Best printers for Home

Best Mixer Grinder

Best wired Earphones

Best 43 Inch TV in India

Best Wi Fi Routers

Best Home Theatre in India

Smart Watch under 5000

Best Laptops for Education

Best Laptop for Students

The Karnataka government is considering proposals to allow tents and <keyword id="21356640" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="alcohol-sales" source="keywords">alcohol sales</keyword> on the state's beaches, similar to <keyword id="19895061" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Goa" source="keywords">Goa</keyword>, in an effort to boost tourism. Speaking at the 'Connect 2024' event in <keyword id="19936741" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mangalore" source="keywords">Mangalore</keyword> on Wednesday, Rajendra K V, tourism department's director, emphasised that changes are necessary to attract tourists. "We need to relax restrictions on alcohol consumption along the beaches of Karnataka, which may bring more influx of tourists just like in the state of Goa," he added. According to him, to enhance safety and encourage people to spend more time at the beaches during the night, the department is contemplating the installation of additional lights along the coast. District officials have been instructed to identify government and private lands near beaches to promote <keyword id="23668481" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tent-tourism" source="keywords">tent tourism</keyword> in the state. Rajendra also revealed that a facilitation centre would soon be established to expedite approvals for tourism projects, including CRZ (<keyword id="20495401" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Coastal-Regulation-Zone" source="keywords">Coastal Regulation Zone</keyword>) permissions. He added that the new <keyword id="20021259" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tourism-policy" source="keywords">tourism policy</keyword> will include specific guidelines for coastal tourism. Deputy Commissioner of Dakshina Kannada, Mullai Muhilan, said tourists should be allowed access to beaches late at night. "Restaurant and licensed business operating hours in Mangalore city have already been extended to 1 am and the same should apply to the beaches as well," he added. He further stated that discussions would be held with the police department to resolve issues regarding the current restrictions on <keyword id="22266283" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="beach-access" source="keywords">beach access</keyword> after 9 pm and appropriate action would be taken.

Karnataka to go Goa way and allow alcohol sales in coastal cities to lure tourists

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Thousands protested against overtourism in Spain earlier this year, telling tourists to "go home."</li><li>Spain's tourism is still booming, with record numbers of international visitors.</li></ul>Protesters in Spain staged massive demonstrations against <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/overtourism-measures-limit-tourism-going-to-increase-venice-amsterdam-rome-2023-10">overtourism</a> this year that made headlines worldwide — especially after spraying tourists in Barcelona with water guns.But don't expect American visitors to the country to have heard about them, let alone to have altered their travel plans as a result.Spain recorded a record number of international tourists this summer, despite the mass demonstrations in places such as Barcelona, Mallorca, and Malaga throughout the year, according to data compiled by the Spanish government.The country recorded 10.9 million international visitors in July and August, a 7.3% increase from the same months in 2023, according to government <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.ine.es/dyngs/Prensa/en/FRONTUR0824.htm">data</a>. Spain's <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.ine.es/dyngs/Prensa/en/CTH0824.htm">National Statistics Institute</a> also said overnight hotel bookings were up 2.6% in August compared to 2023. In the first eight months of the year, overnight hotel stays were up a total of 5.6% from the year prior.A survey conducted by Mallorca's tourism board and released last month found 89% of US tourists were not even aware the protests occurred, according to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://skift.com/2024/09/26/mallorca-had-record-hotel-stays-despite-overtourism-protests/?utm_campaign=Newsletter%20%7C%20The%20Daily&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8fEz_JeOu4dKzkHPM3xPKv0uMPpuEp7GZSIuIFgPUYTxwg-jIPAR0YcLpnRkkdCC0zzoP6Kuh6qy4Z3N2e883I8qy9eQ&amp;_hsmi=326524474&amp;utm_content=326523580&amp;utm_source=hs_email">Skift</a>, a travel industry news site. The survey, which included 1,000 American respondents, found that nearly 70% of those who were aware of the protests said they did not impact their plans to visit the Spanish island. The board did not respond to a request for the survey from Business Insider.Spain is among the global destinations dealing with the impacts of overtourism, such as overcrowding, expensive housing, and high costs of living. The tourism protests intensified in April when an estimated 20,000 to 50,000 people in the Canary Islands demanded tourism limits be enacted. In July, thousands took to the streets of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/photos-of-protesters-rallying-against-overtourism-in-barcelona-2024-7">Barcelona to protest overtourism</a>, which many blamed for the high costs of living in the city. Demonstrators shot tourists with water guns and shouted at them to "go home."But that message alone is unlikely to be enough to significantly curb tourism numbers, according to Amir Eylon, president and CEO of Longwoods International, a market research consultancy that specializes in the travel tourism industry."When you are looking at where to go, where not to go, it's really the perception of safety that will drive that," Eylon told Business Insider of how tourists decide where to travel.Though the Spain protests made headlines, tourists were not physically harmed in a way that created a negative safety perception, which he said historically can have a significant impact on the number of tourists choosing to visit a destination.Spain, in particular, is a destination that many tourists plan and save for, he said, adding that tourists are unlikely to be deterred by these demonstrations, even if they do hear about them.The protests, however, could impact government policy in a way that may help curb or better manage tourism in the future, Eylon said.Officials in the Canary Islands said earlier this year that they planned to add additional limits and regulations to short-term rentals. Barcelona, which enacted a partial ban on short-term rentals in 2021, said in June it would <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/barcelona-airbnb-ban-florence-amsterdam-lisbon-are-regulations-working-2024-8">ban all short-term rentals</a> in the city by 2028.Eylon said every country and local jurisdiction typically requires a unique approach to managing the impacts of tourism, while still getting the economic benefits. In addition to short-term rental bans or limits, those measures could include visitor caps, increased tourism taxes, or initiatives to build more permanent housing.

