10 great places for summer romance

By Melissa Burdick Harmon | Yahoo! Travel
 

Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel (Photo: Courtesy of Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel)
Summertime, by its very nature, exudes romance. Here are 10 great ideas for romance-packed summer trips to every corner of the world. Pick any one, and we promise that you will gather memories that will last a lifetime.

Machu Picchu, Peru
For a Mystical Experience

Sunrise. The light breaks over the deep green of the Andes Mountains, 8,170 feet above sea level. Slowly the mysterious ruins of Machu Picchu appear through the morning mist. If you are brave (and have booked in advance), you can tackle the somewhat challenging climb up the green sugarloaf-shaped mountain, Huayna Picchu—the one you’ve seen on all the travel posters—for incredible views as the sun rises. Plan a full day exploring what many scholars now believe was the great estate of an Incan emperor, rather than a fortress. Stay at Inkaterra’s Machu Picchu Pueblo Resort in Aguas Calientes, the village below the ruins. This eco-friendly, 12-acre property, offers cozy white-washed casitas with fireplaces and thick alpaca blankets for chilly evenings. Guided bird watching and orchid walks are part of the package. Dine in the casual Fusion or the more formal Dining Room, both with views of the roaring Vilacanota River. Book a soothing couples massage, but most of all, bask in the silence. 

Gower Peninsula, Wales (Photo: Courtesy of Visit Wales)
The Gower Peninsula, Wales
For Glorious Seaside Walks

Wales’ Gower Peninsula, an official “Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty” in Britain, offers glorious cliff top walks, views of serene horseshoe-shaped bays, postcard-pretty villages—and except on summer weekends—a delicious sense of peace. Book a room in the 18th-century mansion Fairy Hill, in Reynoldston, with a restaurant that features only locally sourced food. Head for the Cliff Walk, part of an 850-mile walking path that soon will encircle all of Wales. At Rhossili, the farthest reach of the Gower, hike out to Worms Head, a narrow peninsula stretching into the sea (mind the tides, so you don’t get trapped). Baby lambs—destined for local restaurants where salt marsh lamb is a delicacy—will give curious glances as you walk by. The rather basic Worms Head Hotel has a restaurant, and an unbeatable location.  At Cefn Bryn, Gower’s highest point – and the site of a giant boulder known as “King Arthur’s Stone”—you can look over the Llanrhidian salt marshes and see as far as neighboring Carmarthenshire.   

Lake Kinneret (Photo: Getty Images)
The Galilee, Israel
For Gentle Pleasures

Book a room at the quietly elegant Hotel Spa Mizpe-Hayamim, outside the lovely hill town of Rosh Pina (where, rumor has it, Madonna has purchased a home). The pretty hotel’s 37-acre grounds includes  walking paths, streams, views of snow-capped Mount Hermon in the distance, as well as the abundant gardens and barns that supply its excellent organic restaurant. Spend a morning in nearby Nazareth to tour the Christian sites and enjoy great Middle Eastern fare at Tishreen, just steps from the Basilica of the Annunciation. Another day, drive north for a tour and tasting at the impressive Golan Heights Winery. Don’t miss the Jewish holy city of Safed, its winding streets lined with art galleries. Be sure to also visit the 16th-century Synagogue Isaac Loria, with is Kabbalistic art. Just below lies the serene Sea of Galilee, also called Lake Kinneret, where you can take wind-surfing lessons, dine on St. Peter’s fish, and view the traditional site of the Sermon on the Mount, marked by a small Franciscan Church.

Cape Breton Island (Photo: Getty Images)
Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada
For World-Class Scenery

Canada’s Cape Breton Island is a bit like a journey back in time, with its cozy country inns, farm-fresh fare, and such low-tech pleasures as birding, moose spotting, trout fishing and whale watching. In fact, the whales are so prolific that boat captains guarantee sightings. The island’s vast 370-square-mile Cape Breton Highlands National Park provides dramatic views of both the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the wild waves of the Atlantic. Drive the 190-mile-long Cabot Trail, flanked by towering mountains on one side and sheer cliffs above the sea on the other.  If your base is in Pleasant Valley, you will be close to the lovely (but steep and a challenging) Pollett’s Cove Trail, with extraordinary views, as well as places to camp. The pretty Broadwater Inn, 10 minutes from the Cabot Trail, offers rooms in private log cottages or in its main lodge.  The adjacent Bell Bay Golf Club provides views stunning enough to distract you from your game.     

