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These airports are now opening their doors to non-fliers
Friday 19th of July 2019
Long queues, crowded departure lounges, tight security – airports aren’t always the most welcoming of places.
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Here are 6 remarkable new World Heritage Sites
Thursday 18th of July 2019
From the ancient mystery of Stonehenge to the singular beauty of Venice and the unrivalled majesty of India’s Taj Mahal, there are more than 1,000 World Heritage Sites across the globe.
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Favela entrepreneurs are using social media to boost tourism. Here’s how
Wednesday 17th of July 2019
Local residents unhappy with the established “safari” model of favela tourism are creating a novel and vibrant market for walking tours in neighbourhoods like Rocinha in Rio de Janeiro. Social media have allowed them to reach potential customers directly, whereas temporary local alliances mean they can provide a “product” that is both safe and seductive at the same time. Aside from boosting the local economy, this allows visitors to experience the favela as a welcoming and thriving community rather than the dangerous drug den depicted in mainstream media, writes Josiane Fernandes (University of Lancaster).
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Our tourism system is broken – time to customize
Wednesday 10th of July 2019
Are we unwillingly killing the geese that lay the golden eggs? The communities that tourists want to visit are increasingly under pressure from tourism. Essentially, no one person is liable. Human beings want to travel; who can blame them? Hoteliers are happy to provide beds, that’s their business. Food and beverage providers and museums welcome the additional spending to supplement the revenue they earn from locals. Policymakers are happy with the jobs created and hence accept visitors using public services and spaces.
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A 550 km-long mass of rotting seaweed is heading for Mexico’s pristine beaches
Monday 8th of July 2019
Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula is home to clear blue seas, golden sands and a glorious backdrop that includes ancient Mayan ruins. Millions flock to its resorts every year and tourism is vital to the area’s economy.
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Here’s how Japan is breathing new life into its ‘ghost towns’
Tuesday 2nd of July 2019
Yoshifumi Yano was tiring of the high cost of living and long hours of work at a travel firm in Osaka, Japan’s second largest city, when he heard of a hotel for sale in a small town nearby that was known for its onsen, or hot springs.
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China in pictures: Tourism
Saturday 29th of June 2019
As its middle class grows and consumer spending increases, Chinese tourists are making a huge impact on the world. Spending 258 billion U.S. dollars abroad (around 20% of the world’s total spending on tourism), Chinese tourists are the world’s biggest spenders. The number of Chinese citizens taking foreign holidays is growing at over 6% a year and McKinsey forecasts 160 million will take holidays outside China next year.
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You might soon be travelling without a passport – this is how
Wednesday 26th of June 2019
The future of air travel is… paperless. Or will be, under an initiative introduced by the World Economic Forum.
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How curiosity and globalization are driving a new approach to travel
Monday 24th of June 2019
Today’s political climate and negative headlines seem to point towards a more inward-looking global population – minds narrowing, borders going up. But with more people living and working overseas and becoming exposed to influences from different cultures, many of us are seeking an outward-looking, connected world.
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We know contact with nature makes you feel better. Can virtual contact do the same?
Friday 21st of June 2019
You might have noticed that being in nature can improve your mood. Whether it’s walking in a beautiful rainforest, swimming in the ocean or a moment of wonder at the plants and animals around you, nature offers a respite from daily routines and demands.
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Chinese tourists spent $250 billion in 2017
Monday 17th of June 2019
The robust growth in international tourism is continuing, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organization. 2017 witnessed the highest increase in the total global travel spending in the past eight years – around 1.34 trillion U.S. dollars. China has kept its leading position in the global tourism market since 2012 with outbound tourists spending almost 258 billion U.S. dollars last year, around 20 percent of the world’s total spending on tourism. Due to a combination of factors such as the emergence of a newly rich Chinese middle class, easing travel restrictions by the Chinese authorities, simplified destination visa policies, and increasing numbers of direct flight connections from China, Chinese citizens became the largest contributors to the global outbound tourism market and the main source of tourism cash across the world. While Chinese touristsare still famous for spending thousands on high-end luxury foreign brands, new spending behavior trends are emerging, particularly among more experienced Chinese travelers. In 2017, Chinese travelers turned more towards enjoying niche sectors like whisky tasting, aurora chasing, outdoor activities and other high-quality and less mass-oriented products and experiences.
