navigating the autumn and preserving snowscapes

Outdoor recreation is continuing to grow in rural communities in southwest Colorado. This growth can cause conflicts between recreational users and wildlife. Winter Wildlands Alliance, a nonprofit focused on protecting

Machu Picchu’s wonder

I’m not big on ratings. I feel no need to choose which is best among New York, Paris, London and Rome. What’s the point? At a certain level of fabulousness such comparisons are demeaning. Anyway, those kinds of preferences are personal, and specific to time a..

In Europe, the River Cruises To Launch Two New Ships 2025.

Riviera River Cruises to launch two new cruise ships – Rhine River [Image by Albrecht Fietz from Pixabay]Riviera River Cruises has announced its two, new cruise ships, Riviera Radiance and Riviera Rose. The two ships will take guests on a luxury cruise on the..

10 Must-See Barcelona Circles

Barcelona is famous around the world for its incredible squares. There are beautiful plazas all over the city. In fact, we met in one over 10 years ago and married shortly afterwards. The city … Read More The post 10 Barcelona Squares You Should Visit appeare..

Geographical divides India and South Africa, but commerce unites them.

The South African Tourism Board is gearing up to welcome a significant influx of Indian tourists this year, aiming to surpass pre-COVID levels. With a focus on tapping into the potential of tier II cities in India, the board anticipates crossing the 100,000 mark for Indian visitors. Neliswa Nkani, Head of South African Tourism Hub for the Middle East, India, and Southeast Asia, highlighted the importance of tier II cities in driving growth, emphasizing the need to generate demand and offer compelling experiences in these regions. To bolster its efforts, South African Tourism has allocated a substantial budget for various promotional activities, including outdoor advertising, digital media campaigns, trade engagements, roadshows, and corporate partnerships. The conclusion of the 20th Annual India Roadshow in Mumbai marked a strategic milestone in the board’s engagement with the Indian market, following events in Jaipur, Delhi, Ahmedabad, and Bengaluru. Despite India being the sixth-largest source market for South Africa in terms of tourist arrivals, challenges such as lack of direct flights and visa requirements remain. Nevertheless, Nkani expressed optimism about India’s potential, citing Indian tourists’ strong spending patterns and diverse preferences for experiences. In targeting different segments, South Africa aims to attract corporate travelers for meetings and events, High Networth Individuals (HNIs) from tier II cities, millennials, women travelers, and sports enthusiasts. India-South Africa Flag Additionally, efforts are underway to encourage longer stays and promote lesser-explored regions of South Africa to Indian tourists. As South Africa positions itself as an enticing destination for Indian travelers, the tourism board is optimistic about leveraging the growing interest and expanding its presence in key markets across India.SOURCE: India-South Africa: Divided by Geography, United By Tourism BY: eTurboNews | eTN

Vietnam intends to expand its immigration provision to 13 additional nations.

Vietnam‘s Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has issued directives to the Ministry of Public Security to explore the expansion of visa exemptions for specific countries, aligning with bilateral cooperation efforts. This announcement, made following the Lunar New Year break, coincides with Vietnam’s ambition to achieve 18 million foreign arrivals this year, a target mirroring pre-pandemic figures. In addition to this, the Prime Minister has tasked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with scrutinizing unilateral visa exemption policies for citizens from 13 countries. Both the ministries of foreign affairs and public security have been urged to broaden the roster of countries whose citizens are unilaterally exempt from visas. Presently, this list includes Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Belarus. Vietnam currently extends visa waivers to travelers from 25 countries, trailing behind its regional counterparts such as Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Japan, South Korea, and Thailand, which offer significantly more visa exemptions. As many Asian nations adopt visa-free policies to enhance their appeal to foreign tourists, Vietnam’s immigration policy currently grants three-month tourist visas to citizens of all countries and territories. Moreover, the government has tripled the length of stays to 45 days for citizens from the aforementioned 13 countries enjoying unilateral visa exemptions.SOURCE: Vietnam Plans to Extend Visa Exemption to 13 More Countries BY: eTurboNews | eTN