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Many people consume alcohol to relax and relieve stress, which are some of the top reasons people travel, too. How is sober travel discussed on TikTok? Sentiment in the past year shows that among social media interactions 32% is positive, 38% is neutral and 30% is negative. The ranking, however, isn't a list of countries where alcohol sales are banned — places like Brunei, Saudi Arabia and Iran. Costa Rica ranked high on the list of "sober travel" destinations, in part, because of its outdoor activities and national parks.

Persons: He's, Virgin Mary, Dublin's, Artur Widak, Jordan – Organizations: Airports, CNBC Travel, Virgin, Nurphoto, YouTube, Social, Costa Rica, Siemens, Digitalvision, Getty, UNESCO, Heritage Locations: Koh Samui, Thailand, Brunei, Texas, Asia, United States, United Kingdom, Canada, South Africa, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Iran, U.S, Nepal, Morocco, Costa Rica, Turkey, Greece, Indonesia, Italy, Singapore, India, InsureMyTrip, North America

☆ I’ve been to 100 countries. I didn't expect to want to return to these 5
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-31 | by ( Todd Miller | Marylou Costa | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Here are the spots I thought would be "one and done" but that are on my list of return trips. A village in Rwanda, a country with a population of nearly 14 million people. Aerial view of Sveti Stefan, a fortified island village with 15th century stone buildings on the Adriatic coast of Montenegro. I am eager to return to the White Continent again to experience the planet's coldest, windiest, driest, and perhaps most serene place. VanuatuVanuatu is one of the least visited countries in the world, not because it isn't welcoming or rewarding, but because of its remoteness.

Persons: I'm, Edwin Remsberg, Wadi Al Disah, Todd Miller, Todd Miller Wadi, Disah, it's, Sveti, Feng Wei, Andrew Peacock, George Island, doesn't, Yasur Organizations: Bank, Getty, Rwanda, Saudi, UNESCO, Vanuatu Vanuatu, Air Vanuatu Locations: Turkey, Nepal, South Africa, Indonesia, Rwanda, Burundi, Lake Kivu, Africa's, Saudi Arabia, Kingdom, Saudi, Wadi Al, Jordan's Wadi, Petra, Saudia Arabia, Montenegro, Croatia, wallow, Kotor, Sveti Stefan, Stari, Serbian, Albania, Antarctica, George, Vanuatu

☆ Marquesas Islands: South Pacific archipelago is now a UNESCO site
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-31 | by ( Lilit Marcus | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The Marquesas are a beautiful, remote stretch of islands in the South Pacific. And, as of last weekend, they are also a UNESCO World Heritage site. According to data from the Institute of Statistics for French Polynesia (ISFP), 10,995 tourists visited the Marquesas in 2023. The Marquesas’ tourism industry is also managed out of Tahiti. Marquesan wood carving, dance and music form part of the islands’ heritage.

Persons: Nelson Mandela, Henua, Bora, Tahiti –, Hiva, Jean, Marc Mocellin, Painter Paul Gaugin, Jacques Brel Organizations: CNN, UNESCO, CNN Travel, Institute of Statistics, French, Fa’a’ā Locations: South, South Africa, Malaysia, Kenya, Hawaii, Fiji, Polynesia, Bora Bora, Tahiti, French Polynesia, Marquesas, France, China, Canada, Germany, Papeete, Belgian, Hiva Oa

☆ Ancient monastery in war-ravaged Gaza placed on UNESCO’s danger list
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-29 | by ( Lianne Kolirin | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —An ancient Christian monastery in Gaza has been added to the List of World Heritage in Danger because of the ongoing conflict in the region. Mohammed Abed/AFP/Getty ImagesThe Monastery of St. Hilarion, known locally as Tell Umm Amer, was simultaneously added to the World Heritage List and the List of World Heritage in Danger, according to an announcement by UNESCO on its website on Friday. “This decision recognizes both the site’s value and the need to protect it from danger,” the organization explained online. The monastery was founded by St. Hilarion and was home to the first monastic community in the Holy Land, according to UNESCO. UNESCO stated: “In view of the threats to this heritage site posed by the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip, the World Heritage Committee used the emergency inscription procedure provided for in the World Heritage Convention.

