite expensivewhich makes this stylish $30 bottle brimming with herbs, fresh red berries, and smoked meats, a steal.

Craggy Range Winery, Te Kahu Gimblett Gravels, Bordeaux Blend, 2018, $24 Gorgeous aromatics escape the glass from this Bordeaux look-alike. Notes of fresh plums, cassis, olive, and a whiff of tobacco perfume this finely structured wine. Can either drink now or be rewarded with a year or two of patience.

Room with a view from an inn on Waiheke Island.

Waiheke Island

The Hamptons of Auckland, but waaaaaay more chill: thats how I remember Waiheke from my first trip six years ago. From the capital citys dock on the North Island, I tracked down the fast ferry. We sailed away, leaving Aucklands gleaming towers behind, the boats bow trained on the low-slung rock of beige beaches ahead. Id rented a tiny car for my 3-day trip on wine island. The agent gave me a few tips on left-lane driving, wishing me luck on the sleepy streets. Though roads get visitors most places, the best way to visit Man OWar, if youre lucky, rich, or connected, is by boat. Hidden away on a protected cove, the winerys cellar door feels like an escape from the world.

Man O' War, Dreadnought Syrah, 2017 Smoky, savory, and juicy, oak gives shape to dark, fleshy fruits. Yet, Waiheke wines arent made for analysis and tasting notes but for bottling a way of life. And life on Waiheke is idylliclet this Syrah encourage your daydreams.

Read the rest here:

Travel The World With Wine, No Passport Necessary: New Zealand Edition - Forbes

Amazon is offering the Apple World Travel Adapter Kit for $24.99 Prime shipped. If you are not a Prime member, orders that exceed $25 will qualify for free shipping. Thats $4 off the typical rate there and is a match for the lowest price we have tracked. Plan for future adventures with Apples official World Travel Adapter Kit. This offering is comprised of seven AC plugs that are specifically made with Apple products in mind. Included adapters support outlets in North America, Japan, China, UK, Continental Europe, Korea, Australia, and Hong Kong.

If bypassing Apple branding wont be a bother, Prime members should consider Castries All-In-One Worldwide Travel Charger at $16. This unit is able to handle voltages ranging from 100-250V, ensuring it can be used across over 200 countries. Four USB-A ports are built in and its rated 4.7/5 stars by more than 1,500 Amazon shoppers.

Speaking of Apple discounts, right now you can score a $100 Apple gift card with a $10 Target credit for as low as $95. This is a great way to lock in lower pricing on Apple subscriptions, apps, and more. And swing by our Apple guide to see if any other deals stand out to you.

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Apples official World Travel Adapter Kit returns to Amazon low of $25 - 9to5Toys

The country will have direct access to the 200 companies that represent 30% of what the tourism industry generates worldwide, will be able to get involved in the development of joint projects, share best practices, and receive information and data made by the international organization, among other benefits.

ProColombia will work hand in hand with the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) now as a member of this organization, one of the most important at the level in international in travel and tourism and focus efforts on removing travel barriers, restoring the confidence of tourists, and providing safe travel.

Having been accepted as a Destination Partner is very important news that further drives our management as an entity that promotes tourism internationally. We are grateful that the WTTC has placed its trust in our work and we are ready to contribute to the projects and initiatives that this important organization will undertake in 2021 focusing on the recovery of tourism, explained Flavia Santoro, president of ProColombia.

This membership will facilitate contact with companies worldwide since WTTC represents more than 200 companies that represent 30% of the income that the industry generates in the world: We will have access to the main private sector network in the world, which will allow us to leverage commercial opportunities both to attract international tourists and foreign investment projects in tourism, added Santoro.

Among other benefits of the new membership, is being part of the network made up of countries around the world that helps promote and boost the industry. In this measure, ProColombia will have the opportunity to be part of the summits and events organized by the WTTC or to be part of its executive committee. In addition, theyll have the opportunity to get involved in the development of joint projects, share best practices and receive information and data made by the organization.

Since 2020, the WTTC has been a great ally for the country in the objective of supporting the tourism industry. According to Santoro, In addition to the World Tourism Organization, the WTTC endorsed the 'Check in certified, COVID-19 bioseguro' seal from the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, which has undoubtedly given 300 Colombian companies the prestige of both organizations by complying with all the safe parameters for travelers . WTTC also included Colombia in its list of safe travel destinations and granted it the Safe Travels seal, making it one of the seven countries to have such a recognition in South America along with Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru and Brazil.

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Colombia was accepted into the World Travel and Tourism Council - Travel Daily News International

MALAGA, SPAIN - Uzakrota Travel Awards the global initiative to recognize and reward excellence in travel and tourism unveiled the 2020 winners of its World Leading categories yesterday. It has been announced that Skal International has won the World's Leading Tourism Association Category among eight other associations that were nominated for this category.

After registration between 18th and 24th January 2021, the voting began on January 25, lasted until midnight on February 5, 2021. As a result of the competition, 182,475 votes were registered globally awards were distributed in 45 categories. The awards will be presented to the winners at Uzakrota Global Summit in Istanbul at a gala event on December 2, 2021.

"I am humbled and honored by the news that Skal International was voted the World's Leading Tourism Association by industry partners of the Travel Summit. I was privileged to participate as a panelist on 'New Content of Tourism; Urban Adventures and Events' during the 2020 Uzakrota Online Travel Summit in December. I want to thank Skal International Izmir as well as Kaan Yalcin, General Coordinator of Uzakrota, for a very successful and well-organized event," said Skal International World President Bill Rheaume.

