A Guide if You are Flying Overseas

Face shields required in airports at Peru, 21-day quarantines in some countries…with international air travel surging in the summer our Globe Aware volunteers will run into quite a range of travel restrictions and entry requirements.


Flying Overseas? There’s A LOT You Need To Know. Here’s A Guide

June 11, 2021
FRAN KRITZ and DAVID SCHAPER
NPR

Each week, we answer frequently asked questions about life during the coronavirus crisis. If you have a question you’d like us to consider for a future post, email us at goatsandsoda@npr.org with the subject line: “Weekly Coronavirus Questions.” See an archive of our FAQs here.

I live in the U.S. and am considering a trip to another country. What do I need to know about international air travel at this stage of pandemic?

First of all, you have plenty of company. International air travel is expected to surge this summer. Americans are thinking of European vacations again. “We’ve had people asking a lot about Europe,” says Chicago-area travel adviser Kendra Thornton of Royal Travel & Tours. “Not necessarily booking but wanting to keep tabs on it.”

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COVID-19-safe Valentine’s Day Virtual date ideas

COVID-19 hasn’t made dating easy but virtual opportunities have arisen to help couples spend time together. Why not treat you and a loved one to a Globe Aware virtual experience, you can enjoy a romantic date by making cocktails live from South Africa, or even cooking Pad Thai together, live from Thailand!


Virtual date ideas for a COVID-19-safe Valentine’s Day

Virtual Date Night

BY SWETHAA SURESH
FEB 8, 2021

COVID-19 hasn’t made dating any easier. As people adjusted to a new lifestyle, relationships and in-person dates around the world have been put on pause. Though Valentine’s day will be different this year, many virtual opportunities have arisen to help couples spend time together. A perk of virtual dating is that it is designed to fit a college student’s budget and schedule, since they rarely involve additional costs or travel time.

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Ready for a Scare? Haunted Haunts from Around the World

Globe Aware volunteers can visit some of these haunted sites on their volunteer vacation! Locations include South Africa, Rajasthan, Romania, Puerto Rico and Mexico!


43 Most Haunted Places in the World That Are Beautifully Scary

Even the faint of heart will find something to love.

BY CAITLIN MORTON
October 18, 2019

Nothing beats a good ghost story on Halloween, and our planet is chock full of ’em: UFO sightings in Transylvania, murders on luxury cruise ships, and spirits wandering the halls of British castles. No matter where you’re traveling, you’re sure to find some sort of haunted site, as well as a ghost tour to go along with it. But even if you’re not a fan of paranormal activities, some of the spookiest locations are still worth your time, whether for their beautiful architecture, jaw-dropping locations, or fascinating histories. Here, the 43 most haunted places in the world you’ll want to visit any day of the year—not just on October 31.

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U.S. Travelers can Visit Costa Rica Again

Starting on November 1, all U.S. travelers will be welcome to Costa Rica. Globe Aware volunteers from all 50 states will be able to participate in any of three programs in Costa Rica, with proper safety guidelines and precautions taken.


Costa Rica Opens to All U.S. Travelers

Starting November 1, any American who presents a negative COVID-19 test can travel to Costa Rica.

By Michelle Baran
Oct 7, 2020

On September 1, Costa Rica began allowing international travelers from the United States to fly into the country as long as they were residents of one of the following eight states: Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, New York, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Vermont, or Virginia, plus the District of Columbia. Starting September 15, travelers from Arizona, Colorado, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Mexico, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Washington, and Wyoming were able to join them. As of October 1, Californians could head to Costa Rica, too. And on October 15, residents of Florida, Georgia, and Texas get the green light.

But starting on November 1, all U.S. travelers will be welcome.

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Thailand is preparing to welcome back tourists

Thailand will start issuing special visas to foreign tourists starting October, easing a more than five-month-old ban on visitors. Globe Aware provides two volunteer vacations in Thailand is excited move forward with this new travel update.


Thailand Moves a Step Closer to Welcoming Back Foreign Tourists

Bloomberg
Natnicha Chuwiruch and Suttinee Yuvejwattana
Bloomberg

September 15, 2020

(Bloomberg) — Thailand will start issuing special visas to foreign tourists starting October, easing a more than five-month-old ban on visitors to revive the nation’s ailing tourism-reliant economy.

