In our roundup of travel stories this week: the reality of living on a permanent cruise, the travelers visiting some of the world’s most notorious destinations, plus how the pandemic nearly killed off cargo ship tourism.
For centuries, cargo ships have welcomed paying passengers, making freighter tourism a niche but enduring industry.
The golden age of voyages on board tramp steamers and banana boats was the first half of the 20th century. However, right up until the Covid pandemic, there were still half a dozen major players booking passengers on cargo ships going to remote ports of call.
For aficionados, it’s a way to visit off-the-grid destinations untouched by mass tourism and to
Landscapes such as the Twelve Apostles in Victoria are big draws for tourists in Australia.
Australia has long been popular with backpackers and young people looking to see the world and pick up casual work. However, the government has announced a dramatic cut in the number of working holiday visas, from 31,000 to 5,000. To have a chance chance, visitors will have to pay hundreds of dollars to enter a lottery-style ballot.
The government says it is about adjusting the intake to favor skilled migrants, who are seen to bring more value to the country’s economy. But not everyone is happy about it.
Elsewhere in the Pacific, Japan has been experiencing a tourism boom, with record numbers arriving in recent years. The number of people settling down for longer-term stays, including work and study, also hit an all-time high last year.
