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Breathtaking Bhutan: The mountainous kingdom is steeped in rich cultural tradition and stupendous natural beauty


<p>Hong Kong’s ability to attract tourists and stage major events featuring international stars has dominated the headlines over recent months. Just when visitor numbers began to rebound following the devastating Covid years, the Lionel Messi saga put Hong Kong in an unwelcome global spotlight and undoubtedly left many unanswered questions. Negativity about visitors reducing their spending while on our shores has also threatened to derail efforts to lure more.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="683" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Peak-Tram-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-81030" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Peak-Tram-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Peak-Tram-420x280.jpg 420w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Peak-Tram-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Peak-Tram-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Peak-Tram-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Peak-Tram-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Peak-Tram-800x534.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<p>It wasn’t always difficult, of course. Hong Kong has been a beacon for tourists through the ages. The stunning harbour set against the backdrop of a forest of skyscrapers and majestic hills has long captivated the imagination, and there are positive signs pointing to a return to the days of abundant incomers.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Cruise high</h3>



<p>In an indication of rising arrival rates, cruise ship visits are now buoyant. Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) shares that from November 2023 to April 2024, the number of international ship calls exceeded pre-pandemic levels. No doubt many of those luxury-cruise travellers would have been mesmerised by the engrossing view of the fragrant harbour as their ship slowly moored at Ocean Terminal or the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal.</p>


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<p>Tourism is big business. Government economists have calculated that each batch of 1.5 million tourists contributes HK$3 billion to Hong Kong’s gross domestic product.</p>



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<p>In the recent Budget, HK$1.09 billion was allocated to help boost tourism, which will enable the HKTB to increase efforts in four strategic directions: developing diversified tourism experiences; staging and supporting large-scale international events; developing diverse visitor source markets and stepping up promotions; and enhancing service quality and providing continuous support for the travel trade. A new dedicated team at the HKTB, the Mega Event Development and Advancement division, has been tasked with helping global event organisers navigate their way into the city more easily.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Shift in emphasis</h3>



<p>HKTB spokesperson opines that Hong Kong’s tourism offerings do not necessarily need to be improved, but there should be a shift to cater to changing consumer preferences.</p>



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<p>Government estimates suggest tourism numbers in Hong Kong will recover to 50 million visitors this year – a figure encouragingly revised from an earlier HKTB forecast of about 46 million. While this is up from 2023, it still represents a significant shortfall from pre-pandemic levels; about 65 million tourists flocked to Hong Kong in 2018, with nearly four in five arriving from mainland China.</p>


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<p>Today’s tourists from the north, though, do not seem to splurge on luxury items as before. “Changes in consumer behaviour and travel demands have undergone a paradigm shift from consumption to higher demand of immersive and in-depth experiences,” says a HKTB spokesperson. “[So] our tourism offerings are also gradually shifting the focus from tactical offers such as discount and brick-and-mortar shopping experiences to arts and culture, wellness and green tourism, together with digital experiences and quality, customisable services.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Reconnecting tourists</h3>



<p>HKTB research suggests recent HKTB campaigns like ‘Hello Hong Kong’ and ‘Hong Kong Night Treats’ have been hugely successful in re-engaging with world travellers. The goal for the upcoming year is to convert tourists interested in visiting Hong Kong into actual arrivals, and secondly, to get them spending in town.</p>


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<p>Just the first step in the diversified tourism experience will be a revamped version of the nightly light-and-sound show ‘A Symphony of Lights’. Monthly pyrotechnic and drone shows, another of HKTB’s new initiatives, have been in the firing line though, as an environmentally aware segment of public opinion suggests these should be switched to drone-only.</p>


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<p>Financial Secretary Paul Chan has indicated the pyrotechnic shows would encompass different monthly themes in line with mega events. He also suggested publicity measures to promote Hong Kong would include producing reality TV shows and rewarding outstanding frontline staff in the hospitality sector.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Local flavour</h3>



<p>The HKTB recently leveraged its year-round promotional platform, ‘Arts in Hong Kong’, to showcase international art and cultural events, including Art Basel Hong Kong, Art Central and ComplexCon Hong Kong, in a bid to create a wider buzz. Through its research after the pandemic, the tourism body has gleaned that visitors are particularly drawn by local culture. A cha chaan teng-style cafe, for example, was set up at Art Basel to add local flavour and enrich visitor experiences.</p>


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<p>“That’s why we will continue to promote the local neighbourhoods to offer authentic experiences and launch a second phase of the Temple Street promotion,” says a HKTB spokesperson. “Our East-meets-West festival calendar is also unique in Asia, and we will devote tangible resources to amplify the ambience of these festivities through events, promotions and city-wide décors to appeal to visitors.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Events capital</h3>



