International

World tourism surges in July, but falls short of pre-Covid levels

AFP

World tourism surged in July, thanks to vaccination rollouts and fewer travel restrictions, but traveller numbers still fell far short of pre-pandemic levels, the UN’s tourism body said Monday.

Some 54 million tourists crossed international borders in July, the highest figure since April 2020, in the early months of the coronavirus crisis, the World Tourism Organization said in a statement.

That represented an increase of 58 percent compared with the level recorded in July 2020, but was still a drop of 67 percent from the 164 million recorded in July 2019.

“This improvement was underpinned by the reopening of many destinations to international travel, mostly in Europe and the Americas… coupled with progress made in the roll-out of Covid-19 vaccines” which contributed to “gradually restoring safe mobility in Europe and other parts of the world,” it said.

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“Nevertheless, 2021 continues to be a challenging year for global tourism, with international arrivals down 80 percent in January-July compared to 2019,” said the Madrid-based organisation.

In the first seven months of the year, Asia and the Pacific continued to see the steepest declines, with a drop of 95 percent in international arrivals, followed by the Middle East where numbers were down 82 percent, Europe and Africa, which registered a fall of 77 percent, and the Americas which sustained a drop 68 percent.

Only a few small islands in the Caribbean, Africa, Asia and the Pacific, alongside several small European destinations recovered and counted arrivals close to, or even higher, than pre-pandemic levels.

Spain, which before the pandemic was the world’s second most popular tourist destination, on Monday said it welcomed 15 million tourists in the first eight months of the year, a decline of 4.2 percent from the same period last year, the National Statistics Institute said.

The data cast doubt on the objective set by the Spanish government of attracting some 45 million foreign visitors this year, around half the number of 2019.

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“The true restart of tourism and the benefits it brings, remains on hold as inconsistent rules and regulations and uneven vaccination rates continue to affect confidence in travel,” UNWTO head Zurab Pololikashvili in the statement.

The UN body said it was expecting to see a “rebound” in 2022 although global tourism is not expected to reach pre-pandemic levels until 2023 or 2024.

International

Trump Delays Potential Iran Strikes as Regional Peace Talks Continue

Donald Trump announced a new deadline for potential military action against Iran, saying he would temporarily delay planned strikes while regional negotiators continue efforts to secure a peace agreement.

Speaking at the White House, Trump said he decided to postpone the operation after receiving requests from the leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates.

The U.S. president explained that the pause would remain in place for only a limited period, adding that discussions could continue through the end of the week or early next week.

Trump also warned that military action remained a possibility if negotiations fail to produce results, stressing that the United States could not allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon.

“Maybe we’ll have to hit them again,” Trump said, referring to Iran while reiterating his willingness to resume military operations if necessary.

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International

FAO Urges Urgent Action as Hormuz Disruption Threatens Global Food Supply

A prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz could trigger a “systemic agri-food shock” capable of causing a major global food price crisis within six to twelve months, the Food and Agriculture Organization warned on Wednesday.

Before the recent attacks launched by United States and Israel against Iran, roughly one-fifth of the world’s seaborne oil shipments passed through the strategic waterway.

The UN agency said the disruption should not be viewed as a temporary shipping issue, but rather as the beginning of a broader global agro-food crisis with potential long-term economic consequences.

The FAO urged governments to establish alternative trade routes, avoid export restrictions, protect humanitarian supply chains and build reserves to absorb rising transportation costs.

Máximo Torero said countries must urgently strengthen their resilience and prepare for the potential impact of disruptions linked to the maritime bottleneck.

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According to the organization, the window for preventive action is rapidly closing.

International

U.S. Sanctions Alleged Sinaloa Cartel Money Launderers Linked to Fentanyl Trade

The U.S. Department of the Treasury announced sanctions on Wednesday against more than a dozen individuals and companies allegedly linked to Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel, accusing them of laundering money connected to fentanyl trafficking operations.

Among those targeted are Armando Ojeda Avilés, identified by U.S. authorities as a leading money laundering operator for the cartel, and Jesús “Chuy” González Peñuela, who has been subject to a $5 million reward since January 2024.

According to the sanctions list released by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), other individuals sanctioned include Jesús Alonso Aispuro, described as the network’s financial chief, and Rodrigo Alarcón Palomares, accused of overseeing cash collection operations in the United States.

Relatives of the alleged cartel figures were also sanctioned for managing businesses reportedly tied to the network, including the security company Grupo Especial Mamba Negra and the restaurant Gorditas Chiwas in Chihuahua, Mexico.

The Sinaloa Cartel was designated a narcoterrorist organization last year under an order issued by U.S. President Donald Trump and has since become a major focus of U.S. law enforcement efforts.

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Two weeks ago, prosecutors in New York’s Southern District accused Sinaloa Governor Rubén Rocha Moya and several associates of collaborating with the cartel, a development that increased tensions with the administration of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.