Italy is extending its holiday pandemic restrictions through at least Jan. 15, government officials there have announced.
The rules prohibit travel between regions of the country unless it s for healthcare or work. Bars and restaurants nationwide are restricted to takeout and delivery. In the hardest hit areas of Italy, people are told to visit no more than one other private home each day in groups no larger than two.
Italian officials are making allowances for small town residents to travel on certain days. On Jan. 9 and 10, for example, residents of towns with fewer than 5,000 people will be permitted to travel about 18 miles past regional borders.
A popular rock climbing and whitewater rafting destination in southeastern West Virginia has officially become a U.S. national park, thanks to the latest COVID-19 stimulus package.
New River Gorge National Park and Preserve is known for its 53 miles of free flowing whitewater that cuts through sandstone cliffs towering as high as 1,000 feet in the air. It boasts class III through V rapids and plenty of boulders to keep even the most experienced rafters engaged. The upper part of the river is calmer and more welcoming to new rafters. The area also boasts more than 1,500 climbing routes, as well as a 12.8-mile system of mountain bike trails built by the Boy Scouts.
Hundreds of British tourists on holiday ski trips skipped out on Switzerland’s retroactive quarantine ahead of Christmas, with some having made escapes from their luxury accommodations in the middle of the night. Some British tourists left immediately, while others decided to stay a little longer,” Jean-Marc Sandoz, a spokesman for the town of Bagnes, told CNN. “Some of them fled clandestinely during the night.
Switzerland is one of dozens of countries that have restricted travel from the UK in recent weeks after the discovery of a new, potentially stronger variant of the coronavirus. That variant has since been found in Australia, Japan, Canada, South Korea, and across Europe.
Image zoom Credit: Matteo Colombo/Getty
One of Mexico’s most popular tourist regions plans to begin charging foreign visitors a new $10 tax starting in April 2021.
The tax is meant to help offset a decline in overall tourism spending in the state, the
Riviera Maya Times reported. Quintana Roo is located on Mexico s eastern Yucatan Peninsula and is home to popular destinations including Cancun, Cozumel, Isla Mujeres, and the ancient Maya ruins in Tulum.
Tourism accounts for a significant chunk of the state’s revenue. Some tourism operators say they fear the new tax could push tourists to consider other vacation destinations, but Mexican government tourism officials don t expect the $10 fee to deter travelers.
Image zoom
Even a pandemic hasn’t been able to kill demand for elaborate world cruise itineraries.
Viking, which already is scheduled to embark on one around-the-world cruise late next year, is adding another with a departure date of December 2022.
The 138-day itinerary starts in Florida before sailing through the Panama Canal and along the North American West Coast. The cruise is scheduled to visit 58 ports in 28 countries, stopping overnight in Sydney, Auckland, Bali, Mumbai, and Ho Chi Minh City.
Travelers crunched for time can opt for a shorter 121-day journey, joining the boat in Los Angeles just in time to cruise to Hawaii, Australia, and New Zealand before heading to Asia and eventually Europe. The cruise ends in London.