Travelore News: U.S. Will Offer 'X' Gender Marker For Passports Starting April 11, State Department Says

WASHINGTON - The White House and State Department on Thursday marked Transgender Day of Visibility with an announcement that U.S. citizens will be able to select "X" as the gender marker on their passport application beginning April 11.

"Every American deserves the freedom to be themselves," the White House said in a statement. "But far too many transgender Americans still face systemic barriers, discrimination, and acts of violence."

The definition of the X gender marker will be “unspecified or another gender identity,” and it will become available for other documents next year, according to the State Department.

In June, the State Department announced the initiation of the X gender marker on passports and said it would more immediately allow Americans to self-select their own gender marker between "male" and "female," meaning transgender travelers would no longer have to provide medical certification if their gender identity doesn't line up with the marker on their birth certificate or other documents.

Making history:First US passport with a gender 'X' designation issued: When others will get that option

FAQ:The State Department is adding another gender option on passports. Here's what you need to know.

“This is an important step toward achieving meaningful progress for transgender Americans and will empower and enable millions of citizens to travel domestically and internationally with greater confidence that the United States recognizes their gender identity," Human Rights Campaign President Alphonso David said at the time.

Millions of nonbinary, transgender, intersex people affected

The Human Rights Campaign said in June that more than 1.2 million nonbinary adults in the U.S., plus the 2 million transgender people in the country and 5.5 million people born intersex, could be affected by the changes.

The U.S. issued its first passport with an X” gender designation in October to Dana Zzyym, an intersex Colorado resident who had previously been denied a passport for failing to check male or female on the application.

“I almost burst into tears when I opened the envelope, pulled out my new passport, and saw the ‘X’ stamped boldly under ‘sex,’" Zzyym said at the time. "It took six years, but to have an accurate passport, one that doesn’t force me to identify as male or female but recognizes I am neither, is liberating.”

The Department of Homeland Security on Thursday also announced a number of advancements for transgender Americans while traveling, including more advanced screening technology, less invasive screening procedures and an update to the TSA Pre-Check program to include the X gender marker.

Source: Ella Lee USA TODAY

Contributing: Marina Pitovsky, Associated Press

Japan Enjoys Cherry Blossom Season Despite COVID-19 Worries

People across Japan are celebrating the peak cherry blossom viewing season one week after the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions, triggering concerns of a possible virus resurgence.

Trees are in full bloom this week in many parts of Japan. The peak in Tokyo was on Sunday, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency, attracting many people who had avoided participating in the national tradition for two years because of the pandemic.

At Chidorigafuchi Park, a famous “hanami” or cherry blossom viewing spot northwest of the Imperial Palace, thousands of people viewed the fluffy pale pink flowers while strolling under rows of trees or from rowboats on the palace moat.

“I feel like life has finally gotten back to normal. Here in the downtown area, people have waited for this for so long,” Takanori Shiwaku, a 62-year-old café owner, said as he admired the blossoms at the park.

He said cherry blossoms, which bloom and then fall en masse, connote a sense of pureness.

“I wanted to come here for sure this year, and I’m really happy,” said Midori Hayashi, a 75-year-old retiree who has largely stayed at home for the past two years.

Cherry blossoms, or “sakura,” are Japan’s favorite flower and usually reach their peak in late March to early April, just as the country celebrates the start of a new school and business year.

At many parks, viewers were requested this year not to gather under the trees for drinking parties — a traditional way of celebrating the season — as part of continuing anti-virus measures.

Tokyo reported 7,846 new cases on Tuesday, more than twice the 3,533 a week earlier, in a resurgence attributed to the new omicron subvariant. Nationwide, Japan logged 29,740 new cases on Monday, up slightly from the previous week, bringing the country’s total to about 6.4 million, including about 28,000 deaths.

Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike said the increase underscored “the spread of the BA.2 subvariant of omicron that is replacing the existing variant with significant speed.”

Countries Brace For Hit To Tourism From Russia-Ukraine War

BELEK, Turkey (AP) — After losing two years to the COVID-19 pandemic, shopkeepers in the heart of the Turkish Riviera had hoped for a strong tourism season this year to help keep their businesses afloat. But Russia’s war in Ukraine is fast dampening their spirits.

“We’re trying to earn our bread through tourism, but it looks like the war has finished off this (tourism) season, too,” Devrim Akcay said outside his clothing shop in the resort town of Belek, along the Mediterranean coast’s Antalya province.

Nowhere is the threat of just one ripple effect of the war — lost tourism — felt more strongly than in Antalya, a region dotted with shimmering beaches and archeological sites where visitors from Russia and Ukraine, along with Germany, make up the top contributors to tourism revenue.

Countries from Turkey to Thailand, Egypt and Cuba are bracing for the loss of Russian and Ukrainian visitors just as their travel sectors were looking to rebound from the pandemic. With many tourist-dependent economies also struggling with surging inflation and other woes, hotel workers, guides and others who serve visitors from the two warring nations expect more pain.

The turquoise waters and white sand beaches of the Cuban resort of Varadero, which until recently received a significant number of tourists — mainly Russians — are now almost empty.

Russians accounted for almost a third of Cuba’s visitors last year — more than 146,000 — and some saw them as the way to get some oxygen to an industry ailing from the pandemic and tighter sanctions imposed by former U.S. President Donald Trump.

“Now, we also have to get by without the Russian tourism,” said José Luis Perelló Cabrera, a Cuban economist and tourism expert.

The Association of Tour Operators of Russia estimated that between 6,000 and 8,000 Russian tourists were on the island when the war in Ukraine broke out. Several flights left from Varadero in early March to bring them home.

“Losing that market is a strong blow to Cuba,” said Natasha Strelkova, Russian-Cuban tour operator and guide on the island.

Across the Atlantic, Russians and Ukrainians can represent up to 35% of Egypt’s tourists annually, said Hisham el-Demiry, former head of the government-run Tourism Development Authority.

He worries the economic crisis brought on by the war could mean fewer guests overall.

“It’s a huge impact, a domino effect. ... The war has changed people’s priorities, and tourism, which is a very sensitive industry, will be the first victim,” he said.

Rania Ali, a reception manager at a four-star hotel in Hurghada, said they “were over 75% occupied early before the war, now we are just 35%.”

Russians were just among the top 10 groups of visitors to Thailand until late last year, when the country began to reopen to international tourists. Russia restarted charter flights relatively early and in winter, when Thailand’s balmy temperatures make it a highly desirable destination, helping its people become the top visitors among the modest numbers that Thailand started welcoming back.

The November-to-March season when Russians usually visit is drawing to an end, and the plunge in the ruble’s value makes travel to Thailand and anywhere else far more costly now, said Chattan Kunjira Na Ayudhya, deputy governor for International Marketing for the Tourism Authority of Thailand.

“This probably will lead Russian tourists to shift to destinations that offer them all-inclusive packages with better prices,” he said.

In Turkey, officials had hoped that with pandemic restrictions easing, tourism could replicate or exceed the numbers from 2019, when some 52 million visitors — including about 7 million Russians and 1.6 million Ukrainians — brought $34 billion in revenue. The overall number of visitors dropped to 15 million in 2020 but recovered to around 29 million last year.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had strategized that opening up the economy and delivering big growth this year could help him get reelected next year, experts say. It’s a tall order for a country with a currency crisis and inflation exceeding 54%, making it difficult for consumers to purchase even basic goods.

“For that to happen, Turkey needs to have its robust tourism and trade ties with Russia unhindered,” said Soner Cagaptay, a Turkey analyst at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

The expectation before the war was “maybe 10, 15 million Russians would be visiting Turkey this summer that will be spending 10 billion dollars, a shot in the arm for Turkey’s ailing economy,” Cagaptay said.

Now, business groups say they’re seeing erosion in trade both ways, including a fall in demand for Turkish produce because Russian buyers are struggling to make payments. That’s despite Turkey not joining in sanctions against Moscow.

Agricultural grower and exporter Nevzat Akcan worries he may not be able to ship the red bell peppers he grows in greenhouses in the district of Aksu solely for Russian and Ukrainian markets.

“May God protect us if we join the sanctions against Russia. This would be a disaster for Turkish agriculture. We would be ruined and finished,” Akcan said. “I don’t even want to think about it.”

