Daily Archives: November 28, 2024

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

Hawaii tourism seen strengthening in first quarter 2025

Hawaii’s travel industry may have more to celebrate in the New Year than it expected now that the first quarter is finally showing signs of strengthening.
The gains, which started in the fourth quarter, have not returned Hawaii tourism to its peak and aren’t expected to change the state Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism’s forecast declines this year. DBEDT’s latest forecast anticipates that Hawaii tourism will end the year with 9.56 million arrivals, a 1% contraction from 2023, and that spending will fall to $20.74 billion, off 0.6% from 2023.
Still, the current strengthening continues the industry’s recovery from COVID-19 and the Aug. 8, 2023, Maui wildfires, and come at a crucial time. Keith Vieira, principal of KV & Associates, said, “History has shown us when we miss the first quarter, we miss the whole year because you are just playing catch- up.”
The market, which was really slow in August and September, began picking up in October. A preliminary visitor statistics report for October released Wednesday by DBEDT highlighted the month as having the second highest number of arrivals for any October on record.
Arrivals to Hawaii rose 5.4% year-over-year to 774,617 visitors, according to DBEDT, while total spending by these visitors measured in nominal dollars increased 6.2% to $1.58 billion.
The spending and arrivals gains were helped by 180,609 Maui visitors, a 34.3% increase over last October, and a 16.7% spending rise. More than a year after the wildfires, which leveled Lahaina and killed 102 people, the dampening continues to affect tourism performance statewide, but to a lesser degree than it once did.

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Egypt tourist boat latest: Survivors used ‘20cm air pockets’ to stay alive in ‘complete darkness’

Rescuers help survivors of boat sunk off Red Sea coast as two Britons feared missingYour support helps us to tell the storyFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.CloseRead moreSurvivors of the sunken Egyptian vessel which capsized in the Red Sea used 20cm air pockets to stay alive for around 30 hours, a family member has revealed.The survivors battled for their lives in “complete darkness”, as they shared a small pocket of a cabin in which they were trapped for more than a day in “cold water”, Hussam al-Faramawy told The Times.Mr al-Faramawy’s son Youssef, was a diving instructor rescued from the yacht. Youssef had “sent out a distress signal” along with the vessel’s captain, before going to help a man and woman who were “trapped in a cabin”.He was among the five people rescued on Tuesday over a day after the boat capsized. This brought the total number of people rescued to 33, after 28 were rescued on Monday.Four bodies were recovered from the boat on Tuesday, with seven people still remain missing.According to the AFP news agency, two Britons were among those rescued on Monday. But two Britons remain unaccounted for, and according to some reports are among the seven missing.Pictured: Survivors are tended to by Egyptian military and medicsSurvivors are wrapped in blankets after being rescued by Egyptian emergency services

‘I sold everything to travel in my 60s – I want to visit every country before my money runs out’

A former office administrator turned globe-trotter has traded her two-bedroom city home for a life of adventure, aiming to visit every country in the world. After catching the travel bug, Lynn Stephenson, 61, sold her semi-detached house in Nottingham for £136,000, using the profit to fund her escapades. Having worked at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court and…