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Why you shouldn’t wait to explore incredible Iceland

<p dir="ltr">Iceland, also called the Land of Fire and Ice, is the most peaceful country in the world. It ranks high in social stability, equality, democracy and more. One of the reasons it is so high on the Peace Index is because it is without a standing army - meaning no army, navy or air force.</p> <p dir="ltr">It's got a lot more to offer though as it's home to some of the most remarkable natural landmarks in the world. </p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>1. Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">A constantly changing natural wonder located on the edge of Vatnajökull National Park in southeast Iceland, Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon is famous for its icebergs that break away from the glacier and float in the lagoon before they drift out to sea.</p> <p dir="ltr">Sculptural mountains make for a majestic backdrop with seals swimming between the icebergs and reindeer roaming around the shores.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>2. Diamond Beach</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Just minutes from the lagoon you’ll find Diamond Beach. It features striking black sand and glistens with iceberg fragments drifting ashore. </p> <p dir="ltr">The beach won’t look the same every time you go as new icebergs form once the old ones disappear. A truly unique destination.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>3. Skógafoss Waterfall</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">With a width of 25 metres and a drop of 60 metres, Skógafoss Waterfall is one of the largest and most elegant waterfalls in Iceland. Its size leads to a lot of spray, often showcasing single or double rainbows on sunny days. </p> <p dir="ltr"> You can get up close to it by following the river below or taking the stairs next to it to get a stunning view from above. </p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>4. Seljalandsfoss Waterfall</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Seljalandsfoss Waterfall is located by a main road, making it one of the most accessible waterfalls and very hard to miss. </p> <p dir="ltr">It drops 60 metres into a tranquil pool below and is one of the few places in the world where you can walk behind a waterfall. </p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>5. Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach is one of the most well-known black sand beaches in the world. It features fine textured soft black sand and a cave with huge geometric columns.  </p> <p dir="ltr">You can see the powerful waves of the Atlantic Ocean meet the shore and the towering basalt sea stacks jutting out from the ocean at 66 metres into the air.<span id="docs-internal-guid-65d3faf7-7fff-1267-2a1e-810c72dfce35"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credit: Getty</em></p>

International Travel

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Is climate change causing more volcanic eruptions?

