Bankrupt LATAM Airlines Took a $1.7 Billion Q1 Impairment Due To the Pandemic

The first quarter of 2020 was impairment season for global travel companies, and LATAM chipped in $1.7 billion. For some travel industry firms, the second quarter will likely be worse. -Dennis Schaal

Egyptian Hotels Fill Up at Reduced Occupancy

Okay, so the hotels are only selling 25 percent of their rooms, but demand in Egypt is robust. That's a good sign for the tourism economy, even in the small-steps forward category. -Tom Lowry

Midnight rambler: the joy of walking around Britain after dark

For a year, Matt Gaw hiked across the country at night – savouring the planets, the midnight light and the sense of earthly troubles shrinking into the universe I still remember that first night walk in King’s Forest near my Suffolk home, two years ago. The clouds were smoking-room-thick, so there had been no visible sunset. The cold, white sky did not even blush. Instead, the light thickened and clotted as darkness began to form, seeping out from between stands of pines. It puffed from the shadows of my footsteps on the track and welled up from the deep ruts made by 4x4s. I’m not sure why I kept walking that night. Partly it was just the rhythm: the metronome swing of the legs, the freedom of having nowhere to be and no place to go. But also, I’d been rallied by my 10-year-old son who, in his campaign for an ever-later bedtime, argued that an average human spends 26 years of their time on Earth asleep. His words had wormed their way into my brain. When was the last time I had been out at night? Not camping or running or toddling home from the pub, but really out into the dark. Was my life being only half-lived? Continue reading...

Lufthansa Accepts Sweetened Bailout Deal Including Giving Up Fewer Slots

Lufthansa blinked, rejecting the initial bailout offer, and its hardline approach seems to have worked. -Dennis Schaal

Wing and a prayer: the bizarre Chicken Church of Java

Meant to be a dove, but looking more like a hen, one man’s vision of a temple for all faiths has enjoyed an unlikely resurrection Who hasn’t at some time in their life dreamed of building a secret underground temple, a giant golden llama or a monument to Shirley Bassey made entirely of Nobby’s Nuts? Such singular visions, however, remain unbuilt without the necessary ingredients of money, monomania and several hundred spare weekends. But add a catalysing crisis, epiphany or “calling”, and you’re away. For Daniel Alamsjah, a devout Christian living in Java, Indonesia, his call came one night in 1988 in the form of a divine vision. Before him, Alamsjah saw a building shaped like a giant dove, residing on a hilltop. It would be, a disembodied voice affirmed, a place of worship for all faiths. And Alamsjah was just the man to build it. Continue reading...

Life after lockdown in Berlin: campsites, lidos and lakes reopen for summer

It’s not the carefree city we are accustomed to, but as more restrictions are lifted the happy, unmasked faces of my fellow campers seem as relieved as I am As I’m swimming lazily out to a small island in the middle of a lake fringed with pine trees, the words “pandemic”, “Covid-19” and “virus” seem to be from a different world. They are not of course; we are still a long way from being coronavirus-free, but here at Naturcampingplatz Am Grubensee, 50 miles south-east of Berlin in the lake-strewn surrounding region of Brandenburg, my family and I are enjoying the peaceful escape we’ve been dreaming of since lockdown began 11 weeks ago – messing about in boats, cooking outside and regaining some sense of normality. Campsites officially opened in Germany on 25 May, complete with all the necessary sanitary facilities. Petra, the owner here, says the government has given guidelines rather than strict rules, and campsites are interpreting them as they see fit. There are hand sanitiser posts all around the campsite, masks are required inside the shop/reception, and the usual 1.5-metre distance rule applies. “We normally begin the season on 1 April, so I’ve been going grey worrying about the amount of money we’re losing,” says Petra. “Now I’m just happy to be open.” Continue reading...

