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00-No: US traveller puts border security to the test with a golden gun

<p>A 28-year-old traveller from the United States has been arrested after Australian Border Force officers allegedly discovered a firearm in her luggage. </p> <p>According to a report on the ABF website, the weapon - a 24-carat gold-plated handgun - was unregistered, and the passenger was not in possession of “a permit to import or possess the firearm in Australia.”</p> <p>If convicted, she will face up to 10 years of imprisonment. And while she was arrested and charged, she was released on bail at Downing Centre Local Court, and is expected to face court again in a month’s time. She remains subject to visa cancellation, and faces the likelihood of being removed from Australia. </p> <p>As ABF Enforcement and Detained Goods East Commander Justin Bathurst explained, the discovery was made with a combination of ABC officer skills and detection technology, one that served to prevent a dangerous weapon from entering the Australian community. </p> <p>“Time and time again, we have seen just how good ABF officers are at targeting and stopping illegal, and highly dangerous, goods from crossing Australia's border," he said.</p> <p>“The ABF is Australia's first and most important line of defence. ABF officers are committed to protecting our community by working with law enforcement partners to prevent items like unregistered firearms getting through at the border."</p> <p>Photos distributed by the ABF present the image of the gun in its case, as well as a scan of the passenger’s luggage, with the gun clearly visible among the rest of her possessions. </p> <p>While travellers on domestic flights within the United States are able to carry firearms in their checked luggage - granted they are unloaded and securely locked away, and the proper authorities have been informed - Australia has much stricter laws surrounding firearms. </p> <p>In the wake of a 1996 Tasmanian tragedy, in which 35 people lost their lives to a gunman, all automatic and semi-automatic weapons were outlawed in the country. Meanwhile, in the United States, a frightening sum of 6,301 were confiscated at checkpoints as of December 2022, according to the Transportation Security Administration.</p> <p>For many, the news was broken on social media, with comments sections reflecting the shock - and disapproval - of the masses, with the occasional 007 reference thrown in. </p> <p>“Smuggling firearms into Australia is a serious offence,” wrote one on Twitter, “and should be met with the full force of the law as it endangers citizen safety.”</p> <p>“That’s a fantastic bit of security work by our airport staff,” someone commended. </p> <p>Another had one very important question, asking “how did she get it out of the US to begin with...??? TSA should have caught that at the airport before she even left. Even if it was in a checked bag, it still had to be declared.”</p> <p><em>Images: Australian Border Force</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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An Italian lodge jumps the Swiss border

<p dir="ltr">The borders in the European Alps have been the source of some strange happenings recently, including a border-jumping ski lodge.</p> <p dir="ltr">Refugio Cervino, a two-storey lodge built on the Italian side of Theodul Glacier, has been slowly moving towards Switzerland - and its international movement has called its ownership and national boundaries into dispute.</p> <p dir="ltr">The border between Italy and Switzerland has previously been defined at the boundary of the Theodul drainage divide, the point where melted water either flows south to Italy or north towards Switzerland.</p> <p dir="ltr">However, rising temperatures have changed the flow of water.</p> <p dir="ltr">As a result, two-thirds of the Refugio sits in Switzerland while the remaining third is in Italy, and has become a subject of diplomatic negotiations.</p> <p dir="ltr">According to Agence France Presse, a compromise to redraw the boundaries was reached last year - but that doesn’t stop the ever-increasing glacier melt.</p> <p dir="ltr">Swisstopo, which stays on top of the official boundaries of the Confédération Helvétique, will be changing the boundaries in 2023.</p> <p dir="ltr">"We agreed to split the difference," chief border official Alain Wicht told AFP.</p> <p dir="ltr">Though international surveyors have previously been brought in to determine where the boundary should sit previously, Mr Wicht says the Refugio is a sensitive issue as the Theodul Glacier is “the only place where we suddenly had a building involved”.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Swiss have taken a more neutral stance in the debate, but the Italians are unwilling to part with the building without compensation, </p> <p dir="ltr">"The refuge remains Italian because we have always been Italian," Refugio’s caretaker, 51-year-old Lucio Trucco, says.</p> <p dir="ltr">For now, the refuge will be an enclave of Italy within Switzerland until the borders are changed.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-3d7b9463-7fff-3769-cf91-d68e9a97682f"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

International Travel

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Alcohol marketing has crossed borders and entered the metaverse – how do we regulate the new digital risk?

