Is it safe to travel to Jordan after airspace is shut by Israel-Iran conflict?
Amid ongoing hostilities in the Middle East, concerns over the safety of travel to and from countries surrounding Israel and Iran are heightened.
Although the Foreign Office considers most of Jordan generally safe to travel to – bar the area up to 3km from its northern border with Syria – travel guidance has been updated to reflect ongoing events.
As of 13 June, the Jordanian airspace is closed following Israel's overnight barrage of strikes on Iran, resulting in flight cancellations and diversions.
Israel said 200 fighter jets took part in strikes on more than 100 targets in Iran overnight in an escalation that threatens to spark a wider conflict in the Middle East.
Jordan, a popular winter sun destination for tourists, shares its northern border with both Israel and Syria, and travellers with trips booked may be questioning whether to holiday there.
Here's the latest travel advice for Jordan, plus all the key questions and answers.
What does the Foreign Office say?
As of 13 June, Foreign Office (FCDO) advice for Jordan states: 'FCDO advises against all travel to within 3km of the border with Syria.'
Travellers are warned that the security situation 'could change suddenly' in Jordan amid ongoing hostilities in the region and the conflict between Israel and Iran could escalate quickly and pose security risks for the wider region.
The FCDO said: 'At 09:30am on 13 June official sirens sounded in Jordan warning people to stay indoors due to the risk of falling debris in anticipation of further exchanges between Israel and Iran. At 12:00 official announcements said the immediate State of Alert was over, but advised people to remain alert.
'If missiles are intercepted in Jordanian airspace, this may result in falling fragments and debris. If you encounter any projectile debris or fragments you should move away from them immediately and contact local authorities.'
Its guidance notes that the situation in Syria is 'unpredictable' and the situation 'remains volatile and dangerous after over a decade of conflict and insecurity', advising against all travel to Syria.
Recent protests in Amman about the Gaza conflict near the Israeli and US embassies and downtown may also 'heighten anti-western sentiment', say the FCDO.
Are flights going to Jordan?
According to the FCDO: 'On 13 June Jordanian authorities also announced the closure of its airspace. As of 1030 on 13 June Queen Alia International Airport was closed. This will result in flight cancellations and diversions.'
It warned that Global Positioning System (GPS) signals may also be unreliable.
Travellers in Jordan are advised to contact their airline and follow the advice of the local authorities.
Leading leisure airport King Hussein International Airport in Aqaba, Jordan's southernmost point has very few flights scheduled, mainly on Royal Jordanian to and from Amman, and appears to be closed.
The main airlines that fly from the UK to Jordan include British Airways, easyJet, Tui and Wizz Air out of London Heathrow, London Gatwick and London Luton. Royal Jordanian also departs from London Stansted and Manchester for Amman.
Are cruises stopping in Jordan?
Aqaba, Jordan's only seaport, sits on the Gulf of Aqaba at the tip of the Red Sea. Cruise holidays due to dock in Jordan were diverted or cancelled due to the Red Sea crisis and neighbouring conflict in January 2024.
Simon Calder, travel correspondent of The Independent, says that the disappearance of cruises from the Jordanian port of Aqaba has 'crushed the tourist industry that depends on frequent arrivals of thousands of holidaymakers keen to visit the marvels of Petra and Wadi Rum'.
So far in 2025, the only calls at Aqaba are occasional visits by Aroya, the Saudi cruise ship based at the Red Sea port of Jeddah.
There is a long gap between 9 June, the last such call, and the arrival of MSC Euribia on 29 October – on a voyage from Southampton via the Suez Canal to Dubai.
MSC Opera will call at Aqaba on 7 November on a voyage from Venice to Durban in South Africa.
The Greek-based cruise line, Celestyal, will make a couple of calls at Aqaba on 7 November and 3 December.
The next major arrivals will be in March 2026, when Tui's German cruise line starts calling at Aqaba. The Egyptian cities of Port Said and Alexandria are also likely to benefit from the relaunch of Suez Canal voyages.
What if I have booked a package holiday to Jordan?
