UAE Visa Flex: The UAE will issue on-arrival entry visas to ordinary passport holders from Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines, Kenya and South Africa, with 14- or 60-day options and set fees, aiming to make travel easier for eligible visitors. Europe Heat Disrupts Travel: A record-breaking heatwave is forcing early closures and schedule changes at major attractions, including the Eiffel Tower and Louvre, while power, transport and school disruptions ripple across France and the wider region. UK Heat Warning: The UK’s Met Office extended a red extreme heat warning into Friday night, flagging high humidity and major health risks. Tourism Policy Pressure: WTTC warned Barcelona against raising cruise tourist taxes, saying sudden hikes could hurt competitiveness and local jobs. Border Tech Trouble: Rome’s airports warned they may need to pause the EU’s new biometric entry-exit system during peak summer to avoid travel chaos. South Africa Winter Demand: KwaZulu-Natal expects 920,320 visitors and about R1.9bn in winter spend during the July school-holiday period. East Asia Incentives: South Korea’s tourism board landed a 5,000-person incentive trip from Chinese liquor giant Wuliangye, split between Jeju and Busan. Air Connectivity Boost: Air India Express will launch direct Guwahati–Dubai and Guwahati–Abu Dhabi flights in August. South Korea Visitor Milestone: Korea surpassed 10 million foreign arrivals by mid-June, led by China. Sustainable Hotels Move: WTTC’s Hotel Sustainability Basics is shifting to independent third-party certification aligned with new EU environmental-claims rules.