<p>The Fagradalsfjall volcano in Iceland began <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-08-04/iceland-volcano-fagradalsfjall-erupts/101302732" target="_blank" rel="noopener">erupting again</a> on Wednesday after eight months of slumber – so far without any adverse impacts on people or air traffic.</p> <p>The eruption was expected. It’s in a seismically active (uninhabited) area, and came after several days of earthquake activity close to Earth’s surface. It’s hard to say how long it will continue, although an eruption in the same area last year lasted about six months.</p> <p><a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg2/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Climate change</a> is causing the widespread warming of our land, oceans and atmosphere. Apart from this, it also has the potential to increase volcanic activity, affect the size of eruptions, and alter the “<a href="https://volcano.oregonstate.edu/climate-cooling" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cooling effect</a>” that follows volcanic eruptions.</p> <p>Any of these scenarios could have far-reaching consequences. Yet we don’t fully understand the impact a warming climate could have on volcanic activity.</p> <h2>Cold volcanic regions</h2> <p>First, let’s take a look at volcanic regions covered in ice. There’s a <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1029/96JB01308" target="_blank" rel="noopener">long-established link</a> between the large-scale melting of ice in active volcanic regions and increased eruptions.</p> <p>Research on Iceland’s volcanic systems has identified a heightened period of activity related to the large-scale ice melt at the end of the last ice age. The average eruption rates were found to be up to <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2001GC000282" target="_blank" rel="noopener">100 times</a> higher after the end of the last glacial period, compared to the earlier colder glacial period. Eruptions were also smaller when ice cover was thicker.</p> <p>But why is this the case? Well, as glaciers and ice sheets melt, pressure is taken off Earth’s surface and there are changes in the forces (stress) acting on rocks within the crust and upper mantle. This can lead to more molten rock, or “magma”, being produced in the mantle – which can feed more eruptions.</p> <p>The changes can also affect where and how magma is stored in the crust, and can make it easier for magma to reach the surface.</p> <p>Magma generation beneath Iceland is already <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/jgrb.50273" target="_blank" rel="noopener">increasing</a> due to a warming climate and melting glaciers.</p> <p>The intense ash-producing eruption of Iceland’s <a href="https://ncas.ac.uk/eyjafjallajokull-2010-how-an-icelandic-volcano-eruption-closed-european-skies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Eyjafjallajökull</a> volcano in 2010 was the result of an explosive interaction between hot magma and cold glacial melt water. Based on what we know from the past, an increase in Iceland’s melting ice could lead to larger and more frequent volcanic eruptions.</p> <h2>Weather-triggered eruptions</h2> <p>But what about volcanic regions that aren’t covered in ice – could these also be affected by global warming?</p> <p>Possibly. We know climate change is increasing the severity of storms and other weather events in many parts of the world. These weather events may trigger more volcanic eruptions.</p> <p>On December 6 2021, an eruption at one of Indonesia’s most active volcanoes, Mount Semeru, caused ashfall, <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/programs/VHP/pyroclastic-flows-move-fast-and-destroy-everything-their-path" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pyroclastic flows</a> and volcanic mudflows (called “lahars”) that claimed the lives of at least 50 people.</p> <p>Local authorities hadn’t expected the scale of the eruption. As for the cause, they said several days of heavy rain had destabilised the dome of lava in the volcano’s summit crater. This led to the dome collapsing, which reduced pressure on the magma below and triggered an eruption.</p> <p>Signals of volcanic unrest are usually obtained from changes in volcanic systems (such as earthquake activity), changes in gas emissions from the volcano, or small changes in the shape of the volcano (which can be detected by ground-based or satellite monitoring).</p> <p>Predicting eruptions is already an incredibly complex task. It will become even more difficult as we begin to factor in risk posed by severe weather which could destabilise parts of a volcano.</p> <p>Some scientists <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2172-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suspect</a> increased rainfall led to the damaging 2018 Kīlauea eruption in Hawaii. This was preceded by months of heavy rainfall, which infiltrated the earth and increased underground water pressure within the <a href="https://earthresources.vic.gov.au/projects/victorian-gas-program/onshore-conventional-gas/porosity-permeability" target="_blank" rel="noopener">porous</a> rock. They believe this could have weakened and fractured the rock, facilitating the movement of magma and triggering the eruption.</p> <p>But other <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/publications/rainfall-unlikely-trigger-kilaueas-2018-rift-eruption" target="_blank" rel="noopener">experts</a> disagree, and say there’s no substantial link between rainfall events and eruptions at Kīlauea volcano.</p> <p>Rain-influenced volcanism has also been proposed at other volcanoes around the world, such as the Soufrière Hills <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0377027309002261" target="_blank" rel="noopener">volcano</a> in the Caribbean, and <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1046/j.1365-3121.2001.00297.x" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Piton de la Fournaise</a> on Réunion Island in the Indian Ocean.</p> <h2>Changes to the ‘cooling effect’</h2> <p>There’s another layer we can’t ignore when it comes to assessing the potential link between climate change and volcanic activity. That is: volcanoes themselves can influence the climate.</p> <p>An eruption can lead to <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/programs/VHP/volcanoes-can-affect-climate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cooling or warming</a>, depending on the volcano’s geographical location, the amount and composition of ash and gas erupted, and how high the plume reaches into the atmosphere.</p> <p>Volcanic injections that were rich in sulphur dioxide gas have had the strongest climatic impact recorded in historic times. Sulphur dioxide eventually condenses to form sulfate aerosols in the stratosphere – and these aerosols reduce how much heat reaches Earth’s surface, causing cooling.</p> <p>As the climate warms, <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-24943-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">research</a> shows this will change how volcanic gases interact with the atmosphere. Importantly, the outcome won’t be the same for all eruptions. Some scenarios show that, in a warmer atmosphere, small to medium-sized eruptions could reduce the cooling effect of volcanic plumes by up to 75%.</p> <p>These scenarios assume the “tropopause” (the boundary between the troposphere and stratosphere) will increase in height as the atmosphere warms. But since the volcano’s eruption column will stay the same, the plume carrying sulphur dioxide will be less likely to reach the upper atmosphere – where it would have the largest impact on the climate.</p> <p>On the other hand, more powerful but less frequent volcanic eruptions could lead to a greater cooling effect. That’s because as the atmosphere gets warmer, plumes of ash and gas emitted from powerful eruptions are predicted to rise higher into the atmosphere, and spread <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/2013RG000448" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rapidly</a> from the tropics to higher latitudes.</p> <p>One <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2022GL099381" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recent study</a> has suggested the major Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcanic eruption in January may contribute to global warming, by pumping massive amounts of water vapour (a greenhouse gas) into the stratosphere.</p> <p><strong>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-volcano-is-erupting-again-in-iceland-is-climate-change-causing-more-eruptions-187858" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.</strong></p> <p><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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The world’s loneliest house

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A single white building has been sitting empty for almost 100 years on the side of a hill in Ellidaey, a tiny, remote island south of Iceland.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The island has been unoccupied since the 1930s, when the handful of families living there moved to the mainland to pursue a better life.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite the growth of unusual theories accounting for its continued abandonment, such as acting as a rich billionaire’s retreat in the event of a zombie apocalypse or that singer Bjork owned the house, its actual history is less exciting.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Since the island is home to flocks of puffins, the house is a lodge that was built by the Ellidaey Hunting Association.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7841484/island-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/685abc4d87504afe999f2df03c60642c" /></span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Though the house has no electricity, running water, or indoor plumbing, the building includes a sauna and stunning views.</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/_crgGFpfb-/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/_crgGFpfb-/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Gogwalk (@gogwalk)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The island is also listed as a nature reserve and protected area, as storm petrels and other sea birds use it as a major nesting area.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite its protected status, tourists can still take a day trip to catch a glimpse of the isolated island.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Images: Escape.com.au</span></em></p>

