And other travel news you may have missed.
This week in travel, we’ve uncovered several stories that might have flown under your radar. Among them: a Quebec tourism ad is making American hearts melt; a couple smoking in an airplane lavatory causes chaos and delays on a flight to London; and Bali has a very direct message to tourists: be fit!
Dive into these and more as we examine the latest in travel news.
NO.1
GERMAN TOURIST FOUND ALIVE AFTER 12 DAYS IN WILDERNESS
There’s good news from Down Under: a tourist lost in the remote Australian Outback was found alive after 12 days. Carolina Wilga, a 26-year-old German, survived in harsh conditions for nearly two weeks before being rescued last Friday.
Wilga issued a public statement to thank rescue services, searchers, medical personnel, and the German consulate. “Some people might wonder why I even left my car, even though I had water, food, and clothing there. The answer is: I lost control of the car and rolled down a slope. In the crash, I hit my head significantly. As a result of the accident, I left my car in a state of confusion and got lost,” she said.
Wilga last contacted her family on June 29, and her last sighting was at a general store in Beacon, Western Australia, 200 miles northeast of Perth. Police found her abandoned car before discovering her wandering on a forest trail. It was a stroke of luck that her car was found, as the reserve spans 740,000 acres and presents challenging conditions. After rescue workers spotted her car, they searched within a 300-meter (1,000-foot) radius of dense woods.
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Authorities confirmed that Wilga was in a fragile state, but had no major injuries. She was transported to a hospital in Perth.
NO.2
BALI URGES TOURISTS TO ASSESS HEALTH BEFORE COMING
Recent medical emergencies on Bali have prompted authorities to urge tourists to assess their physical health before arrival. Last week, an Australian man fell at the Bali airport and suffered serious head and neck injuries after hitting a wall.
Several hiking-related incidents have also been reported in recent weeks. On July 8, a mother and son got lost while hiking with a group, but they were eventually found with no major injuries. After a Brazilian traveler died in Lombok, Minister of Forestry Raja Juli Antoni reminded travelers of the risks of mountain climbing. “Our imagination about climbing a mountain should not be equated with going to the office, on vacation; this requires physical exercise, complete equipment, and mental readiness.”
A Saudi Arabian tourist is still missing after being swept away while swimming at a beach in Bali on July 8. Multiple other incidents of tourists caught in strong currents have occurred, so officials are warning visitors to be cautious and follow local advisories.
NO.3
QUEBEC TOURISM AD WINS APPLAUSE ON SOCIAL MEDIA
An ad from Eastern Townships Tourism in Southern Quebec has gone viral on Instagram. The ad, aimed at Americans, features a warm exchange between a hotel receptionist and a tourist. The hotel staff welcomes the man in French, and he responds that he doesn’t speak the language and is visiting from the United States. The woman then pushes a red button to unlock the desk counter and embraces him. The message from Canada’s friendly neighbors to the south: Americans are very welcome.
Catherine Carignan-Lavasseur, director of visitor services at Eastern Townships Tourism, explained that Americans expressed concerns about how they would be received in Canada. The ad, she said, is a “symbolic hug” and an invitation. Tourists have responded positively, and Carignan-Lavasseur noted a spike in reservations. “We’re really aware of all the hundreds and hundreds of comments that we see on the ads that are published on the web, Americans saying, ‘Thank you. We needed this.’”
Related: 11 Things to Know Before Traveling to Canada
NO.4
A SMALL PLANE CRASHES AT LONDON SOUTHEND AIRPORT
A tragic plane accident occurred Sunday afternoon when a small aircraft crashed at England’s London Southend Airport after takeoff, killing all four people onboard.
Videos of a fireball circulated on social media as smoke rose from the site. The Dutch plane, operated by Zeusch Aviation, was returning to the Netherlands after flights to Greece and Croatia. The airport is closed until further notice, and the cause of the accident is under investigation.
NO.5
COUPLE SMOKING ON PLANE DIVERTS FLIGHT
Unruly passenger behavior continues to impact flights. This time, a couple smoking in the plane’s lavatory caused a flight from Cancun to London to be diverted. Despite a warning from the pilot that passengers caught smoking would result in a diversion, the incident continued. About three and a half hours into the flight, the plane landed in Maine instead of its intended destination. The couple was removed from the flight, but the ordeal did not end there for other passengers.
Those onboard were reportedly made to wait on the plane for five hours, during which the crew reached their working hours limit. Due to immigration laws, passengers could not leave the terminal and had to spend the night in the airport’s military zone, without access to their luggage, on makeshift beds and air mattresses. The airline, TUI, sent a relief crew from the United Kingdom, but passengers ultimately faced a 12-hour delay because of the incident.