<p>The World Health Organization’s newly <a href="https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240046504" target="_blank" rel="noopener">released report</a> on regulating cross-border alcohol marketing raises the alarm for countries like Australia and New Zealand, given their light touch towards alcohol advertising.</p> <p>Alcohol is widely consumed in Australasia but there is ongoing tension over how much restraint, if any, should be placed on the marketing of these products.</p> <p>Australia and New Zealand are at the unrestrained end of the marketing continuum. Both countries rely on industry-led policy in the form of voluntary codes – an approach identified as insufficient by the WHO report.</p> <p><strong>What is cross-border alcohol marketing?</strong></p> <p>Alcohol marketing, created and disseminated in one country and spread across borders into others, is commonly used by multinational corporations striving to increase sales and normalise alcohol as an everyday product. Much of this advertising is taking place in the digital media sphere.</p> <p>The increased use of these media platforms by alcohol corporations allows them access to cheap advertising opportunities. For as <a href="https://au.reset.tech/uploads/resettechaustralia_profiling-children-for-advertising-1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">little as US$2</a>, an advertising campaign based in Australia could reach a thousand young people profiled as interested in alcohol, for example.</p> <p>Marketing across digital media has also increased the impact of those messages.</p> <p>Brands interact with users on social media platforms, encouraging the posting, sharing and liking of <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33573719/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">branded images and messages</a>. Higher user engagement is associated with <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32079562/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">more drinking</a>.</p> <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/464113/original/file-20220518-21284-beeqsu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/464113/original/file-20220518-21284-beeqsu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/464113/original/file-20220518-21284-beeqsu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/464113/original/file-20220518-21284-beeqsu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/464113/original/file-20220518-21284-beeqsu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/464113/original/file-20220518-21284-beeqsu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/464113/original/file-20220518-21284-beeqsu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="AB InBev logo behind a smartphone also showing the logo" /><figcaption><em><span class="caption">Multinational corporations like AB InBev have been quick to embrace digital platforms as a new way to advertise alcohol products.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com.au/detail/news-photo/in-this-photo-illustration-an-ab-inbev-logo-is-seen-on-a-news-photo/1234971135?adppopup=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pavlo Gonchar/Getty Images</a></span></em></figcaption></figure> <p><strong>Targeting the individual</strong></p> <p>The increased power of these advertisements reflects the effectiveness of “personalised marketing”. Companies can now target individuals and “look alike” audiences.</p> <p>This approach is made possible thanks to the enormous amount of data collected as we interact together, purchase products and indicate our interests and passions through our clicks and likes.</p> <p>This data is extremely valuable to marketers and alcohol corporations. It gives them insight into the best time of day, the best brand of alcohol and the best type of marketing message to send our way.</p> <p>All groups across society are vulnerable to being bombarded by messages encouraging the purchase and consumption of alcohol.</p> <p>Digital advertising can target everyone: teenagers looking for brands which exemplify their identity; young adults, the heaviest “occasion drinkers” in Australia and New Zealand, some of whom are developing drinking habits that may be hard to change in later life; and adults of all ages who wish to reduce their consumption, often for health reasons.</p> <p>Digital media has become an all-encompassing marketing environment in which the “buy” button – with home delivery and often no checks on age or intoxication – provides a seamless marketing and distribution system.</p> <p>In New Zealand, <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/dar.13222" target="_blank" rel="noopener">online sales</a> increased significantly during the COVID-19 lockdowns, particularly among heavier drinkers.</p> <p><strong>Entering the metaverse</strong></p> <p>The alcohol industry is now showing its initiative by entering the emerging <a href="https://www.ypulse.com/article/2022/02/03/metaverse-mansions-more-tiktok-how-brands-are-marketing-for-this-years-super-bowl/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">metaverse</a>. To understand the metaverse, <a href="https://thedecisionlab.com/insights/technology/brave-new-world-how-the-metaverse-may-shape-our-psychology" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to one commentator</a>, you should</p> <blockquote> <p>take today’s social media, add a splash of sophisticated 3D, fold in a plethora of options for entertainment and gaming, garnish it all with data-driven personalisation, and you are all set to take away your order of a supersized social media network, the metaverse.</p> </blockquote> <p>In terms of marketing, this provides a new opportunity. The biometric data essential to a virtual reality experience is also available to develop “<a href="https://scholarship.law.vanderbilt.edu/jetlaw/vol23/iss1/1/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">biometric psychographics</a>”, allowing for the even greater personalisation of advertising.</p> <p>Virtual alcohol brands created and used by avatars in the metaverse support the development of brand allegiance in real life, and virtual reality will transform e-commerce experiences and increase the power of sponsorship.</p> <p>AB InBev, the largest global alcohol corporation, was an early adopter of the metaverse. One of its brands, <a href="https://sifted.eu/articles/metaverse-brands-nft/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stella Artois</a>, is sponsoring the Australian Zed Run platform on which virtual horses can be raced, bred and traded. The Zed Run platform experienced 1,000% growth in early 2021.</p> <figure class="align-center "><em><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/464116/original/file-20220518-23-f6cjil.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/464116/original/file-20220518-23-f6cjil.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/464116/original/file-20220518-23-f6cjil.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/464116/original/file-20220518-23-f6cjil.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/464116/original/file-20220518-23-f6cjil.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/464116/original/file-20220518-23-f6cjil.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/464116/original/file-20220518-23-f6cjil.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="Two people stand in front of a screen with a digital image of a horse." /></em><figcaption><em><span class="caption">Digital horse racing game Zed Run has exploded in popularity, with alcohol companies using the digital platform to reach a new audience.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com.au/detail/news-photo/performers-tyra-cartledge-and-kendall-drury-takes-part-in-a-news-photo/1329475903?adppopup=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images</a></span></em></figcaption></figure> <p><strong>Regulating to reduce alcohol harm</strong></p> <p>The digital world is extremely dynamic. It is also opaque to most policy makers and public health practitioners. It is telling that there is no reference to the metaverse as a cross-border alcohol marketing opportunity in the WHO report.</p> <p>There is an urgent need for debate regarding how policy makers should better understand the risks involved with the targeted marketing of hazardous products such as alcohol.</p> <p>The WHO report outlines various partial and unsuccessful approaches to regulating marketing in the digital media.</p> <p>Attempts, such as <a href="https://helda.helsinki.fi/bitstream/handle/10138/303690/Alcohol_marketing_on_social_media_sites_in_Finland_and_Sweden_2019.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Finland’s</a> regulation of user-shared branded material, have failed because they did not interfere with the basic architecture of the social media platforms, which is predicated on engagement via sharing and liking.</p> <p>The most successful examples offered by the WHO report have been countries like Norway, which have imposed a complete ban on alcohol marketing including in the digital media.</p> <p>The report emphasises the need for surveillance and enforcement, suggesting ways in which alcohol companies could be penalised for marketing breaches.</p> <p>The support provided by international agreements such as the <a href="https://fctc.who.int/who-fctc/overview" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Framework Convention on Tobacco Control</a> is identified as a possible template for future discussions.</p> <p>The response to tobacco marketing provides a good and largely effective model for officials and policy makers. That said, the public health goal for alcohol is not equivalent to the smokefree goal. Advocates are not trying to eliminate alcohol altogether.</p> <p>However, there are parallel arguments in favour of creating a healthier media environment through regulation to prevent the promotion of alcohol products via increasingly sophisticated technological and psychological tools.</p> <p>These products are significant causes of reduced well-being, and this marketing increases consumption and therefore harm. The messages of the WHO report are timely and should be heeded.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/183334/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/sally-casswell-862029" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sally Casswell</a>, Professor of public health policy, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/massey-university-806" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Massey University</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/alcohol-marketing-has-crossed-borders-and-entered-the-metaverse-how-do-we-regulate-the-new-digital-risk-183334" target="_blank" rel="noopener">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Legal

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New Zealand’s borders to open earlier than expected

