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In the travel news this week: the top airports of 2023, new travel rules around the world and the man who visited Disneyland for almost 3,000 days in a row.
Port Authority executive director Rick Cotton told CNN that there was a commonly heard refrain that spurred the multibillion-dollar renovations at New York Metro’s LaGuardia, JFK and Newark airports: “Why are the big airports in Asia and in Europe so busy better and so much more appealing?’ ”
“Our internal mission statement was to create a terminal that everyone loves,” said Frank Scremin, CEO of LaGuardia Gateway Partners, which is behind the $8 billion airport transformation. This project has just earned LaGuardia’s Terminal B the distinction of Best New Airport Terminal in the World at the prestigious Skytrax Awards.
In 2014, Vice President Joe Biden said LaGuardia was like “in a third world country,” but the comments “spurred action,” says Scremin.
The new terminal’s design philosophy is “to give guests choice,” whether it’s a business traveler who needs to get to the gate efficiently or a family who “wants to sit and relax and be entertained.”
Plans for a Manhattan-LaGuardia light rail service were scrapped Monday, but at the very least, JFK’s ongoing $9.5 billion renovation can be expected. And for more of the top airports that inspired New York’s facelift, take a look at the world’s best airports of 2023.
Forewarned is forearmed folks. Here are the latest laws and rules travelers should know:
Not hike alone in Nepal because “there is no one to help you”.
Not Take lewd selfies with the statues in Japan’s new Ghibli Park.
Not Plan a motorbike tour in Bali as the island authorities will discourage foreign tourists from renting them.
Do Visit China and get lucky visiting the casinos in Macau as the borders have been fully reopened.
Do swim topless in Berlin pools if you’re a woman who supports German “nudism”.
Do Party all night in Miami’s South Beach if you really must, because the after-2am alcohol ban has been lifted. But make sure you reach Florida before this 5,000-mile-wide clump of seaweed does.
What’s the best meal in the morning after the St. Patrick’s Day celebrations? A full Irish breakfast with lots of black pudding and potato bread. Here are 26 Irish dishes you must try: It’s not all about stout and potatoes.
Mexican cuisine has also often been misunderstood, but a new CNN food and travel show, Eva Longoria: Searching for Mexico, which airs March 26, is setting out to fix that. Sign up for our new four-part newsletter, Unlocking Mexico, for a guide to the country’s history and heritage, plus recipes from Eva Longoria.
A Polish pilot made aviation history on March 14 when he became the first person to land an airplane on the helipad of Dubai’s Burj Al Arab Jumeirah, which at more than 305 meters is one of the tallest hotels in the world.
And over in California, local Jeff Reitz visited Disneyland every day for nearly 3,000 days, earning himself a Guinness World Record for his efforts.
Finally, American Renee Bruns also set a Guinness World Record for the most countries visited by a person in a wheelchair in one year.
“I think that’s one of the silver linings to disability,” Bruns tells CNN Travel. “I started seeing the world from a different perspective.”
The greatest places on earth in 2023 according to TIME
TIME magazine just released its annual list of 50 Destinations to Add to Your Wishlist. Check them out here.
Traveling to new places when you or a loved one has food allergies can be stressful and scary. To ensure your next trip runs smoothly, our partners at CNN Underscored, a CNN product reviews and recommendations guide, spoke to doctors, allergists and nutritionists to get their top tips and advice on what to include on your packing list.
Again and again there are near misses involving US aircraft.
Now officials are talking about averting “more catastrophic” incidents.
The “best chef in the world” lost a Michelin star.
His Parisian restaurant held three-star status for two decades.
Saddam Hussein’s former yacht now attracts tourists.
The rusting wreck capsized in a river in southern Iraq.
The organization offers free travel experiences to black women with cancer.
It’s “about creating new memories,” says founder Alicia Tambe.
