Oktoberfest Becomes Latest Travel Industry Victim

April 22, 2020

The world-famous 210 year old Bavarian beer festival has been cancelled this year due to concerns over the continued spread of coronavirus.

It is the biggest annual tourist attraction in Germany, drawing 6 million global visitors a year, and employing some 13,000 staff.

Read: Oom-pah and Ale: The Oktoberfest Beer Festival

While some lockdown restrictions have been slightly relaxed in parts of the country this week, German authorities have banned all large events until at least August 31 in a bid to avoid a second wave of infections towards the end of the summer. Due to the nature of the event – festival goers are seated in very close proximity and the consumption of alcohol is thought to cause diminished regard for social distancing — the organisers had already indicated that the event might not go ahead.

Bavarian officials, have expressed regret that the businesses who take part in the festivities will lose out financially. It is reported that last year’s revenue amounted to around 1 billion euros.

The Oktoberfest started in 1810 on 12 October, as a celebration of the marriage of the crown prince of Bavaria to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen, and was due to take place from 19 September to 4 October this year.

Read: Top 5 things to see and do in Munich

Meanwhile, in the UK, Home Sercretary Michael Gove has warned that the hospitality industry, most notably pubs and bars, will be of the last to see restrictions lifted levaing some businesses attempting to prepare for closures lasting until Christmas.

In the USA, of the states where lockdown rules are being relaxed, bars, nightclubs and restaurants will also be among the last businesses to see restrictions lifted.

More information:

Study Guide: A Short History Of Beer

Watch: The Story of Beer

Read: Wine Sales Are Booming

Read: Tips For Coping During Lockdown

Main image: Munich, Germany. Oktoberfest, Polybert49, Flickr Creative Commons

Travel ‘Appy Part 3: Find, Eat, Photo

We all love to do it really! Here’s how to in style 🙂

FIND, EAT, PHOTO

AlPineQuest GPS Hiking: For the outdoorsy type, take a look into AlPineQuest GPS Hiking. A gold-

mine investment for hikers, this app allows you to access online topographical maps even if you are

outside of cell service. With its GPS detector, AlPineQuest GPS Hiking localizes yourself into real time

on the map so you can be sure to see where you are going. AlPineQuest is the perfect solution for

those wanting to be secure adventure-seeker.

Available on Android (£6.49)

Maps.Me: We all know that data roaming charges cost a fortune and Maps.Me knows it too.

Maps.Me is a global map that allows you to zoom in and download detailed maps of different

cities/regions offline. The map will give you directions from point A to point B in great detail. It will

also show you locations of hidden gems, unlike the general location GoogleMaps provides.

Available free on iPhone and Android

TV Food Maps: Ever look at the food on Top Chef, Man vs. Food, and Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives and

thought, “God that looks good. I want that!” With TV Food Maps, you can road trip around the

United States following the famous food you see prepared on television. TV Food Maps interactively

helps you find the famous or hidden locations of some of the most delicious cuisine you can find in

the West. Make a road trip of it and go explore famous eateries as seen on the telly!

Available on iPhone (free), Android (free), and Windows (free)

The Photographer’s Ephemeris: The world holds the perfect backdrop for anybody wanting to model

against this scenery or photograph the set; and for all you models and model citizens out there, The

Photographer’s Ephemeris (TPE) helps you plan the perfect outdoor photoshoot that has natural

lightings against urban and landscape scenery. Time and direction of the sun/moon with the altitude

of the weather will allow you to capture that perfect postcard picture. Do it for the memories!

Available on iPhone ($8.99) and Android (£3.22)

Image courtesy of: Moyan Brenn

Travel ‘Appy Part 2: Connect

Finding your bearings with the local currency, lingo and lay of the land is always a good idea and these are the apps you need…

CONNECT

Trip Advisor
TripAdvisor has flocked toward rising popularity with its honest user-based reviewers,
all critical of hotels, restaurants, tourist hotspots, and more. The user-based reflections show the
current number of reviews that like or dislike any location destination you’re heading towards. Users
are known to be brutally honest, keeping to their high standards. This gives you a sneak peek into
the best of what your destination has to offer, giving you a better chance for a more enjoyable
vacation.
Available on iPhone (free), Android (free) and Windows Phone (free)

GoogleGoggles
When you’re getting lost in a new city but then come across a famous landmark
you’re unfamiliar with, what do you do? Google has an answer for you, yet again. GoogleGoggles is
an image recognition app that allows you to take pictures of famous landmarks and unknown
products, and will then redirect you to more information about your photograph. You will quickly
become the fascinating world traveller who can offer up historical information in seconds.