Tourism in Spain is booming, despite protests that included spraying visitors with water guns 

<ul class="summary-list"><li>New Zealand will triple entry fees for foreign tourists starting in October.</li><li>It will now cost about $62, though Australians and some Pacific Islanders are exempt.</li></ul><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/new-zealand-best-ways-to-save-money-travel-tips-2023-12">New Zealand</a>'s government <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.mbie.govt.nz/immigration-and-tourism/tourism/tourism-funding/international-visitor-conservation-and-tourism-levy/what-is-the-ivl#:~:text=The%20IVL%20is%20a%20%2435,eligible%20visitor%20to%20New%20Zealand.">announced on Tuesday</a> that it will triple entry fees for foreign tourists starting in October.The International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL) for foreign tourists will increase from the current fee of NZD 35 (about $22 in US currency) to NZD 100 (about $62 in American money).<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.mbie.govt.nz/immigration-and-tourism/tourism/tourism-funding/international-visitor-conservation-and-tourism-levy">According to New Zealand's Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment, </a>the IVL exists to "address current challenges in the tourism and conservation systems," ensuring that New Zealanders do not "unduly bear" the costs associated with international visitors.The ministry noted that <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/new-zealand-adds-jobs-residency-fast-track-immigration-green-list-2023-9">New Zealand</a> has experienced a significant increase in international visitors in recent years, which it said has challenged the country's "infrastructure, environment, communities, and the social license for tourism to operate in certain areas."Australian citizens, people from certain Pacific Island nations, and those transiting through New Zealand are exempt from the fee.The IVL has been used to fund various tourism and conservation initiatives, including pest control, biodiversity investments, and enhancing visitor access to tourism sites.A <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.mbie.govt.nz/dmsdocument/28322-proposed-changes-to-the-international-visitor-conservation-and-tourism-levy-ivl">consultation held in June on proposed changes</a>, which included 1,100 submissions, found that 88% of submitters agreed that the current level of IVL revenue — about $50 million US — was insufficient to address issues facing tourism and conservation.Additionally, 93% of submitters agreed that the IVL fee should be increased, with a majority favoring the biggest price increase to NZD 100.According to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.mbie.govt.nz/immigration-and-tourism/tourism/tourism-funding/international-visitor-conservation-and-tourism-levy/what-is-the-ivl#:~:text=The%20IVL%20is%20a%20%2435,eligible%20visitor%20to%20New%20Zealand.">the Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment, the </a>increased IVL amount is expected to generate about $229 million in New Zealand currency yearly.A study published by<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.tourismnewzealand.com/assets/insights/industry-insights/Views-on-Tourism-New-Zealand-YE-Dec-23-EXTERNAL.pdf"> Tourism New Zealand</a> last year found that New Zealand residents felt that <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/barcelona-overtourism-making-it-impossible-to-live-there-local-says-2024-8">tourism</a> negatively impacted their communities through increased litter, difficulty finding parking, and heavier traffic.About two-thirds of those surveyed also expressed concerns about the impact of tourism on the environment.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.royalsociety.org.nz/assets/109-Alpha-Series-Tourism-and-the-environment.pdf">According to the Royal Society of New Zealand</a>, an independent non-profit that provides funding and policy advice on the region's science and technology, an influx of tourists can lead to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/popular-travel-destinations-fight-overtourism-unique-strategies-2024-7">overcrowding, </a>habitat destruction, wildlife disturbance, and noise pollution.While tourism contributes to 3.7% of New Zealand's economy, forming one of its main industries, it also directly impacts the country's natural landmarks.According to the country's <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.doc.govt.nz/globalassets/documents/conservation/human-values/nature-of-wellbeing-summary.pdf">Department of Conservation</a>, about 70% of all international trips involve some "nature-base" activities, such as hiking or visiting scenic natural attractions.The department noted in 2021 that increased tourism to Milford Sound-Piopiotahi, a fjord sometimes touted as the eighth wonder of the world, put it under "considerable stress." Funding from the IVL previously went toward <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.doc.govt.nz/news/media-releases/2021-media-releases/next-step-to-protect-milford-sound-piopiotahi/">a master plan for protecting it.</a>

