Tourism

Europe cracks down on badly behaved tourists

While cost-hiking measures serve a dual purpose of cutting visitor numbers and raising funds, other new rules are aimed more squarely at curbing undesirable tourist behaviour. San Sebastián is the…

Read More Here

Italy Braces for Surge in Winter Visitors as International Demand Climbs

Italy’s tourism sector is preparing for a buoyant winter season as foreign arrivals surge. A Demoskopika study previewed by ANSA estimates that 14 to 14.4 million international travellers will visit…

Read More Here

Tourist tax expected to be introduced for London

The mayor of London has cautiously welcomed reports that he is to impose a tourist levy on visitors staying overnight in the capital. Chancellor Rachel Reeves is expected to give…

Read More Here

From Carbonara to Tiramisu: Italy Seeks UNESCO Recognition to Boost Tourism

Italy is projecting a significant surge in international tourism if its national cuisine secures UNESCO intangible World Heritage status, with industry groups estimating up to 18 million additional visitors over…

Read More Here

Majorca, Ibiza and Menorca Visitors Could Face Steep Tourist Tax Increase Under New Union Proposal

One of Spain’s largest trade unions is calling for a sharp increase in the taxes paid by visitors to the Balearic Islands, arguing that current measures have failed to ease…

Read More Here

Tourists to Greece Spend Less on Restaurants, More on Supermarkets

Greece’s restaurant sector is seeing weaker sales this summer despite record arrivals of foreign visitors, as more tourists opt for supermarket meals and cooking at short-term rentals, industry officials said.…

Read More Here

Travel firm Jet2 forecasts lower profit as later bookings trend worsens

British low-cost airline and travel firm Jet2 tempered its profit outlook this week as visibility was muddled by travellers booking tickets closer to departure, sending its shares plummeting and dragging…

Read More Here

Tourists Arrivals in Italy Rose 9.3% in August

Tourist arrivals in Italy increased by 9.3% in the first half of August compared with the same period last year, the Interior Ministry said Wednesday. Between Aug. 1 and Aug.…

Read More Here

Berlin courts tourists as Paris and Barcelona tire of the crowds

As many southern European cities grow tired of tourists, Berlin is pitching itself as an antidote to the crowds, blistering heatwaves and anti-tourism protests causing problems elsewhere. The German capital…

Read More Here

Cyprus Hotels Experience Peak Summer Occupancy

Cyprus hotels will be at their busiest from the following weekend until August 18, with occupancy rates between 90 and 95 per cent, according to Thanos Michaelides, president of the…

Read More Here

Santorini Stumbles as Lesser-Known Greek Islands Rise and Demand Greater Control

The summer tourism landscape in Greece is showing signs of a notable shift, as interest in some of the country's most iconic destinations wanes while lesser-known islands gain ground. Foreign…

Read More Here

Aberdeen to introduce 7% ‘tourist tax’ on visitors

Councillors have given the green light for the introduction of a 7% visitor levy for Aberdeen, Scotland. The "tourist tax" will not come into force until at least April 2027,…

Read More Here

British tourist billed for Italian mountain rescue

A British hiker has been charged more than €14,000 (£12,000) by the Italian mountain rescue service after ignoring danger warnings in the Dolomites. The man, aged 60, had to be…

Read More Here

Gulf countries to issue new Schengen-style tourist visa

A new tourist visa will be launching soon that will make travelling between countries in the Gulf easier. The GCC Grand Tours Visa - also known as the Unified Tourist…

Read More Here

Portofino tightens tourist rules with dress code and alcohol ban in summer crackdown

Authorities in the exclusive Italian Ligurian resort town of Portofino have extended a sweeping summer ordinance that imposes restrictions on tourist behavior, including a ban on public drinking and a…

Read More Here

Short-term rentals in Greece grow the fastest in Southern Europe in Q1

Overnight stays in domestic short-term rental accommodation recorded a significant annual increase of 15.2% in the first quarter of this year. According to data Eurostat published this week on the…

Read More Here

Gift shops and fast food banned in Bergamo Alta in Italy

Fast-food outlets and sex shops are among the commercial activities banned from Bergamo Alta in an ordinance from the local government in the Lombardy town concerning its historic and picturesque…

Read More Here

Cruise passenger fees in Greece set to rise

Reports in the Greek media indicate that cruise ship passenger fees will increase from July 1. The fee will be imposed per passenger and per port and its amount will…

