This country offers free vaccine shots to foreigners

Serbia is becoming a regional vaccination hub as it has so much vaccine, it's even offering free shots to foreigners. CNN's Fred Pleitgen reports from the country's biggest vaccination center in Belgrade.

Gibraltar has vaccinated most of its adults. This is what it's like now

People clinking wine glasses in bars and restaurants. Fans watching live soccer and boxing matches. As summer approaches, life has almost returned to normal in one tiny territory in southern Europe -- and there's a very good reason why.

Spain Expects to Kickstart Tourism in June With EU Vaccine Certificates

Spain's tourism minister previously said that the country is expecting 40 million tourists this year. With the summer travel season fast approaching, is this number realistic? -Reem Abdellatif

Air France-KLM Joins Airlines Getting Ahead of Fare Wars by Mimicking Uber

Suddenly the phrase "continuous pricing" is on the lips of airline executives worldwide. The reason is that price competition will be fierce once international air travel rebounds. The new pricing method promises to help airlines extract the most money possible from passengers based on their willingness to pay. -Sean O'Neill

Google Maps to Redirect Drivers to Eco-Friendly Routes Just as Travelers Do More Road Trips

Big Tech firms like Google have lately been working towards making climate change more of a priority. Environmentally aware travelers will take notice. Will the efforts last until after the pandemic? -Reem Abdellatif

Supersonic airliner could fly LA to Tokyo in under three hours

Right now, a lot of us can't even fly out of our own countries, but if Florida-based planemakers Aerion are to be believed, by the end of the decade we'll be able to jet between Los Angeles and Tokyo in under three hours.

The Standard Moves From Human Touch (Tone) to Human Text With New Hotel Chat

Hotel labor groups have justifiably been concerned over the industry push in the last year to offer contactless features like mobile check-in that reduce staffing needs. The Standard’s chat function replacing calls to the front desk may be the rare tech innovation that actually helps the worker. -Cameron Sperance

Expedia’s Vrbo Looks to Poach Discouraged Airbnb Hosts With New Incentives

Midway through 2020, Expedia Group and its Vrbo short-term rental unit took the high road by not wanting to appear to be taking advantage of host anger at Airbnb's early-pandemic refund policies. But when your new host recruitment plan targets "superhosts," it's clear those calculations are long gone. -Dennis Schaal

From Magna Carta to Malcolm X: sites that shaped British civil rights

Pay tribute to brave campaigners, the first trade unionists, gay rights protesters and suffragettes at these landmark places around the UK A year of Covid has pushed civil rights into the spotlight as never before. As fundamental freedoms to go outside and gather have been suspended, people have nonetheless taken to the streets to protest against racial inequality and the denial of Britain’s history of slavery, and to demand safe streets for women – and even the right to protest itself. With the country slowly easing open following the winter lockdown, it feels an appropriate moment to look at travel through the prism of civil liberties, with a tour of the UK milestones on the road from feudalism to freedom. If you’ve ever wanted to pay your respects to Emmeline Pankhurst or the activists who helped propel racial equality laws through parliament, point your compass to these civil rights landmarks. Continue reading...

Is Thailand's Full Moon Party over for good?

It's approaching sundown on a full moon Saturday, but revelry is in short supply in Haad Rin, home of Koh Phangan's legendary Full Moon Party.

Play the field: 10 of the best glamping holidays in the UK

Yurts, safari tents, shepherds’ huts and even a vintage school bus provide the perfect hideouts to glamp it up with nature on the doorstep Nestling under the scots pines, two lorries have been converted into cosy cabins with a claw bath, toilet and kitchenette. They’re ideal for two, although small children can be squeezed into what was the lorry cab on a rollaway bed. Outside is a hot tub, picnic area and barbecue. Also available on the estate – an hour from Edinburgh – are three yurts, all with wraparound scenery of the Perthshire hills. • From £300 for two nights, alexanderhousescotland.com Continue reading...

