0:00:02 > 0:00:04This year marks the 100th anniversary of the start
0:00:04 > 0:00:07of the First World War. But with no veterans still living,
0:00:07 > 0:00:11is it now OK to call places like THIS a tourist attraction?
0:00:36 > 0:00:37Coming up on the show -
0:00:37 > 0:00:40we visit the battlefields of Belgium to ask
0:00:40 > 0:00:43if there's a fine line between commemoration and cashing in.
0:00:46 > 0:00:50We visit a mysterious underwater world off the coast of Mexico.
0:00:51 > 0:00:56We head to Rome, to find out why any time is espresso time in Italy.
0:00:56 > 0:00:58This is really special.
0:00:58 > 0:01:03And we go backstage at the first-ever German production
0:01:03 > 0:01:06of box-office smash War Horse in Berlin.
0:01:15 > 0:01:17Looking at the grand cathedral spires
0:01:17 > 0:01:20and Renaissance-style squares of Ypres in Belgium,
0:01:20 > 0:01:24you would never know that this town was razed to the ground
0:01:24 > 0:01:26during the First World War.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34Today it has become a major centre for war tourism.
0:01:36 > 0:01:38In July this year, the world will commemorate
0:01:38 > 0:01:42the 100th anniversary of the beginning of the war.
0:01:42 > 0:01:46And this place is busy preparing for its time in the spotlight.
0:01:47 > 0:01:52Ypres will be a hive of activity throughout this commemorative year.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55They are expecting to receive around half a million visitors.
0:01:55 > 0:01:57With an influx of tourists THAT big,
0:01:57 > 0:02:00for local businesses that means a huge opportunity.
0:02:07 > 0:02:11The First World War raged across Europe and the world
0:02:11 > 0:02:13from 1914 to 1918.
0:02:16 > 0:02:18Both the German and Allied forces dug in
0:02:18 > 0:02:22and fought a slow-moving, brutal war from frontline trenches.
0:02:24 > 0:02:28Flanders saw some of the heaviest fighting during the war.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31And millions lost their lives here.
0:02:31 > 0:02:34This is part of a trench system that stretched all the way
0:02:34 > 0:02:38from here in Belgium, down to the Swiss border.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42So this is a German trench built in 1917.
0:02:43 > 0:02:47It's German because, for instance, the wattle-work.
0:02:47 > 0:02:51'Archaeologist Marc De Wilde has been involved in the excavation
0:02:51 > 0:02:55'of trenches in the region, some of which are now open to tourists.'
0:02:55 > 0:03:00Archaeology brings daily life in the trenches much more than,
0:03:00 > 0:03:03for instance, in the written material...
0:03:03 > 0:03:05So, with all the finds we have,
0:03:05 > 0:03:09we really can imagine how they lived.
0:03:09 > 0:03:12- A pretty grim reality, I imagine. - Yes.
0:03:12 > 0:03:17If you see the damage done to the trenches by shelling,
0:03:17 > 0:03:22and if you imagine that there's soldiers standing over there,
0:03:22 > 0:03:27so you almost experience how life was in these trenches.
0:03:27 > 0:03:29Is there a danger, do you think,
0:03:29 > 0:03:33that it could become over-commercialised, this event?
0:03:33 > 0:03:37There is always a danger, I think, but it's all about remembrance
0:03:37 > 0:03:41and respect for the soldiers who died.
0:03:41 > 0:03:45This should be the focus of this centennial.
0:03:50 > 0:03:54Most tourists coming to this region are looking to the past,
0:03:54 > 0:03:57but in Ypres, the focus is very much on the present
0:03:57 > 0:03:59and the commercial opportunities
0:03:59 > 0:04:01that the 100th anniversary will bring.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04The In Flanders Fields Museum has been refurbished,
0:04:04 > 0:04:07increasing its exhibition space by 50%.
0:04:07 > 0:04:11Local hotels are expanding, 20 new B&Bs have opened...
0:04:11 > 0:04:12Good morning!
0:04:12 > 0:04:16- Hello!- How are you today? - Very well, thank you. Gloves off.
0:04:17 > 0:04:22'And tour operators like Carl Ooghe are anticipating a major boost.
0:04:22 > 0:04:26What we have seen over the last year is a steady increase of visitors.