Denmark and Norway Lift Travel Restrictions But Snub Neighbor Sweden

Sweden's high rate of coronavirus deaths left it out of a Nordic travel bubble emerging between Denmark and Norway. The exclusion could be a cautionary tale in other joint tourism districts forming via national alliances around the world. -Cameron Sperance

Hotel Industry Turns to 9/11 Legal Framework to Navigate Pandemic Insurance

Legislators may have a pandemic business interruption insurance solution — but it almost certainly won't help hoteliers currently struggling due to coronavirus-related drops in travel. -Cameron Sperance

Trump’s Social Media Executive Order Poses Threat to Airbnb, Tripadvisor, Google and Yelp

The liability protections that online travel businesses such as Airbnb, Google and Tripadvisor enjoy under the Communications Decency Act could be collateral damage in President Trump's effort to go after Twitter and Google for what he views as "censorship" or biased coverage. -Dennis Schaal

Hotels Might Not Like Where Corporate Rate Discussions Are Heading

Hotel corporate program strategies aren’t straightforward at the best of times. A new “dual rate” pricing model could make lives easier for travel managers, but a lot more complex for the properties their employees will be checking in to. -Matthew Parsons

American Airlines Will Reduce Management by 30 Percent

With the government payroll aid conditions approaching, downsizing has begun in earnest for this U.S. carrier. -Matthew Parsons

MGM Resorts Plans Early June Reopening for 4 Las Vegas Properties

The whirring sound of slot machines is coming back to the Las Vegas Strip, but it will be awhile before Sin City is back to normal operations. -Cameron Sperance

Why the LGBTQ Community May Be the First to Travel Again

The LGBTQ travel community has historically been very resilient after downturns in travel. There are early indications that the bounce-back after the pandemic may show a similar dynamic. -Rosie Spinks

China Mulls Tripling International Flights

This seems more of a symbolic announcement by China than anything else, with a best-case scenario of 407 flights, up from 134, per week potentially allowed. -Matthew Parsons

Germany Moves to Ease Travel Restrictions on 31 European Countries

Germany needs to fire up its economic engine soon to prevent sinking even deeper into its worst recession since World War II, but critics are cautioning against opening borders too soon to countries hit the hardest by coronavirus. -Cameron Sperance

Who Decides When Employees Are Fit Enough to Travel Again — And How?

It will be a delicate operation, but with the right systems in place, health checks could prove effective in reassuring employees that it's safe to get back out there. -Matthew Parsons

Hotels in Asia Find Locking Down Easier Than Unlocking

Though seasoned at crisis management, Asian hoteliers are writing the textbook on how to reopen hotels when the only certainty is occupancy and room rates will be low. So why unlock, or when and how? -Raini Hamdi

How Airlines Are Generating Revenue on Flights That Will Never Take Off

U.S airlines are selling a lot of flights they have no intention of operating. Consumers should beware. -Brian Sumers

Greece Reopens Island Ferries and Restaurants in Bid to Salvage Tourism Season

Trip-planners used to research whether the hotel had a pool and childcare facilities. Now they'll also examine how many Covid-19 infections that country had. Greece hopes to benefit from the fact that its outbreak was less acute than some of its neighbors. -Dennis Schaal

Planning a great escape this year? Follow our staycation guide

With a trip abroad unlikely and social restrictions still in place, here’s what to expect from a summer that will be like no other After more than two months in lockdown the public has been given a few glimmers of hope for a return to normality. But although some schools look set to reopen from next week, and there is more freedom to roam outdoors, health secretary Matt Hancock has said the possibility of a relaxed break abroad is unlikely this summer. Which means many families will be looking at the possibility of a “staycation” and with UK holiday parks and tourist attractions gearing up to open their doors with strict guidelines on social distancing, and space for far fewer people, it will surely be a summer like no other. Continue reading...

Greece to reopen to tourists on June 15

Greece has brought forward its planned reopening to tourists to June 15 as pressure mounts on European destinations to roll back coronavirus restrictions to stave off economic collapse.

