Travel By Design

As concerns about the coronavirus spread, people looking to enjoy the Lunar New Year season canceled trips, which hit China’s air, road and rail travel industry hard. Transport Ministry Vice Minister Liu Xiaoming said passenger travel would drop 45 percent during the 40-day travel season, ending Feb. 18. Airlines transported just an average of 470,000 people a day between Jan. 25 and Feb. 14, a quarter of 2019’s amount. Between Feb. 15 and Feb. 23, the amount of passengers was one-tenth of the peak period. The coronavirus outbreak has shaken up the country’s transportation industry, especially after officials shut down large swaths of the country and over 50 countries implementing travel restrictions to and from China. The crisis is taking place at a crucially busy time for the country – with the Lunar New Year season going. It was expected that hundreds of millions of Chinese would go on three [...]

China is not happy with Australia after its prime minister extended its travel ban of foreign nationals leaving the country for seven additional days in the wake of a deepening Coronavirus crisis. There will be a weekly review of the China Travel ban, and its decision is the result of businesses warning that it could add to the damage of the domestic economy thanks to the virus and the communist regime’s protests. According to a Chinese embassy spokesperson, since the COVID-19 outbreak, China has taken broad, strict prevention and control measures that have surpassed the WHO and International Health Regulations’ recommendations. The spokesperson said this is leading to positive results, and the epidemic will soon be over. WHO does not feel it is necessary to put travel and trade limitations on China. Australia and a handful of other countries have gone to extremes, which many consider to be an overreaction. [...]

After the 2013 release of the documentary Blackfish, SeaWorld made some significant changes. It terminated its orca breeding program. It ended all the whale dancing and kissing orca performances. The company also changed how people interacted with the animals, making it more educational rather than entertainment. The latest SeaWorld change includes ending “dolphin surfing tricks” park trainers would do in the shows. Dolphin surfing is where the trainers would ride on the backs or snouts of two swimming dolphins, standing up. The company said it sent its decision to eliminate the theatrics of the dolphin shows to the Securities and Exchange Commission. In the letter, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) had asked its shareholders to vote in ending the dolphin shows at the park. PETA holds more than 160 shares of SeaWorld stock. The letter details the company’s plans in which it would no longer surf [...]

Careening through the backstreets of Warsaw in a minibus that bumped and jostled us through a former Communist neighborhood, I immediately regretted that extra pierogi I’d had for lunch that now threatened to expel itself.

The U.S. Department of Transportation has submitted a proposal that just specially-trained dogs designated as service animals be allowed on airplanes. This would mean emotional support animals – from dogs to cats to rabbits to snakes – would no longer be permitted on airlines. 

With the rise in coronavirus numbers, the travel industry is bracing itself for the negative impact.   According to Chinese officials, there are thousands of cases and over 30 deaths with confirmed cases in other countries: Japan, South Korea, Thailand and the U.S. China expanded its quarantine to 12 cities in and around Wuhan – the epicenter of the outbreak – which has 35 million people.   The World Health Organization said precautions were needed, but no global emergency was being enacted just yet.   How Will The Tourism Industry Be Affected By The Virus Outbreak  The damage the coronavirus can cause on the tourism industry is just as bad as the virus’ timing. For instance, China’s Lunar New Year may have been impacted by the illness. It’s a time of year where 400 million Chinese travelers were expected to travel for a several-weeks long holiday vacation to other parts of the country [...]

Maui is the second largest island in Hawaii and undoubtedly is a paradise in a lot of aspects. Maui is not Disneyland so for best enjoyment and safety, a trip to this Hawaiian island requires some planning.   This article offers some helpful tips to guide you to planning your trip of a lifetime to Maui.

When it comes to overseas/foreign /world travel, you may think you need a lot of money. You don’t, but if you’re unsure of where you can go for cheap, you’ll be delighted to know that there are all kinds of places in the world that you can visit that will turn that $1 into $10. With a little bit of foresight and careful planning, you can stretch the budget you have and have a great time.

Nature is embracing; it has a solution for all your moods and needs. And the Colorado Rocky Mountains are its proof! Located in the western region of North America, the Rockies are a blessing for adventure seekers, nature lovers, and those who want a short break from the hustle of life to escape in the wilderness of nature.

The island of Puerto Rico was still recovering from the destruction caused by Hurricane Maria when a Magnitude 6.4 earthquake shook the island.  As of this taping, Puerto Rico was hit by a 5.3 quake. Yet, despite these natural disasters Sarah Ratliff, a resident of Puerto Rico, along with freelance writer Cassandra Brooklyn, who just returned from Puerto Rico, say that the island is not as devastated as has been portrayed and it is open for tourism business. For many years, Cuba has been the forbidden fruit that many Americans have sought to taste by traveling to the island using “unconventional” means.  For years, Americans believed that they could save money (and red tape) by entering Cuba through other gateways. Freelance writer and owner of Escaping New York Cassandra Brooklyn, joins us again to share how solo and group travelers can travel to Cuba legally and within a modest budget. [...]

For 2020, nude travel and space tourism are two of the top travel trends that we'll see emerge.  Surprised?  Don't be.

As travelers seek ways to minimize their impact on the environment while moving about the globe, Amtrak trains are standing out as an increasingly desirable option. The eco-friendliness of this transportation option is a big selling point, as the Environmental Protection Agency estimates that trains use about 50 percent less fuel per passenger than cars and 33 percent less than planes for the same trips.