International Travel

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Popular tourist destination to be closed in 2020

<p>Faroe Islands are a beautiful and popular string of islands that are home to a colony of puffins.</p> <p>However, the islands are going to be closed for a portion of 2020 so that the ecosystem can be preserved from the droves of tourists that descend on the shores of the islands.</p> <p>Faroe Islands are located between Iceland and Norway, but if you’re still itching to see the puffin colony that calls the islands home, you can still go to the islands.</p> <p>You just have to volunteer your time to step foot on the islands.</p> <p>14 tourist sites will be closed for a portion of 2020, but volunteers that help rejuvenate the island are able to stay on the island for free during the maintenance period, which is during the weekend of April 16 – 17 2020.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B37xx4cHMp3/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B37xx4cHMp3/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Faroe Islands (@faroeislands)</a> on Oct 22, 2019 at 1:33pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Guðrið Højgaard, Director at Visit Faroe Islands, said successful applicants will need to apply quickly as the 2019 program saw thousands reach out to offer their assistance.</p> <p>"For us, tourism is not all about numbers," Højgaard told <em><a href="https://www.cnn.com/travel">CNN Travel</a></em> earlier this year.</p> <p>"We welcome visitors to the islands each year, but we also have a responsibility to our community and to our beautiful environment, and our aim is to preserve and protect the islands, ensuring sustainable and responsible growth."</p> <p>The first batch of volunteers included travellers from Mexico, Australia, China and the United States.</p> <p>The Faroe Islands’ capital of Tórshavn has a population of about 13,000 and visits to the islands have increased by 10 per cent over the last few years.</p>

Travel Trouble

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Hilarious “missing” tourist search goes viral

<p>A tourist has taken the term “self-discovery” to a whole new meaning in a news story that has gone viral on social media sites.</p> <p>In the snippet of the newspaper article, a woman was reported to be missing at Iceland’s Eldgjá canyon in 2012 after she failed to return to her tour bus from her walk.</p> <p>The driver alerted authorities, which soon dispatched search teams around the hillsides for the woman described as about 160cm tall and wearing dark clothes.</p> <p>However, it was later revealed that the woman had been a part of the search party all along.</p> <p>According to the newspaper, the woman “had changed clothes” before getting back on the bus and “joined in the search” because she “didn’t recognise the description of herself”.</p> <p>The search was called off at around 3 am as “it became clear the missing woman was, in fact, accounted for and searching for herself”.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr">**HAPPY FRIDAY: "A group of tourists spent hours Saturday night looking for a missing woman in Iceland, only to find her among the search party. The search was called off at 3am when it became clear the missing woman was, in fact, accounted for &amp; searching for herself." <a href="https://twitter.com/OANN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@OANN</a> <a href="https://t.co/3uluRJOemu">pic.twitter.com/3uluRJOemu</a></p> — Patrick Hussion (@PatrickHussion) <a href="https://twitter.com/PatrickHussion/status/1172639952493936640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 13, 2019</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-cards="hidden" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr">Aren’t we all, in our own way, this woman. <a href="https://t.co/xNf2HyL77S">pic.twitter.com/xNf2HyL77S</a></p> — Brian Millar (@arthurascii) <a href="https://twitter.com/arthurascii/status/1172104765230211072?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 12, 2019</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr">Aren’t we all searching for ourselves 🤔</p> — Jared Son of Jared (@JaredIRoybal) <a href="https://twitter.com/JaredIRoybal/status/1171877537565200385?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 11, 2019</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr">I really needed that laugh. Funny because you can actually see that happening 🤣</p> — Delia Payne🇺🇸 (@meemaw2013) <a href="https://twitter.com/meemaw2013/status/1172643497368850432?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 13, 2019</a></blockquote> <p>Sveinn Runarsson, the police chief in charge of the rescue, told<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/missing-icelandic-tourist-goes-in-search-of-herself-8096831.html" target="_blank"><em>The Independent</em></a><span> </span>at the time that “the people on the bus had not been counted correctly”.</p>

Travel Trouble

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Is overtourism impacting our favourite destinations?

