Welcome to the weekly installment of Travel News, where we look back at this week’s articles and essays and what’s going on in the world of trips and tours.
The travel industry is prepping for the holiday season, as we all are. This means food, decorations, and dreaming about travel in the new year.
Cruise ships are hopping on the bandwagon of data gathering to speed up wait times and lines. Princess Cruises is using its Ocean Medallion technology to design future ships for optimal movement flow: monitoring passenger movements onboard, identifying pinch points, and bottle necks.
’Tis the Season for Christmas Escape
Less than an hour from London, elegant and cozy Coworth Park curates England’s Most Magical Christmas Escape.
To no one’s surprise, Windsor Castle’s Christmas decorations puts everyone else’s to shame — and you can even visit them!
Bits & Bobs
A local’s guide to Cork, Ireland.
Is this Japan’s most perfect ramen?
In Lake Titicaca, a traveler’s favorite in Peru, villagers want to draw tourists on their own terms.
The Black Forest boasts Germany’s largest theme park and indoor water world: Rulantica.
Check out Disney’s New Star Wars Ride.
11 Over-the-top Kid-friendly Hotel Rooms Your Little Ones Will Never Forget.
Best Places to Travel in 2020
Architectural Digest released its Top 20 Places to Travel in 2020 this week.
And Forbes debuted its 5 Hottest Places to Travel in 2020.
Beat Overtourism by traveling to Eastern Europe in 2020.
Sustainable Travel
A hot topic more than ever, sustainable travel is making waves across the travel industry, from carbon neutral airports, to fuel-efficient planes, responsible tour operators and even tips, tricks and packing lists for travelers seeking to stay sustainable when traveling.
CNN: How to travel without destroying the planet
Atlantic: A Future without long-haul vacations
Curiosity: How to Be a Better, More Sustainable, Traveler This Earth Day
Air New Zealand is testing edible coffee cups to combat waste. These leak-proof cups are made from vanilla-flavored biscotti. Yum, and yes!
Europe’s Sleeper Trains Are Making Comeback In A Big Way
Thanks to cutbacks and setbacks, sleepers all but lost their allure in Europe in the 20th century. Now, with environmental activist Greta Thunberg’s “flight shaming” making people more aware of their carbon footprint, the night-train industry is seeing a renaissance. It’s luring a new class of traveler: ordinary business people and tourists with a climate conscience on Sleeper Trains.
Australia’s First Underwater Hotel Rooms have Opened On the Great Barrier Reef. And don’t worry: the hotel replanted 4,000 pieces of coral, taken from old moorings, onto the existing reef walls. Queensland’s tourism industry development minister, Kate Jones, reaffirmed that their team had ensured the reef was protected.
