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’.
Royal Family: From costs to carbon, how do they travel?
The image of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge stepping onto a budget flight contrasted somewhat with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s travel this summer. Prince William and Kate’s cheap hop on Flybe from Norwich to Aberdeen was compared unfavourably by critics to Prince Harry and Meghan’s trips by private jet… [read more]
How bad are private jets for the environment?
With the conversation around climate change hotting up in recent months, more attention than ever is being paid to the way we travel. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have come under fire for taking four trips by private jet in 11 days – with celebrities quick to step forward and defend the royal couple – while teenage activist Greta Thunberg’s decision to reach America via yacht to reduce her carbon footprint has drawn praise and censure from those on both sides of the debate. But is travelling by private jet really as bad as we think it is in terms of impacting on the environment? And if so, why? Here’s everything you need to know… [read more]
Selfie culture has doomed the world’s most precious tourist sites
Instagram posts of the blooming poppy fields in Lake Elsinore last March inspired thousands to flock to the small Southern California town. A total of 100,000 visited in just one day, causing so much traffic gridlock and crushed wildlife that the local government dubbed it “Poppy Apocalypse.” Rue Crémieux, a photogenic street in Paris, has been so overrun with Instagram “influencers” that frustrated locals have petitioned the government to ban all photo and video shoots during weekends and evenings… [read more]
Is Japan the world’s next wellness destination?
Japan is now the third-largest wellness tourism destination in Asia, in terms of total visitors, according to the Global Wellness Institute’s 2019 Global Wellness Trends report. Since the tourism industry has received substantial investments in preparation for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, officials are promoting Japanese wellness — from an extraordinary hot springs culture to forest bathing — to broaden the country’s international appeal… [read more]
Metal-eating bacteria and corrosion could cause the Titanic to disappear
Time and tides have been unkind to the Titanic and it’s disappearing at an alarming rate. Explorers on the first manned voyage in nearly 15 years were astonished by its rapid decay. “Probably the most shocking area of deterioration was the starboard side of the officers’ quarters, where the captain’s quarters are. The captain’s bathtub is a favorite image among Titanic enthusiasts and that’s now gone,” said Titanic historian Park Stephenson… [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.
Have a story you’d like to share? Please contact us for details.
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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13 Comments
Responsible Tourism’s map of over tourism must become more widely seen. If more pieces were written publicising the league table of over-crowded destinations it might just put people off visiting.
Will Japan become the world’s next wellness hotspot? There is not much doubt that wellness retreats will increase in Japan over the coming years. Though it seems to me that the wellness market is growing steadily all over the world. Probably the fact that the world will be visiting Japan for the Rugby World Cup and the Olympics will increase tourism footfall and there will be spin-off benefits for the Japanese wellness industry.
I don’t think this growth area is just limited to Japan. They’re currently talking about the corporate wellness market in Asia doubling in the next 5 years which is quite a rate of expansion.
The British people’s relationship with their monarchy is continually evolving. Inevitably, the growth of the media and the proliferation of cheap digital cameras gives organisations the ability to report instantly on nearly everything the family do. Then social media disseminates news and comments very rapidly.
One has to feel some sympathy for the royals as they continue to live in a gold fish bowl, albeit a very luxurious one.
One significant advantage is that it encourages people to discuss topical issues. It is far from just Harry and Meghan who fly in private jets and helicopters. In my view their behaviour, right or wrong, sparks debates which encourage people to think more closely about their own travel plans.
Yes, I know many people will glibly say they’d happily swap places with the royals, but the reality is that it wouldn’t be all it’s cracked up to be. Continually being under public scrutiny, permanently travelling with security in tow, not being able to just go out casually, not being able to express a political opinion… not to mention the duties, public functions, events, etc.
I just don’t get the selfie-culture. People roll in to town to get the perfect selfie. Usually it is a picture that someone else has taken so it’s not even their interpretation of the place. These people obsessed with capturing a place in just one or two images really aren’t making the most of their travels. Do they ever cast their mind back to times before the invention of the camera? People travelled but they either used their diaries, sketching / painting and their memories to keep a record of where they had been.
I must confess, I don’t like the narcissism of it all. I feel this is where ALTB differs from many other blogs out there. It’s not so much about me and my travels (you’ll rarely see me in pictures on the blog), but instead I prefer the focus to be on the destinations, hotels, resorts, restaurants, etc. I know people like to follow people with these things but when I started ALTB this wasn’t really the culture I signed up for, and not one I’ve chosen to adopt since. I think this can affect engagement a little – people don’t feel they get to know the person behind the blog as well as they might otherwise from a more personal travel blog – but hopefully there’s still a place for relatively selfie-free blogs like this one! Would love to hear what others feel about all of this.
