Iranian airlines began cancelling international services as the US anticipated on Wednesday, as the latest wave of sanctions reached airports, fuel suppliers, ground handlers, and ticketing businesses outside Iran. The first tangible disruption fell on two of Iran’s most important regional links. Iranian aviation officials said Baghdad and Muscat would stop accepting Iranian-operated flights from midnight, prompting cancellations from Tehran.

A Varesh Airlines flight from Tehran to Dushanbe, capital of Tajikistan, had to return to IKA Airport in Tehran after neighbouring countries between Iran and Tajikistan had denied passage of this Iranian passenger plane.

The Iranian plane then attempted to use an alternative… pic.twitter.com/kNM5uMX56P

— Arya Yadegaar (@AryJeayBackup) September 24, 2026

However, at the time of writing, flights to Baghdad and Muscat have been halted, while services to China and parts of the wider network continue, leaving passengers to face a fast-changing patchwork of cancellations, rerouting, and higher costs.

Talks are still under way about redirecting some Baghdad-bound services to Najaf, a key gateway for religious travel, while negotiations continue over Oman. Iraq and Oman had not publicly detailed the full scope or duration of the restrictions when the changes were announced.

The picture is not yet the blanket grounding Bessent envisioned. Same-day reporting indicated that Iranian services to Qatar, Georgia and Azerbaijan had also been suspended, while at least one Mahan Air flight reached Guangzhou and other China services remained scheduled. Some Istanbul flights were still listed, although the timetable was unstable and individual departures had been cancelled. The result is a fragmented network in which availability can change by route, airport, and service provider.

How the restrictions work

Washington is not closing foreign airspace. Instead, it is using the reach of the US financial system to deter the commercial support an airline needs after landing. Fuel, airport access, ground handling, maintenance, ticket sales, and payments can all become pressure points if providers believe continued dealings with a sanctioned carrier could jeopardise their access to dollar transactions.

The US Treasury’s 8 September action designated 36 aviation-linked targets, including 27 Iranian airlines, as well as warning foreign firms about assisting sanctioned carriers. It also suspended three Iran-related aviation authorisations, while saying safety-related requests could still be considered individually. The Treasury claims the sector has been used to move weapons, personnel, and illicit cargo. Iran and China reject Washington’s unilateral sanctions framework.

What it means for travellers

For passengers, the immediate uncertainty is perhaps even more disruptive than a single formal ban: a flight may be listed but become unworkable if an airport, fuel contractor, or sales agent withdraws support. Travellers should expect short-notice changes, limited rebooking options and greater reliance on foreign carriers or overland connections through neighbouring countries.

The inconvenience is especially acute on routes tied to pilgrimages, family visits, and medical travel. Najaf could potentially handle some Iraq-bound demand, but a diversion does not solve every onward journey. If more airports decline Iranian carriers, passengers could be pushed towards hubs such as Doha, Dubai, and Istanbul, increasing connection times and fares. Iranian airlines also face deeper maintenance and fleet pressures after years of restrictions on aircraft, parts, and technical support.

A fluid regional map

Compliance will vary. China has publicly opposed the measures, and continued flights there demonstrate the limits of Washington’s ability to impose an immediate worldwide stop. Iraq’s links with Iran and Najaf’s pilgrimage economy may encourage efforts to preserve some connectivity, while decisions by Gulf, Turkish, South Asian and Caucasus airports will determine how much of the remaining network survives.

Travellers booked on Iranian carriers should verify their flight directly with the airline and departure airport immediately before travel, avoid relying on a single connection, and check ticket-change and refund conditions. Because sanctions compliance decisions can change quickly, schedules displayed by agents or aggregators may lag behind operational reality.

L’article US sanctions on Iran disrupt regional aviation as airlines navigate restrictions est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

The mission of the TOURISM 365 Conference is to highlight the importance of strategic tourism development. The event addresses both challenges and opportunities while fostering greater regional and international collaboration between tourism destinations in Central Europe and the Mediterranean.

