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(CNN)A pilot did some digital skywriting in the skies over Austria to remind people not to go out during the coronavirus pandemic.The pilot wrote the message during a 24-minute flight on Monday after taking off from an airport in Wiener Neustadt, Austria, about 50 miles south of Vienna.Austrian officials said there had been 1,843 reported cases of coronavirus in the country as of Thursday morning.Lockdowns have been imposed all over the world in hopes of slowing the disease that has infected hundreds of thousands globally. Many countries have imposed flight restrictions as well.

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(CNN) — Freedom of movement at the world’s longest land border diminished on Wednesday when President Donald Trump announced restrictions on travel between the United States and Canada. “We will be, by mutual consent, temporarily closing our Northern Border with Canada to non-essential traffic. Trade will not be affected. Details to follow!” Trump tweeted. The decision will transform life at the northern US border with Canada, which nearly 200,000 people cross each day. And it’s just one of a slew of travel restrictions appearing as world governments cope with the spreading coronavirus. On Monday, the European Union announced it would close its borders to non-essential travel. In the UK, the Foreign Office has advised against all but essential international travel for a period of 30 days. In some cases, employers, organizations and even government agencies are limiting non-essential travel. On Wednesday, March 11, the US Department of State suspended non-essential travel by staff, with Reuters reporting an anonymous source saying individual decisions were being left to each respective US embassy, consulate and bureau. That leaves many wondering what qualifies as non-essential travel. The answer, it turns out, is not always straightforward or even easily enforceable. What it means on the US-Canada border Cars usually line up to cross into the US at the US/Canada border at Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle, Quebec.DON EMMERT/AFP via Getty ImagesIn a news briefing on March 18, a reporter asked President Trump to define non-essential travel between the United States and Canada. “Well I think essential is medical, we have military working together, we have industry working together, and again, it’s not affecting trade, so things like that,” said President Trump. “But just leisurely ‘let’s go to a restaurant and have dinner,’ which a lot of people do … we have ended on a temporary basis.” His reply underscored the lack of official clarity around the term.In Ottawa on the morning of March 18, Canadian Prime Minister Justin emphasized that both governments see supply chains as essential. “These supply chains ensure that food, fuel and lifesaving medicines reach people on both sides of the border,” Trudeau said, noting that trucking would not be affected. The restriction, which Trump suggested could last 30 days, will prevent tourists from traveling between the two countries. “We’re telling our citizens not to visit their neighbors if they don’t absolutely have to,” said Prime Minister Trudeau at his press conference. “These measures will last in place as long as we feel they need to last.” Enforcement details are yet to be made public. Restrictions for the rest of the worldEuropean Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed that the EU close its borders to non-essential travel on March 16. KENZO TRIBOUILLARD/AFP/Getty ImagesThe US Centers for Disease Control’s Warning Level 3, the agency’s most severe advisory, now applies to Malaysia, Iran, China, South Korea, Europe, the UK and Ireland. In addition to warning against all cruise travel, that alert recommends Americans avoid all non-essential travel to listed countries, saying “the outbreak is of high risk to travelers and no precautions are available to protect against the identified increased risk.” Despite the gravity of the advisory, the CDC still leaves it up to the individual to interpret what is, and what isn’t, essential travel. And when it comes to restricting or recommending against non-essential travel, government decisions have varied widely.The European Union proposed stricter rules on non-essential travel across the external borders of the bloc, narrowly defining the exemptions. Only goods, medical equipment and some people working to manage the spread of the coronavirus will be allowed to enter the EU for a period of 30 days. In recent days, travelers have reported being turned back at the borders of the EU when their journeys were deemed non-essential. What is a lockdown? Some countries and regions are taking even more stringent measures, sometimes called “lockdowns” or “shelter-in-place.” The order, which is in place through April 7, says residents may leave their homes to get food, care for friends and relatives, exercise, seek necessary health care and travel to essential jobs. Nearly 7 million residents are affected by the new rule, and government officials have announced that failure to comply with it is a misdemeanor offense. But there is currently no requirement of proof that you’re allowed to be outside.It’s the United States’ first taste of the sweeping lockdowns that have been put in place in Italy, France and Spain.As new coronavirus infections have slowed in China, Italy has become the new face of the epidemic. The entire country is under a total lockdown, with police patrolling streets to ask citizens if they have a valid reason to be out. As in San Francisco, valid reasons include food shopping, health reasons and work. When residents violate the order, they may face criminal charges. On Wednesday, The Guardian reported that Italy was charging nearly 40,000 people for violating lockdown. On Tuesday, France was also put into a lockdown. For a period of at least 15 days, anyone leaving the home must fill out and sign a paper explaining why they’re out, with valid reasons including shopping for groceries and medicine, caring for family or getting to work when remote working is impossible. An exception is also made for the needs of pets. Rules can vary by city, region or country.Rules can vary by countryIt’s not clear if New York City will issue a “shelter-in-place” order.John Lamparski/NurPhoto/Getty ImagesSpain is implementing serious restrictions as well, including closing land borders to everyone but Spanish citizens, residents and those citing force majeure. The country has declared a “state of alarm” for an initial period of 15 days. During the state of alarm, individuals may only go out in public for a specified list of activities, including shopping for groceries or medicine, getting medical care, going to work, helping vulnerable people and going to financial institutions. In the United States, it remains to be seen whether stringent shelter-in-place orders will become more widespread. He said all actions should be statewide, and called on Americans to remain calm in the face of coming disruptions. “This is an extraordinary time in this nation’s history,” he said. “It’s a character test for us collectively as a society.”