<p>Much debate of late has centred on Hong Kong’s capability to promote and stage world- class events and bring big stars to the city. That Singapore held an exclusive deal to hold the Taylor Swift concert with plenty of carrot involved in the form of government monetary assistance caused some consternation here. Whether taxpayer’s money would be best served by such inducements is the source of heated argument in Hong Kong. There has been much talk of the ‘Swiftonomics’ effect of her performances in Singapore.</p>


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<p>The government did inject HK$16 million into last month’s LIV Golf tournament, which duly attracted global attention and some of the best golfing professionals. The fact that this widely- praised event proved such a success has gone some way to alleviating disappointment over the Messi no-show.</p>



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<p>In terms of courting international mega acts, the 50,000-capacity stadium at Kai Tak Sports Park is expected to open next year. Hoteliers hope this facility will help entice stars to perform in the city and fans to stay overnight, especially if multi-night performances can be scheduled. The authorities also intend to release details of mega events in a timelier manner so commercial entities can best capitalise on business opportunities.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Quality count</h3>



<p>What the city can be proud of is the breadth and quality of the events it holds. Underscoring Hong Kong’s intention to remain Asia’s event capital, the HKTB spokesperson reeled off a number of major events organised or partnered by the HKTB that will “contribute to soliciting high-yield and high-value visitors”. These include the Hong Kong Sevens, Hong Kong Tennis Open, Art Basel, Clockenflap, Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races, Hong Kong Cyclothon and Hong Kong Wine &amp; Dine Festival.</p>


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<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Cyclothon-04-1024x681.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-81022" width="768" height="511" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Cyclothon-04-1024x681.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Cyclothon-04-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Cyclothon-04-768x511.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Cyclothon-04-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Cyclothon-04-2048x1363.jpg 2048w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Cyclothon-04-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Cyclothon-04-800x532.jpg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></figure></div>


<p>The five Art March installations running until 2 June are expected to attract more than two million visitors. Despite an estimated combined staging cost of about HK$50 million, they are free to the public, and the government has stressed the idea is to bring fun and happiness to the city.</p>



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<p>One particularly innovative offering, teamlab: Continuous, features more than 200 luminous eggs sitting in Tamar Park and dotting Victoria Harbour. The hues and acoustic outputs of this mesmerising display of ovoids will transform upon interaction with visitors.</p>


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<p>Art March spanned a diverse range of activities from exhibitions of art and culture to television and film festivals. These were part of 80 events scheduled for the first half of 2024, as Hong Kong slowly but surely woos back the gone but not forgotten tourists.</p>


Arrival Notice: In a tactical change, Hong Kong is rolling out new local attractions. Will more tourists roll up?


<p>The Basque Country is steeped in history going back millennia. The people in this little pocket of Europe that overlaps Spain and France are fiercely proud of their distinct culture, and during the summer months, the region explodes into life in a sea of wine, bull and folklore rituals with all-day parties, crazy costumes and cuisine to die for.</p>



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<p>These events and festivals act like a magnet, drawing in visitors from all over the world keen to experience a bit of Basque culture. The region is nestled between the Pyrenees and the Atlantic Ocean, and Basque (or Euskara) is spoken, as well as Spanish or French; Euskara is the only remnant of languages that existed before southwestern Europe was Romanised.</p>



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<p>The major conurbations of the Southern Basque Country, in Spain, are Bilbao, the destination of most incoming flights, the elegant coastal city of San Sebastian, the Basque capital Vitoria-Gasteiz, and Pamplona. The Northern part, in France, houses the palatial coastal splendour of Biarritz, while Bayonne is famous for its magnificent summer festival.</p>



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<p>Basque food is also unique and a rich, almost obsessive, part of local culture, with a reputation as some of the best to be had in Europe. Signature dishes include great surf-and-turf combos, hake stew, lobster salad, vegetable and fish soups and the much-revered sea bream. There is heated rivalry over which part of Basque turns out the best culinary delights.</p>



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<p>This competitive spirit is also evident in Basque sports such as pelota, which has been described as the fastest ball game in the world. There are also many herri kirolak (rural sports) competitions involving chopping wood, lifting massive stones, manually drilling holes in rocks and oxcart lifting. These can be seen at many of the summer fiestas in the region.</p>



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<p><strong>Festival highs</strong><br>In graceful Haro, capital of the Rioja Alta wine region, the ‘Battle of Wine’ occurs in late June and is of such repute it has been designated a ‘festival of international tourist interest’. After a mass that is celebrated at the Chapel of San Felices de Bilibio, participants wearing white squirt wine on each other until everyone’s clothes change colour.</p>



