MORAL COMPASS: Great Places to Go Where the Going Does Good

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Best in Travel, European travel

Portugal Scores Big Wins as ‘World’s Leading Destination’ at World Travel Awards

January 31, 2020 MoralCompass

Pena Palace, Sintra, Portugal, just one of the historic attractions that resulted in Portugal being named “World’s Leading Destination” for the third year in a row at the 2019 World Travel Awards © Dave E. Leiberman/goingplacesfarandnear.com

Portugal, named “World’s Leading Destination” for the third consecutive year at the World Travel Awards, welcomed more than one million US visitors in 2019, an annual record achieved in just 10 months, following five years of double-digit growth.

Turismo de Portugal also won the title of World’s Leading Tourism Board for the third time, and Lisbon named World’s Leading City Break Destination 2019. Madeira Island was crowned “Best Island Destination in the World” for the fifth time in a row.

Tourismo de Portugal (the Portuguese National Tourism Board) released figures that showed the destination experienced an average monthly increase of 20.9%, and 22% growth in stays for 2019 with two months remaining in the year.

The growth in tourism is the result of a concerted 2027 Tourism Strategy to position Portugal as a destination to “visit, invest in, live, study and organize major events. Our aim will always be to capture more and better tourism, aligning economic growth with the ever-present concern for Portugal’s environmental and social sustainability.”

Increases in visits from Newark, Boston, New York and Miami align with improved air service on TAP Air Portugal (now a private company led by Jet Blue founder David Neeleman, SATA Air Azores, United Airlines, Delta Airlines and American Airlines.

TAP has growth its non-stop route map, adding services to and from Chicago, San Francisco and Washington DC, to the New York, Newark, Boston and Miami routes.

In total, Portugal won 12 awards in the grand final of the World Travel Awards, in addition to World’s Leading Destination 2019, World’s Leading Tourist Board, World’s Leading Island Destination (Madeira Islands) and World’s Leading City Break Destination (Lisbon).

Also: World’s Leading Adventure Tourist Attraction 2019 (Passadicos do Paiva – Arouca UNESCO Global Geopark); World’s Leading Conservation Company (Parques de Sintra-Monte de Lua); World’s Leading Golf & Villa Resort (Dunas Douradas Beach Club); World’s Leading Classic Hotel (Olissippo Lapa Palace Hotel); and World’s Leading Boutique Hotel Operator (Amazing Evolution Management).

TAP Air Portugal won awards as World’s Leading Airline to Africa, World’s Leading Airline to South America; and World’s Leading Inflight Magazine (Up Magazine).

American tourists are responding to Portugal as a European gem. The country has eight centuries of history with marvelous castles and architecture,and is a haven for foodies, with fantastic cuisine, the biggest exclusive fishing zone in Europe (making seafood fresh and affordable. Pop music lovers come for local music festivals.

More information at www.visitportugal.com.

Best in Travel

Lonely Planet Reveals Best Travel Destinations for 2020

October 26, 2019 MoralCompass

*Budapest, Hungary is one of Lonely Planet’s “best value” cities for 2020* © *Eric Leiberman/goingplacesfarandnear.com*

Global travel authority Lonely Planet unveiled its top 10 countries, cities, regions and best-value destinations for next year with the release of Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2020.

Best in Travel 2020 is Lonely Planet’s 15th annual collection of the world’s hottest destinations and journeys for the year ahead. This edition places particular emphasis on the best sustainable travel experiences for 2020 — ensuring travelers will have a positive impact wherever they choose to go.

Bhutan — the kingdom set to become the first fully organic nation by 2020 — claims the coveted spot as the number-one country to visit in 2020, while England places second and North Macedonia takes third.

Lonely Planet’s number-one region for 2020 is the Central Asian Silk Road, which is now more accessible than ever before, thanks to visa improvements for the majority of the world’s citizens, along with massive transportation and infrastructure investment. Le Marche, Italy comes in second, followed by Tōhoku, Japan.

