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What is art basel.

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UN urges investment in clean, sustainable tourism, as numbers bounce back

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International tourism is showing strong signs of recovery, with tourist numbers rising to 57 per cent of pre-pandemic levels. On World Tourism Day, marked on Tuesday, the UN is calling for a major global rethink of the sector, to ensure that tourism is sustainable, and benefits local communities.

The UN World Tourism Organization ( UNWTO ) released encouraging news on Monday, with its latest World Tourism Barometer, which shows that international tourism arrivals almost tripled in the first seven months of 2022 (compared to the same period in 2021).

Cautious optimism

The agency’s Panel of Tourism Experts expressed cautious confidence for the rest of year, and into 2023, despite the uncertain economic environment: increasing interest rates, rising energy and food prices, and the growing prospects of a global recession, continue to pose major threats to the sector.

In a message released to mark the Day, the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, hailed tourism’s ability to drive sustainable development, and called for more investment in clean and sustainable tourism, the creation of decent jobs, and for measures to ensure that profits benefit host countries and local communities.

Go green to survive

“Governments, businesses and consumers must align their tourism practices with the Sustainable Development Goals and a 1.5 degree future”, said Mr. Guterres, referring to international agreements aimed at keeping global warming in check. “The very survival of this industry, and many tourist destinations, such as Small Island Developing States, depends on it.”

“The restart of tourism everywhere brings hope,” declared Zurab Pololikashvili, UNWTO Secretary-General, in his address at the opening of the official celebrations organized for the Day, in the Indonesian resort city of Bali.

Mr. Pololikashvili described tourism, which employs around 10 per cent of the global workforce, as the “ultimate cross-cutting and people-to-people sector, which touches on almost everything we do.”

Report card

To mark the day, UNWTO launched its first World Tourism Day Report , the first in an annual series of updates and analysis of the Organization’s work guiding the sector forward.

The report contains updates on the agency’s activities in key areas including gender equality, sustainability and climate action, tourism governance and investments and innovation.

Representatives of the G20 group of the world’s leading economies, including tourism ministers, will meet in Bali in November. Ahead of the event, UNWTO has produced a set of guidelines for ministers, to enable them to support resilient and sustainable tourist businesses, which take into account human capital, innovation, youth and women empowerment, and climate action.

Ensure zero-tolerance for sexual exploitation: UN rights expert

An independent UN rights expert released a statement ahead of the Day, to call for Governments to ensure that the tourism industry is free from child forced labour, sexual abuse and sexual exploitation. 

Mama Fatima Singhateh, UN Special Rapporteur on the sale and sexual exploitation of children, warned that the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and socioeconomic setbacks have caused enormous strains on child protection systems.

This, she said, has made children more vulnerable to sale, trafficking and sexual exploitation in the context of travel and tourism, especially in countries that have traditionally relied on the income generated from travel and tourism.  

Tourism and the climate crisis

• In response to concerns surrounding the impact of the tourism sector on the climate crisis, UNWTO launched the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism at the 2021 UN Climate Conference (COP26), which was held in the Scottish City.
• Signatories commit to supporting global commitments to halve harmful emissions by 2030, and reach Net Zero as soon as possible before 2050, implement climate action plans, and report on their progress on an annual basis.
• To date more than 530 organizations have signed the Declaration, including major international companies, and tourism boards from a wide variety of countries.  

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Why You’ll Pay More and Behave Better When You Travel This Summer

From Barcelona to Bali, higher fees and new rules are targeting overtourism and unruly behavior. Some locals are worried the changes will keep tourists away.

By Paige McClanahan

A new tourist fee in Bali. Higher hotel taxes in Amsterdam and Paris. Stricter rules on public drinking in Milan and Majorca. Ahead of the summer travel season, leaders in many tourist spots have adopted measures to tame the tourist crowds — or at least earn more revenue from them.

All of this may pose headaches for travelers, although in most cases, the new fees or tax increases represent only a tiny fraction of the total cost of a trip. The goal is to ensure that tourism functions smoothly for visitors and locals alike, said Megan Epler Wood, managing director of the Sustainable Tourism Asset Management Program at Cornell University.

“All tourism is dependent on beautiful natural and cultural resources. You have to protect those resources in order to be a viable tourism destination — and if you don’t, they degrade,” Ms. Epler Wood said.

In some places, proposals for new fees or visitor rules have drawn opposition from residents, who fear they might scare away the tourists who bolster the local economy. But destinations need to find ways to counteract what Ms. Epler Wood calls “ the invisible burden ” of tourism, which includes strains on a community’s infrastructure, utilities and housing stock, as well as tourists’ carbon footprint and any challenges they might impose on residents’ daily lives.

