Venice entry fee will start next year

The U.S. Virgin Islands will charge Royal Caribbean Group ships that dock in St. Thomas or St. Croix a new per-passenger fee in order to fund port improvements.

For years now, there have been attempts to place the city of Venice on UNESCO’s list of endangered World Heritage sites. On one hand, it would bring more attention to the fact that climate change and mass tourism continue to threaten the city. On the other, it could deter travelers, something local government fears since Venice’s economy depends almost exclusively on tourism. Most recently, even though a UNESCO world heritage advisory body recommended Venice be placed on that list, a committee of representatives from 21 countries voted against it.

In case you missed it, Chicago's Midway International Airport (MDW) will land its first lounge next year as part of the Priority Pass network.

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.

We’ve known for some time now that West Maui would reopen to tourists on October 8th.

Skiers and riders, it’s time to start plotting out your 2023/24 season.

Visiting Iceland will soon cost a little more, but the increased expense will go to a good cause. The Nordic country plans to add a new tax for tourists that will support climate and sustainability goals.  “Tourism has really grown exponentially in Iceland in the last decade and that obviously is not just creating effects on the climate,” Katrín Jakobsdóttir, Iceland's prime minister, said in a television interview on Bloomberg this week while attending the United Nations Climate Ambition Summit 2023 in New York City. (Iceland saw a sharp rebound in tourism after COVID-19 lockdowns, with over 8.5 million travelers visiting the country in 2022.) While no specifics were provided on the exact cost, Jakobsdóttir noted the tariff would “not be high," and it would be implemented as city taxes for people staying in Iceland. Jakobsdóttir also said her administration has been working closely with tourism companies throughout the country to make changes that are sustainable for the environment, including companies moving their fleet of vehicles to electric.  Many cities globally already have tourism taxes in place as a way to increase investment in the community, however, tourism taxes to support sustainability efforts have begun to gain popularity around the world.

What we now know as Denmark was a home base for Viking expeditions far and wide. The Viking Age, characterized by sea travel, trading, exploration, and settlement, was not without its fair share of conflict even at home.

Tempted to move somewhere new? Why not make some money at the same time. In recent years, a new trend has emerged in the United States, with cities and destinations offering financial incentives to attract new residents. While these incentives might have once been reserved for places trying to lure new high-profile corporations, today, the money is being given to people seeking a fresh start.

UNESCO has once again spared Venice from its list of world heritage sites in danger, declining to add the famous Italian city after initially drawing the ire of the group due to the effects of climate change and over-tourism. 

A UNESCO committee has decided not to add Venice to the organization’s World Heritage List in Danger, disregarding a recommendation from experts and sparing the Italian government from an embarrassing verdict on the city’s condition.

This week sees the release of The Haunting in Venice, a Poirot thriller set in the titular canal city. Dozens of films have been shot in the tourist hotspot, many in some of the most frequented locations in the city including St Mark’s Square and the Rialto Bridge.