Available on iPhone (free) and Android (free)
Convertor Plus

To the avid traveller, converting money is not enough when it comes to visiting a
different country. All different units of measure have to be taken into consideration, which
Convertor Plus accomplishes. Convertor Plus has the most extensive list of currencies and units in
categories such as loan, tip, fuel consumption, temperature, and hundreds of others. This app also
includes a built-in calculator, making splitting the bill easy for once.
Available on iPhone (free)

iTranslate
The iTranslate app makes translating clear, cut, and concise. iTranslate has continually
kept up with the millennial age as it continually revamps itself with a simplistic style on how to
communicate with other nations. With its ability to convert over 90+ languages, iTranslate can
translate over voice recognition, copied text, phonetic spelling, and much more. It will even speak
back to you with the correct pronunciation.
Available on iPhone (free), Android (free), and Windows Phone (free)

Wi-Fi Finder
Wi-Fi has become a necessity to access since data roaming charges keep rising. Wi-Fi
Finder allows you to look for a Wi-Fi hotspot using your GPS function on your phone. The app will tell
you where the exact location of the Wi-Fi hotspot and how to get there. In over 650,000 locations
and 144 countries, Wi-Fi Finder can help you save your data for real emergencies.
Available on iPhone (free) and Android (free)

Travel ‘Appy!

When a bright-eyed traveler regales you with tales of their adventure, for the most part you hear about breath-taking views, awe inspiring sites, soaking up the atmosphere and wild ideas for their next trip. Rarely do you hear about the unavoidable calamities attached to travel when things inevitably go awry. You miss your flight; you forget your high school level French; you need a taxi but have run out of cash – a myriad of things can fall apart at any time. With the advent of technology, however, the solution to your anxiety is only a tap away. Travel apps have the ability to save you from the unforeseeable mishaps that happen whilst on holiday, making your adventures more enjoyable. Whether you need to learn how to say ‘sorry’ in Vietnamese or find the nearest transportation system in the middle of Morocco, it can be guaranteed that, “there’s an app for that!” From transportation to eateries, apps can help navigate you to get the most out of your traveling experience.

Part One

REST WELL

Air b’n’b
Airbnb encompasses the best parts of traveling all into one. Meeting new people, staying at safe locations, and cheap havens creates a traveling experience that allows you to be stress free! By choosing through a list of people that offer up their homes as a place to stay, you can participate in smart travel in an interesting way. This app gives you an itinerary as well as all the information you need to know about your host and their room.

Free for iOS and Android

iCampsites
A great value guide to more than 8,000 campsites in the UK and Europe, backed up with user reviews, pictures and inch-perfect GPS coordinates. If you’re looking for more than just somewhere to bed down for the night the filter local results by facilities and you’ll soon be en route to a patch that’s right for you.
Available on Android (£1.99)

Hostelworld
Hostels are a fantastic alternative way to stay in central city locations across the world as well as interesting historical buildings and more off the beaten track places for a lot less than a hotel. This is a geo-tagged directory of 25,000 listings for budget hotels at your fingertips. The app also provides access to over 3.5million user reviews, minimising the likelihood of a nasty surprise when you turn up after that all night train ride.
Available on iPhone (free) and Android (free)

Couch Surfing
Couchsurfing’s motto stands as: “the world is full of friends you haven’t met.” This app allows you to insert yourself into a global community of over 9 million traveling enthusiasts across 120,000 looking for someone with a shared enthusiasm for exploration. The app (and much more developed website) provides a platform for members to surf on couches by staying as a guest at a host’s home, host travelers, or join an event. The system is reciprocal though this is not compulsory, and review based so you can offer up your sofa or stay somewhere new; either way, this app gives you a place to stay or someone to meet, broadening your travel experience.

Available on iPhone (free) and Android (free)

Sebastiao Salgado: Genesis

Sebastião Salgado is a Brazilian photographer famous for his extraordinary black and white images of life in some of the most remote and least visited parts of our planet.

Salgado’s latest work is the monumental project called Genesis, a collection of more than 200 images from the far reaches of the Earth, and showcases the results of an eight-year long project

Mursi Women in Ethiopia with prominent lip plates

This unique body of work is now exhibiting at London’s Natural History Museum through to September this year.

The collection contains startling images of the daily life of Siberian nomads, Papua New Guinea natives and Amazonian tribes photographed over weeks and months on location in some of the world’s most challenging environments.

Salgado’s images of the Mursi tribe of Ethiopia (filmed by Pilot Productions in 1996) and his images of South Georgia in the South Atlantic (filmed by Pilot Productions in 2009) and are among the most memorable images of the exhibition and a testimony to the extraordinary talents of this Globe Trotting photographic genius of our age!

Sebastião Salgado: Genesis is at the Natural History Museum, London, from 11 April to 8 September 2013
Ticket prices £10 adults, £5 child and concession, £27 family

Main image: Sebastião Salgado photo exhibition Genesis at National Museum of Singapore, JNZL’s Photos, Flickr Creative Commons