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Overtourism can be a big dream killer, especially if you’ve been saving up and looking forward to your trip all year.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As the population of the world continues to grow, overtourism is fast becoming one of the more debated issues in the world of travel.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Many factors are at play when heading to your favourite destination, including cheaper flights, rising incomes and social media’s ability to put a laser-like focus on destinations that were once hidden from the world.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Headlines from around the world have highlighted that cities who are reliant on tourism dollars undergo an identity crisis when the boatloads of tourists become more of a problem than they’re worth.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Tourism is like any other industry: it needs to be regulated and managed locally to prevent negative impacts," says Justin Francis, CEO of UK-based tour operator Responsible Travel told </span><a href="https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/how-to-stop-overtourism/index.html"><span style="font-weight: 400;">CNN</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In some of the world’s more popular destinations, such as Venice, Italy, the locals are already taking charge.</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B016qhkhyLW/" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B016qhkhyLW/" target="_blank">One day in Venice is all we needed. It wasn’t the crowds, sitting police, expensive treats and excursions, or sore feet, that left us feeling sombre as we made our way back to the bus. The city of Venice is built on 118 islands! Its architecture is inspiring. However, it’s history and future is what left me saddened. Things like the Venetian Ghetto makes my heart sink. Not only my heart, but the city itself is sinking and doomed to sea level rise. As tourism soars and rents rise, the Venetian residents leave and the city's quality of life erodes. Venice, there is no other city like yours 💔</a></p> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/franncarver/" target="_blank"> Frances Carver</a> (@franncarver) on Aug 6, 2019 at 5:21pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"The main problem is 'mordi e fuggi' tourism, day trip tourism," says Guido Moltedo, Editor in Chief of Ytali, who claims this accounts for two thirds of visitors.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The city has introduced a new levy on day-trippers, which starts at 3 euros. By 2020, the fee will range between 3 euros and 10 euros, which are dependant on the time of year and the amount of visitors in the area.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, Moltedo is aware that it doesn’t solve the problem.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The real problem is not getting more money, but reducing the impact of tourism."</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Other smaller countries are suffering as well.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Due to the popularity of the show </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Game of Thrones</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">, Dubrovnik in Croatia has seen a popularity surge to locations such as its Old Town.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With an increase of 8 per cent from 2017 in 2018 numbers, with a massive 1.27 million people visiting, the city needed to do something.</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B01rfMWgTpO/" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B01rfMWgTpO/" target="_blank">Kayak into the deep blue... 🚣🏼‍♀️ 📸Credit to @aznlamaaaaaaa . . . . . . #Croatia #Dubrovnik #DubrovnikSea #DubrovnikSeaView #View #ViewAtTheTop #Kayak #DubrovnikKayaking #DeepBlue #Ocean #Nature #Crazy #FirstofTwo #Travelgram #Freedom #TravelPhotography #TravelEurope #EatPlayLive #Globetrotting #DoYouTravel #Lifestyle #IGTravel #IGWorldclub #IGCapturesClub</a></p> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/mlinhling/" target="_blank"> Marie-Linh NC</a> (@mlinhling) on Aug 6, 2019 at 3:08pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Dubrovnik is successfully conducting a project called 'respect the city', with the aim of sustainable and responsible tourism development," says Romana Vlašić, director of the Dubrovnik Tourist Board.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"One of the measures is limiting the number of cruise ship passengers to 4,000 at the same time."</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As the weather heats up around the globe, some people want to escape to the colder weather that can be found in Reykjavik, Iceland.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The annual numbers have jumped from 500,000 in 2010 to 2.3 million in 2018 and this means that the country has had to deal with a huge influx of people.</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B1KgzokiZqD/" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B1KgzokiZqD/" target="_blank">One shot 🌊🗺 #waterfall #iceland #dji #trip #holiday #makeup #fun #me #cooking #a #b #c #d #e #f #foodporn #style #love #london #thegoodlife #vscocam #l4l #friends #fuck #ok #cooking #cool #photography #canonphotography</a></p> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/bgphotopl/" target="_blank"> BGphoto</a> (@bgphotopl) on Aug 14, 2019 at 5:21pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, instead of discouraging visitors, Iceland is looking to diversify the offerings for tourists.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Recognizing the strain being placed on Reykjavik and a small number of other sites, they have tried to promote areas further afield to ease the pressure on the 'Golden Circle,'" Francis says, referring to a popular day tour of geological attractions.</span></p>

Travel Trouble

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The top 5 most relaxing destinations around the world

<p>It can be hard to get away from it all, especially when you don’t know where to start. <a href="https://www.lastminute.com/en/discover/most-chilled-out-countries-in-the-world.html">Lastminute.com</a> has ranked a variety of locations from around the world in order of noise, light pollution and the number of green spaces available to make this easier for you.</p> <p>The top 5 most chilled out destinations worldwide are:</p> <p><strong>1. Indonesia</strong><a href="https://www.gettyimages.com.au/detail/photo/ohoililir-beach-kei-island-royalty-free-image/1012860334"></a></p> <p>Indonesia is well known for relaxing by the ocean, as well as connecting with Mother Nature. With 88,000 of coastline, a beach isn’t too far away from you no matter where you are in Indonesia.</p> <p><strong>2. Australia</strong><a href="https://www.gettyimages.com.au/detail/photo/helicopter-view-of-the-white-sands-turquoise-ocean-royalty-free-image/952973680"></a></p> <p>Australia is known for their abundance of wildlife, as well as the variety of natural beauty that occurs. Whether you’re along the Great Barrier Reef or journeying into the red-hot centre of the nation, there’s something for everyone.</p> <p><strong>3. Iceland</strong><a href="https://www.gettyimages.com.au/detail/photo/cascata-di-gulfoss-di-notte-con-aurora-boreale-royalty-free-image/932194018"></a></p> <p>Iceland is ideal for stargazing, as it’s near the top of the Arctic Circle. This is where you can see the Northern Lights. However, with an average temperature of 1.75 degrees Celsius, don’t forget to bring your thermals.</p> <p><strong>4. New Zealand</strong></p> <p>With landscapes that can make you believe you’re in another world, it’s no surprise that New Zealand was chosen to be <em>Middle Earth</em> in the Lord of the Ring franchise. You’re also never too far from the sea, but if you’re not a fan of the waves, lakes are nearby as well.</p> <p><strong>5. Sri Lanka</strong></p> <p>With lush rainforests covering the landscape and a solid average temperature of nearly 27 degrees celsius, this is bound to have you feeling more relaxed as soon as you step off the plane.</p> <p>Scroll through the gallery to see what these relaxing destinations look like.</p> <p>Have you been to any of these destinations? Are they really as relaxing as this list claims? Let us know in the comments below.</p>

