Archives for January 2020

The Budj Bim Cultural Landscape, consisting of channels, weirs and dams built from volcanic rocks, is one of the world’s most extensive and oldest aquaculture systems, according to UNESCO. Constructed by the Gunditjmara people more than 6,600 years ago, it is older than Egypt’s pyramids.While the aquatic system was known to archaeologists — it was added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List last July — additional sections were revealed by the fires that have ripped through the state in December.Gunditjmara representative Denis Rose, project manager at non-profit group Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation, told CNN that the system was significantly bigger than what was previously recorded.”When we returned to the area, we found a channel hidden in the grass and other vegetation. It was about 25 meters (82 feet) in length, which was a fairly substantial size,” Rose said.He said other new structures resembling channels and ponds were now visible in the burnt landscape. “It was a surprise continually finding new ones that the fires revealed,” he added.According to the Aboriginal Corporation’s website, the aquaculture system — which is part of the Budj Bim National Park — it was built by the indigenous population using the abundant volcanic rocks from a now-dormant volcano in the area.UNESCO said Gunditjmara people used the system to redirect and modify waterways to maximize aquaculture yield.”The Budj Bim Cultural Landscape bears an exceptional testimony to the cultural traditions, knowledge, practices and ingenuity of the Gunditjmara,” it said.The fire near the national park was caused by a lightning strike in late December, which eventually spread to some 790 hectares (3 square miles) in size, said Mark Mellington, district manager for Forest Fire Management Victoria.In order to protect the world heritage, firefighters worked with local groups to identify culturally important sites, and used “low impact techniques” to replace heavy machinery when putting out the fires, he said.”These actions prevented the fire spreading beyond containment lines even on an extreme fire day and protected the cultural sites from damage,” he added.The Gunditjmara was one of several groups of indigenous people that used to reside in the southern parts of the present-day Victoria state before the European settlement, according to the Victorian government. Its population was believed to be in the thousands before the 1800s, but dwindled significantly after the Europeans arrived.Rose said that he was relieved that the fires did not cause too much damage to the region compared to other parts of Australia, and hoped it would provide a good opportunity to further explore the ancient aquaculture system.”Over the next few weeks, we are hoping to conduct a comprehensive cultural heritage survey to check areas that were not previously recorded,” he said. “It’s important because it provided a rich, sustainable life for the traditional people, and has continued to be an important part of our cultural life.”



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(CNN) — If 2018 was the year of overtourism, 2019 was the year destinations fought back. Or, rather, vowed to do so. So how will 2020 shape up?From Amsterdam to Venice, in 2019 authorities came up with new rules to fight the crowds and make life better for locals. But how many of those rules have been implemented, and how many drifted away once the noise (and all-important headlines) about their launch subsided?CNN looked at the measures announced by five of Europe’s biggest destinations: Venice, Amsterdam, Santorini, Barcelona and Dubrovnik. All unveiled plans in 2019 to change tourism for the better. Have any of them worked? And what’s on the cards for 2020?Dubrovnik cracks down on all touristsDubrovnik is cutting back on souvenir stands and outdoor seating.Savo Prelevic/AFP/Getty ImagesMayor of Dubrovnik Mato Franković has cast himself as a crusader against mass tourism, shutting down 80% of souvenir stalls, and restricting cruise ships to two per day.The stalls remain closed, and the two-ship rule was abided to 70% of the time during 2019, he tells CNN. It will be further enforced (with, he says, higher compliance) in 2020. “There’s not such a big impact to the city now,” he says. “Everyone should feel comfortable without any [pedestrian] jams.”In November 2019, Franković proposed an effective ban on new restaurants (the vast majority of Dubrovnik restaurants have seating mainly inside, so the legislation has banned any new outdoor tables). That resolution was passed by the city, and a spokesperson told CNN that it is due to come into force for 2020.Other new rules promised for 2020 include introducing a fixed number of prebooked slots for tourist buses and coaches to avoid overcrowding. On busy days, authorities will reserve the right to move slots around, in order to give the city breathing space. There will also be per-bus charges, equating to around $5.50 per person — effectively a daytripper tax.From 2020, the private shuttle buses for cruise passengers from the port to the town will be replaced with regular public transport buses. Since they’re smaller, there will be less a sense of hundreds of people mushrooming at the gates. “It’ll have an effect for the locals on [foot] traffic,” says Franković.The authorities are also clamping down on the mushrooming Airbnb market, by doubling the overnight tax on apartments — paid by the owners — to 1,500 kuna ($223) per year from 2020. Expect the price of your “idyllic Old Town escape” to rise, in order to factor in the tax.Franković