1
TREK MUCH?
Note: Apologies for not sending a newsletter last week. Last minute travel to the Middle East required that the time I usually spend writing these newsletters be spent in the air – I must admit, I loved every moment of it but missed thinking about my two newsletter fans.
If you’re into trekking as much as I am, or as we call it in North America: “hiking”, then you’ve probably experienced how crowded it can get in some of the nicest places to go trekking/hiking. In that case, you’d be happy to know someone has put together a list of the four best under-the-radar canyons to trek/hike in. I’ve been to the one in Oman: in Wadi Bani Auf (Oman in general is an under-appreciated, under-the-radar, must-visit place to explore – truly phenomenal from an adventure and culture perspective. Don’t tell anyone I told you). The list is on point from TravelAge: “Wadi Bani Auf is one such example: Vast in scale, it is also one of the world’s most dramatic drives (a four-wheel drive is a must) as it stretches deep into the Al Hajar Mountains along a vertiginous track punctuated with occasional tiny villages.”
2
WHAT’S UP MY BEACHES!
I can’t. I can’t even get myself to re-read this article again. The beaches are just dreamy and I would get no work done for the rest of the day. You’d end up with just two snippets in this newsletter (versus the five if you’ve been counting), and I’d have to be shaken awake from staring at the blue, blue sky outside my window. I better stop this now, or my prophecy will come try. What’s all this about you ask? Greece. Beaches. Best. Summer. Vacation. Ever. From CNN (who ruined me): “The sheer difficulty and determination required to get to Voutoumi and neighboring beaches Vrika and Mesovrika almost amplifies their beauty. This tiny island of Antipaxos (population 20) lies in the Ionian Sea, three kilometers south of the island of Paxos, itself a 90-minute ferry trek from the mainland port of Igoumenitsa. Once there, visitors will find its jungle-like landscape appears more Brazilian than Greek, as the treeline reaches the shoreline and even the rocky outcrops are crowned with green tufts. While excursion boats from Paxos are an option, book a water taxi for early in the morning if you want to avoid the midday sightseers.” I’m done.
3
HONG WRONG. SO WRONG.
You’ve probably been following the news from the comfort of your home, but what’s going on in Hong Kong is no joke. The struggle has taken over many aspects of life from the streets, to the workplace and now the airport. For those who think that the airport closure sucks for people trying to get into and out of Hong Kong, think again about the impact that has on international markets. Here’s but a small example of how such a seeminly trivial act can have far reaching consequences, from TTG Asia: “The Kasikorn Bank (KBank) Research Center estimates that the closure of the Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) will affect Thailand’s tourism industry “by not less than 14 billion baht (US$454 million)”, according to a National News Bureau of Thailand report. KBank Research Center deduced that the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong, which led to the shutdown of HKIA and flight cancellations, not only hurt Hong Kong’s economy but also tourism, particularly for inbound travel into Thailand.” $450M is no little sum.
For those interested in broader travel consequences from Hong Kong’s airport closure, Skift does a pretty good job of detailing the overall impact it has in: “What If Hong Kong Falls? The Worst-Case Scenario for Travel.”
4
TWO WORDS: LOUNGE ACCESS
Yeah, NY! You were the worst last year, but, this year you’re…a little better. I’ll take it. The Points Guy put together a list of the best and worst airports in the US. Top of the list is San Diego; bottom of the list is: Chicago Midway. I’m just happy because as he points out: “Speaking of New York, its major airports “won” the trifecta of the worst US airports last year, but only LaGuardia (last year’s second-worst) was in the new bottom 10 this year (No. 45 — and remember that we expanded the list a lot, so it’s not an apples-to-apples comparison). Previous last-place airport New York-JFK is now No. 22 and Newark Liberty (EWR) No. 34. What happened? In a word, lounges. Our increased emphasis on amenities meant that JFK’s 23 lounges — more than any other airport could boast — and Newark’s respectable 13 lounges offset both airports’ terrible records of on-time flights and painful commute times.” Onwards and upwards!
5
A NOTE ON TOURISM
Many of you know I’ve been focusing more and more of my work on the business of travel as of late. An area I can happily say is [said very quickly] awesome and I’m so excited to be in it. For me, travel enables what my life has always been about, bringing together so many different types of people to focus on the basics that make us similar versus what makes us different. Well, I’ve been reading up on different topics in travel lately, and while this is not a new concept, “quality tourism” is a term that’s being thrown around a lot these days, primarily because of all the “overtourism” hype that’s being created by the media. The truth is, there’s no such thing as a quality tourist. Is it someone who spends more, someone who cares more, someone who dresses nice? In my (very) humble opinion, a quality tourist is one who is genuinely interested in learning about the land, environment, people, culture, and history of the place they’re visiting. It shouldn’t always be about the benjamins – as in does a tourist bring in the big bucks – because the impact a tourist who is genuinely into a destination they are visiting reaches far beyond in terms of word of mouth, local connections, return visits and most importantly awareness and tolerance. Some food for thought in this mid-August newsletter. Skift does a decent job covering it a little bit here.
Thanks,
Joe Naaman
Managing Editor, Waywinds
Keep Exploring!