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    Over 150,000 Israeli tourists visit UAE in 10 months

    More than 150,000 Israeli tourists visited the UAE in the last 10 months of 2022, and this year also looks promising in terms of tourism growth between the UAE and Israel as the two countries hope to increase flight frequency.The two Middle Eastern countries opened their borders after the signing of the Abraham Accord in September 2020, resulting in people-to-people contact flourishing between the two nations.
    Starting March 1, 2022, Israel allowed all Covid-19 vaccinated foreigners to visit the country.
    Pini Shani, senior vice president, the Israel Ministry of Tourism, said around 1,600 Emirati nationals arrived in Israel from UAE in the last ten months of 2022.“Starting in March 2022, we lifted the travel restrictions, and more than 150,000 Israelis travelled to UAE during this period. Israeli tourists are great spenders as they love to spend money while travelling and exploring. UAE nationals and expats are spending $180 (Dh 661) per day, excluding flights. Business travellers spend even more but stay less days in Israel,” Shani told Khaleej Times in an interview after his recent visit to the UAE.
    During a visit to the UAE last month, the Israel Ministry of Tourism’s SVP met travel and tourism industry executives and explored business opportunities by offering tour operators the opportunity to collaborate with Israel in an incentive or joint marketing agreement.
    Israel Ministry of Tourism provides a 20 euros (Dh78) reward to a travel agency for each tourist arriving in Israel for at least four nights.ADVERTISEMENTShani added that Israel can provide perfect conditions for the UAE and GCC visitors, including Halal food restaurants, Arabic-speaking tour guides, Islamic tourism sites and family-oriented hotels and places.
    Tourism in 2023
    Pini Shani is confident that 2023 will be an excellent year for tourism after recovering from the pandemic.
    “During 2022, we’ve already bounced back with exceptional tourist entries from our primary source countries, USA, Germany, France, and Italy. The Abraham Accord is a fantastic opportunity for the UAE and Israel to build lasting relationships and historic cultural bonds. For the Israeli audience, UAE is a new destination, which intrigues them to fly and discover in large masses.
    “Nevertheless, UAE nationals and expats need more time to explore what Israel can offer them as a tourism destination. Therefore, the number of visitors from Israel will stay more or less the same. In addition, the number of visitors from the UAE will increase dramatically in the upcoming years,” he added.
    Currently, there is good connectivity between the UAE and Israel, with 70 weekly flights operated by Emirates, FlyDubai, Etihad, EL-Al, and Israir.
    “We hope to increase flight frequency to boost tourism from the UAE and worldwide, especially from Southeast Asia, Oceania, and more,” added Shani.
    Visa challengeWhile highlighting challenges that hamper the tourism sector, Shani pointed out that there are two main obstacles to boosting tourism – Israeli visa and the need for more knowledge and awareness about Israel.
    “The Israeli visa process is necessary for visitors who are not UAE citizens but residents (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh). Issuing a visa takes time (around two weeks); unfortunately, it is a consideration for potential visitors when choosing their next destination for travel. We plan to give seminars and perform roadshows for the local travel industry with the cooperation of the Israeli travel trade to increase awareness of Israel as a tourist destination,” he said.
    In order to improve bilateral tourism, he said they’re focusing on training the UAE’s tourism industry and highlighting what Israel offers to potential tourists. “We want to display hospitality, co-existence, diverse communities, nature, local foods, culture, heritage, and history. In addition, we aim to build good relations with travel agencies, airplane companies, and the media,” he added.
    Source:www.khaleejtimes.com

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    VISIT FLORIDA Highlights Incredible Year for Florida Tourism

