United Airlines and Delta Air Lines have both announced a total ban on the devices, joining Southwest Airlines, which introduced a similar policy earlier this year.

Travellers who rejoiced at the prospect of a travel companion that does not hog the armrest, complain about the middle seat, or eat messily will have to accept that, for now, the risks posed by these robots outweigh their advantages. Most are indeed powered by large lithium-ion batteries, which can overheat, catch fire or even explode if damaged or improperly handled.

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While passengers are already subject to strict rules governing lithium batteries on aircraft, airlines say the size, weight and design of humanoid robots present additional safety challenges.

Although still rare, there have already been cases of travellers flying with humanoid companions. Southwest Airlines became the first major US carrier to prohibit the devices after welcoming a humanoid robot on board earlier this year.

While the robot quickly became a social media sensation, securing it for take-off reportedly proved difficult, delaying the flight and highlighting practical as well as safety concerns.

Since then, more airlines have adopted similar restrictions. Delta introduced its ban in June, followed by United in July.

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In a statement, Delta said it “does not permit human- or animal-like robotic devices to be transported in the aircraft cabin or as checked baggage”. The airline added that it is “continually reviewing emerging technologies” and updating its policies accordingly.

Delta explained that the prohibition applies to robotic devices powered by lithium batteries that exceed the allowed watt-hour limits, which present safety and security risks. The airline also noted that the devices do not qualify as assistive devices and do not meet the definition of trained service animals under applicable regulations.

United described its policy to CBS News as a proactive measure, saying the ban was introduced “in case such tech becomes more widely used in everyday life”. The airline stressed that the decision was not prompted by any specific incident but was intended “to ensure the safety of our customers and crew”.

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United also told The Independent that automated devices and certain robotic toys remain permitted, provided they comply with baggage size restrictions and existing lithium battery safety requirements.

While most leisure travellers are unlikely to be affected, the restrictions are creating headaches for scientists and robotics researchers who regularly transport prototypes for demonstrations and conferences.

Ravinder Dahiya, professor of robotics at Northeastern University’s College of Engineering, told CBS News that while safety must come first, the restrictions create practical difficulties for researchers. “As a researcher, you desire to carry out your research freely, without hindrance,” he said, noting that “sometimes you have to take robots along with you for demonstrations.”

Delta has indicated that the ban is not necessarily permanent, leaving the door open to future generations of robots or safer battery technologies. So far, not all airlines have followed suit – American Airlines and JetBlue have yet to introduce similar restrictions. But if Elon Musk is right and humanoid robots are the future, aviation will need a safer battery technology to match.

L’article More airlines ban humanoid robots from flights over battery safety concerns est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Conceived by Yuko Shimizu in 1974, Hello Kitty is now the face of a growing trend in immersive attractions that blur the line between museums, exhibitions and themed entertainment. At Hotel Floria Tokyo, visitors collect a “room key”, explore elaborately designed hotel suites inspired by Sanrio characters and take photographs throughout the venue without spending the night, rather like a museum tour, but staged as a hotel and built around characters dear to Sanrio fans worldwide.

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The latest Sanrio-themed hotel opened in Tokyo’s Shinjuku-ku ward. It is currently hosting the Hotel Floria Tokyo-Sanrio Characters Exhibition at the Tokyu Kabukicho Tower. The show should run until May 2027.

“Set in a hotel filled with the characters’ dreams, each room and installation allows visitors to discover their distinctive personalities and charm,” a Hotel Floria Tokyo spokesperson told Euronews Travel.

The concept was born in Seoul, created by Korean digital design and art company D’strict. This iteration has 11 themed rooms, each designed around a different character created by Japanese entertainment company Sanrio, including Hello Kitty, My Melody, Kuromi, Pompopurin, and Cinnamoroll.

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After the obligatory check-in, visitors receive a character-themed Luc-Key entry pass. Rather than selecting their favourite character, each guest is assigned one at random, a neat marketing touch for anyone hoping to walk away with their favourite.

Each room allows visitors to enter the imagined “private” world of one of the Sanrio characters through carefully reimagined settings. Guests are invited to step into their everyday surroundings and explore them for themselves.