Uzakrota has been listed as one of the 'World's Top 2018 Most Influential Tourism Events' by Netherlands-based Bidroom in the top 10, selected as one of the 'World's Top 2019 Events' by Japan-based HIS Travel in the top 5. This year, it was named 'World's Top 10 Tourism Events' by South African Hepstar.

"In these challenging times, Skal International has been committed to supporting the entire Tourism sector, with a special focus on our thousands of members, Tourism professionals in almost 100 countries around the world. In one of the biggest crises of all times, it is necessary to intensify efforts, appeal to collective understanding, and an awareness that we are stronger by working together. Therefore, our recognition in this award goes to all those who make this possible, our Skal International members," said Daniela Otero, CEO, Skal International.

Uzakrota Travel Summit is one of the biggest conference and foyer area for online travel agencies, airline companies, hotels, travel agencies, travel tech startups, hospitality investors, venture capitalists, tech companies, and distribution tech companies. Uzakrota Travel Summit is connecting the most prominent companies with the brightest minds and professionals of the travel industry around the World.

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Uzakrota Global Travel Awards has announced the global winners for the Travel and Tourism industry - 2020 - Travel Daily News International

Animal Crossing: New Horizons players have made some incredibly creative things using the real-world monuments that they've received from Gulliver.

TheAnimal Crossing: New Horizonscommunity has found tons of creative ways to take their islands' designs to the next level, mastering the game's customization mechanics. They've already found uses forvarious hacked items, such as the fence found on Harv's Island. Players have evenfound a whole host of unique ways to incorporateunique collectible items like thoseoffered by Gulliverinto island designs.

Gulliver's furniture items are all themed arounddifferent locations around the world, such as the Pyramids of Giza, which makes them somewhat difficult to use. Most players willsimply use these items as outdoor decoration, like putting the Statue of Liberty near the docks to welcome new players. However, some creative players have found some fascinating ways to use these items.

RELATED:Move Over, Mother 3 - THESE Nintendo Games Should Be Localized Too

These items can be acquired by helping the special NPC Gulliver locate the pieces of his communicator whenever he washes up on a player's island. It should be noted that there are two NPCs who can wash up on beaches that look strikingly similar, these being Gulliver and his pirate equivalent, Captain Gullivarrr. Gulliver, the non-pirate one, is the NPC that gives players furniture items themed around traveling the world.

These island designers have uploaded tons of online tutorials and speed builds to walk players through using some of these more obtuse items. The most popular world travel items seem to be the pyramids and thePagoda.Even if players don't want to use Gulliver's unique item set, some of the techniques players use with their world travel builds can help take a player's island to the next level.

One way that these furniture items are used is through forced-perspective set-pieces, which are perfect for giving islands more of a scenic view. The basic principle behind this design is that, when players look at a series of furniture in a specific way, it can look like a far-away setting. The Pagodas are used frequently with this design style since, from a distance, they can often look like feudal Japan towers.

RELATED:Link's Most Talkative Appearance Is in... Animal Crossing?

To do a forced-perspective set-piece, players will need to utilize the terrain editing tools to set up a viewing location for the set-piece. From there, the trick is to design the area to look as though it's much further away than it really is, using smaller furniture items andcustom patterns to complete the illusion. Setting up the forced-perspective set-piece as low as possible will also help sell the visual sinceNew Horizonshas a neat fog effect when viewing lower terrain.

Another more straightforward way that players have been using Gulliver's furniture set is to theme areas for certain villagers. A popular one is giving the popular Egyptian-themed cat villager Ankh a desert-like environment, complete with pyramids. With terrain painting tools and a few palm trees, players can help the pyramids feel right at home in a special themed region of an island.

There are also some smaller buildings the monument-themed items have been used for. Pyramids have been used as roofs for miniature houses made of panels, and the Statue of Liberty's torch has been utilizedas a stylized torch for various outdoor setups. These two methods can sometimes involve small amounts of building glitches and exploits, but they can also provide a unique look to a player's island.

KEEP READING:Animal Crossing: 5 Quality of Life Improvements That Would Transform New Horizons

Stellaris: How to Wage Successful Interstellar Wars

A writer for CBR since September 2020, Jacob Creswell is a life long writer and gamer. Has written for both local and global publications. Lover of Animal Crossing, Undertale, Team Fortress 2, and a little professional wrestling on the side. Often can be found doing way more research than needed for his video game theories. Can also be found on his Twitter, @Creeology98

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Animal Crossing Players Are Using Gulliver Items in SUPER Creative Builds - CBR - Comic Book Resources

WESTERLY Traveling to faraway lands may be on hold for most of us these days, but one local resident has made it possible to travel to 12 countries this Valentine's Day albeit vicariously.

Westerly native Ryan Jacobson, a 41-year-old middle school teacher, released his first travel book last month"The Adventures of Mr. Brightside" which zoomed straight to the top of Amazon's best-seller chart for travel-memoir books days after it arrived.

Readers of Jacobson's 316-page self-published book whose full title is "The Adventures of Mr. Brightside: One Man. One World. Three Very Different Budgets" can travel along with him as he journeys through a dozen countries from Portugal to Morocco; from Albania to India; from Sri Lanka to Thailand; from Laos to Cuba; from Mexico to Belize; and from Panama to Peru and shares stories about gorgeous beaches, fairy-tale countrysides, delicious daiquiris and divine desert experiences.

Readers can also experience the countries in three completely different fashions: on a "very low budget," a "moderate budget" and on "an all-out luxury budget."

Jacobson invites his readers to travel with him as he sips champagne in a Michelin-rated restaurant on the 65th floor of a world class hotel, then, the next morning, packs his backpack, hires a motorized rickshaw and heads to his home for the next four days: a cramped dorm room filled with strangers.

