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Read the latest news from around the Middle East Africa region.
Mpox leads to hesitations, not cancellations
Travelers have increasing anxiety over whether they should book trips to Africa due to the public health concerns from mpox, but so far there haven't been widespread cancellations like those seen during the Ebola outbreak on the continent, Travel Weekly reports.
"People have been asking if they should be worried, which we can interpret as they are concerned because they're hearing about it. But they don't know how worried they should be and want to know what we know and how concerned we are," Pearl Jurist-Schoen, Extraordinary Journeys' head of sales for Africa, told the news outlet.
Experts see African tourism boom
The latest data from the UN World Tourism Organization notes Africa has been a global outperforming in reaching pre-pandemic visitor volumes, with North Africa in particularly showing strong performance, Travel and Tour World reports.
"Among the sub-regions, North Africa has outpaced others, with tourist arrivals surpassing 2019 levels by 8% during the same period," the news outlet reports. "Specific countries like Ethiopia, Tanzania and Morocco have shown remarkable growth, with arrivals increasing by 28%, 19% and 15% respectively, compared to pre-pandemic figures."
Some airlift returns to Tel Aviv
While major airlines have been cutting back routes in the region due to the potential for conflict, Lufthansa has announced it's resuming flights to Tel Aviv, Reuters reports.
The airline noted flights to Beirut will remain suspended until at least Sept. 30, though.
Qatar shifts strategy to draw tourists
Hotelier Middle East reports the Qatar Tourism, the agency overseeing travel in the Middle Eastern country, has "undergone significant restructuring" in hopes of luring more visitors through 2030.
"Key changes include new roles focused on digital products, festivals and events, financial management, and strategic project planning," the news outlet reports. "These appointments are designed to bolster Visit Qatar’s capacity to develop innovative attractions and diversify the country’s events calendar."