“Beyond taking photographs, guests can walk through, explore and experience these worlds for themselves”, Hotel Floria says. “This creates the feeling of becoming part of the story.”

The idea is to attract both adults and children, according to Hotel Floria Tokyo, allowing adults to “reconnect with fond childhood memories and a sense of nostalgia, while children can enjoy discovering them for the first time”.

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Beyond the rooms, the grounds include a garden, a pond, an art gallery, a dedicated Photo Zone and even an indoor beach.

The team is especially proud of the Beach Zone. “Rather than merely viewing the dreamlike scenery imagined by the Sanrio characters, visitors can walk through it and experience it with all their senses. This is what makes the Beach Zone so special,” organisers told Euronews, adding: “As they walk across real sand, the visuals, sound and sensation beneath their feet naturally come together as one seamless experience.”

Hotel Floria is the latest example of how Japan has transformed one of its best-known cultural exports into a travel experience. Beyond merchandise, Hello Kitty has inspired themed cafés, airport installations, exhibitions and, until recently, her own bullet train.

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Considering Japan’s long-standing love affair with cats, the concept may not be quite as surprising as it first appears. From the maneki-neko, the beckoning cat found at the entrance of shops and restaurants across the country, to Hello Kitty herself, Japanese people have a deep affection for their feline companions.

A recent example of that devotion is the appearance of quirky yellow road signs warning drivers to beware of cats darting into the road. Installed not by the authorities but by local communities and individuals, the signs have taken social media by storm.

L’article Hello Kitty gets a hotel in Tokyo where guests can check in but not stay est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

The event usually attracts visitors from around the world, and this 24^th edition promises to delight flower lovers, admirers of the celebrated Japanese artist, and anyone eager to witness one of Belgium’s most colourful traditions. Covering nearly 1,680 m², the carpet will be composed of around 700,000 flowers.

This year’s edition introduces two major changes. The traditional begonias have been replaced by dahlias, as begonia cultivation in Belgium has declined in recent years. Dahlias were also chosen for their wider range of vibrant colours. And for the first time, a second flower carpet, inspired by hops as a tribute to Belgium’s brewing heritage, will be installed at the Brussels Bourse.

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The design for the main carpet was proposed by Japan, an honour traditionally reserved for the partner country, while the planting itself is carried out by the Belgian non-profit organisation Tapis de Fleurs. Each flower is inserted by hand into rolls of turf and watered throughout the event, particularly during periods of intense summer heat.

More than 100 volunteer gardeners assemble the carpet in under six hours before filling the remaining gaps with turf the day before the opening. Packed so densely, the flowers create their own microclimate, allowing the display to remain fresh throughout its four-day run.

The reinterpretation of Hokusai’s masterpiece was created by Japanese contemporary artist and Kyoto University of the Arts lecturer Hiro Sugiyama together with his Tokyo-based creative collective Enlightenment, known for blending pop culture with contemporary Japanese aesthetics.

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Sugiyama, who began producing digital art after co-founding Enlightenment before returning primarily to analogue painting in 2010, said the project seeks to bridge tradition and modernity.

“Through this synthesis, I seek to connect the past and the future, the analogue and the digital, Japanese culture and contemporary art. In this pivotal year marking 160 years of friendship between Belgium and Japan, I am delighted to bring this work to life in the form of a Flower carpet,” he said.

Japan’s ambassador to Belgium, Takeshi Osuga, highlighted the symbolic role that flowers play in both Japan and Belgium.

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“The love of flowers is a universal language. In both Japan and Belgium, flowers hold a special place in our cultural and social lives,” he said.

The Grand-Place, often described as one of the world’s most beautiful squares, combines Gothic, Baroque and neo-Gothic architecture. Dating back to the 15^th century, it was rebuilt by the city’s guilds after the French bombardment of 1695 and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1998.

This is the second Flower Carpet celebrating Belgium-Japan friendship. In 2016, the Grand-Place was transformed into a Japanese-inspired landscape featuring traditional motifs, birds, koi carp and natural scenery to mark 150 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Those eager for an early glimpse can already head to nearby Mini-Europe, where a miniature version of the 2026 Flower Carpet has been recreated on its scale replica of the Grand-Place ahead of the official opening on 13 August.