says that it’s crucial for destinations to work with providers — whether that’s cruise lines or tour operators — rather than against them. “When you’re taking steps [to limit tourism] you have to be careful because tourism is very vulnerable and we can make mistakes,” he says.Amsterdam says, ‘Pay your way’Amsterdam wants tourists to pay their way.ROBIN UTRECHT/AFP/AFP/Getty ImagesAmsterdam’s new year’s resolution for 2020 is to clamp down on tourists — at least, the wrong kind of tourists.The Netherlands government was already helping out its beleaguered capital — it no longer promotes Amsterdam as a destination, focusing instead on smaller cities and towns. But this year, the city council took further steps to future-proof itself. From April 1 2020, tours of the Red Light District will be banned entirely, and groups in the city center will be capped at 15.What’s more, from January 1, the tax for visitors staying overnight was increased to what experts say could be the “highest in Europe”: 7% of the room price, plus a flat €3 ($3.30) per person. Visitors taking a boat tour of the canals will see their ‘entertainment tax’ go up from €0.66 to €1.50 ($1.70).”Every year the number of tourists that pay a visit to our beautiful city increases,” Victor Everhardt, deputy mayor for economic affairs, tells CNN. It cost the municipality a lot to keep the city safe and clean, and to make sure the infrastructure — bridges, quay walls, streets and sidewalks — are in a good state.”We increased the tourist tax, because we think it’s a more fair contribution to the use of the public space. Of course tourists are welcome to come and visit, but they have to contribute a bit more.” Santorini goes after heavy-hittersDonkeys are the traditonal means of transportation on Santorini.Todd Warshaw/Getty ImagesIt’s known for its spectacular landscape: a prehistoric volcano turned by eruptions into a croissant-shaped island wrapped around the sparkling caldera, which is now filled in by the Aegean Sea. But its good looks have seen Instagram’s favorite Greek island explode with popularity, drowning the pretty whitewashed towns in tourists and having cruise ships swamp the caldera.Its steep cliffs and the villages perched on top of them mean that passengers arriving on a cruise ship have three options to reach the island proper: walking up the switchback cliff path, taking the funicular or hiring a taxi — which in Santorini is a donkey.For 2019, the authorities announced a cap on cruise passengers of 8,000 per day. A new national code of practice in Greece also recommended that donkeys must not carry loads of over 100 kilograms, or a fifth of the animal’s weight — in other words, no more portly tourists in Santorini.The mayor’s office was not available for comment but the port schedule for 2020 suggests that the 8,000 cap has not been applied. CNN checked five dates at random during the summer 2020 season, and found that on four out of five, there were more than 8,000 people due to drop anchor.On September 2, the four ships scheduled to drop anchor have a minimum combined capacity of 9,176 and a maximum of 11,017.On May 14 there are a paltry 2,639 – 2,793 people due to disembark, but the other dates checked are all between 9,000 and 11,000.As for the donkey weight limit, Catherine Rice from the UK-based Donkey Sanctuary, which has worked alongside the donkey taxi unions to ensure better treatment for the animals, tells CNN: “As far as we are aware the code of practice was passed on to municipal authorities in Santorini and other islands.”But a website selling donkey rides makes no mention of any weight limits. It did not respond when we asked what details were needed to make a booking.Venice declares war on mass tourismVenetians have been at the forefront of the fight against tourism.Miguel Medina/AFP/Getty ImagesFacing increasing headlines over badly behaved tourists, the Venetian authorities have come up with several measures to control the tourism that risks destroying the city. And for 2020, the city is cracking down on mass tourism, Michele Zuin, councilor responsible for finance, tells CNN. “It consumes the city and leaves nothing behind,” he says. “We want a better kind of tourism that brings money directly to residents.”In June 2017 they issued a ban on the development of new hotels in the city center, and followed up a year later with a block on new fast food premises.Zuin says that the council has denied applications for two new fast food joints, and shut down 10 others that applied for permission to operate as a bar, and then opened selling fast food.Any hotels that have opened since 2017 got permission before the ban, he says.The only exception to the hotel ban is for those which also offer a “public interest” — for example a meeting room that could be used by the council. Zuin says there have been “very few” of these applications.The council is currently set to consider the application for a 10-story hotel overlooking the monastery and vineyards of San Francesco della Vigna, the only vineyard in Venice proper. It is also offering a gym for the use of local schools. Local media reports that the application was originally denied, but is being considered now that the gym has been proposed. The monks, however, have warned that it will kill their vines.In 2018 Venice also introduced turnstiles along the main thoroughfares into the city, with the aim of redirecting tourists along lesser known streets when numbers peaked.For the past three years they have also found public funding for the “angels of decorum” who patrol the St. Mark’s Square area, helping tourists where needed but also