Video: The Stunning Landscapes Of New Zealand In Timelapse

Considered one of the great adventure travel destinations on Earth, New Zealand is a country known for its stunning landscapes and breathtaking vistas. Nowhere is that more evident than in the video below, which simply put is 5+ minutes of jaw-dropping imagery. Shot entirely on the North Island, the video offers enticing shots of snow-capped mountains, beautiful shorelines and verdant forests.

Warning: the contents of this video may inspire you to board a plane to New Zealand. Gadling is not responsible for the sudden onset of terminal wanderlust (although we do wholeheartedly support it!).


Survey Ranks ‘World’s Most Unfriendliest’ Countries

Have you ever been to a country that just seems to give tourists the cold shoulder? Now, there are some figures behind those unwelcome feelings; the World Economic Forum has put together a report that ranks countries based on how friendly they are to tourists.

The extensive analyses ranks 140 countries according to attractiveness and competitiveness in the travel and tourism industries. But one category, “attitude of population toward foreign visitors,” stands out.

According the data, Bolivia (pictured above) ranked as the most unfriendly country, scoring a 4.1 out of seven on a scale of “very unwelcome” (0) to “very welcome” (7).

Next on the list were Venezuela and the Russian Federation, followed by Kuwait, Latvia and Iran (perhaps when visiting one of these countries, you should try your best to not look like a tourist?).

On the opposite side of the scale were Iceland, New Zealand and Morocco, which were ranked the world’s most welcoming nations for visitors.

Tourism infrastructure, business travel appeal, sustainable development of natural resources and cultural resources were some of the key factors in the rankings. Data was compiled from an opinion survey, as well as hard data from private sources and national and international agencies and organizations such as the World Bank/International Finance Corporation and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), among others.

The report also emphasized the need for continued development in the travel and tourism sector, pointing out that the industry currently accounts for one in 11 jobs worldwide.

All of the results of the survey can be found after the jump.

Attitude of population toward foreign visitors
(1 = very unwelcome; 7 = very welcome)

Friendliest

1. Iceland 6.8
2. New Zealand 6.8
3. Morocco 6.7
4. Macedonia, FYR 6.7
5. Austria 6.7
6. Senegal 6.7
7. Portugal 6.6
8. Bosnia and Herzegovina 6.6
9. Ireland 6.6
10. Burkina Faso 6.6

Unfriendliest

1. Bolivia 4.1
2. Venezuela 4.5
3. Russian Federation 5.0
4. Kuwait 5.2
5. Latvia 5.2
6. Iran 5.2
7. Pakistan 5.3
8. Slovak Republic 5.5
9. Bulgaria 5.5
10. Mongolia 5.5

Have you ever visited somewhere where they didn’t exactly roll out the welcome mat? Alternatively, have you visited somewhere on the “unfriendly” list and had a great, welcoming experience? Let us know how your travel experiences compare with the survey’s ranking in the comments below.

[via CNN]

[Photo credit: Phil Whitehouse, Wikimedia Commons]

Video Of The Day: Bear Grylls Safety Video (Behind The Scenes)

Air New Zealand doesn’t let you down with videos; that’s for sure. This video, “Behind the Scenes of the Bear Essentials,” starring Bear Grylls, is just that: a behind the scenes video from “The Bear Essentials of Safety” video, which saw over two million views. Focusing on the outdoors goodness New Zealand has to offer travelers (instead of just, say, the plane itself), this video is a few things all at once: hilarious, informative and inspiring. The dramatic landscape is offset by the gritty tactics of Bear Grylls. So take a minute, watch this video, enjoy a laugh, and then join me in the endless brainstorming on when to finally visit New Zealand.

Passing Gas Mid-Flight Is Good For Your Health, Doctors Find

A new study from a group of New Zealand physicians has confirmed something we’re rather certain most people would rather not know: it’s not only OK, but preferred, that passengers pass gas mid-flight.

Breaking wind has health benefits, the study finds, and the benefits of breaking wind mid-air outweigh the health effects of holding it in.

Anecdotal evidence in the survey, originally reported on by the Associated Foreign Press and reprinted on News 24, shows that flying increases one’s likelihood of passing gas (a natural phenomenon that already happens, on average, ten times per day).

The study was led by Danish gastroenterologist Jacob Rosenberg, who published a 3,000-word article in the New Zealand Medical Journal last week.

“(Holding back) holds significant drawbacks for the individual, such as discomfort and even pain, bloating, dyspepsia (indigestion), pyrosis (heartburn) just to name but a few resulting abdominal symptoms,” the study found. “Moreover, problems resulting from the required concentration to maintain such control may even result in subsequent stress symptoms.”

When should you not pass gas? When you’re part of the cockpit crew, the study finds.

“On the one hand, if the pilot restrains a fart, all the drawbacks previously mentioned, including impaired concentration, may affect his abilities to control the plane,” the researchers said. “On the other hand, if he lets go of the fart, his co-pilot may be affected by its odour, which again reduces safety onboard the flight.”

We’re only quoting the article here, folks.

One positive? Textile seats used in coach are more likely to “absorb” odors produced than leather seats in most first and business class cabins.

“We humbly propose that active charcoal should be embedded in the seat cushion, since this material is able to neutralise the odour,” the study found.

We’re pretty certain that, as passengers, we’d like you to hold in your gassy in-flight moments, regardless of health concerns. What do you think?

[Image Credit: sbamueller]

Traveling Couple Hits 20 Countries In 312 Days On 3 Minutes Of Video




In a quest to tackle 30 must-have travel experiences before they turn 30, career breakers Gerard & Kieu of GQ trippin traveled 108,371 kilometers (67,338 miles) in 312 days through 20 countries for one adventure of a lifetime.

Shooting 1,266 videos along the way, the traveling couple ended up with 11 hours of video but has reduced it and their entire year of travel to just three minutes as we see in this video.

While traveling, the couple simply gathered video, saving countless hours of editing and production for later.

“We never claim to be vloggers, which is probably why you hardly saw any videos from our travels last year,” says Gerard & Kieu on their GQ trippin website, charged with a simple mantra: See Eat Trip. “Most are short clips of random things that don’t really make sense on their own, so we didn’t bother sharing.”

A year of travel also means a lot of meals, some not so good, prompting the couple to post their Worst In Food this week.