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How global tourism can be more sustainable
Thursday 12th of September 2019
One of the world’s biggest economic activities, tourism drives wealth, employment, and regional development.
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These are the world’s five most-visited cities
Thursday 12th of September 2019
The global travel and tourism industry is worth an estimated $8.8 trillion a year and much of that growing economic activity is concentrated among a narrow group of destinations.
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Can you list the 7 countries that have been to the moon?
Wednesday 11th of September 2019
Only seven nations (or political unions) have been to or orbited the moon so far as part of a successful or semi-successful mission – and the runner-up doesn’t even exist anymore. This is the tally of moon missions long after the first race for space that saw the U.S. and the USSR square off in the 1950s, 60s and 70s and at the recent beginning of the new era of moon missions that included the participation of new national actors.The U.S. tops the current list, with 30 completed successful missions to the moon or its orbit between 1959 and 2013, according to OMG Space. The USSR flew 23 such missions between 1959 and 1976. China stepped up its space program in the 2000s and flew its first mission of the Chang’e program in 2007. All six attempted missions related to the program have been successful or semi-successful (Rover Yutu that landed on the moon in the Chang’e 3 mission in December 2018 stopped moving after around six weeks but maintained radio contact). China counts seven missions to the moon after a Hong Kong satellite, AsiaSat 3, in 1997 missed its Earth orbit, which was subsequently adjusted with the help of two lunar fly-bys, marking the first (accidental) commercial mission to the moon.India successfully completed a lunar orbit and impactor mission (Chandrayaan-1) in 2008 and entered the moon orbit again in September 2019, with a lander and rover mission that was – most likely – a failure. Contact was lost with the lander upon approach and the Indian mission control does suspect a hard landing. Japan has currently also completed two missions, orbiter Hiten in 1990 (semi-successful) and combined orbiter and impactor mission Kaguya in 2007. The EU sent probe Smart-1 into lunar orbit in 2003, testing solar-powered ion drive technology.Finally, Luxembourg company LuxSpace piggybacked a small independent probe on the Chinese Chang’e 5-T1 mission, which orbited the moon and returned to Earth in 2014.Israel is the sole country which can look back only on failed missions to the moon. Their single moon mission, carried out by nonprofit SpaceIL, crash-landed on the moon in February 2019.Between 1976 and 1990, no moon missions were carried out by any nation.
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A tale of 2 Africas, travel-ready nations and other top stories of the week
Friday 6th of September 2019
Africa has the wealth to invest. To unleash growth, end extreme inequality.⇒ Explore: Africa
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These Filipino fishermen are protecting endangered sharks – and boosting their incomes
Wednesday 4th of September 2019
A group of the world’s poorest fishermen are protecting endangered whale sharks from being finned alive at Oslob in the Philippines.
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Sub-Saharan Africa has all the natural capital it needs to grow its tourism industry
Wednesday 4th of September 2019
When it comes to travel and tourism, sub-Saharan Africa is a region with massive potential tempered by multiple structural, institutional, economic and socio-economic challenges. According to data from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), the region’s direct travel and tourism GDP is forecast to grow by 60% from 2018 to 2029. As such, the industry has a crucial role in the development of the region.
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If you build it, they will come: Why infrastructure is crucial to tourism growth and competitiveness
Wednesday 4th of September 2019
With international tourist arrivals reaching 1.4 billion in 2018—two years ahead of initial projections—the travel and tourism industry will continue to drive global connectivity. The World Economic Forum’s 2019 Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report shows this growth is backed by improving global travel and tourism competitiveness, which stems, in part, from growing aviation capacity, increased international openness, and declining travel costs.
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A roadmap for destination management in the digital economy
Wednesday 4th of September 2019
In the digital economy, tourist destinations face management challenges like never before.
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These are the top countries for travel and tourism in 2019
Wednesday 4th of September 2019
Spain, France, Germany, Japan and the United States are the world’s most travel-ready nations, according to the latest travel and tourism ranking of the World Economic Forum.
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Why tourism policy needs to use more imagination
Sunday 1st of September 2019
For too long, tourist destinations have focused on things like growth in arrivals, number of beds, receipts and revenue: a race to keep up with the competition. At the same time, the existing tourism system is outdated. The result? Tourist destinations end up with standardized policies and proven solutions—copy and-paste behavior that also copies the mistakes of the past. Now, it is giving way to overtourism and citizen retaliation.
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1 in 7 people would choose not to fly because of climate change
Friday 30th of August 2019
The youth activist Greta Thunberg has made a splash by sailing across the Atlantic on a yacht to a UN climate summit in order to avoid the carbon emissions of a flight. While few of us would endure 15 days on the high seas, it seems her stance is striking a chord – especially with the young.