Outside of the 3km radius between Jordan's northern border and Syria, the conditions for cancelling your trip will be dependent on your holiday provider, so it's best to contact them if you're looking to postpone. However, the main tourist spots – Amman, Petra and Wadi Rum – are a fair distance from here anyway. There is no obligation for companies to refund bookings if you want to cancel, and you will not be able to claim on travel insurance due to safety concerns unless FCDO advice changes.
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Daily Record
4 hours ago
- Daily Record
Brit Grandfather stranded in Israel during Iran attacks says foreign office 'abandoned' him
James Eden is stranded in Jerusalem and has described the city as a 'ghost town'. British grandfather stranded in Jerusalem during a wave of Iranian missile attacks says he feels "abandoned" by the Foreign Office. James Eden, 72, flew to Israel on Monday for a short pilgrimage to visit Christian sites he first saw two decades ago. But what was meant to be a six-day trip turned into a crisis when air raid sirens woke the granddad from Newcastle upon Tyne in the early hours of Friday when his flight home was cancelled following Israeli strikes on Iran and a barrage of retaliatory missiles. "It feels very eerie, very strange - like a ghost town," the grandfather-of-four said. "Before, it was a hive of activity - cars everywhere, everyone having a good time. "Now everything is shut down, just a few old people shuffling about. It feels a lot like the Covid lockdowns." The retired accountant, who travelled with his Hungarian friend Miki Mogyorossy, 49, from London, said the pair were enjoying the warm weather and had visited key religious sites including the Sea of Galilee and the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial. "We were only supposed to be here six days to see the sights," Mr Eden said. "At the time when I booked it there was no hint at all that this was going to start. The conflict with Iran has been on the table for 20 years - if you worry about it all the time you would never come here." But in the early hours of Friday, he was jolted awake by an emergency alert - written in Hebrew - on his phone. He said: "I didn't understand any of it, but once we spoke to some Israelis they told us it was a warning. "The sirens were going off outside - we all rushed out of our rooms but were quickly told to get back to bed. "We gathered in the stairwell because there was no basement and stayed there for 10 or 15 minutes. "Then we had another notification saying we could go back to bed." By the morning, he said: "Everything was shut down - shops and offices all closed, restaurants all closed''. Mr Eden and Mr Mogyorossy managed to find one restaurant open after scouring the city. But as they were walking back to their hotel they saw a barrage of missiles coming across the sky. He continued: "I was standing by a wall - the best place I could find - with a bit of an overhang. If any of those missiles had landed, there would have been a huge explosion." A second phone alert from Israel's home front command, this time in English, warned of incoming rocket and missile fire. The notification gave just 90 seconds for the pair to reach shelter. He said he did not believe any of the strikes landed in Jerusalem, but described the sky lighting up with interceptors from the Iron Dome defence system. Footage taken by Mr Eden shows Iron Dome rockets taking out Iranian missiles overhead. "I was shocked by the amount of missiles going over," he said. "Most people were in safe spaces. I didn't hear any explosions, just a lot of banging from the Iron Dome missiles." Despite the intensity of the situation, Mr Eden said he remained relatively calm - but fears he will run out of medication. He continued: "At my age I have to take medication and I only have two weeks' supply. Now my flight's been cancelled. At any time there could be another strike." Mr Eden has been in contact with the British embassy but said he felt let down by the response. "I've spoken to the Foreign Office - I've texted the embassy, given them my details. There is that sort of feeling that we've been abandoned - why has nobody rang me? "I would like people to know I'm here. Just say 'we're on the case - give us three to five days, we'll come back'. If that was given, it would be good. "The nervous energy takes its toll on you. I was enjoying myself, but now I want to go home. "A friend said to me, 'You should have listened to me - why did you go?' But this threat's been around for 20 years." Despite the shutdown - he has still managed to find a restaurant that is serving a pint of Guinness. "Somehow I've managed to find a pint of Guinness which I didn't think would be so easy," he said. "So it's not all that bad." A Foreign Office spokesperson said: "We're in contact with a British man in Israel. "The situation is fast-moving, and we urge British nationals in the region to monitor updates to FCDO Travel Advice. We stand ready to support British nationals 24/7." Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
