Thailand ponders mandatory travel insurance

Thailand is considering making it mandatory for tourists to have travel insurance before they are allowed to enter the country.

The Asian nation has seen an epidemic of stupid tourists who have been unable to pay their hospital bills. We've all seen the pathetic GoFundMe appeals for the ill-prepared or tight-arsed.

Now there is a push for regulations requiring international tourists to obtain accident insurance before entering the country.

Unpaid medical bills and accident risks posed by the unwary place a mounting strain on public healthcare, the Bangkok Post reported this week.

"Each year, we absorb about 10 million baht (over $450,000) in treatment costs for foreign patients without insurance," Dr Weerasak Lorthongkham, the director of Vachira Phuket Hospital told the newspaper.

He pointed to inexperienced motorcycle use and consumption of alcohol and drugs. 

"Many visitors come to Phuket and try riding motorcycles for the first time, which increases accident risks," he said. 

The Thai Ministry of Public Health estimates unpaid medical bills from foreign patients amount to at least 100 million baht annually, with major tourism hubs such as Phuket and Chiang Mai most affected.

Emergency care cannot ethically be delayed, meaning hospitals often treat patients regardless of their ability to pay, leaving health facilities to absorb the financial costs.

Sri Lanka plans to up its tourism game

Sri Lanka is speeding up plans to introduce free visas for visitors from up to 40 countries as the island nation looks to correct a slowdown in tourist arrivals linked to ongoing Middle East tensions and disrupted air travel.

Foreign Affairs and Tourism Minister Vijitha Herath confirmed the free electronic travel authorization (ETA) scheme is set to be finalized and submitted to Cabinet, with parliamentary approval targeted this month, travel news hub Travel Mole reported.

The move comes as Sri Lanka grapples with a dip in inbound travel.

Authorities report a 15% decline in arrivals, which they link with regional instability, which has impacted flight routes, increased airfares, and triggered cancellations - particularly on Europe-Asia corridors.

Between March 1 and 25, Sri Lanka welcomed 151,693 visitors, down 22% year-on-year.

Average daily arrivals fell to 6,068, compared to 7,407 during the same period in 2025.

Seven countries - including China, India, Japan, and Russia - already benefit from free ETA access.

The new proposal would extend the waiver to an additional 33 countries, including major European markets, the United States, Australia, and Gulf states.

Image: Aleksei Popov, Scop.io 

Cautious Australians staying closer to home, survey shows

Uncertainty around fuel supply is driving Australians to rethink their holiday plans, a new survey shows. 

Many are staying closer to home and spending less on travel. 

Travellers are keeping their holiday plans on track by choosing destinations closer to their doorstep, data from the largest holiday park group in New South Wales, Reflections Holidays, shows.

The survey for a group that manages 40 holiday parks in coastal and inland NSW was conducted over the Easter long weekend and revealed that fuel prices and availability are weighing on travellers’ minds, and they are choosing to holiday closer to home. 

The Reflections survey found 23% of travellers with bookings in the next three months had changed their plans to holiday closer to home, and in this cohort, 36.2% had reduced their travel distance by at least 300 kilometres.

Reflections CEO Nick Baker said in a media release that the shift showed that travellers were now more cautious but still determined to go on holidays.

“What our guests are telling us is that they still want to holiday, they are weighing up cost and availability of fuel, and around one quarter of them are shifting their trip to a destination that is closer to home,” Baker said.

“The survey reinforces that people still want to holiday, arguably because now more than ever it’s important to connect with each other and with nature, and they are prioritising travelling shorter distances to have a getaway with loved ones."

Reflections has introduced discounts in coming months which encourage local travel, and until April 30 is offering a $25 fuel offset voucher.

See https://reflectionsholidays.com.au/   

Image: Reflections, Bonny Hills

Flying low: Exciting new ways to explore the Pacific Northwest

Flying on a seaplane is a rare travel pleasure. 

You get great views and can land exactly where you want to be - providing there is a body of water. 

Harbour Air, British Columbia's leading coastal airline, has announced its largest seasonal expansion, featuring the return of a Vancouver-Seattle service beginning next week, along with three new routes including the airline's first Victoria-Seattle service.

The expansion is in response to strong demand across the Pacific Northwest of Canada and the US, adding new connections to communities like Ucluelet - named one of Expedia's 2026 Destinations of the Year - and Campbell River, a gateway to top-notch fishing and wilderness adventures. 

And for the first time, Vancouver Island travellers will have direct cross-border seaplane service without routing through Vancouver.

"This is our biggest seasonal expansion yet, and it reflects what we're hearing from our guests and communities," said Chris Fordyce, Chief Commercial Officer for Harbour Air. 

"The Vancouver-Seattle route has been one of our strongest seasonal services, and we're thrilled to bring it back. We're also launching three new routes this summer, including our first Victoria-Seattle service, new flights to Ucluelet, and new flights to Campbell River. 

"These additions strengthen our network and give coastal B.C. travellers more ways to explore the region and beyond."

The new flight means locals, and tourists, can fly from downtown Vancouver to central Seattle in one hour. 

Twice-daily departures will connecting Coal Harbour in downtown Vancouver with Lake Union in Seattle. One-way fares start from CAD$149, offering a fast alternative to driving, ferry connections and traditional airport routes. 

The journey has operated as a seasonal spring and summer service since 2018.

The inaugural Victoria-Seattle service launches on June 11, connecting Victoria's Inner Harbour with Lake Union in under an hour. 

Check out harbourair.com/everyday-low-fares for deals and see supernaturalbc.com. 

Carlton gets an international hotel

The Italian-accented Melbourne suburb of Carlton has its first international hotel brand. Crowne Plaza Melbourne Carlton, owned by Pelligra Group, has just opened.

Located on Swanston Street on the fringe of Melbourne CBD and overlooking Lincoln Square, the hotel is part of the IHG Hotels & Resorts stable.

It has 107 rooms, a flexible lobby, Fico Carlton Restaurant and Bar, and over 270sqm of meetings space.

The hotel is being promoted as "a vibrant cosmopolitan hub" and is in the heart of Melbourne’s "Innovation District".

The lobby bar and restaurant celebrate Carlton’s historic Italian influence, while the rooftop venue has views of the Melbourne skyline.

Another brick in the wall: Cape Town's controversial plan

Cape Town is one of the glitziest cities in Africa with a beautiful waterfront, a dramatic mountain and a lively vibe.

But it is also a city with many poverty-stricken residents, shanty towns and soaring crime rates.

The city has a controversial plan to build a 3-metre high security wall along the main highway linking Cape Town International Airport to the city.

The highway which has been dubbed “the hell run” after multiple car jackings and violent smash-and-grab attacks along the route.

The highway passes near some of Cape Town's most deprived communities, including the Gugulethu and Nyanga townships and Crossroads and Taiwan "informal settlements".

The wall will ostensibly make it harder for criminals from the townships to access the highway, but create issues for locals going about their legitimate business.

There are also suspicions that the wall is designed to block views of the disadvantaged communities - many of them home to corrugated iron shacks - from visitors arriving in the city, which derives much income from the visitor economy. 

It has been described as "hiding poverty to comfort tourists".

Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis has said the plan will keep criminals at bay along the N2 highway and the move is described by local authorities as a necessity to curb violent crime. Critics argue that the project risks deepening social divides.

They point out that it will do nothing to improve safety for local communities.

Opponents have highlighted that the wall risks echoing apartheid-era spatial divisions by physically separating poorer townships from wealthier areas and tourist routes.

Image: Gugulethu, thesouthafrican.com