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Looking for tranquility, peace, pristine beaches, water sports and fantastic cuisine? Maldives ticks all those boxes — and many more.

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(CNN) — The aviation industry has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, with travelers across the world dealing with canceled flights and travel bans as they scramble to get home.But one unlikely aviation side effect is the creation of a new world aviation record. On March 14, French airline Air Tahiti Nui flew the longest ever scheduled passenger flight by distance — transiting 9,765 miles across the world from Papeete, in Tahiti, French Polynesia, to Paris’ Charles de Gaulle airport. This one off milestone was a direct consequence of the coronavirus-induced US travel restrictions. This route usually involves a scheduled stopover at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). But when an airplane stops over in the US, all passengers must alight the aircraft and proceed through US Customs and Border Protection before they’re allowed to advance on with the next leg of their journey.Current restrictions rendered this part of the journey untenable, so instead, flight TN064 just carried straight on, departing at 3 a.m. local time from Papeete airport and arriving in Paris at 6:30 a.m. local time on March 15.Exceptional situationThe Air Tahiti Nui flight was operated by a Boeing 787-9, like this one, which was photographed at the International Paris Air Show on June 17, 2019 at Le Bourget Airport, near Paris. ERIC PIERMONT/AFP via Getty Images”This flight was operated on an exceptional basis and within the constraints imposed by the American authorities in the face of the Covid-19 epidemic,” an Air Tahiti Nui spokesperson told CNN Travel in a statement.The flight, which was airborne for just under 16 hours, became the world’s longest commercial flight in terms of distance traveled. The flight overtook the previous record held by Singapore Airlines, which offers a scheduled passenger service between Singapore and Newark covering a distance of 9,534 miles.Australian carrier Qantas set a different record for the longest flight late in 2019. It’s experimental Project Sunrise test flight clocked up about 11,060 miles and 19 hours and 19 minutes nonstop between London and Sydney. But since there were no fare-paying passengers aboard, it doesn’t count as a properly scheduled service. TN064 is also the world’s longest scheduled domestic flight, because it traveled between French Polynesia and mainland France. Air Tahiti Nui tells CNN Travel the aircraft flew with a “reinforced crew” of four pilots, and was operated by a “next generation aircraft” a Boeing 787-9, twin-engine Dreamliner.The aircraft was reportedly nowhere near full, which meant it was able to proceed the full stretch without refueling. One-off record holderAir Tahiti Nui’s CEO Michel Monvoisin and the captain of TN064, Vetea Sanford.Courtesy Air Tahiti NuiAir Tahiti Nui says it was an “exceptional flight, operated in a special context”, and adds it demonstrates the airline’s commitment to keeping up transit links between France and the overseas territory.”But is not destined to be perpetuated,” adds the spokesperson.That’s right, it’s a one off. Since the weekend, the airline’s been substituting its usual stopover in Los Angeles with touchdowns in Vancouver, Canada or Pointe a Pitre, in Grande-Terre, Guadeloupe — although the Canadian option’s now been ruled out as the north American country introduced a travel ban on March 16.

