Increased Costs Ahead for International Tourists Visiting the United States
The summer months in the United Arab Emirates see daytime temperatures soaring to 104 degrees, making outdoor activities challenging. Instead, locals and visitors alike resort to mall runs and night swims to beat the heat.
In other news, the new visa integrity fee, anticipated by many, has yet to be implemented. Meanwhile, the Wonsan-Kalma resort in North Korea, akin to Waikiki, has been built and offers miles of white sand, turquoise waters, and rows of pristine hotels. This resort, however, has both domestic and international zones.
Moving on to travel updates in the US, starting from September 30, the I-94 Arrival/Departure Record cost for travelers arriving through a land border will increase from $6 to $30. Additionally, the fee associated with the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) will rise from $21 to $40 for visitors from countries including the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Israel, most of Europe, and Qatar. This fee increase reflects a new structure allocating $17 for tourism promotion, $10 as an operational fee, and $13 to the US Treasury.
In a concerning development, the World Travel and Tourism Council projected in May that the United States will lose $12.5 billion in international visitor spending in 2025. This slump in travel to the US is compounded by the $250 "visa integrity fee" for many travelers from non-visa waiver countries.
Elsewhere, China's bullet trains provide fast travel between cities, giving passengers a sense of being transported back 1,200 years. In the realm of beverages, Turkish coffee, a 500-year-old drink, has been inscribed on UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage of humanity, originating in Yemen.
On a more unusual note, Belencia Wallace, also known as Ladybug Travel, is a registered nurse who lives full-time on cruise ships, having sold most of her possessions to do so.
Lastly, in the international zone of the Wonsan-Kalma resort, a group of Russian tourists were among the few visitors recently. North Korea's answer to Waikiki continues to attract a diverse range of travelers.
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