NATO-member Turkey, which has cultivated close ties with both Russia and Ukraine, is trying to balance those relations and has positioned itself as a neutral party trying to mediate. Turkey has criticized Russia’s military actions in Ukraine as “unacceptable” but also said it would not give up on either side.

The Antalya region is haunted by the memory of 2016, when Russia inflicted a serious blow to Turkey’s economy by barring the import of some agricultural produce and stopping charter flights there after the Turkish military shot down a Russian fighter plane in 2015.

Agriculture has already started to suffer from the effects of the war, said Davut Cetin, head of the Antalya Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
“The Ukrainian market has been shut down. No fresh fruit or vegetable is leaving for Ukraine now,” Cetin said.

Travelore's Spring Home Culinary Recommendations

Thai for Two - Organic Green Curry Kit

Green Curry is one of the most recognizable dishes from Thailand. It is both gently soothing and packed with flavor. We work with an organic farm in Thailand to give you authentic green curry ingredients that are hard to get - seasonings and herbs that make your meal deliciously, authentically Thai. This kit is unbelievably easy to make. Add your own protein and vegetables, follow the easy directions, and in less than ten minutes you'll have your first bite. We know that after one bite, you'll be begging for more.

A crowd favorite

Their green curry is a medium-spiced flavorful favorite.

It includes:
Organic dried herbs
Organic green curry seasoning Organic green curry paste Organic coconut milk

To learn more and how to order, please visit: https://verveculture.com/

Founded in 2014, by mother-daughter duo Lynn and Stephanie Kriebel, OMG! Pretzels are a family affair and come by our name honestly. Lynn, the matriarch of the Kriebel family, has been making the garlic flavored pretzels – our flagship product – for decades. The savory pretzels started as snacks for her kids throughout their childhood and evolved into part of her entertaining repertoire for friends and holiday gatherings.

Now, OMG! Pretzels are available on Amazon, our website, and shelves at specialty retailers across the country. Through Stephanie’s leadership, we have seen substantial growth while ensuring that our pretzels maintain the premium quality and fabulous flavor for which OMG! Pretzels are known. Our gourmet sourdough pretzel nuggets – available in eight bold flavors – are made with wholesome ingredients and lots of love. Straight out of the bag, our pretzels are the ultimate snack

To learn more, please visit: https://omgpretzels.com/

Vegan, Plant-Based Parmesan Alternative
Parma! is a vegan parmesan cheese that will impress your friends because it really tastes good. To learn more and how to order, Please visit: https://eatparma.com/

Juxtaposition: Opulent Resort Hosts Climate Summit In Dubai

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The Middle East is the most water-scarce region in the world, but participants at an upcoming climate summit in Dubai will be ensconced in a resort with one of the world’s largest water parks, complete with artificial lagoons, encounters with dolphins and a mesmerizing aquarium with sharks, sting rays and schools of fish.

It’s a striking backdrop for a climate summit aimed at tackling lack of water and other pressing issues facing the region due in part to warming global temperatures from the very fossil fuels produced by Gulf Arab states and others. The Arabian Peninsula, where Dubai sits, is grappling with menacing sand storms, rising temperatures and dangerous humidity levels.

As major world powers vow to shift to greener forms of energy, oil producers Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates say they too will cut emissions within their borders, even as they vow to keep pumping oil and gas for export to fuel their economies.

Dania Cherry of Greenpeace MENA said it will not be easy for oil producers to transition away from fossil fuels.

“We understand it will take time, but we need to be more ambitious and we need to really do bigger steps on this,” Cherry said.

Across the Middle East, people are living with the impacts of climate change. Farmers in rural Egypt face severe water shortages along the Nile River. Millions of people in Syria and Iraq are at risk of losing access to water, electricity and food amid rising temperatures and record low water levels due to drought.

From the western Sahara in Morocco to the eastern stretches of the Persian Gulf in Iran, drought has sparked anger and street protests against the government. The World Bank has identified 11 countries in the region as among the world’s most water-stressed nations, including all six of the Gulf Arab energy producing states.

To discuss these challenges, the UAE is hosting a United Nations-backed climate summit next week. When people gather for MENA Climate Week, they’ll be exchanging business cards and ideas in the underwater-themed halls of Dubai’s landmark Atlantis hotel, a $1.5 billion resort that boasts the massive water park with aquariums and lagoons housing some 65,000 marine animals.

The stunning resort, which requires enormous amounts of fresh and desalinated water to maintain operations, is built on a man-made island so big it can be seen from space. To build Dubai’s palm-shaped island, more than 100 cubic meters (3,500 cubic feet) of sand were dredged from the bottom of the Persian Gulf and millions of tons of rocks were mined from the mountains. Environmentalists say building up so much coastline has exacerbated erosion of Dubai’s main coastline and destroyed turtle nesting sites in the area.

While the Atlantis on The Palm has numerous projects supporting conservation efforts, including a shark and stingray breeding and release program, the water-soaked backdrop to the climate action summit is jarring. The Atlantis Dubai declined to share information about its water usage with The Associated Press, referring instead to its marine conservation programs.

The opulence and luxury of the Atlantis, which is a major tourism draw for Dubai, also fits with the United Arab Emirates’ ethos that a sustainable future doesn’t mean a return to the past, but requires innovation to support economic growth and human prosperity.

The country is hosting the climate summit under its Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, a government body branded and tasked with ensuring the UAE remains ambitious and on track with its energy transition.

Still, Gulf Arab states have vowed to keep extracting oil and gas, arguing at global forums that fossil fuels are an integral part of the energy transition and cannot be phased out rapidly. They’ve called for hundreds of billions of dollars in annual investment in the oil and gas industry to keep up with global demand.

On the same day the climate summit opens, Dubai is hosting an energy forum elsewhere in the city with energy ministers and global oil executives to talk about energy demand and how the climate crisis is impacting energy markets.

Given the pace of climate change, said Mohammed Mahmoud, director of Middle East Institute’s Climate and Water Program. “I think it’s kicking the can down the road as they try to figure things out, but we may not have the luxury of time.”

This week, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued another dire warning, writing on Twitter: “We are sleepwalking to climate catastrophe.”

Cherry of Greenpeace said hosting the climate gathering in Dubai raises awareness about the effects of climate change on the region and puts the issue front and center. She cautioned, though, that it’s important the meetings are not “spreading propaganda” and actually tackling serious issues, as well as involving youth from the region.

According to World Bank data, the world’s top four carbon dioxide polluters per capita are all in the Persian Gulf: Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and the UAE. These countries not only face scorching hot summers, but amplified heat without nighttime reprieve due to higher levels of humidity. Heat stress is amplified when people do not have the chance to cool down at night. Warmer seas could also impact the intensity of cyclones and impact fishing and marine life.

While the U.N.-backed climate week is far from the first time the region hosts a summit to tackle global warming, it marks another step toward widening the global conversation around climate change and its impact. The U.N. says similar weeks are planned for Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia-Pacific and Africa this year.

The Mideast will draw even more focus as host of the next two U.N. summits to assess progress on the Paris climate agreement, aimed at keeping global temperatures from rising to catastrophic levels.

That COP27 global gathering is taking place in November in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt on the Red Sea coast, where rising temperatures have bleached coral reefs, threatening the ecosystem and local tourism industry that millions of Egyptians rely on. The event will be held in Dubai in 2023.
The region hasn’t hosted a COP meeting since 2012, when Qatar became the first Mideast country to hold the event.

The National Organisation For Bed And Breakfast Providers In Ireland Is Celebrating Its 50th Anniversary

B&B Ireland began life in 1972 as the Town and Country Homes Association, but in the last 50 years has evolved into a global organisation that guarantees quality accommodation with hosts that offer a friendly, welcoming and value for money holiday.

Part of the long tradition of offering a ‘Céad Mile Failte’ – a hundred thousand welcomes – B&B Ireland has helped the sector to become one of the main providers of holiday accommodation in the country.

Every year, over half a million guests stay in a Bed and Breakfast, or B&B for short, and it’s well known that the experience is one of the best and most appreciated on the island of Ireland.

From farmhouses to townhouses, and city, town, coastal and remote rural escapes, family-owned and run B&Bs can be found almost anywhere on the island, and while the variety is extensive, the friendly, personal touch is always the same.