0:04:26 > 0:04:28For a long time it was World War II
0:04:28 > 0:04:30that overshadowed the First World War,
0:04:30 > 0:04:34and now it is getting the attention that it really deserves.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38Here is a typical souvenir shop.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41We can see all the cups,
0:04:41 > 0:04:46the cats, ashtrays with poppies, gin.
0:04:47 > 0:04:51For some, however, the idea of making a commercial enterprise
0:04:51 > 0:04:55based on such a tragic event is disrespectful.
0:04:55 > 0:04:57It's amazing what people come up with.
0:04:57 > 0:05:01Suddenly we see an overload of poppy products
0:05:01 > 0:05:05and souvenir products that, to me, is a little bit over the top.
0:05:06 > 0:05:10But some local shopkeepers believe selling these products can be
0:05:10 > 0:05:11an act of charity.
0:05:11 > 0:05:15We sell the poppies because... it's a soft filling of caramel
0:05:15 > 0:05:18and chocolate and we do it specially
0:05:18 > 0:05:22because it's... part of this goes to charity
0:05:22 > 0:05:24so that's a strong symbol
0:05:24 > 0:05:27and we like to keep it very respectful.
0:05:29 > 0:05:30The question is,
0:05:30 > 0:05:34can this town capitalise on the opportunities the anniversary brings
0:05:34 > 0:05:37without selling out its important commemorative role?
0:05:43 > 0:05:46One group believes they have struck this delicate balance.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53Dressing in First World War uniforms,
0:05:53 > 0:05:55Jan Verdoodt and his group guide tourists
0:05:55 > 0:05:58around sites of key battles in the area.
0:05:58 > 0:06:01People nowadays do not know how
0:06:01 > 0:06:03a soldier was dressed in that way.
0:06:03 > 0:06:05There are a lot of myths about soldiers,
0:06:05 > 0:06:08especially young kids come here and want to play Rambo.
0:06:08 > 0:06:10We can show them, "No, it was not like that.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13"This is his backpack, this is the way he had to cook here,
0:06:13 > 0:06:15"to clean his rifle."
0:06:18 > 0:06:21The centenary offers a great chance for education,
0:06:21 > 0:06:25but the line between remembering and exploiting remains blurred.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28Still, it turns out this is nothing new.
0:06:29 > 0:06:36In 1917, Michelin already printed a guide of the battlefields,
0:06:36 > 0:06:39so it's existing as long as the war is existing.
0:06:44 > 0:06:46Well, if you're thinking of coming to Belgium or France
0:06:46 > 0:06:49to mark the anniversary, here are some travel tips.
0:06:51 > 0:06:54Tip one, if you're hoping to trace a relative who took part
0:06:54 > 0:06:58in the Great War, then do some homework before you go.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01A good starting place is the Commonwealth War Graves Commission,
0:07:01 > 0:07:03which holds the most comprehensive record of war dead.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06As well as helping you locate the grave,
0:07:06 > 0:07:10sites like this can sometimes reveal new details about the individual.
0:07:13 > 0:07:15Tip two, if you are in Belgium in July,
0:07:15 > 0:07:18and you are a sporting fan, then head to Ypres.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21Stage five of the Tour de France will start in the city
0:07:21 > 0:07:23for the first time, to commemorate the centenary,
0:07:23 > 0:07:25before finishing back in France.
0:07:27 > 0:07:30Tip three, before making the trip to France or Belgium,
0:07:30 > 0:07:33see if there are any events happening closer to home.
0:07:33 > 0:07:35If you are based in the UK, for example,
0:07:35 > 0:07:38check out the Imperial War Museum in London, which reopens in July
0:07:38 > 0:07:43after six months of renovations, with new First World War galleries.
0:07:43 > 0:07:45Another bonus, entrance is free.
0:07:50 > 0:07:51Still to come...
0:07:51 > 0:07:54It's got to be one of the natural wonders of the world.
0:07:54 > 0:07:56To see those stalagmites and stalactites
0:07:56 > 0:07:58that have been there millions of years.
