The Black Travel Alliance, The History of Black Travel, and the Whiteness of the Travel Industry2/8/2022 We just wanted to give a shout-out to the Black Travel Alliance for the incredibly important work they do. Founded in 2020, they created the Black Travel Scorecard to evaluate destination management organizations and travel brands on not just what they say, but what they do. They recently launched an important website, in partnership with Tourism RESET, on The History of Black Travel. This website functions as a resource for both educators and travel professionals. It's a fantastic project, and worth reading through. It includes profiles of people like Jessica Nabongo, who in 2019 completed her goal of visiting all 195 United Nations member countries and observing states, and Jill Elaine Brown, who in 1978 became the first African American woman hired as a pilot for a major airline.
Also worth a read? This 2021 article by Joah Spearman, "Travel Is So Diverse. Why Is the Travel Industry So White?" Spearman's article examines the myriad effects of white privilege in the travel industry (privilege which, we acknowledge, we absolutely benefit from), and how those effects then influence the experiences of travelers themselves. Read articles like Spearman's above, or this article by Channon Hodge on the experiences of Black travelers, and it will be abundantly clear (if it wasn't already) that the travel industry has got to do better. We'll be continuing with our pledge to donate 10% of our 2022 profits to Black Lives Matter, and to partner with Black-owned vendors and companies whenever possible. If you have other suggestions on ways we (us specifically, or the travel industry as a whole) can do better, please, reach out and let us know.
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The itinerary for Cars, Breweries, and Beer Halls, our June 2022 trip to Germany, should give you a good idea of the highlights of the trip. But a vacation is so much more than the highlights. Sometimes the best memories come from the small things, the specific things, the little delights. Here are three little, hyper-specific reasons you should travel to Berlin, Munich, and Stuttgart.
Travel journalists Asher and Lyric Fergusson have created the 2021 LGBTQ+ Travel Safety Index, a ranked list of 150 countries. This list does a great job of boiling down the varying factors that contribute to the safety and security of LGBTQ+ travelers into a simple-to-follow guide. They measure everything from transgender legal protections, to same-sex marriage laws, to how people there answered the survey question "Is this a good place to live for gay or lesbian people?"
As tour operators and travel agents, this is something important to us, not just for our LGBTQ+ clients, but for our company as a whole. It's important to us that the tours we lead, the countries we visit, and the businesses we patronize, are all safe for all our clients, and do not compromise on the values we hold. Thinking of planning your own trip abroad? Take a look at the Fergussons' index--it might just spark some new ideas! (Anyone up for a trip to Malta, perhaps?)
Do any of these sound good to you? Do you have your own cool ideas? Let's chat! You can fill out our travel interest form, or just shoot us an email any time. (We'll get back to you with almost alarming speed. :-) )
Do you need a new or renewed passport? (Remember: your passport must be valid for at least six months AFTER your return from abroad.) Get one now! You can start at the State Department's passport application website. You can also look up the passport office nearest you.
Need your passport in a hurry? You can read through the State Department's list of services available based on need. You can also consider using a private service that specializing in expedited passports, though this could set you back an additional $60-$400 on top of the passport application fees. Services like Fedex "Rush My Passport" and Allstate Passports handle the work for you, to get you your passport sooner. (Though we should note we have not personally used these services and cannot personally vouch for them.) When we got our passports renewed, we went to our local post office and it was a one-stop shop: we got our photos taken, filled out our applications, paid the fee, and paid to have them expedited. We also paid for rush shipping to and from the State Department. And, good news: USPS tracking says they arrive today! Don't leave it to chance or luck, or hoping that the State Department's speed improves--get yours renewed now! On the basis that sometimes it's more useful to see something highly specific and real than it is to see a document designed to cover all scenarios, I thought I'd share my personal packing list from my 2019 three-week trip to Europe. I was leading a group tour through Italy and Switzerland, then going to France and the Netherlands on a family trip.
carry-on (big purse): Small accordion file [note-I use the two accordion files to keep group tour info organized] Big accordion file Macbook Wallet Passport Phone Glasses shawl medicine journal pens European SIM cards checked bag: 9 dresses 1 pair of leggings 1 black oversized cardigan 2 pairs jammie pants 2 jammie shirts shorts for under dresses underwear socks bras makeup moisturizer contact lenses/solution/case toothpaste/toothbrush deodorant small folding hairbrush tampons/pads laptop charger phone charger converter/adapter for outlets Archer 2 [you can see more about Archer 2 here] That's it! That's my list! Let me know if you have any questions about it, or what your personal travel packing lists are.
I (Liz) just finished reading The Fires of Vesuvius: Pompeii Lost and Found by Mary Beard, and it was utterly fascinating. Beard is an English historian who has written numerous books described by the New Yorker as "learned but accessible." The Fires of Vesuvius details what we really know about life in ancient Pompeii in the decades before the 79 C.E. eruption.
Having been to Pompeii, I loved that I was able to picture the places she was describing, though at the same time it made me ache to go back and see it again with fresh eyes. I know I'll be re-reading it before our next trip to Italy.
Interested? I highly recommend it. Dying to see some ancient ruins in person? Come with us to Italy in January, 2022 for our 10-day trip, Pasta and Science! Through the end of April, anyone who registers will receive $200 off the cost of their program! [FYI, if you buy the book using the link above, Leaping Hound Travel makes a small commission.]
2. Comfortable weather Italy's heat can be brutal in the summer. In January, the average high temperature in Florence and Rome is in the mid-50s: comfortable enough that you won't need more than a light jacket, cool enough to make you really relish a steaming cup of Italian coffee each morning.
3. Affordability Traveling in the off-season means some of the priciest parts of travel, like flights and hotels, are significantly less expensive than they are during the high season. 4. Availability Want to schedule a visit to St. Peter's Basilica or the Colosseum? With fewer visitors, places that require advance booking will have more times available for you to choose, and require less advance notice. 5. Shopping January is THE month to visit Italy if you're a shopaholic. The big semi-annual sales begin early in the month. You'll be able to score unbeatable deals on everything from shoes to clothes to luggage--even furniture, if you don't mind shipping it home. Convinced? Come with us to Florence and Rome in January 2022. Questions? Send an email our way--we'll get right back to you! |