Daily Archives: November 28, 2024

Tourism Source Market Size | Share: Projected Surge at 6.6% CAGR, Nearing USD 1.1 Trillion by 2032

Tourism Source Market Size | Share: Projected Surge at 6.6% CAGR, Nearing USD 1.1 Trillion by 2032 – Travel Industry Today – EIN Presswire

U.S. eases China travel advisory after 3 detained Americans are released

HONG KONG — The State Department eased its travel advisory for China after the release of three U.S. citizens who had been detained in the country for years.The travel advisory for China is now at Level 2, “exercise increased caution,” putting it at the same level as France and Germany. The alert had previously been at Level 3, the second-highest level, advising Americans to reconsider travel to China partly because of “the risk of wrongful detentions,” according to the guidance issued on Wednesday The language about wrongful detentions has been removed in the updated advisory.The update comes after the Biden administration earlier announced that it had secured the release of three Americans who had spent years in Chinese detention: Kai Li, Mark Swidan and John Leung.A U.S. government official said Wednesday that Li, Swidan and Leung were released in exchange for Chinese nationals detained in the U.S., including Xu Yanjun, an officer of China’s Ministry of State Security who was accused of trying to steal technology from an American aircraft engine supplier, and Ji Chaoqun, who was accused of spying for the Chinese government. Officials said the deal had been in the works for months.Details of the swap have not been publicly confirmed by the White House. The Chinese Foreign Ministry said Thursday that three Chinese citizens “who were wrongly detained by the U.S.” had safely returned to China.Li, 62, who is from Long Island, New York, had been detained since 2016 and was serving a 10-year sentence after being convicted of espionage, while Swidan, a Texas businessman in his 40s, had been detained since 2012 and was sentenced to death with a reprieve in 2019 after being convicted on drug-related charges. Leung, who is in his 70s and was detained in 2021, was sentenced to life in prison last year after being found guilty of espionage by a court in eastern China.Li and Swidan had been officially designated by the State Department as “wrongfully detained.”Their return followed the surprise release in September of American pastor David Lin, who was also considered wrongfully detained. Lin spent almost two decades in Chinese custody and had been sentenced to life in prison on charges of contract fraud.A State Department spokesperson said Wednesday that all Americans wrongfully detained in China were now home.According to the prisoner rights group Dui Hua Foundation, there are about 200 American detainees in China, more than in any other foreign country. They include Americans who are imprisoned as well as those who are prevented from leaving the country while a case is under investigation.The updated China advisory also warns about “arbitrary enforcement of local laws, including in relation to exit bans.”Beijing, which had criticized the Level 3 travel advisory as too harsh, says all cases are handled in accordance with the law. The Chinese Foreign Ministry said Thursday that the travel advisory downgrade was “conducive to normal people-to-people exchanges” between the U.S. and China.“We have always opposed the artificial creation of a chilling effect and hope the U.S. will continue to create more conveniences to promote cultural exchanges between the two nations,” spokesperson Mao Ning said at a regular briefing in Beijing.Nicholas Burns, the U.S. ambassador to China, had defended the Level 3 advisory in an interview last month.“The government of China protests against the travel advisory, but they have no grounds to do so when we have such a major problem on the ground here,” he told NBC News in Beijing.The “reconsider travel” warning had raised concerns about the potential impact on U.S. business and tourist travel to China, as well as academic and other exchanges. There are estimated to be fewer than 1,000 Americans studying in China compared with a peak of about 15,000 a decade ago and an estimated 300,000 Chinese students currently in the U.S.The Level 3 advisory “is a really big deal,” Austin Strange, an assistant professor of international relations at the University of Hong Kong, said earlier this month at an event hosted by the university’s Centre on Contemporary China and the World.Chinese President Xi Jinping said last year that China was ready to invite 50,000 young Americans to study there in the next five years.“It’s taken some steps to make that easier,” Strange said, “but it’s extremely difficult to do that with the travel advisory, because this creates huge insurance and other risks for American universities that sponsor study abroad programs.”Some, like Peter Humphrey, a British advocate for foreigners detained in China who was imprisoned there for two years on what he says were false charges of gathering illegal information, said they opposed the travel advisory downgrade.“There is no sign really of any increase in the safety for Americans in China,” he said.

