When you can’t travel in actual reality, go virtual
During these strange days, the idea of online anything is proving more attractive — and vital. Families experience first-time conference calls, while musicians around the world put on internet gigs for locked-down audiences. Travel, too, is just a tap away, thanks to virtual reality.
100,000 tourists stuck in New Zealand virus lockdown to leave
About 100,000 tourists stuck in New Zealand since it began a lockdown last week were starting to fly to their home countries Friday. The initial problem for many tourists had been that they were banned from catching domestic flights during the strict monthlong lockdown, which ...
151 Japanese nationals to return on plane chartered by Poland
A total of 151 Japanese nationals will return home from Poland on a flight chartered by the Polish government, the Polish Embassy in Japan said Wednesday. The flight will carry back Polish nationals who have been unable to leave Japan because direct flights between the ...
Japan advises against travel to 49 more nations, including U.S.
Japan on Tuesday warned citizens to avoid all travel to 49 more countries and regions including the United States, China, South Korea and Taiwan amid the coronavirus pandemic. The Foreign Ministry raised its travel advisory for these areas to Level 3 — the second-highest level ...
Suga pledges support for Okinawa's virus-rocked tourism industry
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga on Sunday promised to provide assistance to Okinawa Prefecture's tourism industry, which has been hit by a slump in visitors amid the coronavirus pandemic. In Naha, Suga met with officials of local economic organizations and received requests for assistance, including ...
Japanese hotels lose out on Olympic bet as coronavirus spreads
The Osaka Corona Hotel has been eerily quiet and empty the past few weeks. “Our name is extremely regrettable,” Kohei Fujii, the hotel’s sales director, said with a sigh as he sat in an empty cafe in the lobby. A sign advertising discounted bottles of ...
11 flyers amid a sea of seats: Airlines' woes dwarf U.S. aid
Miguel Diaz's JetBlue flight from New York to Orlando cost just $79 with a checked bag and was nearly empty. The 11 passengers each had a row of seats to themselves, spaced at least 6 feet (1.8 meters) apart to maintain social distancing. "The entire ...
Tourists stranded across Asia due to canceled flights and shut borders
From the sun-soaked beaches of Thailand to the foothills of Mount Everest, tourists across Asia are finding their dream vacations have turned into travel nightmares as airlines cancel flights and countries close their borders in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. Thousands of tourists escaping ...
Four die on Holland America cruise ship as COVID-19 detected on board
Carnival Corp.'s Holland America Line said four passengers died on its Zaandam ship, which has had an outbreak of flulike symptoms on board, including at least two confirmed cases of COVID-19. Holland America said Friday that the passengers were "older," but it didn't say how ...
China reports no local virus transmissions as foreigners barred
China on Saturday reported no locally transmitted coronavirus infections for the previous day and a small reduction in new cases involving travellers from overseas, as new restrictions on the entry of foreigners kicked in. Effective Saturday, China has temporarily suspended the entry of foreign nationals ...
Senagajima Umikaji Terrace, a Mediterranean-esque shopping mall located near the west coast of Senaga Island in Okinawa Prefecture, usually sees crowds of tourists and lines of buses and rentals cars. Starting in around mid-February this year, however, the number of tour group from overseas ...
Japan tourism industry sees stormy year ahead as Tokyo Olympics delayed
Now that the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics have been postponed until next year, concerns are growing about whether small and midsize businesses in the tourism and service industries will be able to weather the COVID-19 storm, economists and analysts say. With tourism traffic drying up ...
