Wikivoyage:COVID-19 message

Greetings, Wikivoyagers. In light of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, we want to update you on the latest steps Wikivoyage is taking.

We at Wikivoyage are passionate about travel. But we also recognise that the most important thing right now is, as much as possible, to slow the spread and mitigate the impact of the virus. And we understand that part of the reality of the fight against the virus is that for now, unnecessary travel is irresponsible and increasingly impossible. Over the past months, our community has been discussing how best to proceed with our mission of serving travellers amidst the current world situation.

We have a page with information about the pandemic. Again, please do everything you can to avoid travel during this pandemic, but if travel is unavoidable, our article is a comprehensive source of information on the pandemic as it pertains to travellers, including what to do to prevent infection and what to do if you do get infected. This information is being continuously updated as the situation progresses.

On our Main Page, you'll find links to our current Destination of the Month, Off the Beaten Path, and Featured Travel Topic articles. Our intention is to continue displaying these articles as normal, including promoting them on our Facebook page. Importantly, our intention is NOT to promote the idea of actually visiting any of these places now or in the near-term future. The primary purpose of our Featured Articles is, and always has been, to highlight the hard work of our dedicated team of travel writers by presenting our readers with the best-quality articles Wikivoyage has to offer. We are proud of the fact that our Featured Articles have served over the years as the inspiration for some truly fantastic travel adventures, and we hope that our readers are equally inspired by the articles we have in store for the coming months, but, once again, we implore you to please put off any unnecessary travel for the time being. These places will still be there waiting for you after the pandemic has passed - and given the grave impact that the pandemic is having on the travel industry and local economies, your patronage as a visitor will likely be more welcome than ever.

Another reason why we will continue to display our Featured Articles is because we recognize that the stress of constant bombardment with news and information during this scary time, combined with the isolation that comes with social distancing and lockdown, are having and will continue to have a real effect on people's mental health. We want you to stay up-to-date as the situation evolves, but we also understand the value of taking your mind off things from time to time. Even if right now you can't get away from it all to your favorite sun-soaked tropical isle in a literal sense, you can still "travel the world" virtually just by reading through our latest Featured Article, or any of our other articles.

Wikivoyage is the free, non-commercial, worldwide travel guide for everyone. That means you. And from the bottom of our hearts, we want to sincerely thank you for making us your most trusted source for travel information. We love travel, we know you love travel, and we intend to continue to be at your service for years and years to come. All things must pass, as they say; the coronavirus will too, and we all hope to be able to resume our normal lives and our normal travels as quickly as possible. But for now, please stay well, please stay informed, please heed the recommendations of your local authorities and medical experts, and please take care of yourselves, your loved ones, and your neighbors.

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