Visiting New Zealand just got more expensive as the country triples tourism fee

New York [US], May 21 (ANI): International tourist arrivals and the <keyword id="2173225" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="travel-and-tourism" source="Orion">travel and tourism</keyword> sector's contribution to <keyword id="572312" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="global-GDP" source="Orion">global GDP</keyword> are expected to return to pre-pandemic levels this year, driven by the complete lifting of COVID-19-related <keyword id="19916662" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="travel" source="keywords">travel</keyword> restrictions and strong pent-up demand, as per the new <keyword id="20020435" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="World-Economic-Forum" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="World Economic Forum" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="World Economic Forum">World Economic Forum</keyword> travel and <keyword id="19997361" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tourism" source="keywords">tourism</keyword> study, released on Tuesday. Topping the 2024 list of economies are the US, Spain, Japan, France and Australia. The Middle East had the highest recovery rates in international tourist arrivals - 20 per cent above the 2019 level, while Europe, Africa and the US all showed a strong recovery of around 90 per cent in 2023. <keyword id="21745194" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Travel-and-Tourism-Development-Index-2024" source="Orion">Travel and Tourism Development Index 2024</keyword> (TTDI), a biennial report published in collaboration with the University of Surrey, analysed the travel and tourism sectors of 119 countries around a range of factors and policies. "This year marks a turning point for the travel and tourism sector, which we know has the capacity to unlock growth and serve communities through economic and social transformation," said Francisco Betti, Head of the Global Industries team at the World Economic Forum. "The report offers a forward-looking window into the current and future state of travel and tourism for leaders to navigate the latest trends in this complex sector and sustainably unlock its potential for communities and countries across the world." The <keyword id="840423" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="global-tourism" source="Orion">global tourism</keyword> industry is expected to recover from the lows of the COVID-19 pandemic and surpass the levels seen before the crisis. As per the report, this is largely being driven by a significant increase in demand worldwide, which has coincided with more available flights, better international openness, and increased interest and investment in natural and cultural attractions. However, the report painted that the global recovery has been mixed. While 71 of the 119 ranked economies increased their index scores since 2019. Although the sector has moved past the shock of the global health crisis, it continues to deal with other external challenges, from growing macroeconomic, geopolitical and environmental risks, to increased scrutiny of its sustainability practices. In addition, labour shortages are ongoing, and air route capacity, capital investment, productivity and other sector supply factors have not kept up with the increase in demand. This imbalance, worsened by global inflation, has increased prices and service issues. Out of the top 30 index scorers in 2024, 26 are high-income economies, 19 are based in Europe, seven are in Asia-Pacific, three are in the Americas and one (the United Arab Emirates) is in the Middle East and North Africa region (MENA). The top 10 countries in the 2024 edition are the United States, Spain, Japan, France, Australia, Germany, the United Kingdom, China, Italy and Switzerland. The results highlight that high-income economies generally continue to have more favourable conditions for travel and tourism development. This is helped by conducive business environments, dynamic labour markets, open travel policies, strong transport and tourism infrastructure, and well-developed natural, cultural and non-leisure attractions. "It's essential to bridge the divide between differing economies' ability to build a strong environment for their travel and tourism sector to thrive," said Iis Tussyadiah, Professor and Head of the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at the University of Surrey. "The sector has big potential to foster prosperity and mitigate global risks, but that potential can only be fully realized through a strategic and inclusive approach." If managed strategically, the travel and tourism sector - which has historically represented 10 per cent of global GDP and employment - has the potential to emerge as a key contributor to growth, it said. (ANI)

Worldwide tourism and its contribution to global GDP to return to pre-COVID levels this year: WEF study

<keyword id="19895063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="india" source="keywords">India</keyword>'s rank on the <keyword id="20020435" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="World-Economic-Forum" source="keywords">World Economic Forum</keyword>'s <keyword id="21747126" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Travel-Tourism-Development-Index-2024" source="Orion">Travel &amp; Tourism Development Index 2024</keyword> has risen to 39th place, with global tourism activities returning to pre-pandemic levels, the annual report showed on Tuesday. While the US topped the list, India is ranked highest in South Asia and among the lower-middle-income economies, the <keyword id="102110" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="WEF" source="Orion">WEF</keyword> said. India was ranked 54th in the previously published index in 2021, though changes made to the index parameters limit its comparability to earlier years. After the US, Spain, Japan, France and Australia figure among the top five in the 2024 list. The index, prepared in collaboration with the University of Surrey, showed India is highly price-competitive (18th) and boasts competitive Air Transport (26th) and Ground and Port (25th) infrastructure. In particular, India's strong Natural (6th), Cultural (9th) and Non-Leisure (9th) Resources help drive travel, and the country is only one of three to score in the top 10 for all the resource pillars, the WEF said. Moreover, despite a decline compared to 2019, the country still scores well for <keyword id="2173225" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="travel-and-tourism" source="Orion">travel and tourism</keyword> demand sustainability, especially thanks to more sustainable long stays among inbound visitors. It further said that as with many economies, travel and tourism enabling conditions in India have been impacted by global inflationary supply-side trends for the sector, with price competitiveness declining, while air transport and tourist services infrastructure are yet to recover to the 2019 level. As a result, the country's overall TTDI (Travel and Tourism Development Index) score is 2.1 per cent below its 2019 level. High-income economies in Europe and Asia-Pacific continued to lead the index. "International tourist arrivals and the travel and tourism sector's contribution to global GDP are expected to return to pre-pandemic levels this year, driven by the lifting of COVID-19-related travel restrictions and strong pent-up demand," the WEF said. The Middle East had the highest recovery rates in international tourist arrivals (20 per cent above the 2019 level), while Europe, Africa and the Americas all showed a strong recovery of around 90 per cent in 2023. The biennial index analysed the travel and tourism sectors of 119 countries around a range of factors and policies. Germany was ranked 6th, followed by the UK, China, Italy and Switzerland in the top ten. The results highlighted that high-income economies generally continue to have more favourable conditions for travel and tourism development. This was helped by conducive business environments, dynamic labour markets, open travel policies, strong transport and tourism infrastructure, and well-developed natural, cultural and non-leisure attractions.