When you book a property with B&B Ireland you are choosing homes that have been approved by Fáilte Ireland, the Irish Tourist Board, and in Northern Ireland by Tourism Northern Ireland, and that meet B&B Ireland’s quality framework, an assurance of quality and customer service.

Unforgettable holidays start in a B&B, and staying in one is like having all your home comforts, plus your own personal tour guide.

You will find everything you need to know at the B&B – the must-see local attractions and scenery, where to sip the best Guinness, where the best restaurants are and how to find that amazing walk only the locals know about. B&B hosts will also help you plan your itinerary, share local history and folklore with you and point you in the direction of good traditional music and dance sessions.

Hearty breakfasts and fresh home baking, including hot scones, jams and treats made from family recipes handed down through generations are all part of the experience, while the B&B owner’s friendliness and small acts of kindness will live long in the memory.

B&B Ireland even specialises in a range of themed holidays, which include walking, farm stays, pet-friendly, food lover and activity breaks where the host has all the knowledge and facilities to cater specifically for your chosen themed holiday.

With some of the best golf courses in the world, the island of Ireland has become a must-visit destination for golfers. Located close to all of Ireland’s premier golf courses, Golfers Welcome B&Bs are perfect for those on golfing vacations.

Archive footage from Ireland’s national broadcaster RTÉ, recorded in 1983, shows some examples of the unique experiences that B&Bs have been offering over the last five decades. These range from yoga retreats to angling and archaeology, while many B&B owners have also been able to help visitors to trace the genealogy of their family.

The B&B experience offers the unique opportunity to stay with a family and be immersed in their traditions and culture. It’s a chance to meet and get to know the real people of the island of Ireland, to experience a welcome like no other and to capture the true spirit of the island.

It’s little wonder so many visitors return to the same B&Bs year after year. When it feels like you’re staying with friends, why go anywhere else?

Celebrating 50 years of hosting guests with B&B Ireland is Mary Spillane of Greenacres B&B in Rathcoole, County Dublin. Mary started hosting in 1972 when two people arrived at her door looking for accommodation. “I couldn’t turn them away,” she said.

“It was hard work at times but I’ve really enjoyed it and had wonderful guests over the years. We mostly have international visitors, from America and Europe, because of our proximity to the airport.

“People love to stay in Irish B&Bs because they’re not just a number. Where else could you come in, have a chat over a cup of tea and find out everything about the local area and recommendations about where to go and what to do?”

B&B Ireland has hundreds of quality approved B&Bs located throughout the island of Ireland. These are available to book on www.bandbireland.com

Southwest Adding A Fourth Fare Level To Boost Revenue

Southwest Airlines is adding a fourth fare category as part of changes designed to attract more business travelers and boost revenue.

The new fare level will be priced higher than Southwest’s cheapest tickets but below the airline’s top two fare categories. Southwest executives think this will fill the large price gap between the cheapest fares, called Wanna Get Away, and more-expensive tickets.

Consumers who buy the new fare level, called Wanna Get Away Plus, will get 33% more frequent-flyer points than the basic ticket, and they will be able to transfer the value of a ticket to another Southwest customer.

It’s the first major change in Southwest’s fare structure in 15 years. Airline officials said the changes announced Thursday will take effect in May or June.

Airlines frequently tinker with fares and fees to squeeze more revenue from passengers. In recent years, Delta, American and United have reacted to competition from discount airlines by rolling out new, bare-bones “basic economy” fares. The big-three airlines then nudge customers to pay more for regular economy seats that include the amenities that they have come to expect.

Southwest hinted at the changes back in December without giving details. The new fare level is among several moves, including a new credit-card deal with Chase Bank, that the Dallas-based airline hopes will collectively boost annual revenue by between $1 billion and $1.5 billion next year.

Executives declined to say how much more Wanna Get Away Plus seats will cost compared with cheaper seats, but it will vary by flight. Besides more frequent-flyer points and the ability to transfer credit, Plus buyers will be allowed to fly standby at no extra cost, even if there is a higher fare for the new flight.

Southwest will also add early-boarding privileges to the next priciest fare, called Anytime, to avoid cannibalizing sales of full-price tickets. Early boarding is a perk because Southwest does not assign seats, meaning that the last passengers to board a crowded flight wind up in middle seats.

Andrew Watterson, the airline’s chief commercial officer, said all the changes should be particularly appealing to business travelers. Southwest is trying to take more business travel away from Delta, American and United.

Southwest’s most expensive tickets, called Business Select, are fully refundable and include early boarding, a free drink, and the most frequent-flyer points. Anytime tickets are also refundable, while Wanna Get Away ones are not. All three include up to two checked bags for free – something other U.S. airlines don’t offer – and free ticket changes.

A majority of Southwest customers buy Wanna Get Away fares.

US Capitol Reopening For Limited Public Tours After 2 Years

The U.S. Capitol will reopen to the public on Monday for guided tours for limited groups of people who have registered in advance, congressional officials said, two years after the coronavirus pandemic prompted the cessation of such visits.

Officials said that the resumption would occur in phases, beginning on Monday for school groups and other groups of up to 15 people who would be led by lawmakers or their aides. Congressional offices would each be limited to leading one tour weekly.

The move, announced Wednesday, marked Congress’ latest relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions as Washington, D.C., and the world struggle to return to normalcy as the omicron variant wave wanes in the U.S. Mask requirements inside the Capitol were relaxed weeks ago in a gradual easing that has been colored by politics, with Republicans pushing for more aggressive easing of restrictions than Democrats.

A health screening form for all visitors was being “recommended,” according to the statement by House Sergeant at Arms William J. Walker and Brian P. Monahan, the Capitol’s attending physician.
The Capitol Visitor Center, an adjacent underground complex that has exhibits and a restaurant, would tentatively reopen to limited numbers of visitors on May 30, officials said.

Walker and Monahan said the renewed tours would be monitored with an eye to revamping the new restrictions if needed. They also said they would be guided by how widespread COVID-19 is in the Washington area.

“We appreciate your continued patience and cooperation as we work together to resume public tours of the Capitol for the American people in a way that protects the health and safety of visitors and institutional staff alike,” they wrote.

The two officials said the decision to renew limited tours was made by congressional leaders, the Capitol’s medical and visitors services staff, the U.S. Capitol Police and the board that oversees that force.

In normal times, around 3 million people visit the Capitol every year.

Paris Olympics Sets $26, Lowest Rate For 1 Million Tickets

One million tickets for the 2024 Paris Olympics will be sold for 24 euros ($26.50) each with availability for all 32 sports, organizers have said.

The Paris proposal to the IOC sets the basic price lower than at the 2012 London Olympics, where the 20 pounds tickets cost more than $31 at the exchange rate then.

"This is something important for us," Paris organizing committee president Tony Estanguet said. "This is a very strong promise to offer accessibility of everyone to Olympic sports." A centralized global sales program unveiled by Paris Olympics organizers calls for pricing nearly half of the 10 million total tickets at no more than 50 euros ($55).

For the 2024 Paralympics, prices start at 15 euros ($15.60) and about half of the 3.4 million tickets will cost no more than 25 euros ($27.50).

Paris aims to raise 1.1 billion euros ($1.22 billion) in revenue — about 30% of its budget — from ticket sales, Estanguet said.

Hitting that target would lift ticket income for Paris above the $1 billion raised by London from more than eight million tickets sold.

Tokyo organizers aimed for $800 million from ticket sales before the COVID-19 pandemic prevented fans attending nearly all of the events at the Games postponed to last year.

Fans wanting to secure tickets for Paris events can start toward the end of this year in a process overhauled to include buyers worldwide. Previously, tickets were sold in the host country and a network of agents worldwide handled sales elsewhere.

Estanguet said the new system should "limit the frustration" of people who previously specified their preferred tickets with no guarantee of getting them.

Instead, a two-month registration period will let prospective buyers sign up for a lottery that will allocate the winners a time slot next February of several hours to choose the tickets they want for multiple sports sessions.

"We can then guarantee that if you buy those tickets you will receive them," Estanguet said.

Single tickets for events will go on sale in May 2023, and a third sales phase will start toward the end of next year.

Estanguet said a new ticketing portal managed by French companies would also offer a resale platform.

Asked if discussions were held about limiting portal access for residents of Russia and Belarus, because of the invasion of Ukraine, Estanguet said no decision was needed for several months.