Fascinating statistics in here. It says that 1.4bn people are travelling to see the world. What I’d like to know is how many of those are taking multiple trips throughout the year.? Amongst my friends with good jobs they could be flying for 4 or 5 city breaks a year as well as their holidays
But doing the Maths world population at the moment is 7.7bn. That means we’ve got 6.3bn who aren’t travelling. Chances are that as they become wealthier they will want to travel.
It looks as if this selfish selfie problem is only the tip of the iceberg. If those 6.3bn take to the air then I doubt that anyone will know what an iceberg is anyway.
When you consider where the Titanic sank – and the size of the vessel – I don’t think it’s going to be salvaged any time soon!
The royals are constantly in the news at the moment, it’s either Harry & Meghan’s trip or Prince Andrew’s possible shenanigans and involvement in a sex scandal. I know it’s important to consider carbon emissions and how we travel, and to some extend they’re held accountable as examples for others, but seriously? It’s not worth so many headlines and I don’t think their trips by private jet are what’s going to be the tipping point for climate change. The selfie culture story made me laugh, it seems like a lot of places are finding it becoming too much. Even in the UK with quaint villages in the Cotswold and areas of London where they’ve got colourful houses, the residents are getting sick of influencers and others wanting photos constantly outside their homes and blocking up their streets. It’s also a dangerous fad; I wonder how many have injured themselves or died now trying to get Instagram perfect photos on cliff edges and the like?
Transport (of which aviation is of course just one part) comes fourth in the pecking order for carbon emissions so, it’s still significant, but yes… there are other areas that have an even greater impact.
Royal Family: From costs to carbon, how do they travel?
The image of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge stepping onto a budget flight contrasted somewhat with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s travel this summer. Prince William and Kate’s cheap hop on Flybe from Norwich to Aberdeen was compared unfavourably by critics to Prince Harry and Meghan’s trips by private jet… [read more]
Royal Family: From costs to carbon, how do they travel?
The image of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge stepping onto a budget flight contrasted somewhat with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s travel this summer. Prince William and Kate’s cheap hop on Flybe from Norwich to Aberdeen was compared unfavourably by critics to Prince Harry and Meghan’s trips by private jet… [read more]
How bad are private jets for the environment?
With the conversation around climate change hotting up in recent months, more attention than ever is being paid to the way we travel. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have come under fire for taking four trips by private jet in 11 days – with celebrities quick to step forward and defend the royal couple – while teenage activist Greta Thunberg’s decision to reach America via yacht to reduce her carbon footprint has drawn praise and censure from those on both sides of the debate. But is travelling by private jet really as bad as we think it is in terms of impacting on the environment? And if so, why? Here’s everything you need to know… [read more]
Selfie culture has doomed the world’s most precious tourist sites
Instagram posts of the blooming poppy fields in Lake Elsinore last March inspired thousands to flock to the small Southern California town. A total of 100,000 visited in just one day, causing so much traffic gridlock and crushed wildlife that the local government dubbed it “Poppy Apocalypse.” Rue Crémieux, a photogenic street in Paris, has been so overrun with Instagram “influencers” that frustrated locals have petitioned the government to ban all photo and video shoots during weekends and evenings… [read more]
Is Japan the world’s next wellness destination?
Japan is now the third-largest wellness tourism destination in Asia, in terms of total visitors, according to the Global Wellness Institute’s 2019 Global Wellness Trends report. Since the tourism industry has received substantial investments in preparation for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, officials are promoting Japanese wellness — from an extraordinary hot springs culture to forest bathing — to broaden the country’s international appeal… [read more]
Metal-eating bacteria and corrosion could cause the Titanic to disappear
Time and tides have been unkind to the Titanic and it’s disappearing at an alarming rate. Explorers on the first manned voyage in nearly 15 years were astonished by its rapid decay. “Probably the most shocking area of deterioration was the starboard side of the officers’ quarters, where the captain’s quarters are. The captain’s bathtub is a favorite image among Titanic enthusiasts and that’s now gone,” said Titanic historian Park Stephenson… [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.
Have a story you’d like to share? Please contact us for details.