    VISIT FLORIDA highlighted an amazing year for Florida’s tourism industry driven by the efforts of the state’s official tourism marketing corporation. Throughout 2022, VISIT FLORIDA’s marketing initiatives – initiatives that are frequently done in collaborative partnership with local and regional tourism industry partners throughout Florida – have consistently yielded record-breaking visitation growth, and reinforced Florida’s position as one of the top vacation destinations in the world.
    “Florida tourism continues to reach new heights thanks to VISIT FLORIDA’s strategic marketing initiatives in tandem with the initiatives of our tourism partners throughout the state,” said VISIT FLORIDA President and CEO Dana Young. “Quarter after quarter, our vacation message has clearly resonated with travelers far and wide, and delivered record-breaking results on behalf of all Floridians. We appreciate Governor Ron DeSantis’ support and leadership that have helped get us here today, and are looking forward to leading Florida’s No. 1 industry to even more success in 2023.”
    2022 Highlights:
    Following the devastating impact of Hurricane Ian, VISIT FLORIDA launched a multi-million-dollar marketing plan in partnership with communities throughout Florida to promote tourism to the state to ensure a full recovery from the storm. The multi-phased campaign includes an initial effort showing that Florida is open for business, as well as a comprehensive recovery package for the areas of the state that were most severely impacted by the storm.Conducted the annual Winter Sunseekers Campaign to reinforce Florida’s position as a top winter vacation destination. The campaign delivered over 1 billion impressions and those exposed to its advertising were nearly 3 times more likely to travel to Florida.Hosted Florida Huddle (serving the international travel trade industry) and Florida Encounter (serving the meetings and events industry) simultaneously for the first time ever in Tampa, FL. Together, the events were attended by more than 600 registrants, representing 24 countries and over 7,500 appointments.Partnered with the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) to help promote Florida’s Rural Areas of Opportunity (RAOs). Efforts included a two-module, in-person adventure training program for local tourism suppliers, and a new Unexplored Florida webpage on VISITFLORIDA.com.
    ADVERTISEMENTAwarded the distinction of International Destination Guest of Honor at the ANATO Tourist Showcase in Bogota, Colombia—the first state to ever receive this designation in the event’s history.Led multi-city mission trips to Mexico and Brazil to further foster Florida’s presence among Latin American travelers – which encompassed eight of Florida’s top 10 international origin markets in 2021.Executed the annual Families campaign to further solidify Florida as the top destination for family travelers. Targeting a variety of markets across the U.S., the campaign resulted in over 970 million impressions among potential travelers.Attended the U.S. Travel Association’s IPW (International Pow Wow) in Orlando, participating in nearly 400 trade appointments and media interviews over three days. VISIT FLORIDA collaborated with Visit Orlando on several events spotlighting Florida as the host state for the event, and conducted 6 post-show Group Familiarization Trips (FAMs.)Executed a total of 15 domestic and international campaigns with Expedia. The campaigns resulted in 2.2 million air tickets, 2.4 million room nights, 1.3 million vacation rental nights, 5.3 million passengers, and nearly $517 million in total gross bookings.Created a culinary hub on VISITFLORIDA.com and produced 22 “You’ve Got To Try This: Chef’s Edition” videos. Highlighting the unique restaurants, cuisines, and chefs across the state, the programming showcased the wide spectrum of Florida’s culinary offerings to potential travelers.

    Florida grew its market share of overseas visitors by 21 percent, surpassing New York as the #1 destination in America for the first time since 2001.Partnered with Michelin, Visit Orlando, Visit Tampa Bay and the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau to announce the launch of the MICHELIN Guide in Florida.Hosted the 2022 Florida Governor’s Conference on Tourism in Boca Raton, FL. Over 800 tourism professionals and stakeholders attended the event, representing GC’s highest participation since 2016.From January through September, Florida welcomed 104.5 million travelers, an increase of 4.1 percent from the same period in 2019, and over 15.3 percent more than in 2021.

    Launched its 2022 Adventure Travel campaign to showcase Florida’s wealth of outdoor experiences and grow the state’s reputation as a leading adventure travel destination. Debuted its 2nd annual Gift of Florida campaign, inspiring people to choose Florida vacation experiences over their material items in their gift-giving this holiday season.