“You put so much pressure on the place that the people who live there become unhappy, and then they don’t present a very good face to tourists,” Ms. Epler Wood said. “The longer you wait, the higher the cost to fix it.”

Here is a look at new measures that travelers can expect this summer, and where others might be coming in the future.

New visitor fees

Since February, visitors to the Indonesian island of Bali have been asked to pay a levy of 150,000 Indonesian rupiahs, or about $9.40 per visit. Revenue will be used to support the preservation of cultural and natural assets on the island, where tourism has brought major challenges related to litter, water supply and overcrowding. Visitors are encouraged to pay the new fee online before departure, although it’s also possible to pay on arrival at the airport.

Beginning Aug. 1, most foreign travelers to the Galápagos Islands — which had a record-breaking 330,000 visitors last year — must pay a $200 entry fee, double the current rate. The money raised will be used to support conservation, improve infrastructure and fund community programs.

The change is the first increase to the entry fee since it was introduced in 1998, said Tom O’Hara, communications manager for the Galápagos Conservation Trust . Mr. O’Hara noted that the increase comes a year after the UNESCO World Heritage Committee urged the government of Ecuador to work toward a “zero-growth model” for tourism in the Galápagos.

“It’s quite a complicated topic,” Mr. O’Hara said, noting that the fee increase has been viewed “as part of the solution to overtourism.” On the other hand, he added, “everyone is trying to reassure the local tourist industry that this isn’t going to kill tourism on the islands.

In April, Venice began imposing a fee — 5 euros, about $5.40 — on day-trippers visiting on peak days, with the goal of striking “a new balance between the tourists and residents.”

But the new Venice Access Fee has drawn criticism from residents. “This project is a disaster for us. We are a city, not a park,” said Matteo Secchi, the president of Venessia.com, an association of Venice residents. Mr. Secchi said that a communications campaign would have been more effective.

The possibility of a new tourist fee has also drawn local opposition in Hawaii, where Gov. Josh Green has proposed a “climate impact fee” for visitors to the state. The measure failed during a recent meeting of the State Legislature, but Governor Green has persisted in calling for visitors to help fund the state’s preparation for future climate shocks.

“We have to get this tiger by the tail,” he told journalists in May, adding that $25 per visitor could raise $250 million a year, which the state could use to guard against climate disasters, manage erosion, strengthen infrastructure and protect parks.

Hotel fees and other taxes get a bump

Hotel taxes, also known as occupancy or accommodation taxes, are widespread in the United States and Europe, where they were on the rise for a decade leading up to the pandemic. With tourism’s rebound to prepandemic levels, several destinations have increased or adjusted the tax to capture more revenue.

Like Hawaii, Greece — which also suffered severe wildfires last summer — is looking to steel itself against climate disasters, and the government wants tourists to help foot the bill. Greece is calling the charge a climate crisis resilience fee , and it will be collected by accommodation providers. The tax will be higher from March to October, when it will top out at €10 per night at five-star hotels. The rate drops from November to February, and for hotels with fewer stars. The fee replaces the previous hotel tax, which ranged from €0.50 to €4 per night.

In Amsterdam, the hotel tax, which was already one of the highest in Europe, rose to 12.5 percent from 7 percent on Jan. 1. City lawmakers have also raised the tax on cruise passengers to €14 from €11 per person per night.

The hotel tax in Barcelona also rose this year, increasing to €3.25 per night. The measure was the final step-up in a gradual increase that began before the pandemic. A spokesman for Barcelona City Hall said that further tax increases would be aimed at tourist rental apartments and cruises that make short stopovers, which contribute less to the city’s income. The spokesman also noted that revenue generated by the tourist tax is being used, among other things, to fund the installation of solar panels and air-conditioning in Barcelona’s public schools.

Ahead of this summer’s Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris, lawmakers in the Île-de-France region have imposed a new tax, on top of the normal hotel levy. With the new tax, which will fund public transportation in the region, a guest in a five-star hotel now owes a total of €10.73 in tax per night stayed, while a stay in a two-star hotel incurs a tax of €3.25 per night.

Though the measure was adopted by the regional government, it was not supported by the leadership in Paris itself. A spokeswoman for Paris City Hall called the move “a democratic power grab” that “in no way benefits the city of Paris.” She noted that even with the funds generated by the new tax, the region still raised the price of tickets for public transportation in the city during the Olympics — a measure that has disgruntled many Paris residents.

