Who would ever want to work in the travel industry in these difficult days?
Simon Calder's Independent Travel PodcastShow Notes
Warnings of flight cancellations, a cruise with a killer virus on board, the EU entry-exit system ... Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive of the Advantage Travel Partnership, tells me of her frustration about warnings on summer travel that look wide of the mark. But she also says this is the industry of human happiness.
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More from Simon Calder's Independent Travel Podcast
For my final podcast for The Independent, I am talking to film director Ido Fluk about his new movie – which transported me back to 1970s Germany. a war-weary land where much was changing. Koln 75 tells the story of the best-selling jazz piano album by Keith Jarrett – who was cajoled to Cologne and onto the stage by a teenager named Vera Brandes. A great story, told with great care of time and place.
Get up to speed with the help of data sleuth Dr Nick Brown, who believes that in time the EES will work well – but adds a warning or two about Etias.
My guest today is Simon Woodroffe – the entrepreneur behind household names including YO! Sushi and Yotel, and also one of the original Dragons on BBC’s Dragons’ Den.
Senior travel writer Natalie Wilson has just returned from her first trip to Tuscany and Umbria. She tells of being quoted €1,000 for a cab ride in Italy, and reports on her experiences of the EU entry-exit system.
The European President has set out her vision for more integrated rail travel across Europe. Mark Smith, the international rail guru known as The Man in Seat 61, explains how ticketing appears to have gone backwards over the decades – but holds out some hope that rail travellers could be as protected in the event of disruption as airline passengers.