Tourists

Tourists stuck in China resort city after Covid lockdown

Officials in Beihai locked down urban areas and ordered the mass testing of its 1.9m residents over the weekend.

It comes as concerns grow about the impact of China's "zero-Covid" policy on the world's second largest economy.

Last week, official figures showed the country's economy shrank in the second quarter of this year as Covid-19 restrictions hit firms and consumers.

Beihai, which is a popular summer destination in China's southern Guangxi region, recorded more than 450 infections in the five days to 16 July.

Australian PM signals reopening borders to tourists 'not far away'

Australia, which shut its borders in March of 2020, has been going through a staggered reopening in recent months, allowing in only its citizens and residents, skilled migrants, international students and certain seasonal workers.

In January, Morrison said he hoped international borders could fully reopen before Easter.

His popularity has been sliding in recent months, however, in part reflecting questions about his handling of the Omicron outbreak, and he faces pressure from a federal election that must be called by May.

Niue says its borders will stay shut to tourists

The Cook Islands has announced it will re-open its borders from the second week of January, but Niue Tourism Board chairperson Vanessa Marsh said they would not following suit.

She said Niue doesn't have a set date for re-opening its borders, but the country was looking toward late in the first half of 2022.

Marsh said Niue was taking a cautious approach.

Dracula's castle in Romania offers tourists COVID vaccine

Medics with fang stickers on their scrubs are offering Pfizer shots to everyone who visits the 14th-century Bran Castle in central Romania.

It is part of a government drive to encourage more Romanians to get jabbed.

Some believe the castle inspired the vampire's lair in Bram Stoker's iconic novel Dracula.

Romania has recorded just over a million infections since the pandemic began, and nearly 29,000 deaths.

Spain welcomes tourists back as emergency ends

For three months Spain has been under one of Europe's toughest lockdowns to stop the spread of coronavirus.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez warned that hygiene controls must be observed strictly, despite the easing.

Spain's Covid-19 death toll stands at 28,322 - the third-highest in the EU.

The state of emergency was decreed on 14 March, and for several weeks people could not go out to exercise and children were not allowed to leave their homes for any reason.

Tahiti tourist exodus continues amid flight cancellations

The French High Commission in French Polynesia said since last Friday a total of 2600 tourists had been able to fly out of Tahiti.

This Friday, a last flight bound for France is scheduled to take off before regular services are suspended until at least late April.

The High Commission said since the start of the crisis an air bridge set up with the domestic carrier Air Tahiti had allowed 2,500 holiday makers to fly from the outer islands back to Tahiti.

Deaths of American couple mystify Fiji authorities

The couple presented with an illness while holidaying in the Western Division.

They were provided with medical treatment but their illnesses progressively worsened and despite best efforts, they died within a few days of each other.

At this stage the Ministry is conducting investigations into the possible causes and has also put in place necessary public health measures.

A US media report said the couple's family believe they might have contracted a virus.

The couple, who have a young son, were understood to be in the middle of round the world trip.