THE ZEPPELIN TIMES 4CRB Travel Show, The Armchair TravellerSaturday 18 January 2020 10am on 89.3FM

www.zt.com.au •1300 786 888

Which international airline flies to the most countries?

The biggest airline in the world, in terms of number of countries served, is adding more destinations – yet it’s not Emirates or any other Gulf carrier. It’s not an American airline; it’s not British Airways or Lufthansa or any European carrier – it’s not Chinese. So which is it?

The answer is Turkish Airlines. As of this month, January 2020, Turkish Airlines serves 126 countries. The totals for other big airlines in the league are: 91 countries for Air France, 87 for Qatar Airways, 85 for Emirates and 81 for Lufthansa.

Last month, Turkish Airlines launched a new flight route to Rovaniemi, Finland. Located on the northern polar line, Rovaniemi is one of the most popular destinations for viewing the Northern Lights.

Turkish Airlines is now the first airline outside of the European Union to have scheduled flights to Rovaniemi and the only airline to offer business class service to the destination.

For travellers planning a trip to see the

natural phenomenon in Rovaniemi, the Northern Lights are best viewed on clear nights between late August and early April. The variety of its winter activities makes Rovaniemi one of the most popular winter tourism destinations, while it offers different options to its guests from all over the world with eco-friendly glass igloos and ice hotels.

On 30 December 2019, Turkish Airlines added Xi’an, the Chinese city with 3000 years of history, to its flight network on December 30. Xi’an became the flag carrier’s fourth destination in Mainland China and the 318th destination in the world. The flights will be operated three times a week with the Airbus A330 aircraft.

In August 2019, Turkish Airlines flew to 50 domestic and 242 international destinations (excluding those only served by Turkish Airlines Cargo).

The Turkish government owns about half the airline’s shares, so some of the destinations may be politically handy as well as useful in transport terms. Comoros, Congo, Gabon, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Niger, Yemen – you

might think not a lot of people want to go to those places, but sometimes the volume of traffic is surprising. Turkish Airlines also offers lots of flights to Germany and Russia, where people very much want to go.

Other than destinations in Turkey, the continents with most destinations for the airline are Europe with 107 (including Transcaucasia, Cyprus and Siberia), Asia with 64, Africa with 52 (including Sinai Peninsula) and the Americas with 19.

Outside Turkey, the countries with the largest number of airports served by the carrier are Germany with 14; Russia with 10; Italy and the United States with 9; France with 8; Saudi Arabia and Ukraine with 7; Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Spain and the United Kingdom with 5 each.

As of August 2019, Turkish Airlines operated scheduled services to 315 destinations in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas, making it the largest mainline carrier in the world by number of passenger destinations. The airline serves more destinations non-stop from a single airport than any other airline in the world.

THE ZEPPELIN TIMES 4CRB Travel Show, The Armchair TravellerSaturday 18 January 2020 10am on 89.3FM

www.zt.com.au •1300 786 888

Keep or cancel holiday plans on fire-ravaged Kangaroo Island?Kangaroo Island is one of South Australia’s most iconic tourism destinations, but as fires continue to rage across the once pristine environment, many holidaymakers are questioning whether to keep or cancel their travel plans.

While tourism authorities are calling for people to continue to visit Kangaroo Island, sustainable tourism expert, UniSA’s Dr Freya Higgins-Desbiolles says the situation is far more complex than boosting tourist numbers.

“The bushfire crisis on Kangaroo Island is heart-breaking,” Professor Higgins-Desbiolles says, “and for a holiday destination that relies on tourism, the summer-holiday fires could not have come at a worse time.

“Kangaroo Island is a tourism dependent economy, and while tourism operators and authorities are calling for people to keep visiting Kangaroo Island, the fires are not yet out, CFS volunteers and defence personal are still being deployed, and infrastructure like the water treatment facilities are damaged.

“Additionally, critical services like the Kangaroo Island ferry are needed to transport emergency service personnel and equipment. I just think it’s too soon at this moment.”

Dr Higgins-Desbiolles says while it’s strategically important to plan the recovery of Kangaroo Island’s tourism businesses and primary producers, immediate tourist visits may not be the answer.

“While it is still be possible to visit Kangaroo Island at this time, it may not be the most viable or ethical decision under the current circumstances,” Dr Higgins-Desbiolles says.

“For those of us who love Kangaroo Island and want to see its economy recover and thrive, the advice for the short term is provide donations if you can, buy Kangaroo Island produce and products, and when the time is right, book your holidays there and plan to consciously direct your spending to

support the local economy.

“This is an incredibly emotional and confronting time for the 4500-plus residents of Kangaroo Island who are still reeling from the devastation and loss form the fires. They’re only just beginning a long road to recovery.

“For those with later bookings on KI, please don’t cancel those just yet. If the local authorities give the greenlight, your holiday bookings may be just what helps Islanders get back on their feet.