The book is more of a "how not to travel," Jacobson joked one afternoon last week as he described his journeys, highlighted some of his favorite places, foods and experiences, and explained how he landed upon his unusual plan.

Originally, said the veteran traveler, he planned to travel around the world in 12 months while visiting 12 countries and spending only $1,000. He planned to call that journey project "Venture Twelve."

But after "crunching some numbers while sipping a martini in his parents' hot tub," it dawned on him and members of his family agreed that he'd never survive on such a limited budget.

"So I went back to the drawing board," Jacobson writes in his prologue. "While it's true that I enjoy the finer things in life, I do also have the ability to 'rough it,' and get down and dirty."

Jacobson, who once spent a summer teaching in war-torn Uganda and a week hiking through the Grand Canyon and sleeping on a picnic table has also toured some of the country's finest vineyards and wineries and "mingled with celebrities" at speakeasies and in mansions.

"The point is, I'm like a cuttlefish," Jacobson said. "I have the ability to blend into any environment I need to in order to survive whatever situation I find myself randomly landing."

Thus he landed upon his plan, and, after roughly a year of dedicated planning, he headed off on his journey. With aspecial backpack one that could easily fit in the overhead luggage compartments of airplanespacked with comfy clothes and two permanently pressed designer suits for those fancier moments off he went to sample camel burgers and lion fish, crickets and scorpions, swim in aqua-colored waters, and meet up with friends along the way.

Erin Burke, a sommelier who grew up in Ledyard and first met Jacobson when the two worked as summer bartenders at the Windjammer in Misquamicut met up with Jacobson in Morocco and again in Italy, Albania, Montenegro, Hungary, Kosovo, Serbia, Macedonia, Panama and Colombia.

Although she especially enjoyed their time in the Sahara where they stayed in a five-star-rated tent, Albania might have been her favorite, she said.

"I'd like to return to Albania someday," Jacobson said.

"It was so special and so different," Burke said. "There are mountains and then there are amazing beaches."

Burke said reading "The Adventures of Mr. Brightside" was just like traveling with Ryan all over again.

"It's so much like him," she said. "You can hear his voice."

Jacobson's cousin,Rachel Doyle of Westerly, agreed.

"As I read 'The Adventures of Mr. Brightside,' I could hear Ryans voice telling the stories and could visualize him living out his many adventures," she said. "His book is laugh-out-loud funny. ... I could not put it down.

"My husband, Sean, and I bought two copies," Doyle added. "We read it simultaneously and would then discuss it. ... I'm already looking forward to the sequel."

Just last week, Chris Tillinghast Taylor, a Facebook friend of Jacobson's, posted this message to the author: "Ryan, I finished your amazing book today, in the wee hours of the morning. It was so much fun to read. Your humanity shines through your words and your humor is one-of- a-kind delightful. Thank you for sharing your courageous and amazing adventure. It was an honor to vicariously live through your travels."

Jacobson caught the travel bug when he was a youngster, said his mother, Michelle Jacobson of Westerly, and showed an interest in vacation planning from a young age too.

Both of her sons Ryan and his older brother, Corey "loved planning family vacations," added Michelle, who still remembers how Ryan would "tag along" whenever she and her sister would plan family vacations.

Her son, she said, has been a certified lifeguard, a bartender, a sommelier, a journalist, an elementary school teacher, a middle school teacher, a high school teacher and English as a second language teacher.

And now he is a published author.

However, she said, how her son voted "Friendliest" by members of the Westerly High School class of 1998 was able to travel around the world, along with his cousin, Vanessa Ravenelle Harwood, was only with "God's grace."

"He has a terrible sense of direction," she joked.

"The Adventures of Mr. Brightside," said Ryan, who dedicates his book to his "loving parents, William and Michelle Jacobson," will leave readers with "immense wanderlust" but at the same time an appreciation for being able to read it "from the comfort and safety of your own home."

To see photos and learn more about Jacobson's travels, visitventuretwelve.com.

nbfusaro@thewesterlysun.com

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Around the world with Ryan Jacobson: Westerly native's travel memoir takes readers to 12 countries - The Westerly Sun

Leisure Travel Market by Traveler Type (Solo and Group), Sales Channel (Conventional Channels, Online Channels), By Age Group (Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials and Generation Z) and By Expenditure Type (Lodging, Transportation, Food & Beverages, Events & Entertainment and Others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2027 , Covid 19 Outbreak Impact research report added by Report Ocean, is an in-depth analysis of market characteristics, size and growth, segmentation, regional and country breakdowns, competitive landscape, market shares, trends and strategies for this market. It traces the markets historic and forecast market growth by geography. It places the market within the context of the wider Leisure Travel market, and compares it with other markets., market definition, regional market opportunity, sales and revenue by region, manufacturing cost analysis, Industrial Chain, market effect factors analysis, Leisure Travel market size forecast, market data & Graphs and Statistics, Tables, Bar &Pie Charts, and many more for business intelligence. Get complete Report (Including Full TOC, 100+ Tables & Figures, and Chart). In-depth Analysis Pre & Post COVID-19 Market Outbreak Impact Analysis

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The global leisure travel market size was valued at $1,006.5 billion in 2019, and is projected to reach $1,737.3 billion by 2027, registering a CAGR of 22.6% from 2021 to 2027. Leisure travel is a form of vacation which involves a number of activities ranging from visiting newThe global solar water heater market was valued at $4.7 billion in 2019, and is projected to reach $6.7 billion by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 6.1% from 2020 to 2027.

