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5 biggest online challenges for travelers
Every September 27th, travelers celebrate the international World Tourism Day. The tourism landscape has changed immensely since the first such celebration in 1980, with the internet becoming inevitable for travelers and travel agents. According to the World Tourism Organization (UNTWO), in 2018, eighty-four percent of travelers booked their holiday through bundling sites like Expedia or Kayak instead of contacting hotels and airlines. This counts for 1.176 billion tourists. “The internet allows people around the world to plan their travels conveniently. However, it can also put them at various risks,” says Daniel Markuson, the digital privacy expert at NordVPN. Most tourists would agree that the internet is an essential part of…
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Experts Warn About Dangers of Sharing Vacation Photos on Social Media
According to cybersecurity experts, sharing too much information on social media while being away from home on holiday can make your property a perfect target for burglars. We’ve all been there, sipping an exotic drink by the pool miles away from our home and routine while taking dozens of pictures to capture the precious moment. As the saying goes ‘pics or it didn’t happen’,’ we’re quick to post them on Facebook or Instagram for our friends to see how great we’re doing. And, let’s be honest, to brag a little bit. However, not many holidaymakers are aware that this social activity can get them in real trouble. Uploading pictures from…
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Six most restricted countries you might be traveling to
According to the pro-democracy think tank Freedom House, internet freedom is declining all around the world. Censorship is being ramped up on everything from social media or e-commerce websites to search engines. Interestingly, many of the countries with the strictest rules and highest censorship are also popular tourist destinations. “With this in mind, it’s wise to check if your next travel destination has any internet restrictions. Especially if you are planning to do some work there,” says Daniel Markuson, digital privacy expert at NordVPN. “One of the most powerful tools to avoid such internet censorship is a virtual private network. Both travelers and locals use VPNs to access the internet…
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Buying your place in the sun: real estate near the Black Sea
In the last couple of years, the southern Black Sea coast has become an increasingly popular destination for both investors and tourists seeking high-quality fun for a low price. While the northern Black Sea is more suitable for a “back to nature” type of experience, the southern coast is more typically seen as a place for active vacations. The southern Black Sea is a more developed tourist region compared to the northern, yet prices in both places are pretty much the same. How profitable investment in a real estate property along the southern coast will turn out to be, depends on the location and the type of investment. In other…
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Bulgarian cuisine: the favourite chips and cheese
Chips are a guilty pleasure all over the world. In Bulgaria, they are doubly so – because they are rich in calories and because they are “simple”. If there is an underappreciated food in Bulgaria, it is ‘kartofi sas sirene’, or chips with cheese. Even the most inept housewife can make them. In their absence, drinking beer loses its reality and becomes a meaningless act. You can order them at roadside pubs with only three items on the menu and in posh restaurants where the list of dishes is longer than ‘War and Peace’. Under Communism, they were a social status symbol. And yet nobody outside of Bulgaria has ever…
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Between Heaven and Earth: the Rock Churches of the Ivanovo
Once, the rock churches of Ivanovo drew hermits, kings and pilgrims. Now, it’s the tourists’ turn. At the beginning of the 13th Century, a monk named Joachim was so charmed by the picturesque cliffs near the Rusenski Lom River that he decided to settle there with his three disciples. The beauties of the place and its proximity to the diocesan centre of Cherven attracted votaries’ attentions to the church that Joachim carved out of the rock. The hermit quickly became popular and soon began welcoming eminent visitors. One was King Ivan Asen II, who donated a considerable amount of gold to the church complex. Four centuries earlier Ivan Rilski, Bulgaria’s…