<p dir="ltr">New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has confirmed that New Zealand’s border will be open to all visitors from July 31 - two months earlier than expected.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-dbea8701-7fff-c58d-99ec-45bddeacb5ad"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">While speaking at a Business NZ lunch in Auckland on Wednesday, Ms Ardern confirmed the new date for reopening, initially set for October, which will see all visa categories be allowed in.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CdZ_FWOsVC5/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CdZ_FWOsVC5/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Grounded Kiwis (@groundedkiwis)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Ms Ardern also announced changes to immigration, including pathways for highly skilled workers in global demand to gain residency, as reported by the <em><a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/covid-19-omicron-outbreak-jacinda-ardern-confirms-new-zealands-borders-fully-reopen-from-july-31/XF6OWFMGGLRGXTENVOSRQKGV5U/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NZ Herald</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“New Zealand is in demand and now fully open for business,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This will be welcome news for families, businesses and our migrant communities. It also provides certainty and good preparation time for airlines  and cruise ship companies planning a return to New Zealand in the peak spring and summer seasons.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The changes will also be welcomed by the tertiary education sector - who can now welcome back international students, as well as industries suffering from worker shortages and split migrant families who need visas and have been separated for over two years.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-d5a93264-7fff-db7a-b2a6-ce020df09509"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Domestic Travel

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As borders reopen, can New Zealand reset from high volume to ‘high values’ tourism?

<p>With the <a href="https://covid19.govt.nz/international-travel/travel-to-new-zealand/when-new-zealand-borders-open/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reopening of New Zealand’s borders</a> from next week, the future of tourism comes into sharp relief. Flattened by the pandemic and having survived on domestic consumption for two years, the industry has a choice: try to revive the old ways, or develop a new model.</p> <p>If tourism minister Stuart Nash has his way, there is <a href="https://www.beehive.govt.nz/speech/otago-university-tourism-policy-school-%E2%80%9Cstructural-change-regenerative-tourism%E2%80%9D" target="_blank" rel="noopener">no going back</a>. “Tourism won’t return to the way it was,” he told Otago University’s <a href="https://events.otago.ac.nz/otps2022/programme" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tourism Policy School</a> recently, “it will be better.”</p> <p>But how? The question is coming down to the various definitions of “value” – both the monetary and less tangible kinds.</p> <p>When Nash <a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/430862/tourism-minister-to-ban-tourist-vans-that-are-not-self-contained" target="_blank" rel="noopener">addressed a tourism summit</a> in late 2020, “high value” clearly meant “high spending”. New Zealand would “unashamedly” target the wealthy – the type of tourist who “flies business class or premium economy, hires a helicopter, does a tour around Franz Josef and then eats at a high-end restaurant.”</p> <p>The minister also asked: “Do you think that we want to become a destination for those freedom campers and backpackers who don’t spend much and leave the high net worth individuals to other countries?”</p> <p>There was immediate concern that such a policy would overlook the broader <a href="https://theconversation.com/5-reasons-why-banishing-backpackers-and-targeting-wealthy-tourists-would-be-a-mistake-for-nz-150639" target="_blank" rel="noopener">value of “lower-end”</a> tourism: backpackers and other budget tourists might not spend as much per day, but they tend to travel for longer periods, bring dollars to remoter locations, and often work in understaffed industries like horticulture and hospitality.</p> <p>At the same time, high-spending tourists hiring helicopters tend to place a high per-capita burden on the environment and contribute more to <a href="https://theconversation.com/as-borders-open-and-international-travel-resumes-will-new-zealands-sky-high-aviation-emissions-take-off-again-179941" target="_blank" rel="noopener">climate change</a>. Clearly, what constitutes “high value” is up for debate.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">'Warmest welcome you can imagine' - PM opens doors to tourists <a href="https://t.co/7zj7bHbbaw">https://t.co/7zj7bHbbaw</a></p> <p>— RNZ News (@rnz_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/rnz_news/status/1504711690478268416?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p><strong>From high value to high values</strong></p> <p>Now, however, the minister is <a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/top/463982/tourism-can-no-longer-be-built-on-the-back-of-cheap-labour-stuart-nash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">defining the high-value tourist</a> differently. They give back more than they take, appreciate those working in the tourism sector, are keen to learn about the people and places they are visiting, are environmentally aware and offset their carbon emissions.</p> <p>This shift in thinking prompted one participant at the tourism policy school to suggest that instead of “high value” tourism, New Zealand needs to be talking about “high values” tourism.</p> <p>The sentiment chimed with the policy school’s theme of “structural change for regenerative tourism”, and a general feeling that this will involve looking inward to certain core values that matter to the country.</p> <p>Attendees – including industry leaders, academics, government officials and tourism business owners – supported the idea that “regenerative” in this context matches the important Māori values of <a href="https://teara.govt.nz/en/kaitiakitanga-guardianship-and-conservation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">kaitiakitanga</a>, <a href="https://teara.govt.nz/en/kotahitanga-unity-movements" target="_blank" rel="noopener">kotahitanga</a> and <a href="https://maoridictionary.co.nz/search?keywords=manaakitanga" target="_blank" rel="noopener">manaakitanga</a>, which should inform the future direction of tourism in Aotearoa.</p> <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/455950/original/file-20220403-95783-x0s687.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/455950/original/file-20220403-95783-x0s687.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/455950/original/file-20220403-95783-x0s687.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/455950/original/file-20220403-95783-x0s687.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/455950/original/file-20220403-95783-x0s687.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/455950/original/file-20220403-95783-x0s687.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/455950/original/file-20220403-95783-x0s687.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A carving workshop at Rotorua: according the same respect and mana to hosts and visitors alike.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure> <p><strong>Mana and manaakitanga</strong></p> <p>The implications of this approach were well articulated by Nadine ToeToe, director of Kohutapu Lodge, an award-winning tourism business in the central North Island. She proposed a new tourism model that advances manaakitanga (kindness and hospitality) to guests, while also enhancing the <a href="https://maoridictionary.co.nz/search?idiom=&phrase=&proverb=&loan=&histLoanWords=&keywords=mana" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mana</a> of their hosts, local communities and the surrounding environment.</p> <p>With her business based in the area around Murupara, which is beset by historical injustices and downturns in the forestry industry, ToeToe described the potential of tourism to move beyond simple service industry conventions.</p> <p>Rather, more authentic, culturally embedded experiences could be offered, based on building respectful relationships with the people and places visited. This would mean manaakitanga was reciprocal, benefiting both guests and local communities.</p> <p>By being designed to enhance people, community and place, tourism would necessarily break from the old volume-driven model that was putting many natural environments under <a href="https://www.pce.parliament.nz/media/196983/report-pristine-popular-imperilled.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">significant pressure</a> prior to the pandemic.</p> <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/455948/original/file-20220403-61039-4aohcx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/455948/original/file-20220403-61039-4aohcx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/455948/original/file-20220403-61039-4aohcx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/455948/original/file-20220403-61039-4aohcx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/455948/original/file-20220403-61039-4aohcx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/455948/original/file-20220403-61039-4aohcx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/455948/original/file-20220403-61039-4aohcx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Helicopter sightseeing in the Southern Alps: more than one definition of ‘high value’.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure> <p><strong>Time for a reset</strong></p> <p>Of course, it is one thing to suggest that tourism respect the wairua (spirit) of the land, and quite another to put the legislative and regulatory frameworks around a pathway to sustainability.</p> <p>To a degree this is beginning to happen already. For example, following concerns about a promised crackdown on freedom camping, the minister stepped back from banning vans that weren’t self-contained. However, proposed <a href="https://www.mbie.govt.nz/immigration-and-tourism/tourism/tourism-projects/responsible-camping/freedom-camping-changes/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">policy changes</a> will go to select committee this year, with new rules to be rolled out gradually from next summer.</p> <p>These should align with the <a href="https://www.odt.co.nz/star-news/star-national/freedom-campers-welcome-right-vehicle-right-place" target="_blank" rel="noopener">minister’s view</a> that “… at the heart of the new law will be greater respect for the environment and communities through a ‘right vehicle, right place’ approach” (with fines of up to NZ$1,000 for offenders).</p> <p>The challenge now is to broaden that vision beyond individual businesses, or pockets of concern such as freedom camping, to encompass the entire industry. Because there can be no better time than now for a values-based reset of New Zealand tourism.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/180298/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/regina-scheyvens-650907" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Regina Scheyvens</a>, Professor of Development Studies, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/massey-university-806" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Massey University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/apisalome-movono-1108178">Apisalome Movono</a>, Senior Lecturer in Development Studies, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/massey-university-806" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Massey University</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/as-borders-reopen-can-new-zealand-reset-from-high-volume-to-high-values-tourism-180298" target="_blank" rel="noopener">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Domestic Travel

