Jan 6th, 2010 at 12:00PM: Travel to Mexico got a big ol' kick in the cojones last year. The global recession spanked airlines and hotels around the world, and since the United States was ground zero for the financial crisis that accelerated the recession, Mexico likely lost some action from its biggest trading partner. And then swine flu came along, bringing much of the Mexican tourism and travel industry to a crawl. When ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
swineflu posts
Mexico relies on Facebook to kick travel slump
Jan 6th, 2010 at 12:00PM: Travel to Mexico got a big ol' kick in the cojones last year. The global recession spanked airlines and hotels around the world, and since the United States was ground zero for the financial crisis that accelerated the recession, Mexico likely lost some action from its biggest trading partner. And then swine flu came along, bringing much of the Mexican tourism and travel industry to a crawl. When ...Destinations feature highly in top Twitter trends of 2009
Dec 17th, 2009 at 10:00AM:
It wasn't explicit, but the top Twitter trends of 2009 have a hint of travel built into them. Sure, it was the elections in Iran that put made "Tehran" and "Iran" among the top 10 news items trending this year, and politics pushed "Gaza" up there, as well. And, we all remember the H1N1 Swine Flu epidemic, which has been memorialized in the form of "Swine Flu" and "#swineflu" on the microblogging ...Avoid swine flu this holiday season - kiss, don't shake
Nov 23rd, 2009 at 2:00PM: Researchers in London have found that kissing on the cheek is far more hygienic than shaking hands. This may be good or bad news for you this holiday season, depending on how close you really want to get to your relatives.
"Debrett's warns people to observe proper etiquette by kissing others on the cheek instead of the lips and to avoid touching the person being kissed except on the shoulder or ...Italian answer to swine flu--automatic holy water dispensers
Nov 12th, 2009 at 10:30AM:
tweetmeme_url = 'http://www.gadling.com/2009/11/12/italian-answer-to-swine-flu-holy-water-dispensers/'; tweetmeme_source = 'Gadling';
Visitors to many Italian churches will see a new addition next to the door--automatic holy water dispensers.
digg_url = 'http://digg.com/health/Italian_Answer_to_Swine_Flu_Automatic_Holy_Water_Dispensers'; Priests have been noticing that worshipers are ...In Oberammergau: the most "passionate" performance you will ever see
Nov 10th, 2009 at 1:00PM: Now you can visit a plague-ridden era and watch history unfold. No, this is not an invitation to get busy with swine flu. Instead, head out to Oberammergau, Bavaria and witness a performance that has been carried out for centuries.
In 1633, Oberammergau's population was decimated by the Plague. The villagers were brutalized, but their spirit remained strong, and they promised to act out the events ...Going on a trip? Stop and get a flu shot at the airport
Sep 17th, 2009 at 11:30AM: Luggage? Check. Passport? Check. Flu shot? If you've yet to get yours, you can take care of the task on the way to your next flight at clinics set up in several airports around the US.
Among the nearly 20 airports that will be offering flu shots beginning within the next few weeks are Atlanta, Boston Logan, O'Hare, Denver, Honolulu, LAX, JFK, and San Francisco. Costs range from $20 to $35, which ...Mexico City offers free health insurance to tourists
Aug 18th, 2009 at 12:30PM: digg_url = 'http://digg.com/travel_places/Mexico_City_To_Offer_Free_Health_Insurance_to_Tourists'; After near-hysteria over Mexico's outbreak of the H1N1 (swine) flu virus crippled the country's tourism industry and resulted in record low hotel occupancy rates, Mexico City's tourism is slowly rebounding. To help get tourism back to its pre-"aporkalypse" levels, the Mexico City Tourism Ministry ...Bowermaster's Adventures -- Swine Flu and Tokyo
Aug 7th, 2009 at 9:00AM: The direct flight from New York to Tokyo is one of the longest, thirteen hours and forty-five minutes, looping across Canada and the Bering Sea before paralleling Kamchatka and the eastern islands of Japan. It's a long way to travel for humans and viruses alike ... though I have to admit I hadn't thought about the latter until we touched down at Narita International Airport and found among the ...Gadlinks for Monday 7.20.09
Jul 20th, 2009 at 7:00PM: In keeping with the beach theme today on Gadling, here are some beach-related travel reads for you, this glorious summer Monday.
It's not too late to take part in the Barefoot Wine & Surfrider Foundation's beach rescue and clean up initiatives happening around the country!
