Kim Jong-un opens pet project beach resort in North Korea
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
11 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Las Vegas sees fall in tourists as 'ridiculous prices' hit
Las Vegas 's high prices could be putting off potential tourists, according to new visitor figures. Tourist numbers have fallen every month this year with 6.5 per cent fewer visitors than in 2024, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. International arrivals at Harry Reid Airport were 8.7 per cent lower in May than the same month in 2024. It is thought that Sin City's soaring prices could be to blame for its falling visitor numbers. A visitor recently shared her shock after she was charged $26/£19.11 for a bottle of Fiji water from the minibar in her room at the Aria Resort & Casino. And a British magician was also left outraged after he was billed $74.31/£54.63 for two drinks at Sphere in Las Vegas. Anthony Curtis, publisher of the Las Vegas Advisor website, told The Times: 'On the Strip, people get taken for a ride. 'Once they get here they're like, "I've had enough of this crap, I'm tired of being treated like this. I'm tired of having to pay these ridiculous prices".' The Vegas expert explained that many casinos have 'turned their back on the middle market' in order to focus on more affluent tourists. A 2024 study found that the average income of Las Vegas holidaymakers is now $93,000/£68,365, with many budget travellers priced out of the gambling capital. In a Reddit post, a person who recently visited Vegas describes the city as 'amazing' but 'absurdly priced'. The user writes: 'Walking around the different themed casinos was like a fever dream. Sadly I felt like a spectator instead of a participant. I have honestly never been to a place that was more absurdly priced.' They claim they had to spend $30/£22 on a glass of house wine and were charged $50/£36 for two bottles of water from the minibar. On another Reddit thread, a user says Las Vegas is 'extortionately expensive'. They wrote: 'I live in a very high cost of living area. 'Vegas is extortionately expensive. Shows. Restaurants. Everything is far more expensive in Vegas than here.' Meanwhile, another commenter says: 'I used to love going Vegas, but the last few times I had sticker shock on everything. 'It doesn't feel like a relaxing, exciting vacation when you're price gouged up to your ears and come home feeling robbed.' However, another traveller claims it is still possible to enjoy Vegas on a budget. They said: 'People come to Vegas expecting champagne on a beer budget. 'You can have an amazing time in Vegas on any budget, but if your budget is on the lower end, then you may have to forego some experiences and types of restaurants.' And another user writes: 'Yes Vegas is expensive, but it's a high end destination in a tourist area and you're getting some of the best food and service in the world.'
The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
Why you should consider taking Antarctica off your bucket list
The number of tourists heading to Antarctica has been skyrocketing. From fewer than 8,000 a year about three decades ago, nearly 125,000 tourists flocked to the icy continent in 2023–24. The trend is likely to continue in the long term. Unchecked tourism growth in Antarctica risks undermining the very environment that draws visitors. This would be bad for operators and tourists. It would also be bad for Antarctica – and the planet. Over the past two weeks, the nations that decide what human activities are permitted in Antarctica have convened in Italy. The meeting incorporates discussions by a special working group that aims to address tourism issues. It's not easy to manage tourist visitors to a continent beyond any one country's control. So, how do we stop Antarctica being loved to death? The answer may lie in economics. Future visitor trends We recently modelled future visitor trends in Antarctica. A conservative scenario shows by 2033–34, visitor numbers could reach around 285,000. Under the least conservative scenario, numbers could reach 450,000 – however, this figure incorporates pent-up demand from Covid shutdowns that will likely diminish. The vast majority of the Antarctic tourism industry comprises cruise-ship tourism in the Antarctic Peninsula. A small percentage of visitors travel to the Ross Sea region and parts of the continent's interior. Antarctic tourism is managed by an international set of agreements together known as the Antarctic Treaty System, as well as the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO). The Treaty System is notoriously slow-moving and riven by geopolitics, and IAATO does not have the power to cap visitor numbers. Pressure on a fragile continent About two-thirds of Antarctic tourists land on the continent. The visitors can threaten fragile ecosystems by: compacting soils trampling fragile vegetation introducing non-native microbes and plant species disturbing breeding colonies of birds and seals. Even when cruise ships don't dock, they can cause problems such as air, water and noise pollution – as well as anchoring that can damage the seabed. Then there's carbon emissions. Each cruise ship traveller to Antarctica typically produces between 3.2 and 4.1 tonnes of carbon, not including travel to the port of departure. This is similar to the carbon emissions an average person produces in a year. Global warming caused by carbon emissions is damaging Antarctica. At the Peninsula region, glaciers and ice shelves are retreating and sea ice is shrinking, affecting wildlife and vegetation. Of course, Antarctic tourism represents only a tiny fraction of overall emissions. However, the industry has a moral obligation to protect the place that maintains it. And tourism in Antarctica can compound damage from climate change, tipping delicate ecosystems into decline. Some operators use hybrid ships and less polluting fuels, and offset emissions to offer carbon-neutral travel. IAATO has pledged to halve emissions by 2050 – a positive step, but far short of the net-zero targets set by the International Maritime Organization. Can economics protect Antarctica? Market-based tools – such as taxes, cap-and-trade schemes and certification – have been used in environmental management around the world. Research shows these tools could also prevent Antarctic tourist numbers from getting out of control. One option is requiring visitors to pay a tourism tax. This would help raise revenue to support environmental monitoring and enforcement in Antarctica, as well as fund research. Such a tax already exists in the small South Asian nation of Bhutan, where each tourist pays a tax of US$100 (A$152) a night. But while a tax might deter the budget-conscious, it probably wouldn't deter high income, experience-driven tourists. Alternatively, a cap-and-trade system would create a limited number of Antarctica visitor permits for a fixed period. The initial distribution of permits could be among tourism operators or countries, via negotiation, auction or lottery. Unused permits could then be sold, making them quite valuable. Caps have been successful at managing tourism impacts elsewhere, such as Lord Howe Island, although there are no trades allowed in that system. Any cap on tourist numbers in Antarctica, and rules for trading, must be based on evidence about what the environment can handle. But there is a lack of precise data on Antarctica's carrying capacity. And permit allocations amongst the operators and nations would need to be fair and inclusive. Alternatively, existing industry standards could be augmented with independent schemes certifying particular practices – for example, reducing carbon footprints. This could be backed by robust monitoring and enforcement to avoid greenwashing. Looking ahead Given the complexities of Antarctic governance, our research finds that the most workable solution is a combination of these market-based options, alongside other regulatory measures. So far, parties to the Antarctic treaty have made very few binding rules for the tourism industry. And some market-based levers will be more acceptable to the parties than others. But doing nothing is not a solution. Darla Hatton MacDonald is a Professor of Environmental Economics at the University of Tasmania. Elizabeth Leane is a Professor of Antarctic Studies at the School of Humanities, University of Tasmania. The authors would like to acknowledge Valeria Senigaglia, Natalie Stoeckl and Jing Tian and the rest of the team for their contributions to the research upon which this article was based.
The Guardian
5 hours ago
- The Guardian
Kim Jong-un opens pet project beach resort in North Korea
North Korea has opened a massive resort area on its east coast. The tourism pet project of the leader, Kim Jong-un, is reportedly due to welcome Russian guests later this month. Labelled 'North Korea's Waikiki' by South Korean media, Wonsan Kalma coastal tourist area can accommodate nearly 20,000 people, according to Pyongyang, which has described it as 'a world-class cultural resort'
