Located at Hudson Yards in New York City, Edge NYC is known as the highest indoor/outdoor sky deck in the Western Hemisphere. The deck offers unparalleled 360-degree views of New York City’s iconic skyline and features a glass floor, angled glass walls, and outdoor skyline steps from the 100^th to the 101^st floor of 30 Hudson Yards.

Since June 2026, seven new art installations have been introduced on-site, all of them inspired by the building itself.

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“We examined what already made Edge NYC so distinctive: its angular and triangular architecture, its use of glass and light, and its powerful vantage point to offer visitors new perspectives of New York City – both physically and mentally. From this foundation – and the visual language of triangles and prismatic energy – the strategic process enabled us to set and safeguard the experiential vision,” Olivia Reid, strategy and creative lead at experience agency Journey who oversaw the project, told architectural magazine Dezeen.

The seven installations include Pulse, using over 350 luminous spheres to give all visitors a unique visiting experience, and Skyrise, a fully immersive elevator experience. All were created by design studios Softlab and Moment Factory to engage visitors in every season and in all weather conditions, with a journey that evolves throughout the day.

One of the most impressive installations is Kaleidoscope, made by Moment Factory and said to be the largest kaleidoscope in New York City. During their visit, art enthusiasts are immersed in a continuously changing sensation of light, color, sound, and reflection.

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“The goal was to design an interior experience that acts as a mirror to the city’s dynamic nature. By treating the space as a prism that refracts New York’s radiant energy, we provide a distinct sensory engagement that complements the outdoor sky deck before visitors even step outside.; The installation was designed to function as a multifaceted prismatic space, integrating digital media with highly reflective architectural surfaces,” Moment Factory creative director Patrick Bisson said in an interview with Dezeen.

Aside from NYC’s biggest kaleidoscope, Edge now also welcomes a series of smaller versions. One of those was designed in such a way as to to connect directly with the fabric of the city. Based on the aesthetics of street photography, the installation reflects “urban textures and architectural geometry, interspersed with iconic landmarks”.

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The newest additions to Edge NYC also include the Skyline Bar & Cafe by Tao, where visitors can premium food and beverages inspired by New York City’s culinary staples, and the Peak with Priceless and Avenue Sky Lounge, managed by Tao Group Hospitality – located one level above Edge.

Tickets for Edge NYC can be bought online, with prices starting at $34 (€30) not including booking fees when booked at least 14 days in advance.

L’article New York’s largest kaleidoscope opens 350 metres above Manhattan 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.

The proposals are divided between two themes, “European culture” and “Rivers and birds”, offering a choice between banknotes featuring figures including Maria Callas, Ludwig van Beethoven, Marie Curie and Leonardo da Vinci, or European bird species and natural landscapes.

A public survey is now open and will run until 21 September 2026, with the ECB’s Governing Council expected to select the final design around the end of the year.

“Euro banknotes are more than a means of payment – they are one of the most tangible expressions of Europe,” said ECB President Christine Lagarde. “Through designs that combine beauty and meaning, they will reinforce our shared identity.”

Callas, Beethoven, Curie and Da Vinci

Under the “European culture” theme, each denomination would celebrate a different figure from Europe’s cultural and intellectual history.

The €5 note would feature opera singer Maria Callas, followed by composer Ludwig van Beethoven on the €10, scientist and Nobel Prize winner Marie Curie on the €20, and Don Quixote author Miguel de Cervantes on the €50.

Leonardo da Vinci would appear on the €100 note, while Austrian writer, peace campaigner and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Bertha von Suttner would feature on the €200.

Together, the six figures represent different areas of European culture, including performing arts, music, science, literature, visual arts and education.

Rivers and birds offer an alternative

The second theme, “Rivers and birds”, focuses instead on Europe’s natural environment and biodiversity.

Each denomination would depict a different European bird in a river landscape. The series includes the wallcreeper, kingfisher, European bee-eater, white stork, avocet and northern gannet.

The reverse sides would feature European institutions, including the European Parliament, European Commission, European Central Bank, Court of Justice of the European Union, European Council and Council of the European Union, and European Court of Auditors.

The two themes had already been selected following earlier consultations on the redesign of the euro banknotes.