Under the theme ‘The Next Decade of Year-Round, Sustainable and High-Value Tourism’, the 2026 TOURISM 365 Conference will explore how destinations are discovered, chosen, sold and experienced in a rapidly changing travel landscape. The event will once again bring together tourism leaders, global travel platforms, international media, US market experts, destinations, hotels, innovators and projects from more than 30 countries.

During the 2026 edition, one question in particular will be addressed, an issue that is becoming increasingly important for destinations and tourism businesses alike: Who really influences where people travel today? From media and algorithms to recommendations from other travellers, the different factors shaping travel decisions will be discussed.

In addition, TOURISM 365 will open the discussion on the infrastructure behind high-value tourism, from energy and digitalisation to sustainability and smarter resource management.

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What to expect?

Looking at the travel journey as a whole, from inspiration to booking, the programme features a wide range of international speakers.

Among the confirmed contributors are Simon Calder, travel journalist and commentator; Rajan Datar, BBC journalist, presenter and travel storyteller; Chris Alestra, Vice President of Signature Travel Network; Peter E. Pincus, Chief Commercial Officer at CCRA Travel Commerce Network; Myriam Younes, Managing Director of Advertising at Rome2Rio; Evelina Hederer, Director of Business Development EMEA at Expedia Group Advertising; Alessandra Priante, Co-Chair of the SIGA Europe Advisory Board and former President of the Italian National Tourist Board; and Ged Brown, CEO of Low Season Traveller.

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Meanwhile, speakers including Raja Saggi, Jasnoor Kaur, Davor Bruketa and Dario Marča will take a deeper look at the role of AI, algorithms, content creators and changing traveller behaviour in shaping tourism demand, subjects that are becoming increasingly important for the sector.

“Tourism is changing too quickly for anyone to have all the answers. That is why it is so important to be in conversation with people from different markets, sectors and perspectives. TOURISM 365 is not only about answering the questions we already know – it is about opening the new ones that tourism leaders, destinations and companies will need to ask in the next decade,” said Ivana Kolar, founder and organiser of TOURISM 365.

The event will also feature a strong business component through the T365 B2B Marketplace. Organised in cooperation with London-based New Deal Europe, it aims to connect destinations, hotels, DMCs and tourism companies with selected international buyers, travel advisors and tour operators.

Travel Tomorrow is pleased to be an official media partner of the TOURISM 365 Conference, taking place in Zagreb from 5 to 7 October 2026.
This 10th edition will bring together tourism leaders, policymakers and industry experts to discuss the future of year-round, competitive… pic.twitter.com/OyrP5kDE4b

— Travel Tomorrow (@TravelTomorrowX) September 21, 2026

For the first time in its 10-year history, TOURISM 365 will also host the T365 Excellence Awards. The international professional awards will recognise people, places and projects demonstrating how tourism can create greater value for destinations, local communities, businesses and travellers. Applications have been received from 12 countries, with the winners to be announced during the T365 Excellence Awards Night on 6 October in Zagreb.

The 2026 edition of the TOURISM 365 Conference will take place from 5 to 7 October at the Novotel Zagreb. Registrations are currently open, while participants can also join the event online free of charge, broadening access to the conference.

L’article Zagreb to host 10th TOURISM 365 Conference from 5 to 7 October est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Since introducing the measure in 2024, Venice has yet to find an effective way to combat overtourism in the city. Protesters have accused day-trippers of putting pressure on the city, while others point to overnight visitors. (Overnight visitors pay a separate tourist tax of between €1 and €5 per person per night.)

The city introduced a €5 entry fee on 29 peak days in 2024. It was extended to 54 days in 2025, when the charge was doubled for last-minute visitors, and then to a record 60 days this year.

Yet despite these adjustments, the measures have not delivered the results authorities had hoped for, prompting them to consider further changes to tackle overtourism and its impact on the city and its inhabitants.

Michele Zuin, Venice’s budget and taxation councillor, told regional daily Il Gazzettino that the current charges were too democratic to make a noticeable difference.

“The current €5-10 charge is affordable for virtually everyone”, he said, warning that the fee risked losing its intended deterrent effect.

Zuin added that the proposed 2027 pricing still needed to be discussed and agreed with the national government. He said there had even been talks of hiking the price up to €50 per person per day, although authorities could ultimately settle on a €30 cap.

