North Korea bans foreign tourists to newly opened beach resort
DPR Korea Tour, a website run by North Korea's tourism authorities, said in a notice Wednesday that the eastern coastal Wonsan-Kalma tourist complex 'is temporarily not receiving foreign tourists.' It gave no further details including why a ban was established or how long it would last.
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Fox News
9 hours ago
- Fox News
Locals rant their neighborhood now 'like Disneyland' as post-Olympics tourism surges
All across Europe, officials in popular vacation destinations have been grappling with the ravages of overtourism — prompting locals to speak out about the strain this has taken on their communities. Last year, over three million people traveled to Paris, France, to witness the 2024 Olympic Games. About 230,000 Americans attended the Olympics, accounting for the largest group of foreign visitors, according to the official website Paris je t'aime. Now, locals in the hilltop area of the 18th arrondissement, Montmartre, are sounding the alarm about the surge of tourism in Paris. Following the Olympic Games, the number of visitors traveling to Paris has skyrocketed, according to Reuters. Paris officials say 2025 may rank as one of the busiest years yet, as there is a 20% rise in January bookings compared to last year, Reuters reported. Montmartre resident Anne Renaudi has lived in the area for 29 years. She told Reuters a historic section of the city now looks like a theme park after it was made famous in the movie "Amelie." "People come for three hours, have fun, buy a beret or a crêpe, and leave — as if they were in an amusement park," said Renaudie. She said, "We're down to two or three butchers, two cheese shops. They're disappearing one after the other … Now, it's a lot of ice cream, crêpes, taco places." Renaudie heads the Vivre à Montmartre Association, which has proposed measures to crack down on the strains of tourism. The group has looked at limiting tour groups to 25 people, banning loudspeakers and raising the tourist tax. In 2024, 48.7 million visitors traveled across Paris with about 11 million of them spending time in Montmartre. One popular landmark that tourists enjoy checking out is the 140-year-old Sacre-Coeur Basilica. It sits atop the Montmartre hill and is surrounded by narrow streets for visitors to explore. Local resident Anthea Quenel shared her frustration over the tour groups that congest the streets. "Sometimes I have to really raise my voice and say, 'Sorry, I want to pass,'" said Quenel to Reuters. She added, "It's like Disneyland." The troves of tourists have impacted housing prices, with the 18th arrondissement mayor addressing the impact on residents. "For me, the big issue is housing. That means fighting against Airbnb and rental platforms," said Mayor Eric Lejoindre. In the past decade, real estate prices rose by 19%, according to Reuters. Similarly, local residents of Mexico City have been making their feelings known about unwanted tourists visiting their home areas. Residents were protesting mass tourism, with hundreds of people taking to the streets and demanding stricter housing laws and legislation to regulate tourism levels. Government officials caved to the requests by announcing a preliminary plan to address gentrification and the other concerns of locals, The Associated Press (AP) reported.