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    WTTC reacts to the imposition of travel restrictions on Chinese travellers

    Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, said: “After nearly three years, it is great news that China is finally opening up. Chinese visitors around the world contributed U.S.$ 253 billion to the global economy in 2019, creating jobs and boosting regional economies. The recovery of the Chinese Travel & Tourism sector is very welcome. Introducing knee-jerk travel restrictions shows Governments have learned nothing about the behaviour of this virus and continue to ignore the World Health Organization’s advice that border restrictions do not stop the virus mutating or moving around the globe. The reintroduction of ineffective COVID testing to Chinese travellers is a step backwards for the global Travel & Tourism sector.”

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    QUARK EXPEDITIONS OFFERS 45% SAVINGS

    Quark Expeditions, the global leader in polar adventures, has kicked off the new year by launching a robust Escape Sale with polar voyages reduced by up to 45%—plus a variety of guest benefits.“We’re very excited about our recently-launched Escape Sale as it enables a cross-section of travelers to take advantage of deep savings that match their travel tastes,” said Thomas Lennartz, Vice-president of Sales for Quark Expeditions. “The special offers—and perks—in our Escape Sale appeal to solo travelers, couples and groups.”Lennartz emphasized that the itineraries featured in the Escape Sale include some of the more popular voyages within Quark Expeditions’ portfolio. “For instance, guests can enjoy incredible savings on some of the more active trips in the Arctic such as our Greenland Adventure: Explore by Land, Sea and Air itinerary, as well as shorter voyages such as Antarctic Express: Fly the Drake,” said Lennartz. “In addition, we’re also waiving the single supplement on multiple voyages 2023 voyages.”
    “We know from past promotions that a large number of travelers will appreciate the free transfer package offered on select Arctic 2023 voyages. This includes charter flights, hotel and ground transportation (between airport and hotel), as well as hotel accommodation,” said Lennartz. “Polar travelers place high value on these extras. Factor in the additional 10% savings when guests pay in full, and our Escape Sale is even more appealing to travelers who’ve long wanted to explore the Arctic or Antarctic with the best expedition team in the Polar Regions.”
    Highlights of the Escape Sale (January 4 to April 3, 2023):
    Savings up to 45%No single supplement on multiple voyagesFree transportation between airport and hotel, as well as overnight hotel accommodation on select Arctic 2023 voyagesAn additional 10% savings when guests pay in full at time of booking.Departures featured in Quark Expeditions’ Escape Sale include:
    Three Arctic Islands: Spitsbergen, Greenland and Iceland (Southbound). Departure: August 26, 2023ADVERTISEMENTSpitsbergen Explorer: Wildlife Capital of the Arctic. Departure: June 4 and 22, 2023
    Canada and Greenland. Departure: September 11, 2023
    Northwest Passage: In the Footsteps of Franklin. Departure: July 30, 2023For full list of eligible departures, visit Quark Expeditions’ Escape Sale

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    New project to study impact of tourism on biodiversity in Spain