Venice’s new mayor, Simone Venturini, appears to share Zuin’s concerns. He said in July that the current €10 fee had failed to deter enough visitors on peak days.

But instead of imposing a blanket increase, Venturini favours a dynamic pricing system that would allow the fee to rise with demand on the busiest days.

“We spend 100 million euros a year just to maintain Venice physically” said Venturini, pointing out that neither the European Union nor the Italian government contributes to that cost. International critics do not contribute either, he added.

“It’s paid by the people of Venice, and in part through tourism taxes.”

Venturini has long advocated raising both the price of the entry fee and the number of days on which it applies.

He was the city’s councillor for tourism and social cohesion in 2024 when the scheme was first introduced and told Reuters at the time that nobody expected day-trippers to “miraculously disappear” but that the measure “will be more effective in the coming years when we increase the number of days and lift the price”.

Three editions later, the 2026 trial generated more than €5.2 million through the sale of nearly 680,000 tickets, according to provisional municipal data. But the figures on its effectiveness as a deterrent paint a more nuanced picture.

An average of 11,326 tickets were sold per charging day in 2026, a 32.3% decline compared with 2024.

The number of exceptionally busy days also fell. In 2024, four days saw at least 20,000 paid entries, compared with three in 2025 and only one in 2026, even as the number of charging days more than doubled, from 29 to 60.

The municipality itself has cautioned that the figures remain provisional and require further analysis. Weather, public holidays and broader tourism demand will need to be taken into account before determining how much of the decline can be attributed to the entry fee.

L’article Venice considers raising day-tripper fee to €30 as overtourism persists est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

The opening ceremony was attended by the European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism Apostolos Tzitzikostas and dignitaries including Virginijus Sinkevičius, MEP and Vice-Chair of the TRAN Committee. This year’s focus is on better access to mobility for all, safer and well-connected routes for walking and cycling, plus clean, reliable, and accessible public transport, and attractive and accessible public spaces.

Since its first year, in 2001, thousands of towns and cities in dozens of countries from Albania to Colombia and South Korea have participated in the week. The initiative has promoted pedestrianisation with enlarged streets and improved infrastructure; better accessibility through actions such as the creation of wheelchair ramps and lowering of pavements; an Improved and expanded European cycling network; traffic calming measures, particularly around schools; and the provision of electric vehicle charging points to encourage new forms of vehicle ownership.

This year action is taking place across more than 2,500 towns and cities in Europe and beyond. In Aveiro, Portugal, residents are looking at mobility at both ends of the age spectrum, with a “Kidical” mass bicycle ride organised by and for children and families, as well as launching a “senior mobility charter.”

In Kassel, Germany, more multigenerational action is at work, with a walk bringing local senior care home residents’ views to the fore and a family transport-themed treasure hunt. In Differdange, Luxembourg, Car-Free Day will see BMX demonstrations takeover the centre, while bike ramps and expanded 30 km/h zones will leave a permanent legacy.

Picking up on those themes in a statement, Tzitzikostas said: “The European Mobility Week is a reminder that transport must work for everyone. This year, our campaign’s focus is on intergenerational fairness. We need accessible, affordable and reliable mobility solutions that connect people of all ages to services, jobs, education, and each other. A fairer, cleaner and more user-friendly transport system means more opportunities, greater independence and stronger communities across Europe.”

Businesses, NGOs, schools, and other actors, including cities, who want to get involved in the ongoing challenge of the “EUROPEANMOBILITYWEEK” branded campaign are encouraged to register their “MOBILITYACTION” online.

L’article European Mobility Week marks 25 years with focus on sustainable transport est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Presented on Wednesday, 9 September, by Apple’s new chief executive John Ternus, who succeeded Tim Cook earlier this month, the iPhone Duo opens like a book to reveal a 7.6-inch display, while retaining a 5.4-inch external screen when folded. Starting at $1,999 (around €1,720), it will also be the most expensive iPhone Apple has released. For European consumers, however, the direct conversion does not reflect the final retail price, which is higher due to VAT and regional pricing. For example, in Belgium, prices start at €2,339 for the 256 GB model, rising to €2,589 for 512 GB, €3,089 for 1 TB and €3,839 for 2 TB.