India rises to rank 39th on WEF's Travel & Tourism Development Index 2024, becomes highest ranked South Asian nation

<ul class="summary-list"><li>I really enjoyed growing up in Barcelona but moved away 10 years ago.</li><li>I'd love to return to my home city, but the cost of living and many tourists make it difficult.</li></ul>I loved <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/surprising-things-moving-to-barcelona-spain-from-us-long-process-2024-3">growing up in Barcelona</a>.There's nothing like the shimmering Mediterranean Sea at the foot of the Collserola mountain range, its monuments celebrating Spanish and Catalan culture, the festivals steeped in centuries of tradition, and even its scars of the 1936 Civil War— bullet holes in walls and alleyways that stand eerily at chest height.From an early age, it was a playground for my friends and me, made accessible by a robust public transportation system and a low cost of living.Yet, in all my memories of beautiful parks and Gaudi-esque architecture soaked in near-eternal sunshine, I cannot remember the first time I saw the all-too-common graffiti that I see now: "Tourists go home."I moved out of Barcelona about 10 years ago, partly because of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cities-hurt-by-tourism-2017-12">tourism's impact</a><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cities-hurt-by-tourism-2017-12"> on locals</a>. Now, at 27, my parents and grandmother are aging, and I'm thinking of moving back.But the choice isn't easy, especially when it feels like Barcelona prioritizes visitors over residents.<h2 id="ce06b32d-2848-4a79-9014-2cffbe7afce9">Tourism has been booming for decades, but Barcelona has become too reliant on it</h2><div type="image" title="Tourists at Sagrada de Familia" height="683" width="1024" msid="112932533" hostid="261" sizebytes="87412"></div>Barcelona is a major tourism destination year-round, and it has been for a while. According to the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/photos-of-protesters-rallying-against-overtourism-in-barcelona-2024-7">Barcelona Tourism Observatory</a>, the city received 15.6 million tourists alone last year.Tourism accounts for <a target="_blank" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/barcelona-cannot-absorb-infinite-tourism-growth-needs-curbs-mayor-says-2024-07-23/">about 15% of the city's economy</a>, which is bad news for the many locals who aren't reaping the benefits of having millions of visitors in their home.Sure, tourism brings more jobs to Barcelona — but even if that was a career path I wanted to pursue, many of them aren't built to support the actual cost of living in the city.Research published in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.paradigmpress.org/le/article/view/1206/1067">Paradigm Academic Press</a> in July found that the majority of new jobs in Barcelona's hospitality industry were only part time, and the average monthly wage in this sector is 1,200 euros or $1,327 — 300 euros less than the city's average wage.Meanwhile, Spanish newspaper <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://english.elpais.com/international/2024-02-24/when-it-comes-to-renting-in-barcelona-anything-goes-storage-rooms-storefronts-and-basements-cost-hundreds-a-month.html">El País</a>, citing official data, reported that the average monthly rent in Barcelona in the third quarter of 2023 was about 1,171 euros or $1,295.But housing has become an issue for workers across industries. Spain's housing crisis — worsened by many <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.reuters.com/markets/europe/spain-crack-down-holiday-rentals-address-housing-crisis-2024-07-03/">homes becoming Airbnbs</a> — means it's hard to find an affordable place to live.It's one of my concerns when I think of returning to Barcelona. Many of my friends must live with their parents well into their 30s because they're struggling to afford to rent an apartment with roommates.Some residents are also forced to split another limited essential resource: water.In <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.npr.org/2024/02/18/1232301986/in-spain-a-years-long-drought-is-pitting-locals-against-the-tourism-industry">recent years</a>, Barcelona and the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://apnews.com/article/spain-drought-barcelona-climate-ba6f65b6ce01e3a7b081586e602a38e7">greater Catalonia region</a> have experienced and been vulnerable to droughts. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.politico.eu/article/spain-barcelona-tourists-catalonia-anger-rain-water-drought">Water rationing</a> is becoming a new reality for many residents, who are expected to keep their resource usage low and limited while <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ahead-easter-rush-officials-say-drought-must-not-put-off-barcelona-tourists-2024-03-22/">hoping globetrotting guests</a> do the same.It's hard to imagine moving back to a place where residents' basic necessities are often sacrificed for a single industry.<h2 id="850bd518-51c1-4c35-b7a0-3cecaf49fe4b">Recent protests show how much urgent change is needed — and why I'm not sure I'm ready to go back</h2><div type="image" title="tourists not welcome sign in spain" height="683" width="1024" msid="112932532" hostid="261" sizebytes="61708"></div>Last month, friends sent me videos of the viral <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/photos-of-protesters-rallying-against-overtourism-in-barcelona-2024-7">anti-tourism protesters</a> squirting water pistols at tourists. The protesters echoed a sentiment shared by many residents: We need fewer tourists, especially in already overcrowded areas.Local politicians have taken some actions, like limiting the number of hotel beds allowed in Barcelona and raising the cruise tourist tax for those who spend less than 12 hours in the city.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://apnews.com/article/barcelona-spain-tourist-apartments-154cf293078aa14c299e3539d90e9350">Barcelona City Hall</a> took action against short-term rentals like Airbnb when it announced it would not renew licenses allowing people to rent their apartments to tourists after they expire in 2028. This is partly to help residents deal with <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/top-tourist-destination-barcelona-plans-shut-all-holiday-apartments-by-2028-2024-06-21/">rising rent</a> and real-estate costs.But we need faster changes and more <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tourists-extend-vacations-fewer-longer-trips-more-sustainable-2024-5">sustainable tourism</a>, which starts with less tourism overall.I hope people can come and enjoy the beauty of my home city, but I want them to realize their impact and rise to the challenge of being a tourist in a city that is loved by too many.Maybe it starts with tourists prioritizing small businesses during their trips or <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-lesser-known-italy-travel-destinations-according-to-local">visiting lesser-known spots</a> in the city instead of areas that are already overwhelmed.As for myself, I'm hoping that residents' desire to reimagine Barcelona as it was — not a tourist destination or the backdrop of an Instagram photo, but as a living city — shapes the city's policies going forward.Perhaps it'll lead to positive changes — like more affordable housing and stable employment opportunities — so I can finally book a one-way ticket home.