Domestic Travel

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Traveller arrested after money-saving trick backfires spectacularly

<p>A traveller’s money-saving trick has backfired spectacularly as he was arrested at the airport for wearing too many clothes in a bid to avoid excess baggage fees.</p> <p>Ryan Carney Williams was planning to travel from Iceland to England in eight pairs of pants and 10 shirts that wouldn’t fit in his checked luggage. But once he got to the British Airways desk, he was promptly denied a boarding pass.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Disappointing. <a href="https://t.co/7f8UFi9jb4">pic.twitter.com/7f8UFi9jb4</a></p> — Ryan Hawaii (@RYAN_HAWAII) <a href="https://twitter.com/RYAN_HAWAII/status/951088947777671168?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 10, 2018</a></blockquote> <p>Icelandic news site Mbl reports the overdressed traveller was turned away for being rude, and when he refused to leave the desk a security guard was called in.</p> <p>Williams claims in a tweet that he was arrested, sprayed with mace and held on the ground after refusing to leave, but maintains he was polite in the incident.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-video"> <p dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/British_Airways?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@British_Airways</a> hi being held at Iceland Keflavik airport because I had no baggage put all the clothes on and they still won't let me on. Racial profiling? Or..... <a href="https://t.co/NKgpe1cPFP">pic.twitter.com/NKgpe1cPFP</a></p> — Ryan Hawaii (@RYAN_HAWAII) <a href="https://twitter.com/RYAN_HAWAII/status/951088642881138688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 10, 2018</a></blockquote> <p>After a police report, Williams was sent back to the airport the next day, this time clearing check-in and security before being turned away to the gate.</p> <p>“And AGAIN! Refused from 2 flights in 2 days for no valid reason,” he wrote on Twitter.</p> <p>What are your thoughts?</p> <p><em>Hero image credit: Ryan Hawaii / Twitter </em></p>

Travel Trouble

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A trip to Iceland chasing the Northern Lights