Disney Finds Itself In Balancing Act With Walkout Threat

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — With some workers across the U.S. threatening a walkout Tuesday, The Walt Disney Co. finds itself in a balancing act between the expectations of a diverse workforce and demands from an increasingly polarized, politicized marketplace.

On the one side are LGBTQ advocates and Disney employees calling for a walkout in protest of CEO Bob Chapek’s slow response in publicly criticizing Florida legislation that opponents dubbed as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. The legislation awaiting the governor’s signature bars instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity in kindergarten through third grade.

On the other are politicians like Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, who accuse the entertainment conglomerate of bending to cancel culture after a Disney decision to temporarily suspend political contributions in the state. According to Disney’s conservative critics, the company should be in the business of making profits, not pushing an agenda.

It was unclear how many employees would walk out or what might happen to those who do. Union leaders for the tens of thousands of unionized workers at Disney theme parks in Florida and California said they saw no momentum among their members for a walkout, and advised them not to do so because it would defy contractual obligations. Organizers said they expected some participation from production, marketing, IT and other non-unionized jobs.

Evan Power, the Republican Party chairman in Leon County, said he believes a strident minority of Disney employees are pushing the issue and DeSantis has more to gain by taking the side of parents who want more control over education and “sexual conversations” in early grades at school. DeSantis is viewed as a likely Republican presidential candidate in 2024.

“I think it pays dividends with parents across the state of Florida regardless of political divisions,” Power said.

Romualdas Dulskis, a Teamsters official in Orlando whose local represents costumed characters who portray Mickey Mouse, Cinderella and Stich at Walt Disney world, plus bus drivers and other Disney workers, his union did not support the walkout.

“That’s just not the way we are going to go about this,” he said.

Union leaders said contracts prohibits work stoppages or disruptions.

“I don’t want to downplay anyone’s efforts, if someone feels what they are doing is the right way to make an impact,” said Eric Clinton, president of Unite Here! Local 362, which represents custodians, housekeepers and other Disney World theme park workers. “We aren’t part of that. It would violate our contract if members of our union participated, though we are concerned about the issue, of course.”

One of the organizers of the walkout, a New York-based employee, said they were expecting participation by workers with the “privilege” to be able to protest to stand up for those who can’t, the employee said. The worker spoke on condition of anonymity out of fear of being targeted online and because organizers didn’t want a single organizer taking the spotlight.

Workers participating in the walkout plan to meet up with each other at locations in Orlando, New York City, Anaheim and Burbank, California, where the company is headquartered.

“Queer employees have been pushing for years to make this company better -- it shouldn’t have taken all this for us to get the attention of people up the food chain. Our voices mattered before all this,” organizers tweeted Tuesday.

A Disney spokesman didn’t respond to an email seeking comment. Disney employed 190,000 workers as of last October, with roughly three-quarters working in its theme parks division.

Disney, whose movies and properties shaped generations of children around the world, has spoken out several times in recent years about contentious social and political situations.

It was one of a slew of U.S. companies that in January 2021 said it would suspend political donations to lawmakers who voted against certifying President Joe Biden’s electoral victory. It also spoke out early against a 2016 anti-gay bill in Georgia, threatening to pull its business from the state, which has become a favorite of movie and TV studios. The bill was vetoed by Georgia’s then-governor.

And the company has not been immune to changing societal expectations. It has said it would revamp the Jungle Cruise, Pirates of the Caribbean and Splash Mountain rides at its theme parks to remove racist and sexist elements and put short warnings in front of some of its classic movies on its streaming service, Disney+, alerting viewers to “outdated cultural depictions.”

This time, Chapek, who became CEO in 2020, has drawn fire for speaking out about the gender identity bill only after it passed the Florida Legislature.

Republican lawmakers pushing the Florida legislation had argued that parents, not teachers, should be the ones talking to their children about gender issues during their early formative years.

The legislation attracted scrutiny from Biden, who called it “hateful,” as well as other Democrats who argue it demonizes LGBTQ people. It has been sent to DeSantis, who is expected to sign it into law.

Chapek apologized earlier this month for not coming out more forcefully and publicly against the bill, saying Disney officials had been working behind the scenes to stop it. Chapek also announced a pause to all political donations in Florida and more support for advocacy groups fighting similar legislation in other states. Chapek reiterated those points during a company-wide discussion with employees on Monday.

Disney has long been influential in Florida politics, tending to be conservative and supporting Republicans who have been in control of Tallahassee, the state capital, for two decades, but also being more open on social issues, said Patricia Campos-Medina, co-director of the Worker Institute at Cornell University. “That’s why people felt surprised that they wanted to stay quiet on this issue,” she said.

Organizers of the walkout maintain that withholding political contributions isn’t enough.

On a website calling for the walkout, the group says that until the legislation is repealed, Disney leaders need to stop investments in Florida, including the relocation of 2,000 mostly professional jobs from its California headquarters to Orlando. They also say Disney needs to develop an LGBTQ brand similar to the Onyx Collective, an initiative aimed at developing content by and for people of color.

Power, the GOP official in Tallahassee, said he’s confident that Disney and Florida Republicans will get past this flashpoint and restore their relationship, eventually.

“It’s good that we’re pushing back, because the purpose of a publicly traded company is not to push an agenda,” Power said. “The people at Disney know they need to work with the Legislature and the governor, and they’ll come back around.”

Hong Kong Lifting Flight Bans, Cut Quarantine For Arrivals

HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong’s leader Monday said that the city would lift flight bans on countries including Britain and the U.S., as well as reduce quarantine time for travelers arriving in the city as coronavirus infections in its latest outbreak plateau.

The city’s chief executive Carrie Lam announced during a press conference Monday that a ban on flights from nine countries — Australia, Canada, France, India, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Britain and the U.S. — would be lifted from April 1. A flight ban on most these countries has been in place since January, as authorities sought to stem the outbreak of the highly transmissible omicron variant in Hong Kong.

Travelers entering the city can also quarantine for as little as seven days in quarantine hotels — down from 14 days — if they test negative for the virus on the sixth and seventh days of their quarantine. Such travelers must also be fully vaccinated and test negative for the coronavirus before entering the city.

Lam also said that plans for a citywide mass-testing exercise, which was first announced in February, would be suspended.

The experts are of the opinion that it’s not appropriate for us to devote finite resources to the universal mass-testing,” said Lam. “The SAR government will continue to monitor the situation. When the conditions are right, we will consider whether we will be implementing the compulsory universal testing.”

The changes announced Monday signal a shift in Hong Kong’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, as authorities sought to provide a direction for Hong Kong businesses and its residents after two years of aligning with mainland China’s “zero COVID” policy.

Lam said that the changes come as part of an interim review of the city’s measures, and that various stakeholders in the city will be consulted for any longer-term roadmaps when it comes to public health and economic development.

“We have to listen more carefully to the experts, both locally and from the mainland,” said Lam.

“For any longer-term public health strategy, we will have to take into account both factors that is maintaining Hong Kong’s accessibility to the mainland, and also ensuring her continued connectivity with the outside world.”

On Monday, Lam also announced that social distancing measures will stay in place, although they will be lifted in stages from April 21 if infections do not surge, Lam said. A ban on dining in after 6 p.m. will be lifted, and public gatherings will be capped at four people, up from two.

Other businesses that were ordered to shutter temporarily, such as gyms and massage parlors, will also be allowed to reopen.

Hong Kong reported 14,063 infections on Monday, the lowest in over three weeks. At the peak of its outbreak, the city reported over 50,000 cases daily, and has reported over 1 million infections and nearly 5,700 deaths since the current outbreak began at the end of last year.

Egypt Ancient Tombs In Saqqara Displays Recently Discovered Ancient Tombs In Saqqara

CAIRO (AP) — Egypt on Saturday displayed recently discovered, well-decorated ancient tombs at a Pharaonic necropolis just outside the capital Cairo.

The five tombs were unearthed earlier this month and date back to the Old Kingdom — a period spanning roughly from around 2700 BC to 2200 B.C., as well as to the First Intermediate Period, which lasted for over a century after the Old Kingdom collapsed, according to the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.

Mostafa Waziri, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said Egyptian archeologists started excavating the site in September. The tombs, he said, were for senior officials including regional rulers and palace supervisors in ancient Egypt.

