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We’ve rounded up the latest travel news that you may have missed this week, from a superyacht sinking off the coast of Sicily to North Korea reopening for tourism. Additionally, an ultra-low cost airline has introduced an all-you-can-fly offer, while two tourists caused outrage by swimming in front of Venice’s famous cemetery. And Lufthansa’s in trouble after allegedly threatening a popstar.
NO.1
YACHT CAPSIZES OFF SICILY
A superyacht sank off the coast of Sicily in the early morning of August 19. According to reports, a tornado struck the luxury yacht with 22 people on board. One person has been reported dead, while 15 others have been rescued. Two Americans and four Britons are among those missing, including business tycoon Mike Lynch, whose wife was rescued.
The 56-meter yacht named Bayesian was carrying 12 passengers and 10 crew members. It was built in 2008 and flew under an American flag. Rescue operations are still underway.
NO.2
NORTH KOREA TO REOPEN FOR TOURISM
After nearly five years of closure, North Korea is finally opening its borders to tourists, according to the BBC. The country has been shut off from the world since the pandemic, and now Chinese tour operators have announced that the city of Samjiyon will welcome foreign travelers. More cities might become accessible to some nationalities later in December.
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The country started allowing its citizens back after COVID-19 restrictions last August, and only Russians have been able to visit since early 2024.
It is worth noting that the U.S. State Department has a Level 4 – Do Not Travel warning for North Korea: “All U.S. passports are invalid for travel to, in, or through the DPRK [Democratic People’s Republic of Korea] unless specially validated for such travel under the authority of the Secretary of State.”
NO.3
EUROPEAN AIRLINE INTRODUCES ALL-YOU-CAN-FLY OFFER
Budget airline Wizz Air introduced an all-you-can-fly offer last week. The introductory offer was €499, and you could fly anywhere within its network for a year.
However, there are caveats. The Hungarian airline doesn’t have the best reputation when it comes to delays and cancellations. In fact, it has been voted the worst airline by the consumer group, Which?. And the deal comes with so many terms and conditions that many frequent fliers might want to reconsider it. You can only book a flight 72 hours before departure time. Plus, you must pay a flat fee of €9.99 per flight. Baggage and seat selection aren’t included in the offer either.
Despite all of this, the Wizz website says that the passes are all sold out.
NO.4
TOURISTS SWIM OUTSIDE A CEMETERY IN VENICE
Locals on a water bus filmed two tourists swimming in front of Venice’s most famous cemetery, San Michele Cemetery, on August 14. Two men had dumped their clothes in front of a church before jumping into the canal, and when the video of their adventure went viral, social media called the behavior “shameful.”
The cemetery, which has existed since 1807, is located between Venice and Murano on the island of Isola di San Michele. Swimming in Venice’s canals is illegal, but beyond legality, the murky, dirty waters are not a safe place for a dip. Venice has been fighting overtourism for years, and these stunts by tourists enrage locals who are fed up with people misbehaving in their city.
Related: We Can’t Think of Anything Grosser Than What These Tourists Did in Venice
NO.5
LUFTHANSA STAFF ALLEGEDLY THREATEN POPSTAR BEBE REXHA
American singer/songwriter Bebe Rexha said that a Lufthansa worker threatened her before her flight. In videos she shared on Instagram, she is crying and alleging that an airline supervisor is threatening her. She wrote, “Lufthansa, I’ve been threatened because I thought the security agent was Albanian. I spoke to him in Albanian asking where to get my ticket and now he is banning me from the flight.”
She added in another post that she believes this is a hate crime because she is Albanian. The incident happened on August 18, and she said that the German carrier has since been in touch. Meanwhile, Lufthansa said they were conducting an internal review, “Our guests and employees come from all over the world. Diversity and equal opportunity are core values for our company and our corporate culture. We do not tolerate any discriminatory behavior of any kind.”