More than 1,200 designers applied

The ten shortlisted proposals are the result of an EU-wide design competition that attracted more than 1,200 applications from graphic designers.

Twenty-five designers were invited to develop proposals for one or both themes before an independent jury of 21 experts selected the ten finalists. The jury included specialists in fields such as graphic design, communication, neuroscience and history, with each member nominated by a euro-area central bank.

Five competing designs have been shortlisted for each of the two themes.

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The next stage now puts Europeans at the centre of the selection process. Anyone can provide feedback through the ECB’s online survey until 21 September.

In parallel, an independent research company will conduct a separate survey using the same questions among a representative sample of euro-area citizens.

Final decision expected by end of 2026

The results of both surveys will be considered alongside the conclusions of the design jury and a technical assessment before the ECB’s Governing Council makes its final decision, expected around the end of the year.

The selected design will then undergo further development and testing before production begins. The ECB says the new banknotes are expected to enter circulation in subsequent years, rather than immediately after the design is selected.

Existing euro banknotes will retain their value and continue to circulate alongside the new series.

The redesign is also intended to improve security and accessibility. New features will seek to make the banknotes easier to authenticate and more accessible to visually impaired people, while greater durability and more sustainable materials and production processes should reduce their environmental footprint.

“The redesign of the euro banknotes is part of a long-term effort by the Eurosystem to ensure that cash remains a secure, efficient and relatable means of payment, preserving citizens’ access to public money and their freedom to choose how to pay,” said ECB Executive Board member Piero Cipollone.

L’article Europeans asked to choose the new face of euro banknotes  est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Several thousand years after it was first told, Homer’s epic ‘The Odyssey’-telling the homebound journey of the Greek war hero Odysseus after the Trojan War – continues to intrigue scholars and mere history enthusiasts alike. Many authors have put their own spin on the story throughout the years, and now Christopher Nolan, the filmmaker known for ‘Oppenheimer’ and ‘Interstellar’ among others, has joined their ranks. And even though ‘The Odyssey’ has only just been released, the movie has already – quite aptly – reached a mythical status.

First, there is the cast. Matt Damon plays Odysseus, Anne Hathaway can be seen as Penelope, Tom Holland as Telemachus, Robert Pattinson as Antinous, Zendaya as Athena, and Lupita Nyong’o as Clytemnestra, just to name a few. With such a collection of A-listers, expectations are high from the start.

Then, there is the eye-watering price tag. Reportedly, the movie took 91 days to film, two million feet of IMAX film, and $250 million. However, during its opening weekend, the picture was able to make no less than $264 million, which proves its immense global success.

Last but not least, there is the filming process. The 91 days that were needed to capture the entire movie were spread over several countries and even more locations, resulting in a logistical nightmare. During CinemaCon 2026 in April 2026, Nolan himself said, ‘The Odyssey’ proved to be a nightmare to film… in all the right ways.

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“For me, being on a real location, shooting certain things like when the crew is out setting sail on that boat, or going through a storm, I want it to feel almost like a documentary. I want to just put the audience there, like they’re really there”, Christopher Nolan told news agency Associated Press (AP).

Contrary to what one might expect from a movie telling the story of an ancient Greek hero, travelling from Troy (set in what is now Türkiye) to his home on Ithaca (Greece), the filming of ‘The Odyssey’ took place at a myriad of locations. Greece, Italy, Morocco, Scotland, and even Iceland were featured in the movie and led to a true ‘The Odyssey’ Summer. Curious? We list some of the most unforgettable locations, ready to visit.

Greece

In a story about a Greek hero, the choice to film at least part of ‘The Odyssey’ in Greece obvious. The production was centred around the (southwestern) Peloponnese region and included several locations worth a visit. For example, Nestor’s Cave – located above the Messenia beach of Voidokilia – functioned as the backdrop of the Cyclops scenes. The Venetian-built Methoni Castle and Navarino Bay were reportedly also used as filming locations, among others.