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What happens to your money when borders close?

<p dir="ltr">It’s probably on everybody’s bucket list to travel the world…or wherever they can afford.</p> <p dir="ltr">After two years of closed borders thanks to Covid, some individuals are still waiting for their refund for the trips that never happened. </p> <p dir="ltr">Australian owned and operated online travel company checkmyfares.com has recently come under fire for not refunding the money to their customers who weren’t able to travel. </p> <p dir="ltr">Jonathan Sanderson spent $3,200 on flights to Fiji and was unable to go due to the pandemic which saw Australia’s borders close. </p> <p dir="ltr">Almost two years since the borders shut, Mr Sanderson is still waiting for his money. </p> <p dir="ltr">"I want my refund and I want it now," he told <a href="https://9now.nine.com.au/a-current-affair/travel-company-refuses-customers-holiday-their-refunds/aaf75d38-735a-483e-8a27-e1eeeabd74f1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A Current Affair</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I think it's disgusting. I can't believe a company like this can operate in Australia and get away with it.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Fifi Sajuit was another customer waiting on $6,700 for a cancelled trip to Canada.</p> <p dir="ltr">She received confirmation from Air Canada that her tickets were refunded when in fact they weren’t. </p> <p dir="ltr">Ms Sajuit was eventually refunded most of her money after the episode aired, but she claims they “treated me really badly” every time she asked for it. </p> <p dir="ltr">Consumer advocate Adam Glezer slammed the company’s behaviour toward customers, saying money should always be given back “as soon as possible”.</p> <p dir="ltr">"You shouldn't be holding on to anyone's money for any lengthy period of time at all," he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"If a travel agent of any kind receives money back, they should be giving it back as soon as possible."</p> <p dir="ltr">The company issued a statement to the program saying they had been working with clients non-stop throughout the pandemic. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Checkmyfares.com</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Jacinda Ardern announces plan to reopen New Zealand

<p>After months of being closed to locals stranded overseas, New Zealand is planning to reopen its borders. </p><p>Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern annouced the plan for New Zealand citizens to return home in a speech on Thursday, and detailed a new scheme to reconnect the country to the rest of the world. </p><p>New Zealanders who have been stranded in Australia will be able to return home form February 27th, while citizens suck in other parts of the world will have to wait until March 13th.</p><p>The country still boasts strict border policies, with residents located across the world have been forced to enter a lottery system to gain a place in New Zealand's hotel quarantine system. </p><p>However, Ms Ardern said the stringent policies would now change. </p><p>"The tools we used yesterday to help battle this health crisis, they won't stay the same," she said. </p><p>She said there was "no question" the managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ) system "has been one of the hardest parts of the pandemic".</p><p>From the end of the month, returning New Zealanders will be allowed to isolate at home instead of facing an overcrowded hotel quarantine system. </p><p>While this new rule only applies to New Zealand citizens, it is expected Australian tourists and travellers from visa-waiver countries will be allowed in under similar conditions "no later than" July. </p><p>Visa holders, including international students and migrant workers, will be allowed in and to isolate at home from mid-April. </p><p>Non-visa holders can expect to enter New Zealand in October. </p><p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

International Travel

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Damning full-page ad slams Ardern’s border policy