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(CNN) — The global economic landscape could be very different this time next year, but 2020’s most expensive cities have been revealed — and the number one spot belongs not to one single city, but to three destinations.The Japanese city of Osaka replaces Paris on the winners’ podium, making it an all-Asian trio this year. New York climbed up to fourth position while Los Angeles rose to eighth. This was driven, the EIU says, by “strong local currency and firm domestic demand” pushing up prices for clothing and domestic help. The bi-annual survey, which evaluates the cost of over 160 goods and services in 133 cities around the world, has been carried out for more than 30 years. Rises and fallsHong Kong shares the title of world’s most expensive
city with Paris and Osaka.Isaac Lawrence/AFP/Getty ImagesThe French capital dropped down to fifth place, equal with another European city, Switzerland’s Zurich.The survey notes a clear trend across the 37 European cities surveyed: all but four — Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kiev and Istanbul — fell in the rankings for 2020. “Modest domestic demand and weak global energy prices have kept inflationary pressures subdued across Europe in the past year, the EIU said. The Israeli city of Tel Aviv is the only Middle Eastern city in the top 10, and jumped three places this year to the number seven slot, which the EIU attributes to rising transport costs. A strengthening of the yen this year led Japan’s capital, as with Osaka, to soar up the rankings, this time to joint eighth position, alongside L.A. The Swiss city of Geneva, a stalwart in the survey’s top 10, slid down from fifth place to 10th, while Copenhagen — joint seventh last year — dropped out of the top ten entirely. The rest of the listA strong US dollar meant 15 out of the 16 US cities surveyed climbed up the rankings this year. Currency depreciation, meanwhile, was behind the South Korean capital, Seoul, dropping out of the top ten, said the EIU. Globally, the cost of living dropped 4% this year. Said the report, “This mainly reflects the impact on global currencies of easing monetary policy, uncertainty around the US-China trade war (which has put pressure on some emerging-market currencies) and the strength of the US economy.”Damascus, Syria, was at the bottom of the worldwide rankings, followed by Tashkent in Uzbekistan.World’s most expensive cities to live in 2020:1. (tie) Singapore1. (tie) Osaka, Japan1. (tie) Hong Kong4. New York City, New York5. (tie) Paris5. (tie) Zurich, Switzerland7. Tel Aviv, Israel8. (tie) Los Angeles, California8. (tie) Tokyo10. Geneva, SwitzerlandCorrection: An earlier version of this story mistakenly listed Paris as one of the top three most expensive cities.

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(CNN) — New Zealand’s most famous tree has been the victim of bad visitor behavior.A willow tree at the southern tip of Lake Wanaka, which appears semi-submerged in the water and is a massively popular Instagram spot, was attacked by someone with a saw sometime around March 17, according to Stuff.co.nz.One local told Stuff, “The famous lower branch that hangs horizontally out over the water that is really picturesque has gone.”Locals reported seeing some branches that had been sawed off washed up on shore.Located on New Zealand’s South Island about 300 km (186 miles) from Dunedin, the tree is known as #ThatWanakaTree — Google Maps even lists the spot’s name with the hashtag in it. Many consider the tree, which appears to be rising alone out the water, a symbol of hope. Despite its out-of-the-way location — there are no posted signs or wayfinders — travelers will drive there just to get a snapshot, and a small local economy has sprung up around it.The surroundings are just as beautiful as the lone willow. The lake is at the foot of Mount Aspiring National Park, which is part of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Te Wahipounamu. The park is as notable for its fauna as for its flora — this is the only known home of the kea, the world’s only alpine parrot species.New Zealand has a keen interest in preserving its many beautiful natural places. The government asks visitors to sign the “tiaki promise” — a pledge to be good stewards of the environment — upon arriving in the country. “Tiaki” means “to guard” in the Māori language.”We have a deep and symbiotic relationship with our environment here in New Zealand,” Stephen England-Hall, CEO of Tourism New Zealand, told CNN Travel when the promise made its debut.”You are welcome to come and to experience our landscape, but we want you to please be mindful of the fact that it’s a really important place.”Sadly, That Wanaka Tree is not the only natural site to deal with vandalism. In fact, it’s not even the only tree.California’s popular Joshua Tree National Park has also dealt with the repercussions of social media fame and overtourism.

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