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<p>About a week later, the most talked-about of the Basque summer festivals kicks off in Pamplona. The Fiesta de San Fermin, popularly known as the Running of the Bulls, takes place every 6-14 July transforming the historic city into a frenzy of strength, speed and colour. Each morning at eight o’clock, six bulls are released onto the narrow, cobbled streets where they rush through a sea of fleeing people wearing white and red scarves around their waists and necks. Their route to the bullring only takes a few minutes, but each year some of the participants will be injured, and occasionally fatally gored. It is common for tourists to try their luck and join in, often as a last-minute act of bravado just before the bulls go past.</p>



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<p>From 21-23 July, the bizarre spectacle of Danza de los Zancos (Dance of the Stilts) can be observed in Anguiano. Here, dancers on 5cm-high stilts tiptoe through the sloping, cobbled streets as part of a parade celebrating a pagan ritual. Performers wear colourful clothing with their hidden petticoats providing much-needed balance.</p>



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<p><strong>Coastal giants</strong><br>In the last week of July, the Fêtes de Bayonne commences at the city’s Place de la Mairée when a mascot throws keys from the balcony to the hordes below. This is the largest festival in France, with numerous parades and dances, music galore, giant figures roaming the streets and breathtaking fireworks displays. Tourists are encouraged to join in the fun.</p>



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<p>Located at the confluence of two rivers, Bayonne treasures its rich cultural heritage; it was officially recognised as a French ‘Town of Art &amp; History’ in 2012. There is plenty to browse in this city also renowned for its superb chocolate, and regular tours are available in July and August. Just 8km (5 miles) south of Bayonne on the Basque Coast is beautiful Biarritz, which is also worth exploring. Anglet and Hossegor, to the north, offer world-class surfing action, and from 7-10 July, the former’s annual surf film festival draws more sedate crowds to the beaches.</p>



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<p><em>(Read the full interview in the May 2023 issue (pg: 138). Available on the Gafencu app on Android and Apple.)</em></p>