    Huawei and International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) have selected Sant Llorenç del Munt i l’Obac Natural Park in Barcelona Province for a new Tech4Nature project to study how tourism impacts the park’s ecosystem, notably the Bonelli’s eagle.The park has seen a clear increase in visitors since the pandemic, reflecting a growing trend of leisure and tourism in periurban natural and protected spaces. As a result, park managers have observed changes in the behavioral patterns of the Bonelli’s eagle, which nests in the park and is listed as vulnerable in the Spanish Red Book of Birds.
    Scheduled for launch in February 2023, the project will see Huawei and partners developing and deploying a tech-based solution comprising cameras, GPS receivers, and a cloud platform that will serve as the computing and storage infrastructure. Forming an alert-detection system, the solution will observe and monitor the mobility of the eagle and determine the factors that disturb its reproductive success – human disturbance to breeding areas has already been identified as a major threat to the eagle.
    The data collected will be sent to the cloud platform for analysis by AI, which will help guide conservation decisions, support park managers in responding quickly and effectively to potential environmental risks, and educate the public on conservation.
    “The project will help us to have more information to manage and regulate public use,” said Ángel Miño, director of the Natural Park under Barcelona Provincial Council. “It will also bring biodiversity conservation closer to the general public, as videos and other dissemination materials are planned. In collaboration with Huawei and IUCN, the project allows us to make a qualitative leap by incorporating new technologies to the monitoring and conservation of species.”
    To boost research and biodiversity protection outcomes, Miño emphasized that expanding public-private partnerships to include universities and the business world is a key facet of the park’s management strategy and essential for success, a viewpoint shared by other project’s partners. ADVERTISEMENT“Collaboration between public institutions and the private sector is increasingly necessary to determine success in the face of complex environmental challenges,” said Antonio Troya, Director of the IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation. “We have the opportunity to take advantage of technological innovations and incorporate them into conservation measures for our ecosystems. This project exemplifies how cooperation and mainstreaming are the way forward to halt biodiversity loss.”
    Running under the IUCN-Huawei Tech4Nature partnership in line with the IUCN Green List and Huawei’s TECH4ALL initiative, the park managers – Barcelona Provincial Council – will launch the project in the park in early 2023. The technical solution will be developed by Huawei in collaboration with the University of Girona during 2023 and 2024.
    The Tech4Nature partnership, which aims to develop technology-based conservation solutions for 300 protected areas over three years and measure project efficacy against the IUCN Green List, combines IUCN’s nature conservation experience and Huawei’s expertise in developing cutting-edge digital technologies.
    “This project is the first of its kind that we are launching in Spain, after dozens of successful experiences of developing solutions to protect different species and natural spaces in countries around the world using advanced technologies such as cloud, AI, and connectivity,” said Eric Li, CEO of Huawei Spain. “The role of the technology industry in meeting this challenge is key, but only through collaboration with strategic and committed partners can the objectives be achieved in a real way.”
    As well as ensuring that Sant Llorenç del Munt i l’Obac Natural Park can balance biodiversity protection with enjoyment for all, it is hoped that this model can be perfected and replicated in other protected areas of Spain.

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    TUI Care Foundation tracks sea turtles’ journey across the Mediterranean with GPS satellite device

    Sea turtles cover extraordinary distances as they journey between their nesting and feeding grounds and migrate to warmer waters for the winter. Together with Turkish NGO Dekamer, the TUI Care Foundation is tracking the journey of two sea turtles across the Mediterranean Sea with a GPS transmitter in order to receive vital information about their feeding sites and migration routes, which helps to safeguard their habitats.
    Both turtles were rescued from injury and rehabilitated by TUI Care Foundation’s partner Dekamer in Turkey. Tuba is a Loggerhead sea turtle and was released back into the sea in 2019 and Talay, a Green sea turtle, in 2021.
    As part of the TUI Turtle Aid programme the turtles are tracked via GPS satellite transmitter as they journey between their nesting and feeding grounds and migrate to warmer waters for the winter. So far, Tuba has swum an incredible distance of 18,000 km and is now relaxing in the South Adriatic, having visited Greece, Malta, Italy, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Albania, Montenegro and Croatia over the last three years! Talay has swum considerably less – over 500 km over the last 18 months and is spending the winter holiday season in the southern Aegean.The progress of the turtles as they meander through the Mediterranean Sea on their maritime journey can be seen on the website of TUI Care Foundation here.
    The sea turtle tracking is part of TUI Care Foundation’s TUI Turtle Aid programme, which protects endangered and vulnerable sea turtles, especially around nesting beaches. By working with local NGOs and beachfront tourism businesses, it also creates turtle friendly beaches and engages tourists by teaching them about turtles and how to protect them. Since its establishment the TUI Turtle Aid programme has contributed to the protection of over 2 million sea turtles.

