This Week in Travel News | The Caribbean is Open for Business, Just in Time for Winter
By Michael Fraiman
Every Friday, Outpost’s online editor rounds up the week’s biggest travel headlines.
Even though several Caribbean islands were devastated by a rapid-fire hurricanes this summer—inspiring goodwill and caution across North America and beyond—the proverbial dust has settled, officials say, and the Caribbean is back open for business. Local tourism authorities are encouraging visitors to come, fearing that their busy Christmas season may take a hit if too many tourists opt instead for destinations farther abroad. Downtown areas are fully functional, while all ports are expected to be open by December.
In a similar way, tourists are worried about a volcano erupting on Bali, Indonesia. Mount Agung, 30 kilometres northeast of the popular town of Ubud, is an active volcano that has been rumoured to explode at any moment. According to Herman Hoven, the general manager of Khiri Travel Indonesia, the colourful Buddhist island has seen a 20 percent drop in tourist bookings since the volcano began acting up in late September. But “there has been no explosion,” he says. “There may never be. And the vast majority of Bali’s tourism activities take place between 30 and 60 kilometres from Mt. Agung, at a safe distance.” Teams on the ground have launched a social media campaign, #IaminBaliNOW, aiming to quell prospective visitors’ fears of travel.
And on the topic of Bali, do you like sloths? Of course you like sloths. Everyone likes sloths. And so, because today is #InternationalSlothDay, please enjoy this video of squeaky baby sloths. (Note: apparently squeaking does not imply they’re unhappy; it’s just a thing baby sloths do.) Happy Friday!
