August 2020

Welcome to the August 2020 issue of Travel Research Monthly!

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I have been speaking with friends in the industry.  Travel agents, hotel managers, guides and everyone is working as hard as ever to make improvements in their businesses so that they are ready when life returns to normal and we can all start exploring the world again.  The hospitality industry is one that in normal times brings joy and excitement to people and this positivity is evident even in the midst of a pandemic.  It may be a hotel opening its doors to first responders or guides who have no travelers to guide at the moment, using their vehicles to pick up Covid tests from nursing homes and delivering the tests to labs.  This commitment to service is what I love about the people who work in this industry and it is what will ensure their success when we come out of this pandemic.

Here are some of my favorite articles for this month:

MISCELLANEOUS

Immersive travel has been shown to change the traveler in a positive way.
Researchers have found that immersive travel changes travelers in a number of ways and for the better.  Adapting to a new culture brings challenges and our minds learn to be more flexible.You have to work to communicate and your perspective broadens.  All of these skills benefit you as you apply these new or enhanced skills in your everyday life.

EUROPE & RUSSIA

ThIs European city refuses to get caught up in the modern love of overworking.
The residents of Plovdiv, Bulgaria are all about aylyak.  There is no direct translation for this word and the answer varies slightly depending on who you ask.  However, everyone agrees that it is about finding space for yourself, for your community and from life’s difficulties.  There is an appealing ease of life here.

FOOD & DRINK

James Brooks speaks to Zoom-famous Kathleen Inman, known for her virtual wine tastings.
A passion for travel and a passion for wine just seem to go hand in hand.  Experiencing the subtleties of a new culture or the complexities of a good glass of wine seem to exist on the same plane.  Kathleen Inman relates to both wine and travel in this way and conveys this in her popular virtual wine tastings.

CARIBBEAN

The best destinations throughout the West Indies to explore and appreciate the history of Black & Indigenous cultures.
Travelers are beginning to look for more conscious travel experiences.  The history of Black and Indigenous cultures are being sought out across the globe and this includes the Caribbean.  Some of the best sites include a museum dedicated to the legacy of slavery in Martinique, experiencing what pre-Columbus Caribbean life was like in the Kalinago Territory in Dominica and sites relevant to the native royal family in Haiti.

I welcome your feedback. Knowing what you like and need will help me continue to curate a journal that you will find not only informative but entertaining.

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Happy Travels,

President
Travel Research Monthly