<p dir="ltr">New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has been <a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/jacinda-ardern-popularity-plunges-as-kiwis-struggle-to-return-home/e350bbd6-907c-4bd9-be82-63037dc52269" target="_blank" rel="noopener">openly criticised</a> in a full-page ad regarding the country’s strict border policy, after news emerged of a pregnant New Zealand journalist fighting to return home to give birth.</p><p dir="ltr">The advertisement, taken out by prominent businessman Michael Horton in one of New Zealand’s most widely-read magazines, claimed that New Zealand was one of the few countries not allowing its citizens to return home.</p><p><span id="docs-internal-guid-2ce06cae-7fff-55cf-e942-5c571f5e3dc0"></span></p><p dir="ltr">Under the headline, “The following countries do not ban their own citizens from returning to their home country”, the ad listed dozens of countries, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">This ad, sponsored by Michael Horton, appears in the January 29 <a href="https://twitter.com/nzlistener?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nzlistener</a>. Thank you Michael. <a href="https://twitter.com/nzgovt?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nzgovt</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/govtnz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@govtnz</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/jacindaardern?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jacindaardern</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZGTW2iFHUr">pic.twitter.com/ZGTW2iFHUr</a></p>— Graeme Jennings (@Graeme_rj) <a href="https://twitter.com/Graeme_rj/status/1484343384357494786?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 21, 2022</a></blockquote><p dir="ltr">Above it, another headline read, “The following countries effectively ban their own citizens from returning to their home country”, with New Zealand as the only country listed.</p><p dir="ltr">The ad comes as Charlotte Bell, a 35-year-old journalist  who was working in Qatar for Al Jazeera until recently, remains stranded in Afghanistan, despite being triple-vaccinated and ready to isolate upon her return to her home country.</p><p dir="ltr">Kiwis looking to return home are required to secure a place in government-run quarantine, through a system called Managed Isolation and Quarantine (MIQ).</p><p dir="ltr">According to the MIQ website, travellers are advised to book their place in MIQ - with spots gradually released in the months prior to flight arrivals - before booking their flights.</p><p dir="ltr">“In periods of high demand, some people will miss out on securing an MIQ voucher, regardless of the system that is used,” the website reads.</p><p dir="ltr">As a result of the high demand for the 4500 available spots, thousands of New Zealanders have been unable to return home in time to be with dying family members or be present for milestone moments.</p><p dir="ltr">The system, which used a weekly lottery system to allocate vouchers until early January, has been fully booked out for months in advance which has also meant that impromptu travel or returning for emergencies - such as in Ms Bell’s case - remains virtually impossible. </p><p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-0e7e5743-7fff-7d75-76eb-89bdc2ad4ad7"></span></p><p dir="ltr">Ms Bell published an open letter in <em><a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/covid-19-omicron-charlotte-bellis-an-open-letter-on-miq/U4WQGYTJHUP36AGVOBN3F6PJSE/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The New Zealand Herald</a></em> over the weekend detailing how she was forced to seek refuge in Afghanistan’s capital of Kabul, after she was no longer able to work in Qatar because it is illegal to be pregnant and unmarried there.</p><blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF;border: 0;border-radius: 3px;margin: 1px;max-width: 540px;min-width: 326px;padding: 0;width: calc(100% - 2px)" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CZSRlVysIQF/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"><div style="padding: 16px"><div style="flex-direction: row;align-items: center"><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4;border-radius: 50%;flex-grow: 0;height: 40px;margin-right: 14px;width: 40px"> </div><div style="flex-direction: column;flex-grow: 1;justify-content: center"><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4;border-radius: 4px;flex-grow: 0;height: 14px;margin-bottom: 6px;width: 100px"> </div><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4;border-radius: 4px;flex-grow: 0;height: 14px;width: 60px"> </div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0"> </div><div style="height: 50px;margin: 0 auto 12px;width: 50px"> </div><div style="padding-top: 8px"><div style="color: #3897f0;font-family: Arial,sans-serif;font-size: 14px;font-style: normal;font-weight: 550;line-height: 18px">View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0"> </div><div style="flex-direction: row;margin-bottom: 14px;align-items: center"><div><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4;border-radius: 50%;height: 12.5px;width: 12.5px"> </div><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4;height: 12.5px;width: 12.5px;flex-grow: 0;margin-right: 14px;margin-left: 2px"> </div><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4;border-radius: 50%;height: 12.5px;width: 12.5px"> </div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px"><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4;border-radius: 50%;flex-grow: 0;height: 20px;width: 20px"> </div><div style="width: 0;height: 0;border-top: 2px solid transparent;border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4;border-bottom: 2px solid transparent"> </div></div><div style="margin-left: auto"><div style="width: 0px;border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4;border-right: 8px solid transparent"> </div><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4;flex-grow: 0;height: 12px;width: 16px"> </div><div style="width: 0;height: 0;border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4;border-left: 8px solid transparent"> </div></div></div><div style="flex-direction: column;flex-grow: 1;justify-content: center;margin-bottom: 24px"><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4;border-radius: 4px;flex-grow: 0;height: 14px;margin-bottom: 6px;width: 224px"> </div><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4;border-radius: 4px;flex-grow: 0;height: 14px;width: 144px"> </div></div><p style="color: #c9c8cd;font-family: Arial,sans-serif;font-size: 14px;line-height: 17px;margin-bottom: 0;margin-top: 8px;overflow: hidden;padding: 8px 0 7px;text-align: center"><a style="color: #c9c8cd;font-family: Arial,sans-serif;font-size: 14px;font-style: normal;font-weight: normal;line-height: 17px;text-decoration: none" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CZSRlVysIQF/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Charlotte Bellis (@charlottebellis)</a></p></div></blockquote><p dir="ltr">“This is ridiculous. It is my legal right to go to New Zealand, where I have healthcare, where I have family. All my support is there,” she <a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/from-kabul-pregnant-reporter-fights-nz-govt-to-come-home/94ed99be-8bbf-4ed0-a0f3-10a77e52ff84" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.</p><p dir="ltr">Ms Bell first attempted to secure residency in Belgium - where her partner is from - but said the length of the process meant she would have been left in the country with an expired visa.</p><p dir="ltr">With the option to either hop from country to country on tourist visas or attempt to secure a more long-term stay while she fought to return home, Ms Bell and her partner returned to Afghanistan because they had a visa, felt welcome, and could continue their battle there.</p><p dir="ltr">Critics like Mr Horton have claimed the lottery system is a needlessly punishing process as more than 90 percent of the country’s population have been fully vaccinated and boosters continue to be administered.</p><p dir="ltr">Meanwhile, Ms Ardern’s approval ratings have taken a hit, with a recent 1 News Kantor poll indicating that her current approval rate sits at just 35 percent, the lowest it’s been since she became Prime Minister in 2017.</p><p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-ff3c29b5-7fff-be5f-acb9-82fc7a0f93fa"></span></p><p dir="ltr"><em>Image: @charlottebellis (Instagram)</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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COVID travel restrictions have created new borders for migrants who want to visit home