Number-one city Salzburg, Austria will be pulling out all the stops for the centenary of its world-famous festival of music and drama next year, while Washington, DC, USA is second-ranked, with Cairo, Egypt in third place.

Elsewhere, Indonesia’s East Nusa Tenggara, Hungary’s Budapest and India’s Madhya Pradesh are Lonely Planet’s top three best-value destinations for 2020.

Each year, Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel lists start with nominations from Lonely Planet’s vast community of staff, writers, bloggers, publishing partners and more. The nominations are then whittled down by our panel of travel experts to just 10 countries, 10 regions, 10 cities and 10 best value destinations. Each is chosen for its topicality, unique experiences and ‘wow’ factor.

For Best in Travel 2020, Lonely Planet’s experts have also selected the best New Openings, New Places to Stay, New Food Experiences, and Sustainable Trips for Families, as well as devoting an entire chapter to the best ways to Travel Well.

www.lonelyplanet.com/best-in-travel features tips and videos on visiting each destination, as well as a chance to win a Silk Road adventure for two. The top 10 cities can also be explored for free with Lonely Planet’s Guides app.

Top 10 Countries

1. Bhutan

2. England

3 North Macedonia

4. Aruba

5. eSwatini

6. Costa Rica

7. The Netherlands

8. Liberia

9. Morocco

10. Uruguay

Top 10 Regions

1. Central Asian Silk Road

2. Le Marche, Italy

3. Tōhoku, Japan

4. Maine, USA

5. Lord Howe Island, Australia

6. Guizhou Province, China

7. Cadiz Province, Spain

8. Northeast Argentina

9. Kvarner Gulf, Croatia

10. Brazilian Amazon

Top 10 Cities

1. Salzburg, Austria

2. Washington, DC, USA

3. Cairo, Egypt

4. Galway, Ireland

5. Bonn, Germany

6. La Paz, Bolivia

7. Kochi, India

8. Vancouver, Canada

9. Dubai, UAE

10. Denver, USA

Top 10 Best Value

1. East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia

2. Budapest, Hungary

3. Madhya Pradesh, India

4. Buffalo, USA

5. Azerbaijan

6. Serbia

7. Tunisia

8. Cape Winelands, South Africa

9. Athens, Greece

10. Zanzibar, Tanzania

The Travel Edit

Best New Openings
Best New Places to Stay
Best New Food Experiences
Best Sustainable Trips for Families

Travel Well

Should We All Be Flying Less?
Traveling on a Carbon Diet
Going Local, for the Locals
Taking Action on the Road
Lessons from Indigenous Cultures
Hiking for Meditation

Competition: To celebrate this year’s Best in Travel, Lonely Planet is partnering with G Adventures and TourRadar to give visitors to lonelyplanet.com/best-in-travel the chance to win a Silk Road adventure for two through Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The prize includes:

> a 15-day Best of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan Tour from Dushanbe to Tashkent;

> a AUD $4,000 (approximately USD $2,700) travel voucher to put towards two return economy flights;

> up to AUD $500 (approximately USD $340) towards offsetting the carbon footprint of the winners’ flights;

> two copies of Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2020.

To enter, simply tell us in 255 characters or less why you’d love to experience the Central Asian Silk Road.

Lonely Planet is a world-leading travel publisher: a globe-spanning digital travel media company and the world’s number one travel guidebook brand. We’ve been providing both inspiring and trustworthy information for every kind of traveler since 1973. We reach hundreds of millions of travelers each year online and via our mobile products and help them unlock amazing experiences. Over the past 40 years we’ve printed over 145 million guidebooks as well as countless other titles showcasing the wonders of the world for travelers of all types. Lonely Planet can be found on lonelyplanet.com, mobile, video and in 14 languages, 13 international magazines, armchair and lifestyle books, ebooks and more.

“At Lonely Planet we seek to make a difference in people’s lives by spreading the power of travel. We firmly believe that travel has a significant positive impact on people’s lives and outlooks and is a force of positive change.”

