This Sunday (March 11) is the one year anniversary of the tsunami/earthquake/nuclear disaster in Japan that held the world spellbound for weeks but now somehow seems like a distant memory. Japan has done a remarkable job of getting back on its feet in just 12 months, and the bounce-back is now being felt in the tourism and travel industry. London’s Guardian reports on a new report from the World Travel and Tourism Council that states that, now, Japan’s inbound tourism is better than anyone could’ve predicted. The WTTC report says tourism to Japan dropped 28 percent in 2011, but is expected to rebound back to 2010 levels in the first half of this year.
It seems everybody is talking about getting away to Cambodia this week. At the New York Times, Ondine Kahone marvels at a seaside village that was occupied by the murderous Khmer Rouge not so long ago, but now seems like the most peaceful place on Earth. While Kep hasn’t yet been hit by a wave of development, Song Saa on the Cambodian island of Koh Rong is more built up. C. James Dale writes about a more luxurious destination at CNNGO.
Part of the allure of international travel is sampling the local cuisine. But if you travel to China – specifically into the rural areas – finding the local cuisine is increasingly difficult. Rural Chinese used to have one of the healthiest diets in the world, but fast food is now more prevalent than the traditional healthy diet of local food and produce. A professor of nutrition from Cornell University is trying to change that, but you might have to look a little harder than you expect to sample truly local menus.
We’ve written a lot about the drug war violence in Mexico and how best to avoid it. This week, the Texas Department of Public Safety issued a warning to students who might be headed to Mexico for Spring Break.
Last week, we wrote about planning your travel with the new social media site Pinterest. The folks at travel recommendation engine Wanderfly were ahead of us – their new website design looks just like Pinterest.
For fans of 1970s television and/or cruise ships, here’s some sad news – the Love Boat is being retired
What’s in a passport? The Economist has a good story about the meaning behind passport designs