She made my travel dreams come true

After retiring from her job as a nurse, Nancy loved to spend time travelling, but she never expected it would lead to her meeting a new best friend. In 2022, she went to Munich, Germany, a city she regularly visited. “I live in North Carolina but I would travel to Europe on my own because my husband still works,” she says. “Travelling is my way of relaxing and rewarding myself after all those years of hard work.”One morning, while eating breakfast at her hotel, she was approached by Barbara, a healthcare project manager from Austria, who was sitting at a nearby table. “I was visiting the city with my school friend, Andrea” says Barbara. “I noticed this very elegant woman and really liked her coat. I’m a size 18 and struggle to find nice clothes, but I noticed she was a similar size.” Barbara asked Andrea to lean over and look at the label on the coat, so she could find out where it was from. “She almost fell off her chair trying to see, so I decided to just go and ask,” says Barbara.Her inquiry sparked a conversation, and the two clicked. “I invited her to join us for coffee,” says Barbara. As a single traveller, Nancy appreciated the company. “I told her about a Victorian tea room I wanted to go to and asked if they wanted to come too,” she says. “They came along and, afterwards, Barbara snuck off and paid the bill,” says Nancy. “I hardly knew her and she bought me this wonderful champagne tea.”View image in fullscreenBarbara says it felt easygoing and they found they had lots in common. “Nancy talked about her family history and her German and British ancestors. During the tea, I suggested she come to visit me in Austria the following year.” Nancy soon went back to the US but the pair stayed in touch via email and WhatsApp. “People often say ‘come and visit’ but they don’t really mean it. With Barbara, it felt like a really genuine invite.”In November 2023, Nancy travelled back to Munich, where she met up with Barbara again. Afterwards, Barbara drove her to her home town of Graz in Austria. “There was an early snowfall and we ended up having a snowball fight on the way back,” laughs Barbara. “When Nancy told me she’d never been to the opera, I arranged a tour of the local opera theatre,” she says. “When we arrived, we realised it was for young children. We ended up going round with all these kids, which was really funny.” They also went on a 24-hour trip to Vienna, visiting Christmas markets and the Freud museum.“When I went to her house, I felt so relaxed and happy,” says Nancy. “Anything I mentioned, like the museums or the markets, Barb made it happen. She knows so much about history and culture, it was like having my own personal guided tour. She’s made so many of my travel dreams come true.”The friends bonded over more than just their shared passion for travel. “It’s unusual to make such a close friend at this age, but Nancy has always been so open,” says Barbara. “She told me about her daughter having bone surgery when she was young and how she’d nearly died. I lost my mother and sister when they were both quite young, and meeting someone else who has also experienced trauma is a different kind of link.”In May this year, Nancy went back to Graz and from there the pair took a trip to Venice. “I convinced her to come on the gondolas with me and she ended up loving it,” says Nancy.Barbara loves that they can “giggle like teenagers”, as well as having deep conversations. “I’m always humbled by her generosity, and the quality of trust between us is really high. With Nancy, I feel like it was just meant to be.”Nancy describes her friend as funny, caring and empathic. “It’s a gift to meet people when you travel, and Barb is the best gift I’ve received on my travels anywhere. It’s been a very nice surprise to meet her at this point in life.”

Lake Effect Snow to Hit New York Counties, Warning ‘Travel Impossible’

The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a Lake Effect Snow Warning for Oswego, Jefferson, and Lewis counties in New York from Friday, Nov. 29, at 7 a.m. EST until Monday, Dec. 2, at 7 p.m. EST.The NWS forecasts heavy lake-effect snow, with total accumulations of three to four feet in the most persistent bands. The greatest snowfall is expected across the northern Tug Hill region and areas just south and east of Watertown.”Travel will be very difficult to impossible within the heaviest portion of the band,” said the NSW warning. “The hazardous conditions will impact the Friday morning and evening commutes.””During lake effect snow, the weather can vary from bands of locally heavy snow with greatly reduced visibilities to dry conditions just a few miles away,” it continued. “Be prepared for rapid changes in weather, visibility, and road conditions.””Consider delaying travel. If you must travel, drive with extreme caution. Leave plenty of room between you and the motorist ahead of you, and allow extra time to reach your destination. Avoid sudden braking or acceleration, and be especially cautious on hills or when making turns.”
Forecasters are predicting several feet of snow in regions affected by the most persistent lake-effect bands. Snowfall rates are expected to average one to two inches per hour, with occasional periods of even heavier accumulation.The Weather Service predicts below-freezing temperatures in the upper 20s for Orchard Park, with a steady 43 percent chance of snow lasting through Sunday evening. Winds are expected to come from the west at a mild eight mph.Fox News meteorologist Stephen McCloud said from a post on his X account “High impact lake-effect snow starting Friday through mid-week next week. FEET of snow are likely on the eastern shores of Lake Ontario & Erie while 10″+ is possible along the rest of the Great Lakes.”
A Winter Storm Watch is in effect for Buffalo, anticipating heavy lake-effect snow beginning Saturday, according to Country Herald. Accumulations are expected to total 10 to 18 inches by Sunday night, with the most significant snowfall projected in Buffalo’s Southtowns.Travel around Buffalo may become challenging due to poor visibility and snow-covered roads, says the report. Residents are advised to stay informed through weather updates and exercise caution during this period.This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.

