World

The Times Travel Editors’ Highs and Lows

by Ibrahim Khalil - World Editor
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It’s been a rollercoaster year of highs and lows for the travel desk. On our visits to far-flung places including Alaska, Armenia, the philippines and, erm, Wales, we’ve encountered everything from overbooked flights to traffic jams, disappointing tourist attractions to dirty hotel rooms. Plus, enough unforgettable destinations and experiences to make us desperate to get out and see even more in 2026. Here are some of our highlights from the last 12 months, plus the things we’re happy to leave behind.

You know that the expected magic of your luxury railway journey is running late when you close your eyes during one of those pretentious formal dinners and all you hear is the clink of cutlery on monogrammed china, like the last supper in the Hotel du Divorce. Most operators think unlimited champagne, a grand piano and obsequious service is all it takes to put these trips on the right track but Rovos Rail, based in pretoria, South Africa, does it differently. On the first evening of my 14-night journey from Cape Town to Dar es Salaam,in Tanzania,Lawrence Zulu,the train manager,made it clear that he wasn’t sure we would make it. Cable theft, broken rails and borders guarded by the corrupt or the incompetent seemed to confirm his fears and, by the time we reached Zimbabwe, the twitchy irritation of tourists used to curated perfection had morphed into the joy of a shared experience that everyone knew could never be repeated. By warning us that some things could go wrong, Zulu ensured that everything went right. 5 out of 5. Would go again.

• It’s the last leg of my africa rail trip – and I want to do it all again

Miss: Las Vegas

Table of Contents

las Vegas has suffered from a drop in hotel occupancy

GETTY IMAGES

Las Vegas has had a terrible year, wit

The Travel Editor’s Hits and Misses of the Year

Tom Hall, editor

Hit: A Norfolk restorative

My father’s health has been fragile this year, and travel has been limited. But a few days in Norfolk in November, bracing and stunning, felt like a genuine restorative. To see his wings have been clipped of late and to see his eyes shine on a blustery boat trip and then his cheeks glow as he nursed a fireside whisky overlooking the Wash from the beautiful Blakeney Hotel was the highlight of my year.

Miss: UK trains

The irony of covering some of the world’s most incredible rail journeys while dealing with the miserable daily dysfunctionality of Thameslink is never lost on me. And while the travel section is not the place for my commuter woes, our rail network’s inability to deliver a reliable service does have serious implications for travel. it is nigh on impossible to confidently book rail tickets in advance to reach an airport, port or onward rail connection, thus increasing the overall cost of a trip with overblown ticket prices on the day, or unneeded taxi fares, and the stress of planning. If I can get around Europe by rail without a hold-up or missed connection, why can’t I get to Heathrow from north Hertfordshire?

Jenny Coad, associate editor

Hit: Off-season Peloponnese

My best trip this year by far was taking my young family to the Mani peninsula in the Peloponnese in mid-September, when it was still plenty hot enough but not roiling. We swam in the bay next to the former home of the travel writer Paddy Leigh Fermor and understood entirely why he fell in love with it. We couldn’t keep the kids out of the still-warm sea.I loved that golden light and the views from high mountain villages such as Tseria, where tiny green figs were still in fruit. My husband was delighted that eating out was so inexpensive.

Our other travel win this year was self-catering cottages in the grounds of hotels. They aren’t a new concept but they seem to be growing in number.I’ve stayed in two recently and they are a godsend when you have young children. You can dine early in the restaurant (cocktails! No washing-up!) and then remove your rabble, put them to bed and, rather than sit in the dark, have a glass of wine in front of a fire, watching a film in a sitting room that’s not strewn with toys.Bliss.

Miss: London by day

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Mike Atkins travelled to Mona, the Museum of Old and New Art, in Tasmania’s capital, Hobart, by ferry

JESSE HUNNIFFORD/MONA

You don’t go to Australia for art, do you? Good wine, yes. Abysmal haircuts, yes.Competitive cricket, yes. (Actually, scrub that last one.) But art? Surely that’s like going to Dubai for good taste.Anyway it turns out that not only does Australia have “good art” but Tasmania might actually have the most fascinating modern art museum in the world. I recently took a ferry in Hobart, the island state’s capital, and landed at Mona, the Museum of Old and New Art, whereupon I lost nearly a whole day wandering around several levels of beautiful, subversive, subterranean nonsense. I saw a Porsche that had been made to look as though it had eaten too many pies; two mind-bending light installations by James Turrell; a collection of ceramic vulvas; and a performance by a harpist who had been living in an exhibition space for six weeks, composing a new piece every day. I also saw an installation that mechanically recreates the human digestive system, producing a fresh poo at 2pm each day. Fair dinkum.