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What can Darwin teach the aviation industry about cybersecurity?
Monday 26th of August 2019
Air transport is a vital industry that contributes substantially to economic development and improved living standards. According to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the 4.1 billion passengers transported in 2017 are expected to grow to around 10 billion by 2040. And according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), 35% of world trade by value is transported by air cargo, equivalent to $6.4 trillion of goods. The role of the aviation industry in commerce, trade and transport infrastructure makes it indispensable to the global economy. The consequences of any major failure would carry direct public safety and national security implications and costs.
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The world needs carbon-neutral flying. Here’s how to bring it one step closer
Thursday 15th of August 2019
In the year when the Swedish word “flygskam” (flight-shaming) hit the news in Europe, public concern about carbon emissions from aviation is endangering the sector’s social license to operate. Aviation is a critical sector that connects travelers and businesses across the globe, fosters economic growth and supports humanitarian missions. It is therefore important for the sector, in collaboration with all those who depend on it, to continue to do all it can to lead the way towards sustainable operations. With demand for flights projected to double over the next 15-20 years, 2019 could be the year that the industry, or at least the most progressive actors within it, define a pathway towards net-zero flying.
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This is America’s first completely solar-powered airport
Tuesday 13th of August 2019
Tennessee’s Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport recently became the first U.S. airport powered by 100 percent solar energy.
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Meet Alice, the battery-powered plane that could herald the age of electric air travel
Monday 12th of August 2019
Every minute, 84 flights take off worldwide. Last year, more than 4 billion journeys were made by plane.
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Tourist hot-spots are cracking down on visitors as they become victims of their own success
Friday 2nd of August 2019
It is not the sheer number of tourists descending on Venice that bothers Italian food blogger Monica Cesarato so much as the type of visitor.
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These are the fastest trains in the world
Tuesday 23rd of July 2019
Every day, China’s G17 and G39 trains depart from Beijing station and arrive in Nanjing after reaching top speeds of up to 350 kilometres per hour.
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These airports are now opening their doors to non-fliers
Friday 19th of July 2019
Long queues, crowded departure lounges, tight security – airports aren’t always the most welcoming of places.
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UK lawmakers to count environmental cost of mass tourism
Friday 19th of July 2019
British lawmakers said on Thursday they would count the environmental cost of mass tourism amid warnings that leisure trips pose an ever greater threat to the planet.
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Here are what UNESCO considers to be remarkable new World Heritage Sites
Thursday 18th of July 2019
From the ancient mystery of Stonehenge to the singular beauty of Venice and the unrivalled majesty of India’s Taj Mahal, there are more than 1,000 World Heritage Sites across the globe.
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Favela entrepreneurs are using social media to boost tourism. Here’s how
Wednesday 17th of July 2019
Local residents unhappy with the established “safari” model of favela tourism are creating a novel and vibrant market for walking tours in neighbourhoods like Rocinha in Rio de Janeiro. Social media have allowed them to reach potential customers directly, whereas temporary local alliances mean they can provide a “product” that is both safe and seductive at the same time. Aside from boosting the local economy, this allows visitors to experience the favela as a welcoming and thriving community rather than the dangerous drug den depicted in mainstream media, writes Josiane Fernandes (University of Lancaster).
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Our tourism system is broken – time to customize
Wednesday 10th of July 2019
Are we unwillingly killing the geese that lay the golden eggs? The communities that tourists want to visit are increasingly under pressure from tourism. Essentially, no one person is liable. Human beings want to travel; who can blame them? Hoteliers are happy to provide beds, that’s their business. Food and beverage providers and museums welcome the additional spending to supplement the revenue they earn from locals. Policymakers are happy with the jobs created and hence accept visitors using public services and spaces.
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A 550 km-long mass of rotting seaweed is heading for Mexico’s pristine beaches
Monday 8th of July 2019
Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula is home to clear blue seas, golden sands and a glorious backdrop that includes ancient Mayan ruins. Millions flock to its resorts every year and tourism is vital to the area’s economy.
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Here’s how Japan is breathing new life into its ‘ghost towns’
Tuesday 2nd of July 2019
Yoshifumi Yano was tiring of the high cost of living and long hours of work at a travel firm in Osaka, Japan’s second largest city, when he heard of a hotel for sale in a small town nearby that was known for its onsen, or hot springs.
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China in pictures: Tourism
Saturday 29th of June 2019
As its middle class grows and consumer spending increases, Chinese tourists are making a huge impact on the world. Spending 258 billion U.S. dollars abroad (around 20% of the world’s total spending on tourism), Chinese tourists are the world’s biggest spenders. The number of Chinese citizens taking foreign holidays is growing at over 6% a year and McKinsey forecasts 160 million will take holidays outside China next year.