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    COVID-19 Testing and Travel Restrictions for China Proven Ineffective

    “Several countries are introducing COVID-19 testing and other measures for travellers from China, even though the virus is already circulating widely within their borders. It is extremely disappointing to see this knee-jerk reinstatement of measures that have proven ineffective over the last three years.Research undertaken around the arrival of the Omicron variant concluded that putting barriers in the way of travel made no difference to the peak spread of infections. At most, restrictions delayed that peak by a few days. If a new variant emerges in any part of the world, the same situation would be expected.
    That’s why governments should listen to the advice of experts, including the WHO, that advise against travel restrictions. We have the tools to manage COVID-19 without resorting to ineffective measures that cut off international connectivity, damage economies and destroy jobs. Governments must base their decisions on ‘science facts’ rather than ‘science politics’.
    While China has significantly eased border measures, I urge the Chinese government to remove the need for pre-departure COVID-19 testing for those traveling to China.”Willie WalshIATA Director General

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    Explore the World’s Last Great Frontier on Your Next Great Adventure

    Luxury travel company The North introduces the ultimate Arctic exploration, The Arctic Horizon, taking place July 16 to August 4, 2024
    Thoughtfully curated by the luxury hospitality industry veterans of HL Adventures and led by the Arctic’s foremost experts and guides, The North’s bespoke, three-week itinerary for the Arctic Horizon will cover seven wonders spanning the Arctic Circle. An intimate group of just 50 like-minded adventurers will explore the edge of the world to destinations normally beyond our boundaries. Together they will take in vast landscapes, view majestic wildlife and partake in rare, authentic experiences with local indigenous communities.
    “As a lifelong explorer of the Arctic, my vision is to make the last frontier accessible to a select few who share my passion and respect for these rarely experienced, untouched regions,” said Founder Jón Olafur Magnussen. “What I am sure will be a life-changing adventure for our guests is the culmination of my life’s work. I am confident our team’s meticulous eye for detail will ensure an unrivalled level of service throughout these most extraordinary destinations.”
    Typically holding well over 300 passengers, a fully customized Boeing 757-200 has been privately chartered from Icelandair and refitted with 50 lie-flat seats for a more relaxing and restful environment. A personal chef will prepare destination-inspired dishes, while accommodating dietary preferences, requests and restrictions. A dedicated concierge team and on-board hosts will attend to guests’ every wish and desire. Explorers will receive personalized iPads, detailing the day’s schedule, offering an in-flight entertainment system and showcasing a gallery of photos provided each day by The North’s professional photography team.
    Armed with more than two decades of destination management experience, the leaders behind this all-new, once-in-a-lifetime adventure have called upon their elite partners to bring together the finest experiences of each destination. This journey to the last great frontier often only exists in the wildest imaginations of even the most adventurous travelers, but through the expertise and experience of The North’s hand-selected partners, The Arctic Horizon will bring this dream to fruition, without compromising on comfort or service.ADVERTISEMENTItinerary:Day 1 – Reykjavik, IcelandDays 2 – 3 – Ilulissat, GreenlandDays 4 – 6 – Sonora, CanadaDays 7 – 10 – Anchorage, AlaskaChampagne Toast Over the North PoleDays 11 – 14 – Longyearbyen, SvalbardDay 15 – 17 – Alta, NorwayDay 18 – 21 – Reykjavik, Iceland
    The trip will conclude with a festive farewell gala dinner at the Arctic Explorers’ Club’s expedition lodge and luxury camp. Founded in 2015, this members-only group of explorers, travelers and friends are a collective of like-minded individuals who have a lifelong interest in the Arctic. In addition to supporting a foundation to educate children around the world about the Arctic, the Club serves as an opportunity for guests to continue their journey together and to create new opportunities each year to further develop knowledge and understanding and explore this world beyond the horizon.
    The price of this once-in-a-lifetime adventure is 187,000 USD per person (based on double occupancy; 10 percent supplement applicable for solo travelers). This all-encompassing journey includes travel by privately chartered air, first-class accommodations, all meals, all ground transportation, an extensive selection of excursions and activities, special events and private access, as well as all gratuities.
    For more information, visit https://thenorth.is/arctic-horizon or contact your travel advisor.

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