29 Aug The Top Travel News Stories from August 2019
It’s hard to believe that August is drawing to a close, especially since my wedding is next month in September! A lot happened in the travel and leisure industry in August. Let’s take a look back at some of the top stories.
Saudi Arabia Allows Women to Travel Without Permission from Men
A royal decree was published Friday, August 2nd stating that any citizen would be allowed to obtain a a passport. In addition, Saudi Arabia’s new ambassador to the US suggested that women no longer be required a male guardian’s permission to travel. The drastic change in regulations is partly due to the growing international scrutiny towards Saudi Arabia and its human rights records, including those for women. King Salman approved the new regulations in early August. They should be in affect this week, the last week of August. Read more at the link below.
Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/saudi-arabia-allows-women-to-travel-without-permission-from-men/2019/08/02/532fb432-b4f1-11e9-acc8-1d847bacca73_story.html
New Seven Wonders of the World: See our greatest achievements
For millions of years, the Seven Wonders of the World have stayed the same. However, with the exception of the Great Pyramids of Egypt, the rest of the Wonders were nothing more than distant memories from a hazy history. For instance, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon and the Colossus of Rhodes have been long gone for centuries. The only way you can catch a glimpse of these spectacles now is online or in a text book. To address the issue, a global contest in 2007 cast more than 100 million votes for the New Seven Wonders of the World. The new ones, though very old, are still in tact and you can actually go see them for yourselves! Check out the full list here.
Source: https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/new-seven-wonders-of-the-world/index.html
Rome enforces rules that ban tourists from sitting on Spanish Steps
Planning a trip to Spain? Tourists are disappointed that the iconic staircase known as the Spanish Steps no longer permits people to sit on them. The Spanish Steps link the Piazza di Spagna to the Piazza Trinità dei Monti. This is not great news for visitors as the steps are one of Rome’s beloved and most-photographed attractions. The staircase has even served as a backdrop for fashion shows and photo shoots. In addition, you may recognize the steps from films including 1953’s Roman Holiday, starring Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn. “Over the years, Roman officials have tried to discourage people from sitting there for too long by banning snacking or loitering but the rules haven’t been strictly enforced until now.” Read more on the new laws here.
Source: https://www.lonelyplanet.com/news/2019/08/07/spanish-steps-ban/
What you need to know about the Amazon rainforest fires
The news is ablaze with plans to send soldiers and raise finances in response to the wildfires taking over the Amazon. According to an article in the Washington Post, “The Amazon — nearly four times the size of Alaska — is a vast sink for storing carbon dioxide and a key element of any plan to restrain climate change. Any increase in deforestation there would speed up global warming as well as damage an important refuge for biodiversity.” The 2.2. million-square mile rainforest cannot take much more of the fires. If the fires continue, the rainforest would transform into an “entirely different, drier ecosystem, leading to the acceleration of climate change, the loss of countless species and disaster for the indigenous postulations that call the tropical rainforest home.” Read more at the link below.
Farmers’ Almanac’s Extended Forecast 2020: Polar Coaster Winter Ahead!
The Farmers’ Almanac provides 16 months of weather forecasts for 7 zones of the US. According to their official website, “the worst of the bitterly cold winter conditions will affect areas east of the Rockies all the way to the Appalachians.” That’s pretty much the entire country, save from the western third of the US which will see near-normal winter temps. According to the Almanac, the coldest bout of the season will arrive during the end of January. The cold spell should last through the first week or two of February. Find out how cold it will be where you live here and more importantly, call your Enchanted Travel agent ASAP to book your late winter getaway while you can!
Source: https://www.farmersalmanac.com/extended-forecast
French couple is facing six years in jail after police say they stole sand from a beach in Italy
A French couple is facing up to six years in jail for stealing 14 bottles of sand off of a beach in Sardinia, Italy. The 14 bottles added up to nearly 90 pounds. The couple claim they were unaware that this was a crime. However, police argue that signs in multiple languages alert visitors to these such regulations. Apparently this is a common problem for the beaches in Sardinia. This is because there is a market to sell Sardinia shells and sand online. Read more at the link below.