@expedia Set-jetting through Greece to discover the real places that inspired The Odyssey. From caves once believed to be home to Cyclops, to beaches tied to ancient Greek legends, sailing between islands and staying in a traditional stone villa this trip felt like stepping into mythology. Book your flights, stays, rental cars and activities all in one place with Expedia. Greece : @eddiequinnlemon_ ♬ original sound – expedia

Italy

Although the Italian island of Favignana, located just off Sicily, was actually featured in Homer’s epic as Goat Island, Christopher Nolan turned to it for an entirely different part of the story. Instead of filming Odysseus’ home on Ithaca, where it was located according to the epic, the filmmaker used a ruin known as the Castello di Santa Caterina on Favignana as the setting of his palace – which included long hikes and helicopter rides due to its remote location. Other Italian locations seen in ‘The Odyssey’ include the Aeolian Islands of Basiluzzo, Lipari, and Vulcano.

Morocco

The most memorable scenes filmed in Morocco for ‘The Odyssey’ are undoubtedly those that take place at Troy. Instead of going to Türkiye, the Moroccan town of Aït Benhaddou – featured on UNESCO’s World Heritage List – was used to represent the famous city and the battle that took place there. Other scenes were filmed throughout the country, including at El Haouz, Essaouira, Marrakech, and Tahanaoute.

@atlas.nomads Watching The Odyssey come to life in Ouarzazate with open fires, smoke, and this giant Trojan horse under the desert sky #morocco ♬ nhạc nền – Hugh Dud – Cu Bin

Scotland

Whereas Greece, Italy, and Morocco might be considered as somewhat logical filming locations for a Greek epic about a hero wandering around the Mediterranean, one of Nolan’s more unique choices is undoubtedly Scotland. For example, the pine woodland of Culbin Forest, located on the Moray Firth coast in northern Scotland, was the backdrop of Odysseus’ meeting with the Laestrygonians. Nearby Findlater Castle, ruins that were once home to the Earls of Findlater and Seafield, stood in for Aeaea, home of sorceress Circe.

Iceland

The most eery part of ‘The Odyssey’, perhaps, was filmed on Iceland.

“I knew early I wanted the landscape of Iceland to portray Hades. This journey north, further and further into the cold, couldn’t be further away from Odysseus’ home in Ithaca,” Nolan explains inn the production notes of the movie.

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The scenes in the movie that show Odysseus visiting the Underworld to consult with the Theban prophet Tiresias were therefore filmed around the black sands and caves of Hjörleifshöfði mountain during June perma-daylight. Reportedly, the Snæfellsnes peninsula and the port of Landeyjahöfn were also among the featured location in ‘The Odyssey’.

L’article From Greece to Iceland: All destinations behind ‘The Odyssey’ movie est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

That scarcity also means reading has become aspirational. Being able to take time to read, not scroll, has become almost performative, reaching a frenzy at holiday times. Book-Tok booms during the “summer reading” season, garnering over 80 million global video posts for the hashtag, according to the TikTok Newsroom.

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Feeding into the reading flex, consumers increasingly prefer to spend leisure time “improving themselves.” As Travel Tomorrow recently reported, skill-based holiday activities that involve learning are growing in popularity – and reading is an essential part of that.

17^th century influencers

But the “holiday read” is not a new phenomenon. As far back as the 17^th century, when young European aristocrats began completing the rite of passage that was a Grand Tour of Europe, reading along the way provided an essential bridge between their classical education and newly lived experience.

With the Industrial Revolution, the rise of the railways, and eventual gains in workers’ rights to time off, even more travellers enjoyed newfound comfort and time on their hands to read. The UK National Railway Museum details how well-known bookstore WHSmith pioneered travel retail in 1848 by opening the world’s first platform bookstall at London’s Euston Station, leading to a nationwide network of book concessions at transport hubs.

Bookstores and books designed travellers

Reading products were then designed to appeal to those on the go, as a WHSmith blog explains. For commuters, publishers created “Yellowbacks.” These were inexpensive, mass-market paperbacks with bright illustrated covers, easier to carry and costing nowhere near as much as hardbacks, meaning they were not too precious to bear the indignities of travel.

The airport bookshop and its titles became a direct descendant of that market. Publishers such as Hudson Group, officially founded a hundred years ago in 1926, survived the ups and downs of late 20^th-century publishing by tapping into the trend. They opened dedicated travel-hub stores, starting at New York City’s LaGuardia Airport, transforming transit news kiosks into the dominant book-selling environments still recognised today.