0:07:58 > 0:08:04We explore this eerie, cavernous world off the coast of Mexico.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07But first, this week's travel update.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10Greece is anticipating a record arrival of tourists
0:08:10 > 0:08:12for the second year running,
0:08:12 > 0:08:16with revenues expecting to reach 13 billion euros.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19Income from visitors in 2013 helped the country, which has been ravaged
0:08:19 > 0:08:26by recession, post its first surplus since it began keeping data in 1948.
0:08:26 > 0:08:30Tourism, Greece's biggest earner, rose 15% last year.
0:08:30 > 0:08:34The Altamira cave complex in Spain's Cantabria region
0:08:34 > 0:08:37has opened to visitors for the first time in 12 years.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40Small groups will be given a tour of the cave,
0:08:40 > 0:08:43kitted out in special clothing and masks.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46The cave, which is covered in paintings
0:08:46 > 0:08:48dated between 14,000 and 20,000 years ago,
0:08:48 > 0:08:52was made a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1985.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57Brazilian authorities have asked sports giant Adidas
0:08:57 > 0:08:59to stop selling controversial T-shirts
0:08:59 > 0:09:01ahead of this year's World Cup,
0:09:01 > 0:09:04for fears they promote sexual tourism.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07One of the shirts read, "Looking to score?"
0:09:07 > 0:09:08next to a scantily clad woman.
0:09:08 > 0:09:12Brazil has said it is trying to distance itself from the sexual
0:09:12 > 0:09:15stereotypes that have marked the country for decades.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18The Burmese government has announced plans to repair
0:09:18 > 0:09:20the country's longest teakwood bridge.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23Mandalay's U Bein Bridge, which is over 100 years old,
0:09:23 > 0:09:25sees heavy foot traffic daily,
0:09:25 > 0:09:28and the government believes replacing the rotting wooden pillars
0:09:28 > 0:09:32with concrete ones would give the bridge more longevity.
0:09:32 > 0:09:34Archaeologist and historians have said the teak bridge is
0:09:34 > 0:09:37a major part of the country's heritage.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48After weeks on the road, we finally made it to Rome.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54A place where food, drink and taking it easy are top priorities.
0:09:56 > 0:09:58The Italians seem to have life all figured out.
0:09:58 > 0:10:00Ciao!
0:10:10 > 0:10:12Ciao!
0:10:23 > 0:10:25Pizza bianco, per favore.
0:10:31 > 0:10:32Ah, grazie!
0:10:45 > 0:10:46Ciao!
0:11:16 > 0:11:18Ciao!
0:11:32 > 0:11:34My new favourite after-dinner drink.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51Come on, come on, please.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05Still to come on The Travel Show...
0:12:07 > 0:12:10Find out how the award-winning War Horse
0:12:10 > 0:12:12was adapted for the German stage.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21The Travel Show - your essential guide, wherever you're heading.
0:12:33 > 0:12:35They're called Cenotes.
0:12:35 > 0:12:37Once living coral reefs,
0:12:37 > 0:12:40now underground labyrinths of limestone,
0:12:40 > 0:12:43eroded over millions of years,
0:12:43 > 0:12:45creating a stunning subterranean wonder
0:12:45 > 0:12:48of stalactites and stalagmites.
0:12:51 > 0:12:55Mexico's is the largest underwater cave system anywhere in the world.
0:12:58 > 0:13:02These Cenotes form part of the very fabric of the Yucatan Peninsula,
0:13:02 > 0:13:04extraordinary water-filled caverns
0:13:04 > 0:13:09that continue to give up the secrets of Mexico's ancient history,
0:13:09 > 0:13:13as well as providing an exciting and growing form of tourism.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18'Divers kit up a short distance from the Cenotes.'
0:13:19 > 0:13:22Carefully walking down this way, OK?
0:13:22 > 0:13:26Don't put the things on here because it's more effort...
0:13:26 > 0:13:28'For safety reasons,
0:13:28 > 0:13:32'guides are required to have full cave-diving qualifications,
0:13:32 > 0:13:36'even though we'll only be diving the larger, less-restricted caverns.'
0:13:40 > 0:13:44Dive guides lead the way through a series of openings,
0:13:44 > 0:13:47gradually dropping deeper into the Cenotes,
0:13:47 > 0:13:52always following the orange guide ropes to avoid getting lost.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57In some areas the crystal-clear fresh water
0:13:57 > 0:13:59meets the more dense saltwater,
0:13:59 > 0:14:01penetrating from the sea,
0:14:01 > 0:14:03creating a blurry halocline,
0:14:03 > 0:14:06making everything look eerily out of focus.