I grew up in Barcelona and live in the US. I'd love to go home, but tourism is making life unbearable for locals.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Tourism hotspots like Venice, Amsterdam, and Rome are pushing back against too many visitors.</li><li>Tourism industry experts said it's just the beginning of efforts to manage overtourism.</li></ul>Picture it: After years of fantasizing and months of planning, you finally arrive at the destination you've always dreamed about. Except, it's just not how you pictured it.You spend three hours in traffic just to pull into <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/photos-yosemite-national-park-buried-under-snow-closed-indefinitely-2023-3">Yosemite National Park</a>. The <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/pictures-venice-canals-run-dry-drought-low-tide-gondolas-2023-2">Venice Canal</a> bridges are overrun with strangers scrambling for the same selfies. You can barely see <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/tourists-charged-after-taking-selfie-in-front-of-old-faithful-2019-9">Yellowstone's Old Faithful</a> through the rows of people trying to get a good view. And beneath the Eiffel Tower in <a target="_blank" href="https://apnews.com/article/france-tourism-police-shooting-unrest-931985b941fdf3c0a7ee24c8dc901c0a">Paris</a>, you are dodging tour groups and cheap souvenir stalls.Even worse than the demystifying effect <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/tourists-dumb-things-officials-deal-with-it-colosseum-naitonal-parks-2023-7">huge crowds</a> can have on the world's most beautiful places is the impact they can have on the people who actually live there — from smaller things like an inability to get into local restaurants to very big impacts, such as being priced out of their homes or unable to afford to live in the places they actually work.With tourism quickly bouncing back from the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.unwto.org/news/international-tourism-swiftly-overcoming-pandemic-downturn">pandemic</a> lows, countries and cities worldwide are ramping up efforts to combat overtourism. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/venice-tourism-fee-day-trippers-italy-travel-vacation-europe-residents-2023-9">Venice, Italy,</a> announced this summer it will start charging day-trippers about $5 dollars to visit the city center. The <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amsterdam-cruise-ship-ban-solves-big-problems-facing-tourist-spots-2023-7">Amsterdam</a> City Council voted this year to ban cruise ships from docking in the city center. And <a target="_blank" href="https://apnews.com/article/acropolis-greece-visitor-limits-cap-cff1fbf0152cbf77c860e5cf68e18a7e">Greece</a> is now capping visitors to the Acropolis of Athens at 20,000 people per day, with additional hourly entry limits.Although some of these measures are controversial and can make travel more inconvenient for tourists, experts in the industry say not only are they necessary, but it's likely just the beginning.<div type="image" title="Gondolas slowly pass under the Bridge of Sighs near St. Mark's Square due to too much traffic on August 02, 2023 in Venice, Italy." height="2000" width="3000" msid="104783022" hostid="261" sizebytes="396524"></div>"At the end of the day, there's roughly 8 billion people on the planet. In the next 20 to 30 years, there's going to be another billion people on the planet. A lot of those people will travel. Where are they going to go? Well, the same places as everybody else," Alan Fyall, the Visit Orlando endowed chair of tourism marketing at the University of Central Florida's Rosen College of Hospitality Management who studies sustainable tourism, told Insider."There's a lot of people with sufficient money and time to travel, so it's not going to get any easier."<h2>The main problem is everyone coming to the same place, at the same time</h2>Tourism worldwide has steadily risen since the <a target="_blank" href="https://airandspace.si.edu/explore/stories/evolution-commercial-flying-experience">1950s</a>, a trend that's unlikely to slow down. "People now have more access to destinations than they had before," Andria Godfrey, a professor in hospitality and tourism at the University of Southern California, told Insider, adding there are more air routes than ever. "Destinations that before were more remote now have different ways that people are able to travel to them."International travel especially has become more accessible. Godfrey noted that in some cases flying to Europe is not significantly more expensive than flying to destinations within the US. Americans are also more committed to travel than they were in the past. More and more Americans are prioritizing their discretionary spending on travel, while previously that money was going towards consumer goods. Even when there's economic uncertainty and Americans are focused on saving money, travel is one of the last things they're willing to give up.<div type="image" title="Tourists crowd the area near the Rialto Bridge on August 02, 2023 in Venice, Italy." height="2000" width="3000" msid="104783023" hostid="261" sizebytes="497310"></div>"This is something that is probably not going to go away," she said of the rising demand for travel. "We're going to see more destinations having to deal with volume, timing of travel, types of travelers, and traveler behavior."And it's not just that more people are traveling: they are also visiting different kinds of places. In the US, Godfrey said there's been a huge surge in travel related to the outdoors, especially after the pandemic. More Americans than ever are also traveling to Europe, which has been dealing with overtourism for years. Similar to the strain put on small, historic European cities that weren't built for millions of people, the infrastructure in the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/high-visitation-rates-national-parks-lead-to-big-crowds-graffiti-2021-7">national parks</a> is also not equipped to handle too many visitors.The problem is not necessarily the volume of tourists at any given place, but the fact that they all come at once, and to the exact same locations."<a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/travel-destinations-instagram-influencers-ruined-2019-7">Instagram</a> is really compounding the problem," Fyall said, explaining that social media is part of the reason so many people want to go to the exact same spot when they visit a destination. "Everybody wants to get that shot."If destinations could succeed at simply spreading out the tourists — in regards to both the physical spots they are visiting and the time of year they come — it could go a long way in addressing the problems caused by overtourism.