Travel in county Van Buren

Amsterdam will increase its city tourist tax next year, cementing its status as having the highest in Europe.

Amsterdam is banning the construction of new hotel buildings in its latest move to curb overtourism.

Thanksgiving is just a few weeks away, and while many Americans will be staying at home or with family and friends, others will be checking into hotels where guests can participate in turkey trots and try Thanksgiving-themed spa treatments — all while letting someone else worry about cooking.

From luxury shopping to bar-hopping and sightseeing, tourists have come to favor iconic U.S. streets. The hairpin turns on Lombard Street and wrought iron balconies of Bourbon Street are Instagram gold.

Government officials in The Netherlands revealed that the new tourist tax increase scheduled to take effect next year in Amsterdam would make the city’s fee the highest in Europe.

Cities and countries across Europe have introduced visitor taxes as they battle the return of mass tourism following the pandemic. The extra fees can mean increasing the cost of your holiday by hundreds of dollars.

Chicago, the city known for its vibrant arts scene and rich cultural heritage, is gearing up for Halloween. LUMA8, an independent not-for-profit organization, is planning its 9th Arts in the Dark Halloween Parade. This family-friendly parade includes unique floats, puppets, and an array of creative performances. The parade will take place on Saturday, October 21st, from 6 pm to 8 pm (CST), along the historic State Street, stretching from Lake to Van Buren Streets. But the fun begins earlier at 5 pm with a pre-parade candy giveaway.

It’s curious how banks – those establishments of buttoned-up seriousness – are often reimagined as glamorous hotels. In fact, some of the world’s most famous hospitality properties have been carved out of former financial institutions, including Hotel de Rome, A Rocco Forte Hotel in Berlin, The Woodward in Geneva and the recently opened Gleneagles Townhouse in Edinburgh.

When Hester Van Buren, a deputy mayor of Amsterdam, recently proposed a 1 percent increase to the city’s tourist accommodation tax — which is already among the highest in Europe — her City Council colleagues responded with a single criticism: They wanted the increase to be even bigger.