Four steps to end Covid lockdown in England

Our guide to how restrictions will be lifted from Monday – and in the coming weeks * Coronavirus – latest updates * See all our coronavirus coverage Outdoor gatherings of either six people or two households will be allowed; outdoor sports facilities such as tennis courts and open-air swimming pools can reopen; and people will be able to take part in organised outdoor sports. Working from home will still be encouraged, and travel abroad will continue to be prohibited. The UK’s vaccination programme will carry on, though ministers have warned that numbers of jabs given may be affected by restrictions on supplies. Scientists will also be closely monitoring case numbers, which have plateaued over the past week and have started to rise in some areas. If this trend continues, it could lead to delays in the lifting of restrictions over the next three months, officials have warned. Continue reading...

The Return of the Ugly American Tourist Rep and 9 Other Top Travel Stories This Week

In Skift's top travel stories this week, we looked at what a recovering travel industry should expect from the return of American tourists, how the tourism industry should measure its success now and into the future, and why JetBlue definitely thinks of itself as more than just an airline now. -Tom Lowry

Reviving Latest Version of Alitalia Creates EU Dustup Over Airport Slots

The long saga of Alitalia appears to see no end. In the latest chapter, a plan to revive the airline as ITA faces new hurdles with the European Commission. Uffa! -Tom Lowry

Hotels Scored Profits With Massive Pandemic Cost Cuts — But at What Price?

Profit margins may have increased at some hotels during the pandemic, but what about the human cost? The pandemic wiped out 10 years of hotel job growth, and new operational models are unlikely to bring everyone back. -Cameron Sperance

'We can't wait': outdoor capital of Wales ready for tourists' return

Announcement of lockdown easing has led to a flurry of activity in mid Wales town eager for a boost * Coronavirus – latest updates * See all our coronavirus coverage The first guests of the season are expected to arrive at the luxury lodges on Lôn Farm in the Cambrian mountains bright and early on Saturday. “We can’t wait to greet them,” said Kerena Pugh, who runs the holiday business – as well as a busy sheep and cattle farm – with her husband, Stephen. Continue reading...

Welsh tourism sector can start to reopen from this weekend

Lifting of stay-local rule is for Welsh residents only as country stays shut to visitors from other parts of the UK * Coronavirus – latest updates * See all our coronavirus coverage The tourism sector in Wales can begin to reopen from Saturday as the country’s stay-local rule is lifted, but only for Welsh residents. Organised outdoor activities and sports for children and under-18s will also be able to take place and up to six people from two different households can meet and exercise outdoors and in private gardens. Continue reading...

Remote Work Models That Hotels Should Follow Now 🔒

Why this year should be about seeking out new networking partnerships, as well as creating better spaces. -Matthew Parsons

Why Did These Cousins Buy Their Company Back From Travelport?

It’s a convoluted story, but one that encapsulates where corporate travel is heading: ecosystems rather than dominant agencies that promise the world. -Matthew Parsons

UK Considers Tougher Covid Measures on Arrivals From France

The UK is considering disrupting trade flows from France. But is this going to be effective in stopping the spread of new Covid variants? -Reem Abdellatif

David Reynolds’ playlist: 10 songs from my travels

The writer’s journeys, including a slow drive across the US, were accompanied by a selection of jazz, rock and folk greats This slow, romantic ballad was recorded during a famous live concert at the Village Vanguard in New York’s Greenwich Village in June 1961. Hearing it reminds me of the East Village and of New York City itself. The club is still a small, dimly lit basement, almost triangular in shape, filled with wooden tables between which silent waiters drift, carrying beers and burgers. In 2015 I watched Christian Sands, the pianist in the Christian McBride Trio, sitting bent over the piano on the small stage in the apex of the triangle. Gazing through the gloom with half-closed eyes, I could imagine the scene – complete with tobacco smoke – in 1961 when the incomparable Evans sat facing bassist Scott LaFaro and drummer Paul Motian. Save for the smoke, little can have changed. Continue reading...

Summer of Vaccines Stirs Hope After Sickly Year for Mexican Tourism

A vaccination confidence boost, coupled with pent-up demand, could well lead to a surge in American tourists heading for south of the border. The signs are promising. -Matthew Parsons

Video: Is the Digital World Eating Business Travel?