Times
8 hours ago
- Times
Ooh la la! These are France's best beaches to laze on this summer
Holiday destinations need sunny beaches to make it big in world tourism. And France, being the top holiday destination in Europe, has a bucketful of the best, evenly distributed across three very distinctive coastlines. The northern coast, facing the UK, has some of the most magnificent stretches of sand, thanks to shallow seas and the wave action from galloping tides. However, the water quality (and temperature) can be mixed, so the emphasis falls more on the tradition and style of the resorts. The story changes further west. Around the jagged coastline of Finistère the water becomes clearer, the beaches smaller and more secretive, snuggled into creeks and coves. Finding them becomes a journey of discovery. Heading south, the Atlantic-facing coastline smooths out by Morbihan, where the beaches start to widen and lengthen. At the Vendée, down by Nantes, the weather is reliably warm, so this is family beach holiday territory par excellence, moderately priced and accessible by car from the UK. Towards the distant southern end of this coast and the Pays Basques, the surf's the thing, with Atlantic rollers grinding to a halt on the beaches of Biarritz. And finally, jumping across the foot of France to the Mediterranean shoreline, the focus changes again. Here the water is calmer, warmer and more luxurious. There's more glamour, more people-watching, and more splashing — of cash. The beaches in the obvious Cote d'Azur hot spots — Antibes, St Tropez — can also be very crowded, with everyone heading for the sea to escape the summer heat. So, wherever you go, there's something here for everyone. For the selection of beaches that follows we have taken water quality gradings from the French government website, which uses four categories: poor, adequate, good and excellent. This article contains affiliate links, which can earn us revenue Water quality: excellentCurved and sheltered by 90m chalk cliffs, Étretat's (pebble) beach is famous for its sea-carved arch at one end, supposedly like an elephant dipping its trunk in the sea. The belle époque resort was popular with artists, including Monet, and remains a retreat for the elite. Where to stay and eatThere's inexpensive local produce in the lovely old wooden market hall, some of whose 19th-century ambiance is served up along with good food across the road in the Taverne des deux Augustins. Stay in Le Donjon Domaine Saint Clair, a glamorous spa property with a sea doubles from £117 ( Take the ferry to Dieppe • 10 of the most beautiful places in France (and how to see them) Water quality: goodWhile Le Touquet and Étretat are partly about socialising with the right kind of people, in Deauville the beach takes centre stage. Particularly down its more budget southwestern end, where extensive shallows make it ideal for families and uncertain swimmers. Where to stay and eatUp by town there's a catwalk boardwalk and fancy-coloured parasols, and this is where the fashionistas strut their stuff before tucking into oysters in the Peniche restaurant, a converted barge, then retiring to the town's neo-Tudor five-star hotel, Le Normandy. Room-only doubles from £341 ( Take the ferry to Caen Water quality: goodThe Normandy beaches are not just about recreation. Gold Beach by Arromanches is where British troops landed in the Second World War, while Omaha and Utah to the west are where the Americans came ashore. So enjoying these fantastic stretches of sand today is a bittersweet experience, as well as being very educational, particularly because Gold Beach has German bunker sites. Where to stay and eatFamilies will appreciate the burgers at Sergent Willys, just opposite the Normandy Landings museum in Arromanches (£11; and all the green space around the converted farm-hotel Ferme de la Rançonnière. Room-only doubles from £79 ( Take the ferry to Caen Water quality: excellentThe Chauseys are granite outcrops 45 minutes by passenger ferry offshore from Granville on Normandy's Cotentin peninsula. The tides here are huge, but Grande Greve is an immaculate, curved, south-facing strand whatever the water level. Day-trippers colonise the sand in