Miss: Untidy mistakes of America

I knew Times Square would be a bit rubbish. Everybody knows Times Square is a bit rubbish.When you step off the plane at JFK, the first thing the goons at passport control do (after solemnly asking if you’re a terrorist) is tell you that Times square is a bit rubbish. So on my first trip to New York, why was there a tiny bit of me that expected it not to be rubbish? Why was there a bit of me that wanted it to be something other than a dropped litter tray of fast food joints, shoddy high street stores and hundreds of tourists shuffling around looking as though they’d been sold a pup? Maybe it’s the name. It’s so evocative. Like Shibuya Crossing in Tokyo, or St Mark’s Square in Venice. I suppose the London equivalent is Leicester Square — great name, shame about the face. So look, you already know this, but just in case anyone was dozing at the back, let me make this very clear: Times Square is a bit rubbish.

Laura Jackson, deputy head of travel

Hit: Feeling the heat in Marrakesh

Laura Jackson wearing a yellow jumpsuit at The Capaldi Resort.

Laura Jackson spent a long weekend at the Capaldi Hotel and Spa

August in Marrakesh can mean temperatures of 45C. Friends said we were mad to go but they were wrong. My husband and I didn’t have time for a full summer getaway so we plumped for a three-night long weekend at the over-12s-only Capaldi Hotel and spa, a 40-minute drive from the city. It was a few degrees cooler there, near Lake Takerkoust, and, my word, what a spot, with mountain views and a designer hotel that’s like a film set. We had the run of the place, went early to the horde-free medina and kept our poolside sessions to the early evening when the heat had waned to, heck, about 35C. The hotel, owned by Ed and Tara Lyle, has a tiny but brilliant spa and excellent French-Moroccan food. what a find.

• Read our full review of Capaldi Hotel and Spa

Miss: UK traffic jams

Wales is brilliant, isn’t it? Beaches for miles, Menai Strait mussels, Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park’s mountains. But getting there when the trains are up the spout is a Herculean task. I don’t know if you’ve ever spent eight hours in a Peugeot 208, mostly on the M6, but it’s a one-star review from me. The journey to Anglesey was supposed to take five hours but there was no time for me and my pal Jo to stop even for our planned lunch. We arrived significantly crumpled. Thank goodness for a cracking walk up snowdon the next day. Though I’d do it all again in a heartbeat just for those views.

Huw Oliver, audience editor

Hit: Active holidays

For the past four months my legs have ached.I took up running in August and now I wobble around the office as though I’ve just completed a marathon (the reality: 4km,three days ago). But I get such a buzz out of lapping my local park that whenever I go away running has become part of the adventure – an obstacle course around tourists in central Florence; the gusty, harbourside routes of the estonian capital Tallinn; an entire weekend planned around a 5k in the Forest of Dean. But the high point of my holiday fitness journey? A week’s cycling from Tallinn through city, fen and forest to peipsi – Europe’s fifth-largest lake – which marks the EU’s eastern border.you couldn’t see Russia on the other side but the fish pancakes and samovar-brewed tea at the Kala-sibula restaurant – run by Old Believers, the descendants of religious dissenters exiled in the 1660s – in the village of Kolkja made it feel close. At the end of each day I collapsed into bed and had the best sleep of my life. I can’t wait to go on a trip like that again.

Miss: A sleeper train in Armenia

## Noisy Mexican hotels

After a long taxi ride from Mexico City to Puebla, a city about 80 miles to the southeast, I was relieved to arrive at La Purificadora. The hotel was designed by the hot architect Ricardo Legorreta and is part of the Design Hotels collection, so expectations were high. Behind a high stone wall was an open courtyard where my children and I were given fizzy drinks as we sat on plump sofas. A set of stone steps rose to the upper level, designed to resemble some of the great pre-Aztec pyramids we would be visiting – there was even a trail of water dripping in a channel down the middle, like sacrificial human blood once would have at the ancient temples. All boded well. We relaxed and were taken up to our room: minimalist, gray, arty. Then the bellboy asked if we wanted the blinds open and to see the balcony: of course! He did the honours – revealing the entrance to a vast conference center where hundreds of people were queueing as loudspeakers blasted music. It was like staying in the Excel centre in London. Then we found out that the pool was out of action, so we switched hotels the next day.

Alas, we fell foul of another extremely noisy hotel in Oaxaca, this time with a bar above our room and an open-air venue opposite hosting a through-the-night wedding disco – my kids tried to sleep with pillows over their heads as YMCA blasted away. I nodded off to the strains of the live mariachi band (better) who came on afterwards. We ditched that hotel after one night too. Despite that our Mexican adventure – Day of the Dead, Frida Kahlo and much amazing food, shopping and art – was a trip of the decade.

