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☆ Lahaina’s historic 150-year-old banyan tree was badly scorched by wildfires, but it’s still standing
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Alisha Ebrahimji | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Now, Lahaina’s historic 150-year-old banyan tree has been charred by the wildfires and is dull in color – but still alive. “Banyan Tree in Lahaina smoldering at the base, but still standing,” Hawaii Sen. Brian Schatz wrote accompanying a video he posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. That history includes the oft-visited banyan tree, which was enjoying its sesquicentennial anniversary this year until the fire broke out. Banyan tree branches produce roots that spawn additional, accessory trunks such that the trees grow up as well as out. The 150-year-old banyan tree, as seen amid the ruins of the wildfires Marco Garcia/ReutersWhile the tree remains standing, it’s unclear how healthy it is after surviving the wildfires that all but destroyed parts of Lahaina.

Persons: Hawaii Sen, Brian Schatz, “, Hawaii Jennifer McDermott, Maui Patrick T, Fallon, Marco Garcia, ”, Bill Weir Organizations: CNN, Hawaii Tourism Authority, Getty, Foundation, Maui County Arborist, Reuters Locations: Lahaina, Hawaii, Maui, India, United States, Maui County, “

New York CNN —The catastrophic wildfires in Maui have destroyed homes, churches, businesses and key cultural sites on Hawaii’s second-largest island. Maui authorities have asked tourists to leave the island and strongly discouraged nonessential travel to Maui. That means $4 of every $5 the island generates comes directly or indirectly from tourism, according to the Maui Economic Development Board. In 2019, 3.1 million people visited Maui. But that figure plunged to 793,000 during the height of the pandemic in 2020, according to the Maui Economic Development Board.

Organizations: New, New York CNN, Hawaii Tourism, Maui Economic Development Board, Tourism, Hawaii . Local, Maui Economic Development, Hawaii Tourism Authority Locations: New York, Maui, United States, Japan, Canada, Oahu, Hawaii, Hawaii Tourism Authority, Hawaii ., Tourism, Lahaina

☆ Lahaina fires: One of the largest banyan trees in the US among the beloved landmarks imperiled by Maui's wildfires
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Alisha Ebrahimji | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Baldwin Home MuseumThe Baldwin House Museum is seen in this image taken before the Lahaina wildfires. Waiola ChurchFlames engulf the hall of historic Waiola Church in Lahaina and nearby Lahaina Hongwanji Mission on Tuesday along Wainee Street. Wo Hing Temple MuseumThe Wo Hing Temple Museum is seen on Front Street, Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii before the wildfires blazed through the area. It later was restored and housed the Wo Hing Museum. Lahaina Heritage MuseumSmoke obscures the Old Lahaina Courthouse on Wednesday as wildfires destroy a large part of the historic town.

Persons: Josh Green, It’s, Jennifer McDermott, Baldwin, Dwight Baldwin, Ian Rutherford, Alamy, Maui –, Theo Morrison, Morrison, Ephraim Spaulding, Matthew Thayer, David Cathell, Dustin Johnson Organizations: CNN, Hawaii Gov, National Park Service, Historic Landmark, Hawaii Tourism Authority, Foundation, Maui County Arborist, Baldwin Home Museum, Baldwin House Museum, Waiola, Flames, Maui News, Hing Temple, Hing, Hing Society, Lahaina Heritage Museum Locations: Maui, Lahaina, Hawaii, United States, Hawaiian, India, Maui County, Waiola, Lahaina Hongwanji Mission, ”

On Tuesday they first saw flames under half a mile from their home, and when winds picked up, the fire suddenly was in their yard, Mark Stefl told CNN on Wednesday. While there’s enough shelter for an emergency response for a few days, “there’s not enough shelter for long term living,” the governor told CNN. • Hospitals overwhelmed: Hospitals on Maui were overwhelmed with burn patients and people suffering from smoke inhalation, Luke told CNN Wednesday. Fire burned buildings near Dickenson Street in Lahaina, Maui, on Tuesday. “I am told my house is gone, but we are not yet allowed access to West Maui,” he said.