Solar water heater, also known as solar domestic hot water systems, is majorly used as a cost-effective way to generate hot water for residential, commercial, and industrial end users. The system consists of a water tank and a solar collector. Solar collectors are of two types, glazed and unglazed. Glazed solar collectors are often preferred for large applications due to their high absorption efficiency. Some of the major applications of solar water heater include preheating boiler feed water and washing & cleaning in hospitals, hotels, and dormitories.

Increase in demand for cost-effective energy solutions for water heating is expected to boost the market growth. Zero emission from solar water heater makes it a suitable choice over conventional gas water heaters. In addition, solar water heaters consume zero natural resources such as oil and gas. For instance, the sun shining on 1m of roof replaces 100 liters of heating oil or 100m of natural gas. Furthermore, rise in concern from governments on installation of solar products is anticipates to positively impact the market growth. Governments across the globe implement new rebate and incentive schemes to attract new customer segments. For instance, all residential and commercial areas in Victoria, Australia rebates are worth up to $700 depending on the type and size of the system installed. However, solar water heating needs large roof area and direct exposure to sunlight as it may not function on cloudy or foggy days. Nonetheless, advancements in back up energy systems maintaining performance on cloudy days are projected to create lucrative opportunities in the market.

The global solar water heater market is segmented on the basis of type, capacity, and end user. On the basis of type, it is divided into glazed and unglazed. Glazed water heater can absorb much sunlight than unglazed water heater, which makes it suitable for different climates throughout the year. Based on capacity, it is categorized into 100 liter, 150 liter, 200 liter, and others. The 200 liter capacity segment accounted for significant revenue share. This is attributed to increase in demand in the residential sector. Based on end user, it is segmented into residential, industrial, and commercial. The residential sector accounted for significant revenue share, owing to rise in investment in the construction sector in the re-establishment and refurbishment of buildings. Region-wise, it is analyzed across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and LAMEA, with country level analysis of each region.

Major players have adopted product launch, business expansion, and acquisition to sustain the intense market competition. The key players profiled in the report include Himin Solar Energy Group, V-Guard Industries Ltd, Ariston Thermo SpA, KODSAN Company, Solav Energy, Zhejiang JiaDeLe Solar Co., Ltd., SunPower Corporation, A.O. Smith, and Alternate Energy Technologies.

COVID-19 scenario analysis:

The global solar water heater market is expected to witness significant downfall in the long term.

This is attributed to shortage of manpower and social distancing norms, which delayed new installations.

In addition, the sharp decline in consumer expenditure highly affected the demand for various solar panels and solar collectors.

Moreover, the upstream and downstream channels have been negatively impacted during the lockdown, which led to increase in inventory carrying cost.

Furthermore, high dependency on Chinese exports for solar cell and solar module negatively impacted the market. Since the manufacturing firms in China were idle for the last few months, it highly impacted the production process in India.

Key benefits for stakeholders:

The global solar water heater market analysis covers in-depth information of major industry participants.

Porters five forces analysis helps to analyze the potential of buyers & suppliers and the competitive scenario of the industry for strategy building.

Major countries have been mapped according to their individual revenue contribution to the regional market.

The report provides in-depth analysis of the global solar water heater market for the period 2020-2027.

The report outlines the current global solar water heater market trends and future estimations of the global solar water heater market from 2019 to 2027 to understand the prevailing opportunities and potential investment pockets.

Key drivers, restraints, & opportunities and their detailed impact analysis of the global solar water heater market are explained in the study.

location, staying in resorts or hotel, experiencing various tourist attractions to going to health clubs and more. People often opt for leisure travel to unwind and experience new cultures and meet new people.

The leisure travel economy comprised of a well-entrenched biosphere of industries including but not limited to logistics, accommodation, food, retail, recreation and other tourism services Companies, large and small in associated industries continuously strive to create experiences bringing people together, support communities and boosting economics of country. Substantial investment on tourism have multiplier effects in the expansion of economy including infrastructure development, stimulating private investment, aggregate demand and jobs. Tourism offers direct and indirect aid to a nations economy as a result past few years have saw remarkable growth in the attention paid by tourism development experts, policy makers, and industry leaders especially in the developing region of Asia-pacific and Africa region.

Recent years have seen paradigm shift towards experience rather than goods. Spending on consumer durables, apparels have seen faltering however, experiential spending on recreation, travel, and eating have seen rapid growth. As a result, travel is outpacing demand for goods. The trend is in sync with growing number of global outbound tourists in the last few years. The robust growth is expected to continue in the estimated future, driven primarily by the expansion of low cost airlines, government initiatives and technological advancements.

While the expansion in tourism industry has led to creation of jobs, a proliferation of tour operators, and increased ease in booking accommodation, logistics and services, the push comes with its own set of unique challenges-economic slowdown, infrastructure, and political tensions, among other.

The leisure travel market has been segmented based on traveler type, sales channel, age group, expenditure type and region. Based on traveler type, the leisure travel market is bifurcated into solo and group. Based on sales channel the global market is studied across conventional channels, online channels. By age group, it is divided into baby boomers, generation X, Millennials and Generation- Z. On the basis of expenditure type, the market is categorized into lodging, transportation, food and beverages, events & entertainment and others. Region wise, the market is studied across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and LAMEA

The key players profiled in the report includes Expedia Group, Priceline Group, Carlson Wagonlit Travel, JTB Americas Group, World Travel, Inc., American Express Travel, Travel Leaders Group, TUI Group., Thomas Cook (India) Limited and Cox & Kings Ltd.

