Latest news with #travel
NHK
15 minutes ago
- NHK
Foreign visitors to Japan top 20 million by June for first time
The number of foreign visitors to Japan in the first six months of this year reached 21.51 million, a 21 percent increase compared with the same period last year. The figure topped 20 million at the fastest pace on record. The Japan National Tourism Organization says an estimated 3.37 million foreigners visited Japan in June, up 7.6 percent from a year earlier and the highest figure ever for the month. Visitors from South Korea rose by 7.7 percent during the period, followed by those from China, up 53.5 percent. Russian tourists roughly doubled from the same period last year, increasing by 103.7 percent. Regions and countries whose numbers rose significantly included the Middle East, at 53.8 percent, and Spain, at 49.1 percent. Meanwhile, visitors from Hong Kong edged down 0.4 percent. The JNTO attributes the drop to unfounded rumors that Japan would suffer a major calamity in early July. The Japan Tourism Agency says foreign travelers spent a record 32.27 billion dollars in the country in the half-year. That's up 22.9 percent from the same period last year. JTA Commissioner Murata Shigeki said Japan is a popular destination for travelers from Asia, which accounts for about 80 percent of foreigners traveling to the country. He noted that it remains on a strong growth trajectory as air travel has recovered. He plans to come up with new promotional strategies and hopes to lure more travelers to visit rural Japan to hit the Japanese government's target of bringing 60 million foreign travelers by 2030. Murata also said the government had denied as groundless rumors of an impending natural disaster, but some travelers in Hong Kong refrained from visiting Japan nonetheless. He said the agency will continue to reflect on what it can do in the face of such a situation. He said he's monitoring travel trends from Hong Kong, after hearing that interest in tours to Japan is growing.
Daily Mail
16 minutes ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Little-known travel hack allows travellers to buy 'unwanted' holidays for MUCH less - but there's a catch
There's a ray of hope for those unable to go on holiday but stuck with non-refundable bookings. And what's more, those looking to pick up an incredible break at a cut-price bargain can count themselves lucky. Online 'marketplaces' have emerged for those who can no longer make their flights, hotels or an entire package holiday. This gives the original traveller an opportunity to recoup at least part of their money. And savvy holidaymakers have the chance to pounce on a trip that's heavily discounted – often by as much as 30 per cent, reports the New York Post. Among the platforms offering this service are Plans Change, Roomer, SpareFare and Travel Transfer. And while the concept has existed for years, they're seeing a boom. Sabina Ahmed, a 46-year-old single mother from Leeds, England, says she books the majority of her travel with SpareFare – one of the most popular sites. The low prices she's found have allowed her to take her son across the globe. She told The Wall Street Journal that the toddler has probably been on 'more holidays than most people have in a lifetime'. But the savings are substantial. The Brit claims she once paid around $1,200 (£895) for a trip to Thailand – when the week-long all-inclusive holiday was meant to cost $4,700 (£3,500). That's a discount of almost 75 per cent. SpareFare charges a 12 per cent commission on bookings, and keeps hold of the money until the trip takes place, reports the NY Post. This is to prevent scams for those picking up a cheap escape – though they also want to protect the seller. Erik Ritland, owner of SpareFare, told The Wall Street Journal: 'We understand these people are already going through a difficult time because you don't sell a holiday if you don't have to, so we want to help them as much as we can.' Meanwhile, affordable summer holidays this year can still be found – particularly if you pick the right destination. British tourists face steep price increases for all-inclusive family package holidays abroad this year to the majority of popular destinations - but others have dropped. Italy and Tunisia have both seen prices drop – down 11 per cent to £1,129 and 4 per cent to £763, respectively. However, the price of a week to Cyprus has surged to an average of £1,166 per person for seven nights next month - up by 23 per cent from £950 in August last year.
Daily Mail
16 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Tourist blasts major holiday destination for being messy and full of rubbish
An avid traveller has ignited fierce debate online after he revealing his experience of a popular Italian holiday destination was overshadowed by 'chaos' and 'streets full of trash'. Marek Pukas, a travel content creator from Borchów, Poland, embarked on a solo adventure to explore the world earlier this year and regularly shares the highlights of his travels in videos posted to Instagram. The jetsetter enthusiastically showcased his whirlwind trip to Italy this month, where he sipped wine in Bari, marvelled at the whitewashed stone huts in Alberobello and observed Renaissance art and architecture in Florence. Despite enjoying the majority of his five-day break, he admitted he was left disillusioned by Naples, as shown in footage uploaded to his page @ In the clip, which has since amassed over half a million views, Marek sported a glum expression while walking through the city's cobbled streets. He panned his camera to show pavements, tree planters and outdoor restaurant areas strewn with discarded bottles, food packaging, clothing, shoes and plastic bags. In an accompanying caption, Marek wrote: 'Italy has blown me away so many times - cities full of beauty, charm, and care. But Naples… took me by surprise. Not in the good way. 'I've seen a lot of places across this country, but I've never seen streets so full of trash. It was messy, chaotic, and honestly, hard to enjoy. This isn't about throwing shade - it's just my honest experience. 'I know every city has its challenges, and maybe I caught Naples on a bad day. But I hope things can improve, because this city deserves better.' The clip has since sparked a heated discussion among 700 viewers, with many locals and tourists defending the Italian hotspot, while others felt they could relate to Marek's experience. One person argued: 'I live in London. LONDON is worse than Naples. I wish I could live in Naples,' while another chimed, 'If you don't like it, don't travel. Stay in your country. You only filmed the worst part of a beautiful, constantly growing city.' A third wrote: 'Why don't you try filming other parts of the city - Chiaia, the Lungomare, Vomero, or even the historic centre itself? 'These dirty corners you're showing are definitely part of Naples, no doubt - but why not also go and film the dirty corners of London, New York, Rome, Milan, Athens, or Madrid? Why don't you do that? Naples is amazing.' However, one Italian viewer hit back: 'Unfortunately it is not just Naples. This is the reality of many towns/villages in south of Italy. People just don't care. This morning i went to the beach and there were leftover bottles of beers and water.' A tourist added: 'I'm on an Italian trip, and so far, I have visited Naples, Rome, Florence, and Verona, and Naples was the only city where trash were everywhere, very dirty and smelly. If I have to be honest, it's most likely I wouldn't return there.' Some viewers expressed a more neutral opinion of the city, as one wrote: 'The amount of beauty, breath taking sights, art, theatre in the face of its people are one thing with chaotic streets, noises and smells. Your sense can't remain untouched.' The clip has since sparked a heated discussion among 700 viewers, with many locals and tourists defending the Italian hotspot, while others felt they could relate to Marek's experience A second commented: 'I too was shocked by the dirtiness and chaos of the city! However, if you look past this, it is a city so special, rich in history with unbelievable sites and a unique vibe and energy which is unforgettable!!!' Meanwhile, Europe's most famous holiday hotspots are busier than ever this week - despite anti-tourism protests taking place across the continent. Images show swarms of holidaymakers packed shoulder-to-shoulder and forming huge queues waiting for trains and buses in some of the most beautiful destinations in Italy and Greece. In the Italian village of Varenna - famed for its tiny streets and colourful facades of houses - Brits have complained of crowds so dense they were barely able to reach down to take their phones out of their pockets.
Skift
an hour ago
- Business
- Skift
How Next-Gen Attendees are Reshaping Event Tech
Planners need to rethink how they use technology in every aspect of their meetings, or they risk losing the attention of the biggest percentage of their attendees — Millennials and Gen Zers. Planners are rethinking every aspect of meeting tech, from registration to reservations, apps to entertainment, with their younger attendees in mind. The evolution of these 7 technologies is transforming planners' jobs and their meetings. Registration Tech If there's anything that will turn off a younger attendee, it's a glitchy online registration system, or, once they arrive at the meeting, waiting in a long queue for no apparent reason. Improved registration technology has simplified the process. On site, self-registration or tablet tables allow staff to take on a more passive role as attendees sign themselves in. All that's needed is a fast badge-printing system and a single station for badge and material pick-up, such as lanyards and ribbons. This transforms registration from a painful experience into an opportunity to engage with other people and start the event on a positive note. Travel Booking It used to be considered a privilege by incentive winners to have their flights booked for them, concierge-style. Not so for the younger generations: They prefer to have a travel voucher they can use to book their flights on their own, on whichever app and airline they choose. They also want control of their reservations so they can extend their trips and work remotely in that beautiful incentive destination, rather than jetting straight home. Audience Polling The idea of a session where people are talked down to by the person on stage is a yawn for younger audiences. 'They don't want to see people like us talking to you. They actually want to be involved in the conversation,' Sherrif Karamat, CEO of PCMA and CEMA, told the audience at last year's Skift Meetings Forum. A growing number of events are using live polling to encourage audience participation. The key to successful polling is to form questions that will intrigue your attendees, make the instructions very clear so that your attendees know what they are supposed to do, and allow them enough time to think before voting. Commenting on the results creates a dialog between the speaker and the audience. In addition to encouraging participation, polling questions can help planners quickly understand how their content is resonating and make real-time adjustments. Facial Recognition Closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras are everywhere these days, including in conference rooms. Some are being used to recognize and track attendees (known as facial recognition), while others are analyzing the entire group to measure their engagement in the sessions. While there used to be more objections to this technology, it is generally accepted among younger attendees. However, it is still important to let people know ahead of time that you are using the technology, to ward off any liability from a privacy or security perspective. Gamification Younger generations have grown up with gaming consoles in their living rooms. Gamification activates the desire to achieve something and be recognized for it. It also touches on the need for 'status' among peers and gives attendees a new challenge. All of these are something younger attendees know well. So it's a natural to include gaming in meetings to get attendees to partake in activities they may not otherwise be inclined to do, like visiting a booth on the far end of an exhibit hall or connecting with new people they have not met before. Interactive Entertainment Younger attendees have also grown up in the world of immersive art events like Artechouse and Superblue, and even viewed the masters like Van Gogh and Monet electronically. Immersive experiences like Meow Wolf, which blends art, storytelling, and technology as visitors explore new worlds, have shaped their view of entertainment. Meetings can also wow attendees by using projection mapping, which transforms everyday objects like walls, buildings, and stages into dynamic, immersive displays. Whether it is subtle lighting effects or massive 3D video installations, projection mapping creates the same effect as these other immersive entertainment experiences — just at a meeting. AI A recent McKinsey survey found that Millennials are the most active generation of gen AI users. Some 62%t of employees aged 35 to 44 report high levels of expertise, compared with half of 18- to 24-year-old Gen Zers and 22% of Baby Boomers over 65. For Ginger Taylor, assistant director-leadership at Leadhership CORRECT Network for Women at Arc, AI is a kickstarter — the first step in her creative process. ChatGPT has become one of her go-to tools. 'I'm completely self-taught. I didn't take a course or follow a step-by-step manual. I just started using it, learned as I went, and I'm still learning. That's the beauty of it. 'I use ChatGPT to spark creativity, to help me think through challenges, and to kickstart the planning process,' she said. 'It helps me uncover angles I might not have considered on my own. 'For me, ChatGPT is part of the bigger process: strategy, research, innovation, creativity, and leadership. It doesn't replace the work, it enhances it.'
CNET
2 hours ago
- CNET
It's Easy to Add Your Driver's License to Your iPhone or Apple Watch If You Live in These 9 States
While some phone makers are working overtime to squeeze AI into every single feature, Apple is taking a more fundamental step to simplify travel by digitizing your driver's license. You can now add your state ID to your iPhone or Apple Watch using Apple Wallet, allowing you to breeze through airport security checkpoints card-free. Living in California, I was interested in giving it a shot and see if it was as easy as it looks to be. And it is, as long as you have the right iPhone and OS version. Older iPhones, depending on the state you live in, may create some problems -- Apple says digitized driver's licenses will work on iPhone 8 and later, but it's a little more complicated than that. Right now, digital IDs are primarily used to go through TSA checkpoints in certain airports when flying domestically, but that'll likely change in the future. Want to use your digital ID at your favorite bar or nightclub? We're not there yet. Below, I describe my experience, the hiccups I encountered on the way and things that you should know if you plan on adding your driver's license to Apple Wallet. I'll also break down how you can add your ID to your iPhone, step by step. For more, don't miss these low-key iOS 26 features we're excited for. The Small but Mighty Features of iOS 26 The Small but Mighty Features of iOS 26 Click to unmute Video Player is loading. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Next playlist item Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 4:23 Loaded : 2.13% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 4:23 Share Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. 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The Small but Mighty Features of iOS 26 These states support digital IDs on iPhones right now Only a handful of states support digital IDs in Apple Wallet. One key factor is how each state implements its Mobile Driver's License system. For instance, Louisiana, New York, Utah and Virginia all support mobile driver's licenses but require separate apps for digital IDs. States and regions that support digital IDs in Apple Wallet: Arizona California Colorado Georgia Hawaii Iowa Maryland New Mexico Ohio Puerto Rico Some states originally announced to support Apple's digital ID haven't quite gotten there yet. The number of states supported in Apple Wallet is about half of what the TSA currently allows. Collectively, it accepts digital IDs across Apple Wallet, Google Wallet, Samsung Wallet and state-based mobile apps in 15 states. What are the iPhone requirements to add your driver's license to Apple Wallet? Where you live is just the start. You also have to have the right iPhone model and the right software setup. Here are the minimum requirements that Apple lists: An iPhone 8 or later with the latest version of iOS Have Face or Touch ID enabled on your device Have two-factor authentication enabled on your Apple account A license or ID from a participating state or territory Your device's region set to the United States I'll have more to say in a bit about that iPhone 8 and iOS requirement and a catch I ran into. My experience adding my ID to my iPhone was easy For testing purposes, I used the iPhone 16E. The process of adding the ID was simple. I scanned the front and the back of my ID and the next step was to verify my identity. This wasn't nearly as nerve-wracking as I thought it would be. Instead, it took a live photo of my face for 2.5 seconds. After that, more verification was required. This came in a series of different photos, with prompts directing me to close my eyes, open my mouth, smile and tip my head down. This verification process took about three minutes. (Or longer in my case, aa I got distracted writing notes about the process and then found I had to restart the whole process.) Then, after I submitted those photos, there was another verification step, presumably with the photos relayed to the California DMV. A screen message told me that I would receive a notification when there was an update. I expected this to take a long time, but not even 10 minutes later, a notification telling me that my ID was ready to use popped up. That was easy. What about older iPhones? So, not every phone you think might work will actually do so. The first time I tested adding my ID, I was using an iPhone 8 Plus. But when I arrived at the setup page within Apple Wallet, I was given eight states to choose from, and California wasn't one of them. That surprised me. I'd found a helpful Apple support article that explained the requirements for adding a driver's license or state-issued ID to Apple Wallet and it seemed like I shouldn't have any trouble. At first, I thought the roadblock was that I hadn't set up Touch ID yet. But no, California was still not on my list of eight states. (Equally confusing, a colleague of mine also tried this with an iPhone 8 and Apple Wallet only listed four states.) I went back to the Apple support article and looked for fine print, and sure enough, there it was. I'd ignored the asterisk in the requirements, because California has had its Mobile Driver's License program set up for some time now. The fine print at the very bottom of the page states, "For California, ID in Apple Wallet requires iPhone XS or later with iOS 17.5 or later." (For Puerto Rico, if you want to add your driver's license or ID to Apple Wallet, you'll need to have an iPhone XS or later with iOS 18.1.) So if you're holding onto an iPhone 8 or iPhone X and live in California, you won't be able to add your driver's license to your iPhone because of the lack of software support. iOS 16 is the last supported version of the operating system for iPhone 8 and X models. How to add your ID or driver's license to Apple Wallet If you live in a state that supports digital IDs for Apple Wallet, it's easy to add one. After it's added, you'll need to verify your identity, which can take a little longer but it's still a straightforward process. Open Apple Wallet . . Tap the Add button. button. Tap Driver's License or ID and select your location. If applicable, choose whether you want to add your ID to your iPhone only or your iPhone and your Apple Watch. Follow the steps to scan your license or ID. (Make sure you scan your ID in a well-lit environment and that the image is in focus.) Once it's scanned, you'll be prompted to confirm your identity with a selfie photo. According to Apple, you may be asked to complete a number of facial or head movements for identification purposes. To ensure an easier verification process, Apple suggests that you: Stand in front of a plain background with neutral, light paint. Be in a well-lit area, ideally indoors. Take off sunglasses, masks, hats or other accessories that could block your face. Hold your iPhone steady. When you're finished, submit your information by confirming with Touch or Face ID. Your biometrics will be bound to the ID, so only you can use it. How to transfer your digital ID to another iPhone If you upgrade your iPhone, you'll need to transfer your ID or driver's license to it. During initial setup, tap Wallet . . Select your ID. Follow the steps. Tap to confirm you want to move your driver's license or ID to the new device. So, now what? Your digital ID isn't just a photo of your ID that you can pull up within Apple Wallet. In fact, you don't even see a full image of your physical ID. In order to actually view your information from your digital ID, you'll need to tap on your ID "card" in Apple Wallet, tap the "i" at the top-right of the screen, and then tap State ID info or Card Information (the wording may be different depending on what version of iOS your iPhone is running). From there, it will show your ID photo as well as essential pieces of information from your physical ID. TSA checkpoints that support digital IDs require a dedicated scanner, so the process may not necessarily feel like it's faster than showing your physical ID to the agent. Here's a video of the process via the Maryland Department of Transportation: The idea of a digital ID is pretty convenient but overall, it probably won't save you a meaningful amount of time. Couple that fact with its incredibly limited use cases right now and the fact that merchant or event adoption will require investment in proper hardware and it's pretty easy to see just how far off we are from ditching physical IDs. Selling or trading in your iPhone? Do this first. When you move on from a phone that has your ID on it, you'll want to do the same thing you do with other sensitive info like credit or debit cards and passwords: Remove it. So before you wipe your iPhone to sell or trade it in, you should manually remove your ID first. Here's how to do it. Go to Apple Wallet and tap your ID in the list in the list Tap the " i " button at the top right of the screen at the top right of the screen Tap Remove State ID (or Driver's License) (or Driver's License) Read the warning that pops up and tap Remove Digital passports are coming to Apple Wallet with iOS 26 Creating a digital ID from your physical passport is coming to your iPhone this year. Apple/Screenshot by CNET While states are taking time to implement digital ID systems, Apple announced a feature coming in iOS 26 this year: You can add a digital passport to Apple Wallet. When that feature is available, iPhone users will be able to scan their passports to create a digital version for identity verification during domestic travel. You won't be able to use it for international travel and it's not a full replacement for a physical passport (so keep your physical one on you) but it should work at the 250-plus supported TSA checkpoints. During its WWDC keynote in June, Apple said that the digital ID made from your passport can also be used "in apps and in person" but it didn't give any specifics. This is essentially what can be done on Android through Google Wallet. Verify with Wallet ID verification could make ordering alcohol easier Also headed to iPhones this fall is an easier way for you to prove your age using your digital ID. Say you want to have a bottle of wine sent to your place via Uber Eats. Typically, when the driver arrives, you'll need to present your ID and have it scanned to complete the transaction but with the new Verify with Wallet, your stored digital ID will be used to verify your age. (I do wonder if things might get more complicated when the delivery arrives if you're not the one receiving it.) Verify with Wallet will be supported by Chime, Turo, Uber Eats and U.S. Bank. For more, don't miss what you should know about flying domestically without a Real ID in 2025.
