Here’s a round-up of luxury travel stories that have caught the eye this week. To make sure you receive these new weekly alerts in your web browser, please click on the red bell icon in the bottom right hand corner of the page and click ‘subscribe’ (works on desktop only – for other ways to subscribe, please click here). This will also alert you to any other posts on the blog. Should you wish, you can unsubscribe at any time, by clicking on the icon again and selecting ‘unsubscribe’.
The insane 575-foot Acionna concept is a superyacht to beat all superyachts
At what point can you look in the mirror and confidently proclaim, “I have arrived?” Is it when your yacht has a helipad? Or so many rooms that you could lose the keys to your backup Bugatti for hours among its many decks? What about when your superyacht has its own smaller satellite yacht? These are the questions the ultra-luxurious Acionna superyacht concept seeks to answer… [read more]
Why Vienna’s anti-Instagram stance is a brave move in the age of social media
Every two minutes in 2018, we take as many photos as were taken in the entire 19th century. So say the Vienna Tourist Board, who’ve had enough of us selfieing our way around the Ringstrasse. This month, they’ve drawn a line in the sand with a bold new marketing campaign: Unhashtag Vienna… [read more]
Ryanair is bringing back its private jet experience, but food and drink are extra
If you fancy travelling with a bit of comfort, Ryanair has announced that its corporate 737 jet is back in service for the winter season. It is offering its Boeing 737-700 for corporate and group hire, and the great news is that you can enjoy a generous baggage allowance while reclining in one of the 60 business class leather seats… [read more]
The world’s most dangerous countries revealed
Libya, Afghanistan and Somalia are the most dangerous places on earth, according to a new map designed for travellers that alerts them to risks abroad. The interactive ‘Travel Risk Map’ for 2019 reveals the countries where travellers are most likely to have trouble when it comes to road safety, security and medical matters. Nordic countries Finland, Norway and Iceland have been labelled the safest places on the map… [read more]
No-fly holidays you’ll want to book right now
Not everyone likes flying, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have amazing holidays in fantastic destinations. Whether you fancy a European road trip or a cruise around the Med, there are plenty of places all over the world that make great no-fly holiday options… [read more]
We really enjoy hearing from our readers and would love to hear your views on any of these stories! Please click on the comments below and share your thoughts. Thank you.
Paul Johnson is Editor of A Luxury Travel Blog and has worked in the travel industry for more than 30 years. He is Winner of the Innovations in Travel ‘Best Travel Influencer’ Award from WIRED magazine. In addition to other awards, the blog has also been voted “one of the world’s best travel blogs” and “best for luxury” by The Daily Telegraph.
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9 Comments
I can see where Vienna, without the #, is coming from. In some places Selfie Sticks, wielded indiscriminately, have become a positive health and safety hazard, as well as obscuring other people’s views.
There’s no doubt that trying to make a place your “own” with a selfie or any picture often stops visitors from truly appreciating a destination. Once they’ve got their picture, posted it and ticked the box they feel that the place is “done”. A visual picture of a place is quite a limited and superficial.
Then again I’m guilty. I’ve just been to the Jane Austen House and Museum and spent a few minutes trying to find an image to post online. Certainly, it’s a fascinating place that deserves a wider audience and would welcome the publicity.
I think it’s quite a clever campaign on the part of Vienna. I’m sure there are certain demographics (and I suspect I fall into at least one of them) that simply can’t understand the need to have a selfie here, there and everywhere. I think it’s a great way to tap into a more mature audience, and one that is potentially more affluent, may stay for longer and is more flexible to travel out of season. The irony is, though, that the campaign probably gets its greatest mileage and exposure through… well, social media, of course. :)
Wot no helipad?
I would never even look at a super yacht without a helipad. How would you get on board?
Life would just be so inconvenient without a helicopter.
It’s just a concept at this stage but maybe one day will become a reality…
I’ve done my share of no-fly holidays.
Also, in recent years, I’ve had to do a lot of fly-there-quick holidays as well. I can come up with a long list of reasons for not flying such as airport parking, delays, cancelled flights, cramped flights, airline meals etc etc
But in the end it comes down to one number. 24. I get 24 days holiday a year. Slow-travel is brill if you’ve got the time but I ain’t. Maybe if I ever get to retire I’ll do more no-fly holidays but in the short-term I’m going to have to get there quick.