Visit lonelyplanet.com and join 14 million followers on Facebook (facebook.com/lonelyplanet), Twitter (@lonelyplanet), Instagram (instagram.com/lonelyplanet) and Snapchat (@lonely.planet).

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Best in Travel, Historic Hotels, Historic Places

Historic Hotels of Europe Announce 2017 Award Winners, From Best Castle to Most Romantic

December 8, 2017 MoralCompass

Historic Hotels of Europe announced the winners of its 6th annual awards honoring the most unique, important and cultural properties spanning across the continent across eight special categories, from weddings to fine dining.

Festningen Hotel & Resort in Norway, the 17th-century fortress bursting with majesty, won Historic Hotels of Europe’s Historic Hotel Castle Award for 2017.

Romantik Hotel Castle Rheinfels based in Germany’s UNESCO World Heritage Middle Rhine Valley, won Most Romantic Historic Hotel of the year.

The ceremony took place in November at the legendary Barberstown Castle near Dublin, Ireland. Originally built as a fortress in 1288, the castle’s most famous owner was Eric Clapton during the 80s. Its current host Ken Healy hosted the gala dinner, which was attended by the first three nominees in each category and dozens of representatives from the finest historic hotels.

From the 400 exceptional stays throughout Europe, the winners of the sixth prestigious Historic Hotels of Europe Awards are:

In the Historic Host of the Year category, Dalen Hotel in Norway came in top. Known as the ‘fairytale hotel’ with its dragonheads, spires, towers, and balconies – the hospitality is equally dream-like.
Winner of the City Historic Hotel Award was the incredible four-star boutique Heritage Avenida Liberdade, located in the heart of Lisbon, Portugal.
From cosmopolitan retreats to sprawling vineyards, L’Unicorno Agriturismo in Italy won the Historic Hotel Countryside Award.
Sundbyholms Slott in Sweden received an award for its outstanding castle weddings in the Historic Hotel Wedding Experience category. With its very own chapel, cake services and cannoneers who shoot real 17th-century gun salutes on reception, the hotel was a worthy winner.
Another historic treasure crowned was Festningen Hotel & Resort in Norway. Perched on an iconic hill overlooking Finnskogen forest, the 17th-century fortress is bursting with majesty, landing it the Historic Hotel Castle Award this year.
Dedicated to the revival of the traditional cuisine and aromas of Mani and within luxurious surroundings, Kyrimai Hotel Restaurant was the foodie’s choice. The wonderfully restored 19th-century building complex on the southern tip of rural Greece surrounded by water, was crowned with the Historic Hotels Gourmet Award.
Romantik Hotel Castle Rheinfels topped the 400-strong collection of historic hotels for its sheer heart-stealing ambience. Based in Germany’s UNESCO World Heritage Middle Rhine Valley, the four-star castle won Most Romantic Historic Hotel of the year.
Historic Hotels of Europe celebrates high standards of cultural and historical-hotel-keeping throughout the continent, so the Historic Hotel with ‘A Story To Tell’ award is very special. This year, it went to Allegory Boutique Hotel, a truly unique small property in the medieval town of Rhodes, Greece with just 6 units named after the Ovidian characters.

Award winners can be viewed here: http://www.historichotelsofeurope.com/award.html

“The winners of the 2018 Historic Hotels of Europe Awards represent an inspiring group of hoteliers with exceptional historic properties and outmost dedication to authentic hospitality spanning across Europe”, said Barbara Avdis, Chairman of the Historic Hotels of Europe. “The Hotels receive their merit with the organization’s highest honor, a guest’s choice, the Historic Hotels Awards.”

Historic Hotels of Europe is a membership organization representing unique places to stay in Europe. Encompassing castles, chateaus, palaces, monasteries, convents and more, they have almost 400 members dotted across 11 countries. Each property within the association has been handpicked for its historical architecture and the unique stories it tells.