Persons: Mohammed Abed, Hilarion, Umm Amer Organizations: CNN, UNESCO World Heritage Committee, Getty, UNESCO, Fund, St, Monuments Fund, World Heritage, Heritage Convention, Convention, Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Locations: Gaza, New Delhi, AFP, St, Danger, Gaza City, Africa, Asia

☆ Italy’s famous ‘Path of Love’ reopens after more than 12 years
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-26 | by ( Sharon Braithwaite | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The 900-meter (2,950-foot) panoramic route overlooking the sea is located in the Municipality of Riomaggiore. The overall investment was almost €24 million (about $26 million) split among several ministries in Italy. The "Path of Love" runs from here to Manarola. Marco Bertorello/AFP/Getty ImagesThe path will be managed by the Municipality of Riomaggiore as an open-air museum. On Friday evening the “Path of Love” was officially inaugurated by government officials and local authorities.

Persons: –, Marco Bertorello, ”, Giacomo Giampedrone, Giampedrone, ” Giampedrone, “ Organizations: CNN, Italian Tourism Ministry, Terre, UNESCO, Tourism Ministry, Cinque Terre, Getty, La Spezia Locations: Riomaggiore, That’s, Liguria, Italy, Cinque, AFP, Manarola, Ligurians

☆ Japanese restaurants say they’re not charging tourists more – they’re just charging locals less
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-25 | by ( Chris Lau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Tokyo CNN —Kudos to you if you can speak perfect Japanese and order food at a neighborhood sushi bar in Tokyo. But overtourism – fueled by a combination of pent-up post-Covid demands (aka “revenge travel”) and the weak local currency – has recently prompted restaurants in the country to consider the merits of differential pricing. This year, spurred by a weak yen that has fallen to its lowest level against the dollar in decades, the tourists are back - in big numbers. “Some people say, ‘We don’t do this in our country.’ But think about how bad Japanese people’s English skills are. As the less-expensive resident prices are often written in the local language, foreign tourists may not even know they paid more.

Persons: –, ”, Shogo Yonemitsu, ” Yonemitsu, Elisa Chan, Tamatebako, Rinka Tonsho, CNN Yonemitsu, isn’t, That’s, CNN Shuji Miyake, Phoebe Lee Organizations: Tokyo CNN, Mount Fuji, UNESCO, Chinese University of Hong, CNN Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Shibuya, Mount, Hokkaido, Himeji, In Venice, Tokyo’s Tsukiji

☆ Jasper wildfire burns structures in a town in the Canadian Rockies’ largest national park
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-25 | by ( Associated Press | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

GRAND PRAIRIE, Alberta AP —One of two raging wildfires menacing the town of Jasper in the Canadian Rockies’ largest national park roared into town Wednesday and began burning buildings. Jasper National Park officials said the fire entered the southern edge of the community Wednesday evening and crews were battling multiple structural fires and working to protect key infrastructure. Forest firefighters and others without self-contained breathing apparatuses were told to evacuate to the nearby town of Hinton, with structural firefighters staying behind. Searchers looking through the backcountry trails of Jasper National Park already had picked up 245 people, and they continued the search Wednesday in two helicopters, Ellsworth said. Residents and visitors streamed out by the thousands late Monday and Tuesday, and officials said Wednesday the evacuation of the town of Jasper was complete.

Persons: James Eastham, “, ”, Jasper, –, Justin Trudeau, Danielle Smith, Katie Ellsworth, Carolyn Campbell, perimeters, Ellsworth, Crews, Marilyn Monroe, wasn’t, Leanne Maeva Joyeuse, “ We’re, ” Joyeuse Organizations: PRAIRIE , Alberta AP, Canadian Rockies, Jasper National, Parks Canada, Pipeline, Jasper National Park, Canadian Press, United Nations, Hollywood, Residents Locations: PRAIRIE , Alberta, Jasper, Hinton, Alberta, Canada, Jasper , Alberta, ” Jasper

☆ I moved from the US to Ireland. I'm extremely happy with my choice, but there are a few things I wish I'd known before relocating.
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-18 | by ( Alexis Mcsparren | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Finding a job in Ireland is tough, especially if you're not in the country yetIt's hard to get a job in Dublin. Sadly, the Irish job market is extremely competitive, especially in Dublin. AdvertisementFinding housing in Ireland is equally as difficult, if not harder, than job huntingRent in Ireland can be pricey. Alexis McSparrenFinding housing in Ireland overall is very difficult, but finding housing in Dublin is a struggle. Finding my people in Ireland took some timeI met my boyfriend after I moved to Ireland.