Virtual work startups are expecting a decline in travel for work across direct impact categories. But how can software be used as complementary to business travel instead of as a replacement? -Reem Abdellatif

The Hotel Companies Most Friendly to the Environment: New Skift Research

Carbon reduction is gaining importance for stakeholders, and reporting is getting better amongst the largest hotel companies. Skift Research compares the emissions of six global chains to determine which is best positioned to become carbon neutral over the coming decades, and which are falling behind. -Wouter Geerts

Still available for Easter: self-catering properties in England and Wales

Stays in self-catering accommodation will be allowed in the Easter school holidays. But you’ll have to hurry – properties are selling out quickly If it’s just dawned on you that maybe you could get away at Easter after all, you’ll have to be quick. The reopening of self-catering properties during the Easter school holidays, coupled with months of pent-up demand, means the rush on properties is already well under way. Single households will be allowd to stay in self-catering accommodation in England from Monday 12 April, the second week of the school holidays for most English schools. Continue reading...

Croatian Tourism Wants Visitors to ‘Stay Safe’ but Also Visit

It's great to make safety measures part of the marketing, but right now those measures are up against spiking infections and death across the Balkans that are at their highest in the past year. -Jason Clampet

German Tourism Industry Says Tighter Travel Restrictions Could Result in Layoffs

The European Commission may have agreed on a proposal for a new Covid pass to allow easy travel across the EU, but Germany's tourism industry may need a bigger boost than that as its leaders consider tougher travel restrictions. -Reem Abdellatif

Blackstone Makes $6.2 Billion Bid for Troubled Australian Casino Resort Owner

Blackstone's push into casino resort ownership expands well beyond Las Vegas and into Australia, but don't call this a case of pandemic distress. Crown Resorts struggled for years due to its own alleged corruption. -Cameron Sperance

Allowing summer holidays abroad risks another lockdown, Johnson is warned

Sage experts are worried about overseas breaks leading to rise in vaccine-resistant variants in UK * Coronavirus – latest updates * See all our coronavirus coverage Lifting the ban on foreign holidays in the coming months could risk another lockdown next winter, Boris Johnson is being warned, amid mounting alarm about a third wave of infections sweeping continental Europe. Scientific experts and opposition politicians are urging the government to be extremely cautious before loosening travel restrictions, with their concerns about the prevalence of new variants of the virus overseas increasingly shared by Whitehall. Continue reading...

The Biggest Hotel Buys of the Pandemic So Far Do Not Signal Future Deals 🔒

What distress? The $6 billion price tag on Extended Stay America is a result of its real estate and durable customer base. Period. That is why it is significantly outpacing the rest of the hotel industry during the pandemic. -Cameron Sperance

UK minister hints Covid rules on foreign travel could extend to summer

Defence secretary Ben Wallace says vaccination success will be protected at all costs * Coronavirus – latest updates * See all our coronavirus coverage The defence secretary, Ben Wallace, has said the government will protect the success of its vaccination programme at all costs, as speculation grows that strict restrictions on foreign travel could continue into the summer. With cases rising in several EU countries and the South African variant becoming more prevalent in France, some experts have cautioned against lifting the holiday ban. Continue reading...

10 of Britain’s best wildlife spotting holidays

From puffins and pine martens to otters and osprey, here are the best places to spot native species in spectacular surroundings From April onwards, tens of thousands of puffins take up residence on the National Trust-owned Farne Islands. Until they leave in July, a boat trip from the coastal village of Seahouses is the best way to see these characterful birds emerge from their cliff-face burrows with their downy pufflings. • nationaltrust.org.uk Where to stay On the quayside, the Olde Ship Inn has doubles from £100, seahouses.co.uk Continue reading...

15 of Britain's best almost-wild, off-grid campsites

Who needs showers? We pick sites with few frills but wilderness aplenty from the new Almost Wild Camping guide The pitches aren’t the flattest, there are two composting loos and water comes from a well, but the setting is far wilder than the facilities at this remote campsite (which is also known as Eigg Organics) below an amphitheatre of sheer, volcanic cliffs on the Isle of Eigg. You can’t bring your own car but you can rent bikes or hitch a lift across the island to the tiny croft where the campsite is found. There are two white sand beaches within a 15-minute walk; one, the lovely Singing Sands, has natural arches, caves and waterfalls to explore, and campers enjoy sunsets over the jagged Isle of Rum in summer. • April–Oct, a pitch and two people from £14 a night Continue reading...