In the Caribbean, it's not just humans who are soaking in the sun, sand, and crystal blue ocean. Remember: you ...Thailand closes internet cafes for two weeks
Jul 14th, 2009 at 9:30AM: A heads up for all those traveling to Thailand in the next two weeks: the country's public health minister, Witthaya Kaewparadai, announced plans to close tutorial schools and Internet cafes nationwide in a bid to prevent the spread of the H1N1 virus. The announcement was made following the death of a Phuket University student last week. Schools and internet cafes are asked to spend the two weeks ...Indonesian Minister: Tourists should wear masks
Jul 2nd, 2009 at 1:30PM: Indonesian Health Minister, Siti Fadilah Supari has stated that the country will ask all people arriving from swine-flu affected countries to wear face masks for at least three days after arrival. "Visitors from infected countries should wear masks. It's a precautionary measure we're taking to avoid human-to-human transmission of the virus," Supari told AFP. "We'll give them the masks when they ...Biggest Hotel Sale Ever to combat swine flu travel fears
Jun 23rd, 2009 at 5:30PM: If you are after a bargain, Mexico is where it's at. We've posted about how a group of hotels have a deal for those who do get swine flu from their trip to Mexico. But since that probably isn't going to happen, there are deals for those who don't get sick.
There's a "Biggest Hotel Sale Ever" campaign in Mexico through Expedia. In general prices are 26% cheaper than this time last year. Resorts ...Five ways to get dirty this summer
Jun 18th, 2009 at 3:00PM: Grabbing the railing on the subway? For some of us, it's a fact of life, but I'm told there are plenty of people out there who liken it to shoving your hand in a toilet. According to a recent TripAdvisor poll of more than 4,000 travelers, around one-third consider themselves to be "germaphobic" since the H1N1 swine flu outbreak.
So, where do germaphobes go? I imagine they hang out in hospitals ...Swine flu mask stupidity
Jun 13th, 2009 at 2:00PM: Face masks may be able to prevent catching swine flu, but are they able to prevent stupidity? Check out this video of a businessman trying his very best to put a face mask on. Of course, keeping the mask in your pocket is probably another way to reduce its effectiveness. ...
2000 passengers forced into quarantine on Australian swine flu cruise ship
May 29th, 2009 at 6:00PM: Bad times for cruise passengers - after a flesh eating bacteria scare earlier this month, it's an Australian ship that is in trouble this time. The P&O operated Pacific Dawn was scheduled to cruise around the Great Barrier Reef, but 3 crew members were confirmed to be infected with swine flu. At the moment, the schedule has been canceled, and the ship is heading towards Brisbane. Once in ...Travel warning to Mexico canceled as swine flu fears ease
May 16th, 2009 at 3:00PM: Yesterday the U.S. Centers for Disease Control lifted its warning that travelers avoid non-essential trips to Mexico as fears over the swine flu have faded.
The CDC wrote on its website that "the Mexican outbreak is slowing down in many cities... [and] the United States and other countries are now seeing increasing numbers of cases not associated with travel to Mexico."
Still, at-risk groups ...Swine flu symptoms? Next holiday in Mexico is free
May 14th, 2009 at 12:30PM: It's a bummer to get sick on a vacation. Anyone who has been holed up in a hotel with the chills or worse instead of out enjoying the trip that you paid for can vouch for that. Illness isn't great for tourism either. Mexico tourism has hit the skids because of H1N1 virus, aka, swine flu. Folks in the Mexico tourism industry have begun to cook up ideas to entice tourists to head south. Here's ...Possible swine flu on Alaska cruise ship
May 11th, 2009 at 5:30PM: The numbers of cruise ship bookings to Alaska are down this year, and with a possible case of swine flu detected on board one ship in Alaska waters, I'm worried they could very well go down even more. The Associated Press reports today that "a female crew member of the Serenade of the Seas, a Royal Caribbean ship, became ill May 2 while sailing from San Francisco northward." Swine flu was ...The next invasion of your privacy at the airport? Your temperature!
May 6th, 2009 at 5:30PM: Fueled by a global panic about the Swine Flu, some airports are installing thermal imaging cameras to spot arriving and departing passengers with elevated temperatures. This technology is new to our continent, but has been used in Asia for years, mainly because of their experience in dealing with avian flu and SARS. The thermal imaging cameras are placed in strategic locations, and show ...Continental Airlines reduces flights to Mexico
May 1st, 2009 at 1:30PM: In response to the swine flu outbreak in Mexico, Continental Airlines is cutting the number of fights to Mexico by 40% and reducing the size of the planes making the trips. Because the demand for Mexico travel has gone way, way, way down, the airlines is taking these cost cutting measures.
The cuts are in effect starting Monday and are expected to be only temporary. Also, for folks who already ...
