Category Archives: Opinions

Opinions

Why I joined MatadorU

MatadorU

I’M EMBARKING on my first press trip as a MatadorU student next month to Virginia Beach. It’s an all expenses paid four-day trip that will not only be a fascinating insight on a new destination for me, but also a look at what a press trip actually involves

Investing in people

We want to know that our money went to “the right place”. We have been taught to be fearful that our donations might aid corruption or not be used in the way we had intended.

Tourism 2023: Postcards from the future

You don’t have to be an “environmentalist” to start thinking about climate change — just realistic.

Responsible travel – does it make sense?

Can travelling change the world? Unless you are a celebrity like Madonna, or a famous politician like Bill Clinton, it’s sometimes hard to see whether responsible choices have significant effect at all.

10 tips for travelling alone

When travelling alone your experiences are notably different to when you travel with company.   All on-the-road decisions are up to you and all pre-trip planning can be selfishly indulgent with no one else to negotiate or compromise with.

Planning your finances when travelling

Financial preparation is never going to be the most fun part of a holiday (unless you’re an aspiring accountant), but it’s a short-term sacrifice for a long-term payoff.

What has happened to travel?

Technology enables us to make better informed, faster decisions and hopefully saves us some money as a result, but sometimes as a traveller I wonder how this all impacts on the intrinsic value of travel.

Supporting your country in world sporting events… or not.

This past weekend created a big stir all over the world for the World Cup final game of Spain vs. Holland, or it is the Netherlands?

5 Ways the size of our home country affects our outlook on life

There are a lot of large countries in the world: Russia, Canada, Mexico, USA, India. I remember picking up a postcard in a newsagents in Sydney once that showed an outline of Australia with the whole of Europe cradled neatly inside it. Australia is another huge expanse of country.

Travel networking: getting over the fear

Some people hate the idea of offline travel networking. I’m talking about anything – from Couchsurfing to an open-house dinner – which involve stepping out of a comfort zone and finding yourself in the company of strangers.