Beachfront Residences at The St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort Open November 1 – Luxury Travel Advisor

The St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort in Puerto Rico has announced the debut of the Ocean Drive Beachfront Residences, the propertys $85 million luxury residential development.The first penthouse is currently available for reservations from November 1to February 28.

Located just steps away from The St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort, guests of the newly debuted Ocean Drive Beachfront Residences will enjoy hotel services and amenities, views of the Atlantic Ocean and a two-mile stretch of crescent beach. Compromising 30 condominium residences in three beachfront buildings, The Ocean Drive Beachfront Residences offers three- and four-bedroom residences and penthouse models ranging in size from 3,379 to 4,048 square feet of interior space. Designed by SB Architects Miami, the residences have expansive indoor and outdoor living spaces, beachfront terraces, en-suite bedrooms and more.

The first available penthouse unit has four bedrooms and five-and-a-half bathrooms with a total of 7,694 square feet. The residence boasts a kitchen with Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances, an oceanfront king master suite, an ocean front king bedroom, two double bedrooms, walk-in closets, soaking tubs, two terraces overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, and a private rooftop terrace with an outdoor kitchen, BBQ, plunge pool and bathroom. Guests will also enjoy private elevator access, St. Regis Butler service, housekeeping and private dining service. There is a minimum night stay of five nights.

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About the hotel:Located on a former coconut plantation and situated between the El Yunque National Forest and Espritu Santo River State Preserve, The St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort is set on 483 acres and is the only Gold-certified Audubon Signature Sanctuary in Puerto Rico. The St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort has private bird sanctuaries; an on-site green team led by a marine biologist; multiple dining outlets; an ocean-front golf course designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr.; and an Iridium Spa.

Good to know: Puerto Rico was the first U.S. destination to receive the "Safe Travels" stamp designation from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC).Currently, visitors to the Island must complete a Puerto Rico Health Department form, which can be found on the departments online portal, and provide proof of a negative PCR COVID test from no more than 72 hours prior to arrival.

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Beachfront Residences at The St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort Open November 1 - Luxury Travel Advisor

Impact of Covid-19 on the Hospitality, Travel, and Leisure Sector – Programming Insider

The Covid-19 pandemic has made a deep and lasting impression on the lives of millions of people, endangering not only their health but their livelihoods as well. As the world begins to contract and borders are closed, whole industry sectors have been devasated to an extent unimaginable even at the start of the year.

Arguably no part of the economy has been more devastated by the hospitality, travel and leisure sector due to international travel restrictions, laws on social distancing and rapidly changing government responses to a rapidly evolving health situation, Support packages and furlough schemes have helped cushion some of the blows, but many smaller, and even such larger companies, will not survive, and many who work in this sector face a very uncertain future.

Of course, the picture is not unremittingly black. Some businesses have actually thrived during the lockdown, particularly those in the digital space. Amazon, for example, reported its biggest profits in its history at the end of July, with third-quarter earnings and sales exceeding all analysts expectations.

People forced to spend more time at home or by themselves are turning to the internet, which means for example that an online casino in Ireland can expect 2020 to be a bumper year. That is not necessarily a good thing. A UK survey has recently revealed that 52% of online gamblers increased the amount they spent during national lockdown as a way of reliving the boredom. And that includes one in five problem gamblers, and a 12% increase from those who identified themselves as moderate gamblers.

This switch to online consumption is likely to continue. Already the health minister in Scotland has advised people there to prepare for a digital Christmas, with family celebrations likely to be conducted on Zoom.

Nor is there likely to be any upside soon. French President Emmanuel Macron has warned his citizens that they will be fighting the virus at least until the middle of next year, whilst the US has just recorded a record daily high of Covid-19 cases.

Globally, the economic impact of the pandemic on the hospitality, travel and leisure sectors is likely to be truly staggering.

Take tourism, which currently accounts for 10% of global GDP. The World Travel and Tourism Council (WT&TC) has estimated that the pandemic could cost nearly 50 million jobs world-wide, in the travel and tourism industry, with Asia likely to suffer the greatest impact with 30 million jobs at risk.

Meanwhile, another study has suggested the loss of travel related economic output in 2020 will be US $910 billion that is seven times greater than the post 9/11 impact.

All this means that, when the world finally emerges on the other side of the pandemic, and people are able to travel once more, they are likely to face a reduced choice. Their favourite airline might not exist anymore, their preferred hotel will remain shuttered, and many of the pubs, bars, cafes and restaurants they liked to visit will just be historical memories.

And it may also extend into the sporting arena, where hundreds of clubs and sporting associations which have been bedrocks of local communities for years may simply disappear.

In September FIFA predicted that the pandemic will cost the sport of football US $14 billion this year that is a third of the games global economic value. When those losses are projected on to all the other sports and leisure activities, then the numbers become truly mind-boggling.

In summary, apart from the immense cost to peoples physical and mental health, the pandemic is likely to cause almost incalculable damage to the hospitality, travel and leisure sector. There will be some winners, but there will be hundreds of thousands of losers.

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Impact of Covid-19 on the Hospitality, Travel, and Leisure Sector - Programming Insider

Tourism and Agriculture Market 2020 Trends, Market Share, Industry Size, Growth, Sales, Opportunities, Analysis and Forecast To 2025 – TechnoWeekly

The Tourism and Agriculture Market study added by Reports web, exhibits a comprehensive analysis of the growth trends present in the global business scenario. The study further presents conclusive data referring to the commercialization aspects, industry size and profit estimation of the market.

The trends affecting the Industry in emerging regional sectors have additionally been explained in this study. The current findings and recommendations the analysts suggest for the future growth of the market have also been evaluated in this Tourism and Agriculture report.

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Key Vendors are Involved in Industry:

Expedia Group, Corporate Travel Management, Booking Holdings (Priceline Group), China CYTS Tours Holding, American Express Global Business Travel (GBT), China Travel, Fareportal, BCD Group, AAA Travel, Travel Leaders Group, Frosch, Ovation Travel Group, JTB Corporation, Travel and Transport, World Travel Inc., Direct Travel, TUI Group, Omega World Travel, AlTour International, World Travel Holdings, Abercrombie & Kent Group, InnerAsia Travels, Natural Habitat Adventures, Butterfield & Robinson

Segmentation by type: breakdown data from 2015 to 2020 in Section 2.3; and forecast to 2025 in section 10.7.Direct-market AgritourismExperience and Education AgritourismEvent and Recreation Agritourism

Segmentation by application: breakdown data from 2015 to 2020, in Section 2.4; and forecast to 2025 in section 10.8.Below 30 Years Old30-40 Years Old40-50 Years OldAbove 50 Years Old

The following part of the report explains the detailed segmentation of the Tourism and Agriculture Market. Valuable data and information related to the key segments have been established via this market research report. The revenue share coupled with insightful forecasts for the major segments and the other significant sub-segments have been detailed via this report.

The key industry players that have contributed to the Tourism and Agriculture Market have also been detailed in this report.

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Due to increase in competition in this market, a number of companies are entering into strategic partnerships with software companies to increase the overall product benefit and sustain their Tourism and Agriculture Market position.

The Tourism and Agriculture Market report focuses on the requirements of the clients from several global Market regions such as North America, Latin America, Asia-Pacific, Europe, and India.

Research objectivesTo study and analyze the global Tourism and Agriculture market size by key regions/countries, type and application, history data from 2015 to 2019, and forecast to 2025.To understand the structure of Tourism and Agriculture market by identifying its various subsegments.Focuses on the key global Tourism and Agriculture players, to define, describe and analyze the value, market share, market competition landscape, SWOT analysis and development plans in next few years.To analyze the Tourism and Agriculture with respect to individual growth trends, future prospects, and their contribution to the total market.To share detailed information about the key factors influencing the growth of the market (growth potential, opportunities, drivers, industry-specific challenges and risks).To project the size of Tourism and Agriculture submarkets, with respect to key regions (along with their respective key countries).To analyze competitive developments such as expansions, agreements, new product launches and acquisitions in the market.To strategically profile the key players and comprehensively analyze their growth strategies.

