
-
Brazil binman finds newborn baby on garbage route
-
US senator smashes record with marathon anti-Trump speech
-
Trump advisor Waltz faces new pressure over Gmail usage
-
Niger junta frees ministers of overthrown government
-
Trump set to unleash 'Liberation Day' tariffs
-
Boeing chief to acknowledge 'serious missteps' at US Senate hearing
-
Real Madrid hold Real Sociedad in eight-goal thriller to reach Copa del Rey final
-
Nuno salutes 'special' Elanga after stunning strike fires Forest
-
PSG survive scare against Dunkerque to reach French Cup final
-
Sundowns edge Esperance as crowd violence mars quarter-final
-
Nottingham Forest beat Man Utd, Saka scores on Arsenal return
-
Elanga wonder-goal sinks Man Utd as Forest eye Champions League berth
-
Stock markets mostly advance ahead of Trump tariffs deadline
-
US movie theaters urge 45-day 'baseline' before films hit streaming
-
Saka scores on return as Arsenal beat Fulham
-
Third-division Bielefeld shock holders Leverkusen in German Cup
-
Ball-blasting 'Torpedo bats' making waves across MLB opening weekend
-
Newsmax shares surge more than 2,000% in days after IPO
-
Thousands of Hungarians protest against Pride ban law
-
GM leads first quarter US auto sales as tariffs loom
-
Tesla sales tumble in Europe in the first quarter
-
No 'eye for an eye' approach to US tariffs: Mexico
-
NFL club owners back dynamic kickoffs, delay tush push vote
-
Trump 'perfecting' new tariffs as nervous world braces
-
Trump nominee says to press UK on Israel arms
-
French court says Le Pen appeal ruling could come before presidential vote
-
The battle to control assets behind Bosnia crisis
-
Prabhsimran powers Punjab to IPL win over Lucknow
-
Mass layoffs targeting 10,000 jobs hit US health agencies
-
Tiger's April Foolishness: plan to play Masters just a joke
-
Myanmar quake toll passes 2,700, nation halts to honour victims
-
Turkish fans, artists urge Muse to cancel Istanbul gig
-
US seeks death penalty for accused killer of insurance CEO
-
UK govt moves to block sentencing guidelines for minority defendants
-
Trump puts world on edge as 'Liberation Day' tariffs loom
-
Swedish journalist jailed in Turkey kept 'isolated': employer
-
Stock markets advance ahead of Trump tariffs deadline
-
Gulf between Everton and Liverpool has never been bigger, says Moyes
-
Finland to withdraw from anti-personnel mine ban treaty
-
UK vows £20 million to boost drone and 'flying taxi' services
-
Ford's US auto sales dip in first quarter as tariffs loom
-
Digging for box office gold, 'A Minecraft Movie' hits cinemas
-
Southampton boss Juric desperate to avoid Premier League 'worst team' tag
-
Thailand rescue dogs double as emotional support
-
Five takeaways from Marine Le Pen verdict
-
Stock markets split ahead of Trump tariffs deadline
-
Turkish fans, artists urge Muse to cancel Istanbul gig over protest dispute
-
Former captain Edwards named new England women's cricket coach
-
Haaland ruled out for up to seven weeks: Man City boss Guardiola
-
UK Supreme Court opens car loans hearing as banks risk huge bill

'Finally!': Madrid tourism fair abuzz with return of Chinese visitors
China's prolific and big-spending tourists have been stuck at home, unable to travel for almost three years, and their looming return has industry professionals abuzz at a major Madrid tourism congress this week.
China was the world's largest outbound tourist market before the pandemic, with 154 million international travellers in 2019, according to the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).
Travellers from China were also the biggest spenders, accounting for $255 billion in tourism dollars, the Madrid-based organisation said in a report this week.
But travel in and out of China dropped dramatically under China's zero-Covid curbs, which all but shut borders for three years before reopening them on January 8.
The WTO hailed the removal of Beijing's virus travel restrictions as "a significant and much-welcomed step to the recovery of the tourism sector".
"Three years is a long time, we're glad they're coming back," said Angela Harizaj, head of sales for "My Tour in Italy," at the five-day FITUR tourism congress in Madrid.
"Before the pandemic, we used to work a lot with the Chinese market," Harizaj added.
The fair, which began Wednesday and wraps up Sunday, is expected to draw 120,000 participants and 8,500 firms.
- 'Recovery is underway' -
Carlos Garrido de la Cierva, the head of the Spanish Confederation of Travel Agencies, predicted that Chinese tourists' "strong desire to travel" after three years of restrictions would likely give the sector a boost.
"In many countries, the recovery was immediate when the restrictions were lifted. We hope that we will have the same thing here," he added.
Vanessa Losbar, the sales manager of global French chain B&B Hotels, said the company has already recorded 10,000 requests for stays in the Paris region from groups of Chinese tourists.
"Clearly, the recovery is underway... Finally!," she said.
- Obstacles remain -
But the UNWTO said Tuesday in its report that the resumption of travel from China was "likely to benefit Asian destinations in particular".
It recalled that as of mid-January, 32 nations -- mainly in Asia and Europe -- had imposed specific travel restrictions related to travel from China due to a rise in Covid-19 infections in the country.
China has responded by ceasing to issue short-term visas to people from several nations.
A lack of flights and the high price of air travel could hamper the recovery of the Chinese market, said Tim Fairhurst of the European Tourism Association.
During the pandemic, airlines slashed their flights to and from China and it will "take time" to restore them, he added.
Many Chinese people saw their passports expire during the past three years and a sudden demand to renew them may cause bottlenecks.
"The return of Chinese tourists may take a bit of time, but we are on the right track," said Harizaj of "My Tour in Italy".
D.Kaufman--AMWN