Latest news with #UNWorldTourismOrganization
Time of India
3 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Kuwait launches national tourism portal ‘Visit Kuwait': All-in-one hub for e-visas, culture and travel
Kuwait launched the Visit Kuwait platform in August 2025/Representative Image TL;DR: Kuwait launched the Visit Kuwait platform in August 2025 as a unified national digital portal to promote tourism, cultural heritage , and travel convenience as part of its Vision 2035 strategy. The initiative integrates services like an upgraded e-Visa system , event listings, site recommendations, and cultural projects, aiming to enhance visitor experience and boost tourism revenue. The platform supports Kuwait's global engagement, showcasing the country at international events like Expo Osaka 2025 and the upcoming UNWTO Regional Tourism Committee in 2026. In August 2025, Kuwait unveiled the 'Visit Kuwait' platform, a comprehensive, unified national initiative aimed at transforming the country into a top regional tourism and cultural destination. This digital platform forms a key part of Kuwait's Vision 2035 strategy, signaling a new era of economic diversification, global engagement, and nation-branding powered by smart government partnerships and digital innovation. What is the 'Visit Kuwait' platform? The 'Visit Kuwait' platform is a state-driven digital hub designed to: Centralize and coordinate all tourism-related information, services, and promotional campaigns under a single national brand. Streamline visitors' experiences: The platform aggregates services, booking options, site recommendations, event calendars, and cultural content, making it easy for tourists and residents to plan seamless trips. Elevate Kuwait's international profile: It is the first time that all governmental, private, and civic tourism efforts are being synchronized for maximum local impact and global reach. Minister of Information Abdulrahman Al-Mutairi describes the new platform as a 'strategic step in building a modern tourism infrastructure through active public-private partnerships,' with the ultimate aim of supporting both Kuwait's economy and its cultural identity. How does the digital platform work? Gateway for Tourism Messaging : The platform serves as an official, one-stop resource for tourists looking to explore Kuwait's heritage, environment, shopping, events, and new attractions. Integration with E-Visa: In parallel, the Ministry of Interior launched a new e-Visa system allowing tourists, family members, and business travelers to apply for Kuwait entry permits entirely online, removing major bureaucratic hurdles and making travel more accessible. Aligned with Vision 2035: This strategy directly supports Kuwait's Vision 2035 development plan, which aims for robust economic growth and cultural resonance beyond reliance on oil Major initiatives tied to 'Visit Kuwait' International Tourism Promotion: Kuwait will host the 52nd session of the UN World Tourism Organization's Regional Committee for the Middle East in 2026, using the 'Visit Kuwait' platform as a showcase for its new tourism model. Cultural Events and Expo Osaka 2025: National participation at global expos and cultural fairs, including Expo Osaka, leverages the platform to present Kuwait's achievements in innovation, sustainability, and heritage. Book Fair and 'I Am the Author' Project: The platform supports youth engagement and publishing initiatives like the Kuwait International Book Fair, fostering a culture of creativity and learning among the next generation. Why is this important? Diversification and Sustainability: Kuwait's tourism revenue is projected to surpass $1.13 billion by 2025, nearly doubling over four years, driven by new infrastructure, international events, airport expansion, and mega-projects on five Gulf islands. Ease of Travel: The e-Visa system offers fast approvals for tourist, business, family, and official visits, removing old barriers like carrier requirements and mandatory qualifications for visitors, and making Kuwait more competitive and welcoming. National Coordination : The platform unifies messaging for both domestic audiences (encouraging local pride, investment, and participation) and foreign visitors, providing a consistent, professional face for Kuwaiti tourism and culture The 'Visit Kuwait' platform is a cornerstone of Kuwait's campaign to redefine itself as a modern, vibrant, and globally relevant tourism and culture centre. By fusing digital innovation with deep-rooted national identity, and making travel significantly easier for international audiences, Kuwait is poised to realize the ambitious goals of its Vision 2035, boosting the economy, promoting cultural pride, and carving out a distinctive presence on the world map.
Saudi Gazette
13-07-2025
- Business
- Saudi Gazette
Saudi Arabia tops global tourism revenue growth in Q1 2025
Saudi Gazette report RIYADH — Saudi Arabia ranked first globally in international tourism revenue growth during the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same period in 2019, according to the May 2025 edition of the UN World Tourism Organization's Tourism Barometer. The Kingdom also secured third place worldwide in the growth of international tourist arrivals and ranked second in the Middle East during the same period. Saudi Arabia recorded a 102% increase in international tourist arrivals in Q1 2025 compared to Q1 2019, significantly surpassing the global average growth rate of 3% and the Middle East's rate of 44%. The performance underscores the Kingdom's growing leadership in both the regional and global tourism landscape.