Introducing new rules

In other tourist spots, the focus is on curbing behavior that pollutes the local environment or harms residents’ quality of life.

In Japan, authorities at Mount Fuji will cap visitors at 4,000 per day. They have also imposed a new fee of 2,000 yen (about $13) for access to the iconic summit. Elsewhere in the country, a community council in the Gion neighborhood of Kyoto has closed some small roads to tourists, after complaints that the area, home to the city’s geisha district, was suffering from crowds.

“We will ask tourists to refrain from entering narrow private streets in or after April,” Isokazu Ota, a leading member of the community council, told Agence-France Presse in March. “We don’t want to do this, but we’re desperate.”

A spokeswoman for the city’s tourism board described the road closures as “a local initiative,” adding that “neither Kyoto City nor the Kyoto City Tourism Association are aware of any details beyond what is reported in the media.”

Rowdy visitor behavior has been the target of new rules in Milan. In some areas, city leaders have banned outdoor seating after 12:30 a.m. during the week and 1:30 a.m. on the weekend in response to resident complaints. They have also limited the late-night sale of takeaway food and drinks.

And in certain areas on the Spanish Balearic Islands of Majorca and Ibiza that are overrun with drunk tourists, the government has imposed a ban on late-night sales of alcohol and the consumption of alcohol in the street. New restrictions have also been imposed on party boats in the same areas.

“Tourism has negative externalities that must be managed and minimized,” Marga Prohens, the president of the Balearic Islands, told a local gathering this month , according to The Majorca Daily Bulletin. Local tourism, she said, “cannot continue to grow in volume.”

Paige McClanahan, a regular contributor to the Travel section, is author of “The New Tourist: Waking Up to the Power and Perils of Travel,” forthcoming from Scribner on June 18.

Open Up Your World

Considering a trip, or just some armchair traveling here are some ideas..

52 Places:  Why do we travel? For food, culture, adventure, natural beauty? Our 2024 list has all those elements, and more .

Ljubljana, Slovenia:  Stroll along the river, explore a contemporary art scene and admire panoramic views in this scenic Central European capital .

Cities With Great Beaches:  Already been to Miami, Honolulu and Sydney? These five other coastal destinations  are vibrant on land and on the water.

Southern France:  The Canal du Midi traverses the Occitanie region and gives cyclists of all skill levels  access to parts of France that are rich in lore .

Port Antonio, Jamaica:  The D.J. and music producer Diplo recommends spots in a city he loves  on Jamaica’s northeast coast. A dance party makes the cut.

New Mexico:  Visiting the vast and remote Gila Wilderness, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary, is both inspiring and demanding .

It’s been a record-setting year for global travel – here’s how we make tourism inclusive and sustainable

Inclusive and sustainable travel and tourism includes supporting micro-, small- and medium-sized businesses. Image:  Unsplash/Michael Barón

.chakra .wef-1c7l3mo{-webkit-transition:all 0.15s ease-out;transition:all 0.15s ease-out;cursor:pointer;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;outline:none;color:inherit;}.chakra .wef-1c7l3mo:hover,.chakra .wef-1c7l3mo[data-hover]{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}.chakra .wef-1c7l3mo:focus,.chakra .wef-1c7l3mo[data-focus]{box-shadow:0 0 0 3px rgba(168,203,251,0.5);} Nicola Villa

.chakra .wef-1nk5u5d{margin-top:16px;margin-bottom:16px;line-height:1.388;color:#2846F8;font-size:1.25rem;}@media screen and (min-width:56.5rem){.chakra .wef-1nk5u5d{font-size:1.125rem;}} Get involved .chakra .wef-9dduvl{margin-top:16px;margin-bottom:16px;line-height:1.388;font-size:1.25rem;}@media screen and (min-width:56.5rem){.chakra .wef-9dduvl{font-size:1.125rem;}} with our crowdsourced digital platform to deliver impact at scale

• The global travel sector is experiencing a robust recovery, with tourists increasingly spending more on travel.
• Despite the overall positive outlook, some destinations struggle with operational challenges, including workforce issues and resource management amid rising tourist numbers and environmental concerns.
• The travel and tourism sector’s potential for advancing socio-economic prosperity is particularly impactful through the support of micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises.

The global travel sector forecast is in and it's sunny skies ahead. Through March 2024, consumer spending on travel remains strong, and passenger traffic has soared. Empowered by a strong labour market worldwide, tourists will be on the roads, air and seas once again, with more of people’s budgets on travel.