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Tourism and Agriculture Market 2020 Trends, Market Share, Industry Size, Growth, Sales, Opportunities, Analysis and Forecast To 2025 - TechnoWeekly

Africas year of zero: a special report on the future of wildlife tourism – Financial Times

Travel and travel planning are being disrupted by the worldwide spread of coronavirus. For the latest updates, read the FTscoverage of the outbreak

After the Nile, the Congo River is the second longest river on the African continent, and by far the deepest. It begins in the heart of the Congo Basin which, at 500m acres, incorporates some of the most important wilderness areas left on earth. I have been drawn towards the rivers near-mythic status for a while; not so long ago, prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, I got to travel a small part of it.

In Brazzaville, the capital of the Republic of Congo, Ifound a boatman with a canoe just wide enough for aplastic chair. Cruising upstream, I watched fishermen throw nets into the wide chocolate river. In the busy streets along the banks, glimpses of women in pink, orange and green kitenge-print dresses glowed like sparksin the African dust. Out of the rusting carcasses ofabandoned paddle steamers, the Congolese had fashioned makeshift homes and hairdressing salons. Travelling north by plane, I then spent a week wading through the rivers tributaries on a walking safari in and around Odzala-Kokoua National Park a pioneering effort in conservation tourism centred upon encounters with the regions critically endangered western lowland gorillas. Itturned out to be one of the most uplifting trips Ive reported on in Africa. The dial was shifting, after a civil war that ran from 1997 to 1999, and episodic bouts of Ebola (among the worst a devastating outbreak in 2002 and 2003 that killed an estimated 5,000 gorillas in a single 5,000sqkm reserve near Odzala-Kokoua).

I saw what recovery could look like, in large part due to Magda Bermejo, a determined Spanish primatologist and conservationist whod spent the Ebola outbreaks studying group-to-group virus transmission between Congos gorillas. The studies had a huge impact on local hunter communities, who began to collaborate with Bermejos team. The educational ethos was strong, withoutreach projects on human-ape contact and the crosscontaminating effects of bushmeat diets. Security improved, helped by the work of the African conservation NGO African Parks. With the tourism, conservation and community projects all working towards the same end, the number of high-paying visitors to the region was growing significantly, helped by a German philanthropist, Sabine Plattner, founder of the Congo Conservation Company, who had not only put up the funds for the fixed lodges that make up the Odzala Discovery Camps but was also investing heavily in marketing all part of a long-term plan to make the model sustainable.

It was working. Odzala was a star in the ascendant, with talk of a Congo swing attracting more safari-goersto this neglected region, away from the over-tourismafflicting the likes of Kenyas Maasai Mara. Testament to its success was the 2019 opening of a transboundary circuit within the Dzanga-Sangha Protected Area, where a tributary of the Congo River slips over the border into the Central African Republic. There was a push for new regional connections with nearby Gabon, where other pioneering African eco-tourism companies were scouting for investment opportunities. Then Covid-19 broke, and everything changed.

Now, when I look back on it, I realise how fragile thehope was. If there was a Congo swing, it was hanging by a thread. The Congo camps are currently closed until April 2021 at the earliest. With apes at highrisk from human disease, Congos gorilla-tracking permits have also been suspended. The effects of Covid on conservation tourism in Africa have been seismic on a continent where, in 2019, tourism contributed 14.7 per cent of Namibias GDP, 10.7 per cent to Tanzanias, and 8.2 per cent to Kenyas. According to 2019 figures published by theWorld Travel and Tourism Council, wildlife-based tourism specifically generated more than US$29bn annually for Africa, and employed 3.6m people. Its a tragedy, says Michael Lorentz, a South African private guide whose championing of conservation has brought insignificant support for Africas megafauna over the past10 years: There have been massive [tourism-industry] casualties across the continent, and we will see more unfold as economies are gutted.

In March, when Africa started to enter lockdown, some of the smaller, African-owned tour operators went bust: their margins were just too thin. Modest, locally run lodges and guides suffered what one of them, the Tanzanian Robert Chekwaze, described to me as the brute force of the virus. Chekwaze is a wildlife biologist and founder of NaleMoru, a family-owned safari business based in his country. Nobody talks about catching the virus any more, he says. They talk about the Covid economy. We have been through Ebola, terrorism in Kenya, but no recent disaster comes close to the economic effects on the country right now. As for community projects beehives, schools, roads, health clinics supported by tourism outfits, they were largely luxuries for the good times, and theyre going fast. At the larger tour operators, the few staff who werent onfurlough were put to work vigorously campaigning forclients to postpone, not cancel, in order to keep some liquidity and hope in the system. We spent hours on the phones with our clients, says Will Jones, founder of the Brighton-based Africa specialist Journeys by Design, who had organised my Congo travels. The ones who really understood what was at stake, and how every cancellation would affect people on the ground, behaved generously. They have held over their booking for better days rather than ask for refunds. But for the time being? Its a year of zero, says Lorentz; he expects no return to business until at least next spring. Meanwhile ATTA, an influential African travel trade organisation, is petitioning hard for air bridges and quarantine rules to change, claiming African countries have some of the lowest Covid numbers in the world.

While a year of zero is not unique to Africa weve seen the same cataclysm across the board in the tourism industry, from the Costa del Sol to Costa Rica the effects are unique on a continent where wildlife, as opposed to cultural or beach tourism, is the main draw. A lot of people have finally realised what a big role ecotourism plays in conservation in Africa, says Luke Bailes, founder and CEO of Singita, which is one of the luxury leaders in African safari lodges. While he still faces a very challengingsituation, Bailes (whose Tanzanian lodges are open) is more fortunate than most. The conservation partner of Singitas Tanzania operation (six lodges and camps) is under the aegis of the Grumeti Fund, a not-for-profit organisation responsible for antipoaching, community relations, and wildlife and ecosystem management in a 350,000-acre area buffering the Serengeti National Park, largely underwritten by various donors and philanthropists, including the American hedge-fund manager Paul Tudor Jones II.

But this kind of large-scale philanthropy is rare. Elsewhere, the facts speak clearly urgently, if you flick through the push for donations from conservation NGOs clamouring for funds to make up the deficits lost withtourism. Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya, home to the last northern white rhinos, expects a 50 per cent reduction in tourism funding. At the beginning of the outbreak, the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority projected a similar shortfall. All stakeholders in conservation are in survival mode, says Jos Danckwerts, director of conservation at Wild Is Life, aZimbabwe wildlife sanctuary working to rewild orphaned animals. Few people are able to maintain clarity and their long-term vision.

As predicted, many areas have seen a rise in bush-meat poaching, according to Dr Kirstin Johnson, UK director of the Africa-based NGO the African Wildlife Foundation. Hungry locals and opportunist poachers are more easilyable to creep into protected areas without the eyes and ears of tourism operators to deter them. (In South Africa, however, Bailes describes how national curfews have resulted in a decrease in poaching in well protected areas a reminder that addressing the issue from a pancontinental point of view isnt easy.) Others report different knock-on effects, like rationing on ranger supplies such as food and fuel, which means rangers are no longer able to operate in remote areas. In Tanzania, most people are still just shooting for the pot to survive,but the worsening situation is potentially opening up room for something else, says Chekwaze, referring to the far more lucrative illegal wildlife trade in ivory, rhino horn and pangolin scales. There has been a heroic effort by the conservation sector to keep rangers working, says Dr Johnson, but the picture is not clear. With poachers being able to move around much more easily, in areas without community engagement or good security, the wildlife we have fought so hard for remains in a precarious position.

Like many Africaphiles, Ive wanted to fly out and do some reporting on the ground to support the tourism andconservation agenda. But the truth is, its not easy toget there. In April, a long-planned assignment to Ghanaand Benin was scrapped when international borders closed. In July, a family trip to Kenya was nullified by cancelled flights. Another September trip, again to Kenya, was refunded by British Airways before Id made the decision for myself. I also worry: do I want to be the one potentially bringing the virus into remote communities that havent got basic medical care?