Persons: Maureen Stefl, Mark Stefl, “, ” Mark Stefl, ”, Hurricane Dora, Gov, Sylvia Luke, weren’t, •, Luke, Josh Green, “ there’s, Joe Biden, Green, CNN’s Sara Sidner, Daniel Sullivan, inched, CNN’s Kaitlin Collins, Braintin Stevens, Ed Sniffen, Sniffen, Alan Dicker, ” Richie Olsten, CNN’s Jake Tapper, Alan Dickar, ” Dickar, Jeff Melichar, ” Luke, “ We’re, “ It’s, ” Stefl, Stefl, We’ll Organizations: CNN, they’ve, US Coast Guard, US Navy, • Cell, Hawaii Gov, •, Coast Guard, Hawaii Department of Transportation, Airlines, Southwest, Maui, Gov, Maxar Technologies, Hawaii’s Tourism Authority, Lahaina Heritage Museum, Baldwin Home Museum, Hing Locations: Maui, Lahaina, Hawaii, Wednesday, Alaska, Delta, United, Dickenson, West Maui, ”, India, Hawaii’s, It’s

REUTERS/Jorge SilvaBANGKOK/NEW DELHI, July 17 (Reuters) - Indian tourists are streaming into Southeast Asia, cementing the world most populous country's position as a key growth market for a travel and tourism sector that is feeling the pinch of China's slower-than-expected re-opening. "Southeast Asia is obviously very well positioned for a lot of the growth that is inevitably going to come from India," aviation analyst Brendan Sobie told an industry conference last month. Tanes Petsuwan, deputy governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand said 1.6 million Indians were expected to visit the kingdom this year. Indians are helping to sustain a post-pandemic rebound for hospitality chains, including Minor Hotels, which has 45 properties in Southeast Asia with more than 6,000 rooms. Thailand's central bank expects 29 million visitors this year and 35.5 million in 2024.

Persons: Jorge Silva, Brendan Sobie, Tanes Petsuwan, Chai Eamsiri, Chai, Vinay Malhotra, IndiGo's, Sobie, Dillip, Pratyush Tripathy, That's, Somsong Sachaphimukh, Somsong, Pasit, Stefanno Sulaiman, Neil Jerome Morales, Robert Birsel Organizations: REUTERS, Jorge Silva BANGKOK, Thai Airways, Organisation for Economic Cooperation, Reuters, Asian Development Bank, Tourism Authority, IndiGo, Airbus, Minor, Bank of, Tourism Council of, Thomson Locations: India, Thailand, Patong, Phuket, DELHI, Asia, China, Thai, Singapore, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Jakarta, Bangkok, Kolkata, Pattaya, Europe, United States, Thailand's, Bank of Thailand, Tourism Council of Thailand, BANGKOK, JAKARTA, MANILA

☆ Lionel Messi, Saudi Arabia and the Deal That Paid Off for Both Sides
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-18 | by ( Karim Zidan | Tariq Panja | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Until now, the details of Messi’s contract with the tourism authority have been a closely held secret. It is not clear if the contract reviewed by The Times is the current version of the deal. The travel expenses and five-star accommodations were to be paid by the Saudi government for Messi and up to 20 family members and friends. Another $2 million for promoting Saudi Arabia on his social media accounts 10 times a year, separately from the promotion of his vacations to the kingdom. Few people were willing to discuss the terms of Messi’s deal.

Persons: Messi, Rodrigo, Pablo Negre Abello, Abello, Rayco García Cabrera, Ronaldo, Benzema, Garcia, “, ”, García, Messi didn’t, ” García Organizations: The Times, Saudi, Messi, Times Locations: Saudi, Saudi Arabia

☆ Saudi Arabia says LGBTQ visitors are now welcome
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Julia Buckley | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —As Saudi Arabia continues its drive to attract tourists, authorities in the country appear to be reaching out to a particularly lucrative section of the market: LGBTQ travelers. “Everyone is welcome to visit Saudi Arabia and visitors are not asked to disclose such personal details,” is the website’s response to the question on its FAQ page: “Are LGBT visitors welcome to visit Saudi Arabia?”It is not known exactly when the website was updated. Same-sex sexual activity is an offense in Saudi Arabia, according to Human Rights Watch. LGBTQ+ travelers are a lucrative market, according to Darren Burn, CEO of Out Of Office, a luxury travel planning service for the community, and of Travel Gay, the world’s largest LGBTQ+ travel platform. Human rights researcher Nora Noralla told CNN that the kingdom is following Qatar and Dubai in its bid to attract LGBTQ+ travelers.

