New Zealand passport most powerful in the world

New Zealanders are granted visa-free access or allowed visa-on-arrival in 129 countries.

4 years ago

Let's-a go! Super Mario to make theme park debut in Japan next year

A real-life "Super Mario" game -- where players jump to collect coins -- and a "Mario Kart" ride will open next spring at Universal Studios Japan, as gaming giant Nintendo makes its first foray into theme parks. ...

4 years ago

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US to tighten rules for visas used by tech firms

President Donald Trump's administration unveiled a tightening of rules for immigration visas used widely by technology firms, claiming the new system would be better for American workers. ...

4 years ago

The Latest

A woman wearing a protective mask walks past closed restaurants, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Madrid, Spain, July 31, 2020.

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Tourists vanish from locked down Madrid

Taxis line up for hours at Madrid airport without picking up a single client while the square outside of the Royal Palace is deserted.

4 years ago

A man feeds a giraffe at the Dubai Safari Park on October 4, 2020, in the United Arab Emirates.

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Dubai Safari Park re-opens after two-year refurbishment

Dubai's Safari Park reopened its doors Monday after a two-year expansion, as the emirate seeks to boost its hard-hit tourism sector amid the coronavirus pandemic.

4 years ago

A megalithic era stone relic located in Lake Sentani, Jayapura regency, Papua.

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Megalithic era stone relics visible as Papua’s Lake Sentani recedes

As the waters of Lake Sentani in Jayapura regency, Papua, recede due to the dry season, ancient stone relics dating back to the megalithic era have now become visible in the lake.

4 years ago

In this file photo taken on March 14, 2020 a man takes a photo outside the gates of Disneyland Park on the first day of the closure of Disneyland and Disney California Adventure theme parks as fear of the spread of coronavirus continue, in Anaheim, California.

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Disneyland reopening on hold as California delays theme park guidelines

California's health secretary on Friday agreed to hear more input from theme park operators before issuing reopening guidelines, a step that further delays Walt Disney Co's plans to welcome visitors back to Disneyland.

4 years ago

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Singapore 'cruises to nowhere' plan sparks virus fears

Singapore hopes to start "cruises to nowhere" in a bid to revive its coronavirus-hit tourism industry, but critics warned Monday against a risky move that could spark COVID-19 outbreaks.

4 years ago

Local tourists tour Kampong Lorong Buangkok, the last remaining village in Singapore on October 3, 2020.

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Singapore's last village proves nostalgic tourism hit in pandemic

Hidden between the skyscrapers of Singapore's urban jungle sits Kampong Lorong Buangkok - the only surviving traditional village in this modern city-state of 5.7 million people.

4 years ago

Domestic travelers wear face masks as they arrive at the Wellington International Airport on August 12, 2020.

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'The beers are cold': Australia to open up to New Zealanders after COVID border shutdown

New Zealanders will soon be able to travel to Australia without having to self-quarantine as COVID-19 infections slow and Canberra seeks to revive its ailing economy.

4 years ago

Passengers arrive to people waving flags and musicians playing music after flying on an Emirates flight from Dubai, one of the first international commercial flights coming into South Africa, at the Cape Town International airport in Cape Town on October 1, 2020.

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South Africa ends foreign travel ban, but airports deserted amid selective curbs

Traffic through South Africa's main airport was minimal on Thursday despite international flights resuming after a six-month ban, with last-minute government curbs leaving many would-be tourists unable to enter the country.

4 years ago

A tourist poses for a photo inside the Grand Palace in Bangkok on June 7, 2020, as it reopened for visitors following restrictions to halt the spread of the COVID-19 novel coronavirus.

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Thailand now open to long-stay tourists

The Government Gazette website announced that long-stay tourists would now be allowed to enter Thailand, after the Cabinet approved the measure on Sept. 15.

4 years ago

These initiatives will be done on a limited basis, although a spokesman said SIA will assess the demand before deciding whether to launch additional programs.

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Singapore Airlines unveils pricing details for A-380 restaurant and meal delivery

A three-hour lunch in the economy class cabin of a Singapore Airlines (SIA) Airbus A-380 will cost SG$50 (US$36.62).

4 years ago

Two young men trekking through the Royal National Park, near Sydney in Australia with sticks and backpacks on with a lovely view of Gerai Beach ahead on top of a hill track.

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Australian farmers brace for harvest without backpacker labor

Australian farmers are worried crops will be left to rot and fruit prices will surge as coronavirus travel restrictions have stripped the country's AU$12 billion (US$8.6 billion) horticulture industry of vital working holidaymakers.

4 years ago

AirAsia Japan has had a checkered history.

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AirAsia Japan's fate to be known within week, founder says

Malaysian budget airline AirAsia Group is considering closing down its Japan operation and a final decision can be expected within a week, its chief executive said Thursday, citing the impact of COVID-19 on the aviation industry.

4 years ago

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Thai hotel seeks deal with guest facing jail over bad reviews

A Thai island hotel will go into mediation with an American guest who faces up to five years in jail after it filed a criminal complaint against him over negative online reviews.

4 years ago

People are seen at the Propylea as the ancient Acropolis hill is illuminated with new revamped, detailed lighting system, after a ceremony in Athens, Greece, on September 30, 2020

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New Acropolis lighting system brightens Athens' 'eternal compass'

A new lighting system was unveiled at the Acropolis that Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said would serve to illuminate the democratic principles of ancient Greece as well as the temples overlooking the city of Athens.