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In that airport bookstore habitat, the products tend to be organised in a way that is very helpful to people browsing in a rush, despite sometimes limited space. Newspapers and magazines are clearly grouped, while entire walls are dedicated to top ten countdowns of best reads and international best sellers. As the Penguin blog article on airport bookshops notes: “They narrow your selection for you, sometimes forcing you to pick up something you might not otherwise ­– especially if you happen to finish your packed books before you’re set to fly home.”

Airport editions of books often appear different to those elsewhere too. As best-selling author Richard Osman recently explained on The Rest is Entertainment, due to tax rules, airports can sell “trade paperbacks”, which are the attractive, larger size of hardbacks but have a soft cover and so are less heavy and unwieldy.

The psychology of the holiday read

Given the pressures on hand luggage, though, and the proliferation of devices that rival books for our attention, why has our love of reading on journeys endured so well? After all, it’s arguably counterintuitive to have one’s head buried in a book when one has the chance to be immersed instead in new scenery and surroundings—and indeed has taken time and savings to do just that?

Psychology Today explains that reading allows adults to set up a “guilt-free boundary to claim small pockets of solitude.” Like wearing a pair of earphones or buds, a book establishes a zone of privacy around the reader—which can provide important relief from the stresses of transit, being in new surroundings, and being surrounded by strangers.

What’s more, the act of reading itself provides a cognitive interlude away from daily stresses, stimulating what psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi calls a “flow state,” which promotes optimal focus and reduces anxiety. Surely a helpful mindset for better enjoying any journey?

Reading feeds travel, and travel feeds reading

I would argue the opposite is also true: I read better when I’m away. As a reader, some of my most unforgettable books were consumed on a memorable vacation. I read Stieg Larsson in Namibia, Donna Tartt’s The Secret History in the Pyrenees, and Milan Kundera in Sydney, and I know that my special love for these books (and many others) comes from the different type of attention I brought to them because I was away from home. Likewise, as a novelist and travel writer, I often find my books take root when I’m in a new place, and I am trying to capture the feeling that location inspires.

A similar interplay is at work in the data around how, if reading is encouraged by travel, travel today is also driven by reading. Hilton has named reading among its 2026 travel trends, and Morning Consult reports 53% of US travellers are interested in a dedicated reading retreat (55% of men and 49% of women), while a whopping 67% of millennial Americans expressed a desire to attend one.

Trips inspired by literary locations, from short breaks in Shakespearean cottages to Harry Potter experiences in Shanghai, are increasingly popular. A Tokyo book district was chosen as Time Out’s coolest neighbourhood for 2025, and Future Market Insights says literary tourism generated $2.4 billion last year and is predicted to grow to $3.3 billion by 2034.

Ultimately, as well as being good business, travel and books both provide escapism and ways of resetting the nervous system, and when the two activities combine, the power and resonance of that escape can last a lifetime.

L’article Why we love holiday reading: The history of airport bookshops and vacation books est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Culminating at 2,918 meters and dominating the surrounding landscape, Mount Olympus has been fascinating the Greeks – and the rest of the world – for a long time. As a home to the twelve Olympian gods, the mountain plays a central role within Greek mythology and culture, while its unique ecosystem gives it an important natural role as well.

This combination of natural, cultural, and historical meaning bound to Mount Olympus prompted Greece to submit the wider mountainous mass of Mount Olympus to UNESCO’s Tentative List back in 2014. That first step in the nomination process allows countries to then formally apply for a nomination.

However, at the time, UNESCO’s advisory bodies, the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature, asked for extra information and motivation. The international significance of the area’s geological features, biodiversity, and ecological processes needed to be clarified, while extra efforts were demanded regarding the mountain’s cultural value, for example by adding the archaeological site of Dion at the foot of Mount Olympus to the submission.

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During the 2026 session of the World Heritage Committee, which takes place from 19 to 29 July in Seoul, a decision regarding the inclusion of Mount Olympus on UNESCO’s World Heritage List is expected to be made. At the time of writing, it is still uncertain whether or not the cultural, historical, and natural importance of the mountain will be recognised.