Victoria Falls, Zambia (Photo: Getty Images)
Stanley Safari Lodge, Victoria Falls, Zambia
For Romance in the Wild

When it comes to romantic safaris, small is better, which helps to explain why the 10-unit Stanley Safari Lodge is perfect for canoodling couples in search of privacy. Splurge on the Livingstone Suite, pure colonial Africa, and so close to Victoria Falls that you can see the spray—not to mention the sunset. The staff will serve private dinner à deux for you anywhere on the lodge grounds. Guided game drives are, of course, the order of the day—sometimes in neighboring Botswana, to see the world’s largest elephant population in Chobe National Park; other times in Zambia and even in Zimbabwe. More options: Riding an elephant through the bush or taking a guided walk alongside some cute baby lions. Take a sunset cruise on the Zambezi or, for the brave, canoe or raft down part of the river (watch out for hippos and crocodiles). Visit the nearby traditional village of Mukuni, ruled by His Royal Highness Chief Mukuni, Monarch of the Victoria Falls. Finish each day with soothing sundowners on your private terrace.  

Island of Madeira, Portugal (Photo: Getty Images)
The Island of Madeira, Portugal
For Sipping Wine While Watching the Sun Set Over the Sea

The pretty little island of Madeira feels delightfully British, despite the fact that it actually belongs to Portugal. No matter who owns it, you can’t beat its relatively steady 80-something degree weather, its quiet elegance, and of course, its eponymous wine. Reids Palace Madeira, an Orient Express property, is the place to stay if romance is on the agenda. The hotel is ringed by lush gardens, and offers spectacular views of the Atlantic and sublime spa packages.  While it may be hard to leave, do head to the Saint Francis Wine Lodge in Funchal to taste the local wines, some more than 150 years old. Visit the Botanical Garden and see the city panorama from the cable car there.  Explore the shops in Funchal’s old port. Locals say that Porto Santo is the best beach on the island—it goes on forever. If you’re feeling energetic, take a guided hike along the “Levados,” the open-air canal system that dates back to the 16th century. It will take you through the island’s green heart, and into Europe’s oldest laurel forest.

Reykjavik, Iceland (Photo: Getty Images)
Reykjavik and Southern Iceland
For Combining Big City Fun with Lovely Vistas

Start in pretty Reykjavik, with its postcard-perfect harbor, its houses painted in vivid primary colors, and its nightlife that doesn’t stop until morning, especially during the white nights of summer. Great restaurants abound. If touring time is short, put The Settlement Museum, with its almost intact Viking longhouse dating back to 871 A.D., at the top of the list. Real romance, however, lies in the glorious scenery of the Golden Circle, along the country’s south coast. Do it in a day, stopping at Pingvellir National Park, where the North American and European tectonic plates meet, and where an early, oral legal system was devised. Stop at Geysir, the hot (very hot) geothermal eruption that occurs every five minutes and that gave its name to geysers all over the world. Don’t miss the glorious Gulfoss Falls, the roiling water often topped by a perfect rainbow.  Savor the beauty of a landscape dotted by sheep and tiny Icelandic horses. Back in Reykjavik, soothe your souls in the Blue Lagoon, where you can smear each other with white mud and bask in a giant 100-degree geothermal pool, before heading to the airport.


Hacienda Santa Inés, Cartago, Costa Rica (Photo: Courtesy of Hacienda Santa Inés)
Hacienda Santa Inés, Cartago, Costa Rica
For Rural Romance in Ultimate Luxury

Somewhere between peeling the potatoes and putting laundry in the dryer, have you ever wished you could spend a week in the lap of luxury, be waited on hand and foot—and maybe  throw a few couples massages into the equation? There is a solution, though it may involve winning the lottery. The exquisite Hacienda Santa Inés, on 300 acres in the mountains above San José, Costa Rica is available for rent, for just one couple; a group of friends; Hollywood celebrities, drawn by the promise of supreme privacy; or destination weddings. This vast private home, complete with a movie theater, a spa, a kitchen that Martha Stewart might covet, and more staff than you could possibly keep busy, will let you feel like you are starring in Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.  Outdoors, you will have 300 acres to roam, gallop around on horseback, or zoom over on an ATV. Indoors, meals are prepared to order and such niceties as aperitifs and champagne enrich your time in the spacious hot tub. Off-property tours are arranged.  

