Latest news with #InsureandGo
Otago Daily Times
25-07-2025
- Otago Daily Times
Dinosaur ranking not what it seems
A Dunedin museum has landed in second place on a global list of the top 25 dinosaur museums, despite not actually housing any dinosaurs. Enthusiasm for Jurassic World Rebirth , the latest instalment of the dinosaur film franchise, highlights continuing interest in ancient bones. Tapping into fossil fascination, United Kingdom travel company InsureandGo last month conducted research into more than 200,000 visitor reviews to uncover the world's highest-rated natural history museums offering dinosaur exhibits. The rankings were based on the percentage of 4- and 5-star reviews. The top-ranked dinosaur museum was Drumheller, Canada, with over 97% of its reviews rated four or five stars. Dunedin's Tūhura Otago Museum came in second with four- or five-star ratings of more than 96%, closely followed by the Oxford University Museum of Natural History with a fraction over 96%. Tūhura Otago Museum houses New Zealand's largest fossil plesiosaur and one of the world's finest collections of moa remains — a giant flightless bird endemic to New Zealand that went extinct about 600 years ago. Marketing manager Charlie Buchan said confusion about whether the museum housed dinosaurs may stem from reviews that mention its plesiosaur. "People tend to think plesiosaurs are dinosaurs because they lived during the same era, but technically they are marine reptiles, not dinosaurs." Wellington's Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa also made the list in fifth place, meaning two New Zealand museums were in the top 10. Its collection includes one of the earliest recognised dinosaur fossils — an iguanodontid tooth discovered in a Sussex quarry that is 132 million to 137 million years old. InsureandGo communications manager Letitia Smith said people travelled for many different reasons: sampling new dishes, swimming in turquoise waters or exploring unique cultures. "For many people, that includes visiting a fascinating destination, like a dinosaur museum." With the new Jurassic Park movie in theatres, it had wanted to highlight the museums that truly captured the awe of natural history, based on real visitor reviews. To calculate the top 25 museums, InsureandGo conducted independent analysis using publicly available online review data. It looked at the number of 4- and 5-star reviews for 100 of the most prominent dinosaur and natural history museums globally, comparing those against the total number of reviews to calculate the percentage. Museums with fewer than 1000 total reviews were excluded to ensure fairness. If holiday plans took visitors near the listed museums, it was the perfect chance to experience some of the world's most top-rated prehistory, she said.
Scotsman
24-07-2025
- Scotsman
Under water by 2050: Scottish holidaymakers fear impact of climate change on holiday hotspots by the sea
Climate change isn't just about the heat; it's also impacting on rising sea levels – which would also impact holiday choices in the future. A new national poll of 2,000 adults by travel insurance provider InsureandGo reveals that 70% of Scottish holidaymakers think one or more popular holiday destinations will be under water by 2050 – as a direct result of the climate emergency and its impact on rising water levels (up from 65% in 2023). Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Everyone knows the issues with Venice and rising sea levels, but people are increasingly concerned that the struggles faced by the floating city will soon be faced by the Maldives, Florida Keys, The Seychelles and Amsterdam – with rising sea levels, putting top holiday destinations at risk. Of those Scottish holidaymakers that were worried about climate emergency and its impact on rising water levels, the top 10 places they feared would be underwater by 2050 included: Under water by 2050 Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Garry Nelson Venice 68% The Maldives 20% Florida Keys 24% Amsterdam 23% Seychelles 20% New Orleans 19% London 14% The Bahamas 10% Bangkok 9% Barbados 9% The under 35s were the age group most likely to fear the prospect of one or more popular holiday destinations being under water by 2050 (rising from 66% to 83% in just two years). The InsureandGo research highlights a correlation between people worrying about this issue and sustainability now becoming a bigger priority in shaping their overall holiday planning. Overall, 83% of people that say sustainability is now a priority when planning a holiday cite concern over the possibility of