Tag: Tourism

Government of Indonesia Plans to Build Ten More New Airports

Reading Time: < 1 minute Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi has stated that the government plans to develop ten new airports to support the development of tourism in the country. Airports would be developed in Lampung, Central Sulawesi, Southeast Sulawesi, East Nusa Tenggara, Central Kalimantan, Bangka Belitung and North Sumatra, said Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi. Tjilik Riwut Airport in […]

Philippine Airlines Suspends Kuwait Flights

Reading Time: < 1 minute Philippine Airlines (PAL) will temporarily halt its “economically unsustainable” flights to and from Kuwait from May 16. In a statement posted on its Facebook page, the airline noted that since earlier this year it has repatriated, free of charge, almost 900 “distressed” Filipino workers in response to president Rodrigo Duterte’s calls to assist overseas foreign […]

Low-Cost Carrier Ryanair Begins First Flights to Jordan

Reading Time: < 1 minute Europe’s leading low-cost carrier Ryanair has introduced 14 new direct flight routes between Europe and Jordan, starting in March. The move was announced by the country’s tourism minister Lina Annab at the Jordan 2018 Agenda conference and formally unveiled at a press conference today. The move will offer a distinct fillip to the country’s all-important […]

Air Transport Generates $9.6B in GDP, Supports 300,000 Jobs in Argentina

Reading Time: 2 minutes The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced new data showing that aviation and aviation-induced tourism contribute $9.6 billion to Argentina’s economy and support 300,000 jobs, equivalent to 1.7% of the country’s GDP. The findings are among the highlights from “The Importance of Air Transport in Argentina’” study conducted by Oxford Economics on behalf of IATA. […]

Qatar Waives Entry Visa Requirements For Citizens Of 80 Countries

Reading Time: 4 minutes Qatar’s Ministry of Interior (MoI), Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) and Qatar Airways announced that Qatar will allow visa-free entry for citizens of 80 countries, effective immediately. Citizens of those countries* wishing to visit Qatar will no longer need to apply or pay for a visa; instead, a multi-entry waiver will be issued free-of-charge at the […]

Turkey Urges Open Skies Deal with Russia

Reading Time: 2 minutes Turkey is proposing a liberalization of bilateral air services with Russia, the country’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced at the sixth meeting of the High-Level Cooperation Council. “[It’s necessary] to increase the flight frequencies between our two countries and make [the bilateral market] unrestricted, completely unlimited,” states Erdogan. The curently effective memorandum outlining the prospects of […]

IATA Welcomes Reduction in Austrian Air Travel Tax

Reading Time: 2 minutes The International Air Transport Association (IATA) welcomed the announcement that the Austrian Air Travel Tax will be halved from 1 January 2018. The Austrian Ministers Council confirmed that the decision was taken to increase the attractiveness of Austria as a business and tourism destination, to secure the future of Vienna airport as an international aviation […]

Emirates Celebrates First Year on World’s Longest A380 Non-Stop Route

Reading Time: 2 minutes Upgrading the aircraft type to the double-decker A380 on its daily non-stop service connecting Dubai and Auckland was one of the key reasons for a successful first year on the route, the world’s longest A380 flight, says Emirates. Emirates celebrated 12 months on the non-stop route, flown firstly with a 266-seat Boeing 777-200LR and then, […]

DOT Proposes New Baggage Fee Disclosure Rules

Reading Time: 2 minutes In the last week of the Obama Administration, the US Department of Transportation (DOT) proposed that airlines and ticket agents be required to disclose specific baggage fees when providing airfare information. In a supplemental notice Jan. 17, DOT is proposing that airlines and ticket agents must disclose — while customers are researching airline fares — […]

Africa Sees Slow But Positive Increase in Tourism

Reading Time: 3 minutes Demand for international tourism remained robust in 2016 despite challenges. International tourist arrivals grew by 3.9% to reach a total of 1,235 million, according to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer. Some 46 million more tourists (overnight visitors) travelled internationally last year compared to 2015. Available data for Africa points to an 8% rebound in […]