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Practical info

Open 13–16 August 2026. Access to the Grand-Place is free. A panoramic view of the carpet is available from the balcony of the Hôtel de Ville (tickets required). For a full 360° view over the city and the carpet, the separate View Tower Experience takes visitors up the 200 steps of the City Hall Tower.

L’article Brussels Flower Carpet 2026: Hokusai’s Great Wave to take shape in thousands of dahlias est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Until 29 July 2026, AA’s policy allowed passengers to cancel a ticket purchased as little as two days before departure and receive a full refund within 24 hours, one of the most flexible schemes in the industry.

Instead, it will now follow the US Department of Transportation’s (DOT) minimum legally mandated requirement, which only obliges airlines to offer a 24-hour refund window for tickets bought at least seven days before departure, a rule instituted in 2012.

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The agency’s rules state that, for tickets purchased at least seven days before a flight’s departure, airlines must either “allow consumers to cancel their reservation and receive a full refund without a penalty for 24 hours” or “allow consumers to reserve a ticket (place it on hold) at the quoted price without paying for it for 24 hours”. Airlines are not required to offer both options to customers.

This change aligns American Airlines’ policies with those of JetBlue, Southwest and United, while making its refund policy stricter than Delta Air Lines’, which continues to offer greater flexibility for last-minute bookings.

“We also offer customers the ability to get a full refund if they purchase a ticket within 24 hours and booked at least seven days before departure,” AA said in a statement to CBS News.

Before the DOT rule came into effect, American Airlines had a 24-hour hold system, under which travellers could reserve a ticket at the quoted price for 24 hours without paying, rather than receiving a refund. This changed during the pandemic, when the airline began offering full refunds instead of simply holding tickets, in order to reassure hesitant flyers.

For tickets purchased less than seven days before travel, and therefore outside DOT protection, cash refunds will now be replaced by a travel credit. American will still issue travel credits for last-minute changes, but only for certain fare classes. Basic economy travellers are not eligible for a refund or a hold, as the fare is non-refundable and non-changeable.

American does allow AAdvantage members to cancel a basic economy ticket, but charges a $99 fee to recover the remaining value as credit. Non-members receive nothing.

Among low-cost carriers, Frontier allows free changes within 60 days, after which a fee of $99 applies. JetBlue, on the other hand, has a tiered fee schedule similar to American’s.

The pandemic prompted many airlines to adapt their policies in response to travel restrictions and to prevent the loss of market share. The leniency introduced then is now being rolled back as carriers look to recoup lost revenue. However, the leniency introduced then is now being phased out as carriers seek to recoup lost revenue. In August 2020, United eliminated change fees on standard economy and premium tickets, a move that American and Delta matched within 24 hours.

Travellers may also be able to mitigate the stricter refund policy by using the travel insurance included with some credit cards. Depending on the card and policy, cardholders may be reimbursed for the cost of a non-refundable ticket if they have to cancel their trip for a covered reason. However, this protection generally only applies to specific circumstances rather than a change of heart, so passengers should carefully weigh up the benefits of an insurance policy against the cost of purchasing a more flexible fare.

L’article American Airlines drops flexible refund policy for last-minute bookings est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

After initially refusing to refer the case to the European Court of Justice (ECJ), Italy’s Constitutional Court has changed course over the controversial Law 74/2025, which restricts eligibility for Italian citizenship for many great-grandchildren of Italians living abroad. It has suspended its own proceedings and asked the ECJ to determine whether the legislation is compatible with EU law before issuing its own ruling.

Passed in March 2025, Law 74/2025 significantly tightened Italy’s jure sanguinis (right of blood) citizenship rules. The legislation limits automatic citizenship by descent to children and grandchildren of Italian nationals, thereby ending eligibility for many great-grandchildren and more distant descendants of Italians who emigrated abroad.

The reform sparked widespread criticism from Italian communities overseas, particularly in South America, North America and Australia, where millions of people trace their ancestry to Italian emigrants.

Previous ECJ rulings state that decisions affecting EU citizenship must respect the principle of proportionality and take individual circumstances into account.