“Mount Olympus is our life. It is the place where we grew up, the place we see every day. At the same time, though, it is a place that carries myth, history, biodiversity, unique natural beauty and enormous cultural significance,” states the mayor of Dio-Olympos, Evangelos Geroliolios.

For decades, a big part of Mount Olympus has been recognised as a national park. Although this designation entails a number of restrictions, such as ‘no swimming’ and ‘no camping’ areas, mountain guide Babis Marinidis, president of the Alpine Club of Litochoro, told the news agency Associated Press (AP) that many visitors choose to ignore these rules. As inclusion on the World Heritage List could possibly lead to more visitors, this should be accompanied by an extensive environmental protection policy.

@sightsofsara Climbing Mount Olympus with @crownofcureope (insta) . . #hikingadventures #outdooradventures #traveltheworld #hikingtrails #greece ♬ оригинальный звук – Chingizkhan

“How many people can this mountain, this ecosystem, bear? I used to be against that (entrance fees and registration of visitor numbers). But now with so many people, I believe some limit must be imposed,” Marinidis told AP.

A decision by the World Heritage Committee should arrive before 29 July 2026, although it remains possible that Greece will need to rework its submission of Mount Olympus. With the release of Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’, however, interest in Greek mythology and the mountain’s role in it is likely to rise regardless of UNESCO’s verdict.

L’article Greece seeks UNESCO World Heritage recognition for famous Mount Olympus est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Designed by Studio Fuksas, one of Italy’s most prominent architectural practices, and designed to act like a periscope for the city, the complex was built between 2010 and 2012 in the Georgian capital’s central Rike Park. Its two steel-and-glass tubes were intended to house a 566-seat music theatre and an exhibition hall.

Commissioned in 2011 under then-President Mikheil Saakashvili, it was part of a sweeping urban-renewal drive that brought in international architects to remake Tbilisi’s skyline and project the image of a Western-facing capital in the years after the 2003 Rose Revolution. The project was, however, abandoned when Saakashvili’s United National Movement lost the 2012 parliamentary election to the Georgian Dream coalition.

After several unsuccessful auctions, the Rike complex was eventually bought by a property developer in 2022 for approximately ₾10 million (€3.2 million), having reportedly already cost the public purse ₾75 million (€25 million). It changed hands again in 2025 when it was sold to its current owner, Makro Constructions. The tragic accidental death of a teenager that same year on the abandoned site drew fresh public attention and pushed the demolition on the agenda.

Makro Constructions has now received permission from Tbilisi’s municipal architecture department to demolish the building by 25 December 2026.

Resembling the tentacles of a metallic octopus reaching toward the river, or perhaps the gigantic, mirrored antennae of a snail, the building gave this part of Tbilisi an unmistakable silhouette. Known internationally as the “Rike Tubes” or, less charitably by the locals, as the “Rike Jugs,” reception was divided from the start. Some saw them as a rare foothold for Tbilisi in international avant-garde architecture, while officials never hid their distaste.

Tbilisi mayor Kakha Kaladze, who told Inter Press News the building was private property that was “absolutely non-functional”. He said the structure had fallen into disrepair, calling it “a garbage dump, in a very bad condition”.

Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze was blunter, declaring in May 2025: “I am not an architect, but I think this ugliness is unworthy of our beautiful capital.”

No replacement project has been announced, though a government decree has left room for a hotel on the site. The mayor said he was waiting for a new project to be presented to city hall, adding that given the site’s importance, any future development would need to suit its surroundings.

In a statement issued to Dezeen, Studio Fuksas said it had spent the past year trying, unsuccessfully, to reach Tbilisi officials and the building’s owners with proposals to preserve and repurpose it. The firm argues that demolition would consume further public money; the building was originally funded by the city, rather than capitalise on the investment already made.

“Tbilisi still has the opportunity to transform an unfinished project into a symbol of regeneration, innovation, and international openness. Let this opportunity not be wasted”, they urged in their statement.

It wouldn’t be the first Georgian landmark to end up half-ruin, half-metaphor: our earlier look at Tskaltubo, the country’s abandoned Soviet spa town, traced a similar arc from utopian ambition to political abandonment to slow decay.