If there is any mitigation to the distress Covid is causing in the industry, its the same trend were seeingworldwide: a discernible rise in domestic tourism to make up a small percentage of the missing income. Butit isnt enough, with rates and conservation levies slashed to keep rooms and parks alive. Kenyan national parks, for instance, have nearly halved their park fees. But while Kenya has a buoyant middle class evidenced in holidaymakers from Nairobi who witnessed the wildebeest migration in the Maasai Mara for the first timethis year the equivalent in the likes of Tanzania and Congo is still growing. The discounted room rates forthe domestic market are not even close to what American visitors paid pre-Covid upwards of $500 per person per night.

There are attempts to bring back the big spenders. The luxury lodge operator Great Plains Conservation recently launched a 12-night JFK-Nairobi round-trip designed to keep the bubble as clean as possible: a private lounge at both international airports, private immigration clearance, plus the conscience-clearing fact that in the hold of the 787 are tons of donated PPE for African communities. They are also offering private jet safaris from other destinations such as the UK, Europe, UAE, India and even Australia. This is a stop-gap solution one of a number of such initiatives on a super-elite scale. Operators into Rwanda tried the same, with private jet trips being marketed back in June. There are signs of improvement: on 1 August, Rwanda resumed commercial flights into the country for international visitors. Typically for this small, well organised country, a rigorous methodology has been put in place early. Travellers must test negative for Covid both immediately before and on arrival. Rwandas national parks have reopened, and gorilla tracking has resumed again subject to a negative Covid test for both international and domestic tourists. Meanwhile, gorilla-tracking permit prices have been reduced sharply for domestic Rwandan tourists (from $1,500 to $200). It represents a scramble for a country heavily reliant on tourism dollars: in 2019 alone, tourism generated $498m in revenue.

If Covid has taught us one thing, its that we cannot be at the whim of international travellers, says Fred Swaniker, co-founder of the African Leadership Group, who has been advocating foralternatives to tourism as a way to protect Africas ecosystems for the past 10 years. He has also been calling for Africans to take greater control of their assets. The safari experience designed as a colonial experience in the style of the hunters who came 100 years ago doesnt speak to middle-class Africans today, says Swaniker. His words hit at the core of a sensitive confluence: not only is African conservation tourism being affected by Covid; the model is also being questioned as the Black Lives Matter movement proliferates far beyond the United States. At the same time, there is the climate emergency compounded by the locust swarms in east Africa.

In hindsight, it can start to feel as if everything wasout of balance even pre-Covid. In August, when The New York Times declared the next phasein tourism to be regenerative travel (or leaving a place better than you found it), it struck me this might be true for many destinations but in Africa? Numerous African companies have been doing the right thing by their communities and ecosystems since their inception. Ten, 20 years before the pandemic hit, they were already leaning into the zeitgeist as it is currently being described, regenerating depleted areas and advocating a conscious, connected humanity. Mass tourism isnt Africas sickness, as it is Europes. The good news is that alternatives are evolving, from biocarbon projects (an example is BioCarbon Partners in Zambia, which forms habitat protection agreements with local communities, then sells verified forest carbon offsets to provide an alternative income) to hydroelectric plants (Africas oldest national park, Virunga, in the Democratic Republicof the Congo, aims to build seven plants, selling electricity to local households and businesses).

Conservation is about protecting a shrinking asset, says Swaniker. We have got to change our approach, even the language. We need to think about environmental investing to go from the defensive to the offensive. Wildlife, if we are to protect it, has to pay out in other ways.NGOs cant carry it. Philanthropists cant save it. Endowments can help: during the early days of the crisis, alarge testamentary pledge from a former guest helped Bailes to start the Singita Conservation Foundation, which is looking to raise $200m but its still not enough. We have a chance, says Swaniker, reaching for a silver lining and its not simply visiting the Serengeti for thereductive reasoning that, right now, you will get it allto yourself. Constraints drive innovation. We have toreimagine the future, to make this crisis the first phaseof the next stage. As for travellers, with our pentup desire to get back on the road? The only thing anyof us can be sure of in this uncertain world is that ourchoices matter.

Look to these five safari companies for their long-term commitment to community and wildlife, and corporate transparency

Volcanoes Safaris operates four lodges in Rwanda and Uganda. Oneof the original pioneers of gorilla eco-tourism, the company invests heavily in community projects, from hospitality training for disadvantaged local youths to ecosystem protection andheritage preservation forindigenous peoples. Thelodges are managed byRwandan and Ugandan nationals. Every time I return, Im reminded that safaris have moved on from the khaki-and-G&T clich: the lodges are woven into their communities and landscapes in a way thatspeaks to contemporary Africa. volcanoessafaris.com

Il Ngwesi, in Kenyas Laikipia region, is owned and run byaMaasai community. The tourist income, divided up by the community, pays for health, education and conservation. In the 25years since the initiative began, wildlife numbers have steadily increased, with recovering rare species including the Grvys zebra, the reticulated giraffe and the gerenuk. I love it here: the cottages in natural woods and thatch, the fireside spirit and the guiding, which comes from the heart and history of the land. ilngwesi.com

Nomad Tanzania has 14 camps in Tanzania; it also runs logistics into remote areas, working with communities that without tourism would have little alternative but to exploit their wildlife negatively. The company is highly socially responsible the employees are empowered (all but one of the camps are run by Tanzanians) and locals benefit (this includes a finance scheme for guides to own the safari vehicles). One star in its portfolio is Greystoke Mahale on the shores of Lake Tanganyika, where Nomad works closely with the neighbouring Tongwe Trust, an impressive community forest-protection project. nomad-tanzania.com

The Congo Conservation Company owns Odzala Discovery Camps, comprising three permanent camps designed to stimulate conservation of the western lowland gorilla and its habitat through tourism, science and community engagement. Everything about this brave attempt to shine a light on the second-largest tropical forest in the world deserves our tourist dollars. The camps are elegant, the food great and the guiding peerless vital when youre wading waist-deep in wildrivers. congoconservation.travel

Virunga National Park operates three lodges and camps within Africas oldest national park in the Democratic Republic ofthe Congo. The star of the show is Mikeno Lodge, with cottages sensitively concealed inside the forest. The lodge is ideally located for tracking the regions endangered mountain gorillas or climbingthe extraordinary Nyiragongo volcano. Each stay alsocontributes to the parks vital conservation efforts in a troubled region with an overcrowded population of some four million people bordering the park. mikenolodge.com

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Africas year of zero: a special report on the future of wildlife tourism - Financial Times

Coronavirus: Is self-catering the best option? – World First Travel Insurance

29 October 2020 09:25

How safe is a self-catered getaway?

Here's why a self-catered getaway might be the answer...

The hospitality industry is working overtime to implement new safety standards to ensure the highest levels of protection for guests and staff. In the UK, this includes things like the AA's COVID Confident assessment scheme and Premier Cottages' pandemic guidelines, backed by organisations including UK Hospitality, VisitEngland, Visit Scotland, VisitWales and the National Tourism Alliances.

For most accommodation, new guidelines include the following:

Choosing self-catered accommodation with no communal areas will mean you can largely keep your holiday within your social bubble. So whether it's a holiday cottage, seaside apartment or self-catered ski-chalet, being able to keep mealtimes within your own social space will help you minimise contact and reduce your chances of exposure.

In some cases, hosts are leaving rest-periods between guests to help minimise the chance of cross contamination. Studies suggest the risk of catching coronavirus from a hard surface is significantly reduced after 72 hours. Some owners are even allowing up to seven days between bookings to give their guests added peace of mind.

Under current guidelines (as of 22nd September 2020), you can stay overnight in groups of six with members of your own household or support bubble. In some cases, self-catered accommodation may even be able to allow up to 15 people, so long as you can prove you are all one household or bubble.

Visit the gov.uk website for further guidelines.

If you fall ill while staying in overnight accommodation, you should tell your host immediately so they can take measures to minimise transmission. You should also request a COVID test. If you are confirmed to have the virus, you should return home using private transport. If that's not possible, discuss your circumstances with your host.

It's likely that in most cases you will have to cover the costs of any extended stay at your accommodation, unless stated otherwise during booking or in your insurance policy.

All World First policies include our enhanced coronavirus cover, which means you are covered for certain types of holiday disruption caused by COVID-19. You can find out more here.