“Whether you’re living like a lord or lady at a 16th-century manor, or a spa-based bliss in the Med, the aim is to give guests that ‘something special’ – a genuine, one-of-a-kind experience.”

For more information, www.historichotelsofeurope.com

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Best in Travel, Historic Hotels, Historic Preservation, Hotels & Resorts

The Broadmoor, Amway Grand Plaza Among 2017 Historic Hotels Awards of Excellence Winners

October 25, 2017 MoralCompass

Mohonk Mountain House, the grand resort in New Paltz, New York, was honored with a 2017 Historic Hotels of America Award for Excellence for Legendary Family Historic Hoteliers of the Year, the Smiley Family © Karen Rubin/goingplacesfarandnear.com

The Broadmoor of Colorado Springs, The Dunhill Hotel of Charlotte, Mayflower Park Hotel of Seattle, West Baden Springs Hotel of Indiana, Amway Grand Plaza of Grand Rapids were among the winners of Historic Hotels Awards of Excellence for 2017 by Historic Hotels of America® and Historic Hotels Worldwide®. The winners were announced at a special ceremony and gala at The Omni Homestead Resort (1766) in Hot Springs, Virginia. Honors were given in multiple categories ranging from Hotelier of the Year and Hotel Historian of the Year to Best Historic Resort, Historic Hotelier of the Year, and Lifetime Achievement.

Each year, these Historic Hotels Awards of Excellence honor, encourage, and recognize the most exemplary historic hotels, hoteliers, and leadership practices. The Historic Hotels Awards of Excellence are presented to historic hotels and hoteliers demonstrating innovative leadership, stewardship, and contribution to furthering the recognition, preservation, and celebration of these preeminent historic hotels and their histories.

From more than 200 nominees, the following Historic Hotels of America and Historic Hotels Worldwide hotels and hoteliers were honored with these prestigious annual awards for 2017:

Best Small Historic Inn/Hotel (Under 75 Guestrooms): The Dunhill Hotel (1929) Charlotte, North Carolina

Best Historic Hotel (76-200 Guestrooms): Mayflower Park Hotel (1927) Seattle, Washington

Best Historic Hotel (201-400 Guestrooms): West Baden Springs Hotel (1902) West Baden Springs, Indiana

Best Historic Hotel (Over 400 Guestrooms): Amway Grand Plaza (1913) Grand Rapids, Michigan

Best City Center Historic Hotel: Marriott Syracuse Downtown (1924) Syracuse, New York

Best Historic Resort: The Broadmoor (1918) Colorado Springs, Colorado

Best Historic Restaurant in Conjunction with a Historic Hotel: Penrose Room at The Broadmoor (1918) Colorado Springs, Colorado

Historic Hotels of America New Member of the Year: The Georges (1789) Lexington, Virginia

Best Social Media of a Historic Hotel: The Mission Inn Hotel & Spa (1876) Riverside, California

Sustainability Champion: Inn at the Presidio (1903) San Francisco, California

Hotel Historian of the Year: Jim Hewes at The Willard InterContinental, Washington DC (1847) Washington, DC

Ambassador of the Year (Quarter Century of Service): Woodrow “Woody” Pettus at The Omni Homestead Resort (1766) Hot Springs, Virginia

Best Historic Hotels Worldwide hotel in Europe: Hotel Waldhaus Sils (1908) Sils Maria, Switzerland

Best Historic Hotels Worldwide hotel in Asia/Pacific: Alsisar Haveli (1892) Jaipur, India

Best Historic Hotels Worldwide hotel in the Americas: Fairmont Le Château Frontenac (1893) Québec City, Canada

Historian of the Year: Chef Walter Staib, author, twelve time Emmy Award winning TV host of A Taste of History©,and chef and proprietor of City Tavern Restaurant in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Stewards of History and Historic Preservation Award: R.D. (Dan) Musser III at Grand Hotel (1887) Mackinac Island, Michigan

Legendary Family Historic Hoteliers of the Year: The Smiley Family at Mohonk Mountain House (1869) New Paltz, New York