KEY BENEFITS FOR STAKEHOLDERS

This report provides a quantitative analysis of the market segments, current trends, estimations, and dynamics of the leisure travel market analysis from 2019 to 2027 to identify the prevailing leisure travel market opportunities.

The market research is offered along with information related to key drivers, restraints, and opportunities.

Porters five forces analysis highlights the potency of buyers and suppliers to enable stakeholders make profit-oriented business decisions and strengthen their supplier-buyer network.

In-depth analysis of the leisure travel market segmentation assists to determine the prevailing market opportunities.

Major countries in each region are mapped according to their revenue contribution to the global market industry.

Market player positioning facilitates benchmarking and provides a clear understanding of the present position of the market players.

The report includes the analysis of the regional as well as global leisure travel market trends, key players, market segments, application areas, and market growth strategies.

Key Segments Studied in the Global Leisure Travel Market

A combination of factors, including COVID-19 containment situation, end-use market recovery & Recovery Timeline of 2020/ 2021

Under COVID-19 Outbreak Impact Analysis:We analyzed industry trends in the context of COVID-19. We analyzed the impact of COVID-19 on the product industry chain based on the upstream and downstream markets. We analyze the impact of COVID-19 on various regions and major countries.The impact of COVID-19 on the future development of the industry is pointed out.

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Geographical Breakdown: The regional and country breakdowns section gives an analysis of the market in each geography and the size of the market by geography and compares their historic and forecast growth. It covers the impact and recovery path of Covid 19 for all regions, key developed countries and major emerging markets.

Countries:Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, UAE, UK, USA, Venezuela, Vietnam

In-Depth Qualitative COVID 19 Outbreak Impact Analysis Include Identification And Investigation Of The Following Aspects:

The research includes the key strategic activities such as R&D plans, M&A completed, agreements, new launches, collaborations, partnerships & (JV) Joint ventures, and regional growth of the key competitors operating in the market at global and regional scale.

Key Market Features in COVID-19 Outbreak:

The report highlights market features, including revenue, weighted average regional price, capacity utilization rate, production rate, gross margins, consumption, import & export, supply & demand, cost bench-marking, market share, CAGR, and gross margin.

Market Highlights & ApproachThe report provides the rigorously studied and evaluated data of the top industry players and their scope in the market by means of several analytical tools. The analytical tools such as Porters five forces analysis, feasibility study, SWOT analysis, and ROI analysis have been practiced reviewing the growth of the key players operating in the market.

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The Study Explore COVID 19 Outbreak Impact Analysis

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Key Points Covered in Leisure Travel Market Report:

Chapter 1, to describe Definition, Specifications and Classification of Global Leisure Travel, Applications of, Market Segment by Regions;Chapter 2, to analyze the Manufacturing Cost Structure, Raw Material and Suppliers, Manufacturing Process, Industry Chain Structure;Chapter 3, to display the Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of , Capacity and Commercial Production Date, Manufacturing Plants Distribution, Export & Import, R&D Status and Technology Source, Raw Materials Sources Analysis;Chapter 4, to show the Overall Market Analysis, Capacity Analysis (Company Segment), Sales Analysis (Company Segment), Sales Price Analysis (Company Segment);Chapter 5 and 6, to show the Regional Market Analysis that includes United States, EU, Japan, China, India & Southeast Asia, Segment Market Analysis (by Type);Chapter 7 and 8, to explore the Market Analysis by Application Major Manufacturers Analysis;Chapter 9, Market Trend Analysis, Regional Market Trend, Market Trend by Product Type, Market Trend by Application;Chapter 10, Regional Marketing Type Analysis, International Trade Type Analysis, Supply Chain Analysis;Chapter 11, to analyze the Consumers Analysis of Global Leisure Travel by region, type and application;Chapter 12, to describe Leisure Travel Research Findings and Conclusion, Appendix, methodology and data source;Chapter 13, 14 and 15, to describe Leisure Travel sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data source.

..and view more in complete table of Contents

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Leisure Travel Market: What most excites you about the possibilities/opportunities hidden within industrial data? KSU | The Sentinel Newspaper - KSU...

Covid-19 has brought international travel to a standstill. But it will recover and may even become a better experience, says Simon Wright

Feb 11th 2021

LUGGAGE UNPACKS how international travel has changed down the ages. Adventurers in the 15th-century age of discovery set sail in galleons loaded to the gunwales with supplies for voyages that might take years. Aristocrats on a grand tour in the 18th century trekked around Europe for months in horse-drawn carriages packed with trunks, servants and even furniture. The suitcase arrived at the end of the 19th century when spending several weeks abroad became more common for the wealthy. By the 1970s tourists and executives needed to cart the wherewithal for a few nights away through vast airports. And so the wheelie-bag came to symbolise the era of mass travel.

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The rise of the wheelie-bag reflects the falling cost and increasing speed of long-distance travel. Cheaper air fares, rising incomes and more leisure time have made foreign trips routine and a holiday abroad accessible to many in the rich world wishing to escape their daily stress. Travel brings new experiences and memories (or moments to capture on Instagram). And if not every mind is broadened, surely few suffer the opposite effect. As Mark Twain put it, Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness.

The ease of travel has not just expanded tourism. As companies have spread across the world so have their workers. Business travel keeps multinational companies and supply chains connected. And the ability to get away has let people spread around the world to work, learn or just have a change of scene. As families have dispersed so has the need to keep in touch or attend weddings and birthday parties in foreign parts. It has brought the world together by allowing family and friends to live farther apart.

