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18 months for a visitor visa? Here's how long popular tourist visas now take to process in SA

18 months for a visitor visa? Here's how long popular tourist visas now take to process in SA

News242 days ago

Visa applications are a necessary process for many South African travellers, but delays are jeopardising some travel plans.

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7 Contests For Free Summer Trips To Orlando, Hawaii And The Caribbean
7 Contests For Free Summer Trips To Orlando, Hawaii And The Caribbean

Forbes

time3 hours ago

  • Forbes

7 Contests For Free Summer Trips To Orlando, Hawaii And The Caribbean

Win a free travel getaway this summer for you and your family. Summer trips don't have to be expensive if you win one of these free travel contests and sweepstakes. From family vacations to Florida to couples-only, all-inclusive getaways, these offers could be your ticket to a much-needed vacation. They are all free to enter, and many include airfare and food and beverage credits. The resort is celebrating its 35th anniversary with three special vacation giveaways. Three separate Instagram contests are taking place this year to celebrate Grand Hyatt Kauai's 35th anniversary. Entering is simple: like the giveaway post on Instagram, follow the property's Instagram account @grandhyattkauai and comment on the post using the promotion hashtag #35YearsofAloha. Three lucky winners will receive a three-night vacation for two, complete with free breakfast, spa access, and waived parking and resort fees. Sandals Dunn's River opened in 2023. Between now and June 30, enter to win an all-inclusive getaway for two to the Sandals or Beaches Resort of your choice. All tips, taxes, gratuities and airport transfers are also part of the prize although airfare is not included. Among the resorts on the list are the newly opened Sandals St. Vincent and the Sandals Dunn's River, Jamaica, which opened in 2023. A roller coaster ride at Sea World Orlando Visit Orlando is offering four $250 flight vouchers on Frontier Airlines for the winner of this sweepstakes. The prize also includes a rental car and four nights at Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld with free admission to the park. A $100 food and beverage credit and free parking are also part of the deal. Be sure to enter before July 9 for your chance to win. The family pool at the Cadillac Hotel & Beach Club Between now and the end of July, win a stay at the Cadillac Hotel & Beach Club in Miami. The property is part of Marriott Bonvoy's Autograph Collection hotels. It's easy to enter the sweepstakes to win a two-night stay in an Ocean Tower Suite, a $200 food and beverage credit, and a beachfront cabana. An RV drives along the Icefields Parkway in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada. Through June 8, adventurous travelers have the chance to win the 'ultimate 2025 RV vacation getaway,' via a $2,500 Outdoorsy gift card. Entering the contest is free, and the winner can use the gift card to pay for the ideal RV to drive around the country. Also part of the prize: $2,000 in travel funds and a swag bag with goodies like water bottles and a travel hammock. Dubbed the 'Just Beyond Your Door Go RVing Adventure Giveaway,' the winner joins the 44 million other Americans that plan to take an RV adventure this summer, say experts at GoRVing. The winner will be announced on National Go RVing Day, June 14. Win the getaway of your dreams with this free contest. Win an all-expenses paid vacation from Tanteo Tequila to the destination of your dreams (yes, Tanteo is letting you pick where you go). Just in time for summer barbecue season, this giveaway has a free trip to Mexico as its grand prize, including airfare, hotel accommodations, spending money and free Tanteo-branded merchandise. The free-to-enter margharita-season contest lasts through the end of July. Animal cheetah wildlife safari drive in South Africa Author Simon Mustoe is celebrating his new book launch with a safari giveaway that is free to enter. Safari adventures are a bucket list vacation dream for many, but can be quite pricey. The prize includes roundtrip flights to Cape Town, a three-night stay in a Marriott Bonvoy family hotel, local tours, a two-night stay at the Inverdoorn Private Safari Lodge and cheetah educational tours.

'It's Like Being in an Oven:' How Extreme Heat Is Changing Travel
'It's Like Being in an Oven:' How Extreme Heat Is Changing Travel

Skift

time3 hours ago

  • Skift

'It's Like Being in an Oven:' How Extreme Heat Is Changing Travel

Climate disruption isn't just a future threat - it's already changing the way we travel. Businesses have no choice but to adapt. When Europe experienced one of its hottest heatwaves ever in 2016, Ivan Vukovic, a tour operator in Dubrovnik, thought it was going to be a one off. Turns out it was just the start. Records have been broken almost every year since. 2024 was the hottest recorded year in Europe, the fastest warming continent – temperatures hit 49 degrees Celsius (120 degrees Farenheit). 'I just thought 2016 was one of those summers which happens once every 20 years, but then it started to get extremely hot all the time,' Vukovic said. 'The heat just lasts longer. We see days and days of temperatures over 30 degrees. That never used to be the case.' Dubrovnik, famed for its UNESCO listed old town and a key Mediterranean cruise stop, is one of the most visited cities in the world. Like many other businesses in southern Europe, Vukovic has had to change the way he runs things at his company, Dubrovnik Tours. "The old town reflects all the heat, and it just sits inside the walls because of the massive stone structure. Add in all the kitchens, tourists, and stagnant air, it's like being in an oven," Vukovic added. "We started advising guests to bring umbrellas. Not for rain, but for shade. That's how intense it's gotten. We have paramedic stations around the old town in case of heatstroke.' The peak seasons have shifted too. July and August no longer exist for his tours – it's just too hot. 'I go on holiday now to cooler climates during those months," he said. 'This year I started my tours in mid-March and they run until July. I start again in September and through to November." A Global Heat Problem temperatures are rising across the globe. Dubrovnik isn't alone. From the Greek islands to southern Spain, extreme heat is upending local tourism. According to the World Meteorological Organization, 2015 to 2024 are the hottest years on record. In France and Spain, wildfires have forced evacuations from beach resorts and national parks. The 2023 fires in Rhodes devastated large parts of the Greek island, forcing thousands of tourists to flee. In 2022, London Luton Airport in the UK was temporarily shut down when extreme temperatures buckled the runway. And when temperatures rise, airplanes require longer take-off distances and weight restrictions. They also need more time and more fuel to take off, because hot

Delta Sees Demand Ticking Up After ‘Lumpy' First Months
Delta Sees Demand Ticking Up After ‘Lumpy' First Months

Bloomberg

time3 hours ago

  • Bloomberg

Delta Sees Demand Ticking Up After ‘Lumpy' First Months

Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian is more confident about demand in the second half of the year due to price-sensitive passengers in the US showing restraint in recent months amid a worsening economic climate. Demand should 'tick up a bit' in the period, Bastian said in an interview with Bloomberg Television in New Delhi on Sunday. That's after Delta suffered weakness in bookings predominantly in the US market and among leisure travelers in its main cabin earlier this year, he said in an interview with Bloomberg's Guy Johnson. (Source: Bloomberg)

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