“All of those five tombs are well-painted, well-decorated. Excavations did not stop. We are planning to continue our excavations. We believe that we can find more tombs in this area,” he told reporters at the site.

The tombs were found near the Step Pyramid of Djoser, in the Saqqara Necropolis, 24 kilometers (15 miles) southwest of Cairo.

Footage shared on the ministry’s social media pages showed burial shafts leading to the tombs. Walls were seen decorated with hieroglyphic inscriptions and images of sacred animals and after-life items used by ancient Egyptians.

The Saqqara site is part of a a sprawling necropolis at Egypt’s ancient capital of Memphis that includes the famed Giza Pyramids as well as smaller pyramids at Abu Sir, Dahshur and Abu Ruwaysh. The ruins of Memphis were designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1970s.

In recent years, Egypt has heavily promoted new archaeological finds to international media and diplomats in the hope of attracting more tourists to the country.

The vital tourism sector, a major source of foreign currency for Egypt, suffered from years of political turmoil and violence that followed a 2011 uprising that toppled autocrat Hosni Mubarak.

The sector has recently started to recover from the coronavirus pandemic, but was hit again by the effects of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Along with Russia, Ukraine is a major source of tourists visiting the Middle Eastern nation.

Turkey Builds The World's Longest Suspension Bridge Linking Europe And Asia

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — The president of Turkey, South Korea’s prime minister and other officials inaugurated a massive suspension bridge Friday over the Dardanelles Strait that connects the European and Asian shores of the key waterway.

With a a 2,023-meter (6,637 feet) span between its towers, the “1915 Canakkale Bridge” becomes the world’s longest suspension bridge, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.

It connects the town of Gelibolu, located in the European side of Turkey’s northwestern province of Canakkale, with the town of Lapseki on the Asian side. The bridge allows travelers to cross the Dardanelles — which connects the Aegean Sea with the Sea of Marmara — in just six minutes compared to the previous 1 1/2 hours by ferry, the president said.

“Turkey has overtaken Japan, which has the longest bridge in the world in terms of the midspan, and has taken the first place,” Erdogan said during the inauguration ceremony.

The inauguration was timed to coincide with the 107th anniversary of Turkey’s World War I naval victory over a joint British and French fleet attacking the Dardanelles. The failure of the naval campaign led to the ill-fated 1915 landings on the Gallipoli peninsula by the allies led by Britain and France along with troops from Australia and New Zealand.

“The 1915 Canakkale Bridge will leave this history of collision and conflict behind and will be a bridge between East and West, starting a new era of peace and prosperity,” South Korean Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said during the ceremony, in reference to the Canakkale region’s historic battlefields.

The bridge, which was build by a consortium of Turkish and South Korean companies, will also strengthen the bonds between Turkey and South Korea, Kim said.

The “1915 Canakkale Bridge” cost 2.5 billion euros ($2.7 billion) to build but Turkey will save 415 million euros ($458 million) per year from a reduction of fuel consumption and carbon emissions, Erdogan said. He announced the bridge’s toll will be 200 Turkish lira ($13.60).

The bridge’s architecture is awash with symbolism. It’s central span of 2,023 meters (6,637 feet) is in recognition of the year 2023, when Turkey celebrates the centenary of the founding of the Turkish Republic following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, Erdogan said. The height of the bridge’s towers is 318 meters (1,043 feet) — a nod to March 18 (or 3/18) when Turkey commemorates soldiers killed during the Gallipoli sea and land battles.

The World War I Gallipoli campaign aimed to secure a naval route from the Mediterranean Sea to Istanbul through the Dardanelles, and take the Ottoman Empire out of the war. The April 25, 1915 Gallipoli landings marked the start of a fierce battle that lasted for eight months. Around 44,000 Allied troops and 86,000 Ottoman soldiers died in the fighting.

Canada Says No Test Results Needed For Vaccinated Travelers

The Canadian government’s announcement it is dropping the requirement for vaccinated travelers to show a negative COVID-19 test result to enter the country was greeted with relief by tourism and business groups on both sides of the border Thursday.

Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos said tests will no longer be needed beginning April 1.

Currently, fully vaccinated travelers entering Canada must present proof of a negative result from a professionally administered antigen test. The antigen test replaced the more costly and time-consuming molecular test in February.

Guy Occhiogrosso, president and chief executive officer of the Bellingham Regional Chamber of Commerce in Washington state near the border with British Columbia, said the tests discouraged Canadians crossing into the U.S. for holidays and day shopping trips.

He estimates some local retail businesses saw a 30 per cent drop in business due to a lack of Canadian travelers.

“There have been some border business that have seen catastrophic losses,” he said.

Garry Douglas, president and CEO of the North Country Chamber of Commerce in Plattsburgh, N.Y., said the local region has over 100 Quebec-based businesses that employ 15 per cent of the workforce.

“That has been interrupted over the last two years,” said Douglas. “The U.S.-Canadian economic relationship is one of deep and growing economic integration.

“It’s not about boxes going back and forth. It’s about making things together.”

Beth Potter, president and CEO of the Tourism Industry Association of Canada, said tourism generated CDN$105 billion (US$83.13 billion) and employed nearly two million people in 2019. That revenue has been cut in half over the last two years and over 400,000 jobs were lost.

The current testing requirements were a deterrent for both business and leisure travelers, said Potter.

“It basically delivers the message that Canada was closed and we weren’t open and ready to welcome travelers back to our country,” she said.

“The U.S. traveler is our No. 1 international traveler by sheer volume. Anything we can do to encourage Americans to come back across the border and vacation or do business is a huge part of our industry.”

David Blandford, executive director of State of Washington Tourism, said Canada is the top international tourism market for the state.

“Ease is important in travel,” he said. “These announcements certainly will help that.”

Mark Agnew, senior vice-president of policy and government relations at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, believes removing the tests will encourage more conferences and conventions being held in Canada.

“Because we’ve reduced another barrier for fully vaccinated travelers it will encourage more business travel from foreign nationals into Canada, which of course is good for the local economy,” he said.

Duclos said the tests are being dropped because of Canada’s high vaccination rates and fewer cases of the virus being detected at the border.

Incoming tourists will still need to be vaccinated to visit Canada, and all inbound travelers must also upload their details to the ArriveCan app.

Vaccinated people could also still be subject to random molecular tests when they arrive at Canadian airports.

Unvaccinated Canadians and other travelers who are exempt from the vaccine mandate will still need to provide a negative rapid antigen or molecular test, or an accepted form of proof of recent infection to enter the country.

Unvaccinated travelers will also be tested on arrival, again eight days later, and will be required to quarantine for 14 days.

Douglas said the pandemic border restrictions were harming the special business and cultural relationship between the two countries.

“This isn’t just about somebody not buying gas on the other side of the border,” he said. “This is actually undermining the very foundation of all aspects of the U.S.-Canada relationship.″

New Zealand To ‘Welcome The World Back’ As Tourism Restarts

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Wednesday her nation was “ready to welcome the world back” with most tourists allowed to return by May as the nation continues to ease its coronavirus restrictions.

The announcement bought forward the date that tourists from countries including the U.S., Canada, Britain and much of Europe can visit from the previously announced date of October.

International tourism used to account for about 20% of New Zealand’s foreign income and more than 5% of GDP.

But when the pandemic began, New Zealand enacted some of the world’s strictest border controls and tourism evaporated. The measures were initially credited with saving thousands of lives and allowed New Zealand to eliminate or contain several outbreaks.

But with the omicron variant now spreading throughout the country, the border restrictions have become largely irrelevant.

Ardern said the move would boost the economy.

“Closing our border was one of the first actions we took to stop COVID-19 over two years ago, and its reopening will spur our economic recovery throughout the remainder of the year,” she said.

Under the new timeline, tourists from Australia will be able to visit from April 12 and tourists from other visa-waiver countries can visit from May 1. Tourists from non-waiver countries — including India and China — will need to wait longer, unless they already have valid visitor visas.

Tourists must be vaccinated and test negative for the virus before leaving their home country and again after arriving in New Zealand.

“I know from visiting tourism operators, and talking to their staff, how tough these past two years have been,” Ardern said. “And not only because of the massive loss of tourism revenue, but because we lost something we derived so much of our identity from.”