I can totally related to that. For some, every day of holiday is critical. And if you get limited time off each year, even more critical still. However, there are those who simply don’t like flying or who enjoy the journey as part of their holiday experience. We actually did a trip to northern Spain (not too dissimilar to the one mentioned in the article – you can see it here), spending time in Santona (we actually stayed at a hotel on the beach at Berria) and moving on to San Sebastian afterwards. There were a number of positives to this no-fly holiday… 1. we could take our own car and didn’t need to hire one when we got there, 2. we were towing boats for a sailing competition so again this worked well, and 3. the actual experience of getting there was quite a pleasurable one (once we’d got over THIS problem!!) – there was no arriving at an airport 2-3 hours before, worrying about airport parking, and so on… instead, we just boarded, had a nice meal, watched a film at the cinema, played cards, explored the ship, had a good night’s sleep on board, etc. and, before we knew it, we were at our destination.
I do get why Vienna is doing the no-hashtag campaign. Enjoy the scenery with you own eyes and not through the screen of a phone. But what I don’t get is why single out Instagram particulary. A lot of the social media, if not all really, use hashtag. And people don’t just post images on Instagram but in other platforms as well.
I don’t think they are necessarily targeting Instagram. I think that is just this news outlet’s take on it. If you look at the original link for the campaign at https://www.wien.info/en/campaigns/unhashtag-vienna/home you’ll notice they don’t single out any one social network. But it’s Instagram that seems to be flavour of the month at the moment, and that is perhaps one of the most popular when it comes to selfies, so maybe this is why they took this line of focus in the article…
I find the tone of the piece on Ryanair somewhat disturbing. Once again the media are having a stab at their pricing policy and business strategy. The story is about a luxury product but the writer decides to link it back to their basic product.
Ultimately, Ryanair are still in business and providing flights to destinations which might not otherwise be served.
They provide the option to take a very basic service of a seat on a plane to get you from A to B. This enables many students and people with limited means to undertake travel that they would not otherwise be able to afford.
It is then the passenger’s choice as to whether they choose their seat, take more than hand luggage or have a drink and snack on the flight. The pricing is clear when you book online.
The insane 575-foot Acionna concept is a superyacht to beat all superyachts
At what point can you look in the mirror and confidently proclaim, “I have arrived?” Is it when your yacht has a helipad? Or so many rooms that you could lose the keys to your backup Bugatti for hours among its many decks? What about when your superyacht has its own smaller satellite yacht? These are the questions the ultra-luxurious Acionna superyacht concept seeks to answer… [read more]
The insane 575-foot Acionna concept is a superyacht to beat all superyachts
At what point can you look in the mirror and confidently proclaim, “I have arrived?” Is it when your yacht has a helipad? Or so many rooms that you could lose the keys to your backup Bugatti for hours among its many decks? What about when your superyacht has its own smaller satellite yacht? These are the questions the ultra-luxurious Acionna superyacht concept seeks to answer… [read more]
Why Vienna’s anti-Instagram stance is a brave move in the age of social media
Every two minutes in 2018, we take as many photos as were taken in the entire 19th century. So say the Vienna Tourist Board, who’ve had enough of us selfieing our way around the Ringstrasse. This month, they’ve drawn a line in the sand with a bold new marketing campaign: Unhashtag Vienna… [read more]
Ryanair is bringing back its private jet experience, but food and drink are extra
If you fancy travelling with a bit of comfort, Ryanair has announced that its corporate 737 jet is back in service for the winter season. It is offering its Boeing 737-700 for corporate and group hire, and the great news is that you can enjoy a generous baggage allowance while reclining in one of the 60 business class leather seats… [read more]
The world’s most dangerous countries revealed
Libya, Afghanistan and Somalia are the most dangerous places on earth, according to a new map designed for travellers that alerts them to risks abroad. The interactive ‘Travel Risk Map’ for 2019 reveals the countries where travellers are most likely to have trouble when it comes to road safety, security and medical matters. Nordic countries Finland, Norway and Iceland have been labelled the safest places on the map… [read more]
No-fly holidays you’ll want to book right now
Not everyone likes flying, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have amazing holidays in fantastic destinations. Whether you fancy a European road trip or a cruise around the Med, there are plenty of places all over the world that make great no-fly holiday options… [read more]
We really enjoy hearing from our readers and would love to hear your views on any of these stories! Please click on the comments below and share your thoughts. Thank you.
