Category: Europe

Startups in Europe’s travel sector have levelled allegations of anti-competitive behaviour against Google. The search engine giant has a near complete grip on the search market in Europe, with a regional market share in excess of 90%, according to Statcounter. Industry sources say a majority of travel bookings start as a Google search — giving the tech giant huge leverage over the coronavirus hit sector, TechCrunch has reported. More than half a dozen travel startups in Germany are united in a shared complaint that Google is abusing its search dominance in a number of ways they argue are negatively impacting their businesses. Complaints ... Read more

The pandemic has dealt a huge blow to tourism-dependent countries like Spain and cities such as Barcelona, one of Europe’s most popular. But now they are seeking to lure visitors back and are also debating the need to change their economic models to tackle a longstanding overcrowding problem, says Reuters. “There’s a total change of strategy,” said Marian Muro, director of Turisme de Barcelona, a public-private consortium, explaining the shift away from general promotion of the city. “Quality is more important than quantity” and a greater respect from visitors to Barcelona’s residents are among the factors behind the city’s more ... Read more

Air India has closed down five of its stations in Europe in view of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, namely Vienna, Milan, Madrid, Copenhagen and Stockholm. “In view of #COVID19, Air India (AI) has decided to close down its stations in Vienna, Milan, Madrid, Copenhagen, & Stockholm. AI would immediately initiate action for closure in consultation with local lawyers & advise the timelines by which the stations will be closed,” read a tweet from news agency ANI. According to reports, Air India is likely to cease all future flights to these countries as it was not financially viable for the airline ... Read more

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has urged global leaders around the world to save the struggling travel and tourism sector. A joint letter from industry leaders has been sent to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and nine other heads of state of the G7 group of countries – Germany, Canada, France, Italy, Japan and the US – as well as Australia, South Korea and Spain, the world’s major source markets. If the global leaders fail to come together, WTTC warns there will be “irreversible damage” to the travel and tourism sector, along with rising job losses. Travel and tourism accounts ... Read more

In its latest series of government decrees issued under Italy’s coronavirus state of emergency, a stimulus package worth 25 billion euros has been included, even as face masks, social distancing and travel restrictions remain in place. Cruise ships will return from August 15, according to a report by The Local.it. The stimulus package looks to extend Italy’s employee furlough scheme and allows taxpayers to defer payments, among other measures. Italy is seeking funds from the European Union to help cover the cost. Face masks compulsory until at least September As expected, the new decree keeps Italy’s rules on face masks ... Read more

Britain’s Heathrow Airport renewed its call for COVID-19 testing at airports on Tuesday as it reported an 88% plunge in July passenger numbers due to ongoing restrictions on travel which it said were strangling the UK economy. Heathrow, which is owned by a group of investors including Spain’s Ferrovial, the Qatar Investment Authority and China Investment Corp, said 60% of Heathrow’s route network remained grounded, requiring passengers to quarantine for 14 days on arrival, says a Reuters report. Despite thousands of Britons holidaying overseas after months of lockdown, the government has already reimposed quarantine on arrivals from Spain, Luxembourg, Belgium, ... Read more

Millions of Americans consider Ireland a home away from home. But as the number of coronavirus cases in the United States surges, many Irish businesses say they have been forced to turn away some of their most lucrative customers – vacationing Americans – according to a report by NBC News. Most visitors to Ireland, including those from the US, have to fill out a COVID-19 Passenger Locator Form that includes their contact details while in the country and where they will be staying. They also are required to self-quarantine for 14 days, staying indoors and avoiding contact with other people as much as ... Read more

British Airways has announced that it will be operating five flights every week from Delhi and Mumbai, and four each week from Hyderabad and Bengaluru to London’s Heathrow airport from August 17. India and the United Kingdom had finalised their air bubble last month to rescue stranded nationals amid the COVID-19 pandemic. In its latest statement, the British Airways said that all passengers eligible as per the home ministry guidelines will be allowed to board the flights. “Wearing a facemask at all times and bringing enough to replace them every four hours for longer flights, ensuring they have everything they ... Read more

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has said that the state would be supporting tourism sector employees who have been affected by the pandemic by protecting as many jobs as possible. Speaking at a meeting with Rhodes tourism professionals, Mitsotakis committed to provide for tourism sector employees, particularly seasonal staff in the “hard winter ahead”, to preserve as many jobs as possible, and to protect income “until the next tourist season, which I want to believe, I am almost certain, will be very different”, he said. The prime minister added that seasonal enterprises, those that generate over 50% of their turnover in the summer will be ... Read more

Portugal’s national tourism body Turismo de Portugal has launched a new travel insurance product for foreign tourists travelling to the country in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The insurance product has been introduced with the aim of showcasing that the country is safe for travellers and covers a range of different expenses including medical, surgical, pharmaceutical, and hospital charges associated with coronavirus. It also covers additional expenses that may occur from cancellation, interruption, or the extension of trips. According to reports, the insurance is valid for mainland Portugal and the autonomous regions of Madeira and Azores. It is also ... Read more

Munich-based start-up pleycs has announced the launch of its location-based social network platform www.pleycs.com. The free website enables users to network worldwide, with regard to places of interest or places already visited. Travelling to new places, working, or even living abroad involve many uncertainties. It is always great to have a contact on the ground that can help with suggestions and insider’s tips. pleycs makes these connections happen, the company said in a press release. Access to photos and information about places of interest make it fun to explore new destinations. The experiences of the user can also be collected and ... Read more

Nearly three million jobs in the UK – and 197 million worldwide in the travel & tourism sector globally – look set to be lost due to the collapse of travel, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC). WTTC economic modelling conducted less than two months ago predicted this ‘worst case scenario’ would occur if barriers to global travel, such as quarantine measures and blanket travel restrictions were to remain in place. While some travel bans have been removed, many others remain, with new restrictions likely to come into force to tackle the continuing threat posed by COVID-19 ... Read more

SpiceJet has secured slots at Heathrow Airport in London to operate flights effective September 1. This is presently under the air bubble arrangement between India and UK and effective up to the end of summer schedule i.e. October 23. A slot allows an airline to land and depart at a particular airport, at a designated time. SpiceJet is the first low-cost airline from India to get this facility in Heathrow, one of the busiest airports in the world. This follows the low-cost airline getting the rights to operate flights to the UK. In a statement in July, SpiceJet had said, ... Read more

Ryanair has initiated legal proceedings against Ireland, questioning the legality of travel restrictions that have kept a quarantine policy in place for all but 15 countries. The Irish carrier, Europe’s largest budget airline, said it is challenging what it described as the Irish government’s “ineffective” green list of countries, for which a 14-day quarantine requirement does not apply, Reuters reports. Ireland has taken a more cautious approach to reopening its economy and skies than many European countries. The green list, announced on July 22, contained some popular destinations Ryanair flies to, such as Italy and Greece, but not others including ... Read more

Europe’s airline and airport associations have written to Prime Ministers, Transport, Health and Home Affairs Ministers across the European Union, Schengen and the UK, stating their concerns over their failure to implement coherent and scientific approaches to travel restrictions. The letter, sent jointly from Airports Council International Europe (ACI Europe), Airlines for Europe (A4E) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA), is highly critical of the introduction of new restrictions relating to selected countries. Many of these restrictions, state the organisations, are inconsistent with the principles laid out by the World Health Organization(WHO) and theEuropean Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). The aviation sector has been dealt a ... Read more