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Coronavirus: Is self-catering the best option? - World First Travel Insurance

From Lusaka to the world: why travel holds the key to economic recovery – themastonline.com

[By Mohammad Bin Hafiz]

IT HAS now been well over six months since the world came to a halt, dramatically and in ways hard for us to imagine until it happened.

Global air travel was severely impacted in a matter of weeks soon after governments imposed travel restrictions and closed their borders.

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented us all an avenue to get back to the drawing board, and to reflect and reassess what is important. One thing for sure that has been made apparent is the importance of the travel and tourism industries to the global economy.

In 2018, travel and tourism was Zambias fastest-growing national economic sector, contributing as much as US $1,846.9 million (about K19.4 billion at the time) to the national economy, according to a report by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), and 318,900 jobs to the Zambian economy in 2018, making it the fastest growing sector in the country. In the same year, international visitors alone spent K8.4 billion, representing 8.3 percent of total Zambian exports.

Of course, these impressive statistics have been up-ended this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

From Lusaka to the world

As the new normal takes hold in Zambia, we may see some signs of economic recovery. And this is where the travel industry will play a pivotal role.

Emirates resumed flights direct from Lusaka to Dubai on September 4, 2020, reopening a vital route for the local economy, serving business and leisure travellers. For a landlocked country, the airline functions as a conduit linking Zambia to the rest of the world.

Our service resumption comes with thorough health and safety measures on board and on the ground.

Our network connects Zambia to the rest of the world; to major cities like Dubai, London, New York and Singapore, amongst others. We are connecting Lusaka to the worlds centres of commerce and trade on all continents.

We are focused and committed to our network, and we are working hard to rebuild it. We currently fly to 99 destinations.

Safety first

We are very much aware of the concerns that travellers have flying in the new normal. As Emirates, we have tailored and adjusted our product and service offerings to keep our clients fears at bay.

Emirates has implemented a comprehensive set of measures at every step of the customer journey to ensure the safety of its customers and employees on the ground and in the air, including the distribution of complimentary hygiene kits containing masks, gloves, hand sanitiser and antibacterial wipes to all customers.

To ensure the safety and peace of mind of travellers, visitors, and the community, COVID-19 PCR tests are mandatory for all inbound passengers arriving from the designated countries or/and when the destination country requires it, including UAE residents and tourists. The COVID19 PCR test is no longer required for passengers connecting through Dubai, although it may be required at your final destination.

Emirates has you covered

Customers can now travel with confidence, as Emirates has committed to cover COVID-19 related medical expenses, free of cost, should they be diagnosed with COVID-19 during their travel while they are away from home. This cover is immediately effective for customers flying on Emirates until December 31, 2020, and is valid for 31 days from the moment they fly the first sector of their journey. This means Emirates customers can continue to benefit from the added assurance of this cover, even if they travel onwards to another city after arriving at their Emirates destination.

As we resume flights to more cities, giving customers the same confidence to fly beyond borders is critical to sustaining our hub operations in Dubai.

While the situation surrounding COVID-19 remains uncertain, Emirates is optimistic of the future and economic recovery of our markets. Come on board and fly with us.

Mohammad Bin Hafiz is country manager for Emirates in Zambia.

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From Lusaka to the world: why travel holds the key to economic recovery - themastonline.com

TCS World Travel Announces Dates for Its First All-Inclusive Luxury Expeditions On Ground-Breaking New Airbus A321neo Private Jet – Business Wire

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--TCS World Travel, the worlds leading operator of private jet expeditions, today announced dates for its first scheduled all-inclusive luxury tours on its new private Airbus A321neo-LR aircraft. The new ground-breaking private Airbus will take to the skies for its inaugural flight on an upgraded version of the companys most popular Around the World expedition October 10 November 2, 2021 followed by a second offering December 30, 2021 January 22, 2022. Both expeditions will fly with an 18-person staff and crew, including a dedicated physician who will travel with guests the entire trip.

With TCS World Travels new customized A321 private jet, guests will fly on the most modern and comfortable aircraft in group jet expedition travel. They will venture to nine legendary destinations including Cusco and Machu Picchu, Peru; Easter Island, Chile; Nadi, Fiji; Great Barrier Reef, Australia; Angkor Wat, Cambodia; Taj Mahal and Jaipur, India (new city added); Serengeti Plain, Tanzania (third night added); Petra and Wadi Rum, Jordan; and Marrakech, Morocco. The 24-day itinerary is filled with UNESCO World Heritage sites, natural wonders and new unique lodging options, including a luxury tented camp in the desert of Wadi Rum or a luxury riad in the heart of the medina in Marrakesh.

TCS World Travels new Airbus A321neo-LR aircraft features state of the art amenities and comforts including:

Health, Comfort & Style

Environmental Responsibility, Efficiency and Range

As the world starts to slowly reopen, we at TCS see clearly how the benefits of traveling by private jet have become even more desirable. A more controlled environment, smaller airports, private or expedited customs and immigration, and the ability to make changes and pivot up to the last minute are all hallmarks of traveling by private jet and are now more important to our guests than ever, said Shelley Cline, president of TCS World Travel. As the most experienced private jet travel company in the world, we are proud to announce our first expedition of 2021 on our new customized private jet that was designed and guided by research-informed insights so that our guests can continue to explore bucket-list destinations around the globe with comfort, convenience and safety.

Health & Safety Practices

As part of TCS World Travels health and safety practices, an on-trip physician will be screening and monitoring guest health throughout the trip. The company has implemented additional cleanings and hygiene protocols aboard the new private jet and works with its luxury hotel partners and in-country associates to help ensure that they adhere to its hygiene standards. TCS will also be monitoring the situation throughout each trip and if there is an increased risk in any of the countries the group is visiting, the company has the ability to change the itinerary as needed.

Flexible Booking Terms

Travelers can book their group expeditions with confidence with the TCS Refund Promise. If TCS cancels a trip for any reason, guests money, which is protected in a dedicated escrow account, will be refunded in full.

Pricing for the Around the World Luxury Tour is $99,950 per person, based on double occupancy. As with all of TCS World Travels trips, the price of the all-inclusive expedition covers every facet of the trip including travel on its new private jet, exquisite hotels, all meals and ground transportation, daily activities, top-of-the-line guides, beverages and all gratuities.

For more information please call TCS World Travel at 866.875.5238, email at GuestRelations@TCSWorldTravel.com or visit http://www.tcsworldtravel.com.

About TCS World Travel

TCS World Travel leads the industry in private jet journeys with the experience and knowledge built from developing hundreds of trips for over 25 years. The company excels at providing unparalleled local access and exclusive activities tailored to any travel style. Circle the globe or take a dive deep into a region on a luxury private jet expedition or embark on a luxury custom journey by private charter plane created especially for you to any destination in the world. For more information, visit http://www.tcsworldtravel.com or find TCS World Travel on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

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TCS World Travel Announces Dates for Its First All-Inclusive Luxury Expeditions On Ground-Breaking New Airbus A321neo Private Jet - Business Wire

Hacienda Tres Ros is a Strong Candidate in Three 2020 World Travel Awards Categories – PR Web

CANCUN, Mxico (PRWEB) October 12, 2020

Recently the World Travel Awards announced its candidates for the 2020 awards and nominated Sunset World's Hacienda Tres Ros Resort, Spa & Nature Park in three categories, including World's Leading All-Inclusive Resort, World's Leading Family Resort and World's Leading Beach and Luxury Lifestyle Resort.

Every year the World Travel Awards lists nominees on its website and the general public is invited to vote. Voting is open in two stages, at the regional and global level. The latter is open until October 25. It is worth mentioning that the World Travel Awards is an organization that rewards and celebrates excellence in all sectors of world tourism.

In addition, Hacienda Tres Ros was awarded the Gold Crown and Excellence in Service awards from RCI, obtained the Safe Travels seal from the World Travel and Tourism Council and the Protection and Health Prevention Certification in Tourist Facilities from the state of Quintana Roo, making it a favorite vacation resort for the new normal.

We are very excited and proud of the recognitions and certifications that Hacienda Tres Ros has received during this difficult year, said Annie Arroyo, Sunset World Group Corporate Brand and Communication Director, They are the fruits of our staff's efforts and we hope that many people will vote for us in the World Travel Awards, she concluded.

