The news last week that Cubans have seized the opportunity to travel more in the wake of an easing of restrictions got us thinking here at Travel about how much New Zealanders take jetsetting for granted.
It's ironic, of course, that many Kiwis are eyeing Cuba as a holiday destinationat the moment for the same reason.
The number of the communist country's residents heading abroad has surged by 23.7 per cent, with 355,000 travelling recreationally in 2014, up from 287,000 the year before.
In comparison, figures from Statistics New Zealand showed that more than 251,200 Kiwis set off on overseas trips last month alone (record figures), up 18,100 (8 per cent) from July 2014. Kiwi residents departed on 2.35 million overseas trips in the year to July, an increase of 120,700 (5 per cent) from last year.
We Kiwis are an intrepid lot, born partly of a complex from our grass-is-greener lonely position at the bottom of the world, and I reckon it's something to be thankful for. My godson, 5, has already been to Europe three times (his dad is Danish), while my goddaughter moved to Hong Kong before she was 2 and now speaks Mandarin as well as a bit of Tagalog. Such lucky kids.
Seeing other cultures not only educates and inspires you but teaches you empathy for those less fortunate, and also makes you grateful for what we have here at home.
It's great that it's now easier for the people of Cuba to get out and see the world, and even better that they're embracing the chance to do so.