Miami Herald
10 hours ago
- Miami Herald
North Korea Openly Defies Sanctions With Help From China
North Korean oil tankers blacklisted by the United Nations have been transmitting their locations while operating in Chinese waters, openly flouting sanctions against the illicit transfer of energy to Kim Jong Un's regime and despite U.N. resolutions requiring Beijing to seize and inspect the ships. In an investigative report released on Thursday, the specialist outlet NK Pro said data from ship-tracking service MarineTraffic found at least five North Korean tankers had entered Chinese waters in July. Four were under U.N sanctions. A Newsweek map captured their partial tracks utilizing self-reported signal data captured by MarineTraffic and Global Fishing Watch. The Chinese Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment after hours. North Korea is not banned from importing oil but faces a U.N.-imposed 500,000-barrel cap per year. Countries must report any shipments of fuel to the international body. Russia faces restrictions on its oil exports including a G7-imposed cap, which Moscow has circumvented this with a sanctions-busting shadow fleet. The data indicates North Korean vessels were getting oil from Russia's Far East, too, and will continue to get the commodity under the protection of its closest allies, Beijing and Moscow, thus undermining the sanctions regime. NK Pro said the five North Korean tankers likely sailed to Chinese waters to pick up fuel. They included the U.N.-sanctioned ships Song Won 2, An San 1, Kum Jin Gang 3 and Sin Phyong 9. The latter three had also frequented an oil pier at Russia's Vostochny Port, in the far-eastern Primorsky region, which is the main hub for North Korean fuel runs, the outlet said. The fifth vessel, the Chong Ryong San, is not sanctioned but is suspected of transporting petroleum products to North Korea's main port of Nampho and conducting illicit ship-to-ship transfers, according to a U.N. report. All four blacklisted vessels had broadcast their locations this month off eastern or southeastern China, near the reports of Zhoushan, Taizhou and Fujian. It was a sign that China was following Russia in rejecting sanctions against North Korea, said Neil Watts, a sanctions specialist and former member of the U.N. Panel of Experts on Pyongyang. Between March and November 2024, Russia supplied North Korea with over a million barrels of oil, or twice the U.N.-imposed limit, likely in payment for military support, according to the BBC, citing satellite data from the U.K.-based Open Source Center. Neil Watts, former member of the U.N. Panel of Experts: "The freer movements of North Korean vessels over the last two years, since the start of the war in Ukraine, suggest that China is following Russia in dismissing sanctions against North Korea." The North Korean tanker movements show Beijing's reluctance to enforce U.N. resolutions barring them from entering foreign ports, according to Watts, who added that such "brazen movements" are likely to continue as they see themselves untouchable under Russian and Chinese protection. Related Articles TV Drama Shows North Koreans State's Failings for First TimeKim Jong Un's Sister Reacts to South Korea's Olive BranchHow Iran Missiles Prepared US Patriot Units for Pacific WarNorth Korea Submarine Delays Frustrate Kim Jong Un's Naval Buildup 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Forbes
10 hours ago
- Forbes
These Lesser-Known Islands In The Bahamas Are The Caribbean's Next Big Thing
Caerula Mar Club on South Andros Island in the Bahamas. Caerula Mar Club Travel to the Caribbean is surging this summer, but it's the islands of the Bahamas that are burning brighter than ever. The island nation welcomed a record-shattering 11.22 million visitors in 2024, surpassing the previous year's record by 16.2%, and more than doubling pre-pandemic figures. But while the profound appeal of the Bahamas is no secret, it's where those visitors are heading that might surprise you. Increasingly, visitors are leaving Nassau, flocking to lesser-visited islands in search of crowdless coastlines that whisper tropical paradise rather than scream busy, built-up resort town. It's a change that is putting some of the most beautiful islands in the archipelago on the map for the very first time. The Out Islands are some of the least visited islands of the Bahamas, but arguably the most beautiful. Caerula Mar Club More than 700 islands and cays comprise the Bahamas, yet for much of their history, just two main islands have welcomed any meaningful number of visitors: New Providence, home to the capital city of Nassau, and Grand Bahama, home to the bustling port of Freeport. Now, it's the less-populated, much less-visited "Out Islands" of the Bahamas that take center stage in the nation's recent tourism boom. Named for their out-of-the-way location compared to Nassau, the Out Islands combined welcomed 40% less visitors than Nassau on New Providence Island in 2019. By 2021, visits to the Out Islands began to surpass those to the nation's capital, with nearly 5.5 million visitors traveling to the Out