Fatma Say 
Welcomeee!! After long weeks, I won’t be giving you news about the pandemic this week. It seems that the world has slowly started to cope with the Covid-19 pandemic. As summer begins and we look to the future with hope, many innovations and beautiful surprises are in front of us. One of the coming candidates of being one of the most famous landmarks in the world, there is a plan for the second tallest building in the world in Russia. Let’s jump right into the news!
The Second Tallest Skyscraper in Russia
The second tallest building in the world will be in St Petersburg, Russia. This building will be the second tallest building after the Burj Khalifa in Dubai at 823 meters. At 703 meters of this planned skyscraper, it will be the world’s highest viewing gallery.
After this skyscraper is the Shanghai tower, which is 623 meters, and the Shard in London, which is 310 meters, respectively. In this Lakhta Center II, over 150 floors of office space, accommodation, and restrooms will be built. This design is both aesthetic and functional, it was made, the necessary materials were used to reduce the wind force.
This ‘Friends’ Cruise Is a Dream Come True for True Fans
Celebrity Cruises launched a unique itinerary particularly crafted for the ultimate “Friends” fans in cooperation with FANA World Travel. It is in honor of the “Friends” reunion special that just aired on HBO Max. The Celebrity Equinox will set sail with 500 fans on May 15, 2022, for “The One When They Went on a Cruise.”
The seven-day cruise will leave from Ft. Lauderdale and stop at Key West, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel, among other places. Passengers can participate in quiz competitions, cooking demos, and activities like the “Dress as Your Favorite Friend” party while onboard.
Starbucks’ Reusable Cups Are Making A Comeback
Instead of issuing single-use paper cups with every order, Starbucks will once again refill reusable personal cups. This feature is unavailable since the pandemic started. Starbucks has also devised a system that removes any common touchpoints between consumers and baristas. It is to comply with new health regulations.
Customers will place their reusable cups in a ceramic mug if they bring one in. While making the drink, the barista retains the cup inside the mug. According to the Starbucks website, “only clean cups will be accepted,”. And baristas “will not be allowed to clean them for customers.”
Italy Intends to Turn a Former Prison Into a Tourist Destination
Between Rome and Naples, Italy’s Santo Stefano is located within a protected maritime park. The tiny volcanic island is now only accessible to daring scuba divers and fishermen. Actually, it was originally a penal colony where individuals were transported as punishment. The Italian government now hopes that a $86 million renovation would turn it into a lively tourist destination in the vein of Alcatraz, San Francisco.
Santo Stefano’s transformation includes the creation of an open-air museum that will tell the story of the prison and the people it housed. It’s a history that the organizers hope to weave into the venue in more ways than one. It will serve as a focal point for international scholars to collaborate on crucial problems such as environmental policies, human rights, and freedom of expression.
Bonus: Spend 10 Months Living Remotely in Airbnb Rentals
As part of its new “Live Anywhere on Airbnb” initiative, Airbnb will choose a dozen people to spend 10 months living remotely in its short-term rentals. From young families to remote professionals, empty nesters, and more, Airbnb is searching for a broad collection of volunteers to travel between properties from September to July 2022. And Airbnb will pay the cost of lodging and offering a transportation allowance.
We would like to specially thanks Duygu Aytaç for her contributions to this week’s travel news!
Thanks for reading! Please don’t forget to leave your thoughts and comments. See you next week with more travel news!
The Russian skyscraper is planned as 703 m, not 590 ??
Fixed! ? Thank you so much for the correction, it’s important! ☺️