Europe Will Reopen With a Mishmash of Travel Restrictions

Destinations will have to be boisterous in advertising the particulars of their travel restrictions — or lack thereof. And travelers will need scorecards to sort it all out. -Dennis Schaal

Lufthansa Will Start Flying Again to 20 More Cities in Mid-June

Tack on 20 more cities, with more to come later this week, to Lufthansa's plans to get back to normal. The airline, however, still needs to strike a nearly $10 billion deal for a government bailout. -Tom Lowry

'I wanted to be a part of Buenos Aires – and Borges was my guide'

During the decade our writer lived in BA, he got to grips with its streets through the verse of Jorge Luis Borges – and is now revisiting the city via his poetry Lockdown has made me nostalgic – not about travelling so much as about places. It’s no surprise the focus of some of my fondest remembering has been the world capital of looking back: Buenos Aires. The reasons behind this are many and complex. Porteños – BA residents – are famously given to looking far away, to the Spain or Italy of their ancestors, and to romanticising the brief belle époque of the early 20th century, when Argentina was rich and promising. Tango is laced with longing for the missed and elusive. Related: Bored in lockdown? Try learning how to tango online Continue reading...

See what iconic French tourist sites look like now

The coronavirus pandemic has crippled France's tourism industry. In response, the government has launched an ambitious bailout to try save the industry. CNN's Cyril Vanier reports.

Britain’s historic ghost villages

Whether abandoned because of plague, erosion or MoD requisition, ghost villages will make for fascinating and salutary visits – once they reopen Most of Britain’s ghost towns were abandoned after a previous pandemic – the Black Death – wiped out entire populations from hundreds of villages. The greatest losses were in Norfolk and Suffolk, often the landing points for plague-infested ships. Coastal erosion also contributed to settlements in these counties disappearing into the sea. The most famous, Dunwich, was a thriving port, equivalent in size to 14th-century London, before the sea swallowed it and its eight churches, earning Dunwich the name England’s Atlantis. While the majority of British “ghost villages” have all but disappeared, a few still offer rewards – and warnings – for the curious. Continue reading...

Hertz Files for Bankruptcy Protection, Brought Down by Pandemic Under Heavy Debt

The 102-year-old car rental company is among the biggest brands so far to be leveled by the fallout from coronavirus. A new CEO is six days into the job. Let's see how Paul Stone maneuvers the iconic brand through Chapter 11. -Tom Lowry

Expedia Group CEO Peter Kern on Navigating a Frenemy Relationship With Airbnb

Many companies won't reopen for business when coronavirus ebbs, but two that will definitely still be left standing will be Expedia Group and Airbnb. They could potentially find ways to cooperate in the face of bigger threats in the form of Google and Booking.com. -Dennis Schaal

Austria Plans Mass Virus Testing of Hotel Staff to Get Tourists Back

For a country desperate to reopen its internal borders for summer holidays, Austria's bold plan to extensively test hospitality workers for coronavirus could pave a faster way towards tourism recovery. -Xinyi Liang-Pholsena

Dive in … try our lakes and rivers travel quiz!

Are you in the flow when it comes to bodies of water, or do you feel your knowledge isn’t current and needs refreshing? Which is the deepest lake in the UK? Loch Ness Windermere Wast Water Loch Morar What is the world's largest 'lake' by area? Superior Caspian Baikal Victoria What is the world's longest river wholly in one country? Yangtze Mississippi Mekong Paraná What is the second longest river in the UK? Thames Severn Trent Clyde What type of fish used to live in the River Trent until 1902, since when it has become locally extinct? Pike Bream Trout Common sturgeon Which of the following French towns is not on the River Seine? Caudebec-en-Caux Vernon Metz Rouen One of these lakes in the UK is artificial. Which is it? Kielder Water Llyn Tegid Hickling Broad Hornsea Mere Which of the following is considered the longest continuous bridge over water in the world? Pont de Normandie Lake Pontchartrain Causeway Severn Mile Bridge Öresund Bridge Vasco da Gama bridge, the longest road bridge in an EU country, crosses which river? Tagus Rhône Douro Tiber Manitoulin Island is the largest freshwater lake island in the world. But what lake is it in? Great Bear Van Michigan Huron Which of the following cities is not on the Amazon? Belém Iquitos Salto del Guairá Manaus What do Italy's Lake Avernus, Yellowstone Lake in the US, Ecuador's Quilotoa and Lagoa das Sete Cidades in the Azores have in common? They are all salt lakes They all occupy volcanic craters Vast flocks of flamingoes visit them It is illegal to fish in them Which UK river rises in Plynlimon, Wales? Severn Wye Usk Dee Which US river is known as the Daughter of the Stars for its vivid reflections? Missouri Shenandoah Colorado Hudson Which of these popular German lakes is not in Berlin? Müggelsee Wannsee Krumme Lanke Titisee 12 and above. A rip-roaring success. Take a bow, er, dip! 7 and above. Not too shabby! Have a ripple of applause. 0 and above. Eau dear. You'll make a bigger splash in next week's Guardian Travel quiz I'm sure... Continue reading...