☆ The Messi Unraveling of Paris Saint-Germain Is Under Way
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Joshua Robinson | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Lionel Messi was suspended by Paris St Germain for two weeks after making an unauthorised trip to Saudi Arabia. Photo: Martin Rickett/Zuma PressPARIS—Paris Saint-Germain’s players were still reeling from a shocking defeat to Lorient when they turned up to practice on Monday, only to find that the world’s best soccer player hadn’t bothered to join them. Lionel Messi, it turned out, was thousands of miles away in Saudi Arabia carrying out his duties for the Saudi Tourism Authority, which pays him a reported $30 million a year to serve as a public ambassador for the Kingdom. PSG, the club that pays him around $40 million a year to help it win trophies and sell jerseys, had no idea he’d made the trip.

☆ Solar eclipse tourism in Exmouth, Western Australia
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Lilit Marcus | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Thursday’s hybrid solar eclipse will last for 62 seconds. That’s the hope for Exmouth and the surrounding Ningaloo Coast in Western Australia, which are hoping that April 20th’s once-in-a-decade natural phenomenon could kick off a tourism boom that lasts well beyond the eclipse. “They’re pretty intimidated but also very excited,” Roger Cook, Deputy Premier of Western Australia state, tells CNN about the residents of Exmouth. And there’s some evidence of the region’s growing prominence on the international stage: CNN Travel selected Western Australia for our list of the best places to visit in 2023. Altogether, Western Australia state spent 20 million AUD ($13.5 million) on infrastructure updates for the eclipse, which included everything from water and sanitation services to additional parking.

☆ FIFA appointment of supermodel Lima 'baffling' - ex-Council member Dodd
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

March 2 (Reuters) - FIFA's appointment of supermodel Adriana Lima as its global fan ambassador in a Women's World Cup year is "baffling" and sends the wrong message to players and fans, former FIFA Council member Moya Dodd said. "I asked whether the FIFA ambassador will be delivering messages on body image, wellbeing and healthy eating. A prominent women's soccer advocate, Dodd represented Australia 24 times from 1986-95 and played in FIFA's women's invitational tournament in 1988, three years before the inaugural Women's World Cup. "In a FIFA World Cup year, that's the message that should be ringing loud and true around the world. This month, Dodd criticised FIFA for a lack of understanding of the women's game amid reports that Saudi Arabia's tourism authority would sponsor the July 20-Aug. 20 World Cup.

☆ Shut out from their top destinations, Chinese travelers are turning to other places
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Monica Pitrelli | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Chinese travelers favored Southeast Asia for trips during the Lunar New Year holidays, which ended in early February, according to Trip.com Group's Chinese language booking website, Ctrip. Overseas hotel bookings by mainland Chinese travelers quadrupled from last year too, Ctrip said. He said of the 30 million tourists Thailand is expecting this year, 12 million to 15 million may come from China. South Korea announced last week it would resume issuing short-term visas to Chinese travelers, according to Reuters. Visas aside, Chinese travelers are also worried about getting sick, said Lee.

TOKYO, Feb 7 (Reuters) - The popularity of Japan's crisp powder snow among foreign skiers, surging back into the country, is luring more to seek the thrill of pristine backcountry slopes - sometimes with deadly impact. Japan's snow, prized among skiers for dryness caused by local atmospheric conditions, is a big draw. The head of Japan's National Governors Association last week said a national system of safety measures is now essential. BACKCOUNTRY CULTUREThe reputation of Japanese snow took off after the Nagano Olympics. Japan wants to welcome foreign skiers, but they need to know the reality of the risks involved, said Kenji Kubota, a researcher with the Japan Rescue Organization.

