Call it “the Odyssey effect.” As film fans battle it out to watch an ancient Greek battle on IMAX, Mount Olympus — the legendary home of the gods, according to Greek mythology — is getting international protection from UNESCO. This week, the United Nations hub for historic preservation named Mount Olympus as one of its … Read more
Stéphane Picard, owner of astrotourism company Cliff Valley Astronomy, lives in a suburb called Quispamsis, in a place called New Brunswick, which (just in case you didn’t know) is a Canadian province. And he thinks it’s high time the rest of the world take note of his scarcely populated home, directly north of Maine. Horse-pulled sleigh … Read more
The heavens have opened up. Tourists to the Acropolis in Athens will soon be able to enjoy a sight that hasn’t been visible for a very long time — a clear view of the Parthenon. For the first time in 20 years, the scaffolding will come off the iconic temple to Athena, offering visitors an … Read more
Sure, you’ve been to Montréal, and perhaps Québec City, but here’s a retreat that has likely been flying under your radar: Anticosti Island. Part of the pristine and aqueous Côte-Nord region, Anticosti is located in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, at the mouth of the St. Lawrence River, spanning some 3,000 square miles with only … Read more
Cultural and historical landmarks are going downhill thanks to “selfie-tourism,” and UNESCO is warning that it could lead to destruction. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization defines “selfie-tourism” as “the trend of travelers visiting destinations primarily to take and share photos of themselves, often with iconic landmarks and escapes in the background.” People … Read more
Clamping down on mass tourism is in the news lately, as cities around the globe look for ways to deter the hordes and preserve quality of life for the locals. But there’s one stunning destination most people have probably never heard of that plans on staying out of the spotlight — and they’ve been doing it … Read more
A video of a parkour stunt in the ancient Italian city of Matera has gone viral for all the wrong reasons. London-based parkour group, Team Phat, which has a 240,000-strong Instagram following, shared a YouTube clip showing the group climbing and leaping through the city’s streets and over its precious structures. But fans were left furious when … Read more
Visitors to the Irish capital may think of the city’s waterfront as the banks of the Liffey, the river that cuts through town. But the Dublin coast — a C-shaped stretch of bay that begins just east of the city center —is suddenly in the spotlight. That’s thanks to the success of “Bad Sisters,” the … Read more