Francesco Mari’s Post

Sporting events and more, Rome sets a record for tourists. And 8 out of 10 hotel rooms are occupied Sports tourism, composed of those who attend and participate in events, significantly contributes to the flow of people in the Capital. They fill hotels, visit museums, dine in restaurants, and shop in stores: in 2024, forecasts indicate surpassing the record set in 2023. 'From January to April 'we have seen a 7.52% increase in arrivals and a 5.71% increase in overnight stays compared to 12 months ago. Between March and April 2024, the average room occupancy was 81.34%, also up from 2023. urly.it/3a680

HAVE YOU HEARD: Italians are protesting! Because Venice has imposed a tourist entry fee!! In a first-of-its-kind move, Venice has imposed a €5 tourist fee for day-trippers! According to the regulation, day trippers who come to the city between 8:00 am and 4:00 pm will be required to pay while overnight tourists will have it added to their hotel bill! As bizarre as it sounds, the fee is aimed at tackling the issue of overtourism the city faces. Last year, the number of tourist beds surpassed that of the local population! Venice witnesses over 20 million tourists annually while peak days see over 40,000 day-trippers visit the city! While the efforts seem noble, citizens say otherwise. Residents claim that the tourist fee will result in no reduction in the number of tourists! (If I'm going to Italy from India, I certainly wouldn't be discouraged by a Rs 450 ticket!) Some locals felt that Venice was being considered a museum or theme park as a few hundred protesters held banners reading “No to ticket for Vene-Land” and chanting “Here we live and here we stay” and marched to one of Venice’s main squares! Is this a good idea? Or a recipe for disaster?? Follow Jobaaj Stories (the media arm of Jobaaj.com Group) for more. #venice #italy #protests #charge #ticket #fees #tourists #tourism #currentaffairs

Barcelona protesters throw items and spray travelers with water while shouting ‘tourists go home’ Mass tourism troubles hit fever pitch in Barcelona, Spain, on Saturday as protesters threw items and sprayed travelers with water guns and canned drinks, while shouting “tourists go home.” The protesters — angry about the city’s long-standing problems with overtourism — used thick police-style tape to block hotel entrances and sidewalk cafes in the small neighborhood of Barceloneta in a symbolic effort to close the establishments. The crowd, which numbered some 3,000 people, according to local media, also marched holding a large banner demanding that city officials “decrease tourists now.” Videos and photographs show people attempting to avoid the crowds — some walking away from their tables mid-meal — while others, including restaurant staff, verbally sparred with anti-tourism activists. The demonstration coincides with Barcelona’s peak summer travel months. In 2023, hotel occupancy rates neared 80% in July and August, as the city of 1.6 million people swelled to accommodate more than 4 million visitors, according to the Barcelona City Council. Record-breaking arrivals Last year, Spain bounced back from the pandemic with a record-breaking 85 million foreign visitor arrivals, according to The Associated Press. Only France, with 100 million arrivals, welcomed more. But the delicate dance between locals and visitors had spiraled long before that.

Small town in Umbria Italy

Squirt guns do not have a place in the global conversation about overtourism, according to the tourism industry experts and leaders who condemned their use on tourists by residents in Barcelona during protests this month.  Though effective in drawing international media attention to the plight of residents in Barcelona, who local newspapers say have grown increasingly frustrated with rising housing costs, travel leaders say that residents crossed a line and that their actions ultimately sent the wrong message.  "I think the natural reaction is one of dismay; these protests, which were not spontaneous, chose to attack some individuals who they feel are representative of a class which they are objecting to," said Tom Jenkins, CEO of the European Tour Operators Association.  Close to 3,000 Barcelona residents took to La Rambla, a popular street in the city center, on July 6 to protest mass tourism, carrying signs that read "Tourism kills the city" and chanting slogans like "Tourists go home." According to reports, some residents, armed with water pistols, sprayed tourists as they dined outdoors on restaurant terraces. Others symbolically sealed off entrances to dining terraces and hotels with tape to block travelers.  It was just the latest in what has been a monthslong series of protests across Spain aimed at overtourism -- or rather, as experts say, the less desirable impacts tourism is having on certain communities in the country and the frustrations that follow.  Other tourism protests in Spain have taken place in Mallorca, Malaga and the Canary Islands, and while those protests boasted larger attendance numbers in the tens of thousands, the protest in Barcelona appears to have been the most anti-tourism demonstration yet, staged in what is arguably Spain's highest-profile tourist destination.  "It's damaging for Barcelona; this was a little more confrontational," said Simon Hudson, a professor of tourism at the University of South Carolina. "I remember having a conversation with my wife, saying, 'Well, we wouldn't want to go there.' As a tourist, when you hear that news, nobody wants to go anywhere they're not welcome." Spanish tourism authorities have condemned the water gun incident, with Spain's tourism minister saying at a press conference following the protests that the actions are not in line with Spain's culture of hospitality.  Tour operators said there has been virtually no impact to bookings for Barcelona in the wake of these protests but that they continue to monitor the situation.  