Lawyers representing descendants of Italians abroad argue that the legislation retroactively strips citizenship rights from people who were already entitled to Italian nationality under previous rules, and that such a blanket approach conflicts with ECJ case law requiring national authorities to apply the principle of proportionality and consider individual circumstances when decisions affect EU citizenship.

The Constitutional Court concluded that the dispute raises questions over the interpretation of EU law that fall within the jurisdiction of the ECJ. It will suspend its own examination of the case until the Luxembourg-based court clarifies whether the new restrictions are compatible with the rights associated with EU citizenship and with established European legal principles.

Corrado Caruso, a law professor at Bologna University, told CNN he had not expected the court’s change of course.

“We’d requested a referral in the previous hearing, but the court denied it”, he said. Still, he sees it as encouraging. “It’s a positive step because it means the court has some doubts. I think there was a change of mind.”

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“Maybe the court was too quick in dismissing our request in March; maybe they reflected a little deeper,” he said, adding that recent unrelated rulings have been notably “EU-friendly.”

Marco Mellone, one of the four lawyers challenging the legislation, described the referral as “a 180-degree change of direction” and “a confession that they made a mistake in March”.

Monica Restanio, another lawyer involved in the case, called the decision “the best news that we could have got, and much better than what I was expecting”.

She argued that previous ECJ case law consistently requires governments to assess nationality cases proportionately and individually before depriving people of citizenship rights, rather than through blanket legislative measures.

“They had the chance to refer it three months ago and didn’t. It’s clear they changed their opinion,” Mellone told CNN. “They’ve been brave. The law was completely against 30 years of case law at the ECJ.”

If the ECJ finds that aspects of the legislation conflict with EU law, Italy’s Constitutional Court could ultimately require Parliament to amend the legislation. Such a ruling could also have implications for a separate case concerning the so-called “minor issue“, a 2024 measure restricting citizenship rights for children born abroad, which Italy’s Supreme Court is weighing, and in which Restanio is also involved.

L’article Italy’s citizenship-by-descent crackdown heads to Europe’s top court est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

This year was no exception. Following Spain’s dramatic 1-0 victory over Argentina after extra time, Captain Rodri Hernández hoisted the FIFA World Cup Trophy before passing it to his teammates, among them teenage sensation Lamine Yamal.

Yet while billions recognise the trophy instantly, far fewer know the name of the artist who created it, or that it is not the first World Cup trophy.

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The current FIFA World Cup Trophy was designed by Italian sculptor Silvio Gazzaniga, who won an international competition in 1970 after Brazil’s third World Cup triumph. Under the rules then in force, winning the tournament three times entitled the winners to keep the trophy permanently.

Gazzaniga, a 54-year-ols Milanese sculptor already renowned for creating prestigious sporting trophies, including the UEFA Cup and European Super-Cup, beat 53 competitors from around the world. While most entrants submitted sketches, he arrived with a full-size plaster model of his design.

“To create a universal symbol of the harmony of the sports world, I took inspiration from two fundamental images: the triumphant athlete and the world,” Gazzaniga explained.

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The sculpture depicts two stylised footballers lifting the globe. The rough surface between the two opposing faces expresses “the vigour, energy and toughness of football, and the intense commitment to sport”, according to the sculptor’s website. Its flowing lines create a sense of movement and capture the moment of victory.

“He was sketching a huge number of drawings and finally developed the idea of having the world and this symbol that looks like two DNA spirals moving upwards,” recalls his son Giorgio Gazzaniga, who was a teenager at the time.

The trophy weighs 6,175 kilograms and is made of 18-carat gold on a base of two bands of malachite.

The original World Cup trophy, known as the “Jules Rimet trophy”, after the FIFA president who introduced the competition in 1930, was designed by French sculptor Abel Lafleur. It depicted the Greek goddess Nike holding an octagonal cup above her head and was crafted from gold-plated sterling silver on a lapis lazuli base.

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It went to Brazil after the country’s third World Cup victory but was stolen from the headquarters of the Brazilian Football Confederation in 1983 and has never been recovered.

It was the second time the trophy had been stolen. The first was in 1966 while on public display in England. A dog named Pickels found it under a hedge in south London.

The disappearance of the Jules Rimet Trophy ultimately led FIFA to change its rules. Since then, World Cup winners celebrate with the original trophy during the presentation ceremony, but it remains FIFA’s property. The champions receive a gold-plated replica to take home instead.