0:14:12 > 0:14:16This is as far as recreational divers are allowed to go.
0:14:16 > 0:14:20Beyond this point, the cave systems, which can go on for miles,
0:14:20 > 0:14:22are far too dangerous.
0:14:25 > 0:14:27Returning through the wider openings,
0:14:27 > 0:14:30the stalactites and stalagmites,
0:14:30 > 0:14:33some of the largest submerged formations in the world,
0:14:33 > 0:14:36give the Cenotes a cathedral-like quality.
0:14:53 > 0:14:57Not surprisingly, visitors are left with a sense of wonderment.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03It's got to be one of the natural wonders of the world
0:15:03 > 0:15:06to see those stalagmites and stalactites,
0:15:06 > 0:15:10they've been there millions of years and they're just frozen in time.
0:15:10 > 0:15:14It's beautiful, it's gorgeous. I've never seen anything like it, ever.
0:15:18 > 0:15:22In recent years the Cenotes have become a major draw for tourists,
0:15:22 > 0:15:26as well as cave-divers and scientists.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31This in turn has led to more and more discoveries
0:15:31 > 0:15:35about the unique history of the peninsula and its people.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41Carmen Rojas is an underwater archaeologist
0:15:41 > 0:15:45who specialises in the Cenotes.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49Among her discoveries in the caves around Tulum
0:15:49 > 0:15:50are a human skull,
0:15:50 > 0:15:54one of many from the ancient Mayan civilisation,
0:15:54 > 0:15:58a people who regarded the Cenotes as a sacred underworld.
0:16:00 > 0:16:02Other extraordinary finds
0:16:02 > 0:16:04include the skeleton of a boy
0:16:04 > 0:16:07believed to be more than 10,000 years old,
0:16:07 > 0:16:10one of the oldest found in the Americas -
0:16:10 > 0:16:15artefacts which make the cave systems an important national treasure.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20We are trying to tell to the rest of the world
0:16:20 > 0:16:22why we should protect this.
0:16:22 > 0:16:26Not only because it's beautiful and we love it,
0:16:26 > 0:16:29but because it contains a lot of history
0:16:29 > 0:16:31and, moreover, modern history.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34We are like a lab in the present in this area.
0:16:36 > 0:16:38It's reckoned there could be
0:16:38 > 0:16:41between 5,000 and 7,000 of these cave systems.
0:16:41 > 0:16:43No-one knows for sure.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47New ones are being discovered all the time,
0:16:47 > 0:16:50but there does now seem to be a stronger desire
0:16:50 > 0:16:54to put in place better protection for these archaeological jewels
0:16:54 > 0:16:56of the Yucatan Peninsula.
0:17:10 > 0:17:12# If you gave me a chance I would take it... #
0:17:12 > 0:17:14Next up, let's head to Berlin
0:17:14 > 0:17:16which, in the past 20 years,
0:17:16 > 0:17:20has gone from being a divided city to a reunited capital,
0:17:20 > 0:17:23home to a vibrant contemporary arts scene,
0:17:23 > 0:17:27and one of Europe's most prestigious film festivals.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32But it's a ground-breaking theatrical event
0:17:32 > 0:17:34focusing on the First World War
0:17:34 > 0:17:37that's been making headlines recently.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40The Travel Show had an exclusive backstage pass.
0:17:49 > 0:17:53I'm Silke, I'm playing in this theatre right next to us,
0:17:53 > 0:17:54in the Theatre des Westens,
0:17:54 > 0:17:57the German version of War Horse -
0:17:57 > 0:18:00and, as we call it, Gefahrten.
0:18:05 > 0:18:07Kavallerist Albert Narracott, Sergeant.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10'It's a story in the First World War,
0:18:10 > 0:18:14'so you can see the German and English soldiers
0:18:14 > 0:18:17'fighting against each other.
0:18:17 > 0:18:19'And with this horse
0:18:19 > 0:18:21'as an innocent creature
0:18:21 > 0:18:23'going through this war.'
0:18:23 > 0:18:27This is really special and to make theatre like that -
0:18:27 > 0:18:29'we call it event theatre -
0:18:29 > 0:18:33'with this subject, this has never happened before.'
