Skift Travel News Blog

Thailand will end its requirement for pre-travel “Thailand Pass” registration for foreigners on July 1, its embassy has said. Proof of travel insurance, of at least $10,000 coverage for medical treatments,  will also no longer be mandatory.

However, they will still need to show proof of vaccination or a Covid-19 negative test result.

The tourism-reliant country has suffered over the past few years, and is taking a range of measures to kickstart its economy.

These include delisting cannabis as a narcotic drug, which while designed to boost medical and health purposes will also encourage more backpackers to its hedonistic beaches. It’s also extending the service hours of bars and pubs, according to reports.

The relaxation follows a similar lifting of rules that began June 1 for Thai nationals, who since that date are no longer required to register using the Thailand Pass. In May, the country lifted the requirement for vaccinated tourists to take a Covid-19 test before their arrival.

Other destinations including New Zealand and Egypt are also easing their requirements for foreign visitors.

From facial biometrics at Transportation Security Administration checkpoints to visas that don’t require boarding foils, the new U.S. Department of Commerce strategy to boost international arrivals calls for tech improvements to better verify identities and expedite the travel process.

Among the recommended tech-oriented actions citied in the strategy are:

• The Department of Homeland Security should rework its systems to handle digital travel credentials, including touchless tech like facial recognition.
• U.S. Customs and Border Protection should deploy facial comparison tech to verify visitor identities.
• Facial recognition tech should be implemented at TSA security lanes and airline boarding gates.
• Digital visa processing using foil-less visas for verifying traveler identities should be pursued.
• The State Department “should explore the direct capture of photographs for passports and visas to standardize image quality for improved comparison against travel documents, reduce the probability of false rejections, and combat fraud,” the Commerce Department stated.

Europe is predicted to make a full domestic tourism recovery in 2022, and internationally by 2025.

That’s according to a new report from the European Travel Commission. While domestic travel is projected to make a complete recovery this year, international arrivals to Europe are forecast to be 30 percent below 2019 volumes, due to the war in Ukraine.

A recent survey conducted by MMGY Travel Intelligence indicated 62 percent of US travelers planning to visit Europe stated concerns about the war in Ukraine spreading to nearby countries as a factor impacting plans.

Western Europe is expected to be the best performing region globally this year, according to the latest quarterly European Tourism Trends & Prospects report, published Wednesday. But it will still be 24 percent below 2019 levels.

Eastern Europe’s recovery has been pushed back to 2025 due to the war in Ukraine, with arrivals now forecast to be 43 percent lower in 2022 compared to 2019.

“The sector is steadily recovering from Covid-19 and there is cause for optimism,” said Luis Araujo, president of the commission. “Nevertheless, European tourism will have to maintain this fortitude throughout the year as Europe continues to deal with the significant fallout from the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian conflict.”

The U.S. remains among the best performers of all long-haul source markets.

Meanwhile, there were “no immediate signs” Chinese tourists were returning to pre-pandemic levels any time soon.

Prince Harry has appeared in a TV skit to encourage people to travel more sustainably.

The Duke of Sussex took part in a pre-recorded skit on New Zealand TV with actors Rhys Darby and Dave Fane as part of a campaign promoting Travalyst, a non-profit organization and partnership Prince Harry founded in 2019 to encourage greener practices in the travel industry. Prince Harry said the campaign was inspired by the Maori culture, which he added places a significant emphasis on sustainability.

Companies such as TripAdvisor, Skycanner, Visa, and Google are a part of Travalyst. Google announced last month it was choosing a new method of collecting and displaying flight emissions data developed by Travalyst.

Disney isn’t neglecting its theme parks, considered crucial to the company’s bottom line, despite its increased focus on Disney+ and other streaming efforts during the last two years.

Disney will unveil its newest park expansion at the end of May — the Wonders of Xandar Pavilion at Disney World’s Epcot. The attraction is based on Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” film and it features the Guardians of the Galaxy roller coaster. The Wonders of Xandar Pavilion follows other recent additions to Disney theme parks, such as Avengers Campus, which opened in June 2021 and the opening of Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser. 

The company is working to complete Tron: Lightcycle Run rollercoaster and is expected to launch the Disney Wish, its newest cruise ship, this summer.

Disney will post its second fiscal quarter results on Wednesday. The company said in February that its domestic theme parks have not seen a significant return from international visitors, who prior to the pandemic, represented roughly 20 percent of its guests. Theme parks typically account for the majority of the revenue of Disney’s park division, which cruises and hotels. Disney’s shares are also down about 30 percent since January.