<p>In the early days of the pandemic, many countries closed their borders to stop the spread of COVID-19. International travel has continued to be limited with <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/explainers-52544307">changing caveats</a>, including “essential” travel only, restrictions on travellers from particular countries and vaccination “passports”.</p> <p>While a necessary public health measure, these restrictions have been especially disruptive to migrant families. For these families, travel is a necessary part of fulfilling <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15350770.2020.1787035">familial obligations</a> and maintaining a sense of “<a href="https://www.lexico.com/definition/familyhood">familyhood</a>” and belonging across borders.</p> <p>These policies present a new layer of “everyday bordering” for transnational families. The term “<a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0038038517702599">everyday bordering</a>” describes how policy and media narratives around migration affect migrants’ everyday lives and define who “belongs” in a nation state. In the UK, these borders amplify the state’s “<a href="https://www.jcwi.org.uk/the-hostile-environment-explained">hostile environment</a>”, the Home Office’s immigration policy, aimed at making it as difficult as possible to stay in the UK without adequate documentation.</p> <p>For migrants, their country of origin represents <a href="https://www.movingpeoplechangingplaces.org/locations/home-and-away.html">home</a> and family. Visiting home is important to many people’s wellbeing and allows migrants to be part of <a href="https://www.expatica.com/living/family/family-rituals-442783/">family traditions</a> and religious and <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-02-09/how-china-s-big-annual-migration-differs-this-year-quicktake">cultural festivals</a>. Travel may also be necessary to fulfil caring obligations for ageing, sick or young relatives.</p> <p>Pandemic aside, the ability to visit home and family has always been constrained by a number of factors, including migration status and travel costs. The impact of these everyday borders on some migrants’ lives has been <a href="https://www.refugeecouncil.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Addressing-the-pain-of-separation-for-refugee-families.pdf">well-documented</a>.</p> <p>The introduction of COVID-19 travel restrictions has inhibited and added costly and complex border checks into the everyday lives of migrants. This is at a time when the need to maintain transnational family caring practices is particularly important.</p> <h2>Everyday borders</h2> <p>Our fieldwork for the study <a href="https://everydaybordering-familiesandsocialcare.group.shef.ac.uk/">“Everyday Bordering in the UK”</a> aims to understand how immigration legislation – including COVID-19 travel restrictions – has impacted social care practitioners and the migrant families they support.</p> <p>Through interviews, diary entries and ethnographic observations, we explored how families from diverse migratory backgrounds experience everyday bordering. While transnational family practices were not our primary focus, our work has revealed the impact of COVID-19 travel restrictions on transnational family life. This was also supported by our researcher’s own travel experiences when visiting family in Italy.</p> <p>Our research participants consistently discussed and wrote about their family members who do not live in the UK and expressed feeling responsible for their care. This demonstrates how important it is for family members to be able to travel in order to provide care.</p> <p>Some expressed remorse at being unable to travel historically, due to restrictive visa conditions or prohibitive flight costs. Interviews and ethnographic observations from online English language classes also reveal the impact of COVID-19 travel restrictions on fulfilling care practices.</p> <p>One couple from Poland –- whom we call Krystyna and Henryk –- now living in the UK, describe the disruption caused by such restrictions. In March 2020, Krystyna was visiting Poland to help her parents with her ageing grandparents, when travel was first inhibited. She was unable to return to her partner in the UK due to flight cancellations.</p> <p>During this time, Henryk described being “depressed” and alone, saying, "My family isn’t here because they are in Poland, so I spent a few days in bed […] it was a very bad experience in my life."</p> <p>While commercial flights were not available at that time, <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/explainers-52098067">chartered flights</a> returned many citizens back to their home countries from work or holiday. But these flights did not take into account those in Krystyna’s position – as a Polish citizen – and their transnational caring responsibilities, which are now divided between two countries.</p> <h2>Essential travel</h2> <p>Now that many countries have reopened their borders for travel, governments and airlines have implemented a series of measures and checks to contain the virus. Examples include <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/info/live-work-travel-eu/coronavirus-response/safe-covid-19-vaccines-europeans/eu-digital-covid-certificate_en">the EU green pass</a>, <a href="https://www.gov.uk/provide-journey-contact-details-before-travel-uk">the UK’s passenger locator form</a>, evidence of testing negative for COVID-19 and compulsory quarantine in hotels.</p> <p>These can be costly and hard to access, as our researcher noted in her own experience, "After not seeing my family for over one year, including my mum with a severe disability, we decided to fly to Italy. For the trip, we needed four tests, costing … £160 per person. Italy required a 48-hour test, and not a postal test. For a person living in London there were more, cheaper options but not for people in rural areas. In Italy, we also had to isolate for five days and get a further green pass to access public spaces."</p> <p>For two participants in the English language class, despite wanting to visit their mothers in Turkey and India, these measures were so costly and “complicated” that they said they “didn’t bother to ask for permission”. They realised it would be too difficult to travel, and they cancelled their plans to visit their families.</p> <p>The global emergency of COVID-19 has presented many challenges for governments, and has emphasised the differing needs of populations, including those who are marginalised.</p> <p>Since the initial peak of the crisis in early 2020, many countries, the UK included, permitted carers to move between different households to provide care. While international travel restrictions are an important feature of public health responses, in the context of this health crises, migrant families’ need to travel should also be recognised.</p> <p>Health-related boarding requirements should, we believe, be removed in a timely manner, but governments can do more to support migrant families in the short term. If we consider differing regulations between countries, the current system is too complex, costly and contradictory. There is a need for international agreements to standardise the documentation required to travel and make processes more streamlined and accessible.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This image originally appeared in <a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/covid-travel-restrictions-have-created-new-borders-for-migrants-who-want-to-visit-home-171461" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.</em></p>

Travel Tips

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Should I take a gift? As borders open, how to prepare for reuniting with your grandkids

