It's hard to think of a movie with a more appropriate name for things going wrong than 'The Fall of The Roman Empire.' When Rome fell all those years ago, it was the end of a great era, and so it proved to be the case for Samuel Bronston Productions, who made the unwise decision to bankroll this box office disaster in 1964. This movie had Sophia Loren, Alec Guinness, and Christopher Plummer. It would seem someone within the studio thought that with so much star power, they didn't need to worry about the plot. They were wrong.
'The Fall of The Roman Empire' was billed as a historical drama, and yet somehow, despite the scale and depth of the subject matter, the writers forgot to include any drama on screen. It bored its way to terrible reviews, and the public decided to give it a miss. Making the movie cost $19m in 1964. Adjusted for inflation, that would be around $164m today. It made back barely a quarter of that budget. Samuel Bronston Productions didn't have another $15m to cover the loss, and never made another film.
Wondering where to go in 2020 for an amazing deal, to beat the crowds, or for a truly once-in-a-lifetime travel experience? These destinations are on travel addicts’ radar for rightfully hyped 2020 events, new offerings, and recent developments that make them a must-visit right now.
On top of the majestic scenery its long been known for, Montana is a newly trendy nature getaway celebrated for its expanding luxury hotel scene, culinary offerings, and shop-local boutiques, according to an American Express study detailing where cardholders are traveling in 2020. But Montana is also about to get more accessible than ever before thanks to emerging flight routes sure to stir up competition. Launching two brand-new seasonal routes to Big Sky country, American Airlines will fly from New York’s LaGuardia Airport to Bozeman and Kalispell, Montana, beginning mid-year and continuing through Labor Day. Take advantage of the new direct route before the secret gets out, and so that they’ll continue next year.
One of the cities featured in Booking.com’s travel trends for 2020, Urugay’s capital Montevideo is a stable and LGBT-friendly destination to visit in South America—a continent that’s seen dips in tourism of late thanks to political instability in travel destinations like Brazil, Chile, and Argentina. Travelers identified the city as a trending travel destination for anyone seeking an immersive, one-stop escape; according to the study, “over half (54 percent) of global travelers say they want to go on one long trip to a place that has all of their favorite activities and sights close together.” Montevideo’s offerings include beaches, nightlife, markets, theaters, culinary prowess, and festive Gay Pride Day celebrations in September.
Europe’s intensely overtouristed spots (Venice, Barcelona, Santorini) have new Eastern European hotspots to thank for stealing away some of the spotlight: Romania is making a name for itself as one of the top five most trending Airbnb booking destinations for 2020. The nation that’s home to Transylvania, Dracula’s castle, and well-preserved medieval towns nestled among rolling hills has seen a 298 percent annual increase in Airbnb bookings.