DW
12-06-2025
- DW
Large anti-tourism protests planned across Spain – DW – 06/12/2025
Overcrowded city centers and housing shortages that displace locals are among the many reasons why Spanish residents are protesting the influx of tourists. Protests against mass tourism are starting up again just in time for the summer vacation season. In recent years, large-scale anti-tourism demonstrations have taken place frequently in vacation hotspots in Italy, Portugal and especially Spain. The coalition of activists and campaigners that make up Sur de Europa contra la Turistización (Southern Europe against Touristification) have once again called for large-scale demonstrations on June 15 to take place in Venice, Milan, Lisbon, San Sebastián, Valencia, Barcelona and the Balearic Islands, among other places. Members of the group recently met for a conference in Barcelona to discuss the problem of overtourism, which according to the UN World Tourism Organization is usually defined as the point at which locals or visitors feel tourism has negatively impacted the quality of life in a region to an unacceptable degree. That is the case for many people in Barcelona, where large-scale demonstrations with thousands of participants have taken place in recent years. Also in the mix are attention-grabbing tactics involving water guns. In 2024, protesters in Barcelona doused unsuspecting tourists dining along the popular promenade of Las Ramblas in order to draw attention to the problem of overtourism. It worked — a media flurry followed, as did several other incidents involving water guns, which have become something of a symbol of the fight against overtourism in Barcelona. In April, for example, activists blocked a tour bus parked in front of the Sagrada Família — one of the city's top attractions — and soaked stunned tourists with water guns. Chants of "tourists go home," were heard in the air. Spain is one of the world's leading tourism destinations Image: Davide Bonaldo/SOPA Images/Sipa USA/picture alliance "The kind of tourism we have today in Barcelona is not compatible with the lives of the local population," Daniel Pardo, a member of the Neighborhood Assembly for Tourism Degrowth (Assemblea de Barris pel Decreixement Turístic) told DW. Pardo has been involved in organizing anti-tourism campaigns for years. He and others want to stop rampant tourism growth which they say has resulted in noisy streets, air pollution and overcrowding in their city. "The moment when it was still possible to find a balance came to an end a long time ago." Pardo specifies that it's not only about protesting mass tourism, but rather about going against a "tourism-first culture" that prioritizes the tourism industry over the quality of life of many locals. Thousands of people demonstrated in Palma de Mallorca in 2024 Image: Clara Margais/dpa/picture alliance Job creation — but at what cost? Around 30 million tourists visit Barcelona a year, a city that is home to around 1.7 million people. The majority came from Italy, France, the United Kingdom and Germany, followed by the United States. According to city officials, the tourism industry generates around 14% of the city's gross domestic product and supports 150,000 jobs. "Yes, that's always used as an argument for why we shouldn't complain," says Pardo. "But we are still complaining!" Many jobs in tourism are rife with precarious labor conditions with wages that are below average. "Ultimately, dependence on tourism impoverishes the population," he says. The level of frustration is also high on the Spanish island of Mallorca. Just like in Barcelona, there will be a demonstration in the capital of Palma on June 15 under the motto: "For the right to a dignified life: Let's stop the touristification." Other popular vacation spots on the Balearic Islands, as well as in Andalusia, in the Basque Country and on the Canary Islands have also criticized what they see as a "tourism-first" mentality taking over their the list of complaints is the increasing number of short-term vacation rentals, which critics say are partly to blame for rising rents that push out locals. Locals driven out But the short-term rental market is only one aspect of how touristic areas are changing. In some Spanish vacation towns, traditional retail is also disappearing. It's becoming easier to find an ice cream parlor or souvenir store than say, a bakery or supermarket. As a result, locals feel alienated and are moving away. "Tourism is driving us out of our homes, villages and neighbourhoods," Spanish group Menys Turisme, Més Vida (Less Tourism, More Life) writes on their website in the call to protest on June 15. In 2024, citizens around Spain also took to the streets to demonstrate against rampant tourism, yet despite the backlash — and the water gun splashes — tourists don't seem to be dissuaded from visiting Spain. In fact, the country is predicting record numbers of tourists in 2025. In 2024, almost 94 million international travelers came to the country, making it the world's second most popular tourist destination after France. According to a recent study by tourism lobby group Exceltur, the number of short-term rentals has jumped 25% in Spain over the last two years, despite the ongoing housing crisis. The government has, however, made some recent attempts to mitigate overtourism. In recent months, there has been stricter regulation of vacation rentals. The central government in Madrid recently made it obligatory for short-term rental providers to register their properties in a newly created database in an effort to prevent illegal offers. And in mid-May, the Spanish Ministry of Consumer Protection ordered Airbnb to delete around 65,000 apartment listings that did not include the required registration numbers. Mallorca pushes back against mass tourism To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video City officials make some changes Last June, Barcelona's city council announced it would abolish short-term vacation rentals by 2028, and that licenses will no longer be renewed after they expire. Yet, for better or worse, tourism is one of the main pillars of Barcelona's economy. The growth of the sector has played an important role in the economic revival of the city, say city officials. However, Jordi Valls, the city official responsible for tourism, admits that tourism in Barcelona cannot continue to grow at the current pace. "We are reaching our limit," he says. Activist Daniel Pardo acknowledges that "at least no politician dares to openly call for further growth" of the city. But he points out that more concrete action needs to be taken to mitigate the problem and improve the lives of residents. "We need a real debate about the limits of tourism," he says. The upcoming protest, he hopes, will see that debate happening sooner. This article was translated from German.
