Helicopter

Venice, Italy

HELICOPTER RIDES OF THE WORLD

by Lilly-Ella McArthur

Tours do not last long, but the experience you will remember for life. From coral reefs to active volcanoes or iconic city skylines and natural scenes. Here we take a look at some of the rides in the sky!

The Grand Canyon - USA

The Grand Canyon is vast and sees the meandering Colorado River at its base. With its spectacular red rock formations its ancient geological history could date back 70 million years. A tour over the South Rim, sees you fly over the widest and deepest part of the canyon.

Juneau - Alaska, USA

The view of this icefield sees an endless horizon of ice-capped mountains and flowing ice rivers. There are approx. 40 large glaciers that stretch over 1,500sq.m, with deep crevasses and azure blue ice. The helicopter tours also lands on the glacier and offers guided ice walking and visits ice caves with their vibrant blue interiors.

Grand Canyon

Juneau - Alaska

The Himalayas Great Barrier Reef - Australia

This has been a popular helicopter ride for years as it gives you the idea of the vast size of the reef. It is no wonder it is one of the 7 wonders of the natural world. Its spreads across over 1400 miles, and is home to more than 400 types of coral in the crystal clear water. The reef is the largest living thing that can be seen from space.

Rio de Janeiro - Brazil

From the ground you will explore the streets and sites, but from the air, the Favelas and white sand beaches take on a different feel. A ride in the sky will see you fly over Sugar Loaf Mountain and fly by the statue of Christ the Redeemer, the largest Art Decostyle sculpture in the world.

Guatemala

Not well known for its stunning aerial views, but this is a country that is home to volcanic trenches, lush rainforests, huge Mayan ruins and pyramids, as well as temples, palaces, and fortresses, all stunning when seen from the air. The beautiful Lake Amatitlán adds to the diverse landscape and is perfect for viewing from above.

The Himalayas

This is definitely easier than hiking up the huge mountains that make up the Himalayas. See these high altitude mountain ranges with their jagged snow-capped summits, look down on the Mount Everest Base Camp, the Khumbu Glacier, and Sagarmatha National Park Nepal, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Amatitlán Lake, Guatemala

Glymur Glymur - Iceland

A land of extremes in nature with glaciers and volcanoes, seeing the natural landscape from above takes it to a new level. Fly over black beaches, fjords and waterfalls like Glymur and see the geothermal pools and plumes of steam rise high in the sky. This is where the western side of the Eurasian and eastern side of the North American tectonic plates meet in Thingvellir Park.

Niagara Falls - Ontario, Canada

Most people stand in at the base of the thunderous waterfall feeling its spray on them. However, you still hear the roar of Niagara Falls when looking down at it from a Helicopter.

Kilauea Volcano - Hawaii, USA

Volcanoes are a dangerous yet beautiful form of nature. To witness the red hot lava fire out of a live volcano is a site to see and a helicopter rides gets you up close, yet safely. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is home to Mount Kilauea which erupted in 2018, and is still throwing out red lava.

The helicopter tour also includes island highlights like the cliffs of the Na Pali coast, waterfalls like Manawaiopuna. A winter tour could also offer the chance to see humpback whales in the ocean below.

Milford Sound - New Zealand

An absolutely breath-taking natural wonder, Milford Sound offers spectacular forest-covered mountains, dramatic fjords and hundreds of waterfalls. Taking a bird’s eye view allows you to see wildlife in the water below as well as landing on the glacier on Mt. Tutoko.

Kilauea Volcano

Milford Sound

Victoria Falls - Zimbabwe

Straddling the borders of Zambia and Zimbabwe, the Victoria Falls is the largest waterfall in the world with over 500 million cubic meters of water per minute flowing over an edge that falls into the gorge more than 100m below. The sound of the waterfall can be heard up to 40kms away.

Seeing the sheer size of the waterfalls as your helicopter flies up the Zambezi River passing the Batoka Gorge, this is a once in a lifetime experience. Many of the tours collect you directly from your accommodation.

Victoria Falls

New York City

New York City - New York, USA

Flying over the skyscrapers of Manhattan shows the expanse of NY and the Big Apple!

You can see the iconic landmarks up-close like the Empire State Building and Times Square to Central Park and the Statue of Liberty. You also get so see the whole skyline from afar as well as from directly above.

London - United Kingdom

A top tourist destination and one of the most famous cities in the world.

The London skyline is ideal to see from above with views of Buckingham Palace, the Royal Parks, the River Thames, Houses of Parliament and Tower Bridge. See London from a new perspective by taking a helicopter tour.

Athens - Greece

Explore the ancient sites from above and see the Acropolis from one side and the sparkling Aegean Sea from the other. See the red rooftops of the old town and other landmarks of the Greek civilization, such as the Olympic Stadium, Panathinaikon Stadium and Lycabetus Hill, as well as the stunning Riviera.

Africa, Americas, Asia and Europe

Climate change is now globally visible and undeniable with significant implications for the environment, ecosystems and the global economy. Human activities are the main cause of the rapid change seen in recent decades. Greece, located in the climate-sensitive region of the Eastern Mediterranean, is heating up more quickly than the global average. Greece has seen more extreme weather events like heat waves, fires, floods and storms.

The tourism sector is an integral part of modern societies, being one of the largest economic sectors in the world, with activities in both developed and developing countries and playing an important role in poverty alleviation efforts.

