The staycation trend may fuel the growth of economies already doing relatively well after COVID-19, while setting back those doing badly. This was the conclusion of a recent report by Bernstein, a research firm, which estimated the economic impact of 60% of outbound tourism spending being used at home instead.
Economist
Britain’s hoteliers are looking forward to a bumper staycation summer, but through gritted teeth: The Times reports the luxury sector, in particular, has had a disastrous year and many operators fear that when the tap of government support is turned off, business failures are inevitable.
The world’s happiest country is all about reading, coffee, and saunas
Finland topped the World Happiness Report for the fourth year in a row, followed closely by Denmark, Switzerland, and Iceland.
Lyndsey Matthews - AFAR
The 10 happiest countries in the world, according to the 2021 World Happiness Report:
1. Finland
2. Denmark
3. Switzerland
4. Iceland
5. The Netherlands
6. Norway
7. Sweden
8. Luxembourg
9. New Zealand
10. Austria
A cyclist on the English landscape
Grounded by the pandemic, a travel photographer spent the year pedaling the roads around his home, resulting in a series of poetic self-portraits.
Roff Smith - NYT
The weird science of loneliness explains why lockdown sucked
Social isolation is linked to poorer physical and mental health, but we don't know why. Now we’re starting to understand what loneliness does to our brains.
Wired