Basque Bonkers – The summer months are when the Basque region goes wild

<p>It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that 2019 may go down in the annals of history as one of the gloomiest years in Hong Kong. As the city’s denizens look to greet 2020, there may be a budding hope that things could take a turn for the better in the New Year. In preparation for the endless possibilities that might unfold, we at Gafencu have boarded the time machine and skipped a year ahead to a parallel, rose-tinted universe where all frowns have turned upside down. So, indulge us if you will, as we fast-forward to 1 December 2020, and dwell on the ‘what-could-be’s for the 12 months of 2020&#8230;&nbsp;</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-50095" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-2020-predictions_opt.jpg" alt="2020" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-2020-predictions_opt.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-2020-predictions_opt-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-2020-predictions_opt-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-2020-predictions_opt-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-2020-predictions_opt-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-2020-predictions_opt-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-2020-predictions_opt-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></p>
<h2><strong>Universal Studios in Hong Kong</strong><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-50105" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-Universal-Studios-in-Hong-Kong_opt.jpg" alt="2020" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-Universal-Studios-in-Hong-Kong_opt.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-Universal-Studios-in-Hong-Kong_opt-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-Universal-Studios-in-Hong-Kong_opt-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-Universal-Studios-in-Hong-Kong_opt-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-Universal-Studios-in-Hong-Kong_opt-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-Universal-Studios-in-Hong-Kong_opt-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-Universal-Studios-in-Hong-Kong_opt-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></h2>
<p>Get ready to be immersed in the wizarding world of Harry Potter or to shake a leg with King Julien from Madagascar, as Universal Studios has launched its much-anticipated Epic Universe theme park in Hong Kong. Having opened its doors just ahead of the Lunar New Year in January, it looks set to draw thousands of visitors, both locals and tourists alike. Word is, it’s even bigger than the one in Singapore.</p>
<h2><strong>Oscar win for Andy Lau</strong><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-50104" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-Oscar-win-for-Andy-Lau_opt.jpg" alt="2020" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-Oscar-win-for-Andy-Lau_opt.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-Oscar-win-for-Andy-Lau_opt-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-Oscar-win-for-Andy-Lau_opt-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-Oscar-win-for-Andy-Lau_opt-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-Oscar-win-for-Andy-Lau_opt-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-Oscar-win-for-Andy-Lau_opt-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-Oscar-win-for-Andy-Lau_opt-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></h2>
<p>Hong Kong’s very own actor extraordinaire Andy Lau won one of the highest acting accolades in the world by bagging the coveted <a href="https://oscar.go.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Oscars</a> for the Best Actor at the Academy Awards for his stellar performance as a celebrated choir conductor in Cantonese drama Find Your Voice. The film hit a second jackpot the same evening when it won Best Film in a Foreign Language. According to film pundits, this double success is bound to give the local movie industry the leg up that it needs.</p>
<h4>“We have boarded a time machine and skipped a year ahead to a rose-tinted universe”</h4>
<h2><strong>Air Quality Index at 10pts</strong><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-50096" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-Air-Quality-Index-at-10pts_opt.jpg" alt="2020" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-Air-Quality-Index-at-10pts_opt.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-Air-Quality-Index-at-10pts_opt-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-Air-Quality-Index-at-10pts_opt-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-Air-Quality-Index-at-10pts_opt-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-Air-Quality-Index-at-10pts_opt-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-Air-Quality-Index-at-10pts_opt-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-Air-Quality-Index-at-10pts_opt-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></h2>
<p>Move over Reykjavík, Wellington and Calgary… Hong Kong is here to grab a much-coveted spot on the list of the top 10 cleanest cities in the world. With the HKSAR government spending billions of dollars on the Care for Air initiative, the Fragrant Harbour’s air has remained consistently within the healthy 0-50 range in the global <a href="//www.gafencushop.com/awair-monitor-air-quality/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Air Quality</a> Index (AQI) and even dropped down to 10pts in March. It looks like the city’s residents can finally breathe a sigh of relief.</p>
<h2><strong>Inbound tourism soars</strong><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-50101" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-Inbound-tourism-soars_opt.jpg" alt="2020" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-Inbound-tourism-soars_opt.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-Inbound-tourism-soars_opt-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-Inbound-tourism-soars_opt-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-Inbound-tourism-soars_opt-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-Inbound-tourism-soars_opt-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-Inbound-tourism-soars_opt-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-Inbound-tourism-soars_opt-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></h2>
<p>The Fragrant Harbour’s population almost doubled, at least temporarily, over the Chinese New Year, as seven million tourists trooped to the city both from the mainland and overseas, spending time and more than HK$5 billion to immerse in the best experiences the 852 has to offer. Needless to say, with hotels booked to maximum capacity and restaurants reserved in advance for weeks, the local F&amp;B industry is laughing all the way to the bank.</p>
<h2><strong>New airport to open</strong><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-50103" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-New-airport-to-open_opt.jpg" alt="2020" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-New-airport-to-open_opt.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-New-airport-to-open_opt-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-New-airport-to-open_opt-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-New-airport-to-open_opt-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-New-airport-to-open_opt-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-New-airport-to-open_opt-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-New-airport-to-open_opt-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></h2>
