Sustainable tourism tips

Venice will extend its day-tripper tax next year, increasing the number of days on which tourists have to pay to enter the city and doubling the fee to €10 for last-minute visitors, city officials said on Thursday.

Have you ever wanted to travel around the world by train, but in ultimate luxury rather than in cramped couchettes?

The global tourism industry is bouncing back in 2024. International arrivals increased 16% between January and August, compared to 2023, according to travel intelligence firm ForwardKeys. The company’s insights, presented at the World Travel and Tourism Council’s (WTTC) Global Summit in Perth, highlighted the pivotal role of the Asia-Pacific region in driving this resurgence.

Malaga is one of Spain’s most popular summer destinations, receiving around 14 million visitors in 2023. 

Elivaas, a tech-driven luxury villa and apartment management Indian startup, has secured $5 million in a funding round led by Bengaluru-based 3one4 Capital, with participation from Peak XV’s Surge and other angel investors. 

Bali has long been a tourist honeypot, but the growing influx of visitors is putting pressure on local infrastructure and endangering the environment. 

A new high-speed train is set to link Barcelona and Malaga in under six hours.

La Maddalena archipelago is one of the most picturesque spots in Sardinia, with untainted beaches and flora-filled rocky outcrops. 

Edinburgh is set to become the first city in Scotland to introduce a tourist tax after Scottish government granted powers to local authorities to introduce visitor charges. 

Edinburgh is set to become the first city in Scotland to introduce a tourist tax after Scottish government granted powers to local authorities to introduce visitor charges. 

New Zealand is nearly tripling its tourist tax to help protect its natural environment and boost public services.

Alex Dichter is set to retire as leader of McKinsey’s global travel practice this year, but he’s not leaving the industry any time soon. He’ll be board chairman for HX (formerly Hurtigruten Expeditions), which provides cruise expeditions.

Athens, Greece, has been one of the fastest-growing tourist destinations in Europe. Last year, the city had a record 7 million tourists. 

Spain’s beach towns are at a bursting point. Protests have filled streets from Barcelona to Malaga this summer, with residents demanding that tourists go home.

A Europe-based carrier, voted as the worst airline in 2024 by consumer group Which?, has announced it’s launching a subscription service offering unlimited flights to those who sign up. 

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is strengthening its direction towards high-value and sustainable tourism by partnering with The Cloud to host the Amazing Green Fest 2024 from 15 to 18 August at Paragon Hall, Siam Paragon, Bangkok. The Amazing Green Fest 2024 marks two milestones in TAT’s aspiration towards socially and environmentally responsible tourism. First, TAT has endorsed a heart-shaped leaf on the Amazing Thailand logo, signifying its strong commitment to the sustainability triangle, which focuses on society, economy, culture, and environment. Second, it is TAT’s first ‘Carbon Neutral Event’ accredited by the Thailand Greenhouse Gas Management Organization (TGO).

Venice has banned tour guides from using megaphones and limited their groups to 25 people.

We’re getting ever closer to 6 October - the day when the EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES) is set to come into force for travellers. 

Tourists are bucking the traditional summer norms and holidaying in cooler countries this year.  

We all want to see as much of a holiday destination as we can, but in places where public transport is scarce, it’s not always easy.

Platform 1 at Paddington Station is not usually a place I find myself at 11pm on a Monday night, but I’m here with good reason. I am about to catch Great Western Railway’s Night Riviera Sleeper from London to Penzance in Cornwall at the very tip of the UK’s southwest peninsula.