Hacienda Tres Ros is the only environmentally responsible luxury resort that offers exclusive access to the Tres Ros Nature Park in the Riviera Maya and a truly comprehensive All-Inclusive Plan. Enjoy architecturally acclaimed accommodations, fine dining, world-class spa services, and dazzling experiences at the exclusive Tres Ros Nature Park with guided tours through mangrove forests, swimming, snorkeling, and kayaking along winding natural rivers or simply unwind on its tranquil beaches.

Sunset World Group is a family-owned Mexican company and a leader in the hospitality industry, offering authentic and unforgettable vacation experiences in Cancun and the Riviera Maya. It was founded more than 30 years ago and has grown to offer six resorts, world-class travel services, amenities and a diverse network of operational and marketing solutions that focus on providing the best vacation experiences for its Members and guests. From cultural excursions to water sports, the Members of Sunset World are never far from their next great adventure.

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Maldives bags 8 nominations at World Travel Awards – The Edition

Maldives was nominated in eight categories at the 27th annual World Travel Awards, considered one of the most prestigious honors programme in global travel and tourism.

Established in 1993 and recognized globally as the ultimate hallmark of industry excellence, the World Travel Awards chooses winners across several categories from various regions.

This year, Maldives was nominated as the World's Leading Beach Destination, World's Leading Cruise Destination, World's Leading Destination, World's Leading Dive Destination, World's Leading Honeymoon Destination, World's Leading Island Destination, World's Leading Tourist Board and World's Most Romantic Destination.

Voting for these categories will be open until 0000 hrs on October 25, giving the opportunity for interested individuals to choose Maldives as, one of the most loved and preferred destinations in the world.

Votes can be cast via https://www.worldtravelawards.com/register by both travel professionals and consumers globally, with the nominee gaining the most votes in a category named as the winner.

As Maldives reopened its borders on July 15, 2020, the nominations at the 27th World Travel Awards will aid in strengthening the image and increase the brand presence globally, said Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC)

Additionally, Maldives has secured multiple awards in various categories over the years including the World's Leading Airport Resort, World's Leading Beach Destination, World's Leading Honeymoon Resort, World's Most Romantic Resort and World's Leading Luxury Island Resort in 2019.

The island destination also won the famed Indian Oceans Leading Destination award 12 times within the past 16 years.

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Peru, Bahamas and Puerto Rico Added to WTTC’s Safe Travels List – TravelPulse

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) announced Peru, Bahamas and Puerto Rico are the latest destinations to use the worlds first-ever global safety and hygiene stamp.

WTTC officials recently announced in the three months since its inception, the Safe Travels stamp is being used by over 100 destinations, as the Philippines recently became the official 100th destination.

The stamp enables travelers from around the world to recognize destinations that have adopted standardized global health and hygiene protocols, thus providing a safe experience for tourists.

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Puerto Rico was one of the first destinations in the Western Hemisphere to design and implement an industry-specific safety and health program for the entire destination with the creation of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company Gold Star Health and Safety Seal Certification back on May 4, Puerto Rico Tourism Company Executive Director Carla Campos said.

Today, we are proud to join WTTCs Safe Travels global protocols and stamp program, Campos continued.

Other destinations recently added to the WTTC Safe Travel list include El Salvador, Gambia, Guatemala, Paraguay and Zambia. The global protocols have been embraced by over 200 CEOs, including some of the worlds major tourism groups.

Our Safe Travels stamp continues to go from strength to strength and we are delighted with its success so far, WTTC President Gloria Guevara said. More than 120 destinations now proudly use the stamp, all of which are working together to help rebuild consumer confidence worldwide.

As the stamp continues to grow in popularity, travelers will more easily be able to recognize the destinations worldwide which have adopted these important global protocols, encouraging the return of Safe Travels around the world, Guevara continued.

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Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) And World Travel Catering & Onboard Services Expo (WTCE) Announce They Will Bring the Industry Together in Hamburg…

Reed Exhibitions, the organizer of the leading events for the global cabin interiors and inflight services industry, has announced new dates for 2021. Both AIX and WTCE will return to the Hamburg Messe from August 31 to September 2, 2021, moving from the original April dates.

This early announcement allows time for businesses to adapt and plan to ensure that the events continue their critical role in bringing the global industry together again.

Speaking about the announcement, Polly Magraw, Exhibition Director, Aircraft Interiors Expo and World Travel Catering & Onboard Services Expo, said: After consulting with exhibitors and airlines, we recognize the industry needs more time to allow for the reopening of borders, lifting of travel restrictions and resuming of services. It is clear that the industry needs to meet in person later in 2021. Our priority is to deliver an engaging and COVID-secure face-to-face event in September that gives our exhibitors and visitors the additional time to adapt and continue on the path to recovery.

Now, more than ever, there is a strong need to reunite, connect and do business. The importance of AIX and WTCE cannot be underestimated as the largest marketplace that brings together key stakeholders from the global supply chain. We are confident that this decision best supports the industry, and in September we will be ready to regroup and look ahead to the future.

The majority of exhibitors have already confirmed their participation at the face-to-face events in 2021, and we continue to focus on keeping the industry connected during this time, fostering collaboration, promoting new innovative solutions and helping to nurture critical business contacts. We look forward to facilitating this through a further series of virtual events, set to take place in April, details of which will be announced soon.

We once again want to thank all of our exhibitors, visitors, and partners for their support. We believe this extra time ahead of the 2021 events will offer exhibitors reassurance and more opportunity to prepare their fantastic showcases, and for our visitors to be ready to restart planning for the cabins of the future.

For updates and further information, please visit the exhibition websites:

https://www.aircraftinteriorsexpo.com/

https://www.worldtravelcateringexpo.com/

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Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) And World Travel Catering & Onboard Services Expo (WTCE) Announce They Will Bring the Industry Together in Hamburg...

WTTC has a plan to save the travel sector – Travel Weekly

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) this week presented a plan to the tourism ministers of the world's largest economies, known as the G-20, to save the embattled travel sector.

The WTTC said the plan will help save 100 million jobs globally, in a presentation made along with more than 45 travel industry leaders during a virtual G-20 meeting hosted by Saudi Arabia.

The 24-point plan is divided into what both the private and public sector should do to incentivize travel, with an emphasis on standardized health protocols and ways to make travel more seamless and safer.

"The private sector cannot reduce the time frame of recovery and bring back 100 million jobs alone; public-private collaboration is essential to the success of the plan," the WTTC said, calling on G-20 nations to strengthen collaboration and work with the private sector to implement the plan.

Among the 24 points, the WTTC asks governments for more coordination to resume international travel and reopen borders; "air corridors" between countries or cities with similar epidemiological situations, such as London, New York, Dubai and Shanghai; and international standardization of health protocols, testing regimens and contact tracing. The plan also calls on nations to support travel promotion campaigns to incentivize and attract both leisure and business travel.

From the private sector, WTTC calls for standardized health protocols across all industries to create a consistent and safer travel experience; the development and adoption of digital technologies to enable seamless travel and better manage visitor flow; and for companies to offer flexible booking policies and make travel more affordable to increase demand.

Gloria Guevara, WTTC CEO, said the meeting represented the first time that many travel industry leaders had been invited to sit in the same forum as G-20 tourism ministers.

Chris Nassetta, CEO of Hilton and WTTC chair, called the plan "hugely important in supporting the recovery of the sector and bringing back 100 million travel and tourism jobs globally."

According to the WTTC's 2020 Economic Impact Report, the tourism sector will be critical to the global recovery from the pandemic. In 2019, the sector was responsible for one in 10 jobs (330 million in total) and a 10.3% contribution to global GDP.

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The world’s busiest airports — and how far they’ve fallen – CNN

(CNN) The final figures are in for air passenger traffic in 2019 at the world's busiest airports.

The 2019 list of the world's busiest airports, released by ACI on Thursday, showed a 3.5% increase in passenger numbers -- coming in at more than 9.1 billion -- compared with 2018.