Tasmania, Australia (Photo: Getty Images)
Tasmania, Australia
For Getting Far Away From It All

If your romantic dream is to get far away from it all, consider Tasmania, the small, and still delightfully untouched island off Australia’s southern coast. Book a suite at the new and deliciously private, Saffire-Freycinet, located at Coles Bay on the Freycinet Peninsula. This posh place to play accommodates only 40 guests in 20-free-standing suites, all with ocean views. Do as little or as much as you want. Take a picnic to nearby Freycinet National Park, do a morning canoe tour of Pelican Bay, fly kites on the beach, take a guided scenic walk, or just hang out in hammocks. Ready for reentry? Move to the Henry Jones Art Hotel in downtown Hobart, the island’s major city. From there, explore the Tasmanian Devil Conservation site and the infamous Port Arthur Historic Site, where 12,500 British convicts were held in brutal conditions (there is also an evening ghost tour). Stroll through Hobart’s dockside area, and take a tour to the summit of Mount Wellington for views as far as the island’s South West Wilderness. 

Langkawai, Malaysia (Photo: Getty Images)
Langkawi, Malaysia
For Serene Sands, Deep Jungle, and Local Color

The Langkawi Islands, off Malaysia’s west coast, offer glorious strands of white sand backed by deep green palm trees, good restaurants, and great hotels, in a setting that still harks back to the “old” Southeast Asia.  You don’t have to drive far from pretty Pantai Cenang Beach, the major hotel strip, to find small settlements of houses built high on stilts, water buffalo contentedly grazing, women working in the rice paddies, and kids pedaling down the road on rattle-trap bicycles. Sacrifice some beach time to ride the cable car to the top of Mount Gunung Mat Cincang, and then walk across the steel bridge to a neighboring mountaintop, enjoying great sea and island views, as well as the rainforest canopy below.   Book a boat trip through the mangroves, visit the local hot springs and the black sand beach, and check out at least one of the island’s major sea caves. Langkawi is so rich in natural wonders that it has recently been declared a UNESCO World Geopark.

Ten Of The Most Beautiful Places Of The World!

by Hasan

We live in a world blessed with sights that are beautiful beyond words. Every human being probably dreams of visiting at least one of those places in their lifetime. Living in modern cities with high-rise buildings, we tend to miss out on what Mother Nature has to offer as well as some of the most incredible man-made structures built throughout the course of history.

Look at the places below, and you will see beauty that fills the eye and warms the heart. It wouldn’t be appropriate or humanly possible to just pick a few places from the huge collection of amazing sights around the world and call them the “best.”

They say that “beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” and there are perhaps other places that have touched your heart. For this reason, we do not claim the places included in our list are the best, but rather among the vast collection of the most beautiful places of the world.

Skardu Valley – Pakistan

Photo by bogavanterojo

Photo by NotMicroButSoft

Skardu Valley is part of the Baltistan. Baltistan is spread over an area of 26,000 square kilometres – just right below the jagged and glaciated ramparts of the Karakoram. Once part of Laddakh, it was known as Tibet-i-Khurd – Little Tibet. Archaeological exploration has proven that it was encompassed by the Silk Trade Route.

Shangrila – Pakistan

Photo by NotMicroButSoft

Shangrila Resort Skardu, also known as “Heaven on Earth”, is nestled amongst some of the world’s highest peaks. It encircles the heart shaped “Kachura Lake” and is surrounded by fruit laden orchards and flower filled gardens.

Lake Saiful Muluk – Pakistan

Photo by Fahd Murtaza

Lake Saiful Muluk is a lake located at the northern end of the Kaghan Valley near Naran. A fairy tale called Saiful Muluk, written by the famous sufi poet Mian Muhammad Bakhsh, is associated with the lake. It is the story of prince of Persia who fell in love with a fairy princess at the lake. The impact of the lake beauty is of such extent that people believe that fairies come down to lake in full moon.

The Grand Canyon, United States

A steep gorge by the Colorado River, Arizona in the United States, the Grand Canyon has some truly enjoyable scenery. It is 277 miles in length, 4 to 18 miles in width, and about a mile deep. Scientists believe that the canyon was created by the Colorado River over a six million year period.