Read More Here

International tourist spending in Europe seen up 11% this year, report says

International travel spending in Europe is expected to rise by 11% to $838 billion this year, with France and Spain among the countries set to receive record numbers of tourists,…

Read More Here

Some 66 million people to holiday in Italy this summer

This summer, 65.8 million people are expected to holiday in Italy, generating an estimated 267.4 million overnight stays, according to a study by the Demoskopika Institute, obtained in advance by…

Read More Here

Greece Bans Caravan Parking in Public Spaces

Greece has approved a law that will dramatically change the handling of motorhomes and caravans in the country, as it broadly bans parking of any type of caravan or trailer…

Read More Here

European Travel Trends Shift Amid Climate and Economic Concerns

The European Travel Commission's (ETC) recent survey reveals a nuanced shift in travel intentions among Europeans for the spring and summer of 2025. While 72% of Europeans plan to travel…

Read More Here

Greece is Europe’s cheapest, Malta most expensive, for luxury holidays

Greece has recently been building a name for luxury holidays, away from the traditional, low-cost sea-and-sun pattern of last century, offering greater value for money than its regional rivals. A…

Read More Here

Italy Leads Europe in Tourism Reputation for the Second Consecutive Year

As Milan hosts the annual BIT travel exhibition, Italy has once again secured the top spot in the European Tourism Reputation Index (Etr Index) compiled by the Demoskopika Institute. With…

Read More Here

Spain probes holiday home platform in crackdown on tourism rentals

Spain has opened an investigation into an unidentified holiday apartment renting platform for failing to delete thousands of rental offers in another attempt to curb a business blamed by many…

Read More Here

Tallinn looking to introduce tourist tax

Deputy Mayor of Tallinn Margot Roose (Eesti 200) made the suggestion in response to a document from the Ministry of Economic Affairs. It forecasts an increase in tourist flows over…

Read More Here

Italian Authorities Crack Down on Keyboxes for Short-Term Rentals Amid Safety Concerns

The Italian government has taken decisive action to regulate the use of keyboxes and automated check-in systems in short-term rental properties, citing safety and compliance concerns. These measures, outlined in…

Read More Here

EU sees bigger share of tourists from outside Europe

In 2023, the EU registered a total of 2.9 billion nights spent in tourist accommodation establishments, up from 2.8 billion in 2022. Almost 1.6 billion nights were spent by domestic…

Read More Here

A Love for Pasta: Foreign Tourists and Their Favorite Food in Italy

In celebration of World Pasta Day on Friday, October 25, a survey conducted by Touring Club Italia for Unione Italiana Food explored the relationship between foreign tourists visiting Italy and…

Read More Here

Venice to double number of days tourists must pay entry fee

Venice is to double the number of days it charges tourists an entrance fee in 2025, following a "successful" trial last year, the city's mayor said. Luigi Brugnaro said the…

Read More Here

Thousands protest in Spain’s Canary Islands against over tourism

Thousands of people protested in holiday resorts in Spain's Canary Islands on Sunday against over tourism which they say prices local people out of the housing market. Under the slogan…

Read More Here

Prague bans night-time pub crawls in bid to attract ‘more cultured, wealthier’ tourists

Prague city councillors have banned night-time pub crawls organised by travel agencies because the city wanted to target “more cultured” tourists. The Czech capital of 1.3 million people has for…

Read More Here

More Indians than ever are going on holiday abroad – so where are they heading and why?

Travel is on the rise again. According to the UN’s tourism agency, international travel for all purposes reached 97% of its pre-pandemic level in the first quarter of 2024. In…

Read More Here

Bali to ban building of some hotels to tackle over-development

Indonesia has agreed to set a moratorium on the construction of hotels, villas and nightclubs in some areas on the tourist resort island of Bali, as it grapples with the…

Read More Here

New Zealand nearly triples levy on international tourists

New Zealand will nearly triple entry fees for tourists, the government said on Tuesday, spurring criticism from the key tourism sector the higher levy will deter visitors. The government said…

Read More Here

Sardinia Among Italy’s Top Five Destinations for Extended Holidays in 2023

According to a study published this week by the Sardinian branch of the artisans association Confartigianato, based on ISTAT data, Sardinia was one of Italy's top five regions selected for…

Read More Here

Montenegro’s Adriatic gem of Kotor struggles with tourist influx

A UNESCO World Heritage Site nestled on the edge of a picturesque Adriatic bay, the town of Kotor in Montenegro is struggling to cope with a surge in tourism that…