<div type="image" title="A line of cars creeps slowly to the Tioga Pass Highway 120 entrance of Yosemite National Park as viewed on August 5, 2023, just outside Yosemite National Park, California." height="3840" width="5760" msid="104783026" hostid="261" sizebytes="2223070"></div>"If you don't control the numbers at a certain time, you will ruin the resource so much that there won't be anything to go see," Fyall said. "That's the reality."<h2>Visitor limits, fees and fines, and development controls are becoming more common</h2>Amir Eylon, president and CEO of Longwoods International, a market research consultancy that specializes in the travel tourism industry, told Insider there are five primary ways destinations are addressing <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/hallstatt-austria-locals-protest-overtourism-frozen-village-photos-2023-10">overtourism</a>.The first two are visitor caps, like what Greece has done at the Acropolis, and reservation systems, like at several US national parks, including Zion, Glacier, and Rocky Mountain. Caps and reservations are also common at more specific attractions, such as popular museums like the Louvre.The third trend is destinations instituting taxes and fees, like Venice, or even fines. In Rome, for instance, officials vowed to charge tourists caught <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/italy-colosseum-keeps-getting-defaced-media-attention-isnt-helping-2023-7">defacing the Coliseum</a>, which comes with fines of €15,000, or $16,850, or even jail time.<div type="image" title="Hundreds of tourists gather on a boardwalk to watch Old Faithful Geyser erupt on July 14, 2021 at Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming." height="683" width="1024" msid="104783027" hostid="261" sizebytes="128968"></div>And while fees and taxes may not be enough on their own to lower tourist numbers — is $5 really going to deter the average traveler from visiting Venice? — it can give that location more resources to improve infrastructure or invest in permanent community housing."People are going where they want to go," Eylon said. "If it is a quality experience with an aspirational destination, people are going to pay."Another approach that doesn't involve directly limiting or charging tourists is development caps, which Eylon said are becoming more common, particularly in smaller destinations or resort towns that draw far more visitors than they are built to manage. In 2019, <a target="_blank" href="https://mountainx.com/news/asheville-city-council-approves-new-hotel-development-regulations/">Asheville, North Carolina</a>, instituted a one-year ban on any new hotel developments so the leaders of the town could assess the situation and develop policies for new hotel proposals. The ban was lifted over a year later, with new policies requiring hotel developments to meet certain standards or contribute to a permanent housing fund.Lastly, there's how destinations market themselves. While for a long time, tourism marketing boards primarily encouraged visitors to come, some are now taking a different approach. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/amsterdam-travel-tourism-drugs-red-light-district-b09d1286">Amsterdam</a>, for instance, launched a campaign this year directed at tourists who only want to come to the city to party. The message? Stay away.Other places have focused on encouraging tourists to behave better, such as Colorado's partnership with <a target="_blank" href="https://lnt.org/partnership/tourism/colorado-tourism-office/">Leave No Trace</a>, which is aimed at promoting responsible tourism.<div type="image" title="Members of the public walk away from the Eiffel Tower in Paris on August 16, 2023." height="5088" width="7633" msid="104783029" hostid="261" sizebytes="1143414"></div>Both the Netherlands and Colorado have also focused on promoting locations beyond their primary attractions — Amsterdam and Denver — to encourage tourists to explore other parts of the country and state."There's no one-size-fits-all solution," Eylon said, adding that what works for one community won't necessarily work for another.<h2>Tourism is good for communities — until it's not</h2>One of the biggest roadblocks to addressing overtourism is the fact that, in many ways, tourism is good for communities. In addition to the economic benefits, the things that make places great tourism destinations are often the same things that make them great places to work and live: a variety of restaurants, good infrastructure, great museums, and other attractions.Surveys done by Eylon's company have found that most Americans believe the positives of tourism outweigh the negatives. Still, there's generally a line, and various stakeholders will have different opinions about how many visitors are too many. Eylon said it's becoming increasingly common and important for tourism boards to not only measure the economic benefits of tourism but to also measure resident sentiments about tourism levels.<div type="image" title="Crowds of tourists in front of the Parthenon, on the Acropolis of Athens in Greece." height="3333" width="5000" msid="104783195" hostid="261" sizebytes="1343778"></div>Anna Abelson, an adjunct professor at New York University's Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality, said there are some clear indications of when overtourism has become a problem: too much noise, high levels of pollution, and just so many people in an area that it's difficult for locals to simply enjoy their day-to-day lives.Residents of such locations will often make their displeasure known. In <a target="_blank" href="https://www.france24.com/en/20170807-spain-barcelona-tourism-airbnb-protests-demonstrations-italy-venice">Barcelona, Spain</a>, for instance, there have been massive protests against tourism, and a lot of residents have simply left the neighborhoods they had long lived in."They were leaving because certain neighborhoods lost authenticity. It was not really for locals anymore. It was mostly souvenir shops," Abelson said.The challenge for tourism destinations now is to find the balance between promoting tourism in order to get the benefits of it, while being realistic about where to draw the line and listening to local residents about how they're being impacted.While tourism management measures can pose an inconvenience to travelers or require them to plan more of their trips in advance, they are the only way to preserve the world's most treasured places."We want all generations to come to visit Venice," Abelson said. "But I'm not sure what state they're going to find Venice in when they go.""To do nothing at this point is not an option."