Historic Hotelier of the Year: Philip Wood at The Jefferson, Washington, DC (1923) Washington, DC

Lifetime Achievement Award: Duane and Kelly Roberts at The Mission Inn Hotel & Spa (1876) Riverside, California

“The winners of the 2017 Historic Hotels Awards of Excellence represent more than 231 years of history and include the finest iconic and legendary historic hotels from across the United States of America and from around the world,” said Lawrence Horwitz, Executive Director of Historic Hotels of America and Historic Hotels Worldwide. “We applaud these magnificent historic hotels and their hoteliers for their dedication, passion, stewardship and success in preserving these treasures and their stories for future generations of travelers.”

Award recipients are selected from nominees received from historic hotels, historic preservation supporters, prior award recipients, and leadership from Historic Hotels of America and Historic Hotels Worldwide. As official programs of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Historic Hotels of America and Historic Hotels Worldwide provide the recognition to travelers, civic leaders, and the global cultural, heritage, and historic travel market that member hotels are among the finest historic hotels across America and around the world. The Historic Hotels Annual Awards of Excellence program recognizes the pinnacle of this distinct group of nominees in a range of categories.

Historic Hotels of America® is the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation for recognizing and celebrating the finest Historic Hotels. Historic Hotels of America has more than 300 member historic hotels which have all faithfully maintained their authenticity, sense of place, and architectural integrity in the United States, including 46 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. Historic Hotels of America is comprised of mostly independently owned and operated historic hotels. More than 30 of the world’s finest hospitality brands, chains, and collections are represented in Historic Hotels of America. To be nominated and selected for membership into this prestigious program, a hotel must be at least 50 years old; has been designated by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior as a National Historic Landmark or listed in or eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places; and recognized as having historic significance. For more information, visit HistoricHotels.org.

Historic Hotels Worldwide® is a prestigious collection of historic treasures, including historic hotels, castles, chateaus, palaces, academies, haciendas, villas, monasteries, and other historic lodging spanning ten centuries. Historic Hotels Worldwide represents the finest global collection of more than 260 historic hotels in more than 36 countries. Historic Hotels Worldwide is dedicated to promoting heritage and cultural travel to prestigious historic treasures. Hotels inducted into Historic Hotels Worldwide are authentic historic treasures, demonstrate historic preservation, and celebrate historic significance. Embracing luxury hotel brands, chains, collections, and the finest independent historic hotels, participation is limited to those distinctive historic hotels that adhere to the following criteria: minimum age for the building is 75 years or older; historically relevant as a significant location with a historic district, historically significant landmark, place of a historic event, former home of a famous person, or historic city center; hotel celebrates its history by showcasing memorabilia, artwork, photography, and other examples of its historic significance; recognized by national preservation or heritage buildings organization or located within UNESCO World Heritage Site; presently used as historic hotel. To learn more visit www.HistoricHotelsWorldwide.com

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Adventure Travel

Lonely Planet’s 10 Top US Destinations to Travel in 2017

January 6, 2017 MoralCompass

*The “otherworldly landscape” of Joshua Tree, in California’s high desert, is on Lonely planet’s list of “Best in US” places to visit in 2017 (photo by Laini Nemett).*

Travel media company Lonely Planet’s travel experts scoured the states this year to create its annual list of the top 10 most exciting places to go in the United States in the year ahead. Best in the US 2017 (lonelyplanet.com/best-in-us), lists the 10 destinations poised to shine next year, whether they’re up-and-coming, overlooked or offer new, inviting reasons to visit in 2017.

This year, Lonely Planet named the charming enclave of Asheville, North Carolina as the #1 destination in the US to visit in 2017. The vibrant small city is known for its welcoming, creative spirit and eclectic architecture. Its thriving artistic community and booming food and drink scene – all surrounded by spectacular natural beauty – is putting it firmly on the map.