Yet until recently few people went far. Travel was slow, difficult and expensive when it relied on wind or horsepower. Steam and railways opened the gates a little wider. But getting far afield even 100 years ago took an ocean liner or airship, a pricey way to go. A first-class cabin on the Titanic in 1912 started at 30 ($3,500 today); a transatlantic ticket on the Hindenburg cost $400 in 1936 (both one-way, as it later turned out). The big surge in international travel came with flying. A train on the trans-Siberian route from Beijing to Moscow takes over five days; a flight around seven hours. Yet the real game-changer was cheaper fares. In 1950 only 25m people took a trip abroad, says the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO). By 2019 the number of trips had grown to 1.5bn (and that excludes migrants, refugees and visits of over a year).

Nearly three-fifths of international travellers arrived and departed by plane in 2019, compared with only 5% by sea and 1% by train, according to UNWTO. The 35% of travellers crossing borders in a car were mostly Europeans, inhabitants of the worlds largest travel market, taking advantage of their continents small size and good roads. Going on holiday is the main motive for travel abroad, accounting for 55% of trips. Business travel made up 11% of the total. Most of the rest was to visit families and friends abroad. Some travel for religious reasons (2m Muslims visit Mecca every year); and around 15m sought medical treatment in 2017.

International travellers have filled tills for hotels, restaurants, car-hire firms and tour operators. Their spending hit $1.5trn in 2019. Before covid-19, travel contributed 4.4% of GDP and 6.9% of employment in the OECD rich-country club. International travel made up 6.5% of global exports in 2019, according to the World Trade Organisation. In all, travel and tourism accounts for over 330m jobs, one in ten of the worlds total, claims the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC).

Covid-19 has devastated an industry that relies on the freedom of people to move. International travel stopped almost completely between March and May 2020, as four-fifths of countries closed their borders. Forbidden or unable to get around, travellers have stayed put. International arrivals fell by 70-75% in 2020, estimates the UNWTO, with 1bn fewer travellers and $1.1bn less spending (see chart). That is ten times the shortfall in travel spending in 2009 after the financial crisis. And recovery looks far off, even with effective vaccines. The OECD predicts that tourism will be among the last sectors of the economy torecover lost demand.

It is not all dark clouds, however. Greenhouse-gas emissions by commercial jets plunged in 2020, intensifying debate about how to curtail this pollution permanently. Destinations blighted by overtourism have had a break. And optimists reckon that in the long run the link between growing wealth and the urge to travel will remain unbroken. This report will argue that, for all its high short-term costs, the pandemic may accelerate trends that will eventually make travel both easier and less damaging. Todays travel industry may have taken a batteringbut the new one that emerges could be better than ever.

This article appeared in the Special report section of the print edition under the headline "The age of the wheelie-bag"

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The age of the wheelie-bag - What will travel look like after the pandemic? | Special report - The Economist

Travel bans have had a grim effect on the worlds travel and tourism sectors. They have severely impaced everything from hotels, airlines and car rental companies to tour operators, travel agencies and other related businesses.

Several governments have closed their borders to South Africans since December 2020. This was when the new strain of the COVID-19 virus was detected in the country. Travel bans have left South Africans feeling like lepers who are unwelcome as overseas visitors.

South Africans have had their wings clipped ever since certain foreign governments began to impose travel restrictions for fear of importing the new variant.

South Africans are currently banned from entering countries including the United Arab Emirates, Spain, the United Kingdom, United States and Republic of Ireland. These governments have also implemented travel bans on nationals from other countries considered high risk.

The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) represents the global travel and tourism sectors. This body is now calling on governments to shift their focus away from so-called high-risk countries. The council believes travel restrictions should apply to individual travellers rather than stigmatising entire nations.

We cannot continue labelling entire countries as high-risk, which assumes everyone is infected, council CEO Gloria Guevara said, as quoted by breakingtravelnews.com.

Not only does it stigmatise an entire nation, but it also halts travel and mobility when many people who test negative on departure and arrival could safely travel without exporting the virus.

Preventing entire nations from entering a country is detrimental to the travel and tourism sectors of many countries, and affects a broad spectrum of other sectors.

Guevara said: Risk-based on entire countries is neither effective nor productive. Redefining risk towards individual travellers instead will be key for unlocking the door to the return of safe international travel.

The council has called for the testing of individuals before travelling and upon arrival as a means of getting the worlds travel and tourism sectors working again. This will stop the haemorrhaging of a once-thriving sector which accounted for about 10% of the GDP of most countries before COVID-19 struck.

A comprehensive testing programme will be less expensive than the economic cost brought on by blanket quarantines and lockdowns, Guevara said.

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Hope on the horizon: Global tourism body calls for end to travel bans - The South African

In order to overcome the coronavirus crisis many tourism organisations are focusing on selling their attractions to the domestic travel market. What is more, modern technology has set a new standard for contact-free booking of tours and activities at holiday destinations. Tours and activities are now the third-largest market in the international travel industry. At ITB Berlin NOW, the Technology, Tours & Activities (TTA) segment powered by ARIVAL and Bookingkit is examining the key trends and developments in this fast-growing market. Participants can find out about the innovations, channels and platforms that have contributed to the success of the tours and activities market and the changes taking place due to the impact of the coronavirus crisis. At the ITB Berlin NOW Convention informative panel discussions and lectures by leading figures will provide important insights and an outlook for the future of this market. Together with its partner, the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA), the Worlds Leading Travel Trade Show will also take a look at how Adventure Travel is developing and what impact it is having on the climate. At the Adventure Travel and TTA-themed virtual cafes, participants in the Worlds Leading Travel Trade Show can discuss ideas and plans at all times of day.