Persons: —, I've, Alexis McSparren, nannying, you'll, Don't, It's, Alexis McSparren There's, it's, we've, they've Organizations: Service, Business, European Union, Irish, UNESCO, Heritage Locations: Ireland, Dublin, Missouri, Europe, Moher, Indiana, American

☆ Why only 400 people at a time can visit this paradise island
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-15 | by ( Emily Blumenthal | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

CNN —Lord Howe Island has the look of a destination ripe for overtourism, with verdant mountaintops, pristine white-sand beaches and clear-blue waters teeming with colorful fish. Atop the summit of Mount Gower – one of the most popular hiking trails on Lord Howe – sits a rare, endangered cloud forest. Beaches are just a few minutes’ walk or bike ride away from the guesthouses, making Lord Howe “the easiest holiday,” said Anthony Riddle, a sixth-generation islander who co-founded Lord Howe Island Brewing Company and Lord Howe Island Distilling Company. “We tell the story about what is it that’s special about Lord Howe Island. Sniffer dogsIan Hutton boating near Lord Howe Island.

Persons: Howe, ”, Lisa Makiiti, Lord Howe, Darcelle Matassoni, Lord, Makiiti, Bowker, Howe Island's Mount, Matteo Colombo, Dean Hiscox, that’s, ” Hiscox, Ian Hutton, David Attenborough, Hutton, it’s, Mount Gower –, Lord Howe –, Anthony Riddle, “, you’re, Hiscox, they’re, ” Hutton, ” Makiiti, Riddle, There’s, ” Matassoni, ” Riddle Organizations: CNN, Bowker, UNESCO, Lord Howe, Board, Howe Environmental, Howe, Museum, Brewing Company, Australian National Maritime Museum, Residents, Sustainability, Islanders Locations: Australia, Sydney, Howe Island's Mount Gower, Mount, Howe’s, Howe

☆ Ancient trilobite anatomy preserved in 3D by volcanic eruption, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-09 | by ( Mindy Weisberger | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Greg Edgecombe“It’s just incredible to have this in 3D without any alteration or deformation,” lead study author Dr. Abderrazak El Albani told CNN. The findings also underscore the urgency of protecting fossil-rich locations in Africa such as the Tatelt Formation, El Albani added. Such protections help to ensure that buried remnants of Earth’s distant past remain accessible for future study, El Albani said. Microtomographic reconstruction shows the newfound trilobite species Gigoutella mauretanica found in the Tatelt Formation in the High Atlas mountains. This example of commensalism — different types of animals living together — is also exceedingly rare in the trilobite fossil record, El Albani said.

Persons: Greg Edgecombe, Greg Edgecombe “, Abderrazak El Albani, Arnaud Mazurier, Matériaux de, El Albani, mauretanica, Melanie Hopkins, ”, Hopkins, “, ” Mindy Weisberger Organizations: CNN, Chimie, Matériaux de Poitiers, University of Poitiers, geoscience, UNESCO, Heritage, University, Poitiers, American Museum of, Scientific Locations: what’s, Morocco, Vesuvius, London, France, Africa, Burgess, Canada, New York City, Morocco —

☆ The expeditions documenting the Congo Basin
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-05 | by ( Leah Collins | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —The Congo Basin in central Africa is one of the largest wilderness areas left on Earth, spanning 3.4 million square kilometers (1.3 million square miles). Steve Boyes, founder and project leader of The Wilderness Project, is gathering scientific information across the length of the Congo River. And that’s every single corner, typically, of these rivers.”Steve Boyes on a Great Spine of Africa expedition. This expedition is not Boyes’ first time exploring the Congo Basin. The expedition team camping at a fishing village.

