Source: UNWTO After a weak first half of 2021, international tourism rebounded during the Northern Hemisphere summer season, boosting results in the third quarter of the year, especially in Europe. According to the newest edition of the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer, international tourist arrivals (overnight visitors) increased by 58% in July-September compared to the same period of 2020. However, they remained 64% below 2019 levels. Europe recorded the best relative performance in the third quarter, with international arrivals 53% down on the same three-month period of 2019. In August and September arrivals were at -63% compared to 2019, the best monthly results since the start of the pandemic. Between January and September, worldwide international tourist arrivals stood at -20% compared [...]

Source: UNWTO One out of five destinations continue to have their borders completely closed as new surges of COVID-19 impact the restart of international tourism. The latest research shows that still 98% of all destinations have some kind of travel restrictions in place. According to the UNWTO Travel Restrictions Report, 46 destinations (21% of all destinations worldwide) currently have their borders completely closed to tourists. Of these, 26 destinations have had their borders completely closed since at least the end of April 2020. A further 55 (25% of all global destinations) continue to have their borders partially closed to international tourism, and 112 destinations (52% of all destinations) require international tourists to present a PCR or antigen test upon arrival. [...]

Source: ACI-LAC The  Airports Council International Latin America and the Caribbean (ACI-LAC) held their Annual General Assembly on Wednesday, where they discussed several key issues for the association. A new board of directors was elected, composed of Ezequiel Barrenechea, President of Terminal Aeroportuaria de Guayaquil, S.A. (TAGSA) and Ezequiel Barrenechea, President of Ezequiel Barrenechea Airport. (TAGSA) and the Galapagos Ecological Airport, as new president; Mónika Infante (CEO AERODOM) as first vice president; Ramesh Ghir (CEO Cheddi Jagan Airport) as second vice president; Juan José Salmón (CEO Lima Airport Partners) as third vice president and Evans Avedaño (CEO Aeropuertos del Perú) as Treasurer, whose mandate will be effective January 1, 2022, for a period of two years. In addition to the [...]

Source: ICAO Pointing to the exemplary success of ICAO’s High Level Conference on COVID-19 (HLCC), ICAO Council President Salvatore Sciacchitano encouraged European aviation leaders to continue pursuing innovation and cooperation as a means to address the interlinked challenges of climate change and pandemic recovery. He presented his appeal in Brussels, at the ECAC-Eurocontrol Event on Artificial Intelligence on 24 November, and the following day at the 56th Session of the Eurocontrol Provisional Council. “We have seen excellent levels of cooperation from all stakeholders, which is greatly encouraging,” Mr. Sciacchitano remarked. “The post-pandemic scenario requires all of us to think differently from the past. It also reinforces our longstanding appreciation in global aviation that solidarity and regional cooperation are essential to [...]

Source: ACI Airports Council International (ACI) World has renewed its commitment to the sustainability of the aviation ecosystem and called on international and national regulators to support the airport industry in achieving its collective social, environmental, and economic sustainable development goals. A key resolution, approved at the 31st ACI World Annual General Assembly (WAGA) and which supported the ACI World annual conference’s theme of sustainability, outlined the next steps on the sustainable development of the aviation ecosystem. It recognized the need to promote restorative development by reducing and proactively addressing risks and increasing airports’ social and economic benefits by properly balancing them with the environmental aspects of the business. Noting the impact of COVID-19 on the entire aviation sector and [...]

Source: ICAO ICAO guidance and assistance can play a key role in assisting airports with the transformation of their operations to accommodate today's safety, security and sustainability priorities and tomorrow's technologies. Addressing Ministers of government and industry leaders at Airport Council International (ACI)'s Latin America and Caribbean (LAC)/World Annual General Assembly, ICAO Secretary General Juan Carlos Salazar underscored that this internationally aligned and coordinated transformation for airports will be  crucial to accelerating and optimizing global aviation's broader recovery from the impacts of the pandemic, and essential to delivering greater resiliency.   The Secretary General delivered a keynote address in the presence of Ministers, airport operators and aviation authorities on the topic of "Reconnecting aviation for a sustainable future", highlighting various [...]