I can see where Vienna, without the #, is coming from. In some places Selfie Sticks, wielded indiscriminately, have become a positive health and safety hazard, as well as obscuring other people’s views.
There’s no doubt that trying to make a place your “own” with a selfie or any picture often stops visitors from truly appreciating a destination. Once they’ve got their picture, posted it and ticked the box they feel that the place is “done”. A visual picture of a place is quite a limited and superficial.
Then again I’m guilty. I’ve just been to the Jane Austen House and Museum and spent a few minutes trying to find an image to post online. Certainly, it’s a fascinating place that deserves a wider audience and would welcome the publicity.
I think it’s quite a clever campaign on the part of Vienna. I’m sure there are certain demographics (and I suspect I fall into at least one of them) that simply can’t understand the need to have a selfie here, there and everywhere. I think it’s a great way to tap into a more mature audience, and one that is potentially more affluent, may stay for longer and is more flexible to travel out of season. The irony is, though, that the campaign probably gets its greatest mileage and exposure through… well, social media, of course. :)
Wot no helipad?
I would never even look at a super yacht without a helipad. How would you get on board?
Life would just be so inconvenient without a helicopter.
How about a superyacht where the top deck itself lifts off like a helicopter before reaching the speeds and distances of private passenger jets?
https://home.bt.com/tech-gadgets/tech-news/is-it-a-boat-is-it-a-plane-ultimate-superyachts-top-deck-transforms-into-jet-aeroplane-11363985233538
It’s just a concept at this stage but maybe one day will become a reality…
I’ve done my share of no-fly holidays.
Also, in recent years, I’ve had to do a lot of fly-there-quick holidays as well. I can come up with a long list of reasons for not flying such as airport parking, delays, cancelled flights, cramped flights, airline meals etc etc
But in the end it comes down to one number. 24. I get 24 days holiday a year. Slow-travel is brill if you’ve got the time but I ain’t. Maybe if I ever get to retire I’ll do more no-fly holidays but in the short-term I’m going to have to get there quick.
I can totally related to that. For some, every day of holiday is critical. And if you get limited time off each year, even more critical still. However, there are those who simply don’t like flying or who enjoy the journey as part of their holiday experience. We actually did a trip to northern Spain (not too dissimilar to the one mentioned in the article – you can see it here), spending time in Santona (we actually stayed at a hotel on the beach at Berria) and moving on to San Sebastian afterwards. There were a number of positives to this no-fly holiday… 1. we could take our own car and didn’t need to hire one when we got there, 2. we were towing boats for a sailing competition so again this worked well, and 3. the actual experience of getting there was quite a pleasurable one (once we’d got over THIS problem!!) – there was no arriving at an airport 2-3 hours before, worrying about airport parking, and so on… instead, we just boarded, had a nice meal, watched a film at the cinema, played cards, explored the ship, had a good night’s sleep on board, etc. and, before we knew it, we were at our destination.
I do get why Vienna is doing the no-hashtag campaign. Enjoy the scenery with you own eyes and not through the screen of a phone. But what I don’t get is why single out Instagram particulary. A lot of the social media, if not all really, use hashtag. And people don’t just post images on Instagram but in other platforms as well.
I don’t think they are necessarily targeting Instagram. I think that is just this news outlet’s take on it. If you look at the original link for the campaign at https://www.wien.info/en/campaigns/unhashtag-vienna/home you’ll notice they don’t single out any one social network. But it’s Instagram that seems to be flavour of the month at the moment, and that is perhaps one of the most popular when it comes to selfies, so maybe this is why they took this line of focus in the article…
I find the tone of the piece on Ryanair somewhat disturbing. Once again the media are having a stab at their pricing policy and business strategy. The story is about a luxury product but the writer decides to link it back to their basic product.
Ultimately, Ryanair are still in business and providing flights to destinations which might not otherwise be served.
They provide the option to take a very basic service of a seat on a plane to get you from A to B. This enables many students and people with limited means to undertake travel that they would not otherwise be able to afford.
It is then the passenger’s choice as to whether they choose their seat, take more than hand luggage or have a drink and snack on the flight. The pricing is clear when you book online.