The United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) says new research indicates that 100% of global destinations continue to have restrictions on travel in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nearly three-quarters (72%) of countries have completely closed their borders to inbound tourism.

Etihad Airways will operate a regularly scheduled service from Melbourne to London Heathrow via Abu Dhabi, effective 15 May. A few days later, from 21 May, the Gulf carrier will also introduce services from London Heathrow to Melbourne via Abu Dhabi. Tickets can be purchased now.

In response to the global COVID-19 pandemic, Hurtigruten will extend the temporary suspension of worldwide sailings to mid-June. The company envisages to gradually restart operations from 16 June.

Hotels in Canberra and Brisbane have been tipped to lead the struggling domestic hotel markets recovery as COVID-19 social distancing measures are relaxed, results from a new study have found.

Lufthansa Group has earmarked June for a resumption to “significantly more destinations” than current schedules, which have been heavily impacted by the COVID-19 travel downturn.

Global luxury travel network Virtuoso will break new ground in 2020 when it converts the planned physical version of its annual Virtuoso Travel Week in Las Vegas into an online virtual alternative. Branded as “Virtuoso Travel Week – The Virtual Experience”, the streamed format will be broadcast the week commencing 10 August.

The coronavirus pandemic has had a devastating impact for tourism and hotel operators in New Zealand over the past 5 weeks or so since the government locked down borders to visitors. This week, LATTE chatted with Kiwi tourism figurehead and CEO/General Manager of The Rees Hotel Queenstown, Mark Rose, to get an update on how his luxury property is coping through the COVID-19 travel crisis, and what his thoughts are on the proposed “travel bubble” between Australia and New Zealand, and how long he believes it will take for the market to recover.

The Qantas Australian Tourism Awards have been a longstanding and significant program for our tourism industry. In its 36-year plus history, the Australian Tourism Awards program has celebrated businesses that have demonstrated their commitment to quality visitor experiences, as well as providing a business development tool which has assisted businesses to review, assess and share their business goals and strategies.

Virgin Australia has withdrawn a controversial proposal to enable it and other airlines to collective bargain with airports as part of a wider application before the ACCC.

The global cruise industry has weathered a battering over the past few months in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Almost all cruise companies, whether it be ocean, river or expedition, have halted operation until late June 2020 due to mandates abroad and national domestic and international travel bans. But despite the current COVID-19 turmoil, the cruise market is likely to be the sector of the travel and tourism industry that will recover the fastest, predicts Michael Londregan, Managing Director of Virtuoso Asia Pacific.

The national peak body for tourism organisations, the Australian Chamber – Tourism, has revealed the formation of the Tourism Restart Taskforce. The Taskforce will provide advice to industry and government on the short, medium and long-term priorities to rebuild tourism in Australia in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

The regional head of the Virtuoso luxury travel network says the ongoing coronavirus pandemic travel lull offers partners and agency members a chance to rejuvenate and potentially remake their business model.