Islands last year. Tourism statistics from the first quarter of 2025 reveal that visits to the Out Islands already outpace those to Nassau by nearly 100,000 visitors. South Andros Island is one of the largest islands in the Bahamas, but one of the least populated. Caerula Mar Club The Out Islands of the Bahamas are generally smaller, less populated, and more challenging to access than more populated places like Nassau or Freeport, so what makes them so special? "The true magic of the Bahamas, for us, lies in the untouched beauty and genuine tranquility of the [Out Islands]," says Sarah Baeumler, owner of Caerula Mar Club on South Andros Island. "Unlike the bustling energy of Nassau, here on South Andros, you find a profound sense of peace, an opportunity to truly disconnect and immerse yourself in nature's rhythm." Of course, not all the Out Islands are created equal. Among them are islands like Bimini, which has long been popular for its proximity to Miami and plush properties like the 750-acre Resorts World Bimini. Also a part of the Out Islands are destinations like Coco Cay, privately held as a cruise ship port of call by Royal Caribbean, and Half Moon Cay owned by Carnival. Contrast these commercialized spots with islands like Eleuthera, the Abacos Islands, and Andros Island, known for their large expanses of totally untouched beaches and tranquil shores. Andros Island is the largest island in the Bahamas by far, yet it has just a tiny fraction of the population of other islands, preserving it as a mostly pristine expanse of seaside beauty. Poolside and beachside at Caerula Mar Club on South Andros Island. Caerula Mar Club Out, Out, And Away Even the smallest islands of the Out Islands are seeing scores of new visitors arriving, clamoring for their calmer shores. Since 2019, Andros Island has seen a whopping 36.6% increase in visitors, while Exuma has seen a 9.8% increase in visitor arrivals. Out Islands like Eleuthera and the Abacos report similarly impressive increases in arrival numbers. New developments on islands once considered too out of the way for travelers are part of the increasing attraction. On South Andros, Baeumler's Caerula Mar Club debuted in 2020 as the first property of its kind on the island. A boutique luxury escape with just a handful of rooms and villas, it makes the most of the island's miles of untouched shores while not infringing upon the raw, removed feel of the island that makes it so attractive in the first place. Baeumler and her husband purchased the ten-acre property and totally renovated it's existing structure to create a hideaway just steps off the white sands. The property features island-inspired beachfront dining, an intimate spa and wellness space for oceanside yoga classes and massages, sports courts and a gym, and a spacious pool deck alongside fun touches like hammocks, a pizza oven, and a full menu of excursions and experiences across the island. Prior to the property's debut, there was little here to welcome visitors. The island was mostly known as a haven for serious sports fishermen, who came flocking to fish the waters known for having the best bonefishing in the world. Now, their companions are just as comfortable relaxing by the pool or enjoying a massage while their partners hunt prized catches on the waves. It's a transformation of tourism on the island that can't be overstated. Eleuthera in the Bahamas. getty New and Improved Nearby Out Islands are welcoming similarly exciting projects that promise to transform tourism in their own way. On Eleuthera, airport upgrades look to enhance access to the island from neighboring islands and abroad, helping visitors access new accommodations like the recently opened Potlatch Club. On the same island, Jack's Bay is a private club and residential community set on 1,200 acres with miles of beaches, already home to a Tiger Woods-designed golf course. Another course, designed by Jack Nicklaus, is set to debut next year. As the property continues to expand, private residences will be available for rent, for visitors looking to feel at home on what Woods called "one of the best pieces of property around the world." Later this year, Montage Hotels & Resorts will debut Montage Cay on a private island in the Abacos, featuring 50 suites, plush overwater bungalows, and residences stretching across a 53-acre property with every imaginable amenity. On Exuma, a highly-anticipated Rosewood Hotels & Resorts property is set to open its doors in 2028. Beachside villas on South Andros Island. Caerula Mar Club Out Island Experience Whether travelers are headed to one of the islands' new developments or sticking to something familiar, the experience on these far less crowded islands is similar. "It's about 'barefoot luxury,' a simpler, more authentic experience that allows for real connection with the island, its vibrant marine life, and the warmth of the local community," says Baeumler. Simply put, it's that paradise island feel that many are looking for when they dream of visiting the Bahamas in the first far, an experience only found far from Nassau's Paradise Island itself.