New Zealand is renowned for its beautiful scenery and adrenalin-inducing adventure tourism. The announcement comes as a timely boost to ski fields trying to plan for the upcoming Southern Hemisphere winter.

“Tourism operators finally have confirmation they can get back to business,” said Ann-Marie Johnson, a spokesperson for Tourism Industry Aotearoa. “Tourism was the first industry to be affected by the pandemic and will be the last to recover. Tourism operators both large and small have made huge sacrifices but can now focus on rebuilding their businesses.”

Over the past couple of weeks, New Zealand has been reporting about 20,000 new virus cases each day, its biggest outbreak since the pandemic began. The nation’s COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins on Wednesday became the latest high-profile person to test positive.

But experts expect the omicron outbreak to fade quickly from its peak, as it has in many other countries.

Disney Resort To Require Negative COVID-19 Test For Entry, Reduces Park Capacity

Since 2020, the entirety of the Disney Parks and Resorts have looked and felt incredibly different. Guests have had to adapt and adjust to all of the different protocols, rules, and regulations at the Parks in order to keep not only themselves safe but other Guests and Cast Members as well. Now, one Disney Resort has just beefed up its policies regarding the virus.

It was just announced that Shanghai Disney Resort will be changing its guidelines and policies when it comes to the COVID-19 pandemic and Guest safety in a very drastic way.

See the full statement from the official Shanghai Disney Resort website below:

In order to follow Shanghai’s pandemic control and prevention requirements and ensure the safety and health of our guests and Cast Members, we will further enhance Shanghai Disney Resort’s onsite pandemic control and prevention measures. All measures will be effective immediately unless otherwise indicated and include but are not limited to the following:

– Shanghai Disneyland will operate with controlled capacity.

– The majority of Shanghai Disneyland’s attractions and shows will operate at reduced capacity. The theatre shows will be temporarily suspended.

– All guests will be required to present a China government ID card or valid travel document, a green Health QR Code, a green Telecommunication Data-Based Travel Itinerary Card (Travel Itinerary Card), scan the Shanghai QR Code for contact tracing, and a Shanghai Disneyland Reservation QR Code upon entering Shanghai Disneyland.

– Effective Sunday, March 13, 2022, guests will also be required to present proof of a negative Nucleic Acid Test (NAT) taken within 24 hours prior to entering Shanghai Disney Resort.

– All guests will be required to wear masks during their entire visit to the resort, including both indoors and outdoors, except when dining, and strictly follow social distancing requirements.

– All Cast Members will be required to undergo regular NAT testing.

– The frequency of sanitization and disinfection throughout the resort will be further strengthened.

Shanghai Disney Resort including Shanghai Disneyland, the two themed hotels, Disneytown and Wishing Star Park continue to operate at this time. However, we understand that some guests may wish to change their travel plans. Guests who have purchased the dated products or services can contact their original purchase channel for related enquiries, or contact the Shanghai Disney Resort Reservation Center on: 400-180-0000 (Chinese Mainland) or +86-21-3158-0000 (Other Countries/Regions) for all enquiries.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation!

As you can see, Guests will now have to show a negative COVID-19 test to enter the Disney Park as well as wear masks at all times while inside. Park capacity is also being reduced and numerous indoor shows will be going on an indefinite hiatus. The Park also recently made changes to its pricing structure which we covered here.

While all of these rules may be cumbersome, it is important that Disney keep the safety of its Guests a top priority as COVID-19 continues to spread in the area.

At Shanghai Disneyland, Guests can meet Duffy, ShellieMay, Gelatoni, StellaLou, and CookieAnn. The newest addition to the crew is LinaBell, a fox who has already gained immense popularity. The Park is located in Pudong, China, Shanghai Disneyland features seven lands, which include: Mickey Avenue, Gardens of Imagination, Fantasyland, Adventure Isle, Treasure Cove, Tomorrowland, and Toy Story Land.

Nestled behind Enchanted Storybook Castle, Fantasyland is home to a number of popular Disney attractions like Peter Pan’s Flight and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. In 2019, it was announced that Shanghai Disneyland will be the first Disney Park in the world that will welcome a Zootopia themed land in the form of the City of Zootopia located inside Fantasyland.

Source: https://insidethemagic.net/

UK Ending All COVID-19 Travel Rules Ahead Of Easter Break

Britain’s government said Monday all remaining coronavirus measures for travelers, including passenger locator forms and the requirement that unvaccinated people be tested for COVID-19 before and after their arrivals, will end Friday to make going on holiday easier for the Easter school vacation.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the changes will mean people “can travel just like in the good old days.”

The passenger locator forms require people to fill in travel details, their address in the U.K. and their vaccination status.

The news was welcomed by U.K. airlines such as Virgin Atlantic and British Airways, which said they are beginning to ease mask wearing requirements on some routes.

The announcement came as coronavirus infections were rising in all four parts of the U.K. — England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland — for the first time since the end of January. The latest government figures released Monday showed that there were more than 444,000 new cases recorded in the past seven days, up 48% from the week before.

The number of hospital patients with COVID-19 is also going up, though it is still well below the peak recorded in January. Scientists say many of the new infections in England were a more transmissible sub-variant of the omicron variant.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid said the rise in infections was “to be expected” as people socialize more after all domestic coronavirus restrictions, including the legal requirement for anyone who tested positive to self isolate, came to an end Feb. 24.

“We will continue monitoring and tracking potential new variants, and keep a reserve of measures which can be rapidly deployed if needed to keep us safe,” Javid said.

Top 20 Global Concert Tours From Pollstar

The Top 20 Global Concert Tours ranks artists by average box office gross per city and includes the average ticket price for shows Worldwide. The list is based on data provided to the trade publication Pollstar by concert promoters and venue managers. Week of 3/12/2022 :

TOP 20 GLOBAL CONCERT TOURS

1. Bad Bunny; $2,720,076; $160.36.

2. Genesis; $2,403,653; $199.53.

3. Andrea Bocelli; $2,154,366; $176.04.

4. Eric Church; $1,612,380; $120.07.

5. Morgan Wallen; $1,476,480; $127.91.

6. Tool; $1,409,752; $114.94.

7. Reba McEntire; $1,145,901; $105.44.

8. Katy Perry; $872,537; $218.59.

9. James Taylor; $849,517; $101.31.

10. Reba McEntire / Brooks & Dunn; $792,834; $207.71.

11. Karol G; $717,314; $56.57.

12. Sebastian Maniscalco; $701,628; $103.81.

13. Kane Brown; $692,714; $64.05.

14. Luke Bryan; $682,927; $180.18.

15. Gary Barlow; $612,961; $92.47.

16. Trans-Siberian Orchestra; $568,581; $68.72.

17. Alejandro Fernández; $503,966; $74.10.

18. Madness; $494,294; $62.84.

19. Pentatonix; $477,053; $71.97.

20. Farruko; $465,758; $68.75.

For free upcoming tour information, go to www.pollstar.com

Travelers No Longer Need A Test Or Vaccination To Visit Curaçao

The Dutch Caribbean island of Curaçao has become the first destination in the Caribbean to completely waive testing requirements for visitors.

The island’s new rules, which took effect March 10, mean no Covid testing at all is required before traveling to Curaçao.

Travelers simply need to complete the island’s Digital Immigration Card online before departure.

Curaçao has also removed its “risk classifications,” which had set different rules for travelers from different countries and regions depending on their own local Covid situations.

All travelers must also fill out Curaçao’s Passenger Locator Card 48 hours before departure, and carry a printed or digital copy with them.

It’s a significant change for Curaçao, and could be an industry-shaking move for the wider region.

While several destinations have begun waiving pre-testing for vaccinated travelers, Curaçao’s rules have no vaccination requirement.

For more information please visit: https://www.curacao.com/en/

Source: https://www.caribjournal.com/

Travelore News: Cashless And flightless, Russian Tourists Stuck In Thailand

Thousands of Russian tourists are stranded in Thailand’s beach resorts because of the war in Ukraine, many unable to pay their bills or return home because of sanctions and canceled flights.

The crisis in Europe also put a crimp in recovery plans for the Southeast Asian nation’s tourism industry, which has hosted more visitors from Russia than any of its neighbors before the pandemic hit.