popular holiday destinations being underwater by 2050. In addition to concern over the impact of climate change on rising sea levels, Scottish holidaymakers are also concerned about the prospect of extreme heat effectively ruling out some countries for overseas summer holidays in the years ahead. Across Scotland, 77% of adults feared some countries would be too hot to visit in five years' time. Too hot to visit in the next five years Spain 41% Turkey 38% Greece 38% Cyprus 30% Italy 25% Portugal 23% Malta 22% Croatia 8% Bulgaria 8% France 7% Garry Nelson, Head of Corporate Affairs at InsureandGo commented: 'In recent summers we have all experienced the impact of soaring summer temperatures, which this summer has resulted in many Scottish holidaymakers fearing parts of Europe that might be too hot to visit within the next five years. Another consequence of climate change is the impact on rising sea levels. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad "We are all aware of the ongoing challenges Venice has been through to keep the city above water - and our study suggests many other top tourist hotspots could face similar challenges in the years ahead. The combined prospect of extreme weather and rising sea levels could change the world map for holiday makers. 'Though the picture may seem worrying now, that is why it is so important to get a collective handle on climate change and all take small, practical steps to be friendly to the environment with our holiday planning. At InsureandGo, we want to help people go abroad without the doubt.
New York Post
13-07-2025
- New York Post
This commonly used item is 58 times dirtier than a public toilet seat — beware the next time you go to use it
That's gross. It's hard to believe that there is something dirtier than a public toilet bowl — but there is, and it's something that travelers use several times a year. The wheels of a suitcase are a breeding ground for bacteria, carrying nearly 58 times more than the place where people publicly relieve themselves, according to a study conducted by insurance company Insure and Go. Advertisement Your luggage is carrying around a gross amount of bacteria KaysArt – Insure and Go partnered with microbiologist Amy-May Pointer to swab the wheels and the base of both hard and soft-shell suitcases at an airport train station. Their findings revealed that several different types of bacteria live on the majority of travelers' suitcases — Staphylococcus species, which is a common skin bacterium, Serratia marcescens, usually found in bathrooms and Aspergillus species, which are described by the research team as 'black fuzzy molds.' Advertisement 'The microbial communities found on the suitcases included skin bacteria, environmental moulds, and some faecal-associated germs amongst others,' said Pointer, according to Insure and Go. Most of these organisms are not highly dangerous in everyday settings, but they form a film of general filth. This explains that grimy feel or musty odour luggage can get after multiple trips.' Now, knowing this, think of all the places that your suitcase, which has been carrying around all this gross bacteria, has touched. Gross. Advertisement 'The key point is that microbes were very diverse, reflecting all the places the luggage had been. It reinforces the recommendation to keep luggage away from clean surfaces like beds and to deep clean it occasionally,' the expert advised. To clean a soft or hard-shell piece of luggage, the Wire Cutter team recommends wiping it down with either an alcohol wipe or mixing dish soap with water and using a rag to wipe it clean. It's recommended to wipe down your luggage after every use. triocean – To clean the dirty wheels, first get rid of any hair or carpet fibers stuck using scissors before wiping them down with an all-purpose cleaner. Advertisement It's recommended to clean your suitcase after every trip and 'If you want to go the extra mile, consider using a washable suitcase cover, or even slip shower caps over the wheels when bringing it inside,' Pointer suggested. 'It might sound silly, but covering those wheels can stop them from spreading bacteria across your carpet or bedding. You could be protecting your sheets from the kind of microbes that include skin-irritating bacteria like Staphylococcus species.' Suitcases aren't the only commonly used bacteria-filled things. $100 bills have Staphylococcus bacteria, smartphones can carry a variety of bacteria and public toilet seats can contain E. coli growth, according to researcher Amani Abdlrasul, who works as a medical laboratory scientist in Tampa, Florida.