<p>The allure of the Northern Lights led me to Iceland.</p> <p>Little did I know how elusive they are.</p> <p>Checking the weather one last time before departure on my flight, things weren't looking promising. Precipitation appeared in the forecast for the entire week, and clear skies are required to see the aurora borealis.</p> <p>When my three travel buddies and I landed at Keflavik International Airport, we were greeted by rain, not snow. Turns out the country isn't as icy as it sounds — at least not all the time, even in mid-February.</p> <p>It was 4am, another 5 1/2 hours to go before sunrise, so we got the rental car and drove around trying to see Keflavik. The town was asleep.</p> <p>Arriving in Reykjavik, Iceland's capital and its largest city, we were enticed by an illuminated glass dome structure on a hill and drove up a side road to see it. It was the Perlan, a hot water tower perched over the city. In town, we were lucky to be accommodated at our guesthouse hours before check-in and took a much-needed nap before sunrise.</p> <p>Outside, the air was fresh and chilly. We drove back west to the Blue Lagoon, which we had tickets for, but on our last night. A geothermal spa, the large lagoon was a bright turquoise colour during the day, its warm water creating steam that rose into the frigid air.</p> <p>Further southwest, we reached the noisy Gunnuhver steam vents, spewing heat from the ground nonstop, they're named after a female ghost who supposedly haunts the place. Close by, the Hafnaberg Cliffs showed off Iceland's rugged coastline. Waves crashed against protruding rocks as relentless wind pounded us, forcing us to retreat to the car.</p> <p>Iceland was cold, but could have been worse. Snow boots — waterproof — with thick socks, a thermal long sleeve shirt, leggings under pants, a light down jacket and a waterproof North Face jacket got me through just fine. I only wore snow pants on a couple of occasions.</p> <p>Iceland is known for fresh fish and lamb, so we stopped at Fish House Bar &amp; Grill in Grindavik. Fish and chips of haddock melted in your mouth and the grilled lamb chops tasted particularly rich. The sun set just after 5:45pm, and we rested for the next day's excursion.</p> <p>Before dawn, we loaded our backpacks into the car and drove to meet our Discover tour guide Orri Amin, who would take us in a 4 X 4 super Jeep for the next couple of days to explore south Iceland.</p> <p>Once we hit the road east, visibility dropped. As Orri drove through the fog and rain with ease, we were grateful we chose not to drive ourselves. Soon, we began off-roading. The Jeep cleared rocks, small hills and went down and over shallow rivers to reach the Gigjokull glacier outlet.</p> <p>Orri pointed out the massive block of ice nestled in between the mountains and explained that Eyjafjallajokull, a volcano covered in an ice cap, erupted in 2010 and caused Gigjokull to burst and melt. He said we could walk as close to it as we wanted, but warned we would have to cross water. He stayed behind.</p> <p>At a narrower part of the stream, someone had placed a plank of wood, so I crossed — and almost slipped in the process. The glacier was farther than it looked, and a bit daunting knowing I was standing where a chunk of it had broken off and melted: I turned back.</p> <p>"Next year, it will be gone," Orri said as we drove away from the Unesco World Heritage Site. "The glacier is melting very fast."</p> <p>Our next stop was the Seljalandsfoss waterfall. I walked up to where it was roped off but no farther. Orri said we could walk behind it but would get soaked.</p> <p>Next we ventured to Skogafoss, another towering waterfall that was even more extraordinary when you realised you could walk right up to it without any barrier or obstruction. I stopped when a wall of water hit my face, but feeling its thunderous pulse for a moment was stunning. We continued walking up what felt like hundreds of narrow steps to see Skogafoss from above.</p> <p>Tired and hungry, we welcomed Orri's suggestion that we eat at the best place for fish and chips. It was a food stand, Sveitagrill Miu Mia's Country Grill, which serves only the catch of the day.</p> <p>The fillet of deep-fried fish paired perfectly with potato wedges served with salt and vinegar and Icelandic tartar sauce, slightly sweeter than American style with crunchy relish and a hint of curry.</p> <p>The last stop of the day was Black Sand Beach. Beneath a gray, overcast sky, the beach was even darker than I imagined. The sand was the color of charcoal, a sharp contrast to the crashing white waves. Orri warned us not to stand too close. Up close, you can't see the waves coming, he said, and families have been swept away never to be seen again.</p> <p>I found I could have stared at the beach's wicked beauty for hours, if it wasn't for the cold, beating wind. A couple of large rocks protruded from the sea. On the sand, cliffs of basalt columns resembled a step pyramid and offered a photo-op for visitors willing to climb.</p> <p>We stayed overnight at the Gerdi Guesthouse surrounded by nothing but mountains and the ocean. I eagerly asked Orri if we could see the Northern Lights and he pointed to the sky. The aurora activity was high, he said, but we had no hope of seeing it through the clouds. He showed us pictures of the auroras and said they look better in photos, but are still very beautiful.</p> <p>The next day, we went looking for ice caves in Skaftafell, a wilderness area in Vatnajokull National Park. Our guide, Lu Gudmundsdottir, helped us hook spikes on the bottoms of our snow boots so we could walk on the glacier, and she led us to several ice caves. The first was flooded and we were not able to enter. The second was more inviting.</p> <p>"We're very lucky because (the water) was gone through the night," Lu said of the cave, called Black Diamond. "Everything we were standing on was flooded."</p> <p>Usual Februaries in Iceland are much colder.</p> <p>As we approached the large opening, I was awed by crystallised, frozen walls illuminated by daylight. Deeper in, the light disappeared and we used the headlights on our helmets to navigate our way in.</p> <p>The cave's ceiling dropped gradually until we had to duck down and nearly crawl. It was humbling to sit there and take in the natural formations that are melting and breaking at an increasing rate with climate change.</p> <p>"Now it's disappearing," Orri said. "That's just the way it is."</p> <p>The rest of the day trip was less physical, but no less marvellous.</p> <p>Jokularson, a glacial lagoon, was full of large, soft blue, floating icebergs shifting slowly. It was hard to imagine the lagoon was iceless a few days ago, but had changed due to wind and the current, according to Orri.</p> <p>Just when I thought we had seen the highlights, Orri took us to the other side of Jokularson to Diamond Beach. Icebergs washed ashore, or left on the black pebbled ground by the receding water level, dotted the entire area. I climbed on various chunks of ice, most of them bigger than me. I felt tiny walking through what seemed like a maze of diamonds.</p> <p>On the way back to Reykjavik, Orri drove us up a trail he said his wife doesn't like him to cross, so we could see the damage that the recent Katla volcano eruption caused. Looking down from the top of the mountain, we could see miles and miles of black matter that from a distance looked like an ocean, but was actually dried lava. Then the volcano disappeared behind the fog.</p> <p>"Now you know why I love my country. It's incredible," Orri said. "We had it for two minutes and it's gone."</p> <p>It was almost dark when we reached Seljalandsfoss, but Orri kept his promise about climbing behind it. Cold and weary, I felt like passing, but some visitors leaving said we should do it. The incline wasn't too steep but scary, as there was no railing, but worth braving and getting drenched. The backside of the waterfall was majestic to see at nightfall, when no one else was around.</p> <p>The Golden Circle, one of the most visited tourist attractions in Iceland, paled in comparison to the private super Jeep excursion. Perhaps we should have done it first.</p> <p>We drove the route ourselves instead of joining a large tour bus. The Strokkur fountain geyser was impressive, shooting water high in the air, and suddenly, every few minutes. The Gullfloss waterfall was unlike Skogafoss and Seljalandsfoss — two-tiered and only able to be admired from a distance.</p> <p>We spent the rest of the day into the evening at Laugarvatn Fontana, a lesser-known spa with geothermal baths, steam saunas and access to a frigid lake I only dipped my toe into. It would've been nice to see the Northern Lights from there, but again it was overcast.</p> <p>On our last day, we walked around Reykjavik, admiring the quaint buildings against nature's rugged backdrop and finding our way to the tall, Lutheran parish church Hallgrimskirkja visible through the narrow streets.</p> <p>With a little time left to spare, we drove through an underwater tunnel and to the small fishing town of Akranes. It was more deserted than other parts of Iceland, and had a small lighthouse. Stones painted with flags of the countries people had visited littered the ground.</p> <p>At night, we returned to the Blue Lagoon. It was freezing, so instead of walking, I swam out from a different exit. I spread silica mud on my face and deemed a blueberry Skyr yogurt smoothie as my drink, rinsed it with the warm lagoon water and put on an algae mask. It was a relaxing way to end the trip full of extreme sightseeing.</p> <p>Leaving the Blue Lagoon at night, we saw a pastel smear across the dark sky and I thought maybe those were the Northern Lights. Earlier, I had checked the forecast and was excited to see the western part of the country would clear up.</p> <p>We drove to an area where some cars had parked on the side of the road.</p> <p>One of us had a pro camera, set it up on a tripod and snapped a shot and, sure enough, captured the eerie green light. Soon, the aurora activity intensified and revealed its colours to the naked eye.</p> <p>With my iPhone incapable of capturing even a faint dash of the phenomenon, I learned to simply enjoy the moment. Many times in life, things aren't what they seem, and sometimes, well, there they are.</p> <p>Have you ever been to Iceland?</p> <p><em>Written by Jessica Kwong. First appeared on <strong><a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Stuff.co.nz</span>.</a></strong></em></p>