summer, but early and late you're likely to have the whole thing to yourself. Where to stay and eatThe islands are famous for lobsters, so try the lobster roll in the only restaurant, Contre Vents et Marées ( and then amble across the path to the island's hotel, with its garden overlooking the anchorage. Half-board doubles from £180 ( Take the ferry to St Malo • 8 of the best beaches in Europe for summer 2025 Water quality: excellentA little beauty of a sheltered beach at the end of a sandy track through overhanging pines, Tahiti beach is something of a local secret. It sits at the end of the Carantec peninsula and looks out across the Bay of Morlaix at the castle on a rock that is Château du Taureau, the French Alcatraz. Where to stay and eatIn Carantec itself, the Michelin-starred restaurant Nicholas Carro makes the most of the 15 oyster farms in the bay (set lunch from £30). His restaurant is part of the Hôtel Carantec, whose stylish, modern rooms are perfect for foodie, beachy, people. Room-only doubles from £82 ( Take the ferry to Roscoff Water quality: excellentThis narrow two-mile spit of white sand sticks out into turquoise waters, with rock pools and water sports. You couldn't really ask for more of a beach, especially as it is south-facing, secreted at the back of a sheltered bay. Sailboats saunter in, attracted by the likes of the medieval walled town of Concarneau over on the bay's eastern shore. Where to stay and eatBut there's no need to budge from Cap Coz, with the brasserie Le Canot right on the beach for crêpes and scallops and the Hôtel de la Pointe ideally placed mid-spit for early morning swims. Room-only doubles from £109 ( Take the ferry to Roscoff Water quality: excellentGauguin spent two years in the tiny village of Le Pouldu, on the softer southern side of Brittany's Finistère, where it is riddled with rias, seafood-rich creeks. The light here has a luminous intensity, the air so clean that it almost squeaks. Kerou is the best of a succession of small, dusky, wave-ribbonned beaches, where kitesurfers harvest the breeze. Where to stay and eatWalk the wildflower-rich GR34 coastal path and you'll reach the Bar des Îles, a London double-decker serving tapas on the beach. Return to the unassuming Hôtel Naéco Le Pouldu, with its dorms and apartments. Room-only doubles from £57 ( Take the ferry to Roscoff Water quality: excellentThe Morbihan section of the Brittany coast is family-friendly, with big, broad, generous beaches ideal for sandcastles. Carnac distinguishes itself amongst them because it is south-facing with silky sand, its hinterland littered with neolithic standing stones, and it is right by the placid, island-rich inland sea of the Gulf of Morbihan. Where to stay and eatAt Carnac, the upmarket beach bar Le Fisher is great for sunset cocktails ( and the beach's main hotel, the Churchill, is a modern spa and pool property, despite the name. Room-only doubles from £100 ( Take the ferry to Roscoff • 10 of the best things to do in France for solo travellers Water quality: excellentYou can't go wrong with the beaches in the Vendée, particularly if you're travelling with young children. This section of Atlantic coastline is effectively an intermittent 90-mile ribbon of fine sand, southerly enough for good weather. It is broadest at St Jean de Monts, backed by pedestrian streets lined with resort-type shops, family attractions and extensive campsites. Where to stay and eatGet your crêpes at La Bolee (from £7.50; and rent a mobile home at all-singing, all-dancing Camping Zagarella. Three nights' self-catering for four from £139 ( Take the ferry to Roscoff Water quality: excellentThe Atlantic coast west of Bordeaux is dune country. Europe's highest, at more than 100m above sea level, is at Pilat, but the best actual beach here is just across the water on the sun-washed hanging finger of land that is Cap Ferret. Here the long Plage des Dunes is pristine and uncommercialised, while the bay of Arcachon inside it has everything you'll need. Where to stay and eatThat includes a restaurant with a view of the Pilat dune, La Cabane du Mimbeau which combines seafood with Bordeaux's wines ( and a boutique hotel, Le Landerenis, with a pool and a bay view. Room-only doubles from £185 ( Fly to Bordeaux • Read our full guide to France Water quality: excellentSurfie culture has made Biarritz cool. Big Atlantic rollers sweep unhindered across the Bay of Biscay and come shuddering to a halt on the town's sands, with dudes with dreads hitching a ride for the last part of their journey. Where to stay and eatHardcore surfers may avoid a family-pleasing town beach like the Miramar, but it's a