Persons: Steve Boyes, ” Boyes, “, James Kydd Boyes, Boyes ’, Johann Vorster, eDNA, ”, Matt Dooley, there’s, Boyes Organizations: CNN, Initiative, Rolex, UNESCO, Geographic Locations: Congo, Africa, Nile, Chad, Niger, Angolan, Angola, Zambia

☆ I booked a weeklong trip to a mystery destination. I had a lot of fun, but I'd do a few things differently next time.
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-20 | by ( Andrea G. Preziotti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The company then sent me a trip proposal, which provided a few clues about the city I'd be traveling to. Related storiesBecause the tour company didn't note the terminal information on the envelope, I had no choice but to open the card in the car, which was underwhelming. Andrea G. PreziottiI also enjoyed the other trips Journee booked for me, including a drive along the countryside to a small village southeast of the city. Andrea G. PreziottiAlthough I enjoyed the group excursions, I worried that I wouldn't have enough time to explore the city on my own. Next time, I would book with a friend and have a more direct conversation with the tour company about having more time for independent exploration.

Persons: —, Booking.com, Andrea G, Preziotti, Journee, hadn't Organizations: Service, Business, Newark Airport, UNESCO, Fado Museum Locations: Newark, Lisbon, Alcântara

☆ Britain's Stonehenge sprayed with paint by environmental protesters
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-19 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Tourists visit the Stone Age monument Stonehenge. The Stonehenge stone circle, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986, is one of the most famous landmarks in Great Britain. Environmental protesters sprayed paint on Britain's Stonehenge on Wednesday, with footage online showing orange marks covering some of the stones of the world-famous prehistoric megalithic structure. In video released by environmental group Just Stop Oil, two protesters were seen running towards two of Stonehenge's megaliths and spraying paint as another person attempted to stop them. The monument in southern England is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Britain's most visited tourist spots.

Persons: Gogh Organizations: UNESCO, Heritage Locations: Great Britain, England, Britain

☆ Just Stop Oil protesters spray Stonehenge with paint
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-19 | by ( Caitlin Danaher | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

A video posted on X by Just Stop Oil shows two of the group’s activists spraying the landmark using fire extinguishers. “The Just Stop Oil protestors demanded the incoming government sign up to a legally binding treaty to phase out fossil fuels by 2030,” the group posted on X. The protesters were a 21-year-old student from Oxford and a 73-year-old man from Birmingham, Just Stop Oil said in a press release. The official Stonehenge X account described the incident as “extremely upsetting.”“Orange powdered paint has been thrown at a number of the stones at Stonehenge. The protesters were a 21-year-old student from Oxford and a 73-year-old man from Birmingham, Just Stop Oil said in a press release.

Persons: ”, Rishi Sunak, Mona Lisa, Van Organizations: CNN — Environmental, Oxford, Wiltshire Police, Police, Heritage, Northern, British, Magna Carta, British Museum Locations: Birmingham, Salisbury, England, London

☆ How the Christ Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro became the symbol of Brazil
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-15 | by ( Julia Buckley | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

Perched on the Corcovado – a 2,300-foot-high granite outcrop looming above the city – the Cristo Redentor (Christ Redeemer) statue sweeps its arms out in a warm embrace, welcoming visitors to the city of samba. “It is he who finds me when I arrive in Rio.”For over a century, the statue has been a symbol of Rio de Janeiro. Christ Redeemer bags are his top sellers, tied with those sporting the Sugarloaf Mountain. Deemed one of the seven modern wonders of the world, the Christ Redeemer is Rio’s most visited attraction, says tour guide Cristina Arroio. Maybe that’s the ultimate miracle of the Christ Redeemer.

Persons: ”, Gilson Martins, Michelle Obama, Heitor da Silva Costa, Jesus teetering, Paulo Vidal, it’s, Vidal, Instituto Moreira Salles, Jesus Christ, Da Silva Costa –, –, Carlos Oswald, Paul Landowski, Da Silva Costa, Soapstone, Márcia Braga, Work, IPHAN, It’s, Matthew Stockman, Gilson Martins Braga –, “, Braga, ” Gilson Martins, ’, Emmanuele, Tom Jobin, “ Da, O, que lindo, ” Martins, ’ ”, Francesco Perrotta, Lina Bo Bardi, Corcovado, Mauro Pimentel, Cristina Arroio Organizations: CNN, Instituto, Nacional, Historical, Heritage, UNESCO, “, Guanabara ”, cariocas, Bosch, Getty Locations: Rio de Janeiro, Rio, Brazil, Calvary, Polish, Latin America, steatite, Minas Gerais, Braga, Ipanema, Guanabara, ” Rio de Janeiro, AFP

