New business models are focusing on agri-tourism (meet-the-farmer sessions) and culinary tourism and events such as cannabis festivals. — by Michael O’Regan Legal cannabis consumption rose in the US and Europe during the COVID pandemic, with some people turning to marijuana to help them cope with lockdowns and broken routines. Meanwhile, fewer people today view the drug as harmful compared to previous decades.

by Richard Buning and Cassandra Coble The Big Idea Parents who travel with their kids to compete in regional sports tournaments tend to be too focused on the competition to turn them into family vacations and spend like tourists, according to our recently published research. …

Academic flights accounts for about a third of university greenhouse gas emissions. — by Sal Lampkin and Robert McLachlan As New Zealand starts lifting travel restrictions at the end of this month, academics may feel the need to catch up on missed opportunities to attend conferences. But flights account for about a third of the tertiary sector’s emissions and universities will need to…

French ski resorts are fighting for survival due to changing COVID travel restrictions. — by Leon Davis Before COVID, the winter sports tourism industry was worth over €70 billion (£58.2 billion) a year globally, with ski resorts expanding across the world. The pandemic then led to a stark decrease in visitor numbers, with a major impact on revenues and livelihoods. Resorts in France were…

And scientists emit even more per capita than tourists. — by Matthew Harris Every summer, as the sea ice surrounding Antarctica retreats, tens of thousands of tourists and scientists flock to the landmass by boat and plane. The remote continent is becoming increasingly accessible — during the 2019–20 season, the number of sightseeing visitors reached 74,000, with the vast majority…

Why updating existing hotels is the best way to green the tourism sector. — by PAULO DE BOLLE and TOMASZ TELMA The tourism industry’s economic impact is vast. It creates hundreds of millions of jobs and propels growth. Yet its environmental footprint is equally outsized. Hotels are major contributors to global carbon emissions. With 24-hour energy consumption, laundry…

How Maldives is successfully adapting to the pandemic, along with other parts of South Asia. — by Yi (Claire) Li & Valerie Mercer-Blackman It’s December 2023. Rita, a young businesswoman, has just finished meeting with clients in Chennai, India and anticipates meeting friends in Singapore for the holidays two weeks later. An employer-sponsored hybrid work model allows her to work from anywhere. …

Pilgrimages are a way of finding spiritual solace and a chance to connect with the great outdoors. — by Jaeyeon Choe O Regan and Anne E Bailey We have been living in a COVID-19 pandemic world for two years — and almost everything about our lives has been affected. Travel and holidays in particular have been constrained through border closures and lockdowns. It’s too early to say what…

How changes to our coastline could wipe out surfing’s benefits. — by Ana Manero, Alaya Spencer-Cotton, Javier Leon, & Neil Lazarow Before COVID-19, global surf tourism spending was estimated at up to A$91 billion per year. And since the start of the pandemic, demand for surfing has boomed as people increasingly turn to outdoor activities. But surfing’s benefits to human well-being…