Tunisia: Creation of Tataouine’s first tourist zone approved

Abderraouf Slouma, regional delegate of the Agence foncière touristique du Sud, has announced the approval of the creation of the first tourist zone in the governorate of Tataouine, after almost 20 years of preparation.

This zone will cover an area of 8 hectares in the Biyach region, about 4 kilometers from the centre of Tataouine.

He also pointed out that the zone will include the construction of a hotel unit, two entertainment areas and a multifunctional and multipurpose area.

The regional delegate stressed that the region needs at least 10,000 tourist beds to fully exploit its potential in terms of tourist products and sites.

Proposals have been made to create a tourist zone at Aïn Kordi, in the Remada delegation, covering an area of 130 hectares, and another in the Oued Dakouk valley, in the Tataouine Sud delegation, the first phase of which will cover about 10 hectares.

Thessaloniki Strengthens Polish Ties at 2024 Warsaw Travel and Tourism Fair

.essb_links.essb_size_m .essb_link_svg_icon svg{height:18px;width:auto}.essb_links.essb_size_m .essb_icon{width:36px !important;height:36px !important}.essb_links.essb_size_m .essb_icon:before{font-size:18px !important;top:9px !important;left:9px !important}.essb_links.essb_size_m li a .essb_network_name{font-size:13px !important;font-weight:400 !important;line-height:12px !important}TTO Representative Kyriaki Oudatzi at the organization’s pavilion at the Warsaw International Travel and Tourism Fair 2024. Photo source: TTOThessaloniki presented its unique tourism offerings and rich cultural experiences at the Warsaw International Travel and Tourism Fair 2024 in Poland.
The exhibition, launched in 2023, is a joint initiative by the Polish Chamber of Tourism and public institutions, aimed at creating a platform for global tourism professionals to network, exchange ideas, and address industry challenges.
The Thessaloniki Tourism Organization (TTO) and the city’s municipality participated to strengthen the destination’s presence in the Polish market and forge new partnerships with travel agencies, tour operators, and airlines.
Photo source: TTO
According to Fraport Greece data, Poland has demonstrated a strong preference for Thessaloniki, ranking 7th in arrivals at Makedonia Airport in 2023. The country improved to 6th place in August 2024, though it slightly dropped to 8th in October.
As a co-exhibitor with the Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO), Thessaloniki’s officials highlighted the city’s vibrant cultural and gastronomic offerings during B2B meetings, securing new collaborations and fortifying existing partnerships.
Officials underscored Poland’s importance as a key tourism market for Thessaloniki, noting the country’s large population and growing travel interest. Poland’s proximity to Greece further enhances Thessaloniki’s appeal as an easily accessible destination.
Photo source: TTO
Additionally, rising disposable incomes among Poles are enabling more people to invest in high-quality vacations. Thessaloniki’s appeal is further bolstered by its ability to cater to both summer and winter travelers, offering year-round options.
“The TTO remains committed to strategically promoting Thessaloniki as a premier tourism destination,” said officials.
The organization plans to build on the partnerships formed at the fair while preparing for future participation in international tourism events.

RCI names Lucas Ramos as Senior Director, Travel & Membership – Asia, Pacific & India

RCI names Lucas Ramos as Senior Director, Travel & Membership – Asia, Pacific & India | Travel Trends Today