☆ A popular tourist destination in China has installed toilet timers. Reactions are mixed
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-12 | by ( Maggie Wong | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Boasting 51,000 statues carved into 252 caves and niches some 1,500 years ago, China’s Yungang Buddhist Grottoes is irrefutably a spectacular attraction. And we aren’t setting a time limit such as five or 10 minutes of how long one could use the toilets.”China’s Yungang Buddhist Grottoes features 51,000 statues carved into 252 caves and niches. “A tourist site isn’t an office – who would spend their time in the toilets? Record-breaking visitor numbersInscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001, Yungang Buddhist Grottoes is one of the biggest attractions in northern China’s Shanxi province. And Yungang Buddhist Grottoes has been upgrading more than just its washrooms.

Persons: China’s, “, ” Organizations: CNN, UNESCO, Herald, Getty, Nanchang Evening, Weibo, Heritage Locations: Nanchang, China’s Shanxi

☆ Surprising, Unsettling, Surreal: Roaming Through Saudi Arabia
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-05 | by ( Stephen Hiltner | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Stephen Hiltner/The New York TimesThe sculpted facade of a 2,000-year-old tomb glows in the late-afternoon sun at Hegra, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Camels march through the desert on the outskirts of the Empty Quarter, the world’s largest sand sea. For many years these Saudi Arabian scenes, including the lively open-air markets in Jeddah, were off limits to most travelers. As it undergoes a profound transformation, Saudi Arabia is spending lavishly to lure tourists with its luxe new resorts ...... its rich cultural heritage ...... and its sublime natural beauty. Can the Saudi government persuade would-be visitors to look past — or reconsider — its longstanding associations with religious extremism, ultraconservatism and human rights abuses?

Persons: Stephen Hiltner Organizations: New York Times, UNESCO Locations: Prophet’s, Medina, Saudi, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

☆ Croatian millennials can't afford to buy homes. The solution — build on top of their parents' place.
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-02 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Joshua Zitser/Business InsiderWhen Dascalescu, originally from Romania, moved to Mokošica in 2017 with his Croatian wife, Diana, buying a home in Dubrovnik wasn't financially viable. Now, Dascalescu and Marlais live on their own floor, beneath her brother and his children, who live beneath their parents. Joshua Zitser/Business InsiderThe popularity of this set-up comes down to price, according to a Croatian real-estate expert. AdvertisementPerhaps as a result, many Croatian millennials are stuck living at home well into their mid-30s — the highest average age in Europe. Given the lucrative potential of short-term rentals, Croatian homeowners might also be building rooftop apartments for tourists, to generate extra income, he added.

Persons: —, Bogdan Dascalescu, Dascalescu, Joshua Zitser, Diana Marlais, Diana, Marlais, Bogdan Dascalescu's, Filip Brkan, Brkan, Ivan Vukovic, Nenad Lipovac, Lipovac, there's Organizations: Service, Business, Real Estate Business Association of, Croatian Chamber, Eurostat, UNESCO, University of Zagreb, BI Locations: Dubrovnik, Old Town, Mokošica, Independence, Romania, Croatian, Dubrovnik wasn't, Marlais, Croatia, Europe

☆ I retired at 48 and decided to travel for six months with my husband. Two decades later, we are still traveling.
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-01 | by ( Louisa Rogers | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewNot long after my 48th birthday, in August 1999, my husband Barry invited me out for a margarita at Compadre's, a Mexican restaurant near our home in Palo Alto. During our drink, he suggested we rent our house and travel for six months. Renting our Palo Alto home wasn't that simple; this was before the era of Airbnb and digital nomads. Our home was still rented when we returned to Palo Alto after ending our period abroad. Happily, we can write in Eureka, Guanajuato, in our camper van, or wherever in the world we happen to be.

