Senegal's Casamance Region Is an Under-the-Radar Gem

Senegal is one of West Africa's most popular countries for holidaymakers for good reason. There's its culturally and historically vibrant capital Dakar; its lovely Atlantic Ocean beaches; and truly amazing options for lovers of nature and adventure. A few months ago this blog laid out some particularly fetching eco-excursions out of..., and if that sort of thing floats your boat, you'll want to set aside another chunk of time to experience a swath of the country even farther afield. Just a 40-minute flight away, the low-lying region of Casamance, bucolic, fertile and tropical. Let me tell you why it's so special... read post

Cybercriminals Target the Travel Industry & Travelers


Every September 27, travelers celebrate International World Tourism Day. The tourism landscape has changed immensely since the first such celebration in 1980, with the Internet becoming inevitable for travelers and travel agents.  According to the World Tourism Organization (UNTWO), in 2018 84 percent of travelers booked their holidays through bundling sites like Expedia or Kayak instead of contacting hotels and airlines. This counts for 1.176 billion travelers.

Most travelers would agree that the Internet is an essential part of traveling in 2019. For example, 82 percent of travel bookings in 2018 were done online, without any human interaction. “People go on various websites to buy their flights, book a hotel, and rent a car. To do this, they must enter their credit card details and ID information, disclosing their most sensitive data,” says digital-privacy expert Daniel Markuson. “The Internet allows people around the world to plan their travels conveniently," he continues, "however, it can also put them at various risks,”

The global travel industry by now being dependent on the Internet, no one is protected from security breaches. But there are steps that we can take to protect ourselves from hackers while on vacation. Markuson identifies five main online challenges for travelers and provides tips on how to overcome them. read post