The latest report from the Mastercard Economics Institute, Travel Trends 2024: Breaking Boundaries , reveals that 2024 has already witnessed multiple record-setting days as consumer spending on leisure travel remains strong. The data shows that post-pandemic travellers continue to seek unique experiences rooted in local cultures while increasingly prioritizing spending on memorable events across sports, music and festivals.

The Mastercard Economics Institute’s analysis reveals that travellers also seek opportunities to extend their stays, prioritizing leisure for longer. For the first 12 months between March 2019 and February 2020, a trip’s average length of stay was about four days. As of March 2024, the average length of a leisure trip has edged closer to five days, which translates into an economic boost for the destinations and communities hosting them.

Have you read?

These are the top 10 countries for travel and tourism, what is travel and tourism’s role in future global prosperity, travel & tourism development index 2024, tackling tourism’s challenges.

Yet, while the overall outlook for travellers looks bright, that’s not the case for all destinations. Some tourism hotspots and lesser-known locales are facing growing challenges around operating conditions. The World Economic Forum’s Travel & Tourism Development Index (TTDI) 2024 highlights the ongoing constraints facing the global travel and tourism sector – including the lack of investment in skilled and resilient workforces and issues around resource management – cultural and natural – as destinations grapple with higher tourist visitor numbers and rising environmental concerns.

The report offers travel and tourism decision-makers recommendations around how the sector can take a more active role in tackling social challenges across socio-economic prosperity, peace and cultural exchange. As the industry accounts for approximately one-tenth of global gross domestic product and employment , the public and private sectors must work together to ensure future tourism development is, first and foremost, inclusive and sustainable.

Supporting the backbone of travel and tourism

As the TTDI 2024 notes, one area where the sector’s potential in advancing socio-economic prosperity can be particularly impactful is in the economic empowerment of micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). According to the World Travel & Tourism Council, more than 80% of travel and tourism businesses fall under this category.

Policies and investments promoting the adoption of digital solutions and enhancing digital skills development while improving access to credit can provide a major boost to tourism-focused MSMEs.

In Costa Rica, the Instituto Costariccense de Turismo, a member of Mastercard’s Tourism Innovation Hub , is championing such an approach to ensure increased tourist traffic results in better opportunities for MSMEs. Last year, the institute launched Tico Treasures , a platform facilitating tourist connections with Costa Rica’s Crafts with Identity programme, a group of 17 artisan collectives across the country. The platform allows visitors to discover local Costa Rican products, learn about artisan communities and then purchase and ship the goods back to their home country – all through one experience.

The programme is an example of public-private collaboration, including backing from Correos de Costa Rica, Banco de Costa Rica and the Instituto Costariccense de Turismo. Its objectives are multifold: delivering more authentic experiences for tourists, expanding citizens’ access to the digital economy and contributing to MSME resilience.

Protecting future environments

There are also novel approaches to solving destinations’ sustainability challenges underway. A key role of the Travel Foundation , a global non-government organization, is to facilitate innovative public-private collaborations in tourism that accelerate and scale sustainable solutions. One notable example is in Scotland, where the national tourism organization VisitScotland is partnering with the Travel Corporation, a global tour operator, to help decarbonize the destination supply chain. Both organizations are pooling their insights, data and expertise to support local businesses, develop new ideas for reducing carbon footprints and identify barriers to a green transition.

The learnings from this and other projects led by the Travel Foundation will be shared to influence future policy, investment and product development decisions at national and global levels. By combining public sector resources and capabilities with private sector technological expertise, travel and tourism decision-makers can enact policies and programmes that balance tourism growth with environmental protection, providing a nuanced approach that works for unique destinations.

It’s an important time for the sector – to leverage travel and tourism’s robust recovery and advance socio-economic prosperity, fuelling a more inclusive future for our treasured destinations. By accelerating collaboration between governments, destination management organizations and technology companies, we can ensure destinations, the communities that power them and the environments they inhabit are at the heart of all future tourism development.

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World Economic Forum articles may be republished in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Public License, and in accordance with our Terms of Use.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.