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More than half a century later, Gazzaniga’s Milan studio still houses his original drawings and the plaster prototype that won the competition. Earlier this year, a commemorative plaque was unveiled there in tribute to the sculptor.

Gazzaniga died in Milan in 2016 at the age of 95. Every four years, however, his work returns to the centre of the footballing world as another captain lifts the World Cup into the air.

“Were I to ever redo it, I wouldn’t change a thing”, said the sculptor. FIFA appears to agree as it has decided that the trophy will remain in use until at least 2038.

L’article Silvio Gazzaniga: Italian sculptor behind the FIFA World Cup Trophy est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Dutch architecture studio MVRDV won an international competition to design the spectacular €240 million landmark. Dubbed Rotterdam Rocks, their proposal consists of seven giant eco-friendly boulders stacked on top of each other.

Chantal Zeegers, Rotterdam’s alderwoman for Climate, Building and Housing, welcomed the project, saying it reflected the city’s commitment to becoming greener and more climate-resilient.

The project saw off competition from proposals by Heatherwick Studio, Mecanoo, Office for Political Innovation and Ecosistema Urbano. The jury, which included Zaha Hadid Foundation director Aric Chen and UNStudio founder Ben van Berkel, described MVRDV’s concept as “remarkably bold”.

The 30,000-square-metre structure comprises seven differently sized boulder-like blocks stacked on top of one another, much like giant cairns. Four form the base, with two perched above them on either side, and a larger central block crowning the structure. Three entrances provide access at ground level, while an open terrace on the second level will feature gardens and a public promenade.

The rounded façades are punctured with dozens of circular windows that make the giant stones look like meteorites that have landed in Rotterdam. Each façade will be fitted with pockets for soil, water, plants and local wildlife, completing the moss-covered stone effect.

Winy Maas, founding partner of MVRDV, told Dezeen that the concept grew out of “the need to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and to create inclusive spaces for people, trees, plants, water, air and animal habitats, balancing the need for new built spaces with new landscapes to offset our ecological impact”.

While the exterior is unusual, the interior promises to be even more unexpected.

The seven ‘boulders’ are arranged around two circulation routes and a 5,000-square-metre network of immersive exhibition caves featuring art, history and imagined futures exhibitions.

“Our design integrates these human and natural spaces, playing with porosity to keep the project compact while maximising its ecological value,” added Maas.

Plans for the centre include a food court and a 250-room hotel, as well as dedicated spaces for education, business events and community gatherings.

A public walkway will wind all the way around the building to the rooftop, where ‘The Elysium’ will offer visitors views of the Maas River and the city beyond.

The competition was launched by Shift, a Rotterdam-based social enterprise that finances public projects tackling global challenges. Participants were asked to imagine a “new world wonder” that would double as their “embassy,” while also encouraging people to care more about the climate crisis.

Shift founder Don Ritzen said the building is intended to encourage people to think about the role they can play in shaping the future through “wonder, curiosity, and imagination”.

“Our goal is to empower every visitor to take ownership in building a brighter future,” said Ritzen. “We want to show that everyone can live a better, more sustainable life by making small, incremental changes to their daily habits.”

The building is set to be constructed in the upcoming Waterkant district on the south bank of the Maas. This new sustainable neighbourhood is planned to include 3,500 eco-homes, schools, cultural spaces, a train station and offices.

Rotterdam Rocks is expected to become a major cultural destination, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors to the district each year. No opening date has yet been announced.

L’article The Flintstones meet the future in Rotterdam’s newest landmark est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

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The €2.4 million network was developed with funding from the EU’s Next Generation programme and implemented by the regional government as part of its sustainable tourism strategy.

Castilla-La Mancha is home to one of Europe’s highest concentrations of protected natural areas and now offers cyclists a route linking two national parks, seven natural parks and two UNESCO Global Geoparks, passing through provincial capitals and remote rural communities along the way.

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The path weaves together historical trails, disused railway lines and existing paths. More than 3,200 signposts have been installed to help cyclists stay safe and on course, and the surface of 168 kilometres of the route has been upgraded.