<p>Hong Kong’s existing Chek Lap Kok Airport (HKG) has been on the verge of buckling under the pressure of a ceaseless flow of inbound traffic. To ease its burden, the government announced in April that it will unveil a brand new 200,000sq.m airport facility at Discovery Bay by the end of 2021. Designed by renowned Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas and filled to the brim with top notch amenities, this is one infrastructure that may even give Beijing’s newly-opened Daxing Airport a run for its money. Small wonder then that luxury brands are vying for space to open flagship stores at the new venue.</p>
<h2><strong>Anti-typhoon missile developed</strong><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-50097" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-Anti-typhoon-missile-developed_opt.jpg" alt="2020" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-Anti-typhoon-missile-developed_opt.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-Anti-typhoon-missile-developed_opt-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-Anti-typhoon-missile-developed_opt-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-Anti-typhoon-missile-developed_opt-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-Anti-typhoon-missile-developed_opt-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-Anti-typhoon-missile-developed_opt-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-Anti-typhoon-missile-developed_opt-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></h2>
<p>T8s and T10s may soon be things of the past, with the scientists at Hong Kong University’s The Swire Institute of Marine Sciences developing a test missile that, if successfully launched, is said to have the ability to divert the path of typhoons. While it’s still in an experimental stage, it’s safe to say that if the project is a success, typhoon season will well and truly be over in the port city. Bye-bye, Mangkhut!</p>
<h2><strong>HKEX jumps 3,000pts</strong><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-50100" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-HKEX-jumps-3000pts_opt.jpg" alt="2020" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-HKEX-jumps-3000pts_opt.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-HKEX-jumps-3000pts_opt-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-HKEX-jumps-3000pts_opt-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-HKEX-jumps-3000pts_opt-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-HKEX-jumps-3000pts_opt-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-HKEX-jumps-3000pts_opt-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-HKEX-jumps-3000pts_opt-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></h2>
<p>Hong Kong’s stock exchange bull is charging towards new heights with the city strengthening its position as a financial and technological hub in China’s Greater Bay Initiative. As the year steadily progresses towards the green’ zone, the HKEX is also looking to woo those companies that had, in the recent past, chosen to list in the US’s larger markets.</p>
<h4>“Maybe sooner – rather than later – at least some of our wishful thinking may just come true”</h4>
<h2><strong>Foreign investors queue up</strong><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-50099" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-Foreign-investors-queue-up_opt.jpg" alt="2020" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-Foreign-investors-queue-up_opt.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-Foreign-investors-queue-up_opt-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-Foreign-investors-queue-up_opt-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-Foreign-investors-queue-up_opt-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-Foreign-investors-queue-up_opt-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-Foreign-investors-queue-up_opt-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-Foreign-investors-queue-up_opt-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></h2>
<p>With the city’s Closer Economic Partnership with mainland China (CEPA), the Fragrant Harbour is now the obvious first choice for companies looking to enter the China market. The city’s excellent infrastructure, business knowledge of China, as well as no additional levied taxes, all make it a very lucrative place for foreign investors. No doubt it’s a combination of these factors that has led Amazon, the US’s retail megastar, as well as tech giants such as Facebook and Google to look to get listed on HKEX.</p>
<h2><strong>Carrie Lam wins Nobel Prize</strong><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-50098" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-Carrie-Lam-wins-Nobel-Prize_opt.jpg" alt="2020" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-Carrie-Lam-wins-Nobel-Prize_opt.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-Carrie-Lam-wins-Nobel-Prize_opt-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-Carrie-Lam-wins-Nobel-Prize_opt-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-Carrie-Lam-wins-Nobel-Prize_opt-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-Carrie-Lam-wins-Nobel-Prize_opt-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-Carrie-Lam-wins-Nobel-Prize_opt-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-Carrie-Lam-wins-Nobel-Prize_opt-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></h2>
<p>The year was turning out to be peachy so far, but the feather in the cap came in October when it was announced that HKSAR’s Chief Executive Carrie Lam will receive the Nobel Prize for Peace for being instrumental in fostering a feeling of fraternity and harmony between China and Hong Kong. Come 10 December, all Hongkongers will be waiting with bated breath to hear her acceptance speech as she collects the prestigious prize in Sweden.</p>
<h2><strong>Most Instagrammed city</strong><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-50102" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-Most-Instagrammed-city_opt.jpg" alt="2020" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-Most-Instagrammed-city_opt.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-Most-Instagrammed-city_opt-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-Most-Instagrammed-city_opt-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-Most-Instagrammed-city_opt-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-Most-Instagrammed-city_opt-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-Most-Instagrammed-city_opt-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/700x466-Most-Instagrammed-city_opt-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></h2>
<p>As of December 2020, Guinness World Records has confirmed that Hong Kong is the most <a href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/hongkong/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Instagrammed</a> city in the world based on the number of geotags used by the platform’s users. This is the first year that an Asian city has nudged New York, the consecutive winner for two years, out of the top spot. With gourmet food choices, landmark locations and a vibrant, upbeat ambience, it’s easy to understand why the 852 bagged the top spot. Way to go, Hong Kong&#8230;</p>
<p>Ah well, it’s time to break out of the reverie and come back to reality. But who knows, maybe sooner rather than later, at least some of our wishful thinking may yet come true. Fingers crossed.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>