Tokyo Olympics Bans International Travelers From Summer Games

Postponing the Games was dramatic, and the empty stands will only highlight that fact. But we've seen over the last year that you can still have compelling and safe competitions under controlled conditions, which is much a better thing than an international superspreader event. -Jason Clampet

European Tourism’s Summer Threatened by New Setbacks and Shutdowns

The desire to travel is so strong, but the lack of confidence in both national leadership and EU decisions means planning a summer escape is fraught with concerns. -Jason Clampet

A very British grand tour … for 2021

Our writer reimagines the cultural odyssey, selecting 12 highlights that together celebrate Britain’s history and modernity • Readers’ grand tour of Britain Between the 17th and 19th centuries, the grand tour was a rite of passage in which young gentlemen of sufficient means and rank travelled across western Europe – sometimes for years – to experience first-hand the art, architecture and monuments of the classical world and the Renaissance, then considered to be the pinnacles of culture. Over the past 12 months, the lack of overseas travel has led many of us to re-engage with – and for some, perhaps, to truly appreciate for the first time – the wealth and variety of culture and historic sites on these shores. With this in mind, what might a grand tour of Britain look like in 2021? Continue reading...

‘Anti-Asian Hate’ Big Obstacle for U.S. Tourism as China Outbound Travel Restarts

More and more, the unfriendliness of a destination has unsafe undercurrents to it. The worst that could happen is if Covid is gone, but anti-Asian hate that it has bred lives on and becomes the biggest obstacle to getting Chinese and Asian tourists to travel again. -Raini Hamdi

China Wages Another Hotel Comeback After Brutal Winter Setbacks

China is dusting itself off from a major winter stumble in its road to a complete pandemic hotel recovery. While the year ahead looks good, forecasts by hotel executives of a complete rebound by December seem unlikely. -Cameron Sperance

UK nature projects to be celebrated on Global Rewilding Day

The drive to restore ecosystems has resulted in Saturday’s worldwide celebration, with many British habitats to support Lake-wading water buffalo in Suffolk, forests of waist-high “wee trees” on Scottish mountain peaks, and even the idea of lynx roaming Northumberland. These are just a fraction of the nature projects being given a push by the rewilding movement in the UK, and which will be marked by the first Global Rewilding Day on the spring equinox on Saturday. Backed by the Global Rewilding Alliance, an umbrella group for organisations in more than 70 countries that are looking to restore ecosystems by returning land to nature, the day will be celebrated with virtual events to share knowledge, skills and connections. Continue reading...

A grand tour of Britain: 10 cultural highlights, chosen by readers

Beatles’ bedrooms, Roman relics and ancient celestial calendars … our tipsters map a grand tour of the UK for when restrictions lift Sail from Coniston in the Lake District to arrive at Brantwood by ferry. Zigzagging your way up the hill through the seven deadly sins, arriving at the seven graces, going from Dante’s hell to paradise. John Ruskin’s house and garden mirrors his polymath aptitude to arts, the natural world and philosophy. He wrote, painted and collected minerals. The garden is a tranquil oasis, desperately needed by Ruskin, with great views towards the Old Man of Coniston. You can while away many an hour browsing through the large collection of art and artefacts that represents his life. • brantwood.org.uk Monique Gadella Continue reading...

British Airways Parent IAG to Prop Up Finances Further With $1.2 Billion Bond Offering

IAG is taking no chances, despite earlier statements it had enough liquidity to ride out the pandemic's hardships. You have to wonder if delays in vaccine rollouts in Europe has the airline giant reconsidering the timeline of the recovery. -Tom Lowry

Nicola Sturgeon sets out timeline for easing Scotland's Covid lockdown

In her most detailed route map yet, the first minister says restrictions should be substantially lifted by June * Coronavirus – latest updates * See all our coronavirus coverage Nicola Sturgeon has announced that Scotland’s hairdressers, car showrooms and garden centres will be allowed to reopen in three weeks time, as she forecast the country’s lockdown could be substantially lifted by June. The first minister said the overall decline in Covid infections and rapid expansion of vaccinations meant she expected to see lockdown restrictions on the mainland shifting down a tier to level 3 and Scotland’s islands to level 2 by 26 April. Continue reading...