Now that the coronavirus pandemic has brought city tourism and leisure attractions to a standstill in many countries, at the ITB Berlin NOW Convention leading providers will be highlighting the potential of smart technologies. At the TTA Forum on Tuesday, 9 March 2021, Lukas C.C. Hempel, CEO and co-founder of Bookingkit, Luuc Elzinga, founder and president of Tiqets, Claudio Bellinzona, founder and COO of Musement, Illaria D`Uva, CEO of D`Uva, and Christian Gross, director of Sales and Incoming at Convention Bureau and Operations Hochschwarzwald Tourismus GmbH, will discuss what the new normal after Covid will be like for travel sales and how revenues can be increased. Manuel Hilty, CEO of Nezasa, will take a look at the growing popularity of touring for several days and what that means for tour operators and sales. Afterwards, at an event moderated by Charlotte Lamp Davis, founder of A Bright Approach, Brian Young, managing director of G Adventures, and Travis Pittman, CEO and co-founder of TouRradar, will discuss the findings.

Focus on customer and employee satisfactionBy examining best practices, Nanna Ebert, head of Communications of Kongernes Samling (The Kings Collection), Dominique Exmann, managing director of Gardens & Visiting, Candide Gardening, and Jaume Vidal, regional manager for Spain, Portugal & Greece at Tiqets, will discuss how domestic tourism can assist the economic recovery from the pandemic and how attractions can meet the challenges of the future. Making people central to ones business model: the pandemic has raised awareness for safety and health among customers and employees. Milena Nikolova, chief behaviour officer of Behavior Smart, will illustrate how even minor changes can lead to greater satisfaction and profitability. On the Show Floor Anja Dominick, project officer for the PROWAD LINK Common Wadden Sea Secretariat, will highlight the benefits of sustainably developing natural landscapes.

Based on his Coronavirus & Recovery Pulse Survey, Douglas Quinby, CEO and co-founder of ARIVAL, will provide an insight into the future of the market for tours, activities and attractions. The results of polling more than 1,500 organisers around the world reveal the trends of the future, which are broken down by region and tourism market: Travels third-largest sector tours, activities and attractions has been one of the hardest-hit as international travel has come to all but a standstill. Despite this, opportunity, optimism and determination about its future abound", said Douglas Quinby, CEO of ARIVAL. Its great to see ITB Berlin devote so much attention to this important travel sector, and were thrilled to share new insights on the outlook for tours and attractions and the opportunity for global travel and tourism." At the discussion round to follow, Dominique Sidley, Global Trade Strategy director of Merlin Entertainments, Brad Weber, president and CEO of Gray Line Worldwide and David King, senior director of Global Sales and Account Management, Viator, will look at the most important developments.

Afterwards, in an interview Stephen Kaufer, CEO of Tripadvisor, will examine future travel trends and for the first time in Europe will present Tripadvisor Plus, a direct-to-consumer subscription scheme unique to the travel industry. Being able to distance oneself has increased the popularity of self-organised tours. At the Startup NOW Panel in the afternoon, Jan Dolezal, founder of SmartGuide, and Merja Taipaleenmaki, CEO of Citynomadi, will discuss the role of digital technology and how operators can benefit from these kinds of tours.

Sustainable solutions for adventure travelCompanies marketing adventure travel have also suffered from the coronavirus pandemic. Despite this, the signs point toward change. At ITB Berlin NOW numerous exhibitors are presenting new products. They include Africa Amini Life, Albatros Adventure, China Adventure, Evaneos, Forum Anders Reisen, Intrepid, Nationalpark Wattenmeer, Oceanwide Expeditions, and The Blue Yonder. Destinations such as Guatemala, Namibia, Panama and Visit Greenland will highlight the adventures that await travellers to their countries.

On Thursday, 11 March 2021, the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) will share their COVID-19 Health & Safety Guidelines with attendees at the ITB Berlin NOW Convention. Timo Gustavo, Destination Development director, and Gergana Nikolova, regional director for Europe & Central Asia, ATTA, will also present a new risk assessment tool. Christina Beckmann, founder of Tomorrow`s Air, will illustrate how specific effects caused by travelling such as greenhouse gases can be reduced. The company makes use of an innovative approach for cleaning up carbon emissions.

Georgia, the Digital Adventure and Sustainability Partner of ITB Berlin NOW, will be highlighting the adventures that a lively culture, biodiversity and pristine nature can offer. The country of supras and tamadas, which is famed for its hospitality, is also sponsoring the Responsible Tourism Cafe. Adventure-hungry visitors to ITB Berlin NOW can also meet at the Adventure Cafe, which is sponsored by Tourism Ireland.

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ITB Berlin NOW: Tours and activities as a way out of the crisis - Travel Daily News International

The hard hit that the tourism sector suffered worldwide in 2020 surpassed the predictions of all worst-case scenarios ever imagined in recent years.

A 74 per cent decrease in the number of international arrivals or one billion fewer international arrivals during the last year, compared to 2019 data, were all consequences of the rapid spread of the Coronavirus pandemic and its new strains that emerged in the United Kingdom, Brazil, and South Africa and have been detected in many countries by now.

An estimated USD 1.3 trillion have been lost in export revenues, in international travel during last year, over 11 times the loss registered during the 2009 global economic crisis, the figures published by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) reveal.

Due to the financial crisis provoked by the virus, between 100 and 120 million tourism jobs have been put at risk, most of which are small and medium-sized enterprises, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.

When the Coronavirus outbreak started to widely spread worldwide, most governments chose entry bans, quarantine rules, and travel restrictions as adequate preventive measures to halt the disease from spreading. But such responses brought a devastating financial situation for the tourism sector, among many other affected industries.