Responsible Tourism’s map of over tourism must become more widely seen. If more pieces were written publicising the league table of over-crowded destinations it might just put people off visiting.
Will Japan become the world’s next wellness hotspot? There is not much doubt that wellness retreats will increase in Japan over the coming years. Though it seems to me that the wellness market is growing steadily all over the world. Probably the fact that the world will be visiting Japan for the Rugby World Cup and the Olympics will increase tourism footfall and there will be spin-off benefits for the Japanese wellness industry.
I don’t think this growth area is just limited to Japan. They’re currently talking about the corporate wellness market in Asia doubling in the next 5 years which is quite a rate of expansion.
https://hrmasia.com/asias-corporate-wellness-market-to-more-than-double-by-2024/
The British people’s relationship with their monarchy is continually evolving. Inevitably, the growth of the media and the proliferation of cheap digital cameras gives organisations the ability to report instantly on nearly everything the family do. Then social media disseminates news and comments very rapidly.
One has to feel some sympathy for the royals as they continue to live in a gold fish bowl, albeit a very luxurious one.
One significant advantage is that it encourages people to discuss topical issues. It is far from just Harry and Meghan who fly in private jets and helicopters. In my view their behaviour, right or wrong, sparks debates which encourage people to think more closely about their own travel plans.
Yes, I know many people will glibly say they’d happily swap places with the royals, but the reality is that it wouldn’t be all it’s cracked up to be. Continually being under public scrutiny, permanently travelling with security in tow, not being able to just go out casually, not being able to express a political opinion… not to mention the duties, public functions, events, etc.
I just don’t get the selfie-culture. People roll in to town to get the perfect selfie. Usually it is a picture that someone else has taken so it’s not even their interpretation of the place. These people obsessed with capturing a place in just one or two images really aren’t making the most of their travels. Do they ever cast their mind back to times before the invention of the camera? People travelled but they either used their diaries, sketching / painting and their memories to keep a record of where they had been.
I must confess, I don’t like the narcissism of it all. I feel this is where ALTB differs from many other blogs out there. It’s not so much about me and my travels (you’ll rarely see me in pictures on the blog), but instead I prefer the focus to be on the destinations, hotels, resorts, restaurants, etc. I know people like to follow people with these things but when I started ALTB this wasn’t really the culture I signed up for, and not one I’ve chosen to adopt since. I think this can affect engagement a little – people don’t feel they get to know the person behind the blog as well as they might otherwise from a more personal travel blog – but hopefully there’s still a place for relatively selfie-free blogs like this one! Would love to hear what others feel about all of this.
Fascinating statistics in here. It says that 1.4bn people are travelling to see the world. What I’d like to know is how many of those are taking multiple trips throughout the year.? Amongst my friends with good jobs they could be flying for 4 or 5 city breaks a year as well as their holidays
But doing the Maths world population at the moment is 7.7bn. That means we’ve got 6.3bn who aren’t travelling. Chances are that as they become wealthier they will want to travel.
It looks as if this selfish selfie problem is only the tip of the iceberg. If those 6.3bn take to the air then I doubt that anyone will know what an iceberg is anyway.
Yes, and the worrying thing is that it’s there where the CO2 emission growth lies…
Ah, The Titanic – that’s a difficult one.
Do we interfere and preserve it for future generations? Or are we negligent and just let it naturally corrode?
And in our commercial world who will spend the money on preservation without the prospect of a return on their investment?
Questions, questions.
When you consider where the Titanic sank – and the size of the vessel – I don’t think it’s going to be salvaged any time soon!
The royals are constantly in the news at the moment, it’s either Harry & Meghan’s trip or Prince Andrew’s possible shenanigans and involvement in a sex scandal. I know it’s important to consider carbon emissions and how we travel, and to some extend they’re held accountable as examples for others, but seriously? It’s not worth so many headlines and I don’t think their trips by private jet are what’s going to be the tipping point for climate change. The selfie culture story made me laugh, it seems like a lot of places are finding it becoming too much. Even in the UK with quaint villages in the Cotswold and areas of London where they’ve got colourful houses, the residents are getting sick of influencers and others wanting photos constantly outside their homes and blocking up their streets. It’s also a dangerous fad; I wonder how many have injured themselves or died now trying to get Instagram perfect photos on cliff edges and the like?
Transport (of which aviation is of course just one part) comes fourth in the pecking order for carbon emissions so, it’s still significant, but yes… there are other areas that have an even greater impact.