good place for surf lessons and people-watching, particularly for surf widows, who can adjourn to Milady for great food and cocktails (mains from £10; Or chill in the spa of the sumptuous Regina Experimental on the cliffs above. Room-only doubles from £166 ( Fly to Biarritz Water quality: excellentBlessed are the waters of Hendaye, for they refresh the pilgrims on the Camino en route to Compostela. Straddling the French-Spanish border, this wide, flat beach is simultaneously a learn-to-surf and family destination, while the town itself is a rail hub and old fishing port. Where to stay and eatA former casino on the shore hosts the Hegoa café (mains from £13, should a pilgrim want refreshment overlooking the Twins, Hendaye's distinctive offshore islets. The smart Ibaia hotel sits between the beach and the new marina in the old port. Room-only doubles from £110 ( Fly to Biarritz Water quality: excellentThe cove of L'Ouille sits just north of the pretty port of Collioure on France's southernmost Mediterranean shore. Many of its visitors arrive on foot along the coastal path. The beach is tiny pebbles rather than sand, but sheltering headlands ensure that the water is particularly calm, brilliant for snorkelling. Where to stay and eatCollioure was a favourite for artists such as Matisse, Derain and Picasso, drawn here by the light and the colour. No doubt they would have loved the hippie chic L'Imprevu café on the beach ( and appreciated the rooftop views from the Madeloc hotel too. Room-only doubles from £83 ( Fly to Perpignan or Montpellier Water quality: excellentMuch of France's Mediterranean coastline between Perpignan and Montpellier is a string of sunwashed beaches, backed by large campsites. Many are on a thin rib of sand separated from the mainland by an inland sea of connected lagoons. Palavas-les-Flots sits offshore from Montpellier, at a lagoon intersection, its five miles of sand busy with jet skis, stand-up paddleboarding and beach volleyball. Where to stay and eatThis is a place for serious tanning, with laidback beach cafés such as the Plage Bonaventure offering food and shade ( Keep cool by staying on a converted barge with a plunge pool. B&B doubles from £143 ( Fly to Montpellier Water quality: excellentThe south of France has one of the most intensely visited coasts in the world, but there are some secluded spots. This six-mile strand is on the west-facing cheek of the Camargue, a huge and protected area of marshes, lagoons and meadows. At Espiguette, reached via the small town of Grau du Roi, it seems like the sand goes on for ever. It's a place to find your own half-mile and let your soul hang. But there are facilities, even here. Where to stay and eatThe off-grid restaurant L'Oyat Plage is fashioned out of wood, reed and sailcloth ( And the Miramar, a more substantial café with rooms, is in town but still chilled. Room-only doubles from £101 ( Fly to Montpellier Water quality: excellentThe Calanques is a unique shorescape serrated by deep, cliffy creeks just south of Marseilles, one of which — En Vau — ends in a gem of a (stony) beach that can only be reached by sea or on foot from the small town of Cassis (two hours). It's a protected area and there are no facilities, but the clarity of the water creates a fantastic aquarium for fish, so bring goggles, but beware cliff jumpers. Where to stay and eatYour nearest refreshment is back in Cassis, where the Presquile serves oysters on its sea-view terrace (three courses £44, Here the Mahogany hotel sits above another more accessible beach, the Bestouan. Room-only doubles from £128 ( Fly to Marseilles Water quality: excellentThis is all you'd expect of a beach that is just down the road from St Tropez: iconic good looks with beautiful people, azure water and three miles of silky white sand. Superyachts, beach clubs, beach bars and water sports kiosks aplenty. Pricey, of course, but that comes with the territory. Where to stay and eatEat here, at Byblos (mains from £29, where every shades-wearer could be a star. And in the Ferme Augustin hotel, just up the road, they'll serve breakfast in your room into the early afternoon — how decadent is that! Room-only doubles from £265 ( Fly to Marseilles Water quality: goodAnother big name on the Cote d'Azur. There's a dozen little beaches sequestered around Cap d'Antibes, but the vast majority of visitors head for the heart of the action, on the long curve of the bay by Juan les Pins. The strand here is not very broad, so it can get busy, but that means buzzy too. The nightlife is animated and the horizon is a catwalk for superyachts. Where to stay and eatIf you have the budget, Effet Mer Plage has