Time of India
04-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
What is the answer to overtourism?
Tourism is booming all over the world. In 2024 there were around 1.5 billion holiday makers, setting the second highest ever record after 2019. From Gran Canaria to Mallorca and Rome, many population destinations are now overcrowded with visitors. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Overtourism describes the excessive, and often simultaneous, rush of vacationers to one place. According to the UN World Tourism Organization it is usually defined as the point at which locals or visitors feel tourism has negatively impacted the quality of life in a region to an unacceptable degree. All of this applies to the seven Canary Islands. The archipelago in the Atlantic, home to 2.2 million locals, hosted a total of 15.2 million visitors last year — and a new record is expected this year. While tourism accounts for more than a third of the islands' economy, it is mainly large investors that profit, according to local groups. Rents are exploding, the environment is suffering and living space for the local population is becoming scarce as property owners capitalise on lucrative short-term rentals. How does overtourism impact the environment? Overtourism exacerbates the existing problems of heavy tourism and often stretches infrastructure and local resources to their limit. Noise, littering, drones flying through the air to take holiday snapshots and traffic jams are just a few of the less pleasant aspects of surges in visitors. Landscapes are often altered by additional footpaths or new parking lots catering to tourists, disrupting the local flora and fauna. Tourism threatens water resources, especially on islands and in warm regions as vacationers, particularly wealthy ones, generally consume more water than locals. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Waste water is also often a problem. For example, the wastewater discharged into the sea off the popular Spanish Balearic island of Mallorca has caused underwater seagrass beds, important helpers in the fight against the climate crisis, to shrink considerably. Is overtourism fueling the climate crisis? Emissions from tourism increased by 65% between 1995 and 2019. Today it is today responsible for 8% to 10% of all global greenhouse gas travel is the main driver of its growing climate impact. While flying accounts for a quarter of all vacation trips, it is responsible for three quarters of tourism emissions . Added to this are emissions from local transportation, accommodation and leisure activities. The general rise in travel often leads to overtourism: If more people are traveling, particularly popular destinations become more crowded. Short trips are becoming more popular. Last year, Germans alone took around 94 million short trips — an increase of almost a quarter compared to the previous year. This type of travel is particularly damaging to the climate, as the largest proportion of tourists' CO2 emissions comes from the journey to and from a destination. More short trips equals more arrivals and departures, and this means more emissions. What causes overtourism? According to the Swiss non-profit organisation fairunterwegs, air travel has a particularly influential role in driving overtourism. They say the existence of nearby airports, particularly if they are served by low-cost airlines, encourages the emergence of overtourism. Mallorca, for example, would probably not be as popular if people had to travel there by ship. However cruise ships are also criticised for exacerbating the problem. Cruise ship tourists tend to go ashore for only a few hours, putting a strain on local infrastructure and contributing relatively little to the local economy, as they are usually fully catered for on board. And then there is the phenomenon of so-called set-jetting. The filming locations of popular TV series often experience a huge spike in visitor numbers. On Maui and Sicily, the filming locations for the first two seasons of US series "The White Lotus," the number of guests has risen by 20% since the islands appeared on-screen. Dubrovnik in Croatia, where much of Game of Thrones was filmed, is also suffering from overtourism. And in Hallstatt, Austria, a local initiative is fighting against the impact of a tourism surge, likely driven by the picturesque town being featured in the South Korean Netflix series "Spring Waltz." Can overtourism be prevented? Some cities and regions are trying to limit the number of travelers at certain times or altogether. In Venice, day tourists have to pay up to €10 and Lisbon charges cruise ship operators €2 for every disembarking passenger. Tenerife is restricting access to the summit of the Pico del Teide volcano to 300 visitors per day. Paris has moved to limit the number of days per year locals can rent out their main residence via platforms such as Airbnb, while Thailand is closing the popular Similan and Surin Islands this year until autumn to allow local ecosystems to recover, and is planning to charge entrance fees in future. In addition to access restrictions and higher taxes on overnight stays, visitor flows are also managed through digital booking systems that help avoid queues in front of monuments or museums. Some tourism hotspots are also promoting attractions outside city centers. Copenhagen is trying a different approach by instead rewarding more climate-friendly travellers, with those arriving by train able to access free rental bikes, yoga lessons, guided tours and reduced admission prices.