Following in second place is Western Washington, where iconic landscapes made their way into popular consciousness in Twin Peaks, the television drama making a comeback in 2017. In third place is heartland hub Lincoln, Nebraska, hosting festivals throughout the year to celebrate its 150th anniversary. Other notable places that made the list include the southern desert area of California (#4), Texas’ relatively unknown wine country (#8) and a picture-perfect strip of Florida coast (#10).

“Lonely Planet’s Best in the US 2017 are the places we recommend travelers go next year,” said Lonely Planet magazine managing editor Rebecca Warren. “This year’s list is incredibly diverse, spanning from coast to coast, giving a panoramic tour of America. Whether travelers want to escape to the mountains, get transported back in time or relax by the beach, these are the destinations to be excited about. Some of them are on the public’s radar, while others are recently emerging, and they all offer compelling reasons to visit in 2017.”

Now in its 7th edition, Lonely Planet’s Best in the US is a highly anticipated list of cities, regions and states worth traveling to in the year ahead, selected and ranked by Lonely Planet’s US destination editors, writers and travel community. The list is available online at lonelyplanet.com/best-in-us, featuring a video and a chance to win a weekend away for two in #1 Asheville, plus accompanying articles on each destination.

Lonely Planet’s Best in the US 2017

Asheville, North Carolina– Appalachia’s most surprising city

River Arts Districtfeatures over 200 artists
Nicknamed “Beer City USA”
World renowned dining scene

Western Washington– David Lynch fans, take note

Filming locales made famous by Twin Peaks, making a comeback in 2017
New farm-to-table dining and microbrewing emerging in Seattleand San Juan Islands

Lincoln, Nebraska– Hip and happening in the heartland

150th anniversary parades, parties and festivals
College vibe, bike trails, breweries, music, art walks and farmers’ markets
One of the largest refugee resettlement areas; cultural diversity

California’s Low Desert– The LA getaway meets a new generation

New wave of cool headed to Palm Springs and beyond (maybe even The Obamas!)
View of Coachella Valley via world’s largest aerial tramway
Otherworldly landscapes (Joshua Tree) and quirky curiosities (Salvation Mountain)

Montana’s Flathead Valley– Big sky, big mountains, big bears

One of the largest wilderness areas in the contiguous states
Gateway to Glacier National Park and Canadian border
Whitefish welcomes hikers, bikers and après-skiers

Atlanta, Georgia– The airport epicenter is flying high in 2017

New state-of-the-art stadiums and first Major League Soccer team
Introducing The BeltLine, the answer to New York’s High Line
World-class art scene and up-and-coming neighborhoods like East Atlanta

Adirondack Mountains– New York’s best views after Manhattan

42 peaks over 4000ft
New Wild Walkis an elevated trail above the treetops
Larger than Yosemite, Yellowstone, Glacier, Grand Canyon and Great Smokies combined

Texas Hill Country wine region– The best wine country you’ve never heard of

Over 70 wineries in Texas and dozens in Hill Country
Wide variety of tasting rooms along Wine Road 290make for an epic road trip
10th Dripping with Taste Wine & Food Festivaland 45th annual Kerrville Folk Festival

Denver, Colorado– The “Mile-High City” has never been more fun

More than just a gateway to the Rocky Mountains
New Ski Train in 2017 takes skiers and boarders straight to the slopes
Microbreweries, music and (legal) marijuana

Florida’s Emerald Coast– The “Redneck Riviera” no more

100-mile stretch of sugar-fine sand and beachfront towns
Frequented by the rich and famous, and still affordable
The Truman Showtown of Seaside is an eco-friendly, 80-acre dream

Lonely Planet’s Best in the US 2017 goes beyond the locations featured in its annual Best in Travel 2017, which names the best places to visit all over the globe, featuring Canada (#1 country), Coastal Georgia, Los Angeles and Portland.

Competition: Enter for a chance to win a weekend trip to #1 Best in the US 2017 destination. Thanks to Explore Asheville and Biltmore. Runs Dec 6, 2016 – Feb 6, 2017.

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