Travel

I signed up in 1999 to research Ethiopia and – as with millions of other travellers – subsequent Lonely Planet trips provided foundational life experiences. I healed a broken heart researching the desert landscapes of Namibia. Years in Italy taught me to appreciate life’s simple pleasures. When my mother died, my grieving father joined me in Sicily. A working-class man who never travelled for pleasure, he was consoled by the cavalcade of treasures we saw. Last week, a friend phoned from Benghazi, Libya, to enquire about my health and safety – a poignant irony given that he now lives in a city run by militias. … [Read more...] about Where now for travel? Lonely Planet closures point to an uncertain future

The automatic 14-day quarantine requirement will remain only for 'red-rated' countries such as the US and Brazil. Travel between 'green' and 'amber' countries will be quarantine-free, but passengers will have to fill in a 'locator form' to trace their movements.  … [Read more...] about TUI, EasyJet and Ryanair CANCEL all flights and holidays to Greece after it bans travellers from the UK until July 15 because of high coronavirus infection rate

Behind the recent campaigns against over-tourism lies a growing appreciation that public goods that were assumed to be endlessly exploitable are, in fact, both finite and have a value that the price of visiting them should reflect. “Polluter pays” is an economic principle that is gradually being introduced to farming, manufacturing and energy. The idea is that if your business produces harmful side effects, then you should be the one who picks up the tab for the cleanup operation. Something similar, incorporating not only environmental harm but also wider cultural degradation or damage to way of life, might become the guiding principle of a properly sustainable tourism industry. At present the focus is centred narrowly on tourism taxes, which aim to reduce the number of tourists while also bringing in more revenue. Modest though they remain – Amsterdam adds 7% to your room bill in addition to a flat €3 per person per night – they are the tentative … [Read more...] about The end of tourism?

And the roots are easily found. We are shown inside my mother’s house, which still stands but is currently between renovations. My dad tells us how it looked when he last saw it in the early 70s, gesturing to long-gone fittings and appliances, rearranging the floorplan with points and waves. “I was never allowed upstairs, of course,” he reminds us, since his last visits were before they were married, and he a good Catholic boy. It’s my wife who discreetly challenges him on this point, when we ascend the staircase, and find he is immediately able to tell us how the top floor looked as well. … [Read more...] about Who do you think you are? Séamas O’Reilly digs up his Irish past

Coronavirus: The consequences for tourism Tourism on Greek islands starts again From Monday (May 25), Greece's islands will be accessible again by plane and ferry for domestic tourists. Taverns, bars and cafes are reopening nationwide. Ferries are to sell only 50% of their tickets, and taverns are only allowed to occupy half of their tables. The list of countries from which foreign tourists can enter Greece without a two-week quarantine will be announced at the end of May. … [Read more...] about Mandatory coronavirus testing at airports in Germany off to smooth start