Campaigners have launched a petition to save the popular ski train that runs between London and the French Alps after Eurostar cancelled the service for this winter. The twice-weekly service usually operates between December and April from London St Pancras to 16 ski resorts, including Courchevel, Les Arcs, Tignes, Sainte Foy and Val d’Isère. It carries 24,000 people each season, takes eight hours to cover the 830km to Bourg St Maurice, and offers a low-carbon alternative to flying or driving.Stuart Kenny (The Guardian)
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While cutting back research and development spending, Airbus is continuing on its A321XLR, an “extra-long-range” aircraft that can deliver emissions and cost savings.Jasper Jolly (The Guardian)
I don’t think the current crisis is going to end the role of the traditional guidebook – whether it’s in print or digital. I’ve already got the new LP guidebooks for travels I had intended to make later this year.Tony Wheeler (Lonely Planet)
Watching the golden brown abondance cows methodically lining their stomachs with prime Alpine grass, it’s easy to forget that these gentle animals are big business. Their milk is made into the much prized reblochon cheese, which, like champagne, has as appellation d’origine contrôlée (AOC). While skiing brings millions to the region, reblochon comes a close second.Liese Spencer (The Guardian)
Maribor Airport: your gateway for flying less! 😂Žiga SanciN
Orchids are everywhere, in varying shades of flecked pinks and whites and greens, in clusters or dotted singly throughout the mountain slopes and fields. I count seven new varieties in a happy half an hour before our guides inform us that there are 42 varieties growing here in the Julian Alps and 84 different wild orchid types in the country.Allan Jenkins (The Guardian)
In five to ten years we don’t want to be seen as a guidebook publisher: we want to be seen as a dynamic tech company that provides tailormade trips. This is going to change the way people travel. If you think about the Airbnb model, it is connecting travellers with owners. We are cutting the traditional travel chain.René Frey (Rough Guides)
Tourist visits to Sri Lanka have increased dramatically since the end of the 26-year conflict, from 447,890 in 2009 to an all time high of 2.1 million last year, a figure the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority hopes to double by 2020.Antonia Wilson (The Guardian)
Currently in beta format, the new-style TripAdvisor will look to expand its community beyond travellers leaving reviews to include publishers, such as National Geographic, as well as brands and social media influencers. Travellers will be able to follow and connect with individuals or content creators who share information that is relevant to their interests and travel plans. […] Powered by what is claimed to be the world’s first “travel feed”, members will be able to discover more information when planning trips. As well as National Geographic, other publishers taking part in the scheme include Condé Nast Traveler, the Travel Channel, Business Insider and Insider Guides, PopSugar, Great Big Story (CNN Travel), Pandora Music, GoPro, Goop, NYC & Company (via its consumer-facing tourism website, nycgo.com), Nashville Music City, and The Knot.Rebecca Smithers (The Guardian)
The Great Train Comparison Report, commissioned by online train booking service Loco2, surveyed all but one of the European rail companies that offer high-speed, long-distance daytime trains, with journeys of at least 400km. Overall, Swiss Federal Railways came out top after taking first place in four categories; best for families, disabled passengers, cyclists and winter sports. It was followed closely by German rail operator Duetsche Bahn (DB) and ÖBB Austrian Railways, which came joint second with a strong performance across all categories.Will Coldwell (The Guardian)