Holidays within UK could return by July, says minister

Culture secretary Oliver Dowden says government has ambitious plans to revive tourism sector * Coronavirus – latest updates * Brits flock to beaches as lockdown eases Holidays within the UK could return as early as the beginning of July, the culture secretary has announced, saying that the government had ambitious plans to revive the tourism sector. Speaking at the daily Downing Street briefing, Oliver Dowden said any return of domestic holidays would have to be done cautiously, as reopening the industry only to close it again would be more damaging. Continue reading...

Australian States in Row Over Opening Borders for Domestic Tourism

With the majority of state and territory border closures still in place, getting domestic tourism in Australia to pick up again remains difficult, let alone opening the national borders for international travel. -Xinyi Liang-Pholsena

10 of the best chance encounters: readers' travel memories

Jamming with Buddhists on a gong, divine detours and spectacular hospitality … our tipsters share their most memorable unexpected discoveries I helped a group through check-in en route to Bologna. On landing, one thanked me, introduced himself as Massimo and asked my plans. My mum and I had none, aside from ambling around Emilia-Romagna. Massimo Bottura, then proprietor of the world’s top restaurant, proceeded to piece together an itinerary of his favourite spots to eat and drink in the region, calling ahead and making sure we were looked after like locals at each turn. We topped it off with a visit to his Osteria Francescana and balsamic vineyards in Modena. For a lover of food, this was both unimaginable and unforgettable. Phoenix Smith Continue reading...

Etihad flies first known commercial flight from UAE to Israel

Etihad Airways CEO Tony Douglas talks to CNN's Richard Quest about the humanitarian missions bringing Etihad to new locations around the world.

Vietnam’s Tourism Industry Gets Back to Business With Discount Offers

For any country starting to reopen its economy in the wake of the coronavirus crisis, it’s inevitable that price will be a key driver in the recovery of its tourism sector. -Xinyi Liang-Pholsena

Still the world's busiest airport

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport was still the busiest passenger airport in the world in 2019. But the pandemic is hitting global air traffic hard in 2020.

UK Confusion Reigns With a Travel Scheme to Exclude Some Countries From Quarantine

With the quarantine reportedly starting in June, it leaves the government little time to clarify exactly how "air bridges" will work, and where they'll apply. -Matthew Parsons

10 of the best novels set in Greece – that will take you there

From the natural beauty of Corfu and Kefalonia to the caves and myths of Crete, Greece has inspired writers for millennia * More literary trips to Italy, Spain and France Greece may be one of the most written-about countries, so while choosing this list has been a pleasure, there has been agony involved as well. I first went there more than 30 years ago, and it was books that inspired me – not always novels, and I have cheated a couple of times in my choices here. There is a great deal of excellent non-fiction about Greece – I would pick out Patrick Leigh Fermor and Henry Miller, though I also wish I could have made more choices by Greek authors, particularly as the past few years have inspired some brilliant writing (check out Austerity Measures if you like poetry, and there are several novels). However, this is a selection for the English reader – “a transport to Greece” in troubled times. Hopefully, these books will take you there and lead you on to other things. Continue reading...

You might want to be living on a boat right now

Thousands live full time on sail boats, and the pandemic is making life complicated. It's also making these sailors realize sea life may be the better life right now.

Life after lockdown: ‘Rome is trying to find her equilibrio’

Italy’s bars, shops and salons reopen, but amid the relief Romans are still waiting to find out what life will be like post Covid-19 The Eternal City absent of traffic and chaos is something we’ve dreamed of. In my lifetime in Rome, I’ve experienced the city almost empty on a few occasions: usually late-night and early-morning walks home, but nothing like the past two months. On 11 March, Rome was silenced. Doors were closed, residents stayed inside and the pace of a frenetic city slowed to that of a faint beat. For 54 days there was no traffic, no street-side chatter and no tourists. The only movement was that of the delivery bikes and scooters passing in the streets below the apartment. Continue reading...

