Places for changed world
CLIMATE CHANGE: TOURISM, CURRENTLY A BIG CONTRIBUTOR, CAN BE PART OF THE SOLUTION
Beyond the coronavirus pandemic, there is a profound shift underway in the world’s understanding of climate change and the swiftness and degree to which we are already seeing its effects.
Wildfires, floods, dangerous storms, rising water levels and temperatures all remind us how fragile our world really is.
The travel industry is responsible for between eight percent and 11% of total greenhouse gas emissions, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council.
Travel can also be part of the solution, and not only on climate.
Travel supports depleted economies in places that depend on tourists’ dollars and opens travellers’ eyes to cultures and customs different from their own.
These are some of the places that The New York Times writers nominated for their list of “52 Places for a Changed World”.
Northumberland, England
Britain’s diverse coastline, from the cliffs of Dover to the boardwalks of Brighton, will soon have a unifying element: the 4 500-kilometre England Coast Path.
Developed in part by the governmental organisation Natural England, the path aims to increase public access to the coast while also restoring landscapes, improving community connection and promoting sustainable travel.
Trail segments that have opened include a 70km stretch in the northeast, from the River Tyne to the Northumberland coast, which is the epitome of rugged England: misty dunes, rocky headlands, wild beaches.
At night, look up. The Northumberland International Dark Sky Park has some of the lowest light pollution in the country and features one of the largest areas of protected night sky in Europe.
Gaze at galaxies sprayed across the sky at Kielder Observatory, and then venture to the ancient past as Hadrian’s Wall is celebrating its 1 900th anniversary with a yearlong festival. – Annelise Sorensen
Santa Cruz County, California
In 2020, wildfires across California threatened some of the world’s oldest forests, including at Big Basin Redwoods and Henry Cowell Redwoods State Parks in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
Thankfully, most of the parks’ mighty redwoods survived, and now hope – in the form of expanded green initiatives – is dawning across Santa Cruz County.
While Henry Cowell is open, as is a small section of Big Basin, with more ambitious rebuilding planned, the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County is developing new hiking trails, including in the 3 500-hectare San Vicente Redwoods.
On the North Coast, the CotoniCoast Dairies, a recent addition to the California Coastal National Monument, is slated to open soon, with nearly 2 500ha of coastal terraces, redwood forests and sweeping views of the Pacific.
The area’s designation as a national monument will help protect its rich ecology and cultural history, including ancestral sites of the indigenous Cotoni people. – Annelise Sorensen
Islas Cíes, Spain
Even before the pandemic, the Islas Cíes off Spain’s Galician coast had long limited the number of daily visitors – 1 800 in high season – to protect its environment and guard against over tourism.
This verdant archipelago, part of the Atlantic Islands of Galicia National Park, is a vision of protected biodiversity: flourishing nature preserves, teeming marine life and robust colonies of seabirds. The strict conservation efforts include restrictions against cars, hotels and noise, and ensure only in designated areas can visitors explore long, curving beaches, snorkel through clear waters and hike trails that wind toward picturesque lighthouses.
The delight continues at night: ink-black starry skies have earned a Starlight designation for limited light pollution.
Island ferries depart from Galicia’s Rías Baixas region, with high
Explore the history of African Americans or soak in the Maui culture
lights that include misty albariño vineyards, Pontevedra’s old town, and Vigo and its Calle de las Ostras, where you can slurp fresh oysters at outdoor wooden tables. – Annelise Sorensen
Thy, Denmark
If Denmark has a final frontier, it’s Thy. Silent dunes, tangled forests and near-mythic gales make this region in northwest Jutland about as far away from Copenhagen as you can get.
Thy is an epicentre for wind energy – around 50% of Denmark’s electricity in 2020 was powered by wind and solar – and those interested in learning more about wind turbines and renewable initiatives can visit the Osterild test facility’s visitor centre.
The wind shaped its coastline, where the wryly named Cold Hawaii surf community rides the curving shore’s distinctive swells.
Not to be missed is the sprawling Thy National Park, rippling with dunes, meadows, marshes and lakes and its new visitor centre in Norre Vorupor, uniquely designed to gently fold into the sandy landscape.
The Thy wilderness is also folded into food and drink: enjoy beer spiced with bog myrtle from Thisted Bryghus, fresh catch from the fish auction at Medvind and the “National Park platter” at Stenbjerg Kro. – Annelise Sorensen
Northland, New Zealand
According to Maori legend, the North Island of New Zealand was an enormous fish, caught by the demigod Maui, and now the forested region of Northland is known as “the tail of the fish.” Endless cultural lessons await travellers here.
At the newly redeveloped Ngawha Springs, where the people of Ngapuhi came to replenish their wairua, or spirit, visitors can soak in dozens of mineral-rich geothermal pools to alleviate pain and repair common ailments.
Also reopening is the cultural and educational centre Te Ahurea, which includes an interactive settlement site highlighting the history and traditions of the indigenous peoples.
For day tours, the Maori-owned and operated Tu Tika Tours organises private adventures that reveal local customs through storytelling, welcome ceremonies, singing, weaving and cuisine.
And to rest your head, the secluded eco-retreat Tahi offers luxury while boasting of giving 100% of its profits back to local conservation, culture and community. – Daniel Scheffler
Bronzeville, Milwaukee
At times overshadowed by its namesake neighbourhood in Chicago, Milwaukee’s Bronzeville district is again distinguishing itself as a centre of African American culture. From 1910 to the 1950s, the area buzzed with black-owned businesses, but it was decimated by “urban renewal” projects that razed thriving black neighbourhoods across America.
Today, Bronzeville is supported by about $400 million (R6.4 billion) of redevelopment funds.
Symbolic of this reinvigoration is the reopening next year of America’s Black Holocaust Museum. Founded in 1988 by James Cameron, the only known survivor of a lynching, the museum attracted visitors from around the world before closing in 2008 when it lost funding during the recession.
The museum takes visitors on a journey through more than 4 500 years of African and African American history.
Nearby businesses, like Gee’s Clippers (a barbershop housed in a 1930s bank) and the Bronzeville Collective (a retail space featuring local black brands) elevate African American artistry, while the Maranta Plant Shop and Sam’s Place Jazz Cafe prove that Bronzeville is back. –