Sights to slow down for include Tablas de Daimiel National Park, where cyclists can dismount and explore on foot along one of three self-guided walking routes, including one leading to a viewpoint described by Spain’s tourism board as offering one of the finest sunsets. Other highlights include Cabañeros National Park, which has 16 marked walks through lush greenery, diverse birdlife and wildlife, framed by vast Mediterranean plains and rugged mountains.

Beyond nature, the route passes through Toledo, a UNESCO World Heritage city renowned for its Jewish and Moorish heritage, before descending into the canyons of Cuenca and passing the windmills of Ciudad Real, the very same La Mancha windmills that were made famous in Don Quixote.

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The project was spearheaded by the region’s Ministry of Economy, Business and Employment. Its head, Patricia Franco, described the new network as an “invitation to enjoy nature and active tourism”, adding that it also serves as “a starting point and a route throughout our region”.

Franco said the project would help “strengthen and consolidate” the region’s tourism prospects, which she described as “very positive so far this year”.

According to the latest Exceltur Barometer, Castilla-La Mancha recorded the strongest growth in Spain’s tourism sector in the second quarter of the year, with revenues rising by 11.9%.

This is a positive sign, given that Spain is still dealing with the issue of overtourism in popular destinations such as Barcelona, Mallorca and the Canary Islands, and is trying to divert some of this pressure towards its less popular regions.

This off-main-attraction-track initiative, with its eco-charming outlook likely to appeal to younger generations, could be a turning point and have a huge impact. Rather than depositing coachloads of tourists in villages unprepared for such numbers, it has the potential to inject fresh income into rural communities one bicycle at a time.

The network has been designed for cyclists of all abilities, with routes ranging from gentle, paved sections suitable for families and occasional riders, to gravel tracks and mountain bike trails for more experienced cyclists.

Plans are also in place to eventually connect Rural Bike Conecta CLM to EuroVelo, a network of 17 long-distance cycle routes spanning the continent. These routes run from London to Amsterdam, Brussels to Luxembourg and as far as Zagreb, Bucharest and Athens.

L’article Spain launches 2,180 km cycling route through the landscapes of Don Quixote est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

These figures are taken from the OECD’s 2026 Tourism Trends and Policies report, which compiles international tourism data and highlights best practices, key policy reforms, and statistical profiles for 53 OECD and partner countries. International arrivals were compared between 2019 and 2025.

The report provides a clear picture of which destinations have recovered and which continue to struggle.

With a 67% increase in international arrivals over the period, Saudi Arabia tops the ranking, making it the fastest-growing tourist destination in the world. Last year, it welcomed around 30 million international visitors, having invested billions in tourism as part of its Vision 2030 economic diversification strategy.

Ranked: The Countries Gaining and Losing the Most Tourists https://t.co/SX81327yml pic.twitter.com/pROq0rvzfY

— Visual Capitalist (@VisualCap) July 21, 2026

In recent years, the country has transformed its image by introducing easier visa policies, expanding airline capacity, and making major investments in heritage sites, entertainment, luxury resorts, and large-scale events.

While the figures suggest that these efforts are paying off, they also demonstrate how much further the country must go to achieve its goal of attracting 150 million domestic and international visitors each year by 2030. An estimated 65% of Saudi Arabia’s 29.3 million international visitors in 2025 came from Muslim-majority countries, led by Egypt, Pakistan, Indonesia, and the Gulf states. Makkah Province, home to Mecca and the gateway city of Jeddah, attracted 22.5 million visitors — more than any other region — although this figure includes arrivals via Jeddah airport and is not limited to religious tourism.

Nevertheless, 2025 marked a milestone as non-religious tourism (52%) overtook religious tourism (48%) for the first time, up from 44% in 2019. This suggests that the country’s efforts to diversify beyond Hajj and Umrah are beginning to bear fruit.

Morocco ranks second, with international arrivals up by 53% compared to 2019. This is followed by Egypt (up by 47%), Brazil (up by 46%), Colombia (up by 45%) and Japan (up by 34%).

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Europe rounds out the top ten. Norway is up 28%, though Haaland fever is likely to push this figure even higher in 2026. Serbia is up 27%, and Denmark is up 22%. Beyond the top ten, notable increases were also recorded in Portugal, Spain and France.

