Coronavirus picture's editor selection #3

The fortunes of this estuary island are linked to the tides

Last week, I wrote about my upcoming round-the-world trip, which I had been planning for several months (here’s the story). My friends and family were concerned about me going to Asia amid the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak. Of course, I had some concerns, too. After asking for answers to the question “Should I cancel my trip to Asia?” on both my website and my Facebook page, I was shocked by how many people said that I should cancel. Some of the comments were coming from big-time travelers, including executives of Asian airlines.

Business-class seats are no longer just the purview of suits shuttling between meetings. In recent years, more leisure travelers have started upgrading on long-haul flights—in part, thanks to the desire for more space during the pandemic. This has led to a number of new business-class offerings on domestic and international airlines alike, as well as the all-business-class airline La Compagnie that flies between the USA and France for half the normal price.

Every journey starts with one small step, to paraphrase Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu. But some journeys contain more steps than others.

The Great American West is as great as its name implies. The region – covering North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana and Idaho – is big-sky country, characterized by epic landscapes from the towering Rocky Mountains to the tumbleweed Great Plains. You’ll find fifteen national parks and monuments here, ripe for exploring. But how has the area experienced coronavirus, and how is it opening up? We chatted with The Great American West PR and Communications Manager Kim Paulson to learn more.

Professional photographer Matt Garceau shares his experience of photographing Cartagena, Colombia .

We might all be marooned in our houses, but what about those stuck on actual desert islands? Here, we take a look at coronavirus in the Caribbean, diving into its impact and thinking about what travel here might look like for the rest of this year and into 2021. In the meantime, evocative virtual campaigns are emanating from the region – inspiring content that will bring tropical vibes to your quarantine barbecue and have you gagging to visit. We talked to Sharon at the Grenada Tourism Authority, who helped us to scratch beneath the surface to start understanding what coronavirus means for the Caribbean.

Greece is a country with a big heart, lapped by the waves of the Mediterranean, Aegean and Ionian seas. This is a place defined by its sea-salt location, peppered with stunning islands, jaw-dropping beaches and hideaway rocky coves. Add masses of ancient ruins and superlative fresh food to the mix, and it’s no surprise that travellers have flocked here since time immemorial. Having weathered the coronavirus pandemic better than many expected, visitors are already turning their heads to Greece again. We spoke to the Secretary General of the Greek National Tourist Office, Dimitris Fragakis, to find out more about how the nation has coped with Covid-19, and what travel might look like in the summer season and beyond.

Rough Guides writer and photographer Kiki Deere shares with us some pictures of Peru from her latest research trip across the country.

We know that the corona crisis has had a massive impact on the tourist industry, but what about the small, independent businesses that make travel meaningful? Safari travel, for instance, has dropped off completely and – with unpaid salaries and inundated emergency services – it’s sadly been accompanied by a rise in poaching. To get a clearer picture, we spoke to our local expert Inge, who works for a tour company based in Tanzania, offering specialized safari trips in Africa. We have partnered with Inge and her tour operator for years now, offering tailor-made trips across Africa: from Ethiopia over Rwanda to South Africa, Inge and her team are ready to plan, book, and execute your Africa trip – when travel is safe again, of course.

The island of Mauritius, flung in the Indian Ocean some 800 miles from Madagascar, is the perfect tropical paradise. It’s synonymous with bleach-white sandy beaches and luxurious resorts, but there’s also rugged mountain peaks, teeming wildlife and enough activities to keep the pulse racing. The island responded early to coronavirus, thankfully resulting in low case numbers and fatality figures. We spoke to Arvind Bundhun, Director of the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority, to find out more.

Understandably, most of us are closely following the effects of coronavirus at home: the daily news keeps our minds directed to what’s happening close to us. But cast your mind back two months, before the coronavirus hit Italy, and you’ll recall that back then, much of the media’s attention was focused on the Middle East – specifically, Iran, which was the first country outside China to suffer a huge number of cases of coronavirus.