If you build it, they will come: Why infrastructure is crucial to tourism growth and competitiveness
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China’s tier-one cities are the testing ground for robotaxis
Thursday 21st of October 2021
Tests with driverless taxi services have been underway in China’s major cities, also called tier one cities, including Beijing and Shanghai. Still a novelty today, robotaxis are expected to experience a quick rollout in China’s main metropolises. Numbers by McKinsey & Company show that less than ten years down the line, driverless taxis are projected to service between a fifth and a quarter of all kilometers passengers travel on shared mobility in those cities.
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These are the world’s most and least powerful passports
Wednesday 20th of October 2021
Some passports afford their bearers more freedom than others. In 2021, Japan and Singapore were named the countries with the world’s most powerful passports by the Henley Passport Index. Holders of these passports have the unbeatable luxury of being able to enter 192 countries without applying for and receiving a visa beforehand. South Korea (not pictured) and Germany follow with visa-free travel to 190 jurisdictions.
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This solar-powered motorhome was designed by students
Tuesday 19th of October 2021
A solar-powered motorhome, shaped like a huge elongated teardrop, silently rolled into Madrid on Friday as part of a month-long journey from the Netherlands to southern Spain to highlight more sustainable modes of transport.
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Chart: Europe’s airlines take to skies again but don’t expect a return to ‘normal’
Monday 18th of October 2021
Europe’s airlines have been cleared for take-off after 18 months during which the COVID-19 pandemic grounded fleets all over the region.
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Aviation’s flight path to a net-zero future
Monday 20th of September 2021
The warnings are clear. The latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) says the effects of global warming are widespread and intensifying. When world leaders gather at the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in a few weeks’ time, they will have calls for action ringing in their ears.
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A timeline of everything that happened on 9/11
Friday 10th of September 2021
For Americans and people watching around the world, September 11, 2001, is a day that will never be forgotten.
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An entire generation of Americans has no idea how easy air travel used to be
Wednesday 8th of September 2021
During the mid-1990s I traveled between Dayton, Ohio, and Washington, D.C., twice a month during the school year as half of a commuting couple. I could leave Dayton by 5:15 p.m., drive nearly 80 miles to the Columbus airport during rush hour, park my car in the economy lot, and still get to my gate in plenty of time for a 7:30 p.m. departure.
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Why getting rid of paper passports might be good for business
Tuesday 7th of September 2021
The standard template for passports was created more than a century ago—and many argue that it’s due for a major rethink. Economists and open-border advocates point out that tethering one’s prospects to a paper-based travel document, one originally meant to expedite queues at European train stations, has proven to be inefficient, costly, and ultimately inequitable.
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3 steps towards making aviation and marine fuel cleaner
Monday 6th of September 2021
• On the current trajectory, sustainable fuels will only supply a small percentage of aviation and shipping needs.
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Business travel won’t be more sustainable post-COVID unless companies take action
Wednesday 1st of September 2021
When we talk about why the transportation sector generates such a prominent share of greenhouse gas emissions, we tend to point to its most conspicuous villains: private jets, Big Oil, gridlock. To combat climate change, we encourage consumers to carpool and urge our legislators to invest in clean energy. These are commendable efforts, to be clear. But the discussion often leaves one of the biggest climate actors on the table.
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Towards a sustainable future for aviation in Asia Pacific
Friday 20th of August 2021
The scale of climate change for the aviation industry requires all stakeholders to act now and act fast. It is important that the governments in the APAC region and across the globe maintain a feedstock and technology-neutral approach in their policy frameworks. And all available solutions that fulfill the established sustainability and greenhouse gas emission savings criteria should be encouraged and supported.
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Pandemic and staycationing lift Swedish book sales to record levels
Wednesday 18th of August 2021
Book sales in Sweden hit an all-time high in the first half of 2021 as people travelled less and entertained themselves at home more than usual during the pandemic, setting the industry up for another stellar year after a record 2020.
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Business travellers are ready to take off again – if certain conditions are met – says survey
Tuesday 17th of August 2021
The majority of people whose jobs involve business travel are itching to get back out there. But only if their employers go the extra mile and offer plenty of travel flexibility.
