A look at the chaos of ‘overtourism’ in the summer of 2024 The doorbell to Martinho de Almada Pimentel’s house is hard to find, and he likes it that way. It’s a long rope that, when pulled, rings a literal bell on the roof that lets him know someone is outside the mountainside mansion that his great-grandfather built in 1914 as a monument to privacy. There’s precious little of that for Pimentel during this summer of “overtourism.” Travelers idling in standstill traffic outside the sunwashed walls of Casa do Cipreste sometimes spot the bell and pull the string “because it’s funny,” he says. With the windows open, he can smell the car exhaust and hear the “tuk-tuk” of outsized scooters named for the sound they make. And he can sense the frustration of 5,000 visitors a day who are f...
Read MoreDay: August 20, 2024
Sun seekers are turning to package holidays in Europe as soaring hotel and flight prices revive demand for the all-inclusive deals that had fallen from favour, bolstering the balance sheets of some travel companies. The combination of a cost-of-living crisis and disruption from strikes and glitches has added to the appeal of a fixed-price package without unexpected add-on costs and easier redress when things go wrong. After years of travellers using the internet to compile their own itineraries, travel analysts say a trend of buying a ready-made package that began last year has accelerated this summer, the busiest for travel since the pandemic. FILE PHOTO: People cool off at the Mediterranean Sea on La Malagueta beach on a hot summer day in Malaga, Spain, July 27, 2024. REUTERS/J...
Read MoreNestled in the lush green jungle, Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp & Resort, in collaboration with the Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation (GTAEF), successfully hosted a two-day event in celebration of World Elephant Day. The event, held on August 12-13, 2024, aimed to raise awareness about the critical role elephants play in ecosystems and to support elephant conservation initiatives. This year’s festivities included cultural ceremonies reflecting the spirit of Thailand, a craft market, a fruit feast for elephants, and educational activities for students from Chiang Rai and guests. World Elephant Day, on August 12th, began with an interactive learning session for students, featuring education on elephant anatomy and behaviour led by a resident veterinar...
Read MoreState clinches gold for 3rd year in a row The Comprehensive Responsible Tourism project being implemented by Kerala Tourism in Beypore in Kozhikode district has won the prestigious Gold award of the International Centre for Responsible Tourism, India Chapter, (ICRT India) for 2024. The Beypore project gets the award in “Employing and Upskilling Local Community” category, considering the activities planned and implemented for leveraging tourism potential of the area for generating jobs and economically empowering the local community, especially women. This is the third consecutive year that Kerala is receiving the Gold award for its globally-acclaimed, sustainable and inclusive Responsible Tourism initiative, implemented through the Kerala Responsible Tourism Mission Society (KRTM...
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