“The grassroots campaign – #gowithemptyeskies – perhaps says it best: ‘When these fires have stopped, and the towns impacted are safe and trying to regain some sense of ‘normal’….plan a road trip. Go

with empty eskies, empty cars and low fuel…(and) buy from their shops…empty eskies make, more of a difference that you could ever imagine.”

“It’s a small step, but one to which we can all safely contribute beyond the devastation of the fires.”

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Experience the iconic Australian Outback with our three day tour. We’ll travel by private charter flight, giving you a unique birdseye view of the colours and landscape of Australia’s heartland. The way of life here is uniquely Australian and is an iconic part of Australia’s story. It’s inspiring. It’s entertaining. It’s adventurous. It’s quirky. And it’s something you’ll always remember.

• Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum• Lunch at North Gregory• Waltzing Matilda Centre• Stockman’s Hall of Fame• Lunch at Wellshot Hotel, Ilfracombe• Qantas Founder Museum

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Phone: (07) 555 79 888 | Free Call: 1300 786 888 The Professional Centre, 189 Ashmore Road, Benowa QLD 4217Email: info@zt.com.au | Website: www.zt.com.au Find us on Facebook: zeppelintravel

Terms and conditions apply. A non-refundable deposit of $150 per person is required at the time of the booking. Final payment is due 2 months prior to departure. Bookings made within 2 months prior to departure are subject to availability and will require immediate payment. Tour is subject to a minimum of

30 passengers per departure. Travel Insurance is strongly recommended. Prices correct as at 10 December 2019.

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The Professional Centre, Suite 1, 189 Ashmore Road, Benowa, Gold Coast QLD 4217Phone: (07) 555 79 888 | Free Call: 1300 786 888 Email: info@zt.com.au | Website: www.zt.com.au Facebook: www.facebook.com/zeppelintravel

4 Reasons why you should visit Logroño, the capital of La Rioja, SpainWhen people think of visiting Spain, big cities including Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Granada or the paradise for party goers like Ibiza will come as the top destinations. However, there is another city in northern Spain that will impress you with its world class wineries, beautiful landscape, amazing food and wine and that city is Logroño, a capital of the province of La Rioja.

Logroño exceeds my expectations and here are 4 reasons why you should add Logroño in your itinerary.

First, the food scene is so great. If you are meat lovers, you will be doing more than just fine, as the main menu here goes heavily towards meat, especially pork and lamb. Lunch here usually starts from 3 PM and last for a few hours while dinner is from 9 PM onwards. The Spaniards like to take their time for enjoying food and drinks (hence siesta, I assume!). The place you need to visit is Calle del Laurel which is in the old town. The street gets very busy after 9.30 PM, especially Friday and Saturday nights. People will head to this street for a gastronomic evening of great food, drinks and socializing. Calle del Laurel is famous for Pinchos which are like tapas but being served in one portion for one person while tapas are small dishes to share, for instance. After deciding on your pincho, the drink people usually have is either a Corto (small beer) or Crianza (red wine).

The second reason goes to its world class wineries. Some of you may be nodding the head when hearing the name La Rioja, yes, it is the Rioja wine that you have tasted and are craving for more.

One thing you should know about the Rioja red wine is that the winemakers here have their own classification which comes in three levels based on the time the grapes stay in the barrel and the bottle. 1. CRIANZA (Yes, it is the Crianza you have with the pinchos.) It stays in the barrel for a year and another year in the bottle. This is young and fresh and comes at a very reasonable price tag. It is your everyday wine that goes well with any food. 2. RESERVA which stays at least one year in the barrel and other 2 years in the barrel or bottle. It goes well with meat and seafood (I had Reserva at the New Year’s Eve dinner and it was devine) and 3. GRAN RESERVA which requires two years in the barrel and other three years in the bottle making it a terrific thanks to its five years aging.

Thirdly, the price for food and drinks here are much cheaper that other big cities without compromising in quality and taste. For example, you can get a decent Crianza for 2 euros, a pincho and a drink together for 3 euros and a bus ride at 70 cents.

Lastly, the ARCHITECTURE here is second to none. The Spaniards appreciate food, drinks, arts and design. Even the winemakers here combine their passion in wine and design together resulting outstanding architecture of the buildings at the wineries and the great examples include Vivanco, Bodegas Ysios, and Marqués de Riscal.

I hope that the above 4 reasons can convince you to add Logroño to your next itinerary for

Spain. The city is located just 1.5 hours by car from Bilbao which has an international airport (and the famous Guggenheim Museum designed by the Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry who also did the luxury Hotel building at Marqués de Riscal winery), or a 4-hour drive from Madrid. Adios!

Written by Mandy S. ItthikaiwanAbout the author: Mandy S. ItthikaiwanA hotelier, marketer, communicator and traveller, based in Bangkok, Thailand, Mandy enjoys good food and drinks and has passion in travelling. She is interested in exploring different cultures through food, people, architecture and history, and of course passionate in travelling.