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha’s cabinet approved a proposal to issue visas to tourists planning to stay between 90 and 280 days in Thailand, according to government spokeswoman Traisuree Taisaranakul. The tourists will undergo a mandatory 14-day state quarantine on arrival at partner hotels or hospitals and follow health and safety regulations, she said.

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Dallas-Fort Worth Airport is Currently Busiest on the Planet

For the first time, Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport is now operating more flights than any other on the planet. Many Globe Aware volunteers fly from or through this airport when heading to their volunteer vacation abroad.


How Dallas-Fort Worth Became the Busiest Airport in the World

The Texas airport is operating more flights than any other hub on the planet.

BY JESSICA PUCKETT

July 30, 2020
Source: Condé Nast Traveler

While the air travel industry is facing numerous declines during the pandemic, one unexpected upturn has surfaced: a new busiest airport in the world. For the first time in recent memory, Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport is now operating more flights than any other on the planet.

In fact, for three months in a row the Texas hub has had the most takeoffs and landings around the globe. Starting in May, the airport climbed to the top ranking, with 22,831 airline takeoffs and landings, according to data from the Federal Aviation Administration. That was enough to edge out some typically busier hubs in the U.S.—including Atlanta, Denver, Charlotte, and Chicago O’Hare—for the number one spot. DFW topped those same airports in June with 25,294 takeoffs and landings, according to the FAA’s data.

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Tourist destinations are re-opening to tourists – find out which ones

Popular travel destinations are beginning to ease their Covid-19 lock down measures and are moving toward welcoming tourists back. If you’re one of many Globe Aware volunteers eagerly awaiting news on where you can travel to this year, here’s another updated guide to the top destinations making plans to reopen.


Which international destinations are reopening to tourists?

Tamara Hardingham-Gill, CNN • Updated 3rd July 2020

(CNN) — Although many governments are still advising against “nonessential” international travel, a host of popular destinations are beginning to ease their Covid-19 lockdown measures and border restrictions and are moving toward welcoming tourists back.

On July 1, the European Union announced it would be reopening its external border to 15 countries outside of the bloc in a bid to boost its travel industry.

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Countries re-opening to tourism as lockdown restrictions are eased

As lock down restrictions are eased in many countries, borders are being opened up again too. Many countries rely heavily on travelers during the summer therefore it is vital for the economy to get tourists vacationing back in their country again.


Where can I travel this summer? Countries open for tourism

June 15, 2020

The coronavirus has forced several countries to close borders and airline companies to ground flights but what countries can I travel to this summer?

The coronavirus continues to spread in some areas of the world and is fluctuating in others from week to week. As lockdown restrictions are eased in many cities and countries, borders are being opened up again too. Many countries rely heavily on tourism during the summer with Spain, for example, relying on the tourism industry for €159 billion a year and 2.65 million jobs. Therefore, it is seen as pertinent to the health of the economy to get tourists back into the country.

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Thailand Reopening to tourists after COVID-19 closure

Once Thailand opens to international tourists, they’ll likely only be able to visit certain vacation spots. This will be beneficial for both tourists and local residents, Globe Aware will continue to track when volunteer vacations can resume in their Thailand locations as well.


THAILAND REOPENING TO TOURISTS: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW

MAY 29, 2020

TREVOR KUCHERAN
TRAVEL NEWS

The Thailand Tourism Authority has said that tourists will have to wait a few more months before visiting.

The Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand said that tourism could return in the fourth quarter of this year.

Here is everything you need to know about Thailand reopening to tourists and what to expect when one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world opens their border.

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The future of tourism may be found in Asia

For most countries, staying isolated is not an option they can afford long-term, and experts predict it’s just a matter of time before other countries create travel bubbles of their own. What is the future of tourism? Countries are searching for pair-up partners, that appear to have their outbreaks under control, Globe Aware will be staying updated with this information as well.


The future of tourism in the coronavirus era: Asia may hold answers to what’s ahead

Julia Hollingsworth and Kocha Olarn
CNN
May 13, 2020

Bangkok, Thailand (CNN) — It’s a sunny day on Bangkok’s most famous tourist street, and shopkeeper Cletana Thangworachai is open for business.

Her Khao San Road shop is crowded with shiny magnets, brightly colored elephant key rings and the patterned cotton pants that have become an unofficial uniform for backpackers in Southeast Asia.

But for now, there’s no one to buy them.

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