Some see the Rike demolition as one more visible symbol of Georgia’s post-Rose Revolution turn toward Europe, torn down under a government widely seen as steering the country back toward Moscow. Others point out that a vacant building on prime parkland in the city centre was always going to come down eventually, politics aside.

L’article Tbilisi’s futuristic Fuksas concert hall set for demolition after never opening est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Directed by Chiara Messineo (who has form in atmospheric entertainment such as Stanley Tucci’s Searching for Italy, as well as true crime mysteries like Vatican Girl: The Disappearance of Emanuela Orlandi), the new documentary, Shipwrecked: Nightmare at Sea, combines eyewitness accounts from survivors, cell phone captures, unseen footage, and black box recordings, to build a chilling picture of the catastrophic sinking, and the blunders and cover-ups that led to the tragedy.

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With more than 4,000 souls on board when the luxury ship departed Civitavecchia, Italy, Captain Francesco Schettino chose to treat a crew member to a sail-by salute of Tuscany’s Giglio island, where the staff member’s family lived. But when navigating the shoreline, language barriers and miscommunications on the bridge turned the ship towards a reef that gashed a 53-metre hole in its port side.

What followed was even worse. The captain and crew initially refused the help offered by the Italian Coastguard, saying the situation was only a blackout. It took an hour for the evacuation signal to be given, by which point the ship had taken on water, and the wind grounded it on the starboard side, blocking the release of lifeboats.

While the tragedy has been compared to the sinking of the Titanic, particularly for Messineo’s focus on the social stratification of different classes of passengers on board, one important aspect is memorably different. Eyewitness accounts have described the Titanic’s captain helping women and children escape, and he refused to abandon ship, going down with it. Conversely, the Concordia’s captain, Francesco Schettino, drew public opprobrium for abandoning ship while his passengers were still on board. He later said he had “fallen into a lifeboat.”

Schettino was eventually convicted of manslaughter, causing a maritime accident, and abandoning ship and was sentenced to 16 years of prison time, which he is still serving at Rebibbia Prison in Rome.

Five other cruise ship staff were also convicted of manslaughter, negligence, and shipwreck, but served no prison time. Meanwhile, Costa Cruises, the ship’s parent company, paid a €1 million corporate penalty, plus a range of settlements to passengers, but avoided a criminal trial.

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The aftermath in terms of coastal cleanup was also significant. Fears of an oil spill in the protected marine area where the ship had foundered were averted by a complex operation to drain 2,000 tons of fuel from the vessel. Righting and removing the carcass took longer and involved bespoke platforms, cranes, and flotation devices to tow the ship to Genoa, where it was scrapped.

Some good did come from the tragic sinking, with major cruise operators implementing new safety and emergency protocols. In the 14 years since the tragedy, global cruise passenger volume has increased by around 83%, and its direct, indirect, and induced economic contribution has nearly doubled, driven by massive new mega-ships and strong demand from younger generations.

L’article Netflix documentary revisits Costa Concordia disaster 14 years later est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Against a backdrop of trending music tourism around the world, there were gains in both domestic and international music travel in the UK, with the latter seeing the biggest leap. As many as 22.6 million tourists from within the UK attended music gigs and festivals, an increase of 3.2% year on year, while 2.1 million music fans came from foreign source markets, representing a boom of 26.8% compared to 2024.

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Entertainment A-listers and their runs of shows around the country helped to drive the increases. The Oasis comeback tour included 17 gigs performed to full capacity crowds across the UK, with seven at the capital’s Wembley Stadium, and five at the duo’s home venue in Manchester.

Ed Sheeran also did well at his run of homecoming shows in East Anglia, and performances by Beyoncé, Coldplay, Dua Lipa, Kendrick Lamar, Lana Del Rey were also big tickets over the year.

“Glasto” or Glastonbury Festival attracted 210,000 music lovers to the UK’s southwest over five days in June, drawn by headliners like Neil Young and Charli xcx, and generating record revenue of £75.2m (€86.8m), up from £68.4m in 2024, and pre-tax profits of £7.7 million.

‘Wonderwall’ by Oasis rises to a new peak of #2 (+11) on the Global Spotify chart with 3.77 million streams.