The tourism free-for-all is over

<ul class="summary-list"><li>In 2023, hotel rooms in NYC averaged $301 a night — a record — according to The New York Times.</li><li>Airbnb and inflation were culprits. But the migrant crisis also played a big role.</li></ul>For travelers planning trips to New York City, be prepared to shell out more money than ever for a hotel.In 2023, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.costar.com/article/2000387758/us-hotels-posted-record-high-average-daily-rate-revenue-per-available-room-in-2023">the average daily cost of a New York hotel room</a> was $301 a night, a jump from about $278 a night in 2022, according to the commercial and residential real estate provider CoStar. And from January to March 2024, the average nightly hotel rate in the city was roughly $231, up from a $216 nightly rate during the same period last year.But it's not just an uptick in travel to New York City that is driving up prices. There's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nyc-tourists-will-struggle-to-book-short-term-stays-2023-9">the upending of the Airbnb rental market</a>, inflation, and the slowdown in new hotel construction.And, as The New York Times recently reported, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/25/nyregion/hotels-prices-migrants-nyc.html">the migrant crisis has also caused a jump in hotel rates</a>. Many hotels began taking in migrants during the pandemic, some of them exclusively.This has reduced the supply of available rooms and helped drive up prices for guests looking for accommodations across the city. According to the Times, about 135 of the nearly 700 hotels in New York City are now sheltering asylum seekers. Those hotels earn up to $185 nightly a room, according to the city.No hotel that switched to housing migrants has yet to revert to a conventional hotel, the Times reported.According to CoStar data, the hotels now sheltering migrants have cordoned off roughly 16,500 rooms from the available hotel supply, resulting in nearly 122,000 available rooms for travelers. There are now about 2,800 fewer rooms available for travelers in the city compared to right before the coronavirus pandemic."During peak periods, try getting a hotel on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday night in midtown Manhattan, and, if you can, you could end up paying dearly," LW Hospitality Advisors president and chief executive Daniel H. Lesser told the Times. "It's all supply-and-demand related, and the migrant rooms have reduced the amount of supply."Immigration has emerged as a defining issue of the 2024 presidential campaign. Voters largely disapprove of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-immigration-us-mexico-border-disapproval-poll-abbott-adams-2023-9">President Joe Biden's handling of the issue</a>. Former President Donald Trump, meanwhile, is looking to use immigration to rally Republicans and Independents around his campaign. Since 2022, more than 180,000 migrants have arrived in New York City — <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/01/nyregion/ny-nj-migrants-buses.html">with tens of thousands sent by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott</a> in protest of Biden's immigration policies. Mayor Eric Adams has faced enormous financial and logistical challenges to house the migrants.The New York City hotel market was hit hard in 2020 as business travel plummeted and the city — once the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic — struggled to recover due to the resulting economic fallout.But the city's hotel market picked up in a major way last year, and the city could see <a target="_blank" href="https://www.wsj.com/story/the-new-york-city-hotel-market-is-staging-its-pandemic-rebound-bd3a451b">a $380 million bump in hotel revenue</a> this year, according to The Wall Street Journal. If the projections prove to be accurate, it would be a stunning turnaround given the challenges faced by the travel industry throughout the pandemic.

NYC hotel rooms are averaging over $300 a night as many hotels exclusively house migrants, reducing supply during a tourism boom

Indian tourists do not need a visa for visiting <keyword id="19915592" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="iran" source="keywords">Iran</keyword> with a new policy coming into effect from February 4, according to a statement issued by the Embassy of Iran here on Tuesday. "Individuals holding ordinary passports will be allowed to enter Iran without a visa once every six months, with a maximum stay of 15 days," the Embassy said in a statement. It is important to note that the 15-day period cannot be extended, the statement clarified. The visa-free entry applies only to individuals entering Iran for tourism purposes. Indians who visit Iran for business or educational purposes would have to apply for visa under the respective categories. Those who want to visit Iran more than once within the six-month time span will have to obtain a visa. The statement also made it clear that the visa-free entry would be applicable only to those Indian tourists who arrive in Iran by air. Those coming to Iran via the land route through Turkey, Afghanistan, Pakistan or any neighbouring nation would not be allowed to enter without a prior visa. Iran now joins the list of countries like <keyword id="19913659" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="thailand" source="keywords">Thailand</keyword>, Malaysia, <keyword id="19931726" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sri-lanka" source="keywords">Sri Lanka</keyword> and Vietnam, which have recently waived visa requirements for Indian visitors.