 

 

 

Native Americans built settlements in the caves within the canyon before the emigration of Europeans. It was also considered to be a site of pilgrimage by the Pueblo people. The first recorded visit to the Grand Canyon by the Europeans was in 1869. Although it is not the deepest canyon in the world, it is known for its extremely large size and beautifully intricate landscape. The Grand Canyon National Park is said to be one of the first national parks in the United States and it attracts more than five million visitors a year. Weather conditions in the Grand Canyon vary greatly between seasons as well as varying at different elevations. While winter snow is experienced by the higher forested rims, the inner gorge has a desert temperature because of the low elevation.

The Great Barrier Reef, Australia

One of the natural wonders of the world, the Great Barrier Reef off the east coast of Australia is the world’s largest coral reef. It has the distinction of being placed in the World Heritage as well as the National Heritage lists.

 

 

With more than 600 islands and coral cays, the reef covers more than 300,000 sq. km. Corals make up the reefs and cays and are responsible for a huge variety of sea life in the reef — green turtles, several varieties of whales and dolphins, the dugong, about 4000 types of mollusks, 1500 different species of fish, as well as beautifully colored bird life encompassing at least 200 species. The Great Reef Marine Park is a huge tourist attraction with millions of tourists visiting the area each year. Sporting activities include reef sailing, scuba diving, and snorkeling, amongst others.

Cape Town, South Africa


Aptly called “Heaven on earth,” this beautiful town at the tip of the African continent, with small roads surrounded by huge mountains, makes a person feel small; showing how marvelous and dominating nature can actually be.

The Cape Dutch style buildings depict the architectural heritage of the place. Beauty abounds in the black clouds that seem to pay homage to Table Mountain at all times. Cape Point, Signal Hill, Chapman’s Peak Drive, Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, Robben Island, Rhodes Memorial, and the beaches are some of the famous tourist attractions. Located on the shore of Table Bay, Cape Town is famous for its natural floral kingdom as well as its harbor. This town is one of the most popular tourist attractions of South Africa with its wine tasting day trips, whale watching, and dolphin watching.

Taj Mahal, India

The Taj Mahal in India is one of the wonders of the world and is one of the most beautiful mausoleums constructed by the Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan, in memory of his favorite queen, Mumtaz Mahal. Located in Agra, white marble was used in the construction of this symbol of love, and the Taj Mahal is considered to be the pinnacle of Mughal architecture.

As the story goes, the emperor was grief-stricken when he lost his beloved third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It took thousands of craftsmen and artisans, and about twenty years to construct it. The masons, stone cutters, carvers, inlayers, calligraphers, painters, and others were brought from throughout the entire empire as well as from Iran and Central Asia. Semi-precious stones were used for inlay ornamentation. It later became the mausoleum of Shah Jahan too. This is a huge tourist attraction with one to two million tourists visiting it every year.

Canadian Rockies, Canada

The majestic Canadian Rockies are the Canadian segment of the North American Rocky Mountains. They are a visitor’s wonderland and the playground for western Canada. They are older than the American Rockies and are formed from over thrusting.

The Canadian Rockies house five national parks, and four of those national parks (along with other provincial parks) combine to form a single UNESCO World Heritage Site that consists of beautiful mountain landscapes, lakes, canyons, waterfalls, glaciers, peaks, limestone caves, and fossils. Mount Robson is the highest peak of the Canadian Rockies and climbing it is considered a challenge. These beautiful mountains are a haven for hikers and walkers alike.

 

Machu Picchu, Peru

Machu Picchu in Peru, which means ‘Old Peak,” is one of the most enigmatic ancient sites in the world. According to legend, Machu Picchu was long ago considered to be a sacred place. The credit for the creation of the extraordinary city goes to the Inca people who have erected many stone structures and turned the place into a work of art.

Two thousand feet above the Urubamba river, these ruins consist of baths, temples, palaces, and about 150 houses, all very well preserved. These gray granite structures, some of which weigh more than 50 tons, are so perfectly sculpted that they are nothing less than works of architectural genius. They were rediscovered by a Yale archaeologist in 1911. The ethereal beauty, workmanship, and history of the place attracts millions of tourists each year.

