Greece becoming better equipped to fight wildfires
Despite this grim record, Greece has faced the threat of wildfires in summer 2025 with forces larger than ever. After nearly 1,600 new hires in one year, the country now counts 18,000 firefighters, including 2,500 seasonal workers and more than 1,500 forest rangers. 164 new trucks have also been delivered to firefighters, and the country has 85 aircraft.
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Euronews
an hour ago
- Euronews
New report reveals which European beaches tourists regret visiting
Every year, millions flock to Europe's most popular beach destinations, dreaming of an idyllic escape. But for many, reality falls short of the picture-perfect hype. According to a new report from cloud tech company Cloudwards, European beaches are among the most complained-about in the world – especially when it comes to overcrowding. The findings are based on TripAdvisor reviews of 200 of the world's most visited beaches, analysed using keyword filters to identify the most frequent grievances. From tightly packed sands in Sardinia to Greece's round-the-clock parties, the report reveals the disconnect between the Instagram‑worthy images we find online and what people actually experience when they get there. Europe dominates the global list for overcrowding If you've ever walked a kilometre to find a bare patch of sand or shared the sea with a flotilla of inflatable unicorns, this won't come as a shock: eight of the ten most criticised beaches for overcrowding are in Europe. The UK's Bournemouth Beach 'topped' the list among European nations, ranking fifth overall globally, with frequent remarks about its cleanliness and crowds. But few European countries fare worse than Italy when it comes to overcrowding. Sardinia's La Pelosa – a stunning spit of sand surrounded by turquoise waters in the island's northwest – topped the global chart for overcrowding complaints, with nearly 87 per cent of negative reviews mentioning crowd-related issues. 'It was a weekday morning in mid-September yet the crowds resembled central London/New York/Sydney on New Year's Eve,' wrote one La Pelosa reviewer. Spiaggia La Cinta, a five-kilometre stretch of white sand surrounded by junipers and dunes on Sardinia's east coast, took second in this category. Just behind Sardinia's beachy jewels came Portugal's Praia da Falésia – known for its golden sands and looming cliffs – and Ibiza's Cala Comte and tiny Konnos Bay in Cyprus, often described as 'a little slice of island paradise' despite the cramped conditions. Greek beaches among the dirtiest and noisiest – and most popular Greece fared better than some destinations when it came to overcrowding but stood out in other categories. Balos Lagoon in Crete ranked 26th overall and seventh globally for dirtiness, with nearly half its complaints citing cleanliness, and 40 per cent citing overcrowding. Elafonissi, another beloved Cretan beach known for its pink-hued sands and shallow waters, came in as the seventh most complained about beach globally. More than 70 per cent of its negative reviews mentioned overcrowding, though few mentioned noise or dirtiness. Porto Katsiki, a postcard-ready beach on Lefkada Island in the Ionian Sea, landed in the global top ten for noise and disruption. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the World's 50 Best Beaches also ranked it number 36 in 2025, illustrating how surging popularity can create outsized pressures on ecological landmarks. How the rankings were compiled Cloudwards analysed more than 1.3 million TripAdvisor reviews of 200 beaches around the world. They filtered negative reviews for keywords related to four main complaint categories: dirtiness, overcrowding, long queues and noise. Each beach was then given a complaint score from 0 to 100, based on the frequency of those keywords. The higher the score, the more common the complaints. That makes it even more jarring to see iconic destinations like Waikiki Beach in Hawaii receive a perfect 100 – for all the wrong reasons. A wave of regulation could manage tourism pressure Many of these destinations suffer from the same mix of factors: limited stretches of prime shoreline, peak-season congestion and viral social media fame that has outpaced infrastructure and put strain on local communities. Some of the beaches flagged in the report are already taking steps to address overtourism and preserve their fragile environments – and maybe their reputations. Sardinia has led the way in Europe with a slate of summer policies aimed at reducing damage to its most popular seaside spots. These include daily visitor caps, mandatory advance bookings and, in some cases, bans on bringing towels to prevent sand erosion. In Greece, a new €20 entry fee was introduced in 2025 for cruise passengers visiting congested island hotspots such as Mykonos and Santorini. Spain, meanwhile, has banned booze on some beaches and introduced fines to curb bad behaviour. It's all part of a wider reckoning with overtourism across Europe, from its cities to its seas. This summer, the golden promise of a perfect beach holiday is being tested by crowds, chaos and the growing gap between expectation and experience. In an era of filtered photos and viral fame, even paradise might have a breaking point.
Euronews
a day ago
- Euronews
Trump administration unveils plan to charge visa security deposit
In the latest in a series of anti-immigration policies, the Trump administration has announced a pilot measure to require some visa applicants to put down a $15,000 (€12,901) deposit. The decision, published in the Federal Register on Tuesday, will be tested for a year starting 20 August and aims to ensure that visitors adhere to the legally prescribed length of stay. According to the US State Department, the bond will only be refunded after the visa holder leaves the US and their visa expires. The US State Department has said the pilot will so far include Zambia and Malawi. It has made it clear that the measure will apply to "nationals of countries with high overstay rates" or those that raise suspicions due to the lack of reliable monitoring systems. The decision covers both tourist and business visas. Tougher measures against African countries According to US administration figures, more than 500,000 people overstayed their visas in 2023. In the context of tightening visa requirements, Trump has announced decisions in recent months that have particularly targeted a number of African countries. The measure comes as the US, along with Canada and Mexico, prepares to host the FIFA World Cup in the summer of 2026, followed by the Olympic Games in San Francisco in 2028. The decision has sparked concern on social media about the ability of athletes, especially from Africa, to participate in these major events. Around forty countries, mostly European, still benefit from the Visa Waiver Programme, which allows their nationals to stay in the US for up to 90 days without the need for a visa. There are no African countries on the list, while Qatar is the only Middle Eastern country included in the programme.
LeMonde
a day ago
- LeMonde
Greece becoming better equipped to fight wildfires
On July 27, 4,200 hectares went up in smoke on the islands of Kythira and Euboea, as well as within the region of Athens. At the end of June, a wildfire ravaged more than 4,500 hectares on the island of Chios in the northern Aegean Sea, threatening fields of mastic pistachio trees − the source of mastiha, a unique resin used in food, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the most serious ecological disaster of the season occurred in Feneos, on the mountains near Corinthia in the Peloponnese, between July 22 and 24. More than 1,100 hectares of Cephalonia firs − a species that cannot regenerate naturally after a fire − were destroyed in a zone protected by the European network, Natura 2000. Despite this grim record, Greece has faced the threat of wildfires in summer 2025 with forces larger than ever. After nearly 1,600 new hires in one year, the country now counts 18,000 firefighters, including 2,500 seasonal workers and more than 1,500 forest rangers. 164 new trucks have also been delivered to firefighters, and the country has 85 aircraft.