For the first time, the report looks ahead at the drastic declines that came in the first half of 2020 as Covid-19 outbreaks decimated passenger traffic.

Passenger numbers decreased by 58.4% worldwide in the first half of 2020, compared with the same period in 2019, with international passenger traffic hit the hardest, with a 64.5% drop.

Atlanta and Beijing airports held the top two spots in 2019, with more than 110 million and 100 million passengers, respectively. But those airports saw passenger traffic drops of 56.6% and 73.6% in the first half of 2020.

Los Angeles International Airport moved up one spot in 2019 to become the third busiest airport for passenger traffic, with more than 88 million passengers in 2019. Passenger traffic there dropped 58.9% in the first half of 2020.

Path to recovery

The airport industry is anticipating a 60% reduction in revenues compared to previous projections, according to ACI.

The organization and its industry partners see reducing travel restrictions and quarantine requirements and a global approach to testing for the virus as keys to recovery.

"We are positive about the future, but we need consistency and collaboration across the globe on key issues like testing," said ACI World Director General Luis Felipe de Oliveira, in a statement.

"The industry is united in the view that widespread testing of passengers before travel, as an alternative to quarantine restrictions, will be a crucial way to foster public confidence in air travel and must be introduced."

ACI is aligning itself with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) in its call for efficient, standardized testing, but ultimately countries would be responsible for working out a coordinated approach.

Testing as a safety measure that would boost traveler confidence is just one measure needed, not just for aviation's recovery, but for all the industries that are interconnected, says Patrick Lucas, ACI World's head of airport business analytics.

"When airports and airlines ask for these things, it's not just for our industry per se, it's because we're so connected to other industries. We're very much connected to, of course, tourism and the hospitality industries."

About 60% of tourists arrive by air, Lucas said, "so everything that is connected to the tourists -- the restaurants and so on and so forth, all those businesses are connected."

Air travel has started to tick up from the darkest days in April, when traffic declines of more than 90% were recorded, but a full recovery is likely several years away.

World's top 10 busiest airports

1. Atlanta (ATL) -- 110.5 million passengers in 2019; traffic dropped 56.6% in the first half of 2020

2. Beijing (PEK) -- 100 million passengers in 2019; traffic dropped 73.6% in the first half of 2020

3. Los Angeles (LAX) -- 88.1 million passengers in 2019; traffic dropped 58.9% in the first half of 2020

4. Dubai (DXB) -- 86.4 million passengers in 2019; traffic dropped by 56.4% in the first half of 2020

5. Tokyo (HND) -- 85.5 million passengers in 2019; traffic dropped by 59.2% in the first half of 2020

6. Chicago (ORD) -- 84.6 million passengers in 2019; traffic dropped by 57.6% in the first half of 2020

7. London (LHR) -- 80.9 million passengers in 2019; traffic dropped by 60.2% in the first half of 2020

8. Shanghai (PVG) -- 76.2 million passengers in 2019; traffic dropped by 68.1% in the first half of 2020

9. Paris (CDG) -- 76.2 million passengers in 2019; traffic dropped by 61.4% in the first half of 2020

10. Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) -- 75.1 million passengers in 2019; traffic dropped by 48.2% in the first half of 2020

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Short’s Travel Signs with Deem to Offer An Additional Travel Booking Solution for Clients – GlobeNewswire

Oakland, CA, Oct. 13, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Deem, a leading mobile and cloud technology provider for the corporate travel industry, announced today that Short's Travel Management (STM) chose to include Deem in its new offerings of travel booking solutions for its clients. As STM plans to sunset its own proprietary booking tool, STO, later in the year, it chose Deem as an additional travel booking solution to offer to its medium and enterprise-level clients. Adding Deem to STMs arsenal of innovative technology solutions will give STM clients an additional intuitive, secure, and powerful choice when selecting online booking software.

Working with Deem reinforces our commitment to present leading-edge tools and allow clients to select the best fit for their program, said David LeCompte, CEO at Shorts Travel Management. Our clients know they can leverage our volumes while also taking advantage of our nimbleness in creating custom solutions other TMCs may not be able to manage. Were confident we can extend these benefits to our clients through Deem.

Were grateful when we can partner with travel management companies that share our philosophy, that is, innovation and business agility arent optional, said Deem CEO John F. Rizzo. We move at the speed of technology with the traveler at the forefront and believe Shorts Travel adheres to these same central tenets.

Shorts Travel Management is known for its work with corporate, government and sports organizations and its ability to help organizations move groups efficiently and safely. In providing a choice of booking solutions to its clients, STM selected Deem in part for its enhanced content related to the novel coronavirus pandemic. Deems Travel SafetyCheck feature offers information on COVID-19 cases in a destination hotels neighborhood as well as safety scores for different types of travelers. Additional information on airlines cleaning and other safety protocols is also available directly in the booking flow, so travelers are able to get the information they need at the time when its most useful for them.

Deem currently serves a number of leading CT100 companies in technology, automotive and other industries, as well as highly competitive midsize and smaller agencies. It is also actively helping TMCs with a marketing cooperative program, Deem Collective, which provides funds, assets and information to help stimulate business, and its Deem Rise product, aimed at helping smaller companies get an online booking solution quickly and easily.

About Shorts Travel Management Established in 1946, Shorts Travel Management is a family-owned, woman-owned, private Iowa corporation. Experts in specialized segments including corporate, government, university and sports travel, groups and meetings, and air charters, STM is ranked as one of the top-30 travel management companies today and named the most innovative TMC by a top consultant in the industry. STMs mission is to enhance the experience of getting there, being there, and coming home. Learn more about STM at http://www.shortstravel.com.

About Deem Deem is on a mission to transform travel. With its corporate travel booking and management platform that allows travel managers to customize their programs, Deem offers employees everything they need to easily make the right travel decisions for themselves and their company. Deems travel technology plugs into major travel agencies and expense solution providers, enabling more corporate customers and the worlds largest travel management companies. Deem, a wholly owned and independently run subsidiary of Enterprise Holdings, is now part of the fifth largest travel company in the world. The company is headquartered in Oakland, California, with offices in Dublin, Ireland and Bangalore, India. Learn more at Deem.com.

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Short's Travel Signs with Deem to Offer An Additional Travel Booking Solution for Clients - GlobeNewswire

Travel insurance proposition enhanced by Zurich – ITIJ

The enhanced offering includes a larger international servicing network, broader insurance coverage and new capabilities to support travellers and risk managers through technology.

It also offers assistance and advisory services through the World Travel Protection brand of Cover-More, acquired by Zurich in 2017, in recognition of the priority companies place on the safety and wellbeing of their employees. This includes access to any one of Zurichs external contacts that deliver medical assistance and security services globally.

Business travel is becoming more complex

Risks associated with business travel are changing and becoming more complex, as exemplified this year by the Covid-19 pandemic, a rise in civil unrest, as well as extreme weather events and related catastrophes. As employees become increasingly exposed to such risks, companies have a greater obligation to ensure the health and safety of their workforce.

Drazen Jaksic, Global Head of Accident & Health, said: Covid-19 demonstrated how quickly a localised risk can become a global crisis, affecting not just business travellers and employees, but the global population. Although the pandemic has significantly reduced business travel for now, it is slowly re-starting as companies in some industries have to look after their assets, equipment and customers abroad, and deliver on projects.

To support businesses in fulfilling their duty of care for travelling employees, Zurich Business Travel Solution provides comprehensive insurance and services program, including enhanced coverage to protect travellers during these unprecedented times.

Protecting the business and employees

Jaksic added: Implementing a multinational business travel solution is now more important than ever as it can help prevent employees from being harmed and protect the business from the financial consequences. It also gives companies and their employees the knowledge that, as business travel returns, the safety and wellbeing of all employees is at the forefront of business and travel decisions.

Post Covid-19, where travel now comes with a more complex set of risk factors, businesses will be looking for more support from insurers, especially services that will reduce the risks for their travelling employees.

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Travel insurance proposition enhanced by Zurich - ITIJ

Is cow hugging the world’s new wellness trend? – BBC News

From goat yoga to sound baths, the world is full of wellness trends designed to soothe and calm both body and spirit. Now, a self-care practice hailing from the Netherlands is promising practitioners serenity, and perhaps a smile or two.

