Fateful places in Europe may turn out to be wonderful destinations instead!

There are many wonderful places in the world, and it is impossible to visit them all in a lifetime, even if you could afford it. Many attractive tours are organized around Europe, because the continent boasts a large percentage of impressive destinations located at a relatively short distance from each other.

Normally, people travelling to Europe choose cities like London, Paris, Florence and Berlin to spend their holidays. There are also other interesting places which a tourist interested in European history and heritage would rather visit, but these are often forgotten, neglected or boycotted as they are struck by unhappy conditions.

The common idea is that these destinations may be overestimated – for their historical heritage, for the local lifestyle, for the beauty of their landscapes – so, when something bad happens, we all end up expecting too much from them, eventually resolving to stay away instead.

On the contrary, we believe that visiting these places, could be convenient from different points of view, especially from the perspective of locals and tourists. The latter can enjoy some wonders at discounted rates, as obviously, to attract tourists, a major source of income for such countries, locals are willing to cut prices and offer great deals. The result for travelers is: the same beauty, the same dreamy atmosphere, the same attractions, the same services at a lower price, but still useful to allow economic recovery in these unfortunate destinations, or to put the back on the rails …

Locals, in return, will increasingly focus their resources towards the improvement of tourism facilities and services, thus offering a quality product / service anyway.

The place: Greece, Southern Europe

The problem: The Greek debt crisis is moving into a Depression

The remedy: Greece is probably about to be kicked out of the Eurozone, let’s don’t kick it out of our hearts.

Your holiday: Greece has always been a very popular destination for tourists from around the world for its very ancient history, quiet beaches, mouthwatering food and superb natural beauty.

Athens’ Acropolis is still there, the wonderful islands of the archipelago, the exciting nightlife, the beautiful people. Do you really think financial crisis makes Greece a country not worth visiting?

The place: Giglio Island, Tuscany, Italy

The problem: “Tourists” take pictures of the wrecked cruise liner Costa Concordia (Jan 13th, 2012.) This kind of tourism has been dubbed “Creepy tourism”.

The remedy: Tuscany has invited tourists to visit the Giglio Island amidst fears that the shipwreck could ruin the island’s economy, and beaches, and sea. Locals and relatives of the victims ask to please not address their sorrow as a freak show

Your holiday: The Giglio is located at the center of the Tyrrhenian Sea, with all its beauty contained in just 21 sq km. Its cliffs are part of the protected area of the Tuscan Archipelago National Park, and the mild climate ensures stays of pleasure and relaxation. The port area, the coast, the beaches, Giglio Island is a small town where you meet great cultures, great beauty and great fun. The sea that surrounds it… soon it will get back to its original splendor, and the horror of the tragedy it suffered will remain a true metaphor of our present days, which may drive us towards doing better, rather than avoid trips to such lost paradises.

The place: Ukraine, eastern Europe

The problem: more than 50,000 stray dogs are slaughtered as the country prepares to host Euro 2012 in June.

The remedy: we are still discussing this problem and figuring out the best approach, while by the end of November 2011, Ukrainian government ordered all mayors to stop “euthanising” stray dogs and build animal shelters for them instead. It seems no killings have been reported since early February. There is no way for us to know whether or not this is true. Some say that mass killings are still occurring in an underhand manner, but it is our moral duty to give Ukraine the benefit of the doubt.

Your holiday: Ukraine is a very vivid country, rich in culture and history. Kiev is the third greenest capital city in Europe, Lviv boasts a wonderful medieval old town and unique architecture, Yalta is a health resort in the Black Sea, Ivano-Frankivsk was recognized as the best city to live in the country, all of the Seven Wonders of Ukraine… and for sport fans, an amazing sports event that probably there’s no need to boycott any more. In the name of civilization, togetherness, and reason.

The place: Britain

The problem: Communities Secretary Eric Pickles is launching a campaign to promote community cohesion by appealing to ‘sense of British identity’ keeping the English language and the Christian religion at the centre of national life, thus pledging to end era of multiculturalism.

The remedy: LOL. Britain is a country where most people are not Christians, it boasts a long tradition of humanism, and is famous around the world for being the ultimate multi-cultural, multi-racial, multi-lifestyle place on Earth. In the remote case “[…]Migrants will be required to speak English, the number of official documents translated into other languages will be reduced and councils will be allowed to hold prayers at the start of meetings” nothing will change the authentic way of life of these people, because today’s “British Identity” actually is all about this.

Your holiday: London, Edinburgh, Bristol, Glasgow; think about it… why do you think they call it Great Britain?

Photo by @Michael

About the Author

Andrea Guerriero Hi, I'm Andrea, a travel blogger, web programmer, seo apprentice and amateur photographer based in Milan. I love reading, I love music. I love to travel but only if I leave on a mission! I've been traveling through most of Europe and I love writing about it. I love photography, especially as a way to document experiences, places, events. My Nikon D300 camera is always with me, and it helps me in sharing my life with the rest of the world. Getting in touch with new people, different life styles and foreign traditions, and write about it, is all I can ask for.