Wanderlust - 04.2020

SouthamptontakestheUKairportcrown,

inallyknockingLondonCity–winnerfor

thepastfouryears–otopspot.Maybe

that’sdowntothefactthat,unusuallyforan

airport,itaimstofostersomethingof

a‘communityspirit’.Forinstance,in 2020

apackoftherapydogs–theCanineCrew

• willpatrolonceaweektohelpcalm
  nervouslyersandpassengerswithhidden
  disabilities.Theairporthasalsoraised
  £100,000fortheHampshireandIsleof
  WightAirAmbulance.
  Biggerairportsalwaysseemtoproveless
  satisfyingthanthesmallerregionals.That
  said,althoughHeathrowhasslippedfrom
  fourthplacelastyeartosixthin2020,its
  percentageratingisactuallyhigherthis
  timearound.

WANDERLUST READER TRAVEL AWARDS 2020

wanderlust.co.uk April 2020 77

⊳

BACK ONTHE MAP

Sri Lanka

Atthebeginningof 2019 SriLankawason

ahigh.Dominating‘where’shotforthisyear’

lists,andplacedinthetoptenofthesevery

awards,itseemedthedazzlingteardropisle

wasthedestinationdujour.Andthen,in

April,aseriesofterroristattackstargeting

churchesandluxuryhotelssaw 250

peoplekilledandthelourishingtourist

industrywasleftintatters.

Traveladvisorieswereissued,tripswere

cancelled.Itwasadevastatingblowfor

acountrywheretourismbringsinaround

$4.4billionayear,especiallyasthe

industryisthecountry’sthird-biggest

foreignexchangeearner.

ButSriLankarallied.Arrestsweremade,

do-not-travelwarningswereswiftlydown-

gradedandhotelratesslashed;themessage

thatthecountrywasopenforbusiness–at

agreatprice–wasloudlydisseminated.

Touristnumbersarestilldown,butthe

bounce-backhasbeenencouraging.Much

ofthatisdowntotravellersthemselves

wantingtoshowtheirsupport,beingeager

toreturn.Andwithgoodreason:SriLanka,

withitsculturalrichness,dazzlingbeaches,

rollinghillsandteaplantations,exquisite

food,warmth,colour,charmandsome

ofthebestsafarisoutsideofAfrica,istoo

goodtostayotheradarforlong.

TOP UK AIRPORT

Southampton

RANKINGS

1 Southampton 84.40

2 Newcastle 83.93

3 LondonCity 83.62

4 Leeds 81.61

5 Edinburgh 81.58

6 LondonHeathrow 80.80

7 Bristol 78.05

8 Birmingham 77.11

9 LondonGatwick 73.83

10 GlasgowInternational 70.21

Shutterstock ⊳

On top of the world

Traditional stilt

“isherman in Sri Lanka;

(left) hikers kitted out

in Rab gear