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These cities have the worst traffic congestion in the world
Thursday 13th of June 2019
TomTom has released its 2018 Traffic Index which highlights congestion levels in 403 cities in 56 countries. Traffic congestion has continued to increase over the past decade with almost 75 percent of cities in the index reporting increased or stable levels of congestion between 2017 and 2018. Mumbai recorded the highest congestion levels of any city last year and commuters there can expect to spend an average of 65 percent extra travel time stuck in traffic. The Colombian capital of Bogota comes second with 63 percent congestion while Lima comes third with 58 percent. India comes in again in fourth place with drivers in New Delhi needing 58 percent more travel time. Moscow leads Europe in traffic jams and drivers underway in the Russian time can expect an extra 57 percent of travel time stuck in gridlock. In the United States, Los Angeles has the worst congestion levels but they are still far less than the cities in this infographic at 41 percent.
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Germany is turning its old mines into tourist hotspots
Thursday 6th of June 2019
Set in the foothills of mountains, surrounded by greenery and dotted with buzzing cafés, visitors to Germany’s Lusatian Lake District may have little idea of the scarred landscape beneath the peaceful waters.
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Sweden has invented a word to encourage people not to fly. And it’s working
Wednesday 5th of June 2019
Sweden’s departure lounges are looking less crowded as more Swedes are deciding to take the train rather than fly.
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New York to London in 90 minutes? These companies think it’s possible
Wednesday 5th of June 2019
When Concorde landed for the final time in London, the crowds saw their dreams of flying faster than the speed of sound grounded along with the legendary plane.
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This is NASA new plan for the future of space exploration
Friday 31st of May 2019
Robust low-Earth orbit economy
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Planes can now fly for 21 hours non-stop. But are people ready?
Tuesday 28th of May 2019
At 21 hours and covering almost 17,000 kilometers, a direct flight from Sydney to London would be the longest in the world.
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Peru is building a new international airport near Machu Picchu – and archaeologists are worried
Thursday 23rd of May 2019
The bulldozers arrived in January to clear the site of Peru’s newest and most controversial airport. Chinchero International, which is expected to shuttle five million passengers a year, is being built in the Sacred Valley of the ancient Inca empire.
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These are the world’s most expensive cities for public transport
Wednesday 22nd of May 2019
Deutsche Bank recently released the 8th edition of its annual survey of global prices and living standards from various cities and countries. Among the many different categories analyzed was the price of public transportation in 55 major cities. The research uncovered a major disparity in the cost of a monthly ticket and it ranged from $89 in Berlin to just $15 in Buenos Aires on average. Nowhere has average public transportation costs as high as London, however and a monthly pass sets commuters back a whopping $179. Despite the high price, the UK’s capital does have an extensive and efficient network with the buses, the tube and light rail accounting for 37 percent of the city’s journeys. Dublin comes second on the list of the most expensive cities for commuters and a monthly ticket in the Irish capital costs $128 on average. Auckland in New Zealand comes in third overall with $125.70. The first U.S. city on the list is New York where a monthly pass averages $121 while Chicago is ninth with $107. Visitors to London who attempt to avoid the high cost of public transport and opt for car rental should beware. The UK’s capital also has the highest average daily costs for hiring a car at $172. That’s before drivers even have a chance to factor in the hefty costs of parking.
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These islands are using tourists to help offset the effects of tourism
Friday 17th of May 2019
Stark, rugged and sparsely populated, it’s not difficult to see why the Faroe Islands have become a draw for tourists in search of solitude, outdoor pursuits and nature.
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Flying cars could cut emissions, replace planes, and free up roads – but not soon enough
Tuesday 23rd of April 2019
When Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was released 50 years ago, flying cars were a flight of fancy. Now, these futuristic vehicles are entering the outer fringes of reality. According to a new study published in Nature, for some journeys flying cars could eventually be greener than even electric road cars, cutting emissions while also reducing traffic on increasingly busy roads.
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These countries have the most powerful passports
Wednesday 3rd of April 2019
Travel broadens the mind, according to the oft-quoted idiom. But how far and how frequently you travel depends on a combination of factors. The opportunity to travel can be something of a luxury, of course; if your time and money are consumed on everyday practicalities alone, being able to jet off somewhere exotic may feel like the sort of thing other people do.
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In the age of the tourism backlash, we need ‘destination stewards’
Thursday 28th of March 2019
Globally, more people are travelling to more places than ever before. Our ability to connect with new people, explore new destinations and work across more borders is unprecedented.
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Airlines lack clear flight path to lower carbon emissions: researchers
Wednesday 6th of March 2019
Some of the world’s largest airlines have yet to set long-term targets to reduce their climate-changing emissions, climate and economic researchers warned Tuesday.
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Concorde is a reminder that the only way for innovation is up
Friday 1st of March 2019
I do not think I have ever met a child who is not fascinated with flying. When an airplane passes overhead and my own children look up at the sky, I can remember how I was also captivated as a boy at the wonder of flight.