Latest news with #tourismimpact
News.com.au
12-08-2025
- Politics
- News.com.au
Anthony Albanese confirms visit to South Australia over toxic algal bloom
Anthony Albanese will visit South Australian communities smashed by a sprawling and unprecedented agal bloom following weeks of criticism that the federal government had been slow in its response to the unfolding crisis. Confirmation of the trip comes just the day after Environment Minister Murray Watt apologised for the government's sluggish response, which could devastate coastal communities and businesses preparing the summer tourism season. The toxic bloom has rapidly spread across several beaches on the state's coastline, and while the algae is not harmful to people, it's resulted in the death of rays, fish and marine life. The Prime Minister shared the news on ABC radio on Tuesday, stating he would head to the state 'next week' following discussions with state Premier Peter Malinauskas. He added that the government was 'very concerned' however said the disaster was the 'consequence' of warm water temperatures and not the 'fault of any government'. 'This is the consequence, of course, of nutrients flowing into the water and the temperature of the water being well over what is normal for this time of the year, and it's having a very real impact,' he said. 'There are a range of environmental factors happening, unfortunately too many, right around Australia at various times, and a lot of my focus is on dealing with the consequences of that but also dealing with the long-term issues that are coming as a result of the climate changing.' Greens environment spokeswoman Sarah Hanson-Young has led calls for Mr Albanese to visit South Australia following reports of the out-of-control bloom in July. As it stands, the Greens have established an inquiry into the federal response to the bloom and whether considerations for a declaration of a national disaster, which the algal attack did not satisfy, should be changed. 'As chair of the inquiry, I will focus on making sure that we use this inquiry to amplify the voices of scientists, affected industries and the local South Australian community,' she previously said. 'We need governments at all levels that will act to take climate change mitigation and adaptation seriously. This is not a far-off future problem, the crisis is here and now.' Speaking to ABC radio on Monday, Senator Watt acknowledged the government's response had not met community expectations. 'I accept that South Australians think that governments were too slow to respond to this event, and for that I apologise,' he said. 'What we were doing, though, in the run-up to that was working very closely with the South Australian government for weeks.' However he said there was 'an expectation' that weather condition would help 'disperse this algal bloom at a much earlier stage'. He also said the event was 'unprecedented', which left the government in 'uncharted waters'. Senator Watt also warned the algal bloom was a 'reminder of why we need to take more action on climate change', with the marine heatwave contributing to the algal bloom in South Australia and coral bleaching in reefs.
The Australian
04-08-2025
- The Australian
Tourism boom sparks backlash in historic heart of Athens
Surrounded by a hubbub of blaring music, restaurant terraces and rumbling suitcase wheels slaloming between overflowing litter bins, Giorgos Zafeiriou believes surging tourism has made his historic Athens neighbourhood unrecognisable. The Greek capital's Plaka district "is threatened by overtourism", said Zafeiriou, who has lived there for more than three decades and leads its residents' association. This year, 10 million people are expected to visit Athens, an increase of two million from 2024 which reflects the city's growing popularity as a tourist destination since the Covid-19 pandemic ended. Despite its label as the cradle of Western civilisation, Athens was previously regarded as a mere stopping point between the airport and the port of Piraeus, from where tourists explore Greece's myriad of picturesque islands. Nicknamed "the neighbourhood of the gods", Plaka is nestled below the ancient Acropolis hill, a world heritage site hosting the millennia-old Parthenon temple which welcomed almost 4.5 million visitors last year. Plaka is now awash with tourists who navigate its warren of narrow streets lined with cafes, taverns, souvenir shops, small Byzantine churches and relics from Antiquity and the Ottoman era. Plaka "is Europe's oldest neighbourhood which has been inhabited continuously since Antiquity", said Lydia Carras, head of the Ellet association working to preserve the environment and cultural heritage. "We cannot see it lose its soul," she added. - 'Saturated with tourists' - Tourism is a pillar of the Greek economy, which endured years of painful austerity following the 2008 global financial crash and the ensuing eurozone debt crisis. For souvenir shop seller Konstantinos Marinakis, "Greece is finally doing better thanks to the good health of tourism which allowed the economy to recover and create jobs." But the flourishing sector has generated a backlash in Europe's most sought-after locations, with locals complaining of soaring housing prices and the impact on their neighbourhoods. Protesters have targeted tourists with water pistols in Spain's Barcelona, while the Italian city of Venice has introduced a charge in a bid to control visitor numbers. Mayor Haris Doukas told AFP with pride that Athens was now one of the world's 10 most-visited cities, but acknowledged "areas like Plaka which are saturated with tourists". "We are not yet at the stage of Barcelona, but we must act before it is too late," he said. An "intervention unit" for Plaka was recently created to enforce rules with the support of the police. Any resident who spots a restaurant terrace encroaching on public space or cars parked on the pavement can report the offenders to this team. "Between 1960 and 1980, Plaka was overwhelmed by discos and bouzoukias," and "many residents had already left," explained Carras, referring to clubs that play traditional Greek music. A 1993 presidential decree shut the clubs, protected homes and specified the use of each building in the neighbourhood, with hotels only allowed on certain streets. - Rules 'dodged' - But "these rules have been dodged", with "entire houses converted into several apartments" advertised on short-term rental platforms, said Dimitris Melissas, a lawyer specialising in urban planning. Plaka's population of 2,000 can be swamped by up to four times as many tourists in the summer, added Melissas, although no official statistics exist because the census measures Athens as a whole. Representing Ellet, the lawyer has taken a case over the legality of 16 buildings converted entirely into seasonal rentals to the Council of State, Greece's top administrative court. He argued they are actually hotel premises in disguise because they have receptions or serve breakfast on terraces. A decision, which could set an important legal precedent, is expected by the end of September. The conservative government has banned new registrations of apartments on short-term rental platforms for at least a year in central Athens, where more than 12,000 seasonal lets existed in 2024, fuelling rent rises. "But when I still read adverts in newspapers to invest in apartments that can be converted into Airbnbs, I doubt the effectiveness of this measure," said Melissas. "The problem in Greece is not voting laws but enforcing them." mr/imm/sbk Breaking News Siraj stars as India beat England by six runs in fifth-Test thriller Breaking News Israel wants world attention on hostages held in Gaza
Asharq Al-Awsat
04-08-2025
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Tourism Boom Sparks Backlash in Historic Heart of Athens
Surrounded by a hubbub of blaring music, restaurant terraces and rumbling suitcase wheels slaloming between overflowing litter bins, Giorgos Zafeiriou believes surging tourism has made his historic Athens neighborhood unrecognizable. The Greek capital's Plaka district "is threatened by overtourism", said Zafeiriou, who has lived there for more than three decades and leads its residents' association. This year, 10 million people are expected to visit Athens, an increase of two million from 2024 which reflects the city's growing popularity as a tourist destination since the Covid-19 pandemic ended. Despite its label as the cradle of Western civilization, Athens was previously regarded as a mere stopping point between the airport and the port of Piraeus, from where tourists explore Greece's myriad of picturesque islands. Nicknamed "the neighborhood of the gods", Plaka is nestled below the ancient Acropolis hill, a world heritage site hosting the millennia-old Parthenon temple which welcomed almost 4.5 million visitors last year. Plaka is now awash with tourists who navigate its warren of narrow streets lined with cafes, taverns, souvenir shops, small Byzantine churches and relics from Antiquity and the Ottoman era. Plaka "is Europe's oldest neighborhood which has been inhabited continuously since Antiquity", said Lydia Carras, head of the Ellet association working to preserve the environment and cultural heritage. "We cannot see it lose its soul," she added. 'Saturated with tourists' Tourism is a pillar of the Greek economy, which endured years of painful austerity following the 2008 global financial crash and the ensuing eurozone debt crisis. For souvenir shop seller Konstantinos Marinakis, "Greece is finally doing better thanks to the good health of tourism which allowed the economy to recover and create jobs." But the flourishing sector has generated a backlash in Europe's most sought-after locations, with locals complaining of soaring housing prices and the impact on their neighborhoods. Protesters have targeted tourists with water pistols in Spain's Barcelona, while the Italian city of Venice has introduced a charge in a bid to control visitor numbers. Mayor Haris Doukas told AFP with pride that Athens was now one of the world's 10 most-visited cities, but acknowledged "areas like Plaka which are saturated with tourists". "We are not yet at the stage of Barcelona, but we must act before it is too late," he said. An "intervention unit" for Plaka was recently created to enforce rules with the support of the police. Any resident who spots a restaurant terrace encroaching on public space or cars parked on the pavement can report the offenders to this team. "Between 1960 and 1980, Plaka was overwhelmed by discos and bouzoukias," and "many residents had already left," explained Carras, referring to clubs that play traditional Greek music. A 1993 presidential decree shut the clubs, protected homes and specified the use of each building in the neighborhood, with hotels only allowed on certain streets. Rules 'dodged' But "these rules have been dodged", with "entire houses converted into several apartments" advertised on short-term rental platforms, said Dimitris Melissas, a lawyer specializing in urban planning. Plaka's population of 2,000 can be swamped by up to four times as many tourists in the summer, added Melissas, although no official statistics exist because the census measures Athens as a whole. Representing Ellet, the lawyer has taken a case over the legality of 16 buildings converted entirely into seasonal rentals to the Council of State, Greece's top administrative court. He argued they are actually hotel premises in disguise because they have receptions or serve breakfast on terraces. A decision, which could set an important legal precedent, is expected by the end of September. The conservative government has banned new registrations of apartments on short-term rental platforms for at least a year in central Athens, where more than 12,000 seasonal lets existed in 2024, fueling rent rises. "But when I still read adverts in newspapers to invest in apartments that can be converted into Airbnbs, I doubt the effectiveness of this measure," said Melissas. "The problem in Greece is not voting laws but enforcing them."
Khaleej Times
17-06-2025
- Business
- Khaleej Times
Iran-Israel conflict: UAE residents cancel travel plans to Georgia, Armenia
UAE residents are cancelling their travel plans to Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan, fearing they may be stranded if the Iran-Israel conflict expands into a war. Travel agents in the UAE said people are also not taking non-essential and leisure travel to these destinations. Some countries including Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Israel and Syria have closed their airspace in the ongoing Iran-Israel military conflict. Hundreds of people – most Iranians – have died in the war. Avinash Adnani, partner at Neo Travel and Tourism, said a lot of people who were planning to travel to Georgia, Kazakhstan, Armenia and Azerbaijan are cancelling travel plans, fearing they may get stranded there due to the war. Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels. 'Leisure and non-essential travellers are postponing their plans to destinations that are closer to the war zones as they're facing cancellations and travel restrictions. We're seeing package cancellations,' Adnani told Khaleej Times. Free date change Reena Philip, general manager of Air Travel Enterprises, Dubai, said there are a lot of cancellations and date changes due to the war as people are not travelling to nearby countries also for a few days. 'Trips are being postponed by people, hoping that the war will be over soon. Airlines told us that we can make free date changes,' she said. Subair Thekepurathvalappil, senior manager at Wisefox Tourism, said most of the flights were cancelled to these destinations due to airspace closure, therefore, a lot of people are trapped in those countries and efforts are being made to bring them back. 20% increase in airfares Thekepurathvalappil expects airfares to go up when travel fully resumes to these destinations after the conflict as people are trapped there. 'Since the summer travel season has set up, airfares have already gone much higher to many destinations. As soon as this war is over, a lot of people will travel to these destinations also which are closed now. And most of the airlines are full so this will result in an increase in airfares to countries affected by airspace closure due to war,' he said. Avinash Adnani added that airfares could jump 20 per cent once airlines fully resume their flights to war-affected Middle East countries that have closed airspace in the ongoing Iran-Israel war due to pent-up demand. 'There are a lot of cancellations to countries that have closed airspace which will reduce the availability of flights to these destinations. This will result in an increase in airfares due to the pent-up demand. The UAE travellers are not taking business and non-essential trips to these countries, but emergency travels only.' Reena Philip added that there will be a shortage of seats when the war ends and travel resumes, resulting in an increase in airfares on those routes. 'People are postponing because airlines are cancelling flights.'
BBC News
16-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Norfolk Broads businesses frustrated after toll rise deemed legal
Business owners have said tourists could be driven away from the idyllic Broads National Park after the government upheld a decision to increase new toll hire companies had complained that the average rise of 5.9% for most craft on the waterways in Norfolk and Suffolk, was unlawful and the Department for Transport (DfT) has found in favour of the Thwaites, 56, who runs a boat hiring company, said she was "really frustrated" by the decision. "We need to be paying a toll, but [the Broads Authority] needs to understand the impact [that the increase] is having on this business," she Broads Authority has said its increase in charges will help it maintain the national park. The toll costs fund maintenance, navigation services, and environmental conservation across the of the Broads Hire Boat Federation made the complaint to the Thompson, 36, owns a pizza restaurant and a B&B in Hoveton, and said the toll increases would have a "massive impact".She explained tourists visiting the area were a "make or break" for her businesses, and price rises would "drive people abroad" for their holidays."I think the Broads Authority could think really carefully about what they can do to help support local businesses," she said. Matthew Thwaites, chair of the Broads Hire Boat Federation, said members were extremely frustrated by the told the Local Democracy Reporting Service his organisation had not yet been officially told of the decision by the DfT."It is ridiculous," he said."How is this a fair and proper judicial review of our complaint when they have not responded to any of our correspondence?"A spokesperson for the DfT said: "After carefully considering structures at similar ports and regular annual fee increases by the Broads Authority, the department found in favour of the charges levied."The Broads Authority said the organisation was battling against increased maintenance costs and the ruling demonstrated the "appeal was unjustified"."Now that the unhelpful distraction of the DfT complaint has been concluded, we hope that more effort can be put towards constructive dialogue that recognises the challenges we are all facing," they added. Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
