Global good news

A LANDMARK NEW U.S. BILL, THE RECOVERING AMERICA’S WILDLIFE ACT, WILL CREATE AN ANNUAL BUDGET OF MORE THAN £1.6 BILLION TO PROTECT VULNERABLE SPECIES GLOBAL good news

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sustainability

SPAIN’S SLOW TRAVEL CAMPAIGN

The Spanish Tourist Office has launched the #SlowTravelSpain campaign to show travellers how they can holiday more sustainably in the country. The initiative focuses on drawing travellers to quieter areas of Spain. It also showcases low-impact activities and itineraries which include more sustainable methods of travel, like trains, bikes and walking, aiming to lessen harmful impacts on communities and the environment. The tourist office wants visitors to Spain to form a deeper connection with local people and cultures when travelling.

slow travel

NEW HIKING TRAIL IN CALIFORNIA

A new hiking route has opened in California, near Santa Barbara. The new Ropersmith Trail offers both hikers and cyclists a smooth track through the Harmon Canyon Preserve. It has panoramic views of the Topatopa Mountains, diverse wildlife, and is noted for the abundance of rare coastal sage scrub along its path.

Les Argonautes

Good to know...

The latest countries to relax covid restrictions...

EGYPT

All Covid entry restrictions were lifted on June 17, meaning visitors do not need to complete any tests or show proof of vaccination.

GERMANY

All covid-related travel restrictions were lifted on June 11 but specific masks (FPP2 type) are required on public transport.

NEW ZEALAND

On June 20, the government dropped its requirement for a pre-departure test.

SOUTH AFRICA

Travellers no longer need to provide a negative test or proof of vaccination to enter South Africa, regardless of vaccination status, and face masks are no longer required indoors.

THAILAND

From July 1, the country is scrapping more rules, including the requirement for visitors to have $10,000 of travel health insurance. You just need to show proof of a Covid vaccination or a negative test taken within 72 hours.

THE BAHAMAS

As of June 19, fullyvaccinated travellers no longer need to take a pre-travel Covid-19 test.

off-grid travel INTREPID INVESTS IN CABN

Intrepid Travel has invested a AUS$7.85 million equity stake in the Australian off-grid accommodation provider CABN. The money will accelerate plans to deliver more than 70 sustainable cabins across Australia by 2023. CABN currently has 11 minimalist escape pads, built from predominantly locally-sourced, sustainable materials. The accommodation requires minimal infrastructure and has a ‘leave no trace’ policy, allowing guests to immerse themselves in nature. The move will help Intrepid meet the increasing demand for eco-friendly travel.

green committment

Albania has vowed to protect ‘Europe’s ‘last wild river’. The Vjosa River is rare in the fact that it’s one of the last in Europe not to be dammed, and the Albanian government has publically committed to protecting it by creating Europe’s first wild river national park

world-first

GREEN CRUISING

Norwegian cruise line Havila Voyages claims it operated the first zero-emission cruise in Norway’s Geirangerfjord this June. The Havila Castor used battery-powered propulsion for three hours. The line’s ships come with the largest battery pack on a passenger ship (lasting up to four hours) and also use liquefied natural gas, reducing CO2 emissions by 30% and nitrogen oxide emissions by 90% (compared to ships using fossil fuels).

wildlife

It’s been discovered that an isolated sub-population of polar bears in Greenland have adapted to the lack of sea ice. The group of genetically distinct bears are hunting on ice that has calved off glaciers

indigenous tourism

NEW ABORIGINAL CULTURE EXPERIENCE

A new indigenous cultural experience, aboriginal owned-andoperated, will open this July in the Australian state of Victoria. Budj Bim Cultural Landscape Tourism is in Victoria’s far Southwest and will help visitors uncover the area’s ancient living heritage, where evidence of society working around a system of life-filled waterways dates back at least 6,600 years. The new attraction is located in and around Budj Bim National Park and Tae Rak (Lake Condah), beyond Victoria’s popular Great Ocean Road.

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Jason Murphy