Overall, international tourism across the 53 countries studied grew by 4% compared to 2019, reaching approximately 1.5 billion cross-border arrivals by 2025.

However, not every destination has recovered.

Israel recorded the largest decline by far, with international arrivals down 71% from 2019 levels. This reflects the collapse in tourism following the 7 October 2023 attack by Hamas and the subsequent regional conflict. This decline occurred despite Israel having enjoyed a strong recovery prior to the war, with around 3.2 million visitors welcomed during the first nine months of 2023, suggesting it was on track for one of its strongest tourism years since the pandemic.

Ireland ranked second among the countries with the biggest declines, with arrivals down 32%, followed by Argentina with a decline of 23%. Analysts have attributed Ireland’s decline to rising travel costs, reduced accommodation capacity, weaker demand from key overseas markets, and the ongoing effects of Brexit.

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Elsewhere, the United States recorded a 14% decline compared to 2019, while arrivals to Canada were down 11%.

Germany (-6%) and Italy (-5%) also remained below their pre-pandemic levels.

In the Asia-Pacific region, Thailand recorded the largest decline (-17%), followed by New Zealand (-9%), Australia (-6%) and Indonesia (-4%). Peru also remained well below its 2019 figure, with arrivals down 22%.

Despite these exceptions, the OECD concludes that international tourism has now largely recovered from the pandemic, with most destinations matching or surpassing their pre-COVID visitor numbers.

L’article Saudi Arabia emerges as the world’s fastest-growing tourism destination est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Belgium’s second-busiest airport, Brussels South Charleroi Airport, is one of Europe’s leading low-cost hubs, handling over 10 million passengers each year. Serving as Ryanair’s main Belgian base, it offers affordable flights to dozens of European and Mediterranean destinations, playing a pivotal role in Belgium’s aviation network and facilitating inbound tourism.

The announcement has come as a shock to trade unions, airport staff and travellers alike, unfolding amid ongoing tensions between the Walloon government and Ryanair.

The regional government has recently urged Charleroi to diversify its carrier base after Ryanair announced it would cut two million seats due to disputes over local taxes and fees. However, the airport authorities maintain that the 11-week shutdown is strictly a matter of necessity.

The airport’s sole runway is nearing the end of its operational life, with airport authorities noting that it has a lifespan of around 25 years. Airport authorities described the works as “historic”. Other modernisation projects are planned alongside the rebuild, including upgrades to the drainage system and renewal of the runway lighting, markings, and other airfield infrastructure. These improvements are intended to ensure operational stability and safety for decades to come.

“These investments are necessary to ensure the long-term safety, performance and attractiveness of the airport,” said the airport.

To minimise disruption, several projects will run simultaneously, though this will also mean that air traffic will be completely halted for the duration.

Walloon Minister of Airports Cécile Neven responded to the unions’ criticism by stressing that preparations have been under way for some time. “SOWAER [the Walloon organisation responsible for managing infrastructure and spatial planning around the Liège and Charleroi airports] and Charleroi Airport have been studying the runway renovation for years. In November 2024, a joint decision was made on how the works in 2028 will be organised,” her office said.

Trade unions, however, remain concerned about both the airport’s future and the impact on employees.

SETCa representative Alain Goelens accused the Walloon government of lacking a clear long-term strategy for the airport and questioned whether airlines would restore all routes once operations resume.

“What guarantees are there that all destinations will return after reopening? And what about the wages of employees who are temporarily laid off? Despite questions from the unions, there remains a lot of uncertainty,” he said.

The closure is expected to affect airlines, passengers and airport businesses alike. While Brussels Airport could absorb some of the lost traffic, the number of available slots there is limited. Other regional airports, including Liège, Lille and Maastricht Aachen, may also take on some of the displaced traffic, although airlines have yet to announce their contingency plans.

Passengers with bookings during the closure will likely be offered alternative flights or relocated to other airports, or they will receive refunds.

The airport has said that it will publish a detailed timetable for the works well in advance, to allow sufficient time for airlines, passengers, and commercial partners to prepare.

L’article Brussels Charleroi Airport to close for months in 2028 for major runway reconstruction est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.