☆ Former decision-maker Dodd questions FIFA over Saudi tourism deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Feb 4 (Reuters) - Ex-Australia international and former FIFA Council member Moya Dodd has accused soccer's governing body of a lack of understanding of the women's game amid reports Saudi Arabia's tourism authority will sponsor the Women's World Cup. Australia and New Zealand, co-hosts of this year's tournament, wrote to FIFA on Wednesday seeking urgent clarification after the Guardian reported Visit Saudi will be named as a major sponsor of the event. "For FIFA to tell LGBTQ players and fans they should 'Visit Saudi' is to send them to a jurisdiction where they are regarded as criminals. FIFA and Visit Saudi have declined to comment on sponsorship of the World Cup, which will be held from July 20 to Aug. 20. "If FIFA is seriously proposing to these fans and players that they should 'Visit Saudi', then they profoundly misunderstand either their own community, or the laws in Saudi Arabia."

☆ Want to cash in on China's reopening? Bank of America and UBS have some less obvious stock picks
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Zavier Ong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

China's unwinding of its strict Covid-19 controls has got analysts scrambling to identify reopening beneficiaries in the stock market. But there could be another way to play the reopening, with Bank of America and UBS having identified a raft of less obvious beneficiaries outside of China. UBS' stock picks Thai hospitality group Minor International is one of UBS' top picks. Within Thailand, UBS also named rail transit operator BTS Group, expressway and metro operator Bangkok Expressway & Metro, as well as Bangkok Bank as reopening beneficiaries. Student placement provider IDP Education, as well as property groups Lendlease Group and Mirvac Group also made the UBS list.

☆ Thailand U-turns on COVID vaccination rule for visitors
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BANGKOK, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Thailand on Monday rescinded a policy announced at the weekend requiring visitors to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination, its health minister said, citing sufficient immunisation levels in China and globally. Anutin Charnvirakul said requiring visitors to show evidence of vaccination was inconvenient and a panel of experts had resolved that it was unnecessary as enough vaccinations had been administered globally. "Showing proof of vaccination would be cumbersome and inconvenient, and so the group's decision is that it is unnecessary," Anutin told reporters. In November, it recorded 1.75 million visitors, quadruple the number received for the whole of last year when flights and foreign arrivals were limited. Anutin said Thailand was now expecting 7-10 million Chinese visitors, compared to an earlier estimate of 5 million.

Meanwhile, World Health Organization officials met Chinese scientists on Tuesday amid concerns over the accuracy of China's data on the spread and evolution of its outbreak. China reported five new COVID-19 deaths for Jan. 3, compared with three a day earlier, bringing the official death toll to 5,258, very low by global standards. British-based health data firm Airfinity has said about 9,000 people in China are probably dying each day from COVID. Bookings for international flights from China have risen by 145% year-on-year in recent days, the government-run China Daily newspaper reported, citing data from travel booking platform Trip.com. But there are signs that an increase in travel from China could further spread the virus abroad.

One of Asia's most popular travel destinations, Thailand is seeing a much-needed tourism boom, with 1.75 million visitors in November, quadruple the number received for the whole of last year when flights and foreign arrivals were limited by the pandemic. Russian arrivals in November represented about 60% of the number who visited in the same month in 2019. A top destination for Russians is Phuket, where they account for about a quarter of the island's visitors, helped by direct flights to there and Bangkok, according to Yuthasak Supasorn, governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). "In the evening you'll see Russian families strolling in the park along with locals," he said, adding some were staying until March. ($1 = 34.6200 baht)Reporting by Chayut Setboonsarng and Orathai Siring; Editing by Martin PettyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Casinos in Macau, the Vegas of the East, have managed to renew crucial gaming licenses. But there's a hefty catch — they need to pump in $15 billion into non-gaming sectors.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Macau's six casino operators pledged to invest nearly $15 billion in non-gaming sectors. In return for the investments, Macau's government has renewed their gaming licenses. Gaming licenses for the six major casino operators had expired back in June, throwing into question Macau's future as a gambling hub. The new 10-year gaming licenses come into effect on January 1, 2023. Among the six gaming companies, Sands China has committed to spending the most in non-gaming projects — about 27.8 billion patacas, or $3.5 billion.

