If the tourism minister is worried about the wider social, economic and environmental impacts of visitors, he’d be better off banning cruise ships, not backpackers.
Jeb Barnes, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and Thomas F. Burke, Wellesley College
American ambivalence about government has left the courts to play an outsized role responding to public health crises like lead poisoning, asbestos-related illnesses and now, the coronavirus pandemic.
Australia has a duty to provide urgent medical care to the crews under a maritime convention, but it must weigh the threat to Australians if it allows the ships to dock, too.
The vast majority of visitors to Alaska come via a cruise ship.
AP Photo/Becky Bohrer
Alaska has been mostly spared from the virus, but the outbreak’s impact on its economy could still be catastrophic because of its reliance on seasonal tourism.
As coronavirus spreads across the globe, travellers need to be smart about where they go, how they travel and what precautions they take. A travel expert offers a few tips.
Quarantine measures on the Diamond Princess cruise ship weren’t effective, suggests new data. So Australian passengers without symptoms are going into quarantine again.
Greta Thunberg aboard the Malizia II.
Greta Thunberg Media Handout/EPA
New shipping opportunities are opening up in the Arctic as sea ice continues to recede. But travel is still dangerous and the region isn’t equipped to deal with more vessel traffic.
The view of Cartagena, Colombia from Tierra Bomba. Despite being one of the most visited cities in South America, Tierra Bomba remains highly impoverished. Why doesn’t large-scale tourism benefit such a community?
Carter Hunt
At many popular destinations, residents are protesting against crowding, rowdy visitors and low wages. With some research, travelers can use their visits to enrich host areas instead of harming them.
This might be a rarer sight without investment.
AAP/James Morga
As Australia’s fastest growing economic sector, tourism is long overdue for a level of government investment which matches its contribution to economic growth and employment.