Before Air Force One there was Train Car One

"Amtrak Joe" Biden's love of railways could see a change in fortunes for US train travel, evoking an era when presidents regularly roamed the rails.

The surreal photos that show how Covid has changed travel

It's been a surreal year for travel as the Covid-19 pandemic brought aviation to a halt, museums and hotels shuttered their doors and once bustling tourist destinations from Paris to Phuket became ghost towns.

China Relaxes Foreign Travel Restrictions for Those With Proof of Taking Chinese Vaccine

The jab race, or "vaccine diplomacy," between countries like China and the U.S. heats up with China moving to lift some of its border restrictions on inbound foreign travelers — as long as they have been inoculated with a vaccine developed in China. -Cameron Sperance

Five of the UK’s best scenic cycle rides

We’ve been cycling like never before in lockdown – time to use that newfound confidence and stamina on a great British bike adventure I’ve relied on the myriad benefits a bike brings for as long as I can remember. Turning my wheels has always transported me – both physically and emotionally. It’s my happy machine. I clearly remember the first ride I ever took without stabilisers – wobbling the length of my grandfather’s gravel drive on a red Raleigh with a white saddle. Even today riding a bike still seems like an outrageously clever trick to pull off. Balance on two skinny wheels? Come on! The freedom of the open road was something we took for granted until 2020. That we can open our front doors and ride towards a new horizon. Losing that in lockdown led to more of us than ever digging out old bikes or buying new ones. The Bicycle Association estimates that last summer alone sales increased by a whopping 63%. When this is all over, I hope we don’t just put those shiny bikes back in the shed. Few experiences match the thrill of exploring new routes and discovering unfamiliar worlds on two wheels. Being on a bike puts you right at the heart of your adventure. There are so many great resources to inspire you to head out onto tracks and trails. Two of the best are British Cycling’s Let’s Ride website (letsride.co.uk), which lists more than 1,000 routes, many of which are traffic-free and available to download to your bike computer or phone (getting lost is one of the few downsides to adventure riding, along with punctures, of course); and the Sustrans National Cycle Network (sustrans.org.uk), which links more than 12,500 miles of safe and signposted routes across the UK. Here are a few favourite routes to whet your appetite. Continue reading...

Monsters, music and faded glamour: Crystal Palace Park, south London

A place of triumphs and disasters, this green space may no longer boast a regal glasshouse but retains an eccentric charm Last summer, a competition was launched called the World Cup of South London Parks. The format was knockout, pitting 32 of south London’s finest green spaces against each other (voted for in Twitter polls) until only one remained standing. Perhaps because there was so little actual sport on, this World Cup proved to be tribal and unexpectedly gripping. There were the big beasts: Wimbledon Common with its Wombles; Greenwich Park, a world heritage site no less; and Richmond Park with its rutting stags. Also, plucky underdogs: Peckham Rye and Archbishop’s Park, with its terrifying 225-metre zip wire. Crystal Palace Park, though, destroyed this formidable field. First-time visitors to the 200 acres of rolling parkland between Sydenham and Penge might be a little bemused by this result. Go on a Sunday and the loudest noise will not be birdsong, but the droning buzz of the radio-controlled model-car racing club, which occupies prime real estate in the centre. Continue reading...

Is this the future of international travel with Covid-19?

A location-tracking wristband, mandatory testing upon arrival, one-time hotel entry key cards. CNN's Will Ripley shows us Hong Kong's new strict protocols for travelers arriving from abroad.

The Strong Comeback Case for Hard-Hit Tourist Guides

For tourist guides who have been able to hang on to their jobs, grasp new trends, and buff up on technology, the time to shine is near as travel starts to rebound. Sadly, that's a smaller group. -Raini Hamdi

This $1.4 Billion Deal Underscores How Hungry Big Hotel-Branded Timeshares Are to Expand 🔒

The timeshare sector continues to see a significant level of acquisitions fit into the branded-is-better argument. Other types of hotel deals are still a ways off, if at all, due to uncertainty in the recovery. -Cameron Sperance