The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) says the introduction of new hotel quarantines by the UK government would force the complete collapse of Travel & Tourism as we know it.

Asia Pacific Incentives and Meetings Event (AIME) has confirmed the cancellation of the 2021 event, which was scheduled to be hosted at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre and online in March, due to concerns brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Amadeus and Star Alliance have partnered to offer travellers enrolled in Star Alliance Biometrics, or Amadeus Traveller ID, the benefit of accessing a growing number of airports where identity verification can be used during their journey.

A tech company serving the travel industry, Travelport, has introduced a new “Stay Safe” feature for agents connected to its API or Smartpoint agency desktop solution.

Australian borders are likely to remain closed to outbound travel until mid-March 2021, Minister for Health, Greg Hunt, has indicated.

Travel agents in Australia have been thrown a $128 million lifeline by the Morrison Government, struggling to make ends meet due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

MSC Cruises says it is on track to resume operation in Japan from April 2021 having received a health and safety certification from the country’s official maritime classification society.

A new report released by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has revealed that more than 1/4 of COVID-19 complaints from the public were related to travel agencies and airlines. Travel saw a nearly 500% increase in gripes for the period from 1 January to 31 October 2020, with a whopping 24,210 cases raised, up from 4,052 in 2019.

Virgin Galactic will delay the third space test flight earmarked for 19-23 November as the company downsizes operations in New Mexico to adhere with new rules designed to minimise the spread of COVID-19.

Star Alliance has completed development of an interoperable biometric identity and identification platform that it says will significantly improve the travel experience for frequent flyer programme customers of Star Alliance member airlines.

Tourists are to be given greater legal protection as consumers under new plans being advanced by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). With restoring confidence a key priority for the sector, the International Code for the Protection of Tourists advanced by UNWTO with the support of almost 100 Member States so far, will make the support available to tourists affected by emergency situations clearer and more consistent globally.

A global survey of travel agencies, tour operators, wholesalers and GSAs has found that Australian travellers were the most dominant market to cancel prebooked travel outright rather than suspending their arrangements.