stopping them from behaving badly, and calling the police if a visitor needs to be fined.And 2020 will see the introduction of a “contributo di accesso” — an “access contribution” for daytrippers paid on entry to the city. (Those staying overnight already pay a city tax.)The announcement made headlines around the world in December 2018, but the implementation has been continually delayed. Initially it was slated for May 2019, then September, then January 2020.Zuin says that the delays are due to a government decision that payment must be made to the transport companies taking visitors to Venice — but the transport companies’ refusal.They have now found a solution that will have the payment appear in a pop-up window any time someone books a trip to Venice.Visitors will then have their paperwork checked on arrival in the city. If you’re staying overnight, and therefore don’t need to pay the charge, that will also be checked on arrival.The price will vary depending on the season and the day. On a normal day it’ll be €3 ($3.40). On a busy day that price doubles. And on a day where Venice is “full of tourists,” if you still want to come you’ll pay €8 ($9), says Zuin.The system will also help the authorities monitor tourist flow and footfall for future use, he says. And the money from the fees will be ploughed back into the community, reducing citizens’ taxes for things like trash collection and city maintenance — areas which are affected by what Venetians call “hit and run” day-trippers. But the council is most anxious about stopping the exploding numbers of Airbnbs and short-term rentals in the city, which are driving down the number of living options for locals. Already they charge the same level of overnight taxes as they do hotels. And in December 2019, they passed an order with immediate effect that they hope will translate into an effective “barrier” on new short-term rentals.Anyone wanting to rent out their property for short-term lets must now construct a septic tank beneath the property. This is already a requirement for hotels, but not for houses in this city which, because of its lagoon location, has never had a real sewer system. “We’ve tried to disincentivize [short-term lets],” says Zuin, adding that in Italy, imposing any kind of restriction on them would need legislation at a national level. Instead, the authorities hope that the septic tank requirement will be expensive enough to deter prospective renters. People planning to rent long-term (in other words, to locals) will not have the same requirement. Rapprochement in BarcelonaYou can barely ramble along Las Ramblas in Barcelona these days.Carl Court/Getty Images Europe/Getty ImagesThe Catalan city has acted defiantly towards tourists in the past, banning groups from La Boqueria food market and cracking down on illegal tourist lets. But Albert Dalmau Miranda, manager for the economy, resources and economic promotion at Barcelona council, takes a different tone at the end of 2019.”We accept that tourism is here to stay, and the industry will continue to grow around the world,” he tells CNN. “This isn’t something we can stop, but Barcelona is looking for a different kind of tourism — more quality but at the same time sustainable.”The authorities’ aim is to keep Barcelona “liveable,” so for 2019, they doubled the number of buses on routes from the beach into town (which had been clogged by tourists), using the money from the overnight tourist tax to do so.And they have introduced “agentes civicos,” like Venice’s angels of decorum, to act as a pre-police step for both locals and tourists (to make complaints about noise, for example). There are around 70 of them, says Dalmau, paid for by the overnight tax for tourists. They’re also using marketing to manage visitor numbers, advertising little known places in and around Barcelona is an attempt to spread the volume of tourists (Dalmau points to New York City, which has encouraged visitors into the other boroughs outside Manhattan). “Our own version of the Napa vineyards are 30 minutes outside Barcelona,” he says. To make that feasible, the council is working with the transportation authorities to make tourist-friendly routes to up-and-coming destinations. The other marketing focus is on culture — getting cultural institutions like the Liceu opera house to encourage tourist visits — in order to attract a different kind of visitor. For 2020, that marketing focus will continue, says Dalmau, and the city is also upping its city tax paid by visitors who stay overnight. They expect to approve a price tag in February and implement it in September. And although he refuses to be drawn on how much it might be, he says that they “noticed our tax was lower than other cities” and want to introduce parity. People staying overnight currently pay €0.65 ($0.72) per person per night for a one to three star hotel, or €2.25 ($2.50) for a five star. In contrast, Venice charges €5 ($5.55) per person per night in a five star hotel or top-rated Airbnb.The final marketing push is towards the Barcelona locals themselves. After years of resentment, Dalmau says that “we don’t want [locals] perceiving tourism as something negative. “We want to protect the locals, but we want to show that tourism provides benefits that we’re reinvesting in the city.”To that end, for 2020, everything that’s made possible by income from the tourist tax will be marked as such. That bus? It’ll bear a notice saying it was bought with tourist tax income. That newly pedestrianized street? A placard. That way, they hope to stabilize the fragile balance between locals and visitors.The other destinations will be watching.