There are about 6,500 Russian tourists stuck in Phuket, Surat Thani, Krabi and Pattaya, four provinces that are popular seaside resort destinations, in addition to 1,000 Ukrainians, Yuthasak Supasorn, governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, told The Associated Press on Friday.

Some 17,599 Russians accounted for the largest bloc of arrivals in February, representing 8.6% of a total of 203,970, according to the Public Health Ministry. After the Feb. 24 Russian invasion of Ukraine, their numbers drastically declined.

Yuthasak said the Russians face two main problems: cancellations of their flights home by airlines that have stopped flying to Russia, and suspension of financial services, particularly by credit card companies that have joined sanctions against Moscow. There are also some who prefer to delay their return.

“There are some airlines that still fly to Russia, but travelers have to transit in another country. We are trying to coordinate and search the flights for them,” Yuthasak said.

While almost all direct flights from Russia have been suspended, connections are still available through major carriers based in the Middle East.

He said efforts are also being made to find alternative methods of payments for Russian tourists.

Siwaporn Boonruang, a volunteer translator for Russians stranded in Krabi, said some cannot pay their bills because they can no longer use Visa or Mastercard credit cards.

Many have cash and those with UnionPay credit cards, which are issued by a Chinese financial services company, can still use them, but payment by cryptocurrency is not allowed, she said.

Many hotels have helped by offering discounted rates, she added.

Thailand’s government has offered 30-day visa extensions without payment, and is trying to find low-cost alternative accommodation for people forced to stay for an extended period.

The problems associated with the war in Ukraine have compounded Thailand’s hopes for economic recovery. Officials hope to see the threat from the COVID-19 pandemic ebbing by July, even though daily cases are currently at record highs, driven by the omicron variant of the coronavirus.

Thai authorities later this year expect to drop most quarantine and testing regulations that have been in place to fight the spread of the virus, which would make entry easier for foreign travelers.

Thailand may have to lower its targets for tourist arrivals and revenues this year because of the knock-on effects of rising oil prices and inflation on global travel, Yuthasak was quoted saying by the Bangkok Post newspaper.

“Tourism is still a key engine to revive our economy, even though revenue was stymied by negative factors,” he said.

According to the report, Thailand had projected gaining a total of 1.28 trillion baht ($38.4 billion) in revenue this year from foreign and domestic tourists.

Travelore Report, Monthly In Print Since 1971: TRAVELORE DESTINATION REPORT: Xibalbá by Xcaret Na...

Travelore Report, Monthly In Print Since 1971: TRAVELORE DESTINATION REPORT: Xibalbá by Xcaret Na...: We recently had the opportunity to preview what will become one of the most important new attractions in the Yucatan, Mexico. The site is ...

Walt Disney Imagineering Presents The EPCOT Experience Closing Permanently On March 14, 2022.

Statement from Disney about the closing:

"Since its 2019 debut, Walt Disney Imagineering presents the EPCOT Experience has welcomed more than two million guests, as travelers from around the world enjoyed an immersive look at the past, present and future of this beloved park. This attraction gave our team a chance to share a first-person view of the vision coming to life during this ongoing “state of becoming.” It’s a rare moment to see these milestones unfold, and we’ve been inspired and deeply grateful to have this opportunity to pull back the curtain on our thinking.

With the transformation now well under way and many of those projects now open – including Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, Harmonious and the upcoming debut of Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind this summer – we have decided it is time to close the EPCOT Experience on March 14 and make way for exciting new activations of the Odyssey pavilion to create a great experience for our guests.

I’m proud of the work and storytelling that our Imagineers put into this incredible 360-degree presentation, as it beautifully set the stage for the largest transformation in the history of EPCOT, and provided an in-depth look at the exciting attractions and experiences being developed for this beloved park. I always like to say to our team that EPCOT is a park about people – our dreams, our curiosity and our ability to make magic possible when we work together. The EPCOT Experience was a showcase of all those things, inviting each of you to dream with us as we create the future of EPCOT together.

We have a lot more to share in the weeks and months ahead, and I am grateful for the opportunity to provide an in-depth look at the process through our Imagineering lens. Follow along with me here as we share more exciting details about this historic EPCOT transformation, including Journey of Water inspired by Moana, the ongoing evolution of World Celebration, and more!"

Source: https://wdwnt.com/

Viking Mississippi Cruise Ship Touches Water For First Time

A Swiss company’s plan to offer tourists cruises along the length of the Mississippi River drew a step closer to reality this week as its new 386-passenger ship was floated out of a south Louisiana shipyard.

Viking River Cruises of Basel, which in 2015 announced the plans for Mississippi River cruises, toasted the completion of the Viking Mississippi in a celebration Monday at a Houma shipyard.

Two U.S. companies already offer cruises up and down the river, which flows 2,350 miles (3,780 kilometers) from its source at Minnesota’s Lake Itasca to the Gulf of Mexico. American Queen Voyages, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and American Cruise Lines, based in Guilford, Connecticut, expect to carry a total of 50,000 people on the Mississippi this year, spokespeople said.

The Viking Mississippi is billed by the Swiss competitor as “the largest and most modern ship in the region.” It is to make its first voyage in June between New Orleans and St. Paul, Minnesota — a trip that would take about 1,200 miles (1,900 kilometers) by car but is about 1,700 miles (2,700 kilometers) on the twisting river.

“It is a proud moment that this new ship has met an American waterway for the first time,” Torstein Hagen, chairman of Viking, said in a news release. “Our guests have long wanted to sail the Mississippi River with Viking, and we very much look forward to welcoming them on board this summer.”

Company officials said the Viking Mississippi is expected to draw more than 7,500 passengers to the river this year and more than 17,600 during the first full sailing season in 2023.

The Viking Mississippi plans stops in seven states: Louisiana (Baton Rouge, Darrow, New Orleans and St. Francisville); Mississippi (Natchez and Vicksburg); Tennessee (Memphis); Missouri (Hannibal, St. Louis); Iowa (Burlington, Dubuque and Davenport); Wisconsin (La Crosse); and Minnesota (Red Wing, St. Paul).

Meanwhile, American Queen Voyages has three paddlewheel cruise boats that operate on the Mississippi, the smallest able to carry 166 passengers and the largest 417, spokesperson Michael Hicks said. He added that the company expects about 20,000 passengers on the Mississippi River this year.

American Cruise Lines has two paddlewheelers and three modern riverboats on the river and plans to launch a fourth modern riverboat late this year, spokesperson Alexa Paolella said. Both also operate in other parts of the United States. She said the boats will carry 30,000 on Mississippi River routes this year.

American Cruise Lines’ 15 river and coastal cruise ships all were upgraded during the off-season, with the most extensive work on the line’s four paddlewheelers, a company news release said Wednesday.

“Viking’s boat will also be lovely, but American Cruise Lines’ new modern series riverboats are equally if not more beautiful,” Paolella wrote in an email.

Hawaii To Lift Last US State Mask Mandate By March 26

The last statewide mask mandate in the U.S. will be lifted by March 26, Hawaii Gov. David Ige announced Tuesday.

No states will require masks indoors after 11:59 p.m. March 25. Hawaii is the last to drop the pandemic safety measure, with indoor mask mandates in Oregon and Washington state expiring at 11:59 p.m. Friday.

Ige said Hawaii’s COVID-19 case counts and hospitalizations are decreasing. The seven-day new case average is about 140, he said, while a week ago it was more than 300. There were 48 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 on Tuesday. He said that’s the first time the number has been under 50 since around last summer.

He said he expects the downward trends to continue.

Since April 2020, the state of Hawaii has required face masks. At first, it was both indoors and outdoors.

Ige, a Democrat, said Hawaii’s culture of caring for others, especially kupuna, or older people in Hawaiian, helped the state tolerate the mask rule for so long.

“I do believe that we are the last community to release the mask mandate because we care about each other and we care about our community and we are all willing to sacrifice to keep each other healthy and safe,” he said.

Hawaii health officials still recommend wearing masks indoors at schools, hospitals, prisons and other “congregate living settings.”

Sen. Kurt Fevella, the lone Republican in the state Senate, said he gives credit to the governor for not lifting the mandate sooner, even though he knows many of his constituents are ready to take their masks off.

“People would come up to me and tell me to take the diaper off my face,” Fevella said. “People being rude and disrespectful ... doesn’t help anybody.”