The National
12-07-2025
- The National
The Scottish museum named one of the world's best
The National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh was named alongside other popular international spots like the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology in Canada, which was crowned the best. To create the ranking, the researchers trawled through 200,000 visitor reviews to find the world's top-rated. Discussing the Scottish spot, which was ranked number seven in the world, InsureandGo said: "The museum displays Dolly the sheep, which is the first mammal ever cloned from an adult cell, and visitors can even enjoy panoramic views of Edinburgh from its rooftop terrace. "The Victorian building is over 150 years old and offers dinosaur-themed workshops for schools, as well as a dinosaur trail. "While there are fewer dinosaurs on offer here than some of the others in the global top 25, it earns its spot for its wide-ranging exhibits, from furniture to planes, to dinosaurs and fashion." The National Museum of Scotland named one of the best in the world for its dinosaur exhibits The museum in Scotland has received a lot of praise on Tripadvisor where users gave it 4.7/5 out of 22,590 reviews. One person dubbed it a "great place" to visit and commended its ability to keep their child occupied. They wrote: "Great place to visit, and it is completely free to go. "We spent hours in here, and our four-year-old loved it. Especially the interactive part in the science area and the explorer section, where the little ones can look for dino bones." One person who enjoyed the Scottish location warned others planning a visit to prepare for hours of walking. They added: "Free and full of history, the National Museum of Scotland features a diverse number of displays (dino skeletons, Tibetan prayer wheels, medieval tapestries, and more). Recommended Reading: "Wear comfortable shoes and plan to stay at least half a day to get acquainted with the layout. I went from opening until lunch the first day, and again the next day, and still did not see it all!" A third person penned: "There was everything from dinosaurs to traditional Mexican clothing to red telephone boxes and even a Lego display. Lovely little gift shop." Another simply added: "So huge, so much to do, full of beautiful exhibits."
Otago Daily Times
11-07-2025
- Otago Daily Times
Jurassic snafu ranks Otago 'dinosaur' second best in world
In a (pre)historic moment for Tūhura Otago Museum, its dinosaur exhibit has been ranked the second-best in the world. But it appears there is a "slight twist" to the accolade. The ranking comes from a study which analysed more than 200,000 TripAdvisor reviews of museums around the world, by travel insurance company InsureandGo. It found Tūhura Otago Museum had a 96.5% approval rating from visitors on TripAdvisor, because it was home to New Zealand's largest fossil — the Matakaea Shag Point Plesiosaur. The exhibit came in just behind the dinosaur exhibit at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles, and now both museums are getting a lot of global media attention from the rankings. Tūhura marketing manager Charlie Buchan said staff at the museum were "thrilled" with the global attention, but there was a problem. "There's a slight twist to this story. "The incredible creature that everyone was raving about on TripAdvisor is not actually a dinosaur." Mr Buchan said the plesiosaur was actually a marine reptile that lived at the same time as the dinosaurs, but was not officially classified as a dinosaur. "My mum always told me, 'don't let the facts get in the way of a good story'. "But working for a museum, we kind of have to," he said. "So, technically, I guess we're disqualified." Despite the jurassic snafu, Mr Buchan said the museum would still gladly take the international media coverage. "As I always say, any press is good press." The Matakaea Shag Point Plesiosaur fossil, named Kaiwhekea katiki, was discovered in 1983 by amateur palaeontologist Gary Raper, and is one of the most complete fossil finds in the country. It is 6.5m long, making it a mid-sized plesiosaur, which likely preyed on soft-bodied sea creatures such as squid and fish, using its sharp teeth and powerful jaws. Plesiosaurs were four-flippered reptiles with long necks and large forward-facing eyes, and were well-adapted to hunting in deep, low-light ocean environments. Mr Buchan said the fossil had been dated to about 74 million years, and was an extraordinary example of marine life from the Cretaceous period. So, while not technically a dinosaur, the plesiosaur continued to impress and inspire visitors from around the world, he said.