4 years ago

Passengers wait for their trains one day ahead of an eight-day national holiday marking China's National Day and the Mid-Autumn Festival at Hangzhou East train station, in China's eastern Zhejiang province on September 30, 2020.

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Millions on the move as China eyes holiday bounce

Hundreds of millions in China hustled to enjoy their first major national holiday since the country beat its coronavirus outbreak, filling airports and train stations on Thursday.

4 years ago

The new hotel expects to soon welcome guests, especially from the neighboring countries of Singapore and Malaysia.

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First five-star hotel opens in Batam

Batam's first five-star hotel, Batam Marriott Hotel Harbour Bay, officially opened on Thursday.

4 years ago

The Ferris Wheel of Montreal is seen on April 4, 2020, located in the tourist district of the Old Port, and illuminated in the colours of the rainbow in support of victims from the coronavirus, COVID-19, pandemic.

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Canada extends ban on international travelers

Canada on Wednesday extended a ban on non-essential international entries until the end of October as the country was gripped by a surge in coronavirus cases.

4 years ago

An aerial view shows people cooling off at the Silbersee 2 lake in Haltern am See, western Germany on August 7, 2020 as temperatures topped 36 degrees Celsius.

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After six months, Germany lifts blanket world travel warning

Germany lifted its blanket warning against traveling to all countries outside the European Union early on Thursday, although little is likely to change for most travelers under the new regulation.

4 years ago

People walk along a street next to shops in Singapore on Sept. 22, 2020.

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Singapore to allow visitors from Australia and Vietnam from Oct. 8

Singapore will unilaterally lift border restrictions to visitors from Australia - excluding Victoria state - and Vietnam from Oct. 8.

4 years ago

A luggage conveyer belt in the arrival area of Terminal 2 is seen during a press visit at the Berlin-Brandenburg Airport BER in Schoenefeld near Berlin on September 25, 2020.

News

Berlin airport to open after a nine-year delay

Berlin's new international airport can open next month after an embarrassing nine-year delay despite the coronavirus pandemic taking a big bite out of air travel.

4 years ago

The park's Gundam-Lab will feature an exhibition area and cafe, while the Gundam-Dock Tower will allow visitors to view the robot's face and body.

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Giant robot moving in Japan harbor entrances millions on Twitter

Videos showing an 18-meter robot in the Japanese harbor city of Yokohama have entranced the Twitterverse, pulling in more than 6 million views in the past week.

4 years ago

Maltese-flagged Mein Schiff 6, operated by German travel giant TUI is docked at the port of Piraeus early on September 29, 2020 after a dozen crew members were reported positive for the virus, state news agency ANA said.

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Cruise ship in Greece given coronavirus all-clear

A cruise ship in Greece that caused a coronavirus scare was given the all-clear by authorities on Tuesday, after a "false alarm" where crew members thought to have contracted the virus tested negative.

4 years ago

People dance on a boat during the wedding ceremony of Cetin Yildirimer, a 29-year-old former tour guide, and his new wife Zilan, as they tour a lake which has submerged the ancient town of Hasankeyf as part of the Ilisu Dam project on the Tigris River, on September 16, 2020, in the new town of Hasankeyf constructed by the government to re-locate residents, in Turkey's southeastern Batman province.

News

Turkey seeks new life for submerged tourist town

Just two roofs poke through the vast expanse of an artificial lake that has swallowed a Turkish town whose caves and pre-Ottoman ruins once drew in global tourists.

4 years ago

Passangers talk from their balkonies aboard Maltese-flagged Mein Schiff 6, operated by German travel giant TUI docked at the port of Piraeus early on September 29, 2020 after a dozen crew members were reported positive for the virus, state news agency ANA said.

News

Cruise ship with reported infections docks at Greek port

The first cruise ship to sail to Greece since the coronavirus lockdown docked at the port of Piraeus early Tuesday after a dozen crew members were reported positive for the virus, state news agency ANA said.

4 years ago

This photo taken on August 21, 2020 shows passengers wearing face masks as a preventive measure against the COVID-19 coronavirus walking along a concourse at the departure area of Suvarnabhumi airport in Bangkok.

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Thailand to slowly restart tourism with flight from China

Thailand will receive its first foreign vacationers when a flight from China arrives next week, marking the gradual restart of a vital tourism sector battered by coronavirus travel curbs, a senior official said on Tuesday.

4 years ago

Aerial close up view of the German cruise ship TUI Mein Schiff 6 sailing within the Santorini Caldera on Sept. 18, 2020.

News

Crew on first post-pandemic Greek cruise contract virus

A dozen crew members on the first cruise ship to dock in Greece after the coronavirus lockdown have tested positive, the Greek coastguard said on Monday.

4 years ago

Singapore Airlines A-380 taking off at Terminal A of Zurich Airport on September 8, 2018 in Zurich, Switzerland.

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Singapore Airlines drops ‘flights to nowhere’ plan; will launch A380 'plane restaurant'

Singapore Airlines said it developed these experiences after conducting a market study and a review that looked into factors such as environmental implications and financial viability.

4 years ago

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