What Can You Do About Crying Babies on Planes? Our Editors Weigh In

Kyoto, Japan, was overrun by tourists a few years ago. Gift shops selling cheap souvenirs had taken over the popular Shinkyogoku shopping arcade, replacing stores that sold traditional Japanese textiles and ceramics. Pontocho Alley, perhaps Kyoto's most famous street, was so clogged with visitors during high season that you almost couldn't breathe.

Iceland has become a victim of its own popularity. As travelers continue to be drawn to the island nation’s dramatic—and Instagram-friendly—natural landscapes, the impact on its environment is growing. In an attempt to curb that mounting pressure, the country’s Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir announced late last month that a new tourist tax—with specifics still being discussed—will be implemented in 2024.“Tourism has really grown exponentially in Iceland in the last decade, and that obviously is not just creating effects on the climate,” she told Bloomberg. “It’s also because most of our guests who are coming to us are visiting unspoiled nature, and obviously it creates a pressure.”

On Saturday, violence erupted across Israel and Gaza in one of the worst conflicts the region has seen in decades, according to The New York Times. After Hamas militants began launching thousands of rockets and infiltrating Israeli towns early Saturday morning, the conflict has continued to escalate, with Israel’s military responding with massive air strikes. The violence has left thousands dead, according to CNN. Thousands more are injured on both sides.

Another massive two-day sale from Amazon is here: Prime Big Deal Days, fall's answer to Amazon Prime Day, ends today; October 11. Travelers can save big on everything from luggage to packing cubes to travel accessories. It should come as no surprise that Condé Nast Traveler editors have been going through their wishlists to see what's on sale. Read on to see what travel gear we’re eyeing for last minute price drops, from face serums and rain jackets to alarm clocks, steamers, tech necessities, and cameras. For more ideas, check out the best early Prime Day travel gear deals we have found so far.

Hospitality technology solutions providers WorldVue® and Infrateq have announced they have signed an agreement that will mark the entry of WorldVue’s full tech stack into the EMEA region powered by Infrateq.

Welcome back to another episode of the TravelPulse Podcast! 

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.

Israel has declared it is at war after militants from the fundamentalist group Hamas sprung a surprise attack on the country from Gaza.

The Netherlands’ second city is a winner for those weary of its more famous (and oversubscribed) rival. Sure, there’s water – it’s Europe’s largest port, after all – with rivers, canals and harbours at every turn. But this sprawling metropolis doesn’t yield its pleasures as easily as Amsterdam, largely because second world war bombing destroyed most of the historic centre. Its pioneering postwar architecture is, however, what makes “Manhattan on the Maas” so fascinating. Treasures include the 1970s Cube Houses designed by Piet Blom, the landmark cable-stayed Erasmus Bridge, the 1960 retro-futuristic Euromast and eclectic buildings in the leafily landscaped Museumpark. Alongside design museum Het Nieuwe Instituut and the Kunsthal gallery, a must-visit is The Depot, an ambitious €94m bowl-shaped “storage facility” for the city’s art collection, its rooftop cafe boasting panoramic views. Equally compelling is Delfshaven, which escaped bombing, and is now home to waterside pubs, a microbrewery and tucked-away restaurants.

Take a little staircase down from an old tollbooth on one of Leiden’s 88 bridges and hop on to one of the electric tour boats. I loved drifting along the canals of this stunning old Dutch city past townhouses as fine as any in Amsterdam, the botanical gardens, windmills, university buildings and the 17th-century observatory. Except in summer, ducks, swans and local wild swimmers outnumber tourists. You can scout out the best waterside terrace cafes for lunch, daydream about living on one of the many well-kept houseboats with their flower-filled decks, and plan excursions by water further afield; the city canals link up along the waterways for countryside day cruises to Delft, Haarlem or the coast.Maartje

As I traveled on a tour bus from Seefeld to Innsbruck in Austria, a loud voice from the back called out, "Can we stop somewhere to buy some tchotchkes and knick knacks?" The mention of souvenirs made me cringe a little as I wasn't fond of purchasing things that ultimately would end up forgotten. Even though they serve as mementos of our travels, I had one too many magnets that didn't stick or t-shirts that were mass-produced thousands of miles away. Despite my reluctance, we stopped at a shop full of beer steins, snow globes, scarfs, hats, and miniature dolls dressed in Austrian trachten. As I picked each one up, I heard that voice again, this time much closer, "That's a beautiful keepsake, you should get it." Although I don’t drink beer and have no use for the beautifully decorated Stein, I caved in and purchased it. Months later, when packing for another trip, I found the beer stein, still in the original packaging, and pawned it off to a friend, who promised to "have a cold one in it and remember our friendship", amidst several exasperated eye rolls.

Good morning from Skift. It’s Friday, October 6. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.