1
WT(E)F: BEST COUNTRY FOR VACATION
Note: I will be off the next two weeks due to travel. I’ll catch up with all of you again in mid-November. Until then, this newsletter should have enough material to keep you exploring for two weeks!
Ten dollars** to the person who can name the top 5 countries (in no particular order) that are the world’s best country’s for vacation in 2017-2019. I will fill up the space here with one or two more sentences so you can think about it before I give you one of the destinations as a freebie and a hint for the others. Let’s start with the hint: all but one are in Western Europe and the one that’s not is in the Far East. According to the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report, Spain takes the number one spot: “The European nation earned its title for a combination of cultural and natural qualities (ranking second and ninth, respectively), in addition to accessibility by air and strong tourism infrastructure. The report notes that Spain has had a boost in tourism from travelers who decided to skip vacations to the Middle East or certain parts of Western Europe because they were worried about security. The country also isn’t all-around perfect: Its business environment and ease of obtaining permits for construction are both way down the list of rankings, and though ground transportation is good for now, Spain will need to make some improvements to keep up with the times.” **Laws, regulations and limitations apply: you must be in a 20 foot vicinity of me at the time of writing of this snippet and Jen doesn’t count (sorry babe).
2
SECRET TO LONG LIFE: LIVE IT SLOWLY
For those of you who heed the advice in the title of this snippet, there’s actually also such a thing as slow travel. And, per the Travel Trade Gazette, it is one of the top travel trends we will see in 2020. What does this mean exactly? Well: “Travel in 2020 will be all about taking it slow and focusing on the journey. Forty-eight per cent of travellers plan to take slower modes of transport to reduce their environmental impact and 61 per cent would prefer to take a longer route to experience more of the journey itself.” Other trends: the rise of the “second city” traveler, growing reliance on tech-generated recommendations, discovering the “all-amusive” escape (that basically just means going to destinations that has a little bit for everyone, and traveling with your pets, among others. As they say, every dog has its day.
3
ZE GERMANS JA?
Let it be known that I had no clue that there were 42 world heritage sites in Germany. Let it also be known that I thought it must have the highest number of world heritage sites only to find out it barely makes the top 5 – what? (This is the kind of statement that gets the Germans to build 11 more in 6 months). On a serious note, those who know me know that I’m a Germany lover and I truly was surprised to find out that Germany had 42 cultural world heritage sites: “The birthplace of printed books, Christmas trees, lightbulbs, and motorcycles, Germany has also blessed the register of UNESCO World Heritage with 41 cultural sites, 3 natural sites, and 17 Memory of the World listings, including the Gutenberg Bible, island-born Ottonian illuminated manuscripts, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, and the oldest known illustration of the sky. Altogether, the historic 44-site ensemble of castles, medieval towns, cathedrals, and gardens paints a 2,000-year history of European culture and a 57-million-year history of Earth’s living environment.”
In case you were wondering, rounding out the top 5 countries with the most world heritage sites are: Italy, China, Spain, and France.
4
NOW WE’RE TALKING
It’s Friday afternoon, I missed last week’s newsletter on account of over-working on over-tourism over-matters, and I need an over-drink. So, thank the travel Gods (or the good people at Forbes – they always struck me as heavy happy hour indulgers) for putting this list together of the best hotel bars. Yes, they send “inspectors” to inspect: “The 11 top U.S. hotel bars are: Rowes Wharf Bar at Boston Harbor Hotel; MO Bar + Lounge at Mandarin Oriental, Miami; 33North at Monarch Beach Resort in Dana Point, California; Park Lounge at Park Hyatt Aviara Resort in Carlsbad, California; The Oak Room at The Lodge at Sea Island Golf Club in St. Simons, Georgia; The Club Bar at The Peninsula Beverly Hills; Z Bar at The Peninsula Chicago; Thirsty Camel at The Phoenician in Scottsdale; The Great Room at The Ranch at Rock Creek in Philipsburg, Montana; The St. Regis Bar & Wine Vault at The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort in Miami; and Garden Room at Weekapaug Inn in Westerly, Rhode Island.” So…there are none in NYC? Guess I’ll just keep writing the night away.
5
AND NOW FOR THE CULTURAL PORTION OF YOUR TRIP
The next couple of weeks will involve some pretty heavy traveling for me. What’s interesting is that I’ll be going from the Arctic Circle to what they quite literally call the Empty Quarter (it’s a desert) within a matter of days. Somewhere in the midst of all that, I shall however take a few days to myself and enjoy a nice little sprinkling of culture in London. Wherever shall I do there? Oh wait a second, I’ll just check out this nifty list of the 17 best museums in London: “Best museum in London for: sell-out exhibitions: Victoria and Albert Museum. London’s largest art museum – the eighth-biggest art museum in the world – has more than 100 galleries displaying everything from photography to jewellery. It has put on some of the city’s most talked-about exhibitions in recent years: the curators have become known for their hot-ticket fashion displays of designers including Christian Dior and Alexander McQueen. Make sure to visit the permanent Rapid Response Collection, which has contemporary pieces that react to significant moments in recent history, such as the pussyhats worn at protests against the election of Donald Trump to a 3D-printed Extinction Rebellion coin.” Thank you, Condé Naste!
Thanks,
Joe Naaman
Managing Editor, Waywinds
Keep Exploring!