Spain‘s tourism industry experienced an unprecedented year in 2024, breaking records with 94 million international visitors. The country is a prime example of an area struggling with overtourism. Vilified by citizens, but a major pillar of the economy and the welfare and prosperity of the kingdom.
Tag: United Nations
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…
USA | 25 hours in New York City
June 2024. For our first visit to the United States of America since the COVID-19 pandemic, we flew to New Orleans via London Heathrow with British Airways. After two days of exploring NOLA, Amtrak‘s Crescent overnight train brought us from Louisiana to New York, where we we stayed one night only before flying home.
GERMANY | Exploring Bonn in North Rhine-Westphalia
In late 2023, Dennis had the idea to visit Bonn in North Rhine-Westphalia for its Christmas Market. A good idea. We chose Bonn over Cologne or Aachen, as Cologne’s – and Aachen’s – Weihnachtsmarkt is a mass tourism event. Even if Bonn used to be the capital of the German Federal Republic when it was…
Sightseeing Switzerland
Switzerland will host the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest. But which city in the Helvetic Confederation will welcome the thousands of artists, media people and fans? Geneva, Sankt Gallen, Basel and Fribourg have already expressed their interest. Other obvious options are Zurich and Bern. And why not Lausanne? Swiss broadcaster Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (SRF) also…
Which flags get to fly at Antwerp City Hall?
Today is the National Holiday of Belgium. On 21 July 1831, Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha took the constitutional oath to become King of the Belgians. But I want to look at something else.
ILGA WORLD | Despite more legal protections for LGBTI people, stark opposition has been a recurring theme in debates in every UN member State
‘Laws on Us‘ is the new landmark report by worldwide LGBTQIA+ advocacy organisation ILGA World, mapping laws affecting LGBTI communities across the world. Together with the ILGA World Database, it follows in the footsteps of previous landmark reports by the organisation, namely, the ‘State-Sponsored Homophobia‘ and the ‘Trans Legal Mapping Report‘, and equally encompasses issues…
ILGA-EUROPE | Alarming surge in transphobic speech across Europe sparks concern for June 2024 EU elections
Ahead of the elections throughout the European Union coming June, a new ILGA-Europe report shows a stark rise in anti-LGBTQIA+, and in particular, transphobic statements from politicians across Europe.
Pride movement in Europe expecting increased hostility
The European Pride Organisers Association (EPOA), representing Europe‘s LGBTQIA+ pride organisations has told the United Nations (UN) that it expects increased hostility in the coming years, unless there is a change in political mood across the continent.