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China’s Travel & Tourism Sector Forecast to See Swift Post-pandemic Recovery Despite Prolonged Restrictions

WTTC Calls for Urgent Action on Sustainable Aviation Fuel

UAE Travel & Tourism Sector Set to Recover This Year, Says WTTC

Strong Signs of Recovery for Travel & Tourism in Canada Says WTTC

U.S. Travel & Tourism Sector Set to Reach Record-Breaking High This Year Says WTTC

Global Travel & Tourism Catapults Into 2023 Says WTTC

VFS Global Founder & CEO Zubin Karkaria Joins the World Travel & Tourism Council’s Executive Committee

WTTC Unveils World-First Global Travel & Tourism’s Water Footprint

WTTC Data Reveals Portugal’s Travel & Tourism Sector’s Climate Footprint

New WTTC Environmental Data Reveals Italy’s Travel & Tourism Sector’s Climate Footprint

WTTC Reveals Germany’s Travel & Tourism Sector’s Climate Footprint

WTTC Launches Groundbreaking Hotel Sustainability Basics

WTTC Reacts to Statement From the Presidency of the EU Council on Easing Restrictions for Travellers From China to the EU

Tourists Heading Back to Asian Cities Says the World Travel & Tourism Council

Beijing Set to Become World’s Largest Travel & Tourism City Destination Says WTTC

Tourists Travelling Back to South Africa’s Biggest Cities Says WTTC

International Tourists Unlocking Economic Recovery Across the UAE Says the World Travel & Tourism Council

Travel & Tourism Sector in Key European Capitals Strongly Recovering Says WTTC

Tourists Travelling Back to North Africa’s Biggest Cities Says WTTC

Heading Back to Indian Cities Say World Travel & Tourism Council

WTTC Expresses Condolences to the People of Türkiye and Syria

Orlando Crowned Largest Travel & Tourism City Destination in America for 2022

Tourists Heading Back to Australia Say World Travel & Tourism Council

WTTC and TRIP.COM Group Global Traveller Report Reveals Shift Towards Sustainable Travel

WTTC Reveal Paris as the World’s Most Powerful City Destination

WTTC Reacts to the Imposition of Travel Restrictions on Chinese Travellers

WTTC Reveals APAC’s Travel & Tourism Sector’s Climate Footprint

African Travel & Tourism Sector’s Climate Footprint Revealed

The World Travel & Tourism Council Reveals Climate Footprint of EU Travel & Tourism Sector

North American Travel & Tourism Sector’s Climate Footprint Revealed

The World Travel & Tourism Council Announce Collaboration with UNWTO and Sustainable Hospitality Alliance at COP15

Rwanda Announced as Next WTTC Global Summit Host

International Cities Remain the Backbone of Global Travel & Tourism 

WTTC Unveils World-First Global Travel & Tourism Climate Footprint Data

The World Travel & Tourism Council’s 22nd Global Summit in Riyadh Set to Be Biggest Ever

Global Traveller Survey Reveals International Travel Is Back

WTTC Announces Former UK Prime Minister Theresa May as Keynote Speaker for Its Global Summit in Saudi Arabia

WTTC Announces Ban Ki-Moon Former United Nations Secretary-General as First Keynote Speaker for Its Global Summit

TBO.COM Co-founder Gaurav Bhatnagar Joins the World Travel & Tourism Council’s Executive Committee

WTTC Announces Speakers for Its 22nd Global Summit in Saudi Arabia Next Month

The World Travel & Tourism Council and the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance Announce Partnership to Accelerate the Transition to Net Positive Hospitality

WTTC Welcomes the Agreement on a Collective Long-Term Aspirational Goal

The World Travel & Tourism Council Commends Government of Canada’s Decision to Remove COVID-19 Travel Restrictions

WTTC Calls on ICAO Member States to Rally Behind Aviation and Agree Ground-Breaking Carbon Reduction Targets

The World Travel & Tourism Council Hosts Historical Dialogue Between Private Sector and the G20 Ministers

WTTC Welcomes the Reopening of Borders in Japan

WTTC Publishes Ground-Breaking Report on How Travel & Tourism Can Reverse Nature Loss

The World Travel & Tourism Council Reacts to the Death of Queen Elizabeth II

U.S. Retains Its Position as the World’s Biggest Travel & Tourism Market Despite Lengthy Travel Restrictions by Boosting Domestic Travel

World Travel & Tourism Council Welcomes Inflation Reduction Act of 2022

Nearly 50,000 Travel & Tourism Jobs in Portugal Could Remain Unfilled, Says WTTC

Quarter of a Million Vacancies in Travel & Tourism Threaten Italy’s Economic Recovery, Says WTTC in New Report

According to WTTC, More Than 70,000 Vacancies in Travel & Tourism Threaten France’s Economic Recovery

130,000 Vacancies in Travel & Tourism Threaten UK Economic Recovery Says WTTC in New Report

412,000 Travel & Tourism Jobs Across the U.S. Will Remain Unfilled Unless Urgent Action Is Taken

WTTC Reveals New Data Signaling the Recovery of International Travel to the U.S.

