Island tips

Last year when Italy’s Cinque Terre decided to limit the amount of tourists that visit each year, overtourism once again came to the forefront of many people’s travel plans. While other popular landmarks and cities also had tourist caps or were exploring crowd-limiting options, iconic Cinque Terre’s cap has gained a lot of attention, and is part of a rising trend.

“Irma was a bad woman.”

The main purpose of a UNESCO designation is to promote worldwide support for historic and culturally-significant sites. The new UNESCO World Heritage sites announced each year also provide an opportunity to learn about beautiful locations that most of the world has never heard of. Here are 10 of the 21 new UNESCO sites that deserve a spot on your bucket list.

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.

The 2018 Atlantic hurricane season begins on June 1 and lasts through November 30. Fortunately, this year is predicted to be better than last year’s, which saw an unusually high number of devastating hurricanes. (If you’re planning travel to an area hit during the 2017 season, make sure to read our Caribbean Travel Update).

TripAdvisor users can now create and share cruise reviews and photos and compare cruise prices with TripAdvisor Cruises. In a statement, TripAdvisor (SmarterTravel’s parent company) said the new feature will simplify the process of planning a cruise by bringing the hotel, flight, and cruise components together on one platform.

Choosing a destination can be a difficult decision when you’re looking to maximize your travel budget. By choosing a destination with a favorable exchange rate and strong U.S. dollar, you can make the most of every penny spent in 2019.

Choosing a destination is the first of many vacation decisions, and those who choose to visit Bonaire will no doubt want a hotel that matches the Dutch-Caribbean island’s quirky, colorful, relaxing, and nature-centric vibe. Among the many Bonaire resorts in and around the capital of Kralendijk, the Courtyard Marriott Dive Resort Bonaire became the island’s first American property on the island in 2016.

Beachgoers are accustomed to finding small clumps of seaweed scattered around the sand or amongst the waves. But lately, visitors to beaches in the Caribbean, Mexico, and Florida might be surprised to be swimming in far more seaweed than they hoped for on their summer vacation: Sargassum.

National Security Advisor Bolton recently announced that the current administration will tighten rules on travel to Cuba to close tourism loopholes, limiting Cuba travel to mainly family visits. But that’s all that Bolton said. The Department of the Treasury is responsible for issuing specific sanctions, so many expected the Treasury to officially announce new rules the following week. But so far, it hasn’t announced anything at all. The result for now is uncertainty—despite some reports that the specific details are indeed coming.

The United States is home to more than a dozen cities and towns named Florida, but none can compare with the real Florida’s natural fun-in-the-sun appeal.

Following months of apocalyptic images—billowing smoke, suffering animals, orange flames licking at a blood-red sky—the Australia fires that made headlines around the globe are finally under control. Though bushfires are a natural part of Australia’s ecosystem, this year’s summer fire season was particularly hot and dry, with grim consequences: More than 30 people died and some 27 million acres burned across the country.

Booking a tropical Caribbean or seaside vacation during hurricane season is always something of a gamble. The statistical chances of a hurricane impacting your trip are rather slim, but certainly not zero. And while some years are quiet, with only a handful of named storms threatening tourism areas, overall the trend appears to be heading toward an increase in hurricane intensity.

French overseas territory Martinique has seen a huge spike in COVID-19 cases recently, overwhelming the island’s hospitals. This rising infection rate has caused the popular vacation destination to go into a strict three-week lockdown. The Martinique government has also asked all tourists to leave the territory immediately.

Malta, a stunning island nation in the Mediterranean Sea, will pay you to visit this year.