SOUTH AFRICA: Country to move to alert level three from 1 June 2020

          From today, South Africa will move down to level three on the five-level approach to lockdown restrictions originally announced by the country's president on 23 April. Internal flights are now permitted, although non-essential domestic travel including for recreational, leisure or tourism purposed is still prohibited. Other guidelines remain in place, including the use of PPE on public transport, a restriction on social gatherings and exercise being permitted only during certain hours.
          Middle East
          Borders

          SINGAPORE AIRLINES: Flights to 12 cities will be reinstated in June and July 2020

          Singapore Airlines and regional wing SilkAir will reinstate certain flights in June and July, subject to regulatory approvals. Reinstated scheduled services include flights to Adelaide, Amsterdam, Auckland, Barcelona, Brisbane, Cebu, Christchurch, Copenhagen, Hong Kong, Medan, Melbourne and Osaka.
          Australia
          Denmark
          Hong Kong
          Indonesia
          Japan
          Netherlands
          New Zealand
          Philippines
          Singapore
          Spain
          Airline
          Singapore Airlines
          Business

          TSOGO SUN HOTELS: Updated health and safety protocols released

          Tsogo Sun Hotels have released updated guidance, protocols and FAQ's designed to assure customers in their largely South Africa-based properties of their safety, as they re-open following the country's move to COVID-19 alert level three.
          South Africa
          Hotel
          Business
          Leisure

          PAKISTAN: International flight suspension partially lifted from 1 June 2020

          From today a suspension on international flights in Pakistan has been lifted and airlines will be able to operate departing commercial flights from all airports other than Gwadar International Airport and Turbat International Airport. Arriving international flights, though, will only be allowed by special permission on a case by case basis for the time being.
          Pakistan
          Borders
          Business
          Leisure

          INDIA: International business travel permitted by Bureau of Immigration

          The Indian Ministry of Home Affairs has issued new guidelines permitting certain categories of foreign nationals to travel to India. This includes for the purposes of business travel, as well as visitors employed in areas such as healthcare and engineering. Eligible arrivals who previously held a valid visa will either need to apply for a new one, or get it re-validated in the case long-term multiple entry business visas.
          India
          Borders

          UNITED AIRLINES: Flights to European and Asian destinations to resume in July 2020

          United Airlines has announced that July will see the resumption of services in Asia to Tokyo, Hong Kong, Singapore and Seoul. It will also increase transatlantic services between the US and cities across Europe; capacity in July will be down around 75% compared to the same month last year, versus 90% down in June compared to the same month last year.
          Hong Kong
          Japan
          Singapore
          South Africa
          South Korea
          United Kingdom
          United States of America
          Airline
          United Airlines

          SPAIN: Lockdown extended for 15 days until 21 June 2020

          The country's prime minister announced today that Spain needs 15 more days of lockdown until 21 June “to finish with the pandemic once and for all”, and is seeking an extension from parliament. From 21 June a national state of emergency will end and with it the lockdown, allowing citizens to move freely in their regions. From 1 July, citizens will be able to move throughout the country and overseas visitors are expected to be permitted entry.
          Spain
          Borders

          SINGAPORE: Singapore and China will launch ‘fast lane’ arrangement starting 8 June 2020 for essential travel

          For a start, the new scheme will apply only to business and official travel, for flights between Singapore and six provinces in China: Shanghai, Tianjin, Chongqing, Guangdong, Jiangsu and Zhejiang. The arrangement includes having COVID-19 prevent and control measures in place, and will be gradually expanded to the other Chinese provinces and municipalities.
          Mainland China
          Singapore
          Borders

          REGIONAL EXPRESS AIRLINES (REX): Passenger PPE requirements released

          Rex has announced that from 1 June 2020, all passengers flying across their network will be required to wear a face mask. This will help provide an extra layer of protection against the spread of COVID-19 as well as for the safety and wellbeing of all passengers and staff.
          Australia
          Airline
          Regional Express Airlines - REX

          SOUTH AFRICAN AIRLINES: Operations remain suspended despite announcement of resumption