 

The Pyramids, Egypt

 

The Egyptian pyramids are massive monuments with a square base and four triangular sides rising up to a point. There is still a lot of curiosity (and many theories) as to how the pyramids were actually constructed.


It is generally believed that the Egyptians began constructing them after 2700 B.C. and that they were built as tombs for the pharaohs. The most well-known (and the largest) pyramids of Egypt are the Pyramids at Giza which are said to be the largest ever built. It’s said that the Great Pyramid at Giza took 23 years to complete, using a work force of around 30,000 people. 

About 118 pyramids have been identified, and they are popular and intriguing to tourists and home researchers alike.

 

Petra, Jordan

 

Described by the UNESCO as “one of the most precious cultural properties of man’s cultural heritage”, Petra is an archeological site on the slope of Mount Hor. It is one of the new wonders of the world and is famous for its rock-cut architecture.



This site was kept hidden until 1812 when it was discovered by a Swiss explorer. It was said to have been prepared by God for the Jewish people. Petra once flourished under the Roman empire but a rapid decline began with the Arabian trade being taken elsewhere. Then an earthquake caused a great deal of destruction. Tourists frequent the place to get a glimpse of the ruins of this beautiful city.

 

Great Wall of China, China

 

One of the seven wonders of the world, the Great Wall of China is a man-made structure that was constructed over two thousand years ago and took about 100 years to complete. The vastness of this project brings to light the immense capabilities of man.


The constructions started in the 5th Century B.C. It is actually not a single wall, but rather many walls put together, and it stretches over 4,000 miles. It was constructed to protect the Chinese Empire from the Xiongnu people in the north. The wall was initially built of stone, grass, earth, and wood, but bricks were used once the production started. It is believed that about 2-3 million Chinese died during the construction project.

 

The Iguazu Waterfalls, Argentina-Brazil Border

 

Heralded as the most beautiful waterfalls in the world, the Iguazu Waterfalls are a true wonder of nature. They are located at the border of Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay. While the Argentinean side allows visitors to walk right around the water or explore the National Park, the Brazilian side is known for its panoramic views and splendor.

First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt is believed to have exclaimed upon seeing these falls, “poor Niagara.” The area surrounding the falls provides ample opportunities for rock climbing as well as water sports. Iguazu has the distinction of having a greater annual flow than any other waterfall in the world.

With all of these, and many more beautiful places that exist in our world, we surrounded by choices. The only way to decide on the places to visit is to follow your heart. While some may love the tranquility of water, others may bury themselves deep in architectural miracles, ancient sites, or the serenity of a small town.

India bans tiger tourism amid animal-rights push, outraging some

One of India’s 1,706 tigers, at a tiger reserve in Corbett National Park.
(Corbett Tiger Reserve/Associated Press)

 

STEPHANIE NOLEN

NEW DELHI — The Globe and Mail

Ajay Dubey was awaiting his lawyer outside India’s Supreme Court when some of his newfound enemies spotted him in the crush of people moving in and out. “That’s the man who wants to kill 100,000 people,” hissed a middle-aged man in a collared shirt, jerking his chin towards Mr. Dubey. “The guy who became a national hero by setting people up to starve.”
Mr. Dubey, stubbled and scruffy in jeans amidst a tide of black-gowned lawyers, didn’t react. In the month since he upended India’s $18-million tiger tourism industry – and instantly became the nemesis of powerful business interests – he has become accustomed to hostility.

In July the Supreme Court – motivated by a petition from self-described tiger-rights champion Mr. Dubey and dismayed at the mess of regulations governing tiger conservation – shocked the industry (and indeed Mr. Dubey) by slapping a blanket ban on tiger tourism.

That’s the business of taking vehicles full of tourists into the country’s nature reserves to see the critically endangered national animal, a centrepiece of most foreigners’ visits to India and an increasingly popular pastime for India’s growing middle class.

The ban has imperilled the livelihoods of more than a million people employed in tiger-related tourism, opened a fierce debate about whether tourism is actually good for tigers and drawn attention to Mr. Dubey as a lonely activist who used public interest law to take on a powerful industry.

More than 100 different players have sought leave to intervene in the case, and on Wednesday the court ordered the government to consult with all of them – including wildlife biologists, tourism business owners and aboriginal peoples’ groups – and report back in a month on how to reform tourism guidelines. Indeed, the judges, bemused at the quantity of would-be petitioners, offered to listen to some actual tigers, too, if any of those turned up.

