Safety and Security

The coronavirus pandemic has treated the world to new norms that have never before occurred. The total shutdown of essential services and normal life during the total lockdown directives and a massive meltdown of economies leading to job losses and restructuring of revenue streams are scenarios that have not been witnessed in the recent past. Borders were shut down and airline companies parked their airplanes in airports. However, the pandemic infection rate is receding and most countries are considering a phased return to normalcy including the United States. Flights are reopening their services but Americans have had to adapt to new ways of air travel. Protection Guidelines Some of the major guidelines that have helped bring down coronavirus new infection cases are social distancing and wearing a protective mask. The airline industry is maintaining the same as a precaution against the spread of the virus. For some airlines, passengers are [...]

Anybody out there ready to hear some good news, for once? 2020 seems to be all about the bad news. I see it all the time on Facebook, TV, and even in my inbox. It seems the only thing anybody wants to talk about these days is COVID-19 and why we should all be terrified by what it brings. However, there is some good news out there! In the middle of this storm, people are reaching out to make this season a bit more survivable—particularly for first responders. I had the opportunity to talk with J.J. Bukowski, one of the founders of AZ Face Shields. This organization creates face shields to donate to first responders. In just a few short months, this organization has given away thousands of shields! J.J. told me how the idea for the organization was born and what the group has done to put a dent [...]

In this video, join Kellie Paxian as she shares her experience of traveling internationally from Cape Town to Vancouver during the COVID-19 pandemic. Kellie managed to leave South Africa just before the country went into lockdown, and she joins World Footprints to discuss her journey and the contrasting approaches to the pandemic in Cape Town and Vancouver.

Our planet is currently experiencing an unprecedented phenomenon. The outbreak of COVID-19, or coronavirus, is spreading rapidly and the death toll is rising.

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. [...]

Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and Donald Duck portrayers at Walt Disney World have all filed police reports on claims tourists are inappropriately touching them.

With the wildfires still raging something fierce, Australia's New South Wales (NSW) government declared a week-long emergency with the region ravaged by the bushfires and the number of deaths still climbing.

American Airlines has decided to remove even more of its Boeing 737 Max aircraft fleet from its flight schedule through Sept. 3. The move may be a suggestion that recertifying the grounded fleet is going much more slowly than the company was hoping for.

Prospective travelers who use the Kayak travel website can now filter their trips by aircraft model. The company has introduced the feature in the wake of an Ethiopian Airlines’ Boeing 737 Max 8 crash on March 8 that killed everybody onboard. This was the second fatal crash for that model airplane. The first was five months ago, in October, that crashed in Indonesia shortly after the Lion Air jet took off. Kayak Chief Technology Officer Giorgos Zacharia said the company received feedback suggesting the website offer filters for aircraft models, which would allow customers to exclude or include different makes. He said the enhancement was a commitment to offering customers the information they needed to ensure confidence while traveling. Many countries’ aviation authorities have ordered that the 373 Max planes not be flown in their airspace. On Wednesday, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration declared they were banning the use of [...]

Many people consider India an utterly unsafe place to travel alone, and while that may be true to some extent, there’s no denying the fact that this country is beautiful and each state has something amazing to offer in terms of sightseeing and cuisine.

World Footprints will open up our new "Travelers University" to share some important things that you should know about the cruise industry and travel insurance.  Whether you are a first time cruiser or have sailed the seven seas for years, there are things about the cruise industry that you probably don’t know. For as much enjoyment as a cruise provides there is a dark side to cruising that generally goes unreported. Cruise companies and cruise ships negatively impact communities through air and water pollution, economic leakage and tax avoidance, as well as overtourism. Such negative impacts can arise where cruise companies are based, where they pass through, and where they dock. Author and Saturday Evening Post contributor, Elizabeth Becker, joins us to reveal the dangers that passengers often face upon boarding. World Footprints Travelers University will continue with an expert panel that will addresse many questions surrounding the decision to purchase travel insurance. Travel [...]

The outbreak and apparent resurgence of the H1N1 virus, commonly referred to as the Swine Flu, has caught the world by surprise and worldwide concern over this virus is affecting many peoples lives, including their travel plans.