<p>As border restrictions lift, family reunions are being planned around Australia. This is an exciting but also uncertain time, particularly for grandparents who have been separated from grandchildren.</p> <p>Over the past months (and in some cases, years), grandchildren will have grown and changed. They may have new interests, routines and skills. You may even have the <a rel="noopener" href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1474704919875948" target="_blank">transformative experience</a> of meeting a new grandchild for the very first time.</p> <p>With older grandchildren, <a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/grandparent-grandchildren-video-calls-are-vital-during-covid-19-here-are-simple-ways-to-improve-them-141534" target="_blank">digital technologies</a> may have kept you in contact and up-to-date. But with younger grandchildren, this is harder, and it may be time to rekindle relationships.</p> <p>We are researchers investigating the roles grandparents play and the <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/21582041.2018.1433317" target="_blank">influence</a> this has on families and communities. So, how can grandparents make the most of this time?</p> <p><strong>The special role of grandparents</strong></p> <p>Due to increased lifespans, grandparents have more time and ability to invest in their grandchildren than <a rel="noopener" href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0963721411403269" target="_blank">ever before</a> in human history.</p> <p>The grandparent-grandchild relationship can be a very special one. A grandparent’s involvement in a child’s life, whether through shared actives or a listening ear, is <a rel="noopener" href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1099-0860.2009.00215.x" target="_blank">linked</a> to the child’s well-being.</p> <p><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/429276/original/file-20211029-23-1y65rbj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="Grandparents hug a baby." /> <em><span class="caption">Researchers are finding increasing evidence of the importance of grandparent-grandchild relationships.</span> Image: S<span class="attribution"><span class="source">hutterstock</span></span></em></p> <p>The benefits depend on your family situation, but can include improved psychological adjustment for <a rel="noopener" href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/j.1728-4457.2011.00379.x" target="_blank">grandchildren</a>, increased <a rel="noopener" href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S004727941700071X" target="_blank">workforce participation</a> for mothers, and a longer and happier life for <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1090513816300721" target="_blank">grandparents</a>.</p> <p><strong>The importance of asking questions</strong></p> <p>When preparing to see your grandchildren again, our first suggestion is to ask your grandchild’s parents what they think is a good idea for your first catch-up. What does your grandchild enjoy doing at the moment? What is their daily routine? Is there anything to avoid?</p> <p>If you are meeting a grandchild for the very first time, bear in mind the parents have gone through huge changes since you last met. As with older children, ask the parents what will suit them in terms of visit type and time.</p> <p>Be <a rel="noopener" href="https://raisingchildren.net.au/grown-ups/grandparents/family-relationships/being-a-grandparent" target="_blank">open and honest</a> about what support you think you can provide, and be aware the parents needs may change (they may want more or less help than they anticipated).</p> <p>When it comes to discussing the changes a new baby has brought, grandparents are trying to juggle in their mind the thrill of participating in their grandchild’s life, without disrupting or overstepping parents’ boundaries. From our yet to be published research, we understand this is not a simple matter for many families, but starting the conversation is important in maintaining these valuable relationships.</p> <p><strong>Persistent, not pushy</strong></p> <p>Your grandchildren may be feeling shy when you first meet. So even though this may have been a longed-for reunion, you may need to tread carefully.</p> <p>This is perfectly normal and can be overwhelming for everyone. Just take your time, and let them get to know you again. Your first instinct will be to catch up on the thousands of lost hugs, but it may work better stay close by and let them come to you.</p> <p><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/428728/original/file-20211027-27-42qfit.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="Grandparents playing with grandkids." /> <em><span class="caption">With young children, you don’t have to plan something fancy for your first catch-up. Image: S</span><span class="attribution"><span class="source">hutterstock</span></span></em></p> <p>The good news for grandparents is that several research projects have shown what grandchildren <a rel="noopener" href="http://www.hoepflinger.com/fhtop/Grandchildren.pdf" target="_blank">really want</a> is simply for grandparents to be “there when needed”.</p> <p>So just “being there” – interested and available – for your first visit is perfectly fine. This helps reduce expectations of what you feel you need to do.</p> <p><strong>Gifts</strong></p> <p>Your first inclination may be to bring something exciting to play with together. But on top of seeing each other again, rushing in with a new treat might be too much. You will need to read the room.</p> <p>Consider taking something small, or maybe you can keep something in the car and bring it out once everyone has warmed up.</p> <p><strong>Parallel play</strong></p> <p>Play is obviously central to children’s learning and experience. Early in life, however, this may mean playing alone, which may be confusing for some of us.</p> <p>A good way to work with this while rekindling your relationship is parallel play, particularly if a child is aged between two and five. Parallel play involves playing next to your grandchild and letting them come to you when they are ready.</p> <p>This is one way you might need to put the patience and persistence we discussed earlier into practice.</p> <p><strong>Let grandchildren lead (within reason)</strong></p> <p>In the same vein, don’t feel as though you need to take the lead when working out what to do with your grandchild, either. Or that your idea for reading a certain book or doing a particular puzzle is the one your grandchild will go with.</p> <p><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/428727/original/file-20211027-15-34v14w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="Grandparents push a grandchild on a swing." /> <em><span class="caption">Seeing your grandchild again could be as simple as a walk to the park. Image: S</span><span class="attribution"><span class="source">hutterstock</span></span></em></p> <p>Often, seemingly simple activities like a walk to a park are the most rewarding. Here your grandchild has the opportunity to show you about their world and what they like to do on their terms. It is also a good way to see how your grandchild has grown and developed.</p> <p>We want to show our unconditional affection and love for our grandchildren, <a rel="noopener" href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0038026120916104" target="_blank">this feels natural</a>, and we know it can be so valuable.</p> <p>But in the the early stages of getting to know each other again, don’t put pressure on you or them. Being available, interested, curious and patient is enough.</p> <p><em>Rebecca Bullingham, a masters student in medical and health science at Edith Cowan University, contributed to this article.</em><!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/169731/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/david-coall-408193" target="_blank">David Coall</a>, Senior Lecturer, <a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/edith-cowan-university-720" target="_blank">Edith Cowan University</a> and <a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/shantha-karthigesu-1284704" target="_blank">Shantha Karthigesu</a>, Teaching and Research Scholar, <a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/edith-cowan-university-720" target="_blank">Edith Cowan University</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/should-i-take-a-gift-as-borders-open-how-to-prepare-for-reuniting-with-your-grandkids-169731" target="_blank">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Relationships