Meanwhile, the ban remains.

Mr. Dubey said he is pleased with the court’s consultation order: he has succeeded in sparking a national debate about conservation and directly engaged the top court, the country’s most effective arm of government, in oversight of the tiger population. Less pleased, predictably, are tour operators, travel agents and hoteliers, who are watching bookings evaporate.

In other parts of the world, well-managed tourism has proven key to maintaining populations of endangered animals. In India, the case for or against tiger tourism is not so simple: the pro-tourism lobby notes that India’s most-visited reserves are also the ones with the largest tiger populations. Just 1,706 of the jungle cats remain in the country, according to the last tiger census, and India, ominously, has the world’s largest wild tiger population.

“If tourism is finished, the tiger is finished,” vowed Samsher Alam, the man who had hissed at Mr. Dubey at the courthouse. He’s a tiger tour operator and had gone there last week hoping to see the ban lifted. Tourists, he said, play a critical role in deterring poachers. That’s debatable: Tourists also careen after harassed tigers in speeding jeeps, hollering and tossing bits of chapati at them. (India’s is not a “leave only footprints” tourism culture).

Ashawani Agarwal, who manages a resort in Madhya Pradesh next to Kanha National Park, makes a more compelling argument. “Our lodge employs [aboriginal people] who used to make their living in the forest – cutting timber, taking leaves and things,” he said after the court hearing. “And we have persuaded them that preserving the forest so that people come and see the tiger – caring for tigers, not killing them – is better.

“If we close, they will go back to the forest, they will be in conflict with the animals and they will kill them.”

He also said that since the lodge opened five years ago, the once-strong presence of the Naxals – India’s Maoist insurgency that draws membership from disenfranchised aboriginal people – has all but disappeared from the area.

But it’s also true that India’s existing wildlife laws are abysmally implemented. Crucial migration corridors for tigers are choked with resorts. Buffer areas meant to surround the parks are, in some states, full of mines and industry. And the forest service officials meant to supervise the parks have been implicated in poaching and in schemes involving bribes and collusion with tour operators to flout the regulations by, for example, taking tourists into restricted areas.

“There is no such thing as ecotourism in this country,” says Mr. Dubey. “We have so many conservationists – well, can they tell me why when the [conservation authority] began 40 years ago we had 1,800 tigers and now instead of more, we have 1,700 only?” Most of those who call themselves conservationists, he alleged, also have a stake in tourism.

Mr. Dubey, who is 37 and has an MBA, has not had much to do with tigers in his lifetime. In fact, he has only seen one, a fleeting glimpse in a national park. His expertise lies elsewhere – in using two of India’s most powerful pieces of legislation, the right-to-information act and the public-interest litigation, to take on entrenched interests.

He heads a small non-governmental organization called Prayatna (Hindi for “to make an effort”) in Bhopal, funded by private donors, and most of the cases they have fought have been on behalf of humans, investigating government corruption and illegal mining.

But in 2010, he decided to take up what he calls tiger rights. He said he was troubled by the kind of behaviour he saw by tourists travelling in national parks and by the lack of buffer areas around those parks, and so took the matter to the state high court. It ruled against his petition for a ban on tourists – he based his argument on a section of India’s Wildlife Protection Act that says core areas of the parks must be “inviolate.” So Mr. Dubey, who has won widespread admiration in activist circles, went to the nation’s top bench in Delhi.

The reality of the tiger conservation system in India is that the reserves are governed by a tangled mess of overlapping and sometimes contradictory laws. These leave authority unclear and often beholden to wealthy business interests with powerful political ties. Some of the legislation on the books is good, say wildlife conservation experts, but there is a massive failure of enforcement.

Belinda Wright, who heads the Wildlife Protection Society of India and is one of the country’s most respected conservationists, said government regulations need to allow for sustainable, low-impact wildlife tourism while blocking the land dealers and quick-buck operators who market monster weddings and raves at park destinations. “The industry will have to get itself in shape and maybe this will light the fire,” she said.

Ms. Wright said that given the critical size of the tourism industry, she assumes government will make haste to work out a solution the court will accept next month.

“What I’m really hoping is that at the end of this case, wildlife will benefit, local communities will benefit and wildlife tourism will be regulated,” she said. “That it will be much more regulated and focused and that we’ll all be able to sit back and say maybe it’s a good thing that it all had to happen.”