## Cathy Adams, news features editor

### Hit: Yet another family holiday in Dubai

Excuse the soppiness, but seeing the sassi of Matera – Unesco-listed buildings carved into the rock – for the first time left me close to tears. There is nowhere else on earth quite like this Italian city of stone that’s barely changed in 10,000 years. The hilltop views from the cathedral square, layers of tangled limestone buildings illuminated against the night sky, were sublime. Better still, I went in November and there was barely another soul in sight. trust me, if you haven’t been, go. The city’s newest and plushest cave hotel, Vetera Matera, is the place to stay if you feel like splashing the cash (B&B doubles from £223; veteramatera.com).

• This is Italy’s best-kept secret for an off-season city break

Miss: Overbooked flights

Airlines, please, I’m begging you: stop overbooking flights. Nothing ruins a holiday quite like a voice coming on the intercom to announce that the flight is full “and we’re looking for volunteers to disembark and ruin their flight for the benefit of others”, or something like that. It’s happened on four flights I’ve been on this year. on one, a flight from Tirana to London after my hen weekend in Albania, one of our 12-person group was told she’d been bumped off because the flight had been overbooked. In the end they let her on, probably taking pity on this stressed bride-to-be. On another, from Boracay to El Nido in the Philippines, I wasn’t so lucky. My husband and I, and also – get this – 23 other passengers, were booted off just as we were about to board the plane. It was the only flight there for the next two days so we missed out on visiting the island.At least I’ve learnt a valuable lesson: check in online as early as you can, as a lot hinges on your sequence number.

• Why airlines overbook flights – and how to avoid it happening to you

Lizzie Frainier, associate editor

Hit: Long pool days on Formentera






The Rise of “quiet Quitting” and Its Impact on the Workforce

The Rise of “quiet Quitting” and Its Impact on the workforce

Published: 2025/12/20 19:36:26

The term “quiet quitting” exploded in popularity in 2022, but the underlying sentiment – employees doing exactly what their job description requires and nothing more – has been brewing for years. It’s not about slacking off,but rather a rejection of the hustle culture that often demands unpaid overtime and emotional labor. This trend reflects a broader shift in employee expectations and a re-evaluation of work-life balance, particularly amplified by events like the COVID-19 pandemic. While initially met with criticism, understanding the motivations behind quiet quitting is crucial for employers seeking to retain talent and foster a healthy work habitat.

What is Quiet Quitting?

Quiet quitting isn’t actually about quitting your job. It’s a conscious decision to disengage from the aspects of work that fall outside of the defined job responsibilities.This means:

  • Strictly adhering to work hours: No more staying late or responding to emails after hours.
  • Focusing on core tasks: Prioritizing duties explicitly outlined in the job description.
  • setting boundaries: Declining extra projects or responsibilities that aren’t compensated.
  • Rejecting “going above and beyond” as the default: Performing the job adequately, but not striving for constant overachievement.

The term gained traction on TikTok, where users shared videos explaining their decision to stop exceeding expectations at work. NBC News provides a detailed clarification of the trend’s origins and spread.

The Drivers Behind Quiet Quitting

Several factors contribute to the rise of quiet quitting:

Burnout and Mental Health

Prolonged stress, excessive workloads, and a lack of work-life balance can lead to burnout. the World Health Institution (WHO) recognizes burnout as an occupational phenomenon resulting from chronic workplace stress.Employees experiencing burnout may disengage as a coping mechanism.

Lack of Recognition and Appreciation

When employees consistently go above and beyond without receiving adequate recognition or compensation,they may feel undervalued. This can lead to resentment and a decrease in motivation. A Gallup study consistently shows that recognition is a key driver of employee engagement.

Shifting Generational values

Younger generations, particularly Millennials and Gen Z, frequently enough prioritize work-life balance and personal well-being over conventional career advancement. They are less likely to accept the expectation of constant availability and unpaid overtime. pew Research Center data highlights these generational differences in attitudes towards work.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic

The pandemic forced many people to re-evaluate their priorities and reconsider their relationship with work.Remote work blurred the lines between personal and professional life, leading to increased burnout for some. for others, it provided an prospect to reflect on what truly mattered and to seek more fulfilling work arrangements.

the Impact on Employers

Quiet quitting can have several negative consequences for employers:

  • Reduced productivity: While employees are still fulfilling their core responsibilities, a lack of discretionary effort can impact overall productivity.
  • Decreased Innovation: Disengaged employees are less likely to contribute creative ideas or go the extra mile to solve problems.
  • Lower Morale: Quiet quitting can create a negative atmosphere and spread to other employees.
  • Increased Turnover: While not immediate quitting, it can be a precursor to employees actively seeking new opportunities.

How Employers Can Address Quiet Quitting

Instead of viewing quiet quitting as a negative trend, employers should see it as an opportunity to improve the employee experience:

  • Clear Job Expectations: ensure job descriptions are accurate and clearly define responsibilities.
  • Regular Feedback and Recognition: Provide frequent feedback, both positive and constructive, and recognise employees’ contributions.
  • Promote Work

    Keep reading

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