Top Destinations News from September 2022

September, 2022 is a big month for news about destinations around the world, from New Zealand's celebration of Tolkien's epic Lord of the Rings and its impact on its tourism industry to Canada announcing it was repealing all of its pandemic-related entry requirements and restrictions. Check out the biggest news from the month by clicking through this slideshow. To read the full articles, click the links provided in each slide. Don't want to miss a beat? Subscribe to our daily TravelPulse newsletter today!

Tolkien's beloved fantasy world of Middle-earth has had a decades-long impact on New Zealand's tourism industry, and the country looks forward to renewed interest with the new "Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" series.

Jamaica took home three awards from the World Travel Awards Caribbean & The Americas 2022. It took home the award for the Caribbean's Leading Nature Destination, along with two awards it has been awarded each year for over a decade.

With visitors to Venice reaching nearly pre-pandemic levels, the city that has struggled with overtourism launched a new marketing campaign within the city itself to encourage travelers not to use plastic water bottles, and instead drink from the city's own water fountains to curb back on pollution.

According to a new Economic Trends Report from the World Travel & Tourism Council, the United States still remaina the top travel and tourism market, generating $1.3 trillion in revenue last year. The number is $700 billion lower than pre-pandemic levels.

Beginning September 5, travelers to Fiji no longer have to take a post-arrival test. It also shortened the mandatory isolation period from seven to five days after arrival. Travelers are currently required to be fully vaccinated.

Saint Lucia's vaccination requirement and pre-arrival testing requirement are no longer in effect, only requiring travelers to fill out the health screening form prior to arrival.

Ahead of Japan's full reopening date of October 11, the country's National Tourism Organization published a new sustainable travel guide, showcasing some of the best of Japan's sustainability offerings, from accommodations to cultural experiences to national parks and more.

New data from ForwardKeys reports European destinations hitting record numbers of travelers this summer, with some nearly reaching pre-pandemic levels.

The WTTC published a new report on Mexico's ever-growing tourism industry, expecting the country to welcome 16 percent higher numbers of arrivals during the second half of this year than the same period in 2019.

The Kenya Tourism Board has launched its "Real Deal Kenya" campaign to help drive interest in its biggest traveler market, North America.

VISIT FLORIDA is offering travelers a new way to view the state by showcasing three new "Limitless Florida" videos featuring residents and their families with disabilities, and how they enjoy the state's accessibility offerings. The video series is part of the tourism board's accessibility hub.

The Dominican Republic is seeing a huge increase in tourists, welcoming over 621,000 travelers during August alone, a stark increase of 27 percent from pre-pandemic levels, when in August 2019 the half-island nation welcomed 497,000.

In a TravelPulse exclusive, we take a deep dive into how Costa Rica's new Minister of Tourism, William Rodriguez, is hoping to facilitate the country's recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Bermuda Tourism Authority has launched a new campaign called "Lost Yet Found," focusing on the country's culture, history and natural beauty to inspire travelers to lose themselves in Bermuda.

Paris, Barcelona, Madrid, New York City and Miami take the top five spots at this year's best city destinations for Millennial travelers, according to the Generational Travel Index 2022.

Travelers can now travel to the country of Panama without any pandemic-related travel restrictions or requirements as of mid-September.

As of September 17, the Netherlands lifted its last pandemic-related entry requirements and restrictions, including its EU-entry ban.

St. Kitts Tourism has begun a new campaign, "Venture Deeper," to inspire travelers to experience self-discovery and traveling with intention throughout the island.

The Kingdom of Bhutan officially opened to travelers after two and a half years during the pandemic on September 22, with a new sustainable tourism strategy.

Take a deep dive into the state of Aruba's tourism economy and recovery from the pandemic in an exclusive with Aruba Tourism Authority CEO Ronella Croes.

In a step in the right direction, travelers to Hong Kong will no longer have to quarantine upon arrival; instead, they're required to self-isolate for three days upon arrival, though the full rules are still restrictive.

Good news for one Caribbean island having experienced the recent Hurricane Fiona: Bermuda's airports, electricity and tourism industry had all restarted less than twelve hours after the hurricane passed.

As of September 23, travelers to Barbados no longer need to adhere to any pandemic-related entry restrictions or requirements.

Learn about what draws travelers to Saudi Arabia and why you should consider it an emerging destination on the international tourism scene with a new exclusive interview with Saudi Tourism Authority CEO, Fahd Hamidaddin.

Thailand announced it would end all of its remaining pandemic-related entry requirements and restrictions beginning October 1, 2022.

U.S. News & World Report published its annual Best Countries List this year, with Switzerland, Germany, Canada, U.S. and Sweden taking the first five places.

Beginning on October 1, travelers heading to Canada will no longer be required to adhere to any pandemic-related restrictions or requirements for entry. Additionally, its nation-wide public transit mask mandate will end the same day.