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Farmer rescues “five little baby girls” found crying, abandoned

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A Texan farmer made a shocking discovery on his ranch near the southern border with Mexico.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Five abandoned girls from Honduras and Guatemala were reportedly found on Sunday, May 9 (local time) by farmer Jimmy Hobbs while he was “doing the rounds of his property”, according to local congressman Tony Gonzales.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“While we thank God they were found alive, these tragic scenes are happening more and more,” he tweeted.</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Take a good hard look at the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BidenBorderCrisis?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BidenBorderCrisis</a> These young girls were found outside a ranch near Quemado, Texas in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TX23?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TX23</a>. The Del Rio Sector border patrol tell me they are uninjured, healthy, and in good spirits. 🙏 <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> enough is enough let’s work together solve this crisis. <a href="https://t.co/mt5P7ysN9g">pic.twitter.com/mt5P7ysN9g</a></p> — Tony Gonzales (@TonyGonzales4TX) <a href="https://twitter.com/TonyGonzales4TX/status/1391529589256695810?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 9, 2021</a></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In a video posted on social media, Mr Hobbs described the moment he found the girls.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“About 8.30 in the morning, just driving along and then all of a sudden I see them, laying there, right beside the bank of the river,” he said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Five little baby girls, all by themselves - hungry, crying, one didn’t have any clothes on. One wasn’t even old enough to walk.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Three of the girls are reportedly from Honduras, aged seven, three, and two, while the other two, aged five and 11-months-old, are from Guatemala.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mr Hobbs said he called Border Patrol and gave the girls something to eat and drink.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I don’t think they would have made it if I hadn’t found them,” he told congressman Gonzales.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Unaccompanied children are often sent across the border with the hope they can stay in the US following Biden’s winding back of some of the harsher border policies of the Trump administration.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Unaccompanied children have been exempted from expulsion under President Biden, allowing them to stay in America while pursuing asylum claims.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The number of unaccompanied children encountered on the US-Mexico border has also been reduced from an all-time high in March, according to authorities, with more adults found coming without families.</span></p> <p><strong>Image credit: Tony Gonzales / Twitter</strong></p>

News

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Farmer’s mistake alters the French border

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Along the border between Belgium and France, the boundary between the two countries is usually marked by a series of stone markers.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But, when local enthusiast David Lavaux was walking through the forest, he noticed one of the stone markers had moved 2.29m.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Belgian farmer behind it was apparently annoyed by the stone being in his tractor’s path and moved it to be inside French territory instead.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The incident that could have caused international uproar has instead been met with smiles on both sides of the border.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“He made Belgium bigger and France smaller, it’s not a good idea,” Mr Lavaux, who is also the mayor of the Belgian village of Erquelinnes, told French TV channel TF1.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I was happy, my town was bigger,” the Belgian mayor said with a laugh. “But the mayor of Bousignies-sur-Roc didn’t agree.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Aurélie Welonek, mayor of neighbouring Bousignies-sur-Roc, said with amusement to La Voix du Nord, “We should be able to avoid a new border war”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The farmer will be asked to return the stone to its original location by local Belgian authorities. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But if he refuses to comply, the case could end up involving the Belgian foreign ministry, which would have to summon a Franco-Belgian border commission which has been dormant since 1930.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mr Lavaux also noted non-compliance could see the farmer facing criminal charges.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“If he shows good will, he won’t have a problem, we will settle this issue amicably,” he told Belgian news website Sudinfo.</span></p> <p><strong>Image Credit: David Lavaux</strong></p>

International Travel

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3 travel scams to look out for in Cambodia

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Exploring the world and what it has to offer can be exciting for tourists, especially when they reach their destination after a long flight of cramped quarters and noisy eaters.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">There are issues that you should look out for when you’re travelling. </span></p> <p><strong>1. Border patrol scams</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">One writer for </span><a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/kiwi-traveller/114403182/the-travel-scams-we-fell-for-cambodias-border-bandits"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Stuff NZ</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> detailed their experience as they were scammed at the border of Cambodia.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The writer was approached by a well-dressed border patrol worker and said that they would be taken to a separate checkpoint to analyse their passports and be issued with a visa.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It was only when they reached the office that the writer realised something was amiss as the border patrol worker demanded more money and their passports.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The scam is a common one, where people try to get more money out of unsuspecting tourists. The average visa should cost around $US 25.</span></p> <p><strong>2. Traffic police bribes</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ideally, bribing police should not be on your list of things to do in Cambodia.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Being pulled over by the police is a scary experience, but there are rumours that the traffic police in Cambodia are corrupt and will come up with reasons you should be fined until you bribe them.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As traffic police tend to pull over tourists and not locals as they are aware of how much the real fines are, it can be scary when you’ve rented a vehicle and get pulled over. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Some fines might be legitimate, but the money you pay to the traffic cop will go into their pocket.</span></p> <p><strong>3. Being stopped by a fake monk for donations</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Some tourists delight in seeing monks and a photo of a monk outside a temple can be a holiday treasure for some.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As locals are aware that there is a demand for tourists to see monks, many have taken advantage of this, according to </span><a href="https://www.movetocambodia.com/practicalities/cambodia-scams-fake-monks/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Move To Cambodia</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">There are fake monks scattered throughout Cambodia, but there are a few ways to figure out whether or not the monk you’re seeing is legitimate.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Fake monks are usually middle aged whereas legitimate Cambodian monks are in their twenties or even younger. Try to resist when they ask for more money, despite your donation already.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Aggressive begging is also another tip-off, as reported in a </span><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/06/nyregion/panhandlers-dressed-as-monks-confound-new-yorkers.html?_r=0"><span style="font-weight: 400;">New York Times</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> piece about fake monks.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Aggressive begging is utterly unheard-of in the Buddhist tradition. The monks typically do not even acknowledge the offering,” says Robert Buswell, director of the Centre for Buddhist Studies at UCLA.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In Cambodia, most monks stand quietly outside of businesses or traffic-heavy areas and hold their begging bowls while waiting to be noticed.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If a monk comes up to you asking for donations, they are most likely a fake monk.</span></p>

Travel Trouble

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