It was time for this week's travel news. This year is the year of the outdoors, some parties in Gothenburg want to ban airline advertising and Swedes are booking foreign holidays for the summer. Feel free to comment on any news that surprises, delights or offends!
Table of contents
Cultural heritage at risk in the wake of pandemic
In autumn 2020, the Maritime History Museum sent out a questionnaire to the owners of the country's 147 K-labelled ships. The questions were about how the pandemic has affected their operations. It is clear that the reduced travel has had a strong negative impact on both shipping companies and associations. Several operators have been forced to cancel trips and thus revenues from ticket sales have dropped to zero. At the same time, there have still been expenses for berths and regular maintenance.
Where Swedes are travelling this summer
July is the month when most Swedes go on holiday abroad, and right now the number of booked trips is increasing sharply. The Eastern Mediterranean, with the Greek islands and Cyprus at the top of the list, seems to be the trend for the summer. TUI has compiled a top list of the five most booked destinations among Swedes this summer.
Norwegian government to study faster Oslo-Stockholm rail link
Norway's Minister of Transport Knut Arild Hareide (KRF) has announced that he will contact his Swedish counterpart Tomas Eneroth (S) to launch a joint investigation into the Oslo-Stockholm route. Today, the train journey takes just over five hours, which is why most people choose to fly. Every year there are 1.4 million flights between Arlanda and Gardermoen, but only 200 000 train journeys. With track improvements and two new links, it is possible to make a more climate-friendly and cheaper journey by train in less than three hours.
Parties want to stop advertising for planes and petrol cars
Three parties in Gothenburg want to stop advertising for air travel, petrol cars and oil companies on billboards managed by the municipality, such as at public transport stops. This is reported by TT and several media outlets. The Left Party, the Green Party and the Feminist Initiative are behind the proposal. Advertising should not encourage consumption that harms the climate, they say. The inspiration comes from Amsterdam, which is investigating whether to introduce a similar ban.
Dalarna's 'Year of the Outdoors' initiative
The Year of Outdoor Life (#luftenärfri) is a project in 2021 led by Svenskt Friluftsliv with support from the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency and aims to get more people to try outdoor life. The County Administrative Board of Dalarna writes in a press release that municipalities and associations will organise a number of activities related to outdoor life during the year. Among other things, they write that they are adopting the "Landshövdingsstafetten", which involves the governor doing his utmost to showcase nature and promote outdoor life.
Reflection of the week
We should of course protect the environment in many ways, but if we are to stop advertising that encourages consumption that damages the climate, shouldn't we also look at the climate impact of other companies and products? Or do we?
Did you miss the last travel news? Read the New package holidays, new sports hotels and new airline route
BP says:
The fact that so many people have already booked their summer holidays may be due to generous cancellation policies if the pandemic continues.
The airline industry is already bleeding and the question is whether it will fully recover or whether people will choose alternative modes of transport. Trains will never be able to beat aeroplanes in terms of speed. If it's a business trip, I would always take the aeroplane. On the other hand, maybe the video meetings that are taking place right now will take over online meetings, and then the problem will solve itself.
25 January 2021 - 17:57
Helena says:
Video meetings are probably here to stay, now that so many people have become comfortable with them.
26 January 2021 - 16:38