Dubbed koe knuffelen in Dutch (literally cow hugging), the practice is centred on the inherent healing properties of a good human-to-animal snuggle. Cow cuddlers typically start by taking a tour of the farm before resting against one of the cows for two to three hours. The cows warmer body temperature, slower heartbeat and mammoth size can make hugging them an incredibly soothing experience, and giving the animal a backrub, reclining against them or even getting licked is all part of the therapeutic encounter.

Cow cuddling is believed to promote positivity and reduce stress by boosting oxytocin in humans, the hormone released in social bonding. The calming effects of curling up with a pet or emotional support animal, it seems, are accentuated when cuddling with larger mammals.

This wholesome pastime emerged in rural Dutch provinces more than a decade ago, and is now part of a wider Dutch movement to bring people closer to nature and country life. Today, farms in Rotterdam, Switzerland and even the United States are offering cow-hugging sessions and promoting the activitys joy-inducing, stress-busting properties.

The cuddling experience can even be pleasurable for the cattle themselves. A 2007 study in the journal Applied Animal Behaviour Science states that cows show cues of deep relaxation, stretching out and allowing their ears to fall back when massaged in particular areas of their neck and upper back.

It seems that heartfelt bonding with bovines may just be what the doctor ordered.

(Video by BBC Reel; text by Yasmin El-Beih)

This video is part of BBC Reels Healthy Living playlist.

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This is why travel will be better post-pandemic – Traveller

Travellers may have to adjust to cheaper forms of transport on the banana pancake trail. Photo: Getty Images

Nostalgia is a funny thing. You tend to look back in time through rose-tinted glasses, to shed all of the bad stuff in your memory and make your life a highlights reel of the fun and the joyous. Even the most challenging events take on a sheen of job-well-done after a few years.

(True story: I once climbed a volcano in Chile and I have a vague but nagging memory that the whole thing really sucked. It was cold, it was dark, and I was unfit. But my dominant recollection, the thing that springs to mind every time I think about Villarrica, is the incredible view of the rising sun and the emerald-green fields as we perched on the side of that snow-covered mountain.)

And so most of us probably look back at travel, at the old style of travel from 20 or 30 years ago, as being a good thing. Life with no budget airlines. Life with no-go zones and barriers. Life with fewer flights. Life with less money.

Travel used to be harder. It used to be more prohibitive to take part.

By comparison, think about last year: you could have gone anywhere, you could have done anything. You could have flown to Asia for less than a week's rent. You could have taken a couple of weeks in Europe without having to scrimp and save, without having to dedicate yourself to this one holiday, this one adventure.

Twenty years ago, you couldn't have done that. Thirty years ago, definitely not. Forty years ago, not a chance. To travel used to require dedication to the cause, a true passion for getting out there and exploring, because you couldn't just jump on the next flight and go on a whim. You had to save. You had to take your time.

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And now look where we find ourselves. Travel has changed immeasurably in the last six months, and it's about to change even more. We're about to see whether the rose tint to our nostalgia has any ring of truth to it.

By the time we can see the world again, it's going to look a whole lot different for travellers. It's going to be more expensive. After an initial bump, after airlines and other providers dangle a few affordable carrots to get travellers back on board, we're going to settle into a new normal, and that new normal is going to be pricier.

Until a vaccine has been introduced and distributed worldwide, and proven to be effective, fewer people will be travelling. They'll be sticking closer to home. Fewer flights will be available. There will be fewer airlines as a whole not all of them are going to make it out of this pandemic. Australia has already lost one

It's going to be a bigger deal to leave the country. The bubble has been burst now, we've seen what can happen. For the short-term future at least, there's going to be a worry that it could all go wrong again, that borders could close and availability could drop and we'll find ourselves stuck somewhere, unable to get home.

As I've written previously, in the short-term at least, travel is likely to favour the rich, those who can afford the luxury of space.

So does this mean travel is over? Maybe not for older travellers, those with plenty of money and time, but what about the young people, the budget travellers, the backpackers, the adventurers? Is travel for them dead?

No. But it's definitely different. And it's definitely going back to the future. Anyone who's been harping on about a return to the good old days, I have exciting news: the good old days are back.

To travel in the modern world is going to require commitment. Airfares will be expensive, accommodation will be expensive, the Australian dollar will be weak. So you're going to have to save up plenty of cash.

You're going to have to travel for several months in somewhere like Europe to make it all worthwhile. You're going to have to stay in hostels or pitch a tent in campsites. You're going to have to slum it in dorms and ratty bungalows on the banana pancake trail. You're going to have to find work or do odd jobs for board. You're going to have to buy an old bomb of a vehicle that has no #vanlife Insta-cred at all, and call that your house.

In other words, you're going to have to do what so many of us had to do back in the day. And the good news as far as I can remember, anyway is that it's awesome.

Travel, after all, should be a treated as a novelty, as a gift, as a privilege, rather than a right. It should be hard to achieve. It should require dedication and appreciation.

This style of travel once had so much going for it, and it will again. The fellow travellers you meet in the new world will be just as passionate and dedicated as you. There will be fewer tourists with which to share your experiences, to crowd the sights, to queue at the attractions. You will be more of a novelty for locals, locals who will no doubt welcome the return of the tourist trade, who will view you as a sign the world is returning to normal.

Travel for young people, for adventurous people, for the budget conscious, will be as it once was. And that as far as I can remember is very good.

Do you think travel will have changed by the time we're able to go overseas again? Are you happy it might go back to the way it once was? Did you enjoy scrimping and saving for travel 20, 30 or 40 years ago?

See also:Backpackers love Australia, why don't young Aussies?

See also:Think Australia's travel ban is fair? This will change your mind

Email: b.groundwater@traveller.com.au

Instagram: instagram.com/bengroundwater

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Travel Alert: Covid-19 Cases Are Back To July Levels, And Rising Fast – Forbes

Much of the United States is now at high-risk.

Here we go again. Seven months into the coronavirus pandemic, Covid-19 numbers are going in the wrong direction in 29 of 50 states.

Despite President Trump saying repeatedly that Covid-19 is going away, the data shows that the virus is not going anywhere.

The U.S. is seeing widespread increases in Covid-19 cases at the same level the country was at just after the July 4th holiday weekend, prior to the big summer surge. This has public health experts concerned that the country is heading for a third spike.

We have a baseline of infections that vary between 40 and 50 thousand per day, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nations top infectious disease expert, told CNBCs Shepard Smith yesterday. Thats a bad place to be when youre going into the cooler weather of the fall and the colder weather of the winter.

Since Labor Day weekend, new Covid-19 cases have been on the rise.

Meanwhile, domestic air travel has been ticking up, too. Last month, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screened more than 900,000 passengers on just two days, both during Labor Day weekend, according to the agencys throughput data. The TSA has already hit that milestone on four days in October, and the month isnt even half over.

For Americans trying to figure out whether its safe to take an upcoming business or leisure trip during the latest surge, several excellent tools can help make sense of the trends.

If your travel dates are imminent, turn to the Covid-19 risk-assessment map run by Harvard Global Health Institute and Brown School of Public Health. The color-coded map provides an easy way for Americans to assess how quickly the disease is spreading in a state or county. Each community has a rating of green, yellow, orange or red, based upon the number of new daily cases of Covid-19 per 100,000 people over a seven-day rolling average.

The number of states in the red-alert category has risen from four to 13 in the past month.

With coronavirus hot spots sprawling across the Midwest and Mountain West, nearly one in three states is now colored red, meaning the community is at a tipping point for Covid-19 infections. The number of high-risk states has jumped from four to 13 in the past month.

If your trip is still a week or more away, there is a better metric to look at. According to Dr. Fauci, the best predictor of the next hot spot is a rising positivity rate. You can consult Johns Hopkins Universitys Covid-19 tracking map to find out which states are most likely to turn into hot spots.

Right now, a whopping 25 states exactly half the country have reported rising positivity rates for two consecutive weeks.

The higher the percent positive is, the more concerning it is, according toJohns Hopkins explainer. As a rule of thumb, however, one threshold for the percent positive being too high is 5%. Currently, a mindblowing 31 states are above the 5% threshold.