DW
03-06-2025
- DW
What is the answer to overtourism? – DW – 06/03/2025
Many popular holiday destinations are struggling from the environmental impact of huge visitor numbers. How can it be tackled? Tourism is booming all over the world. Last year there were around 1.5 billion holiday makers, setting the second highest ever record after 2019. From Gran Canaria, to Mallorca and Rome, many population destinations are now overcrowded with visitors. Overtourism describes the excessive, and often simultaneous, rush of vacationers to one place. According to the UN World Tourism Organization it is usually defined as the point at which locals or visitors feel tourism has negatively impacted the quality of life in a region to an unacceptable degree. All of this applies to the seven Canary Islands. The archipelago in the Atlantic, home to 2.2 million locals, hosted a total of 15.2 million visitors last year — and a new record is expected this year. While tourism accounts for more than a third of the islands' economy, it is mainly large investors that profit, according to local groups. Rents are exploding, the environment is suffering and living space for the local population is becoming scarce as property owners capitalize on lucrative short-term rentals. How does overtourism impact the environment? Overtourism magnifies the existing problems of heavy tourism and often stretches infrastructure and local resources to their limit. Noise, littering, drones flying through the air to take holiday snaps, and traffic jams are just a few of the less pleasant aspects of surges in visitors. Landscapes are often altered by additional footpaths or new parking lots catering to visitors, disrupting the local flora and fauna. Tourism threatens water resources, especially on islands and in warm regions as vacationers, especially those that are wealthy, generally consume more water than locals. Waste water is also often a problem. For example, the wastewater discharged into the sea off the popular Spanish Balearic island of Majorca has caused underwater seagrass beds, important helpers against the climate crisis, to shrink considerably. In May, 2025, locals on Tenerife protested overtourism on the Canary Islands Image: Andres Gutierrez/Anadolu/picture alliance Is overtourism fueling the climate crisis? Emissions from tourism increased by 65% between 1995 and 2019 and it is today responsible for 8-10% of all global greenhouse gas emissions. Air travel is the main driver of its growing climate impact. While flying accounts for a quarter of all vacation trips, it is responsible for three quarters of tourism emissions. Added to this are emissions from local transportation, accommodation and leisure activities. The general rise in travel often leads to overtourism: if more people are traveling, particularly popular destinations become more crowded. Short trips are becoming more popular. Last year, Germans alone took around 94 million short trips — an increase of almost a quarter compared to the previous year. This type of travel is particularly damaging to the climate, as the largest proportion of tourists' CO2 emissions comes from the journey to and from a destination. More short trips equals more arrivals and departures, and this means more emissions. What causes overtourism? According to the Swiss non-profit organization fairunterwegs, air travel has a particularly influential role in driving overtourism. They say the existence of nearby airports, particularly if they are served by low-cost airlines, encourages the emergence of overtourism. Mallorca, for example, would probably not be as popular if people had to travel there by ship. However cruise ships are also criticized for exacerbating the problem. Cruise ship tourists tend to go ashore for only a few hours, putting a strain on local infrastructure and contributing relatively little to the local economy, as they are usually fully catered for on board. Visitors to Hallstatt, Austria, have boomed since it was featured in popular TV series Image: JFK/EXPA/ alliance And then there is the phenomenon of so-called set-jetting. The film locations of popular TV series often lead to a huge spike in visitor numbers. On Maui and Sicily, the filming locations for the US series "The White Lotus", the number of guests has risen by 20% on both islands. Dubrovnik in Croatia, where much of Game of Thrones was filmed, is also suffering from overtourism. In Hallstatt, Austria, a local initiative is fighting against the impact of a tourism surge, likely driven by the picturesque town being featured in the South Korean Netflix series "Spring Waltz". Can overtourism be prevented? Some cities and regions are trying to limit the number of travelers at certain times or altogether. In Venice, day tourists have to pay up to €10 and Lisbon charges cruise ship operators €2 for every disembarking passenger. Tenerife is restricting access to the summit of the Pico del Teide volcano to 300 visitors per day. Paris has moved to limit the number of days per year locals can rent out their main residence via platforms such as Airbnb, while Thailand is closing the popular Similan and Surin Islands this year until autumn to allow local ecosystems to recover and is planning to charge entrance fees in future. In addition to access restrictions and higher taxes on overnight stays, visitor flows are also being managed through digital booking systems that help avoid queues in front of monuments or museums. Some tourism hotspots are also promoting attractions outside city centers. Copenhagen is trying a different approach by instead rewarding more climate-friendly travellers, with those arriving by train able to access free rental bikes, yoga lessons, guided tours and reduced admission prices. This article was first published in German.
