Articles tagged “barcelona”

For all its imperfections, Valencia still has its spirit and a sense of authenticity that other destinations have lost in some ways in the age of overtourism. As the city fights to maintain equilibrium, it has a unique opportunity to set an example via the proper management of tourism. Don't put doors in the field. Set up bike lanes instead.

Sleek dining for plant-based meals has become relatively the norm in U.S. cities, but the trend is still gaining momentum in Europe where vegetarian food once relegated to hippie establishments is playing a larger role in mainstream dining.

It took years for overtourism to happen in some destinations and the problem won't be solved overnight or this year. But to start, destinations could begin paying tourism workers more fairly and give locals more access to programs and services that tourism revenue supposedly helps to fund.

We've been talking about overtourism for a while now and it's good to see cities getting more creative when it comes to managing numbers. Visitors are going to keep coming to the likes of Barcelona, Dubrovnik, and Amsterdam, and therefore these places are going to have to get smarter about managing the flow of people, whether they already live there or not.

Despite facing plenty of challenges, Spain saw a healthy growth in international tourists in 2017. But this year is likely to be tougher because of Barcelona's troubles and with places like Turkey regaining some of their popularity.

Cross-promotions like this are most successful when both sides have something to gain. While Seagram's gets access to a new audience, The Corner Hotel can enhance its reputation.

As destinations scramble to reduce the impact of tourism on their citizens, foundational work must still be done to create a repeatable framework and process for preventing overtourism.

Hotels used to be nearly the only game in town for accommodations during high-demand occasions, and they could charge whatever the market would bear. They can still charge guests whatever the market will bear but the question is whether companies such as Airbnb are changing the market and pricing dynamics.

Destinations around the world need to wake up and realize that social problems related to tourism aren't going to solve themselves.

It's only a segment of the U.S. population that has a go-to travel agent for trip planning, although they are more popular in other parts of the world. Virtuoso is trying to equip its members with the smarts to adapt to the evolving traveler, and you have to give Virtuoso credit for that.