2020 in the Crystal Ball

<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Okay, hand on heart, where would you rather visit – the Great Wall of China or the graveyard where Jim Morrison, the iconic lead singer of The Doors, is buried? Similarly, which one of these tops your travel itinerary – the ornate clocks of the Czech Republic or the glow-in-the-dark ruins of Chernobyl? Still unsure? How about this – Bali’s most beautiful beach or the eerie, abandoned huts of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp?&nbsp;</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">If your answer, in every instance, was largely the latter, you are not necessarily a sojourning sociopath-to-be. No, it could just be that you’re an early advocate of one the vacation industry’s most visceral trends – dark tourism.</span></p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-41166" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/gothic-3725752.jpg" alt="dark tourism" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/gothic-3725752.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/gothic-3725752-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/gothic-3725752-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/gothic-3725752-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/gothic-3725752-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/gothic-3725752-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/gothic-3725752-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></p>
<p class="p2"><span class="s2">Despite such apparently morbid motivations, dark tourism does not necessarily stem from some wholly unhealthy impulse. Maintaining it is the manifestation of a very natural fascination with mortality, Professor John Lennon, the Director of the Glasgow Caledonian University’s Moffat Centre for Travel and Tourism Business Development, says; “Dark tourism, like our dark history, occupies an important part of our understanding of what it is to be human. Essentially, it is motivated by a desire for actual or symbolic encounters with death.”</span></p>
<p><span class="s1">For those dead-set on actual or symbolic encounters, there are – perhaps worryingly – an ever-expanding number of options on offer. And for those who find themselves particularly execution excursion-minded, where better to start than Colombia, the 50 million-strong South American country that, not so long ago, held the dubious accolade of being the world’s most violent nation.</span></p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-41185" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/colombia.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/colombia.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/colombia-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/colombia-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/colombia-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/colombia-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/colombia-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/colombia-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></p>
<p class="p2"><span class="s3">A relatively poor country compared to the massive, hedonistic US market next-door, drugs – particularly cocaine – was its perennial problem. Once the world’s largest producer and distributor of this Class A narcotic, its streets ran red with the blood of rival drug gangs, supposed informers, nosy journalists, incorruptible government officials and law enforcement operatives.</span></p>
<p class="p2"><span class="s1">For those looking for a first-hand experience of the country’s corpse-heavy past, Bogotá – the national capital – is the place to start. Here you can hire a drug baron doppelganger with a pitch-perfect take on Pablo Escobar, the most infamous member of the country’s narco nobility, who will drive you around the city’s most notorious landmarks, all the while making – apparently – pretend drug deals on his hefty retro-’80s phone.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span class="s1">Once sated by your exploration of Colombia’s opiate-addled past, you could head to the 3,000km-distant Mexico. Time it right and you could even arrive on the eve of the Day of the Dead, which, despite its name, actually spans a 72-hour period – 31 October-2 November. A decidedly ghoulish affair, it’s a time when locals pay their respects to the recently (and not so recently) departed, celebrate their lives and acknowledge the inevitability of death. This, however, is not an occasion for quiet reflection and sedate remembrance.</span></p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-41178" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/day-of-the-dead-1868836_1920_eff.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/day-of-the-dead-1868836_1920_eff.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/day-of-the-dead-1868836_1920_eff-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/day-of-the-dead-1868836_1920_eff-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/day-of-the-dead-1868836_1920_eff-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/day-of-the-dead-1868836_1920_eff-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/day-of-the-dead-1868836_1920_eff-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/day-of-the-dead-1868836_1920_eff-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></p>
<p class="p2"><span class="s1">Defending the apparent jollity of the festival, Andrea Bentanzos, a Mexico City-based tourist guide, said: “The deceased would be insulted if we merely mourned them. Death is not the end – it’s just the journey to the next stage of life and this is the time we feel the departed’s spirits most keenly.”</span></p>
<p class="p2"><span class="s1">For those not wanting to venture beyond Asia in search of a little spooky sightseeing, then one of the destinations that has only relatively recently acquired otherworldly status is Fukushima, the Japanese city that was at the epicentre of the earthquake, tsunamis and subsequent nuclear meltdown that saw the world catch its breath back in 2011. </span></p>
<p class="p2"><span class="s1">At the heart of this was the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, a facility that, eight years on, is still highly radioactive and subject to a massive ongoing decontamination operation. Despite this, those curious – or foolhardy – enough can take a tour of the infamous installation.</span></p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-41169" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Queenstown_minesite_area_1984-min.jpg" alt="dark tourism" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Queenstown_minesite_area_1984-min.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Queenstown_minesite_area_1984-min-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Queenstown_minesite_area_1984-min-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Queenstown_minesite_area_1984-min-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Queenstown_minesite_area_1984-min-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Queenstown_minesite_area_1984-min-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Queenstown_minesite_area_1984-min-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></p>
<p class="p2"><span class="s1">Well before you set foot within its potentially-lethal perimeter, you have to sign a lengthy waiver, absolving the operator from any responsibility should you go home glowing in the dark. You are then issued your own personal Geiger Counter and bussed into the half-life holiday spot.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s3">From the Fukushimi Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant to Pablo Escobar&#8217;s plush prison, the dark side of the world has come to the fore, with many – consciously or unconsciously – aiming to leverage their leisure time to </span><span class="s2">get to grips with humanity’s less pure impulses. Hopefully, they’re coming away with a measured repulsion to mankind’s baser urges and not with a newly-perfected roadmap for atrocities of their own</span></p>
<p><em>Text:&nbsp;Robert&nbsp;Blain</em></p>


Dark Tourism: Today’s tourists want gore and disorder when they have time to kill