It was released over 30 years ago. pic.twitter.com/Rp4V5WlVnu

— Pop Base (@PopBase) July 13, 2026

Driven as well by other festivals such as Download and Reading, and the tours and gigs previously mentioned, overall music tourist spending reached £11.2 billion (€13.1 billion), a new high and an 11.3% increase year-on-year.

Music aficionados averaged a spend of £766 (€899) per person on accommodation, clothing, tickets, travel, and sundries. The biggest spend and the biggest increase in spending were seen in London, where music tourists splashed out 27.4% more than in 2024, taking the total to £3.4 billion (€3.99 billion) in 2025. The North West region also saw a healthy uptick in spending, up 15.6% from £1.2 billion (€1.41 billion) in 2024 to £1.4 billion (€1.64 billion) in 2025.

Business Matters highlights the importance of the music events sector for small businesses beyond the venues and producers. Of the £11.2 billion total spend, £5.7 billion was spent directly by consumers on tickets, food and drink, merchandise, travel and room bookings. But another £5.5 billion “flowed through the supply chain,” the outlet said, “from fencing and security contractors to restaurants stocking up for gig weekends.”

With 74,000 full-time equivalent jobs at stake, UK Music chief executive Tom Kiehl said: “The billions spent are a huge shot in the arm for towns and cities right across the UK and benefit hotels, restaurants, bars and transport firms and thousands of other businesses.”

Ian Murray, creative industries minister, said: “These record-breaking figures are a testament to what the UK’s music industry does better than anywhere else in the world.”

The sector however is not without challenges. 43 festivals were cancelled in 2025, meaning music tourism revenue could have been even higher. Work is ongoing by authorities and stakeholders to grow consumer confidence by cracking down on touts and unfair practices by ticketing agencies, and find responses to calls for more support for grassroot venues and the small firms down the supply chain.

L’article Oasis comeback tour contributes to record year for UK music tourism est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

The Louvre, the Grand Palais, the Villa Carmignac, the 24 Hours of Le Mans circuit and La Seine Musicale: Cinéma Paradiso has already transformed many an iconic location into an unforgettable cinema. Ever since the start, the aim of the event, organised by arthouse cinema network mk2, has been to take cinema out of the traditional movie theaters and into the open.

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Until now, however, the Eiffel Tower had never been a part of Cinéma Paradiso’s network. Yet the organisation has announced this is about to change, as the Salle Gustave Eiffel – located on the Eiffel Tower’s first level – will host the movie festival from 24 until 27 September 2026. Perched at a height of 57 meters and equipped with grand glass walls, the event room offers stunning views over the French capital, blending first-class movies with a grandiose location.

“For over ten years, Cinéma Paradiso has been taking cinema beyond its walls and bringing it to venues that are part of the collective imagination. Following on from the Louvre, taking over the Eiffel Tower is a highly symbolic step: it brings this world-famous monument closer to the Parisians, brings it to life in a new way, and reaffirms mk2’s commitment to popular culture that is both sophisticated and accessible,” said Elisha Karmitz, managing director of the mk2 group, in an interview with the French media outlet Le Parisien.

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Cinéma Paradiso’s last edition, which took place from 1 to 4 July 2026, took place at another iconic Parisian location, the Louvre, and was attended by world-class directors Wes Anderson and Joachim Trier. The success of that event combined with the unique location of the September screening is likely to create high demand for the entirely free festival.

“The Eiffel Tower has a special relationship with the world of cinema, inspiring generations of filmmakers. Today, this connection is expressed in a new way: by offering visitors a unique cinematic experience right at the heart of the monument,” commented Patrick Branco Ruivo, Chief Executive of SETE, the firm that operates the Eiffel Tower.

However, film enthusiasts will need to wait a little longer before trying to get their hands on a ticket. Although the dates of Cinéma Paradiso have already been announced, the movies, guests, and other details of the event will be shared on 8 September 2026.

On that day, mk2 will also launch the ticket lottery. Those who are interested in attending can enter the lottery for free. A draw will then select the winners, who will be able to name their preferred screening from the planning in a registration form. Afterwards, tickets will be sent according to personal preferences and availability.

L’article Eiffel Tower to host free open-air cinema festival for the first time est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.