Like many other New Yorkers, Darwin Romero lost his job to the pandemic. He decided to walk the streets of the city as Santa Claus to make some money on Christmas Eve. But money is scarce as few people leave their homes amid the coronavirus pandemic. "He is a joyful character who inspires love, who brings peace to the world, at least at Christmas," Darwin says as he dons a Santa Claus costume.

Soldiers patrol the beaches in Acapulco, on Mexico's Pacific coast, to ensure that tourists follow anti-Covid measures.

It's a chance to catch some winter sun in a stunning tropical location and temporarily forget the coronavirus pandemic. After months of closure, the Maldives has reopened to visitors again, or at least those with a negative Covid-19 test and quite a bit of cash to spare. Wealthy visitors are flocking to the South Asian islands for a luxury getaway and the opportunity to take off their face masks at last. Our France 2 colleagues report, with FRANCE 24's Emerald Maxwell.

As much of the world tightens lockdowns to stem coronavirus, Dubai has flung its doors open, branding itself as a sunny, quarantine-free escape -- despite a sharp rise in cases. While mask-wearing and social distancing are strictly enforced, life in the tourism-reliant emirate looks much like normal, with its restaurants, hotels and mega-malls open for business. Daily detected cases hover in the mid-3,000s across the United Arab Emirates, which has a population of under 10 million, with 745 deaths from Covid-19 since the pandemic began.

In the picturesque town of Vinales, a popular tourist getaway in rural Cuba, terraces of restaurants and lodges are empty. After the pandemic brought the budding prosperity of this town to a grinding halt, many were forced to leave their jobs in tourism and return to working the land.

The few foreign tourists in Paris are discovering sides of a city they could hardly have imagined before the Covid crisis hit one of the world's most popular destinations. The French capital is under a 6pm curfew to curb infections, but visitors are making the most of the lack of crowds.

With its lush landscape, distinctive trees, unique animals and turquoise waters home to dolphins, Yemen is hoping its Socotra archipelago will become a dream destination despite the country's nightmarish conflict. Lying in the Indian Ocean some 200 kilometres (120 miles) off the Yemeni coast, the four islands and two rocky islets home to some 50,000 people have remained relatively untouched by the war that has devastated the mainland.

Have You heard of a Hill that has seven caves, Underrock tunnel and a Natural amphitheatre that can contain 300 Guests in one Sitting?

Looking for a holiday escape? Why not head off to Sierra Leone – a paradisiacal destination that has long been forgotten by tourists. The country experienced horrors during its civil war in the 1990s, but it has been at peace for a long time and is doing everything possible to attract visitors. Our France 2 colleagues report, with FRANCE 24's Olivia Bizot.

An Italian court has handed life sentences to the pair after they were convicted of murdering an Italian police officer while they were on vacation in Rome.

Tourists soak up the sun in Crete, a day after Greece's official tourist season began. The opening of the tourism sector comes as Greeks are allowed to move freely within the country for the first time since November.

Tourists are heading back. It can’t be compared to May two years ago, but Europeans are gearing up for their post lockdown freedom to travel.