International Travel

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There’s something very wrong with this travel photo

<p>Iceland is fast-becoming one of the most popular travel destinations in the world, with tourists converging on the Scandinavian country in droves in recent years.</p> <p>And it’s easy to see why with images like the photo below:</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">A close-up view of Bruarfoss, a waterfall with water so blue it’d make the Caribbean jealous. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Iceland?src=hash">#Iceland</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/fujifilmx_us?src=hash">#fujifilmx_us</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ttot?src=hash">#ttot</a> <a href="https://t.co/50ggaACYn1">pic.twitter.com/50ggaACYn1</a></p> — Mark Iandolo (@MarkIandolo) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarkIandolo/status/859097756903890948">May 1, 2017</a></blockquote> <p>But there’s actually a huge problem with this photograph.</p> <p>The image, which depicts the beautiful Brúarfoss Waterfall, fails to capture the damage to the environment caused by pushy tourists looking to get the perfect shot.</p> <p>The<a href="http://www.icelandreview.com" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Iceland Review</strong></em></span></a> writes, “After being largely forgotten for decades, Brúarfoss suddenly finds itself listed online as one of the country’s top ten waterfalls. TripAdvisor even has it marked out as the best natural attraction in Reykjavík – despite being 90 kilometres away from the city.</p> <p>“One tourist website apparently tells visitors not to take any notice of private road signs banning unauthorised traffic, while another tells visitors to park in the summerhouses’ private car park.”</p> <p>Hordes of tourists have carelessly forged their own paths to the waterfall, leaving previously untouched forests muddy and damaged, and locals furious.</p> <p>Local Styrmir Sigurðsson elaborated on the problems to <a href="http://www.icelandreview.com" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>The Iceland Review</strong></em></span></a>, “For the first 2km, the tire tracks are in the sand, but then it gets worse, because they extend into the lava field and over the moss where the trail has widened.</p> <p>“It happens all too often that damage is done in this way. Luckily, most people follow the law, but many, on the other hand, drive off the road.”</p> <p>What’s your take? Do you think more should be done to cater for tourist numbers? Or should the tourists be expected to be more careful?</p>

Travel Tips

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Another holiday hotspot is considering taxing tourists

