Remember That Time You Told Gus That He Couldn’t Take The Weekend Off To Fly To Vegas? You Were Committing A Crime Against Humanity

National Post – The European Union has declared travelling a human right, and is launching a scheme to subsidize vacations with taxpayers’ dollars for those too poor to afford their own trips.

Antonio Tajani, the European Union commissioner for enterprise and industry, proposed a strategy that could cost European taxpayers hundreds of millions of euros a year, The Times of London reports.

“Travelling for tourism today is a right. The way we spend our holidays is a formidable indicator of our quality of life,” Mr. Tajani told a group of ministers at The European Tourism Stakeholders Conference in Madrid on April 15.

Awesome. The Human Right Not To Be Searched At The Border

Times Colonist – A Canadian woman who was strip-searched at the Ottawa Airport after returning from her grandmother’s funeral in Jamaica has decided to launch a human rights complaint.

Charmaine Archer, who holds dual citizenship with Jamaica, said she hopes her complaint will result in an investigation to prove that a report that traces of heroin and THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, were found on her toothbrush was fabricated to justify the strip search.

Veteran Traveler To Readers: Stop Traveling Or You’ll Wreck My Planet

Becker - From The Joan Shorenstein Center for Press, Politics, & Public Policy

 

Hey, Lizzie, here’s an idea: since you’ve had your fun, why don’t you sit your butt down and stop ruining the environment for us novices? Arrogant hypocrite.

[Elizabeth Becker, Delaware Online] I used to love going back to my old haunt in a Himalayan hill station where, as a student in India in 1970, I climbed those steep, silent paths and watched langur monkeys swinging in the trees outside my window. No longer. Now Moussurie is chock-a-block with tourist lodges, garbage and noise; the monkeys are fleeing.

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The places we love are rapidly disappearing. Global tourism today is not only a major industry — it’s nothing short of a planet-threatening plague. It’s polluting land and sea, destroying wildlife and natural habitat and depleting energy and natural resources. From Asia to Africa, look-alike resorts and spas are replacing and undermining local culture, and the international quest for vacation houses is forcing local residents out of their homes.

It’s giving rise to official corruption, wealth inequities and heedless competition. It’s even contributing to human rights violations, especially through the scourge of sex tourism.

Human Rights Commission Opens A New Revenue Stream

From the Keep The Business Booming file.

[Holiday Lettings] New EU legislation has been introduced to give disabled travellers more rights. Disabled air passengers will receive more help when using EU airports.

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A recent survey by the charity revealed that 61 per cent of respondents had experienced difficulties when boarding a plane. Disabled passengers will now be able to voice their concerns with the Equality and Human Rights Commission to ensure that the new legislation is properly enforced.

The rest.

Ship That Promotes Responsible Travel Found To Be A Fire Trap

[New York Times] The Clipper Pacific, a 637-foot ship carrying about 975 passengers and just over 300 crew members on a round-the-world voyage that started in Japan in May, reported hull damage on Sunday as it approached New York, its next scheduled stop after Greenland.

The Coast Guard did a routine inspection on Sunday, and found at least 60 more safety problems, mostly fire hazards, said Cmdr. Gregory Hitchen, the Coast Guard’s chief of operations for the New York area.

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The ship is affiliated with Peace Boat, a nonprofit group based in Japan that works to promote peace, human rights and responsible travel, among other issues, according to its Web site.

The rest.