(CNN) — As Omicron grips the world, the one particular person having fun with frictionless international journey this Christmas is Santa, because of his very well-ventilated sleigh.
CNN Travel needs you content holidays should you’re celebrating and for higher occasions forward for these lacking family members this 12 months.
Listed below are the most important developments in journey this week.
Omicron is hammering vacation journey
Ski season is soldiering on, beneath straitened circumstances, so when you have a passion for fondue, right here’s our information to the best ski resorts. Remember to regulate restrictions earlier than reserving.
Locations climbing to the highest of the CDC’s danger checklist
The US Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention has added eight new locations to its highest-risk class for journey. They embody Finland, Lebanon and the nation that was the world’s second most-visited nation earlier than Covid got here alongside.
The microstates of Monaco and San Marino — two of the world’s wealthiest international locations — shot straight as much as the highest-risk Degree 4 on Monday, having beforehand been categorized “Unknown.”
There’s some excellent news for southern Africa this week. The US plans to lift travel restrictions on eight international locations within the area that have been imposed after Omicron was found in South Africa in late November.
The US is cracking down
And, within the ultimate piece of not-so-good information for People, the value of a US passport is about to soar.
Asia-Pacific is cautious
Luang Prabang is the traditional capital of Laos.
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Coronavirus has messed with China’s biggest holiday for the third 12 months in a row. The nation’s Nationwide Well being Fee has suggested residents in any metropolis with confirmed Covid circumstances towards touring throughout February’s Lunar New 12 months and Spring Competition vacation.
Thailand has suspended its quarantine-free travel pass, with no phrase on when it could be reinstated, whereas New Zealand has delayed its border reopening from January 17 to the top of February.
The landlocked nation of Laos, nonetheless, will start the first phase of its reopening on January 1, with the entire nation anticipated to be open for enterprise by July 1, 2022. Nice information for followers of ornate Buddhist temples, French colonial structure and epic mountain landscapes.
Strike these spots off your 2022 bucket checklist
Some are getting spruced up or prolonged to make them higher than ever once they do welcome friends, however for others it’s a everlasting farewell.
And now for Christmas feasts
Even after we can’t journey to be collectively, we will nonetheless share meals traditions. From Mexico to France, right here’s a take a look at how nations around the globe feast at Christmas. We hope you’re diving into one thing scrumptious.
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CNN’s Forrest Brown, Tamara Hardingham-Gill, Lilit Marcus, Sheena McKenzie, Andy Rose, Francesca Avenue and Yong Xiong contributed to this report.
High picture: Monaco’s pure harbor (Photograph by Adobe Inventory)