<p>One of the world's hottest and most expensive holiday destinations could soon become a little more expensive.</p> <p>Overwhelmed by a record number of visitors in spite of its far-flung location, Iceland's government is considering ways of raising taxes in the tourism sector. The alternative would be to limit sightseers' access to the country's most popular spots.</p> <p>"The sector and all of us have to be careful not to become victims of our own success," Thordis Kolbrun Reykfjord Gylfadottir, Iceland's tourism minister, said in a recent interview in Reykjavik.</p> <p>A currency plunge and its location for scenes featuring in the popular TV series Game of Thrones helped create a tourism boom, with visitors' numbers growing exponentially - from 490,000 in 2010 to an estimated 2.3 million this year.</p> <p>That's a lot, considering Iceland's population totals less than 340,000. Tourism is now the country's main export, bringing in a forecast 45 percent of foreign exchange – or $5.1 billion (560 billion kronur) – in 2017, according to Islandsbanki, the country's second-largest lender.</p> <p>Still, Gylfadottir worries that overcrowding may ruin the experience for visitors and spoil natural treasures. Among the country's most popular destinations are Thingvellir, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and Jokulsarlon, an otherworldly glacier lagoon on that island's southeastern coast now at the center of a legal dispute.</p> <p>The minister is calling on her partners in government and the tourism industry to be "brave."</p> <p>"Some areas are simply unable to facilitate 1 million visitors every year," she said. "If we allow more people into areas like that, we're losing what makes them special – unique pearls of nature that are a part of our image and of what we're selling."</p> <p>he coalition government is considering a number of options. They include forcing bus companies and tour operators into buying a special license or hiking the existing levy on hotel rooms. Ministry officials say the hotel tax generated 400 million kronur in revenue in 2016 and could bring in as much as 1.2 billion kronur this year. Iceland's previous government attempted and failed to pass a bill that would have required all visitors – Icelanders and foreigners – to purchase a "nature pass" priced at $14.</p> <p>Any tax hike would add to the already considerable bills tourists have to foot when visiting the country. A taxi ride from the airport to the city center costs around $150; while hotel rooms are as much as a third more expensive than comparable accommodation in other Nordic capitals and the price of alcoholic beverages is more than double the EU average, according to Islandsbanki.</p> <p>The ministry says proceeds of any new levy would be used to improve infrastructure and facilities.</p> <p>"When we talk about charging for access, to me that relates more to controlling the number of people entering particular areas - which we need to do," Gylfadottir said. "We also need to ensure that tourists that come here get a positive experience during their stay."</p> <p>Tourism officials are aware they can't push their luck. Since the start of the tourism boom, Iceland's currency has surged, making it an even more expensive destination than it already is. The recent lifting of capital controls, while bringing a degree of normalcy to the economy, has so far failed to reverse the trend. That in itself may be enough to curb foreigners' enthusiasm.</p> <p><em>Written by Omar Valdimarsson. First appeared on <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Stuff.co.nz</span></strong></a>.</em></p>

International Travel

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First commercial flight to Antarctica a success

<p>Loftleidir Icelandic, an air carrier from Iceland, has managed a world first, successfully landing a commercial Boeing 757 passenger plane in Antarctica at Union Glacier.</p> <p>Antarctica is one of the few places in the world that remains off limits for many commercial pilots, and while it is serviced by the occasional military or cargo plane, this is the first time that a commercial aircraft has conducted a successful landing on a blue ice runway.</p> <p>The airline has been planning the test flight, though a partnership with Antarctic Logistics &amp; Expeditions (ALE), for months as a means of proving commercial aircraft could successfully land on the blue ice surface.</p> <p><img width="499" height="375" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/11527/iceland_499x375.jpg" alt="Iceland (1)" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p>And while it may be a while before we see regular flights to Antarctica, this flight could help make it significantly easier to access. At the moment ALE takes about 500 visitors to Antarctica each season on small group experiences, a number it is hoping to expand significantly.</p> <p>In a statement, ALE said, “The Boeing 757-200 ER, fitted with 62 business class seats, will enhance passenger comfort yet maintain the safety of ALE’s activities and aircraft resources.”</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/international/2015/12/best-countries-to-visit-in-2016/">Top 10 countries to visit in 2016</a><br /></strong></em></span></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/international/2015/12/air-new-zealand-named-airline-of-the-year/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Which carrier was just named “Best Airline of the Year”?</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/international/2015/12/losing-your-boarding-pass-on-flight/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>What happens when you lose your boarding pass</strong></em></span></a></p>

International Travel

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6 years on this McDonald’s burger sold in Iceland still hasn’t decayed

<p>In the latest case of fast-food troublingly standing the test of time, a cheeseburger purchased from a McDonald’s restaurant in Iceland in 2009 still hasn’t decayed and is set to be displayed in a museum.</p> <p>With the country engulfed in economic disarray, McDonald’s closed its last restaurant in Iceland in 2009, but not before Hjörtur Smárason bought a cheeseburger. But instead of eating the burger, Mr Smárason decided to keep it on a shelf in his garage and see what happened.</p> <p>And the results were startling. Throughout the years the burger at least appeared to hardly decay, until it was donated to Iceland’s national museum.</p> <p>The burger in question has now found a new home at the Bus Hostel Reykjavik, where a live camera is set up. To view a <a href="http://bushostelreykjavik.com/last-mcdonalds-in-iceland" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>live stream of the burger click here</strong></span></a>.</p> <p>McDonald’s has responded to questions regarding its foods indestructible nature, saying, “Actually, it can. Food needs moisture in the air for mould to form. Without it, food will simply dry out – sort of like bread left out on a counter overnight to make croutons for stuffing. You might have seen experiments which seem to show no decomposition in our food. Most likely, this is because the food has dehydrated before any visible deterioration could occur.”</p>

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