In Idaho, 22.9% of tests came back positive for COVID-19 last week, the highest positivity rate in the country. South Dakota and Wisconsin also reported percent positive rates above 20% last week.

When it comes to managing the coronavirus pandemic, the United States has fared worse than nearly every other country in the world. To date, over 7.8 million Americans have become infected with the novel coronavirus and 215,000 have died.

A well-regarded model by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington is currently projecting that the U.S. will hit394,000 Covid-19 deathsby February 1, 2021. The model predicts that the death rate will rise throughout the fall and winter until itpeaks at 2,300 per dayin mid-January, up from about 700 a day now.

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Travel Alert: Covid-19 Cases Are Back To July Levels, And Rising Fast - Forbes

Author and World Traveler Illustrates Exploration of Europe and the Challenges he Faced in New Book – GlobeNewswire

A Day in the WoodsBy Brian Walsh

TRABUCO CANYON, Cali., Oct. 08, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Brian Walsh always wanted to explore the world. In his newly released book, A Day in the Woods, he gives readers a glimpse into his European getaway. In 1976 Walsh left home for the first time to take on a new country he has never been to before. Without much planning, the author realizes he is not fully prepared for this trip as he thought he would be.

Throughout the book, Walsh pens the harsh reality he faced throughout his travels from country to country in Western Europe. He experienced hardships of poverty and rejection that made him reflect on if he had the determination to sustain his journey to the very end. Walsh decided he wanted to explore the world, emulating the characters in James Micheners novel, The Drifters: Tales of Adventure, was the inspiration behind his voyage. Despite the hard times he endured, Walsh searches for Micheners characters' perceived lifestyle, which inspired him to chase his dreams.

I wrote A Day in the Woods to inspire would-be travelers while clearly defining both pleasure and hardship experiences that I faced, said Walsh. I hope my story will entertain seasoned travelers with familiar and shared experiences while giving the truth behind my European travel.

Ultimately, "A Day in the Woods" will show readers that regardless of the adversity one might face during their travels, if they live their dreams and not give up irrespective of the challenges that may arise, it will all be worth it in the end.

A Day in the WoodsBy Brian WalshISBN: 978-1-4808-9348-1 (softcover); 978-1-4808-9362-7 (eBook)Available at Archway Publishing, Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the authorBrian Walsh was born and bred in South Africa. The author has experienced extensive worldwide travel, both for pleasure and business. He has lived in Europe, Asia and the Americas. Walsh has been employed by both British and United States corporate entities and established a business in 2004, which he still operates on a semi-retired basis. His debut book, A Day in the Woods, was developed from years of scribbled notes and has only come to fruition. Walsh and his wife currently reside in California.

Simon & Schuster, a company with nearly ninety years of publishing experience, has teamed up with Author Solutions, LLC, the worldwide leader in self-publishing, to create Archway Publishing. With unique resources to support books of all kind, Archway Publishing offers a specialized approach to help every author reach his or her desired audience. For more information, visit http://www.archwaypublishing.com or call 888-242-5904.

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Author and World Traveler Illustrates Exploration of Europe and the Challenges he Faced in New Book - GlobeNewswire

Disney World attendance to stay capped; Disneyland reopening ‘not much of a negotiation,’ CEO says – USA TODAY

Walt Disney World has reopened to the public but with many new precautions to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Wochit

For theme park regulars who havebeen enjoying the new, less-crowded Disney World, this will come as good news: The Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Chapek says it will continue to cap attendance at theFlorida theme park at 25% until there is new guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"We're limited by the 6-foot social-distancing guideline of the CDC. And that translates, essentially, to about a 25% park capacity," Chapek said in an interview with CNBC's "Closing Bell" Monday evening. "Every day, that's about where we're at: 25%. And that won't change until the CDC guidelines change."

He also didn't sound optimistic about the chances of Disneyland reopening anytime soon, which could lead to more theme park job cutsin addition to the 28,000 workersin Florida and California who lost their jobs at the end of September.Chapek said he hopes the company won't have to cut any more theme park workers but acknowledged their futures hingeon when Disneyland,its California park, can reopen.

Last week, California Gov. Gavin Newsom saidthe state "is in no hurry in putting out guidelines," referring to the rules that theme parks would need to operate safely in the state, which experienced one of the country's worst COVID-19 surges over the summer. Though the situation there has improved, CDC data still puts California second in the country in terms of new cases reported in the last week with 22,850, trailing only Texas.

"We don't anticipate in the immediate term any of these larger theme parks opening until we see more stability in terms of the data," Newsom said at an Oct. 7 news conference, after promisingin mid-September that the state would provide those guidelines "very, very shortly."

Chapek noted:"Obviously, we're watching very carefully what the state of California does as an indicator of whether we can retain some of our cast members that are on furlough now. We'd like to keep them on furlough until we can reopen ...We'd like to put our cast members back to work as many of them as possible as soon as possible if the government will let us."

Asked about the state of Disney'snegotiations with California, he commented,"It's not much of a negotiation. It's pretty much a mandate that we stay closed."

Neither CalifornianorCalifornia Attractionsand Parks Association, the trade group that represents Disneyland and other theme parks, would say where the disconnect lies, although the Timesreported that the statedoesn't want theme parks to reopen until the infection rate inneighboring counties drops to one per 100,000 residents and the rate of positive testsfalls to below 2%. (USA TODAY has requested comment from Newsom's office and the trade group.)

Such an improvementwould movetheme parks intothe minimum-risk category, the lowest of thefour-tier system in the state's Blueprint for a Safer Economy. ButOrange County, where Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm arelocated, still has aways to go:It is currentlyreporting a rangeof 4-7 new cases a day per 100,000 people and a positivity rate of 5-8%, which puts it in the substantial-risk, or second-worst,category. Los Angeles County, home to Universal Studios Hollywood and Six Flags Magic Mountain, remains in the widespread-risk and worst tier with upwards of seven new cases a day per 100,000 people and a positivity rate over 8%.

Confusing matters further: Theme parks aren't even a category in the blueprint. And businesses in the two closest categories museums, zoos and aquariums and family entertainment centers are allowed to operate under all four risk levels, even if only outdoors.

At a Monday news conference, Newsom said the state is also concerned about reopening its theme parks against the backdrop of fall and flu season.

"This is serious," he said."Were entering not just the flu season, but were entering into a period of time where people are more likely to start congregating and mixing back indoors.

Chapek told CNBC,"It seems to me that the guidelines that are set up by the state of California are more stringent than any state across the country. If you look at the history of Disney and what we've been able to do during the reopening rather than arbitrary standards set up without regard to actual fact and what we've been able to do as a company, I think you'd come to a different decision about reopening Disneyland."

Chapek pointed to the successful reopeningof other Disney propertiesas evidence that the outcome will be similar at Disneyland:"I look across our Disney properties be it Shanghai, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Paris, Walt Disney World, the Disney bubble for the NBAand all I see is that we've been able to open up responsibly using the guidelines that health care experts have given us."

The parks' chief medical officer, Dr. Pamela Hymel, echoed that claim to the New York Times, saying:Data shows that Disney World opened responsibly; we didnt cause a surge.

Dr. Raul Pino, director of the Florida Department of Health in Orange County, supported Disney's claims, telling the newspaper, We have no issues or concerns with the major theme parks at this point."

In late August, about six weeks after Disney World reopened, Pino told Orlando's News 6 that his team had been looking for outbreaks therebut had not found any. He credited the park'sdiligent efforts butnoted that limited capacity has also been a key factor.

The parks are taking great measures, and they have gone to great lengths to be ableto open and to prevent the transmission, but its also the whole thing of an open space I think is whats making the difference," he said. "And also, the parks are not full. They are operating on probably less than 50% capacity and that may be a contributing factor."

The company has not said how many employeesand guestshave tested positive for the virus since Disney World reopened on July. 11.USA TODAY has sought comment from Actor's Equity, the union that represents Disney performers.

Contributing: Chris Woodyard, USA TODAY

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Disney World attendance to stay capped; Disneyland reopening 'not much of a negotiation,' CEO says - USA TODAY