Transport and tourism operators left counting cost of dismal summer

Rhodri Clark
Transport and tourism operators have been left counting the cost of atrocious summer weather which made traditional open-air activities impossible.

But they say they were also left overwhelmed on the solitary days of fine weather which triggered a rush to the countryside.

As the school summer holidays come to a close, managers of buses, ships and boats are reflecting on the third wettest summer in Wales since records began.

But when the sun did shine briefly some operators had to turn away intending passengers – foregoing valuable income – because too many people had turned up at once.

The August bank holiday weekend summed up the problem, with weather forecasters correctly predicting a fine Sunday sandwiched between wet days.

The Beacons Bus network – which takes people into and around the Brecon Beacons national park every Sunday and bank holiday in summer – was almost deserted on bank holiday Monday.

But the previous day’s sunshine brought out so many walkers and sightseers that would-be passengers were left behind at Crickhowell and other bus stops because there were no seats to take them to the Beacons Bus interchange in Brecon. Duplicate buses were pressed into service on key routes.

“People saw that Sunday was the only fine day of the weekend and turned up,” said Richard Tyler, the national park authority’s sustainable tourism manager.

“The numbers of passengers on Monday were dismal. It’s a difficult one for anybody running those sorts of things, because weather is all-important.

“We’re going to have to look very hard to how much fare income was brought in this season. We’re going to be well down on our target figures.

“We get a proportion of the funding from partner local authorities, but there’s a lot of pressure on local government finance at the moment.”

Beacons Bus is popular with pensioners who ride for free, but the Welsh Government has cut the reimbursement it pays for each passenger journey under the free travel scheme. That will further reduce this year’s Beacons Bus income.

“We will have to re-evaluate what service we can afford to provide,” said Mr Tyler.

“I’m not expecting it to change dramatically.

“Passenger usage has grown 22% per year for 10 years. This year could be the first that it’s gone down.”

Any reductions in the Beacons Bus service would be bad news for attractions, restaurants and other businesses in the national park. Last summer Beacons Bus passengers contributed an estimated £220,000 to the local economy, a significant amount for a rural area.

Extreme variations in tourism demand also affected the Gower Explorer bus network. Some buses were delayed by traffic congestion as people flocked to the peninsula in cars on fine days.

John Davies, of the Swansea Bay Sustainable Travel and Tourism Partnership, said he had not heard of Gower buses leaving passengers behind, but on August 26, a Sunday, the first buses out of Swansea, normally too early for most visitors, had been almost full.

“The numbers of passengers have held up quite well over the summer, but the distribution of passengers has been a bit of a problem. The best days have had far more passengers than the worst, when the passenger numbers have been miserably poor in some cases,” said Mr Davies.

The bad summer weather also corralled many Skomer island visitors into the few sunny days, when scores or hundreds of people were disappointed to be told the island’s limit of 250 day visitors had already been reached. On many other days the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales, which owns the island, missed much-needed income because of real or imagined problems with the weather.

“We’ve lost a lot of money on Skomer this summer because of the days we haven’t been able to land people there or people have been put off by the weather,” said Lyndsey Maiden, the trust’s communications officer.

It was frustrating for staff to turn people away on fine days. Mrs Maiden added: “What’s really frustrating is when the boats are going and people assume they’re not.”

On some sunny days the trust had to explain to disbelieving visitors that strong winds prevented landing at Skomer. When the boat was sailing normally, grey skies or rain often led people to assume the boat was cancelled.

Strong winds have also caused cancellations of many sailings by the ships Balmoral and Waverley this summer, including sailings from Penarth on two days last week.

“We’ve had another challenging season with the weather,” said Kathleen O’Neill, chief executive of the Waverley Excursions charity which operates both ships.

“We’ve been very busy on the days when it has been nice. When we can’t sail, we try to persuade the people who have booked to come on another sailing. They can sail on another trip even if it’s a more expensive one at no extra cost, but the way the weather is, most people are asking for refunds.”

The ships had not left passengers behind on fine days, thanks to their large capacities, she added.

On days when the ships cannot sail, they incur staffing and other costs. The charity also has to cover maintenance, winter docking and other fixed costs of keeping the vintage ships sailing.