It’s a day of mixed messages when it comes to world travel. Here’s a roundup of some of today’s headlines. JAPAN SHUTS DOORS THROUGH FEBRUARY Japan will maintain its tight entry restrictions to prevent the spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 until the end of February, the prime minister said on Tuesday, though some exceptions for humanitarian reasons may be considered, Reuters reports. “Japan adopted some of the strictest border controls in the world when the Omicron variant emerged late last year, banning all new entry by non-Japanese people, including students and foreign family members of Japanese or permanent Read more
Japan
Here we go again. Japan today (Monday) announced that it’s closing its border to international travellers due to fears of the omicron variant of COVID-19. Japan will bar entry to foreigners from midnight on Monday, and Japanese returnees from specified nations will have to quarantine in designated facilities, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters. ABC News reports that the Israel Health Ministry said the country’s coronavirus Cabinet had authorized a raft of measures, including red-listing travel to 50 African countries, banning entry by foreigners and mandating quarantine for all Israelis arriving from abroad. Australia today said it’s delaying the Read more
A new study finds that Canada is one of the most googled vacation spots on earth. And a story from the New York Times focuses on how hotels are changing the way they do business as as result of COVID-19. My Future of Travel blog for Sunday, July 26. There’s nothing wrong with sharing a silver medal. A company called Kuoni recently analyzed Google searches for vacations and found that Canada finished in a tie for second as a potential holiday spot. The study found that the United Arab Emirates, a group of states that includes Dubai and Abu Dhabi, Read more
America’s favourite place to escape is opening for business. Meanwhile, Japan and Sicily will both apparently subsidize tourists who visit their countries and aid in their economic recovery. Meanwhile, both Spain and Greece are prepared to open their doors to some visitors. My Future of Travel blog for May 25. VEGAS COMING BACK Mark down the date June 4 for Vegas, baby. And Reno, too. We’ve seen some openings in Europe and elsewhere, but this is probably the biggest U.S. travel news of the last two month; word that Nevada casinos can fling open their doors on June 4; a Read more
With travel at something of a standstill, I’m re-posting some prior blogs of mine. This one focuses on some marvellous, lesser-known places to explore in my home city. TORONTO – I walk up a flight of stairs and emerge into a wonderland. Swirling, intricately carved arches of brilliant white stone dance around my head. Soft blue lighting infuses the room with a deep glow, then turns green and yellow and soft orange. The light seeps around corners and plays onto brilliant white pillars that rise towards a series of equally stunning ceiling panels. I’m not a religious person, but the Read more