0:18:37 > 0:18:41'When I saw it in London, I didn't really get
0:18:41 > 0:18:44'what this means for Germans.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47'Now, as I'm here in Berlin playing this play,
0:18:47 > 0:18:49'every day it's really
0:18:49 > 0:18:52'something very, very special to me.'
0:18:54 > 0:18:57'It is time now, after 100 years,'
0:18:57 > 0:18:59that we go back in history
0:18:59 > 0:19:01and look at where the wars began
0:19:01 > 0:19:04and where this industrially...
0:19:04 > 0:19:08Machines started in the war
0:19:08 > 0:19:09'that really make it so cruel.
0:19:09 > 0:19:14'Because before the First World War it never had so much soldiers dead.'
0:19:23 > 0:19:25So these are my costumes,
0:19:25 > 0:19:28because I'm not only playing Rose,
0:19:28 > 0:19:31I'm also playing three different soldiers -
0:19:31 > 0:19:34a German soldier
0:19:34 > 0:19:35and two British soldiers.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41This is also me. This is...
0:19:41 > 0:19:44We call it the Burned Wounded.
0:19:48 > 0:19:53'A lot of thought has gone into how people would react,
0:19:53 > 0:19:55'how people would see things,
0:19:55 > 0:19:59'and trying to be very, very mindful
0:19:59 > 0:20:02'of what it means'
0:20:02 > 0:20:06to bring an anti-war story into...
0:20:06 > 0:20:09a country that has...
0:20:09 > 0:20:11a particular history.
0:20:12 > 0:20:16To me, it's also about... there are no winners in war.
0:20:16 > 0:20:22You don't see the good...English and the bad Germans,
0:20:22 > 0:20:26on every side, there are people good and bad.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32The interesting thing about this part for me
0:20:32 > 0:20:35is that usually in the TV, in the cinema,
0:20:35 > 0:20:39we Germans are used to seeing a German guy related to the war
0:20:39 > 0:20:41as a really bad guy.
0:20:41 > 0:20:45And it was very clever that they changed my part
0:20:45 > 0:20:48so that he polarises the public.
0:20:48 > 0:20:51He has two faces, he has the bad face, really,
0:20:51 > 0:20:55but he also helps other guys in the war.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58It surprises to see it in another way.
0:21:07 > 0:21:10OK, it's now about five minutes before the show
0:21:10 > 0:21:12and I have to get backstage.
0:21:12 > 0:21:14Bye.
0:21:25 > 0:21:27'People watching this show
0:21:27 > 0:21:30'seem to be very moved.'
0:21:31 > 0:21:35I've seen a man sitting in the first row and he was about 80,
0:21:35 > 0:21:39so he has the experience of a world war
0:21:39 > 0:21:41and he was...
0:21:41 > 0:21:43He was crying...
0:21:44 > 0:21:46Even to me this is...
0:21:55 > 0:22:00This is... My father's about 83 now and...
0:22:00 > 0:22:03this drama of this...
0:22:03 > 0:22:07This trauma of these world wars
0:22:07 > 0:22:10is so with us.
0:22:10 > 0:22:11With me.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14And people can feel that.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31That was behind the scenes at the German production of War Horse,
0:22:31 > 0:22:34which is booking between now and September in Berlin.
0:22:34 > 0:22:36Well, that's it from us in Belgium.
0:22:36 > 0:22:40Thanks so much for joining us, and here's where we're off to next week.
0:22:43 > 0:22:46Join us next week, when Henry meets a survival expert in Thailand
0:22:46 > 0:22:50to get tips on how to get through a night alone and lost in the jungle.
0:22:53 > 0:22:55You just have to psych yourself into thinking, "This is OK.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58"I'm just camping with not a lot of kit."
0:22:58 > 0:23:00THEY LAUGH
0:23:05 > 0:23:07So, do join us if you can. And in the meantime,
0:23:07 > 0:23:11don't forget you can keep up with us while we're on the road in real time
0:23:11 > 0:23:13if you follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
0:23:13 > 0:23:15For now, from me, Christa Larwood,
0:23:15 > 0:23:17and all of the team here, in Belgium,
0:23:17 > 0:23:19including my broken brolly, it's goodbye.