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How lead batteries could make EVs safer
Monday 9th of August 2021
Dr Christian Rosenkranz, Chair of CBI and Vice President Industry and Governmental Relations EMEA at Clarios, sets out how lead batteries supporting safety systems in electric vehicles are integral to low-carbon mobility.
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Which countries have the most UNESCO World Heritage sites?
Friday 6th of August 2021
Italy is home to the largest number of UNESCO world heritage sites in the world. After the annual announcement of new sites by the UNESCO committee, the country now boasts 58 world heritage locations. New additions are the porticoes, or sheltered walkways, of Bologna, the fourteenth-century fresco cycles of Padua as well as the Montecatini Terme of Tuscany, part of the designation of “The Great Spa Towns of Europe”, which stretch across seven countries.
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Meet the world’s first zero-emission, hydrogen-powered aeroplane engine
Thursday 5th of August 2021
The aviation sector is facing a double challenge. COVID-19 has cost the airline industry an estimated $370 billion, according to the International Civil Aviation Organization.
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Why decarbonising industry is a team sport
Wednesday 4th of August 2021
The best of human endeavour, excellence and solidarity is currently on display at the Tokyo Olympics. In the face of the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Games is bringing the world together in sporting prowess and teamwork. Humanity will need to find that same level of solidarity and teamwork if we are to successfully work together to address climate change.
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A travel boom is looming. But is the industry ready?
Tuesday 3rd of August 2021
If things go well, we might be at the threshold of a new age of travel. Although COVID-19 variants may affect conditions, it seems only a matter of time before travelers in some parts of the world hit the road and take to the skies again, thanks to rising vaccination rates and manageable caseloads. Some countries have begun gingerly relaxing travel restrictions and reopening borders.
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This is how today’s engineers would build the Golden Gate Bridge
Tuesday 3rd of August 2021
Ever since the Golden Gate Bridge opened to traffic on May 27, 1937, it’s been an iconic symbol on the American landscape.
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We urgently need to kickstart tourism’s recovery but crisis offers an opportunity to rethink it
Monday 2nd of August 2021
This should be the time of year when people are packing suitcases and travel documents for their summer holidays – at least in the northern hemisphere. For many economies, these months are critical, and millions of businesses and workers are eager for tourists to return, especially given how badly the sector has already been hit.
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This sponge could inspire advanced designs in buildings, bridges and aircraft
Friday 30th of July 2021
The remarkable structural properties of the Venus’ flower basket sponge (E. aspergillum) might seem fathoms removed from human-engineered structures. However, insights into how the organism’s latticework of holes and ridges influences the hydrodynamics of seawater in its vicinity could lead to advanced designs for buildings, bridges, marine vehicles, and aircraft.
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Creating zero-emission aviation with hydrogen and electric power
Thursday 29th of July 2021
The COVID-19 pandemic has sharpened the public’s understanding of the role that flying plays in our lives. In addition to the incredible loss of life, people around the world have felt tremendous sadness as they became unable to see loved ones who live far away. Millions of people lost their job in the tourism industries, and governments with the wealth to support their aerospace and aviation sectors spent billions of dollars trying to keep afloat what are considered strategic sectors providing significant employment.
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This new ‘levitating’ Chinese train will be the fastest in the world
Thursday 29th of July 2021
China has unveiled a maglev train capable of a top speed of 600 kph, state media said.
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How clean-energy technology can follow in the footsteps of the humble microwave
Friday 16th of July 2021
When the first microwave oven hit the market in 1955, it cost roughly $12,000 in today’s dollars. These days you can pick one up at Walmart for $50.
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What 6 aviation executives say about an EU sustainable aviation fuel blending mandate
Friday 16th of July 2021
The European Union’s “Fit for 55” package of regulatory proposals were announced on 14 July 2021 as part of the EU’s strategy to reduce emissions 55% by 2030, compared to 1990 levels. A central component of this decarbonization plan is a blending mandate for sustainable aviation fuel via the ReFuelEU Aviation initiative.
