May 2011

As it has each year since the March 2008 riots in Tibet, in 2011 China once again imposed a travel ban on Tibet during late March and early April, denying travel permits to foreign tourists around the anniversary of the anti-China demonstrations and military crackdown.

On Saturday, March 26, central London was filled with more than 250,000 people protesting recent government spending cuts. Among those demonstrating were teachers, nurses, firefighters and other public service employees facing cutbacks in jobs, wages, benefits, services, hours, etc.

The peaceful march was disrupted in the evening when about 500 people began to vandalize some buildings. Dozens were injured, some property was damaged and several hundred were arrested.

Jordan continues to have low-level demonstrations for government reform but very few calls for a change to the monarchy. Although most demonstrations in Jordan have been peaceful, on March 25 a clash between protesters and pro-government supporters resulted in more than 100 people injured, with one man dying of a heart attack.

There has been little disruption for foreign travelers, and the tourism infrastructure is essentially unaffected. However, hotels and travel companies all report cancellations, and bookings are down.

As southern Sudan prepares for the July 9 secession date that will split the country into North Sudan and South Sudan, the threat of violence has increased.

Tell ITN about the funniest thing that ever happened to you while traveling in a foreign country. (ITN prints no info on destinations in the United States.) There are no restrictions on length. The ITN staff will choose each month’s winner, who will receive a free one-year subscription to ITN. Entries not chosen cannot be acknowledged.

This month’s winner is DEE HORNBACK of Los Altos, CA:

There we were, bird-watching in a boat, eight passengers and our guide silently gliding in a side canyon in Western Australia’s Kimberley region in April 2009.