Greece offers a diverse beautiful landscape, huge coastline, islands, sea and mountains, its unique biodiversity, the local high quality agricultural production, its archaeological monuments, and sunshine make it an ideal travel destination and tourist attraction. With over 31 million arrivals from abroad in 2019 the tourism sector is a key part of the Greek economy (20.8% of GDP). The tourism sector offers 21.7% of total employment with a strong seasonal character since more than half of the tourist arrivals occur during June to September and with the 4 main airports of Athens, Heraklion, Rhodes and Thessaloniki receiving over 50% of arrivals in 2019.

Tourism activities however, contribute to climate change both through interventions in land use change for development and facilities to the detriment of the natural environment that is important for biodiversity and environmental balance, and through their operation. The environmental footprint of tourism is important, linked to greenhouse gas emissions that directly affect the climate. It is a challenge for the global tourism sector to develop a coherent policy strategy that disconnects the projected massive growth of tourism in the coming decades from increased energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, to enable the further development of tourism, respecting the environment. In turn, climate change affects tourism with rising temperatures, sea levels, reduced snowfall, increased drought and severe weather. Thus, it erodes the shores, alters infrastructure (eg coastal, monuments) or devalues them due to lack of suitable natural conditions for their use (eg lack of snow in ski resorts, reduction of water resources for river activities), changes the duration of periods that tourism products can be offered, e.g. prolongation of the summer tourist season and reduction of days suitable for winter activities, etc.

Therefore the tourism sector must respond to the challenge of climate change in order to maintain competitive levels and grow further in a sustainable way, evolving into a lower environmental product of high quality and economic value. But how resilient is tourism to meet the significant challenges and threats posed by climate change? What measures can and should be taken to mitigate the effects and adapt tourism to the new conditions?

These questions were discussed at the Forum on Climate Change and Tourism in Crete, recently where professionals from the wider tourism business sector, university and research institutions involved in CLIMPACT were invited by the regional and local government.

The National Climate Change Network - CLIMPACT, is an action of the Ministry of Development and Investment, coordinated by the National Observatory of Athens and includes the Hellenic Center for Marine Research, the National Technical University of Athens, the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, the University of Thessaloniki, the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, the Academy of Athens, the NCSR-Democritus, the ATHENS Center and the National Center for Social Research. With the ultimate goal of adapting the country to climate change, CLIMPACT is developing tools and services to adapt to climate change in the affected sectors, including tourism.

APOLLO SWEDEN SEES RECORD SALES TOGREECE

Apollo has seen record sales for trips abroad and especially to the Greek destinations of Crete, Rhodes and Apollo's own newly opened sports hotel Sivota Retreat. The surge in bookings follows the changes in entry requirements and recommendations.

The security package ‘the safe choice’ means that open purchase is valid until 60 days before departure, with rebooking possible up to 14 days before departure and that rebooking is allowed if someone in the party receives a covid-19 positive test seems to be securing customer bookings.

UNWTO African Member States will work together to establish, across the continent, a new policy for tourism.

The aim is to better connect the potential of tourism to drive recovery. UNWTO and its Members will also work with the African Union and the private sector to promote the continent to new audiences around the world through positive and people-focused stories.

The UNWTO welcomed high-level delegates to the 1st Regional Conference on Strengthening the Africa Brand, in Namibia recently where it was agreed that tourism as an essential pillar of the sustainable and inclusive development of the continent. There was also a common determination to rethink and restart tourism.

African destinations should take the initiative to celebrate and promote the continent's vibrant culture, youthful energy and entrepreneurial spirit, as well as its diverse cuisine.

Following a series of workshops and a ministerial reflection group, UNWTO African Member States unanimously endorsed the Windhoek Pledge on promoting the Africa brand.

Under the terms of the Windhoek Pledge, Members will work with private and public sector stakeholders, as well as local communities, to build an inspiring new narrative for tourism across the continent. They will identify positive and people-focused stories and, through strengthened alliances with the media, will show them to the world, reaching new and diverse tourism source markets.

CRUISE INDUSTRY COULD RETURN TO URUGUAY FOR 2021/22 SEASON

Uruguay has received over 200 requests for cruise vessels to call at Montevideo and Punta del Este for the coming 2021/22 season, (October/March). 140 requests are for Montevideo and 60 for the international seaside resort of Punta del Este.

The Uruguayan Ministry of Tourism has begun work for visitor protocols visitors will need to comply with before disembarkation.

Cruise lines will have to comply with very strict health protocols and handling of passengers on board including vaccination certificates, a PCR, 72 hours before landing, most probably in the vessels. Visitors will have to keep to a cruise ‘bubble’ while on land. Since March 2020 the Uruguayan government has banned cruise visitors and crew members from landing in local ports.

KYRGYZSTAN TOURISM DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY

Kyrgyzstan has a draft Tourism Development Strategy covering 20212030. The main task within the country’s development strategy for 2018-2040, is the development of sustainable tourism. Many of the activities and initiatives aim to develop green tourism, and the introduction of green technologies.

USA BORDERS STILL CLOSED

The current border restrictions between the USA and Canada are expected to ease at the beginning of July, an extension from the original 21 June deadline. Leaders from both nations are keen to open borders as soon as possible.

Canada may not open its borders or consider easing restrictions for travellers until at least 75% of residents have been vaccinated. While quarantine restrictions for Canadians returning home could be eased in early July 2021, if all goes well with the roadmap out of the pandemic.