After Thailand and Sri Lanka, Iran allows Indian tourists entry without visa

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Finnair has begun asking passengers to weigh themselves before flights voluntarily.</li><li>Critics argue it could trigger people with eating disorders and potentially lead to discrimination.</li></ul>An airline’s trial policy to ask passengers to weigh themselves before flights has sparked controversy, with critics saying it could be triggering and embarrassing.Finnair, the national airline of Finland, has started asking passengers to<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/finnair-airlines-europe-weight-cargo-2024-2"> voluntarily step on scales</a> at departure gates with their hand luggage to improve the accuracy of cargo weight estimation for the plane. People who agreed to be weighed were compensated with a complimentary baggage tag.As of Wednesday, at least 600 people had volunteered to be weighed, the airline said.Plus-size model Hayley Hasselhoff told British outlet GB News that the move is <a target="_blank" href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-13060199/Hayley-Hasselhoff-Finnair-weigh-passengers.html">“triggering to people with eating disorders.”</a>"I have had friends going to airports in the last couple of hours and not knowing they are going to be weighed. That's triggering," she said.Travel journalist Yvette Caster, also interviewed by GB News, called Finnair's move to weigh passengers<a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/GBNEWS/status/1755604837352513721"> "fatphobic."</a>Airlines can use average weights provided by aviation authorities or <a target="_blank" href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13062359/Finnair-plan-weigh-passengers-long-overdue-essential-safe-flying-experts-claim-travellers-say-fat-tax-bigger-flyers.html">could collect their own data</a>, like Finnair is doing, Kate Staniforth, from online tourism agency Travel Republic, told the MailOnline.“Given the controversy that has risen around the topic, with people accusing the airline of 'body shaming,' and backlash forming on social media, other airlines might be hesitant to follow suit and choose to use averages given by the authorities,” she said.Travel and consumer rights journalist Laura Sanders told MailOnline that the policy could lead to passengers being removed from flights to reduce weight.Overweight people and solo travelers would be vulnerable to discrimination as they're the easiest to remove, she said.“It's already too late and a huge inconvenience if you're asked not to fly to avoid tipping the scales – not to mention embarrassing,” she said.She suggested that airlines could instead request passengers input their weight when booking the flight.The head of ground processes at Finnair said in a statement that the weight data helps the “safe operation of flights.” The data is anonymous, as passengers' names or booking numbers are not recorded along with their weight.<a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/air-new-zealand-weigh-passengers-before-boarding-2023-5">Air New Zealand </a>conducted a six-week voluntary weighing survey in 2023.<a target="_blank" href="https://metro.co.uk/2024/02/08/thin-air-airlines-weighed-customers-20245248/">Korean Air and Hawaiian Airlines</a> have made similar requests for passengers in the past year to understand average weights for safety better. Uzbekistan Airlines began weighing passengers for the same reason in 2015.

An airline's new policy to ask passengers to weigh themselves voluntarily is criticized for being 'embarrassing' and 'triggering'

<ul class="summary-list"><li>China's easing of its zero-COVID policy will push oil prices to $100 a barrel, Energy Aspects' Amrita Sen says. </li><li>"This is going to be probably the single biggest driver of oil prices," Sen warned in an interview with CNBC.</li></ul>Oil prices will head to $100 a barrel as China eases some of its restrictive COVID-19 lockdown policies, according to Energy Aspects' Amrita Sen.In an interview with <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/video/2022/12/12/china-reopening-from-zero-covid-will-very-very-bullish-for-oil-markets-says-amrita-sen.html">CNBC</a> on Monday, Sen pointed to the impact of China's reopening, which is expected to exert more upward pressure on oil demand globally. "Chinese oil demand has been bottled up for three years now. And China has a huge multiplier effect on the region," Sen said, noting that 25% of Korean petrochemical exports and 20% of Thailand's tourism is linked to China. "China reopening will be very very bullish for oil markets. Now, again, not expecting that to be overnight, but over the course of next year, this is going to be probably the single biggest driver of oil prices," she added.The increase in demand will layer on top of other supply pressures, and comes alongside the end of further releases from the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Meanwhile, OPEC+ has stuck to its plan to slash <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/commodities/oil-price-opec-production-output-cut-china-reopening-production-demand-2022-12">production by 2 million barrels</a> a day. Sen predicted West Texas Intermediate crude to soar into the triple-digits, noting that US shale producers she's spoken to have said they are "not happy" with the current price of oil, with Western Texas Intermediate crude currently hovering around $70 a barrel.Russia has also threatened to retaliate against the west's $60 price cap on Russian oil, with Putin recently floating a <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/commodities/vladimir-putin-russian-oil-price-cap-eu-ban-production-cut-2022-12">production cut</a> to raise oil prices for nations that enforce the cap. <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/commodities/oil-prices-forecast-jpmorgan-russia-cap-plan-output-cuts-sanctions-2022-7?utm_medium=ingest&amp;utm_source=markets">JPMorgan</a> warned over the summer that Russia's retaliation against a price cap could push oil to $380 a barrel in the most extreme scenario. Sen said she believed Russia would continue to sell crude to friendly nations like China and India, meaning a production cut would primarily impact and push prices up for western customers."I think he might tactically turn off things here and there, but again, directed toward the west, rather than his key consumers in the east," Sen said.

You Searched For "tourism policy" and got 11 results

Karnataka to go Goa way and allow alcohol sales in coastal cities to lure tourists

PTI

Tourism in Spain is booming, despite protests that included spraying visitors with water guns

Kelsey Vlamis

Visiting New Zealand just got more expensive as the country triples tourism fee

Joshua Nelken-Zitser

Worldwide tourism and its contribution to global GDP to return to pre-COVID levels this year: WEF study

ANI

India rises to rank 39th on WEF's Travel & Tourism Development Index 2024, becomes highest ranked South Asian nation

PTI

I grew up in Barcelona and live in the US. I'd love to go home, but tourism is making life unbearable for locals.

Aina de Lapparent Alvarez

The tourism free-for-all is over

Kelsey Vlamis

NYC hotel rooms are averaging over $300 a night as many hotels exclusively house migrants, reducing supply during a tourism boom

John L. Dorman

After Thailand and Sri Lanka, Iran allows Indian tourists entry without visa

IANS

An airline's new policy to ask passengers to weigh themselves voluntarily is criticized for being 'embarrassing' and 'triggering'

Alia Shoaib

Oil prices will rocket to $100 on the back of China's easing of its COVID-19 lockdown policies, Energy Aspects' Amrita Sen says

Jennifer Sor

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides