In 2025, Osaka in Japan has claimed the top spot in the Yanolja Attractiveness Index, overtaking Kyoto, also in Japan, (#3) and surpassing long-established tourism powerhouses such as Paris in France (#2), New York in the United States (#4), and Seoul in South Korea (#5).
Tag: Middle East
Travel in 2024: Spain, France, USA, China, Mexico lose ground and Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, UAE to grow market share
In 2024, Google and consultancy giant Deloitte wrote the paper ‘NextGen Travellers and Destinations‘, studying the the before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Of course, the paper was written before 2025, which has proven to be a year of turmoil the world hasn’t experienced in many decades.
FOMU 2025 | Chrystel Mukeba – Katja Mater – Lee Miller – Mashid Mohadjerin
On a Thursday in April 2025, I visited both FOMU, Antwerp‘s photography museum, and M HKA, the museum of contemporary art in Antwerp. They’re situated in the same neighbourhood, at the Zuidpark. And with my museumPASSmusée, it’s ‘free’. Or better: included.
Star Alliance enhances intermodal connectivity with Austria’s ÖBB
Continuing its commitment to enhanced global connectivity, Star Alliance, together with 25 member airlines, welcomed ÖBB as its newest intermodal partner. This partnership allows customers of ÖBB and Star Alliance member airlines to seamlessly begin or conclude their long-distance journey on ÖBB’s eco-friendly RailJet trains, connecting from or to Graz, Linz, Salzburg, and Innsbruck in…
REVIEW | Qatar Airways – economy – Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner – Brussels to Doha
Autumn 2024. Ten years after my first trip to Seoul in 2014, I am returning to the Republic of Korea, better known as South Korea. Not solo this time, but with Oriol, who has never been to Korea. On the itinerary: flying with Qatar Airways to Incheon via Doha, the capital Seoul, the historic city…
Turkey welcomed 62 million international tourists who together spent $61 billion in 2024
July 2024. Steve and I are cruising on the Norwegian Getaway, a Breakaway class ship by Norwegian Cruise Line or NCL. Interestingly, our stay on board happened shortly after the Getaway paid a visit to the dry dock for some refurbishments. The route? Piraeus, which is the port of Athens in Greece; followed by Mykonos;…
UN WORLD TOURISM BAROMETER | International tourism recovers pre-pandemic levels in 2024
With 1.4 billion international tourist arrivals recorded globally, 2024 marked the recovery of international tourism from the worst crisis in the sector’s history. A majority of destinations welcomed more international tourists in 2024 than they did before the COVID-19 pandemic, while visitor spending also continued to grow strongly. For 2025, more growth is predicted.
2025: Overtourism overdose?
On 1 January 2024 we wrote about how rising prices affect travel. Not only the price of flights, but also the price of activities. Pricing was a topic the year before, 2023. In 2024, conventional and social media dug into the issue of overtourism. Articles about locals protesting, Instagrammers posting about big crowds in Japan…
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