Global Scans · Travel · Weekly Summary

WHAT'S NEXT?: How we travel, where we travel and whether we travel at all will mean tremendous change in the decades ahead.

• [New] International travel continues to be healthy, particularly out of the key markets of the U.S. and Europe, but flagged that Asia-Pacific travel has been weak as the post-pandemic recovery continues to be slower than expected. BusinessToday
• [New] Offering higher capacity, reduced travel times and fewer delays, HS2 is a once-in-a-generation infrastructure project that will halve travel times between London and Birmingham. FleetMilne Estate & Lettings Agents Birmingham
• [New] A noteworthy 71% of travelers say they want to leave the places they visit better than when they arrived (up from 66% last year), and 2024's additional research shows 45% think they themselves have the potential to counteract the social impacts of travel. Booking.com
• [New] Tourism Industry: As a popular tourist destination, Israel offers job opportunities in servicing historical sites, guiding English-speaking tourists, or working as translators. welcome-israel.com
• [New] The cost of travelling in Greece will vary greatly by destination and time of year, but there are some islands that are generally considered more affordable than others. Thomas Cook
• [New] If waste-to-fuel refineries were built today near major travel hubs, the United States could produce 3-5 billion gallons of SAF from waste every year. Tech Xplore
• [New] The so-called Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) means visa-exempt passengers arriving in Britain from certain countries will now need to pay £10 and wait around three days for an online permit. CityAM
• [New] Less spending by foreign visitors could widen a tourism services deficit that topped US$ 1.2 billion last year due to wealthy Argentines' penchant for international travel offsetting all the incoming tourism. Buenos Aires Times
• [New] France has advised its citizens to absolutely refrain from traveling to Iran, Lebanon, Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories due to the risk of military escalation. CNN
• [New] The cost of online applications made within the UK for people aged 16 and above is rising from £82.50 to £88.50 while passports for children under 16 will cost £57.50, up from £53.50. Fenland Citizen
• [New] Expanding Global Entry Program: The United States welcomes Japan's expected full membership in 2024 in Customs and Border Protection's Global Entry program, a Trusted Traveler Program that allows expedited clearance for pre-approved, low-risk travelers upon arrival at U.S. airports. The White House
• Fraud, including financial crimes related to the use of counterfeit U.S. passport cards, is the largest source of illicit proceeds in the United States and represents one of the most significant money laundering threats to the United States. AML Intelligence
• Countries including France, India, Germany and Canada, are warning citizens to avoid traveling to to Iran, Lebanon, Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories amid the ramped-up regional tensions. CNN
• Canada has warned citizens to avoid all travel to Israel, Gaza and the West Bank, upgrading its risk assessment of the region due to the increased threat of attacks on Israeli territory. The Times of Israel
• Less spending by foreign visitors could widen a tourism services deficit that topped $1.2 billion last year due to wealthy Argentines' penchant for international travel offsetting all the incoming tourism. Yahoo Finance
• Argentina's surging inflation threatens to crimp a key source of tourism revenue as foreigners who piled $3.2 billion last year into the country that's short on dollars opt for other destinations. Yahoo Finance
• Planners are seeking creative solutions to soaring F & B costs, including sourcing boutique event centers as an alternative to using hotel meeting space, and 17.1% of planners expect service levels to decrease at hotels / meeting venues in the next three years. CEN
• Enhanced efforts are needed to increase routine U.S. vaccination coverage, encourage vaccination before international travel, identify communities at risk for measles transmission, and rapidly investigate suspected measles cases to reduce cases and complications of measles. Centers for Disease Control and PRevention
• Envisioned to attract 5,000 participants and generate a whopping 131 million Baht in tourism revenue, the ASEAN + India Shoppers in Thailand initiative seeks to invigorate short-haul tourism and amplify spending among ASEAN and Indian tourists. Thaiger
• The adoption of AI technologies has the potential to align with the sustainability objectives of the Serbian hotel industry, fostering economic, social, and environmental benefits. MDPI
• The adoption of AI technologies in the Serbian hotel industry has the potential to significantly contribute to sustainability goals. MDPI
• Higher demand for Philippine products will boost manufacturing growth while recent reports stated that foreign tourism in the Philippines is now contributing more to tourism compared to domestic tourism. BusinessMirror

Last updated: 27 April 2024