Persons: —, Barry, margarita, we're, San Luis Potosí, we'll, We've, we've Organizations: Service, Business, Palo, UNESCO, Heritage, Palo Alto, Primera Plus, France's Hautes Alpes Locations: Compadre's, Mexican, Palo Alto, Silicon Valley, Mexico, Guanajuato, California, Eureka, Northern California, Oregon, Guanajuato's centro, San, British, Scotland, Catalonia, France's Hautes, Brittany, Czech Republic, Ireland, Colombia, Portland, Denver, Cuenca, Ecuador, we're

☆ Safaris aren't the only tourist attraction in Africa. From cruises to wine tasting, here's what else you can do
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-28 | by ( Harriet Akinyi | Penny Sadler | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Bungy jumping at Soweto Towers, a decommissioned power station in Johannesburg, South Africa. Explore the beachAfrican beach towns combine beauty and culture, in places like Seychelles, Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Mozambique, Mauritius, Zanzibar, Ghana, Namibia and Egypt. In addition to being a popular stop for world cruises, East and South Africa have their own ocean cruise routes which follow the coastlines and visit offshore islands. But South Africa is the continent's crown jewel. The wine country of Franschhoek, outside of Cape Town, South Africa.

Persons: Toubkal, there's, Thomas Janisch, Zina Bencheikh, Madagascar's Tsingy, Carlo Morucchio, Kenya's Masai Mara, King Charles III, Queen Camilla, Mombasa's, Samir Hussein, Luciemarie Swanepoel, Jeremy Villasis, Peter Unger, Kate Powell, Intrepid's Bencheikh, Kevin Bubolz, Wrenelle Stander, Michele Westmorland Organizations: bungie, Getty, Intrepid Travel, UNESCO, Heritage, Wireimage, Diamonds, Sainte, Cruises, Stone, Queen, Cruise Line, MSC, Continental, Penguin Locations: Africa, Morocco's, Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, Nyangani, Zimbabwe, Soweto, Johannesburg, South Africa, Europe, East, Namibia, Victoria Falls, Zambia, Jinja, Uganda, Morocco, Seychelles, Kenya, Mozambique, Mauritius, Zanzibar, Ghana, Egypt, Mombasa, Mombasa's Fort Jesus, Fort Jesus, Kaya, Zanzibar's Stone, Madagascar, Swanepoel, Durban, Cape, Kivu, Silversea, Continental Europe, Middle East, Port, Ethiopia, Wesgro, Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, Cape Town , South Africa

☆ Vietnam’s vintage 1960s steam locomotives are back on the rails
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-27 | by ( Jessie Yeung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Train enthusiasts and history buffs alike will soon have a new Southeast Asian destination to visit, as Vietnam prepares to unveil a revamped pair of vintage steam locomotives from the 1960s. The two Revolution Express locomotives are the last working steam trains in Vietnam, dating from when the country was still a French colony, according to hospitality brand Wafaifo Optimisers, which is managing the project. In recent years, the trains have been slowly restored to working condition using original parts, and crafted by the last remaining steam engineers working for the national railway system. Wafaifo & Revolution ExpressVietnam declared its independence from France on September 2, 1945 – a claim that neither France nor the United States recognized. By 1954, Vietnam signed the Geneva Accords – splitting the country into two halves, the Communist-led north and US-supported south, and kicking off the bloody Vietnam War, which would last nearly two decades.

Persons: Wafaifo Optimisers, Wafaifo, ”, Michael Gebbie Organizations: CNN, Revolution, Lang Co, Indochina Rail Tourist Service, Revolution Express, Geneva Accords, Communist, UNESCO Locations: Vietnam, Da Nang, Hue, Lang, Lang Co, Indochina, Revolution Express Vietnam, France, United States, Saigon, Chi Minh City

☆ The European housing crisis warping millennial life: The average Croatian lives with parents until 33
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-24 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

According to Eurostat, the EU statistical office, the average Croatian leaves their parents' home at over 33 years of age, its highest figure. Joshua Zitser/Business InsiderIn the US, almost everyone has moved out by then. Joshua Zitser/Business InsiderWhile tourism brings economic opportunities for Vukovic and many others, he says it has also worsened the already dysfunctional housing market. But in parts of Dubrovnik, Vukovic explained, that's not feasible. Joshua Zitser/Business InsiderFor Josip Crncevic, 34, prices feel far out of reach.

