Virus Fear Empties Overcrowded Venice of Tourists

Francisco Seco  / Associated Press

Venice’s usually overcrowded streets are now void of tourists as the coronavirus spreads to Europe, with Italy being one of the worst-hit countries. Francisco Seco / Associated Press

Skift Take: While the virus threat will eventually subside and tourists will throng its streets again, Venice still has to grapple with a long-term, existential challenge that is climate change.

— Xinyi Liang-Pholsena

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Relaxed Rules on Medicinal Marijuana Could Create a Buzz for Thailand Tourism

contentdealer  / Adobe

Thailand’s legalization of cannabis for medicine purposes could launch marijuana tourism in Southeast Asia.
contentdealer / Adobe

Skift Take: Southeast Asia’s biggest changes toward cannabis liberalization continue to unfold in Thailand. Some speculate boom times are ahead for Thailand tourism with medical cannabis now legal. But don’t expect ailing patients to flock there for cannabis treatments anytime soon.

— Yixin Ng

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Battered Asia Travel Sector Exits High Season to Regroup for Eventual Recovery

Sasha Popovic  / Flickr

Asia tourism is bracing for more challenging times ahead as the virus spreads outside of Asia. Meanwhile, operators in countries like Laos have been less affected, in part due to scant media coverage of the country. Sasha Popovic / Flickr

Skift Take: It’s likely to get worse before it gets better for the Asian tourism industry. But forward-thinking players will know to take advantage of the current downtime to meet the pent-up demand for travel once recovery comes — which may not be far off.

— Xinyi Liang-Pholsena

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Why you need to know about Japanese Encephalitis

 

As a seasoned traveller, there are a few things that I will absolutely no longer travel without. One of them includes getting appropriate vaccines for wherever I’m travelling to. Not only have I heard too many awful stories about travellers getting sick from preventable diseases, it’s even happened to several of my friends! To ever consider skipping out on my vaccines is just not worth the risk. And since today, February 22nd, is World Encephalitis day (#WED), I thought it would be a perfect time talk about Japanese Encephalitis and why you need to protect yourself from this relatively unknown disease.

What is Japanese Encephalitis?

Encephalitis is an inflammation of the brain, which is most commonly caused by an infection. The Japanese encephalitis (JE) virus is spread by mosquitos and is the leading cause of vaccine-preventable encephalitis in Asia and the western Pacific. Most human infections are asymptomatic or result in only mild symptoms. However, a small percentage of infected persons develop inflammation of the brain (encephalitis), with symptoms including sudden onset of headache, high fever, disorientation, coma, tremors and convulsions. About 30% of cases are fatal, and there is unfortunately no cure or specific treatment for this disease. Even those who survive can be left with permanent neurologic or psychiatric conditions.

Who is at risk?

Japanese encephalitis is found in many Asian countries and western Pacific regions, including Southeast Asia which is a very popular destination for travellers (myself included, I love visiting the area!). Anyone can get encephalitis, regardless of age or how healthy they are. The risk for JE is based on destination, duration of travel, season, and activities. There are huge numbers of people travelling to affected areas each year who are completely unaware of this disease.

How to protect yourself

Whenever you plan a trip, it’s always important to speak with a healthcare professional about all the preventative measures that are recommended for your destination. I usually visit my local travel medical clinic at least 6-8 weeks before I travel anywhere. A short consultation will determine if I need to receive any vaccines, medications, or if there are any other precautions I need to be aware of. Sometimes I don’t need anything, but at least it gives me peace of mind and I won’t have to worry about it during my trip.

If you’d like to know more, you can read the incredible story of how one Canadian family was affected by Japanese encephalitis: https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/death-of-canadiansickened-in-thailand-inspires-daughter-s-vaccine-crusade-1.4299162

 

Note: This post was sponsored by Valneva. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.

 

 

 

 




Why you need to know about Japanese Encephalitis |Hey Nadine