THE RESTRICTIONS associated with the pandemic have hit the tourism industry hard. But oddly enough, lockdowns and temporary travel bans are helping to develop new travel programmes.
Surely enough, staying at home, watching movies and sports, maybe considering some betting choices at bookmaker ratings is a perfect option too. But readers might take into account some original travelling programs.
Flight to the Moon
Due to the quarantine due to the coronavirus pandemic, Australian residents are restricted from travelling abroad, so Qantas company is stimulating domestic tourism by organising unusual flights.
So, in May, the inhabitants of Australia are offered to go on a three-hour flight ‘Take me to the moon’.
During the flight at an altitude of 12,000metres above the ground, passengers will see a supermoon and a total lunar eclipse. An astronomer will comment on what is happening. In economy class, a ticket costs $499 in business class – $1,499.
• Price includes flight and pre-flight cocktail party.
• This is not the first unusual flight organised by Qantas during the pandemic. For example, the passengers of one of these flights only found out about their destination when they got on the plane.
Rent of a volcano
A month ago, the Fagradalsfjall volcano woke up in Iceland, attracting many tourists to the region. Therefore, the landowner association that owns the territory where the volcano is located agreed to consider offers from realtors for the sale of several plots. There are ideas for the possible site-planning and parking, as well as the construction of a new road, which will shorten the travel time to the volcano.
• According to rough estimates, about 75,000 people have visited the Fagradalsfjall volcano in recent weeks.
• Travellers take selfies against the backdrop of erupting lava, play volleyball and even cook food in its hearthstones.
Space tourism
Billionaire Jeff Bezos’ rocket company Blue Origin has announced that it is ready to start selling tickets for suborbital sightseeing flights on its New Shepard spacecraft.
The flight will take place over 100km above the Earth. The New Shepard spacecraft will launch a capsule with six passengers into orbit.
It will stay in zero gravity for at least 10 minutes, after which it will return to Earth. The entire flight will take about 40 minutes.
• The capsule has six observation windows, which are almost three times larger than on the Boeing 747.
• Ticket prices are classified. Presumably, it’s $300,000 per passenger.
Walk over the canyon
In the north of Portugal, near the city of Aroca, at the end of April, the world’s longest suspension pedestrian bridge, 516m long and 175m high, was opened over the Paiva River.
The bridge was built for about two years, about €2.3million was spent on the work. The construction should become a magnet for tourists who, due to the coronavirus pandemic, did not come to the region for more than a year.
• The bridge is stretched over a 200m deep canyon.
• The structure is supported by steel wires attached to two towers. The bridge has a metal mesh floor, which allows tourists walking along it to see Paiva from below.