tables on the beach (mains from £24; and the art deco Juana hotel recreates the glamour of the 1930s. Room-only doubles from £196 ( Fly to Nice Water quality: excellentCap Ferrat is a dangling foot of land east of Nice, caught in the act of kicking a ball at Monte Carlo. Plage Paloma sits on its instep, a well kept slice of small pebbles and coarse sand, down a small flight of steps and shaded by pines. The water here is clean, but it is the outlook that makes Paloma special, with a distant Monaco gleaming like spilt paint on the flank of the Alpes Maritimes region. Where to stay and eatIn the evening, eat in Léo Léa by the St Jean marina just to the north, watching the lights come up (mains from £15; To complete the picture, stay in an Italianate villa, the Brise Marine, walking distance from Paloma. Room-only doubles from £148 ( Fly to Nice Water quality: poorThe water may not be tip top, but France's most fashionable resort between the wars has retained its art deco elegance and appeal, in part because it is so accessible from Paris. Given the water quality, many opt for sand yachting on its undeniably magnificent eight miles of flat sand. Where to stay and eatBack in the day, the likes of Noël Coward and Winston Churchill were Le Touquet regulars, and you can even buy scones in Elizabeth's, a British style tea-room. The imperious Hôtel Barrière Le Westminster is where everyone grand stays. You might see the Macrons, who have a holiday home here. Room-only doubles from £212 ( Take Le Shuttle to Calais Have we missed your favourite beach in France? Share your secret in the comments
BBC News
11 hours ago
- BBC News
Can Europe beat the overtourism crisis?
Last year's anti-tourism protests drew global headlines. This summer, the tensions are back – but so are ideas to fix the system. Thousands of people have taken to the streets in the Canary Islands this year to protest mass tourism. Now, a new wave of anti-tourism protests is being planned across southern Europe later this summer. You could be forgiven for feeling that nothing has changed since last year when frustration over crowded cities, soaring house prices and bad traveller behaviour erupted into public anger. Change in the tourism industry is often slow, requiring consensus from a broad range of stakeholders as well as time to implement schemes. But signs of progress are emerging. Across Europe, a slew of new initiatives is aiming to balance tourism with the needs of local residents – addressing the environmental, social and economic pressures created by overtourism. Thanks to screaming headlines and greater awareness of the issues, travellers are becoming increasingly conscious of their impact. Meanwhile, local communities have ramped up pressure on authorities to take meaningful action. Here's how three destinations are responding with new ideas for a more sustainable travel season. Switzerland: Investing in trains and taxes Switzerland's national train network will be run completely on hydroelectric power this year as part of its new Swisstainable strategy that aims to distribute tourism more evenly across the country and calendar. With its ski seasons threatened by warming temperatures and its glaciers vulnerable to collapse – as seen in the recent tragedy in Blatten – Switzerland knows all too well the importance of balancing tourism and the environment. The landlocked nation is focussing on public transport; it has some of the most public transport-accessible mountains in the world, with mountain trains servicing their peaks for more than 150 years. The Swisstainable website offers 33% off public transport when booking a sustainability-certified Swisstainable hotel, or 25% off for any stay in a Swisstainable hotel. In addition, campaigns featuring Roger Federer are pushing for off-season travel, showing what the country is like beyond ski season and summer hiking. Ski lifts across the country will be running for longer periods and seasonal hotels will also extend their opening dates, making Switzerland more accessible year-round. While Switzerland isn't in Europe's top-10 overtouristed destinations in Europe (Zante, Istria and Fuerteventura top the list, according to a recent Which? report), it faces pressure in hotpots like the waterfall-rich town of Lauterbrunnen, and Lake Brienz, where the Korean Netflix drama Crash Landing on You was filmed. According to a 2024 survey, locals find Instagram tourism – a superficial, drive-by consumption of culture and local life – a particular problem. "We get jet-setting – but not in a good way," said Alexander Herrmann, Director UK & Ireland Switzerland Tourism. "It can hit you unprepared when