In November last year, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) foresaw that by the end of 2020, 174 persons could lose their jobs if the countries worldwide do not lift their travel restrictions.

In this regard, the World Tourism Organization Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said that even though much has been done in recovering the international travel, pointing out that they are aware that the crisis is far from over.

The harmonization, coordination, and digitalization of COVID-19 travel-related risk reduction measures, including testing, tracing and vaccination certificates, are essential foundations to promote safe travel and prepare for the recovery of tourism once conditions allow, Pololikashvili pointed out.

Even though the tourism in European countries was a bit revived during the summer of 2020, a total of 70 per cent decrease was marked in the number of arrivals. Furthermore, the continent suffered the largest decline last year when the number of international tourists was 500 million fewer.

The number of overall international tourists decreased by 98 per cent in April 2020, compared to the same month data one year earlier, Statistas data reveal. The figures show that the Coronavirus pandemic affected the most travel throughout Europe.

Travel restrictions imposed by countries governments lead to a profound decrease in the number of arrivals. According to Statistas data, the number of inbound tourist arrivals in Europe declined by 85 per cent overall.

A survey conducted by the UNWTO Panel of Experts brought different views regarding this years tourism situation. About 45 per cent of respondents predicted a better prospect for this year, compared to the previous year, 25 per cent of them envisaged similar performance, and 30 per cent foresee a worsening result during 2021.

The prospects of a rebound during 2021 have worsened, based on the UNWTO survey.

In total, 50 per cent of respondents expect a rebound to happen only in 2022, compared to 21 per cent in October 2020. The other half of survey participants see a potential rebound in 2021, even though below the expectations shown in the October 2020 survey, in which 79 per cent of respondents expected recovery in 2021.

Most experts do not see a return to pre-pandemic levels happening before 2023. In fact, 43% of respondents point to 2023, while 41 per cent expect a return to 2019 levels will only happen in 2024 or later, UNWTO report reveals.

The World Tourism Organization, through extended scenarios for 2021-2024, has indicated that international tourism would need two and a half to four years in order to get back to the pre-pandemic situation.

In October last year, the European Tourism Conventions president, Luis Araujo, said that the EU must act quickly and in a coordinated way, to save the livelihoods of all persons who depend on the tourism industry and capitalize on this opportunity to reinvent tourism in Europe.

The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) Council previously published data regarding some EU countries financial losses, such as Spain, Germany, France, and Italy.

WTTC stressed that Spain could lose over 40 billion euros during the summer of last year due to the Coronavirus pandemic situation.

According to the National Statistics Institute, the number of arrivals in Spain decreased to 19 million during last year, compared to 84 million visitors during 2019.

The Institute stressed that the international tourism income was 20 billion euros, a 79 per cent decrease compared to 92 billion euros received in 2019.

The World Travel and Tourism Council estimated that Germany could lose 38 billion due to the decrease in international tourists number during 2020.

Tours operators, travel agents, and tourism companies in Germany are urging their government to introduce a recovery strategy to help the tourism industry, which has been deeply affected by the Coronavirus pandemic.

The WTTC has estimated that during 2020, the number of international tourists would cause a 48 billion loss in France.

Besides, the same estimated that more than 2 million jobs in France territories connected to the tourism sector could also be lost.

Italy risked losing a total of 36.7 billion due to the lack of international tourists. According to the figures published by WTTC, the amount spent by tourists in Italy was foreseen to decrease by 82 per cent until the end of the year affecting Italys economy with 700 million a week on average.

In its 2020s report published in December, Airport Industry Connectivity Report, Airports Council International highlighted that over 6000 air routes that earlier operated from Europes airports still have not been restored, even though nine months have passed since the COVID-19 outbreak.

The report highlighted that the EU/UK airports had been the hardest hit. The direct connectivity was deficient in April, a little bit recovered during August and falling again in September by 62 per cent.

The sharpest decreases in direct connectivity among Europe and the United Kingdom airports were registered as of September in the following airports.

Other regional airports were even more affected by the Coronavirus pandemic. Linz airport marked the highest decline in direct connectivity by 96 per cent, followed by Treviso (95 per cent), Vaasa (-91 per cent), Quimper (87 per cent), Newquay (86 per cent), Shannon (83 per cent), and Burgas (82 per cent).

The Director-General of ACI EUROPE, Olivier Jankovec, in this regard, stressed that the damage is so systemic that relying solely on market forces to restore air connectivity would not be realistic.

Another option to help the tourism industry recover from the Coronavirus pandemic has been considered the launching of vaccination certificates by the European Union countries, making persons movement easier without obliging travelers to undergo a testing process.

Such a movement has been supported by many countries in Europe, such as Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, and Sweden, including the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

However, the vaccination passport idea is not supported unanimously.

In this regard, the World Health Organization Committee (WHO) said that the impact of vaccines on reducing transmission is not yet known; therefore, according to the organization, the idea should not be supported.

Greeces Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, was among the most supportive persons to push the launching vaccination passports forward in order to facilitate the free movement.

He even addressed a letter to the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, urging her to back the proposal.

The ECs President welcomed the idea; however, she said that EU countries should first discuss the plan and reach a joint agreement about the procedure.

When it comes to the launching of vaccination passports, the idea was not totally unknown. It was even discussed during the first months of the Coronavirus outbreak.

In April 2020, an EU official warned that the testing process and vaccination once a vaccine starts to rollout would be two main requirements for EU and Schengen travelers to help countries recover from the damages caused by the COVID-19 disease safely.

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One Billion Fewer International Arrivals Make 2020 Worst Year in Tourism Industry - SchengenVisaInfo.com - SchengenVisaInfo.com