<p>The world is gradually discovering that tourism can be a double-edged sword. Though it brings in revenue and employment, it also has a devastating impact on the world’s society, culture and environment.</p>
<p>With tourism backlash in full effect, we have put together a list of destinations you may want to avoid in 2018:</p>
<p><strong>1.Barcelona</strong><strong>, Spain</strong></p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-32286 size-full" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/700x466-5.jpg" alt="Destinations to avoid in 2018_Barcelona" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/700x466-5.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/700x466-5-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/700x466-5-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/700x466-5-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/700x466-5-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/700x466-5-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/700x466-5-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></p>
<p>Statistics show that over 9 million tourists stayed in city hotels in 2016, an increase of over 7 million people since 1990. Angry locals have resorted to anti-tourist graffiti with statements such as “This is not tourism. This is invasion”, sprawled across the city. Several riots and protests were witnessed in the summer of 2017. Residents blamed services such as Airbnb for the increase of rents, forcing them from their homes. The city’s government has passed a law to limit tourist beds but will this be enough to tackle the new wave of anti-tourism?</p>
<p><strong>2.<span style="text-decoration: underline"><a href="//www.gafencushop.com/touring-the-balkans/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dubrovnik</a></span></strong><span style="text-decoration: underline"><strong>, Croatia</strong></span></p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-32287 size-full" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/700x466-3-1.jpg" alt="Destinations to avoid in 2018_Dubrovnik " width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/700x466-3-1.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/700x466-3-1-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/700x466-3-1-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/700x466-3-1-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/700x466-3-1-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/700x466-3-1-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/700x466-3-1-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></p>
<p>Thousands of tourists are drawn in by Dubrovnik’s clear blue waters and historical buildings, not to mention the city’s starring role in “<strong><a href="//www.gafencushop.com/delvaux-game-of-thrones/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Game of Thrones</a></strong>”, one of the most talked about television shows in the world. UNESCO has listed various conservation issues while the impact of tourism threatens the city’s World Heritage status. In order to cut the number of visitors, Dubrovnik’s mayor has taken drastic measures, capping the number of people who can revel in the ancient city’s treasures at 4,000 a day. &nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>3.Bhutan</strong></p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-32289 size-full" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/700x466-1-1.jpg" alt="Destinations to avoid in 2018_Bhutan " width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/700x466-1-1.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/700x466-1-1-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/700x466-1-1-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/700x466-1-1-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/700x466-1-1-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/700x466-1-1-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/700x466-1-1-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></p>
<p>The kingdom of Bhutan&nbsp;is at danger with <a href="//www.gafencushop.com/acropolis-now/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mass tourism</a> threatening nature and local cultures. Charging travellers a daily fee of US$200-$250 (depending on the time of year), the Prime Minister and Chairman of tourism, hoped to minimise the impact of tourism with a “high value, low impact” policy. In addition to this, visitors are recommended to use homestays − a Bhutanese version of bed and breakfast − as an attempt to bring money to rural areas and give value to a traditional way of life. However, with the number of regional tourists increasing from 97,584 in 2015 to 146,797 in 2016, locals have cited concerns about the environmental impact on its delicate cultural ecosystem.</p>
<p><strong>4.Taj Mahal, <a href="//www.gafencushop.com/christmas-getaways/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">India</a></strong></p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-32290 size-full" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/700x466-2-1.jpg" alt="Destinations to avoid in 2018_Taj Mahal_India" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/700x466-2-1.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/700x466-2-1-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/700x466-2-1-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/700x466-2-1-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/700x466-2-1-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/700x466-2-1-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/700x466-2-1-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></p>
<p>Built around 400 years ago, the iconic <strong><a href="//www.gafencushop.com/farsited/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Taj Mahal</a></strong> is one of the most visited landmarks in the world. The country’s monsoon seasons, however, are not enough to prevent the yellowing of the ivory-white marble as pollution levels in Agra reach an all time high. As the Yamuna River − located behind the monument −&nbsp;fills with sewage and other waste, India’s masterpiece of love is damaged further. The Archaeological Survey of India is likely to limit the number of visitors to 30, 000 per day, besides introducing separate tickets for entry into the crypt, to ensure head count and crowd management. As of now, there is no restriction,&nbsp;drawing in 60,000 to 70,000 tourists during peak season. &nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>5.Galapagos Islands, Ecuador</strong></p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-32306 size-full aligncenter" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/700x466-6.jpg" alt="Destinations to avoid in 2018_Galapagos Islands" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/700x466-6.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/700x466-6-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/700x466-6-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/700x466-6-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/700x466-6-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/700x466-6-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/700x466-6-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></p>
<p>Home to wildlife and landscapes found nowhere else on earth, it comes as no surprise that the popularity of the Galapagos Islands has grown over the years. While the first visitors to the islands ate and slept on cruise ships, a significant rise in tourists has resulted in competition among hotels, making it much cheaper to stay on the islands. Local farmers and fishermen are unable to keep up with the requirement of visitors, meaning food must be imported from the mainland. Meanwhile, scientists argue that tourism is endangering the unique biodiversity, with the presence of humans effecting animals’ natural behaviours. Aside from this, the residents of these islands (human or not) also need a break, just like us!</p>
<p><em>&nbsp;</em><em>Text: Hira Desai</em></p>