          The airline's operations have remained suspended, despite an SAA press release in May detailing the resumption of Johannesburg-Cape Town services in mid-June. The airline's business practitioners have said that the decision will allow the airline to get a better understanding of what the country's move to COVID-19 level three, due on 1 June, will mean for domestic travel.
          South Africa
          Airline
          South African Airways
          Business

          GREECE: Passengers from 29 countries to be permitted entry from 15 June 2020

          The country's government said today that Greece will open to arrivals from 29 countries from 15 June, which coincides with the start of its peak tourism season. Passengers will be randomly tested, and the list will be updated before 1 July. The countries are: Germany, Austria, Denmark, Norway, Cyprus, Israel, Switzerland, Japan, Malta, Bulgaria, China, Croatia, Australia, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Albania, Estonia, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Hungary, South Korea, Serbia, Montenegro, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Czech Republic and Finland.
          United Kingdom
          Borders

          NORWAY: Business travel from other Nordic countries to resume from 1 June 2020

          Norway have said that it will allow entry to business travellers from all other Nordic countries from 1 June, in an announcement made by its government today. The new rules mean business travellers arriving from Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Sweden will no longer be subject to a mandatory 10 day quarantine, which is currently the case for almost all arrivals from overseas.
          Denmark
          Finland
          Iceland
          Norway
          Sweden
          Borders

          BAHAMAS: Tourism to re-open from 1 July 2020

          Tourism officials announced today that the country will open its borders to international visitors starting on 1 July. To maintain the safety of residents and tourists alike, only islands that have contained the outbreak will be open to tourists. These include Cat Island, Long Island, Abaco and Andros, Mayaguana, Inagua, Crooked Island, Acklins, Long Cay, Ragged Island and Rum Cay.
          Borders

          PESTANA HOTEL GROUP: Select properties in Portugal to re-open from 5 June 2020

          The group will begin opening select properties in Portugal, starting on 5 June. Pestana has introduced various new protocols and procedures in order to ensure the safety of their employees and visitors. During this first phase, the hotels that will be opening include Pestana Cascais in Lisbon; Pestana Viking, Pestana Alvor South Beach and Pestana D. João in Algarve; and The Pousadas de Portugal properties located in Viana do Castel, Ria do Aveiro, Alcácer do Sal, Sagres, Valença and Bragança.
          Portugal
          Hotel
          Pestana Hotel Group

          LUFTHANSA GROUP: Flight schedule to expand significantly in June 2020

          The airlines belonging to the Lufthansa group are significantly expanding their services in the second half of June 2020. Lufthansa alone will resume flights to around 20 European destinations from Frankfurt International Airport and 34 from Munich International Airport, from 15 June onwards; Austrian Airlines, SWISS, Eurowings and Brussels Airlines will also either add further services or resume suspended operations.
          Austria
          Belgium
          South Africa
          Airline
          Lufthansa

          HUNGARY & SLOVENIA: Travel between the two countries by citizens to resume

          Hungary and Slovenia have today eased COVID-19 border restrictions to allow travel by their citizens between the two countries, including the purposes of business travel, their foreign ministers told a joint press conference at the border. From today, citizens can travel between the two countries without any limitation or quarantine.
          Hungary
          Slovenia
          Borders

          MGM GRAND: Four Las Vegas hotels set to re-open on 4 June 2020

          MGM Grand has said it will re-open four properties in Las Vegas on 4 June after four months of closure. The Bellagio, New York-New York, the MGM Grand Las Vegas and The Signature will open with safety measures including employee screening, social distancing markers and plexiglass barriers.
          United States of America
          Hotel
          MGM Grand

          VIETNAM: Visitors from 80 countries to be issued e-visas for entry from 1 July 2020

          The country's government has announced that it will allow citizens from 80 countries to enter and exit Vietnam using electronic visas from 1 July. Also released is a list of 37 border gates through which visitors will be able to enter and exit; this comprises of 8 international airports, 16 land ports and 13 seaports.
          Vietnam
          Borders
          Business
          Leisure