Persons: —, Joshua Zitser, Malohodžić, Ivan Vukovic, Vukovic, Filip Brkan, that's, Josip Crncevic, Crncevic, homeownership, it's, he'd, Marija, Sanja, Angelo, Cikato, Diana Marlais, Bogdan Dascalescu, wouldn't Organizations: Service, Croatian, Business, Eurostat, BI, UNESCO, Heritage, King's, Real Estate Business Association of, Croatian Chamber Locations: Dubrovnik's, Croatia, Dubrovnik, Independence, HBO's, Dubrovnik's suburbs, Marija

☆ No walk-ins allowed: What to know when touring the world’s best wine regions
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-17 | by ( Penny Sadler | Erica Lamberg | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Wine touring in the Old WorldFrance Of France's 11 wine regions, Bordeaux, Burgundy (or Bourgogne) and Champagne are the most eminent. The United States California is renowned for wine tasting, though almost every state in the continental U.S. has a wine region or wine tourism area. Visitors can drive between vineyards, bike the Napa Valley Wine Trail, or book a ride on the vintage Napa Valley Wine Train. Barossa is one of the older wine regions in Australia, with some 200 cellar doors within two hours of Adelaide. South Africa South Africa may be considered a new world wine region, but Constantia, a top destination for wine tasting, is centuries old.

Persons: meunier, Chateau Angelus, Viniv Bordeaux, Georges Gobet, Montagne, Kim Kulish, Margaret River, Wine, Joey Estate, River, Groot Organizations: Michelin, Viniv, Afp, Getty, UNESCO, Heritage, Montagne de Reims, Travelers, United, Wine, Sonoma, Australia Wine, Bloomberg Locations: Europe, United States, Australia, South Africa, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Bourgogne, Vin, Chateau, Saint Emilion, France, Champagne, Italy Tuscany, Italy, Tuscany, Chianti, Greve, Alba, Piedmont, United States California, Napa Valley, Napa, Texas, Washington , Oregon, Virginia, New York, Yarra, Victoria, Barossa, Adelaide, Perth, Yarra Valley, Melbourne, South Africa South Africa, Constantia, Groot Constantia, South, Cape Town

☆ Japanese store near Mount Fuji issues apology in response to overtourism
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Lilit Marcus | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Lawson’s, one of Japan’s largest convenience store chains, has an outpost in the small town of Fujikawaguchiko. Tourists have flooded into Fujikawaguchiko to take one specific picture – a shot of Mount Fuji behind a Lawson’s store, where the mountain’s classic elegance contrasts with the store’s modern neon signage. Although Lawson’s has not encouraged visitors to take pictures of their store, the company nevertheless issued a statement addressing the issue on May 5. Many of them headed to the same destinations, crowding Kyoto’s narrow streets and the walking trails of Mount Fuji. And Lawson’s is not the only Japanese tourist destination that has resorted to putting up signs warning visitors of bad behaviors.

Persons: Fuji –, Lawson’s, Lawson, –, overtourism, Fujikawaguchiko, Semans Organizations: CNN, Fuji, Mount Fuji, ”, Mount, UNESCO Locations: Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi prefecture, –, Japan, Mount, Yamanashi

☆ Watery, Peaceful, Wild: The Call of the Mangroves
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Elisabeth Goodridge | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

It was a sunny afternoon in February at the height of the high season on the Caribbean island of Curaçao, but my partner, Aaren, and I were far from lounging on a white-sand beach, snorkeling over a coral reef or strolling among the Easter-egg-colored buildings of Willemstad, Curaçao’s capital and a UNESCO World Heritage site — typical activities for travelers to this former Dutch colony. Instead, on a kayak tour with Serlon St Jago, a guide from the Curaçao Rif Mangrove Park, we were learning about the country’s mangrove restoration, and the vital role mangrove habitats play in coastal resilience, protection for marine and bird species, and fighting the effects of climate change.

Persons: Serlon St Jago Organizations: UNESCO Locations: Curaçao, lounging, Willemstad, Dutch

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