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(CNN) — This drone footage captured over a frozen lake in northwest China looks like the inside of a kaleidoscope. The breathtaking views from CNN affiliate CCTV show the top layer of ice on Butterfly Lake in China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on January 17.CCTVThe cracks resemble tree branches but turn into spooky silhouettes with the icy blue and white hues of the frozen lake. A bird’s eye view shows the massive size of the cracks, with the spin of the drone above, the lake transforms into the childhood toy that mirrors images. Shaped like a butterfly, the manmade like has a pedestrian bridge down the middle, lined with snow-covered foliage.CCTVCCTV reported that the cracks in the ice often occur following sudden temperature drops.It was below freezing on that day in January, which is normal for the region, according to CNN Weather.CCTV The recorded temperature in the early morning was 16 degrees with a high of 32 degrees. It dropped back down to 14 degrees in a few hours and the next day, the temperature was zero.



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(CNN) — Airports around the world are increasing health screenings and implementing new quarantine procedures as officials race to slow the spread of the Wuhan coronavirus, a new SARS-like illness that first appeared in Hubei province, China.Hundreds of people have been infected by the Wuhan coronavirus in mainland China, Thailand, South Korea, Japan and the US, which has one confirmed case. At least nine people have died, all in Hubei province, the majority of them elderly and suffering from pre-existing conditions.Chinese health experts this week confirmed some cases involved human-to-human transmission.Officials announced public transportation in Wuhan would be suspended until further notice starting the morning of Thursday, January 23.The suspension includes local buses, ferries, long-distance buses and subways. All airport and railway stations in Wuhan will be “temporarily closed” for departing passengers with no set re-opening dates. China’s busiest travel period With the annual Lunar New Year/Spring Festival travel rush now underway, officials are battling to isolate those infected and prevent the disease from spreading further. According to data from aviation website Flightconnections.com, Wuhan Airport services non-stop scheduled passenger flights to 109 destinations in 20 countries. These include major cities like London, Moscow, Paris, Rome, New York, San Francisco, Bangkok, Tokyo and Seoul.Wuhan, a city of 11 million people, is also a hub for China’s high-speed rail network.Compounding the challenge for health authorities, hundreds of millions of Chinese will travel during the Spring Festival period, which officially began on January 10 and will end on February 18 — the largest annual human migration on Earth. In Wuhan itself, infrared thermometers have been installed at the airport, train stations, coach terminals and passenger piers to measure the temperatures of passengers departing the city, according to state media.China is also encouraging passengers traveling to and from Wuhan to change their travel plans during the busy Lunar New Year holiday period, by exempting them from service charges for refunds for all modes of transport. Here’s a look at the preventative measures adopted in some of the world’s most popular tourist destinations. Stay up to date with the latest on the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak here. United StatesAir China flight attendants arrive at Los Angeles International Airport after touchdown from Beijing, which serves as a connector from Wuhan, on the first day of health screenings for coronavirus. David McNew/Getty Images North America/Getty ImagesSince confirmation of the first case of the new coronavirus on January 21, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has increased screening and quarantine measures at the country’s major airports. Last weekend, the CDC started health screenings for Wuhan passengers arriving at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, Los Angeles International Airport and San Francisco International Airport.Starting this week, Wuhan passengers will also be screened at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Chicago O’Hare International Airport.Passengers flying in from Wuhan, whether on direct or indirect flights, will only be allowed to land at one of those five US airports doing health screenings, which include a temperature check and observation for symptoms such as a cough and trouble breathing.Thailand Thailand has long been a favorite destination for Chinese nationals — the country tops the list of source markets for international arrivals in the country. Three people in Thailand have been confirmed to be infected with the virus. In response, officials at international airports in Bangkok, Krabi, Chiang Mai and Phuket are reportedly screening arrivals not just from Wuhan but also Beijing and Shenzhen, which have also recorded cases of the coronavirus. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the Ministry of Public Health of Thailand has international-standard diagnosis and medical care, and is closely coordinating with WHO and related departments for the potential response measures. JapanOfficers at a health screening station in Tokyo’s Narita Airport observe passengers arriving on a flight from Wuhan, China on January 16. STR/AFP/JIJI PRESS/AFP via Getty ImagesJapan has reported one confirmed case of the coronavirus. The patient, who has since been treated and released from hospital, traveled to Wuhan in late December. According to the WHO, quarantine and screening measures have been enhanced for travelers from Wuhan city at all Japan airports since January 7. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has reportedly instructed government ministers to strengthen quarantine efforts and monitor patients, while a hotline has been setup among the different ministries in the government. Hong KongThough no cases of the coronavirus have been confirmed, Hong Kong, which was hit hard by the 2002-2003 outbreak of SARS, is on particularly high alert. The semi-autonomous city is a popular destination for Chinese nationals. In addition to health declaration forms and temperature checks at train stations and Hong Kong International Airport, increased cleaning and disinfection procedures on trains and planes arriving via Wuhan have been implemented. Australia The Australian Department of Health is currently working to implement additional measures to manage the risk of the coronavirus, including additional border measures — particularly in relation to the three weekly direct flights from Wuhan to Sydney.All passengers on these flights will receive information about the virus, with a request that they identify themselves to biosecurity officers at the airport if they are unwell. “You cannot absolutely prevent entry into the country of a disease like this. The incubation period is probably a week,” Australia’s chief medical officer, Brendan Murphy, said Tuesday. “It’s about identifying those with a high risk and making sure people with a high risk know about it and know how to get medical attention.”SingaporeTo date, there have been no confirmed cases of the coronavirus reported in Singapore, however the government isn’t taking any chances. From January 22, temperature screening at Changi Airport will be expanded to include all inbound travelers on flights arriving from China, the Ministry of Health announced. “Given that Singapore is a travel hub, we expect to see more suspect cases, and cannot rule out the possibility of imported cases,” the ministry said in a statement. “Once a case is confirmed, contact tracing will be initiated, and we will implement strict isolation, quarantine, and infection control and prevention measures to prevent further transmission.” Additional reporting by Steven Jiang, Elizabeth Cohen, Alexandra Lin and Nectar Gan.



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(CNN) — For many, Wuhan was an unfamiliar word until this month, when the Chinese city was thrust into the spotlight as word of the outbreak of the deadly coronavirus hit headlines around the world. Where is Wuhan?With a population of more than 11 million people according to government figures, Wuhan is the capital city of Hubei province and the biggest city in China’s central region. Located on the Yangtze River, it’s about 800 kilometers (about 500 miles) west of Shanghai, or a four-hour ride by high-speed railway.The city, spanning 8,494 square kilometers, has played a major role in the government’s plan to rejuvenate the nation’s central region for more than a decade. The transportation capital of ChinaWuhan’s high-speed railway maintenance centre is one of just four in the country. -/AFP/AFP/Getty ImagesThanks to its prime location, Wuhan is often referred to as “jiu sheng tong qu,” meaning it’s considered the main thoroughfare of nine provinces.In addition to conventional railway networks, Wuhan is one of the stops on two of the main long-haul high-speed railway lines: Beijing-Guangzhou (from north to south) and Shanghai-Chengdu high-speed railway (from east to west).It’s also home to one of just four major train maintenance centers in the country.Turning to aviation, Wuhan Tianhe International Airport is the only airport in the mid-China region to have direct flights to five different continents.According to data from aviation website Flightconnections.com, Wuhan Airport services non-stop scheduled passenger flights to 109 destinations in 20 countries. These include major cities like London, Moscow, Paris, Rome, New York, San Francisco, Bangkok, Tokyo and Seoul.Wuhan to shut temporarilyOn January 23, government officials announced the temporary closure of Wuhan’s airport and railway stations.All train tickets in and out of Wuhan have also been suspended, while multiple international airlines have canceled flights to the city.All public transport services are suspended until further notice. This is expected to create a lot of chaos as China is now in the middle of Chunyun, or the Spring Festival travel rush. Some 3 billion trips were expected to be made among Chinese people visiting their families to celebrate Lunar New Year — many of those journeys passing through Wuhan. A rising business center, tourist destinationWuhan is a major manufacturing city in China with a heavy focus on automobile and medical equipment: Bosch and PSA both relocated their China headquarters to Wuhan recently.But the city’s historical importance can be traced back more than 3,000 years. Wuhan is listed as one of the Famous Historical and Culture Cities by the state and is home to the ruins of Panlong City. The archaeological site, discovered in the 1950s, includes graves and palace foundations of the ancient walled town from Shang dynasty (1600-1046BC). It was where the Xinhai Revolution broke out in 1911, leading to the overthrow of China’s imperial system.In addition to historical attractions, travelers visit Wuhan for its natural scenery such as Mulan Mountain, a sacred mountain area for both Taoist and Buddhist believers. Wuhan is also a popular jumping off point for those exploring the Three Gorges Dam Scenic Area, which is about 400 kilometers west of the city. Many travelers going on Yangtze River cruises begin their trips in or near Wuhan.



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Drone footage shows a frozen lake in China featuring icy “branches.”



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