When people make those kinds of comments, he explains that he wears a mask to protect his 83-year-old father who lives with him.

He said when the mandate ends, he and his family members will continue wearing masks depending on the circumstances.

“If we don’t know the crowd we’re with, we’ll wear the mask,” he said.

The end of the mask mandate coincides with when Hawaii plans to lift its COVID-19 quarantine requirement for travelers. Starting March 26 those arriving from other places in the U.S. won’t have to show proof of vaccination or a negative test to avoid sequestering themselves for five days.

Ige said these rules have contributed to Hawaii having among the lowest rates of COVID-19 in the country.

Bronx, New York, resident Pamela Aquino said her Hawaii summer vacation wasn’t hindered by wearing a mask indoors.

“It was so strict there. Pretty much everywhere we went we had to wear masks,” she said. “It makes sense for them. It’s an island. I totally get it. You don’t have a lot of hospitals.”

Kauai resident Sheila Herr said she will continue wearing a mask when indoors around people, like at the grocery store, even if it’s not mandatory.

“The majority of my friends on Kauai agree that we should wear masks to protect each other,” she said.

State Epidemiologist Dr. Sarah Kemble said many people will keep masks on.

“Some will do it out of an abundance of caution. Others because they are at risk,” she said. “So please encourage those who feel more comfortable wearing masks to continue to do so.”

Lt. Gov. Josh Green, an emergency room physician on the Big Island, said he recommended Monday that the governor and health department lift the mandate on or before March 25.

“The governor and the director of health are very conservative and it has benefited us because we’ve got the lowest case rate and the second lowest mortality rate in the country,” Green said.

But he said he’s now worried about the “collateral” effects of pandemic restrictions such as depression and alcohol abuse.

“It’s important that we begin to move toward normal because there are other considerations like people’s mental health,” he said.

Paris Fashion Houses Showcase Designs Inside Top Art Museums

PARIS (AP) — From the dizzying heights of the Pompidou Center to the lofty halls of the Musee d’Orsay, Paris fashion houses showed off the city’s most monumental art museums on Monday as they near the finish line of ready-to-wear collections.

Guests watched as vibrant fall-winter styles snaked in between marble sculptures, avant-garde installations and Oscar-winning celebrities on the season’s penultimate day.

Not only was Stella McCartney one of the first brands to stage a show atop the French National Museum of Modern Art — but the collection itself was inspired by a contemporary artist.

Louis Vuitton, meanwhile, attracted the stars — including actors Emma Stone, Julianne Moore, Jennifer Connelly and Alicia Vikander — to designer Nicolas Ghesquiere’s study in adolescent experimentations.

Here are some highlights:

A TALE OF TWO STELLAS

Louis Vuitton leaned into a ’70s aesthetic with pizazz for fall-winter by using a namesake — U.S. artist Frank Stella, known for his geometric patterns — as creative springboard.

A faux-fur striped coat in cream and brown resembling a dressing gown — and channeling the artist Stella’s linear motifs — introduced a retro tone from the outset. It was a rare foray for the normally sporty and contemporary brand but was handled with fun. This first look sported giant statement shoulders and tubular arms, while its big flappy belt looked almost poised to tug the coat open sensually.

Rounded shoulders and large labels — key ’70s details — graced more sober-than-normal McCartney styles, appearing in one instance on a long dark coat with generous proportions that evoked the geometric lines of the 85-year-old Stella, who had to sign off on all the runway looks.

McCartney said the process was “really funny because Frank’s really moody and we love him for it.”McCartney said the process was “really funny because Frank’s really moody and we love him for it.”
Experimentations in fabric were also of note, including a sheeny material (“not latex, not leather”) which appeared on a series of fabulous ’70s gowns with shoulder drapes that moved weightlessly. Editors understandably asked the designer what the material was.

“It was made by coating the fabric. I don’t think if you could ever get that kind of movement in real leather, but in faux leather. I was really excited when I found that fabric as it reacted to color so nicely,” McCartney said.

McCARTNEY ON UKRAINE

A message of protest against the war in Ukraine boomed around the Pompidou Center. It was a recording of President John F. Kennedy iconic “A Strategy of Peace” speech given at the American University in Washington D.C. in 1963.

“We do not want a war,” it repeated, prompting McCartney’s front row guests to discuss the dire geo-political events. The show also ended with a song by Paul McCartney’s former bandmate, John Lennon: “Give Peace a Chance.”

“I wanted to let everyone know that, here at Stella, we are anti-war,” Stella told AP after the show. “We feel tremendous sadness for what the people of Ukraine are going through.”

McCartney said that she wanted to address the conflict since continuing with the razzmatazz of fashion seems “a very strange thing to do in the circumstances. So we wanted to make a statement against war and against what’s happened.”

The fashion show was dedicated to the people affected by the conflict, while Stella McCartney made a donation to CARE, an organization providing emergency crisis support to 4 million Ukrainians.

“It doesn’t take a genius to figure out what we’re all witnessing in the world,” she added.

MINNIE MOUSE GETS STELLA MAKEOVER

One of the celebrity guests at the Pompidou Center show who was definitely not doing interviews was Minnie Mouse. The loveable Disney rodent made a rare appearance, posing with guests with Notre Dame cathedral visible in the distance, to show off her new fashion look designed by Stella McCartney.

Gone were the famed white bloomers created in 1928. In their place was a sheeny navy blue tuxedo pantsuit created to celebrate empowerment and Women’s History Month.

“Minnie Mouse’s was crafted with responsible materials – offering a new take on her signature polka dots, and dressing her to be a symbol of empowerment for a new generation,” the house said.

The pantsuit will be worn by Minnie at special Disney events.

LOUIS VUITTON’S DRESSING-UP BOX

It was the wilderness of adolescence inspiring Monday’s show by Louis Vuitton — a vibrant ode to romanticism, or the fleeting moments of youth when character is forged for life.

Clashing, grumpy and vibrant looks cut fun, unexpected styles. At times it looked as if the model had grabbed whatever she had in her mom and dad’s closet — some new, some vintage — and put them together to create ensembles with strange, often oversized, trapeze silhouettes.

If it all sounds scruffy, it was not — held together by both creative director Nicolas Ghesquiere’s deft styling, and his eye for balance in shape and bright color. There was also more than a dose of humor and surrealism to the 48-strong display.

In a series of preppy looks, an oversize patterned tie in yellow clashed intentionally with billowing gray woolen high waisted pants. Further on, Ghesquiere got creative with a theatrical gold apron style that had fringed cascading sections that evoked both a scarf and an Elizabethan full skirt. Underneath, to complete the contradictions, lay a gray schoolgirl’s skirt and colorful leather sneakers.

Silhouette-wise, fall introduced a wide and flattened lower midriff — that shot out either side dramatically, as pockets or whooshes of fabric.

ARTISTIC COLLABORATION

Louis Vuitton, of the LVMH group, used the occasion to reveal it has sealed a new long-term partnership with the Musee d’Orsay, which holds the world’s largest collection of Impressionist and post-Impressionist art. Louis Vuitton will use its formidable coffers to promote the museum and its associated art collections — that span 1848 to 1914 and dovetail with the birth of Louis Vuitton, originally a trunk maker, in the 19th century.

The fall-winter event marked the first time in history that the museum and former railway station hosted a fashion show. Speaking of the partnership, Ghesquiere said it “resonates with me in so many ways. It’s a museum built on embracing innovation over time, be it through its iconic clock; once-radical technology, such as photography; paintings by modern masters, and its unique place in Paris as one of the most emblematic cultural destinations.”

GIAMBATTISTA VALLI IS LEOPARD FABULOUS

Another designer, another art museum. This time it was the turn of the talented Giambattista Valli, who showcased his winter wares, which riffed on the ’60s, at the Musee d’Art Moderne.

The main creative flourish was a brilliant take on prints. Valli stretched a leopard print — like it had literally been elongated on a printer — putting it on an exaggeratedly long pea coat that looked itself as if it had been stretched.

On another look, this stretched leopard print appeared flat on a mini dress like paper printed straight from the machine. And then again in a look with a black bar over the bust area — in a humorous nod to censorship.

The collection also featured historic musing, such as the leopard print that pollinated across some dropped Elizabethan-style cuffs that cut a chic style contradiction with a ’60s miniskirt.