According to WTTC and ETC, 1.2 Million Travel & Tourism Jobs Across the EU Will Remain Unfilled Unless Urgent Action Is Taken

WTTC Launches New Report on Best Practices for Short-Term Rentals

China’s Travel & Tourism Sector to Create More Than 30 Million Jobs Over the Next Decade

Japan Travel & Tourism Could Approach Pre-Pandemic Levels Next Year

South Korea’s Travel & Tourism Expected to Create Nearly Half a Million Jobs Within the Next Decade

South Africa’s Travel & Tourism’s Growth to Outpace the National Economy for the Next 10 Years

More Than Five Million New Travel & Tourism Jobs to Be Created in Indonesia Within the Next Decade

Saudi Arabia’s Travel & Tourism to Have Fastest Growth in the Middle East Over the Next Decade

Travel & Tourism Jobs in Nigeria to Double Over the Next Decade

New Report From WTTC Analyses Critical Factors for Hotel Investment Post Pandemic

WTTC Publishes New Report on Destination Resilience

WTTC Calls for Greater Coordination Between Caribbean Governments to Create More Than 1.3 Million Jobs Over the Next Decade

Portugal’s Travel & Tourism Could Surpass Pre-pandemic Levels in 2023

World Travel & Tourism Council Welcomes Decision to Remove Testing for Travelers Which Caused “Untold Damage”

Travel & Tourism Set to Inject Over $2.6 Billion Into the U.S. Economy Over Next Decade

WTTC Announces Influential Speakers for Its Sustainability and Investment Summit in Puerto Rico

Visitors Flock to UK to Join Celebrations as the Queen Celebrates 70 Years on the Throne

India’s Travel & Tourism Could Surpass Pre-pandemic Levels by the End of 2022

Italy’s Travel & Tourism Could Reach Pre-pandemic Levels Next Year, Reveals WTTC Report

France’s Travel & Tourism Could Surpass Pre-pandemic Levels in 2023

WTTC Publishes Report on Digital Travel Post COVID

Germany’s Travel & Tourism Could Surpass Pre-Pandemic Levels Next Year

New Report From WTTC Reveals UK Travel & Tourism Sector Is Expected to Create 700,000 Jobs Over the Next Decade

Turkey’s Travel & Tourism Sector to Grow at Twice the Rate of the National Economy

North America Travel & Tourism Sector GDP Expected to Grow an Average of Nearly 4% Annually Over Next Decade

Travel & Tourism Sector Across Africa Expected to Create 14 Million New Jobs Within the Next Decade

Canada Travel & Tourism Could Reach Pre-pandemic Levels Next Year

Nearly Eight Million New Travel & Tourism Jobs to Be Created in Europe Within the Next Decade

Middle East Travel & Tourism Sector Expected to Create 3.6 Million New Jobs Within the Next Decade

WTTC Global Summit Closes in Manila and Announces Saudi Arabia as Next Host Destination in November This Year

The World Travel & Tourism Council Reveals Massive Increase in Global International Inbound Travel

WTTC Launches New Cyber Resilience Report for the Global Travel & Tourism Sector

WTTC Launches Major Hotel Sustainability Initiative at Its Global Summit in Manila

Leading Tourism Ministers and Business Leaders Discuss Lessons Learnt From the Pandemic at WTTC’s 21st Global Summit

Travel & Tourism Sector Expected to Create Nearly 126 Million New Jobs Within the Next Decade

New Report From WTTC and Jll Outlines Global Cities’ Preparedness for Sustainable Travel & Tourism Growth

British Adventurer Bear Grylls Named as Keynote at WTTC Global Summit in the Philippines

WTTC’s Latest Economic Impact Report Reveals Significant Recovery in the Philippines Travel & Tourism Sector in 2021

Global Travel & Tourism Sector Unites to Support Ukraine

The World Travel & Tourism Council Welcomes the Removal of the Travel Health Notice for Cruises

WTTC Announces Speakers for Its 21st Global Summit in the Philippines

The World Travel & Tourism Council Addresses EU Ministers to Discuss the Recovery of Travel & Tourism

The World Travel & Tourism Council Commends New Zealand Government for Reopening Its Borders to International Travellers

WTTC Reacts to the Removal of All Remaining UK Travel Restrictions

World Travel & Tourism Council Supports Call For Intra-EU Travel Restrictions to Be Dropped

WTTC Reacts to the Removal of COVID-19 Tests for the Fully Vaccinated Travelling to Saudi Arabia

WTTC Statement on the Invasion of Ukraine

Middle East’s Travel & Tourism Sector Could Grow To Us$246 Billion in 2022, Says WTTC

France’s Travel & Tourism Sector Could See Employment Surpass Pre-Pandemic Levels This Year, Says WTTC

WTTC Welcomes “Sensible” EU Scrapping of Pre-departure Tests for Fully-Vaccinated

China’s Travel & Tourism Sector Could Reach CNY 11 Trillion This Year, Says WTTC

UK’s Travel & Tourism Sector Poised to Hit £192 Billion This Year if Government Keeps Borders Open, Says WTTC

WTTC: U.S. Travel & Tourism Recovery Projected to Exceed Pre-pandemic Levels in 2022

UK Economy Suffered £7Billion Losses as Travel & Tourism Hit by Government Omicron Restrictions, Says WTTC

Travel & Tourism Could Grow to $8.6 Trillion in 2022, Says WTTC

WTTC Reacts to the Removal of COVID-19 Tests for Fully Vaccinated Travellers

WTTC Announces the Sustainability and Investment Summit to Be Held in Puerto Rico

WTTC Predicts a Strong Recovery of the European Travel & Tourism Sector in 2022

WTTC Announces New Dates for Its 2022 Global Summit in Manila

WTTC Response to France Re-Opening Borders to UK Travellers

WTTC and UK Inbound Praise the Removal of Pre-Departure Test and Replacing Day 2 PCR Testing With Antigen Tests

Italy’s Travel & Tourism Sector to See a Staggering Job Shortfall of More Than a Quarter of a Million This Year, Says WTTC

UK Travel & Tourism Sector Sees a Massive Job Shortfall of More Than 200,000 This Year, Says WTTC Report

Portugal’s Travel & Tourism Sector Faces Job Shortfall of 85,000 This Year, Says WTTC Report

China’s Travel & Tourism Sector Set to Recover by More Than 60% This Year, Reveals WTTC

WTTC Calls on EU Governments to Avoid Reintroduction of Severe Travel Restriction

U.S.Travel & Tourism Saw Labor Shortfall of Almost 700,000 in 2021

WTTC Responds to the Latest Measures Introduced by the French Government

WTTC Responds to the Latest Announcement From the UK Government

WTTC Responds to the Latest Testing Measures

WTTC Identifies Digital Solutions for Governments Worldwide to Significantly Restore International Mobility

WTTC Calls for Borders to Remain Open and Safe Travel to Continue

New Report From WTTC and Trip.com Group Reveals Latest Consumer Trends and the Shift in Traveller Behaviours

Date updated: 23/05/24

US fines airlines $2.5m for delaying COVID-19 refunds to travellers

Civil penalties are for significant delays in providing nearly $1bn in refunds owed to passengers.

Singapore Airlines death: Is climate change making air turbulence worse?

Experts say climate change is expected to make incidents of turbulence worse for air travellers.

‘Refuge of the last dreamers’: Luang Prabang, a city suspended in time

Once a royal city in ancient Laos, Luang Prabang is home to Buddhist temples nestled in a valley on the Mekong River.

Dubai announces $35bn construction of world’s largest airport terminal

Al Maktoum International Airport envisaged to have capacity for 260 million passengers upon completion.

Content Feed

Thousands protest against over-tourism in spain’s canary islands.

Demonstrators say mass tourism is overwhelming the Atlantic archipelago.

How one Mexican beach town saved itself from ‘death by tourism’

Stunning Puerto Escondido was on a direct path to destruction. But the community fought back – and won.

Photos: Tourist numbers up in post-war Afghanistan

The number of foreign tourists visiting Afghanistan rose 120 percent year on year in 2023, reaching nearly 5,200.

Malaysia’s airport fee hikes leave bad taste in travellers’ mouths

The Malaysian Aviation Commission says increases needed to support the aviation sector’s post-pandemic recovery.

Malaysia welcomes Chi­nese tourists back in droves af­ter pan­dem­ic slump

Kuala Lumpur targets record 5 million Chinese visitors in 2024 as it hopes to accelerate post-pandemic recovery.

Airbnb bans use of indoor security cameras amid privacy concerns

Short-term rental platform says decision comes as part of efforts to ‘prioritise the privacy of our community’.

Singapore plays down payment to Taylor Swift amid grumbles from neighbours

City-state’s culture minister says grant given to pop icon ‘not anywhere as high as speculated’.

Old ways survive in Bali despite mass tourism, but for how long?

Indonesian island with its unique religion and culture is preparing for Nyepi, the day when everything shuts.

Thailand sees Chinese tourism soar as visa requirement dropped

Less bureaucracy and more flights are luring Chinese visitors back to Thailand in a boost to the tourism industry.

Russians arrive in North Korea as first foreign tour group since COVID-19

The visitors’ arrival comes as Moscow and Pyongyang bolster ties, pledging closer economic and military cooperation.

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Tourism News

The latest tourism and destination news from around the world. Read exclusive interviews with leaders, see the latest marketing campaigns, and understand the bigger issues like coronavirus recovery and destination development.

Over 1,000 Die in Hajj Pilgrimage Amid Global Heatwave

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Record-setting travel predicted in Florida for Fourth of July, AAA says

Orlando one of top indepedence day destinations.

Haley Coomes , Digital Content Producer

ORLANDO, Fla. – With the Fourth of July landing on a Thursday, it appears millions of Floridians have their eye on a long holiday weekend.

AAA is predicting Independence Day travel to reach new records both nationwide and in Florida as more than 70.9 million people around the U.S. are expected to travel 50 miles or more away from home. Nearly 4.5 million of those will be Floridians.

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“The summer travel season is off to a hot start and we expect to set new travel records on the road and in the sky during the week of Independence Day,” Debbie Haas, vice president of Travel for AAA – The Auto Club Group, said in a statement. “There will be 3.5 million more travelers than last year. That means even more people at airports and popular attractions like beaches, lakes, and theme parks.”

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This year, the auto club’s travel forecast measures domestic trips of 50 miles or more during a 9-day period from Saturday, June 29, to Sunday, July 7.

AAA projects a record 60.6 million people will travel by car over Independence Day week — that’s an additional 2.8 million travelers compared to last year. This year’s number also surpasses 2019 when 55.3 million people traveled by car over the holiday.

The top best and worst travel times below are based on AAA data.

As for air travel, the number of domestic air travelers is also expected to set a record. Nationally, AAA projects 5.74 million people will fly to their Independence Day destinations. That’s an increase of nearly 7% compared to last year and a 12% increase over 2019.

This year, millions of Americans are choosing to celebrate freedom in the Pacific Northwest: Seattle, Vancouver, and Anchorage are top destinations because of the popularity of Alaska cruises this time of year. Three Florida cities also made the list.

The top 10 domestic and international destinations below are based on AAA booking data.

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Copyright 2024 by WKMG ClickOrlando - All rights reserved.

About the Author

Haley coomes.

Haley is a digital content producer for ClickOrlando.com and first started as a News 6 producer in October 2014. She's a graduate of Indiana University with a Bachelors of Arts degree in journalism. She specializes in theme parks and lifestyle writing.

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Summer travel season begins with kamaaina deals

H ONOLULU (KHON2) — It’s the official start of summer and tourism officials are counting on the peak travel months to make up for this year’s slow start. Several hotels are offering kamaaina deals to attract more guests to their properties. 

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At this point, hotels are preparing to welcome mainly travelers from within the states, as international visitors are still slow to return. 

The Hyatt Regency Waikiki Culinary and Food and Beverage Operations Director Jeff Szombaty said the property has remained busy despite a general slowdown in the visitor industry. 

“The mainland market is really pushing travel into Waikiki and Oahu and the Hawaiian Islands,” said Szombaty. “Still a little bit of delay in Japanese travel probably due to the currency exchange with the yen.”

Tourism officials said the year started softer than expected with the State’s tourism office data showing a 10.5% decline in April compared to last year. 

The Hawaii Tourism Authority Interim CEO Daniel Nahoopii said, “It’s still softer than what we would like it to be and we are working diligently on developing campaigns in the Fall to continue to stimulate the market.”

The Embassy Suites Waikiki General Manager Simeon Miranda said they had to pivot to attract even more guests to the property.

Miranda said, “We get creative. We try to get groups here, small groups as well as more families we’re, very family-oriented here.”

Softness in the market creates more opportunities for hotels to offer more kamaaina discounts. 

Szombaty said, “We are reintroducing a 25% off kamaaina special for our buffet.” He said Kamaaina room rates are starting at $199 with waived resort fees. 

Meanwhile, Outrigger properties also offer kamaaina discounts such as 50% off parking and resort charges. 

Miranda said current guests are looking for the best value. 

Miranda said, “But if you think of the breakfast, cocktails and all the rooms being suites. And you pay just that one rate inclusive. It is a great way to stay in Waikiki.”

Several properties offer kamaaina discounts year-round. 

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KHON2.

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