☆ Hawaii's Mauna Loa, the world's largest active volcano, erupted and turned the skies red
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Jake Epstein | Paola Rosa-Aquino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Hawaii's Mauna Loa, the world's largest active volcano, erupted late Sunday night local time. "If the eruption remains in Moku'āweoweo [the summit caldera], lava flows will most likely be confined within the caldera walls. A thermal camera on the north rim of Hawaii's Mauna Loa's summit caldera on November 28, 2022. Mauna Loa is located on Hawaii's southernmost island — Hawaii — and has an elevation of more than 13,600 feet. It's the world's largest active volcano, and most recently erupted in 1984.

☆ Qatar reviewing London investments after transport ads ban -FT
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Nov 26 (Reuters) - Qatar has launched a review of its investments in London after the city’s transport authority this week banned the Gulf state’s tourism advertisements on the capital’s buses, taxis and Underground train system, Saturday’s Financial Times reported. The paper said the move by Transport for London (TfL) was triggered by concerns over the soccer World Cup host’s stance on LGBT+ rights and its treatment of migrant workers. The Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) owns Harrods, the department store, the Shard skyscraper and is co-owner of Canary Wharf. TfL said advertising which promotes travel to Qatar, tourism in Qatar, or portrays Qatar as a desirable destination would not be considered acceptable. Under the spotlight as it hosts the World Cup, Qatar has defended itself against criticism, saying it is a welcoming country that does not discriminate against people and has denied accusations of abuse of workers.

☆ Thailand still wants Russian tourists – and direct flights are making it easy to get to Phuket
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-26 | by ( Stephanie Stacey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Direct flights between Russia and Thailand's largest island, Phuket, resumed on October 30. On the same day, the Russian state-owned airline Aeroflot restarted direct flights to Thailand, India, and the Maldives. In January, 24,000 Russian tourists arrived in Phuket. Now that direct flights have returned, Russian airlines are fast expanding their routes to Thailand, according to The Thaiger. The country aims to welcome 1 million Russian tourists in 2022, per DW, with numbers forecast to peak in the coming winter as Russians trade cold for tropical beaches.

☆ World Cup 2022: What fans can't do in Qatar
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Amy Woodyatt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —After years of anticipation – and controversy – since Qatar was awarded the World Cup, the tournament finally got underway on Sunday in Doha. DrinkingThe sale and consumption of alcohol has been a highly contentious issue since Qatar was first announced as the World Cup host 12 years ago. FIFA President Gianni Infantino attends a press conference at the Qatar National Convention Center (QNCC) in Doha on November 19, 2022, ahead of the Qatar 2022 World Cup football tournament. But it’s not the lowest-scoring country taking part in the World Cup; Saudi Arabia scores a 7 and Iran scores a 14. There is no legal guarantee of press freedom or freedom of expression in Qatar, the US Embassy in Qatar notes.

☆ This 28-year-old spent $8,000 setting up an Airbnb tent near a Hawaiian volcano–now it earns her $28,000 per year
▼ + stars: | 2022-06-29 | by ( Megan Sauer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

When Kehau Hall set up her Airbnb glamping tent in 2014, she didn't think twice about it being roughly 10 minutes away from volcanos. She spent less than $300 on the tent and roughly $8,000 on amenities like a kitchen, an outdoor shower and a king-sized mattress. Those earnings represent a sliver of a highly competitive tourism industry: In 2019, visitor spending on all of Hawaii's islands amassed $17.75 billion, according to the Hawaii Tourism Authority. The main island, where Hall's tent is located, brought in $22.4 million daily, on average. Hall's tent, by comparison is modest: It costs visitors about $70 per night.

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