enormous numbers of people arrive. The way we thought about it is: how can we benefit a bit, by using [visitor numbers] to build infrastructure, toilets and parking? It happened very quickly, and you have to find a way to manage the situation." Switzerland Tourism's solutions include a tourism tax of CHF5 (£4.50) for anyone visiting the pier featured in the Korean drama, with money being spent on local maintenance and infrastructure; plus a new car park outside Lauterbrunnen that links to an easy train connection into the town and its waterfalls, thereby helping the flow of tourists on the overwhelmed one-way road. Their message: explore off season and by public transport; and be prepared to pay more for the most popular spots. Spain: Using data to redirect tourists Spain has been the focus of much of the overtourism debate over the last two years, and continues to be hugely popular as the number one destination for British tourists in 2024 and the second most-visited country in Europe. But amid growing concern about overtourism – especially in the Canary and Balearic Islands – the country is acting fast. Already this year, it has called for the removal of nearly 66,000 unregulated Airbnb listings and pulled back on social media influencer campaigns that bring selfie tourists to its small and easily overwhelmed beaches. And there's more. "We are working with a sustainable tourism model leading with smart technology," said Jessica Harvey, head of press at the Spanish Tourist Office. "We have developed a digital platform that monitors how many people are on beaches, as well as the air quality, sea temperatures, weather and even jellyfish in the water." The information can be accessed by tourism offices and hoteliers via a Smart Destinations app, helping them – and therefore visitors – make smarter decisions about where to go and what to do. It's one of several initiatives being taken in Spain, where Harvey says just five regions of the country – The Canary Islands, The Balearic Islands, Valencia, Catalonia and Andalucia – receive 85% of visitors. Tour operators and travel agents are being introduced to new regions to avoid bottlenecks in popular spots; and tourist taxes that taper off for longer stays have come into play in some areas, including the Balearic Islands, benefitting those who stay longer. The government is also investing heavily in cultural heritage through its Paradores of Spain initiative, a state-owned luxury hotel chain using historic buildings like castles and manor houses to attract travellers beyond the beach. "We want to welcome everybody," Harvey said. "We just want to move the tourism model to make it more sustainable long term." Berlin: Rewarding sustainable tourists Hot on the heels of last year's CopenPay initiative in Copenhagen – which has been extended and enhanced for summer 2025 – Berlin is developing its own set of rewards for sustainable tourists. "The aim is to use targeted incentives to make sustainable behaviour more attractive to guests," explained Sabine Wendt, CEO of visitBerlin. "These could include free guided tours, discounts or admission to attractions if our Berlin guests take part in planting or waste collection campaigns next year." More like this:• 8 ways to travel more sustainably in 2025• Is there such a thing as guilt-free safari?• Is it time to change how we buy travel souvenirs? Berlin is pushing its green credentials through influencer campaigns and a growing directory of eco hotels, sustainable souvenir shops and bike trails. The tourism authority has also developed an unusual 15-minute city concept, meaning that participating hotels have everything you need within 15 minutes on foot or by bike, helping travellers lower their footprint while exploring the area like a local. What about flights and cruises? Despite these promising efforts, two elephants remain in the room: air travel and cruising. Even the most thoughtful destination strategies can't offset the impact of rising tourist arrivals by sea and air. Without limits on visitor numbers, Europe's most popular spots are likely to keep feeling the strain – and protests are likely to continue. "There will be anti-tourism demonstrations in Spain this summer," said Harvey. "The solutions take time to work. Communication is the key: we need to understand why these things are happening. It's not directed at British tourists – it's about making sure that local people's quality of life is not impacted." "Will we still be talking about overtourism in the Canary Islands in 10 years' time? Let's see." -- For more Travel stories from the BBC, follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram.