Five travel destinations to avoid in 2018

<p><img decoding="async" class="ngg_displayed_gallery mceItem" src="//www.gafencushop.com/nextgen-attach_to_post/preview/id--18261" data-mce-placeholder="1" /></p>
<p>Paul Niel has hiked the Seven Summits – the highest peaks on every continent. Michael Pittman, a paleontologist, has searched for dinosaur bones in the harsh Gobi Desert. Amy Yu has visited some of the world’s most volatile countries, like Iraq and Syria.</p>
<p>So what’s the common thread connecting these three disparate personalities? Well, all three live in Hong Kong, they all love adventure and they all shared their captivating stories at Blueflower’s recent ‘Daring Reasons to Travel’ seminar.</p>
<p>Held at Blueflower’s trendy ‘Travel Salon’ in Wong Chuk Hang, the ongoing seminars are intended to stimulate intelligent conversation and offer tips on how to traverse the planet as a traveller rather than a tourist. Guests can browse the salon’s extensive collection of artworks and books from around the world, followed by a four-course meal prepared by Blueflower’s founder, Andrea Oschetti, who also happens to be a chef.</p>
<p>While Blueflower is technically registered as a travel agency, Oschetti said the label doesn’t quite fit. Blueflower offers bespoke trips tailored to the individual client, with the aim of creating intimate experiences that allow the traveller to explore a destination in a deeper and more fulfilling way. In other words, trips that “aren’t just about the bucket list or about following what the guide says”, Oschetti explains.</p>
<p>“I see myself as a mentor, someone that sits next to my clients and I help them to pursue their dreams,” Oschetti says.</p>
<p>Amy Yu, an American who has lived in Hong Kong for about eight years, has a keen interest in geopolitics, which has spurred her to travel to places that few dare to visit, either because of real dangers (in the case of Iraq) or imagined ones (in the case of misconceptions about Sudan). During a recent trip to Iraq, she met with a family from the Yazidi minority, an ethnic Kurdish group whose members are heavily persecuted. The family abandoned their home in Sinjar to come to Lalish, and by doing so escaped a perilous fate. Sinjar was attacked by ISIS in 2014, and thousands of Yazidis were killed or enslaved.</p>
<p>“To meet these people, and meet Yazidi women, it humbles you to know that you’re talking to people (that lived it),” Yu says.</p>
<p>“This is not just a story in the news. This is why I travel. You meet people and all of these things become real.”</p>
<p>Although adventure was the theme of the evening, Oschetti says Blueflower’s services are not just for mountain climbers and deep-sea divers.</p>
<p>“The company helps you to achieve these difficult-to-do dreams, but not necessarily just those,” he says. “I think that a daring trip to do, for example, is to go to Italy and try to explore the culture through its food and understand Italy through its food by changing the way visitors experience food.</p>
<p>“So, for example, being able to turn the tables and instead of being hosted in a restaurant, to be the host yourself – and to host the best producers of a region; to have picnics in the place where Saint Francis used to walk; to go in a real house of someone who is not a local who hosts tourists day in and day out, but has actually just opened for the first time to a visitor, so you experience true hospitality.”</p>
<p>Oschetti was referring to Blueflower’s food-focused trip to Central Italy where guests can invite the most interesting local producers to dine with them in a private villa.</p>
<p>‘Daring Reasons to Travel’ was the second seminar hosted by Blueflower, and the agency plans to host more in the future.</p>
<p><strong>Blueflower&#8217;s upcoming seminars:</strong></p>
<p>‘South American Food Battle’</p>
<p>Thursday, 23 March, 7pm<br />
Discover South American cuisine with Hong Kong’s leading chefs in a battle for the best dish</p>
<p>‘Trips That Make An Impact: Conservation and Wildlife’<br />
Wednesday, 5 April, 7pm<br />
Hear from a safari specialist and learn about conservation efforts in Africa</p>
<p>For more information, visit<a href="http://www.blueflower.la/" target="_blank"> www.blueflower.la/</a></p>
<p><em>Text: Emily Petsko</em></p>


Tag: tourism

Breathtaking Bhutan: The mountainous kingdom is steeped in rich cultural tradition and stupendous natural beauty

Arrival Notice: In a tactical change, Hong Kong is rolling out new local attractions. Will more tourists roll up?

Basque Bonkers – The summer months are when the Basque region goes wild

2020 in the Crystal Ball

Dark Tourism: Today’s tourists want gore and disorder when they have time to kill

Five travel destinations to avoid in 2018

‘Daring Reasons to Travel’: Blueflower hosts intimate talks with avid explorers

Tag: tourism

Blog Section

Breathtaking Bhutan: The mountainous kingdom is steeped in rich cultural tradition and stupendous natural beauty

Arrival Notice: In a tactical change, Hong Kong is rolling out new local attractions. Will more tourists roll up?

Basque Bonkers – The summer months are when the Basque region goes wild

2020 in the Crystal Ball

Dark Tourism: Today’s tourists want gore and disorder when they have time to kill

Five travel destinations to avoid in 2018

‘Daring Reasons to Travel’: Blueflower hosts intimate talks with avid explorers