Sixty-three percent of the respondents to a 2023 travel study for the sports sector said youth and amateur sporting events were their top generator of room nights. This has led to sports-related travel spending reaching $52.2 billion in 2023, up over $5 billion from 2022, according to Sports Events and Tourism Association. Transportation and lodging made up nearly half of the spend, while food and beverages, recreation, retail, and tournament related expenses accounted for the rest. #YouthSports #SportsTravel #AAU #SportsNumbers

If you’re looking for a unified source of information for keeping your travellers informed about the upcoming Olympics, make sure to review our latest Informer. 🇫🇷 Traveller advice, how to stay safe and various useful insights. Today, let’s look at some advice to travellers regarding local laws and customs. #DidYouKnow that ...it is illegal in France to not offer some form of assistance to a person who appears to be in danger? However, this does not apply to instances where assisting may endanger the responder’s life. Travellers also need to be aware of the country’s secular laws; the government has passed legislation banning the wearing of conspicuous religious symbols in schools, and the wearing of full-face veils, including the niqab or burqa, in all public places. This has been a divisive topic in France and it is best to avoid it during conversations. It is also advisable to avoid discussing the government, regional secessionist movements or any negative comments about the country. #Olympics2024 #TravelRisk

If you compare recent news reports about protests against tourism on Tenerife and in the Canary Islands, you’ll notice a difference, depending on whether reports are in the UK or Spanish press. One country’s media reflects what the protests are actually about, the other mostly sensationalises and reports issues where none exist. No prizes for guessing which does which. But there are aspects relating to the protests which are rarely referenced. This is a different take on the problems, based on my knowledge of the island and experience of issues with unsustainable tourism in other locations.  It also highlights something that both protesters and UK media are guilty of that puts the promotion of tourism on Tenerife back twenty years. https://lnkd.in/eZbfBr_4 #Tenerife #CanaryIslands #unsustainabletourism 

What if your hotel stay in Hawaii came with unlimited public transit, surf lessons, a free Mai Tai, and entry to cultural attractions—all included, at no extra charge? Sounds too good to be true, right? If you swap sandy beaches for snow-capped Alps, surf lessons for cross-country skiing, and Mai Tais for wine tastings, you've got the Südtirol Guest Pass. It's a crazy good deal that exists in South Tyrol, Italy. When you book a hotel at participating locations, the Südtirol Guest Pass gives you: ✅ 𝗨𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁: Regional trains, local buses, and even certain cable cars are all included. 🚌 🚆 🚋 ✅ 𝗦𝗲𝗮𝗺𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗕𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴: Accommodations + sustainable transportation = convenience and fewer decisions for travelers. 🏨 ✅ 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗸𝘀: Free museum entries, guided tours, wine tastings, and more seasonal experiences. 🏛️ 🍷 The results? Research shows tourists with this “guest card” were significantly more likely to choose public transit over driving. While I'm curious about their business model (how does it pencil out?), one thing's clear: it's a win for visitors and a win for the planet. 🌍 Apparently, this type of bundled guest pass is common in parts of Europe. Do you know of other destinations with programs like this? Could this strategy work for iconic destinations like Hawaii? #Travel #Sustainability #PublicTransport #SmartCities #TrafficManagement https://lnkd.in/gTGrnsYY

From Passports to immortality and the wonder of Noctourism to Vintage Voyaging and Boyz II Zen, these nine bold trends predict some very different directions for travel in 2025. Do you relate to any of these? #TogetherInTravel