Travel Briefs
Jewish Italian history museum
In Ferrara, northern Italy, more than 200 Jewish artifacts and documents from the Roman, Renaissance and modern periods are displayed at Museo Nazionale dell’Ebraismo Italiano e della Shoah (Via Piangipane 81; phone +39 0532 769137, www.meisweb.it/en).
Maldives reverses course on COVID fee
The Maldives, an archipelago country in the Indian Ocean, announced on May 28 that it would be opening its borders to leisure travelers on July 1, with a host of requirements for all incoming visitors, including purchasing a $100 visa on arrival and having proof of at least 14 days of lodging within
EasyJet info stolen
On May 19, the European airline EasyJet announced that more than 9 million online customer accounts had been compromised in a hacking attack dating back to January. Information stolen included email addresses and travel histories. At least 2,208 customers also had all of their credit card information stolen.
Seychelles bans cruises
Due to concerns about COVID-19, on May 14 Seychelles banned cruise ships from docking at the port in the capital city, Victoria, the only cruise port in the country, until at least 2022. At press time, Seychelles had recorded only 11 cases of COVID-19, with no deaths.
Countries reopening
At press time, ITN could confirm that the countries listed below had reopened their borders to foreign travelers or had scheduled reopenings. This list may not be complete. Travel restrictions have been included here in each case, if known.
Airbnb institutes ‘enhanced cleaning’
The short-term-rental service Airbnb (www.airbnb.com) has created a cleaning protocol for hosts, based on recommendations from the CDC, to help ensure the health and safety of their guests.
New TSA security line rules
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has made changes in airport security line procedures. Visual cues placed on the floor will help passengers follow social-distancing rules. Facial covering is recommended but not required. (However, some airlines require it on board.)
Sicily and Japan to subsidize trips
• The Italian island of Sicily revealed that, once travel restrictions in Italy are lifted, the Sicilian government will encourage travel to the island by paying for 50% of the cost of plane tickets and for one of every three hotel nights for foreign visitors in 2020.
Niue Dark Sky status
The entire South Pacific island of Niue was named an International Dark Sky Sanctuary, an area protected because of its exceptional views of the night sky, by the International Dark-Sky Association (Tucson, AZ; 520/293-3198, www.darksky.org) on March 7.
ETIAS grace period
North Americans planning to travel to Europe in 2021 must apply for authorization through the European Travel Information & Authorization System (ETIAS) [May ’19, pg. 50].
American Airlines’ elite flyers
American Airlines is extending the validity period of all elite-status frequent-flyer-mile memberships — those of gold or platinum levels — to Jan. 31, 2022.
CDC restricts US cruising
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) issued a “no sail” order to all cruise ships carrying at least 250 passengers, prohibiting them from sailing to or from US ports.
Russian icebreakers end passenger service
Two Russian icebreakers, the Akademik Ioffe and Akademic Sergey Vavilov, will no longer be available for passenger cruises. The two ships were being operated by One Ocean Expeditions for polar cruises with the permission of the government of Russia.
Argentina restricts flights
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Argentina announced on April 28 that it was banning arrivals and departures of all commercial flights, both international and domestic, until Sept. 1 — the longest such ban in the world at press time.
explore's live cams
The multimedia company explore maintains multiple stationary live-feed videos of African wildlife. Among sites where live cams are set up are Tembe Elephant Park and Balule Game Reserve in South Africa and a gorilla forest corridor in Kasugho, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Virtual Vatican museums
Many of the Vatican Museums can be toured virtually, including Raphael’s Rooms, the Profane Museum, the Lapidary Gallery and the Sistine Chapel. Visit www.museivaticani.va/content/museivaticani/en/collezioni/musei/tour-virtuali-elenco.html and select a virtual tour.
Airlines to require face masks
The US airline jetBlue announced that, starting on May 4, face masks will be required for all passengers. Frontier Airlines will require face masks starting on May 8, both on flights and at ticket counters and gates. At the time of the announcements, no end dates were given.
Beach-to-beach Sydney trail
The Bondi to Manly Track, connecting two of Sydney, Australia’s, most famous beaches, opened Dec. 8, 2019. The nearly 50-mile trail follows the coastline from northern Sydney through the central city to southern Sydney, also crossing the Harbour Bridge.
Museum of Decorative Arts, Prague
Located in the House at the Black Madonna (Ovocný trh 19, Prague, Czechia), so-called because of the Baroque, gilded statue of the Madonna embedded in the corner of the building (constructed 1911-1912), the Cubism section of the Museum of Decorative Arts (phone +420 778 543 902
Marriott info breach
Marriott International announced on March 31 that the company had detected a breach in its customer information databases, affecting all hotel chains owned by the company. The breach exposed the names, contact details and loyalty account information of up to 5.2 million people.