This Popular Thai Island Is Now Ruined Because of Tourists

American tourists don't always have the best reputation abroad, but it can be amusing to see how other countries view US culture.

While it may be off the beaten path, the extravagant Wat Samphran Temple — one of many marvels of Thai architecture — is worth a visit. 

Bad news for beachgoers in southern China this summer: Many Hong Kong-area beaches are now covered with thick blankets of garbage that are making them unusable and environmental hazards.

Zika virus, the mosquito-related disease that’s prompted travel advisories across the Caribbean as well as Central and South America, is now in Southeast Asia, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says.

When it comes to the world’s most popular destinations, two travel hubs have been in a tug-of-war match for the title of ‘most-visited’ over the past few years.

Enter the Williams-Sonoma “Trip to Thailand” sweepstakes by February 18, 2016, for a chance to win the grand prize: a six-night trip for two to Thailand, including air, hotel, a Bangkok tour, cooking classes, and Thai massages.

One of the most popular vacation spots in the Philippines, the island of Boracay, is undergoing a “total closure” to tourists beginning April 26 and lasting for six months, according to Philippines Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque. The idyllic island regularly appears on round-ups of the world’s best beaches, which likely contributed to the massive numbers of visitors.

Skytrax is out with its annual list of the World’s Top 100 Airlines, perhaps the most recognized worldwide ranking of best airlines. As usual, and to the chagrin of travelers here in the states, most of the top performers are not U.S. airlines. Instead, the list is dominated by Asian, Middle Eastern, and, to a lesser extent, European carriers.

Thailand officials have announced they will maintain closure of the famous Maya Bay indefinitely, after closing the beach to tourists this past June. If you’ve never heard of Maya Bay, there’s a decent chance you’ve seen it regardless—Maya Bay was the setting of the 2001 Leonardo DiCaprio film The Beach.

In a win for travelers, a new European Union Court of Justice decision is extending E.U. flight delay compensation requirements to connecting flights on the same reservation, even when the second airline is a different, non-E.U. airline (read: one not subject to E.U. rules). The precedent means that E.U. airlines can be required to pay travelers for extensive air travel delays on other, non-European airlines.

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.

The current coronavirus outbreak in China highlights a longstanding problem in travel: What to do when a contagious disease breaks out in an area you’d like to visit. A significant amount of travelers are concerned; a January poll by Airfarewatchdog (SmarterTravel’s sister site) found that 50 percent of travelers said the virus becoming more widespread would impact their travel plans, and the virus has spread around globe. But how do you know if you should actually cancel or adjust a trip based on a viral outbreak abroad?