Read More Here

Italy faces beach umbrella protest as licence row resurfaces

Italy's balneari -- or beach managers -- closed their umbrellas for a few hours on Friday in a symbolic protest against the government's failure to resolve a dispute with the…

Read More Here

New tourist limits get warm welcome in Venice

Venetians and visitors alike welcomed new rules introduced on Thursday to limit the size of tourist groups in the latest effort to reduce overcrowding. Tourist parties will be capped at…

Read More Here

Venice to limit tourist groups to maximum of 25 people

Venice will limit the size of tourist parties to 25 people from Thursday in the latest attempt to reduce the impact of crowds on the lagoon city. Local authorities will…

Read More Here

Santorini authorities concerned about overtourism

The debate in Greece over the impact of overtourism on Santorini intensified on Tuesday when 11,000 cruise passengers arrived on the island in a single day. A social media post…

Read More Here

Barcelona cannot absorb infinite tourism growth, needs curbs, mayor says

Barcelona cannot absorb an ongoing, unbridled growth in the number of tourists and has to impose restrictions so as not to become a "theme park" without residents, the mayor of…

Read More Here

Thousands protest in Spain’s Mallorca against mass tourism

Thousands of anti-tourism activists protested in Spain's Palma de Mallorca on Sunday in the latest demonstration against a key industry for the Iberian nation. Carrying makeshift models of planes and…

Read More Here

Buckingham Palace opens room with famous balcony to visitors

Visitors to Buckingham Palace in London this summer will get to stand behind the famous balcony that the British royal family often poses on. For the first time, the palace…

Read More Here

Spain to crack down on holiday rentals

Spain's government announced a crackdown on Wednesday on short-term and seasonal holiday lettings amid rising anger from locals who feel priced out of the housing market. The government will investigate…

Read More Here

Japan imposes new fees on Mount Fuji climbers to limit tourists

Park rangers on Japan's sacred Mount Fuji officially started this year's climbing season about 90 minutes before sunrise on Monday, levying new trail fees and limiting hiker numbers to curb…

Read More Here

Capri lifts ban on tourists after resolving problems with water supply

The Italian island of Capri has lifted a ban on tourists after problems with the water supply to the holiday hotspot were resolved. The ban had been announced early on…

Read More Here

Barcelona plans to shut all holiday apartments by 2028

Barcelona, a top Spanish holiday destination, announced on Friday that it will bar apartment rentals to tourists by 2028, an unexpectedly drastic move as it seeks to rein in soaring…

Read More Here

Euro 2024 tourism to bring $1 billion to Germany

Germany, the host of Euro 2024, can expect a 1 billion euro ($1.07 billion) boost to its economy thanks to foreign tourists travelling to the country for the soccer games,…

Read More Here

Italian tourism set for bumper summer

Tourism in Italy hit a record high last year and foreigners made up the majority for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, national statistic bureau ISTAT said this week.…

Read More Here

Europe’s third-largest tour operator FTI files for insolvency

Europe's third-largest tour operator FTI Group filed for insolvency in the Munich regional court, the German company said in a statement, as bookings continued to fall even after a recent…

Read More Here

New rules in Lithuania for registration of foreign tourists from July

Rules for registering tourists in Lithuania are set to change as of 1 July this year. Guests arriving in the country will need to be registered in the National Tourism…

Read More Here

Thailand targets tourism boost with longer stays for visitors, students, ‘digital nomads’

Thailand's government said on Tuesday it had approved longer visa stay periods for tourists, postgraduate students and remote workers, and better visa conditions for retirees, in a move to boost…

Read More Here

Tourism a boon for Spain’s economy but a bane for some locals

Fresh from a tour of Real Madrid's glittering Santiago Bernabeu stadium in the Spanish capital, Guadalupe Rebollo says a holiday in Spain with her 15-year-old daughter is a better deal…

Read More Here

Alcohol ban in Ibiza and Majorca

Tourists in parts of Majorca and Ibiza will face hefty fines for drinking alcohol on the streets as part of a crackdown in areas of "excessive tourism". The government of…

Read More Here

How historic Valletta aims to hit net zero by cutting pollution from cruise ships and cars

By Ben Payton Few European cities can match Valletta for architectural splendour. The capital of Malta was built in the 16th century by the Knights of St John, the Catholic…

Read More Here

Venice begins charging day-trippers for access

Venice became the first city in the world on Thursday to introduce a payment system for tourists in an effort to thin the crowds that throng the canals during the…

Read More Here