UK holiday parks and attractions gear up to open for summer

Strict new rules on social distancing to combat Covid-19 will be in place at tourist sites Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Holiday parks and tourism attractions across the UK are putting in place plans to reopen for the summer – with new rules on social distancing. One of the largest holiday park companies, Haven, will reopen at the start of July with limits on numbers who can stay at its sites. Continue reading...

Europe promises to reopen for summer tourism in wake of coronavirus

The world's biggest tourist playground has been roped off since it became a coronavirus epicenter, but as summer looms Europe is desperate to lift restrictions to get visitors pumping much needed cash into stricken economies.

UK Parks Get Set for Summer Openings as Foreign Travel Seems Unlikely

The UK is anticipating staycations this summer, with very few little foreign travel. Local parks and attractions are getting ready to open come June and July to meet demand — with distancing guidelines planned. -Tom Lowry

Momentum Builds to Reopen Disney World as Shopping Area Set to Open This Week

The pieces are falling in place in Orlando as a phased reopening of the Disney resort and theme park get underway. -Tom Lowry

Lady Hester Stanhope: meet the trailblazing Queen of the Desert

The aristocrat abandoned her privileged background for a life of Middle East adventure, dressing as a man, visiting harems and leading archaeological digs Passport details Lady Hester Stanhope, AKA The Queen of the Desert or Queen Hester. Born 12 March 1776, Queen Anne Street, Marylebone, London. Claim to fame The big puzzle about Hester Stanhope is how we’ve reached 2020 without a massive Netflix drama ever having been made about her fascinating life. Born into the British elite – the niece of prime minister William Pitt and the granddaughter of a man who made his fortune after discovering an enormous diamond in India, she was all set up for a life of comfort. Instead, shaken by a failed love affair, she left England when she was in her 30s, never to return. She travelled to Europe, then the Middle East, lost all her clothes in a shipwreck and started dressing as a man. She visited harems, smoked pipes, impressed the Bedouin with her horsemanship and, having discovered a mysterious map that suggested treasure was buried under the ruins of a mosque, undertook pioneering archaeological work in Palestine. She also travelled to Turkey, Malta, Egypt and Syria, finally settling in a turbulent corner of Lebanon. Continue reading...

United Will Need Just 3,000 of Its 25,000 Flight Attendants in June

Another stark reminder of the plight of airlines as flight attendants face potential job losses. -Tom Lowry

Portugal Eases Back Into Reopening With Beaches Set to Open June 6

Portuguese officials are crossing their fingers that smart use of a mobile app will be a huge first step to getting their country back up and running. -Tom Lowry

England’s campsites prepare to open in July

Campsite owners reveal social distancing measures ahead of summer openings as bookings rise sharply following Johnson’s announcement of lockdown easing Campsites in England are preparing to reopen in July, with social distancing measures in place and reduced capacity. Under the government’s Plan to Rebuild (pdf), published on 11 May, accommodation providers may be able to reopen from 4 July, subject to certain conditions. Bookings with Cool Camping, a website and guidebook representing 600 UK campsites and glamping sites, have increased fivefold since Boris Johnson’s speech on 10 May announcing the plan, although they remain lower than usual. On 15 May the company launched a coronavirus booking guarantee, allowing customers to book with a 20% deposit, pay the balance 10 days before the holiday and move the booking date for up to 18 months in the event of continued or renewed restrictions. Continue reading...

How the CEOs of 2 Big Travel Agencies See a Massive Upside to Companies Switching to Virtual

There's been mostly a negative perception of coronavirus' impact on corporate travel, but there are some unintended consequences that smarter agencies can actually look forward to. -Matthew Parsons

In a town of two nations, Belgian bars are shuttered. Dutch pubs will soon be open across the street

Like so many small business owners, Monic van der Krogt has been hit hard by the coronavirus. The terrace of her cafe and beer garden in this small Belgian town sits empty.