Tagged: environment

Stunning Images of Natural Attractions and Culture Sites Endangered by Climate Change and Other Threats

Our incredible, imperiled planet risks losing some of its most awe-inspiring natural wonders and cultural treasures due to climate change, conflict, commercial development, and other…

France Bans Short-Haul Flights—but Only a Few Routes Are Affected

This week France became the first country in the world to enact a ban on short-haul domestic flights. According to the new law, airlines may not operate flights between two French…

How Are Ultrarich Tourists Spending Valentine’s? In a $200,000 Champagne Bath, Apparently

Now that the December holidays are behind us, hotels have begun promoting themselves as ideal escapes for Valentine's Day. In many cases, they're putting together romantic offerings…

Hiking to the World’s Tallest Tree Could Get You a $5,000 Fine, Jail Time

A fine of $5,000 and up to 6 months in jail await those who attempt to hike to the world's tallest tree, the National Park Service has announced. Dubbed Hyperion, the coast redwood…

The World's Safest Places to Go in 2022

There’s always some degree of risk when you go on vacation. That’s why we have airbags, travel insurance, and those scratchy money belts you’re supposed to wear under your clothes to…

Famous Thai Beach from Leonardo DiCaprio Movie Reopening After Three Years

Thailand's Maya Bay, the speck of paradise that played the title role in the Leonardo DiCaprio movie The Beach (2000), is reopening to tourists after a three-year-long…

How to Survive the USA's Crazy-Busy National Parks This Summer

America is entering a summer of pent-up travel energy following more than a year of homebound life. And as long as most international countries remain unready to fling open their doors…

5 Earth-Friendly Products for Camping, Beach Days, and Road Trips

We’re strongly in favor of getting out there and exploring the world. But we want to do that in a way that ensures there’s still a world left to explore in the future. Here are five…

Venice Bans Cruise Ships from City Center, but the Detour Plan Has Flaws

Italy took a step this week that environmental activists, cultural preservationists, and many fed-up Venice residents have been pushing for years. The government blocked cruise ships…

Some Ports Realize They May Not Want Cruises Back Once Covid Is Over

As Covid-19 recedes, vacationers may see major shifts in cruise itineraries. Citizens in major ports of call have tasted life without the presence of big cruise ships—and some…

Why Key West's Ban on Big Ships Will Change Caribbean Cruises

Once a quiet fishing village and quirky haven for writers, artists, and free spirits, the Florida Straits city of Key West veered toward tourist-trap territory starting in the…

After 3,000 Years, Wild Tasmanian Devils Return to Mainland Australia

Tasmanian devils are back in the wild on mainland Australia after an absence of 3,000 years. A small breeding population of the stocky marsupials has been released in a wildlife…

Thailand Is Mailing Trash Back to Tourists Who Litter

Government officials in Thailand have had it with people leaving garbage in nature reserves. In a Facebook post last week, Varawut Silpa-archa, the country's minister of natural…

Visiting This Australian Museum Will Require Flippers and an Oxygen Tank

Deep-sea divers with an interest in sculpture should mark their calendars for December, when the first installation of visionary artist Jason deCaires Taylor’s Museum of Underwater Art…

Famous Thai Beach to Remain Closed Two More Years—at Least

Thailand's Maya Bay, which played the titular locale in the 2000 Leonardo DiCaprio movie The Beach, is currently closed to tourists and will remain that way until at least…

Great Barrier Reef Tours: Gateways to Australia's Underwater Wonder

Beneath the aqua blue waters off Australia’s northeastern coast lie the jewels of the deep—1,500 kinds of fish, 400 species of coral, 4,000 kinds of clams and snails, and…

For Tourists, This Is the Last Straw!

Last call! More and more, you're going to have to go without drinking straws.Single-use plastic straws are distinctly unkind to wildlife. Fresh straws choke animals. Then each straw is…

To Visit This Island Paradise You Have to Pledge to Protect the Environment

In order to enter the island nation of Palau in the western Pacific Ocean, visitors must now sign a "passport pledge" to protect the environment.The mandatory vow was enacted to…

Bringing Plastic Bags to Kenya Could Land You in Prison

While some world cities have been dabbling in the reduction of plastic bags by charging customers if they want one or switching to paper, Kenya has just instituted the harshest plastic…

How Much Is the Great Barrier Reef Worth?

You can't really put a price on the world's great natural marvels—or can you?A report issued by the accounting firm Deloitte Access Economics has assigned an estimated monetary…

Great Barrier Reef's Value, Food Theme Park in Tokyo, and Carry-On Pesto in Italy: Today's Travel Briefing

JUNE 27, 2017 — Good morning, everybody! Here's the latest from the world's markets, airports, and underwater marvels.HOW MUCH IS THE GREAT BARRIER REEF WORTH? (Kyodo News)You can't…

Virtual Dives at Marine Sanctuaries, A Second Seattle Airport?, and America's Best Beaches: Today's Travel Briefing

MAY 31, 2017 — Good morning, everybody! Here's the latest from the world's airports, beaches, and dive sites. A SECOND AIRPORT FOR SEATTLE? (USA Today)The Seattle area could soon get a…

Australia Tourism and Nevada's Artistic Giraffe: Today's Travel Briefing

MAY 19, 2017 — Good morning, everybody! All of today's travel news has to do with Australia, animals, or both. We'll start out Down Under . . . AUSTRALIA TOURISM BOOST IN 2016 (Travel…

The Discovery of an Octopus in a Miami Beach Car Park Poses a Threat to the City's Tourism

MAY 11, 2017It was only a small news item. And yet the short write-up in the Miami Herald had an outsized significance. According to the Miami area’s major newspaper, an octopus was…

The World's First Hybrid Plane Is Here

Introducing a new type of airplane: One that works on a hydrogen hybrid system.The new concept will be embraced by easyJet, the cheapie that operates in 27 European cities. But…