Fast Five Travel News Stories of December
Now that 2020 has come to an end, let us reflect on all the milestones that took place in the travel industry in December. We have compiled five interesting developments that occurred in the past month to peak your curiousity about travelling in the future.
Here are the latest travel developments of December:
1. Digital COVID-19 Health Certificates in Use at Changi Airport
A Singaporean citizen has become the first person in the world to use a digital COVID-19 health certificate while crossing an international border. The citizen, who travelled back to Singapore from Japan on December 21, 2020 was able to use the ICC AOKpass as proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR test upon arrival. Now that the pilot program has been successsful, it will be rolled out to Malaysia and Indonesia so that travellers can use the ICC AOKpass to digitally validate their COVID-19 test results at Changi Airport.
2. Lufthansa Trials 'Sleeping Rows' in Economy Class
German airline Lufthansa recently began trialling a new offer, allowing passengers to book adjacent seats on economy so that they can lie down and sleep without having to expend on a business class ticket. Named 'Sleeper's Row' the offer is available on flights between Germany and Brazil. Passengers who opt for the Sleeper's Row will also receive a blanket, pillow, seat topper and will be permitted to priority boarding.
3. Greenland to Reopen Igloo Lodge for an Authentic Arctic Experience
Greenland is reopening its authentic Arctic experience, the Igloo Lodge in Ilulissat, where travellers can sleep in traditional hand-built igloos. The one-day excursion includes a 1-hour snowmobile journey to the lodge, a snowshoe expedition, and a one-night stay in the igloo. The Igloo Lodge cosists of five igloos, with room for two people in each, and come complete with reindeer skins, special warm winter sleeping bags and a petroleum lamp.
4. Peru Initiates Carbon Neutral Program in Machu Picchu
A carbon neutral initiative was recently announced in Peru to make Machu Picchu the first tourist destination in the country (and the world) to be completely carbon neutral in the coming years. Currently, the goal is to reduce 45% of the emissions by 2030 and 100% by 2050. One of the measures taken to achieve this goal is the new campaign "One million trees for the Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu and its buffer zone", established by Peru's Ministry of Environment. They also launched a new sustainable travel brochure, highlighting the local wildlife and nature in the country.
5. Hawaii Launches Remote Work Visa
Hawaii is the most recent nation to join the long list of countries that are now offering remote work visas in efforts to encourage out-of-state professionals to relocate to the islands. The program, named Movers and Shakas asks those who are willing to also give back to the community by contributing their skills and knowledge in order to strengthen the local communities.
You’re all caught up with the travel news around the world. We hope that reading some of these stories got you excited about travelling in the future. If you enjoyed reading this article, check out our September, October and November compilations. To get updates and be notified of changes in the travel industry, sign up for our weekly newsletter.