Apple has confirmed that the iPhone Duo will arrive in several European markets on 23 October 2026, with pre-orders opening on 16 October. France, Germany and the UK are among more than 70 countries and regions included in the first wave, while the device will reach a further 28 markets from 30 October.

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The launch takes Apple into a foldable smartphone market where rivals including Samsung, Google and Motorola have already been active for several years. Foldables, however, remain a relatively small segment, accounting for less than 5% of the overall smartphone market, according to CCS Insight analyst Ben Wood.

For travellers, the significance of the format could go beyond simply having a bigger screen. A device that combines smartphone portability with some of the working space associated with a small tablet could make tasks such as navigating maps, checking itineraries, editing photographs, reading documents or working between apps easier without carrying an additional device.

That could be particularly relevant for travel journalists, bloggers, vloggers and other creators who increasingly produce and publish material directly from destinations. Apple’s Split View allows two applications to run side by side, meaning, for example, a reporter could consult notes while writing, a traveller could compare a booking with a map, or a creator could work across editing and publishing applications on the same screen. Apple has also demonstrated the device running productivity applications such as Zoom and Slack.

Apple has confirmed that the Duo will support the USB-C Apple Pencil later this year, extending a capability previously associated with the iPad to an iPhone. That could make the larger display useful for annotating documents, taking handwritten notes or sketching while travelling.

A different approach to travel photography

The folding format also introduces several possibilities for photography and video. The Duo has two 48-megapixel rear cameras, while its outer screen can act as a preview when somebody else is taking the photograph. Users can also take selfies using the higher-resolution rear cameras while seeing themselves on the external display.

For solo travellers and content creators, the phone can be partially folded and placed on a surface, effectively creating its own stand for photographs, video calls, time-lapses or video recording without necessarily requiring a tripod.

Apple has added features specifically designed around the two-screen configuration, including Duo Preview, which lets the person being photographed see the framing, and Smart Take, which uses on-device artificial intelligence to identify when subjects are posing and automatically capture images.

The main camera can record 4K video at up to 120 frames per second in Dolby Vision, while Apple’s updated software allows Cinematic effects to be applied after recording. Those specifications could make the device particularly interesting to vloggers and mobile journalists, although whether a foldable phone can replace dedicated cameras, laptops, or other professional equipment will depend heavily on individual workflows.

A pocket-sized workspace?

The Duo is powered by Apple’s A20 Pro processor and runs iOS 27.1, which has been adapted to accommodate both screens and different folding positions. Apple says third-party applications, including Netflix, Zoom and Slack, are already taking advantage of the format.

The company is also putting artificial intelligence at the centre of the device through Apple Intelligence and its new Siri AI. Features include the ability to draw on information from messages, emails and photographs, understand what is displayed on screen and perform actions across applications.

Such capabilities could eventually have obvious applications while travelling, from finding reservation information buried in emails to organising schedules or working with content on the road. As with other AI assistants, however, their practical value will depend on accuracy, language and regional availability, as well as users’ willingness to give software greater access to personal information.

Apple says Apple Intelligence uses on-device processing where possible, alongside its Private Cloud Compute infrastructure. Siri AI is initially being rolled out in beta in English, with French, Portuguese, Spanish, Japanese and Korean support expected in October.

Connectivity is another potentially important consideration for international travellers. The Duo is eSIM-only worldwide and includes Apple’s C2 cellular modem, as well as Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6. The device also supports Apple’s satellite connectivity features when users are outside cellular and Wi-Fi coverage.

Battery life, meanwhile, is rated at up to 24 hours of mixed use across both displays. Apple says the phone can reach 50% charge in approximately 20 minutes using compatible wired charging, an increasingly relevant consideration for travellers relying on a single device throughout a day on the road.

Foldable, but not for everyone

Despite the possibilities, the Duo is positioned firmly at the premium end of the smartphone market. Foldable devices also continue to face questions around long-term durability and whether their additional screen space provides enough everyday benefit to justify their cost and complexity.

Apple says it has addressed durability through a grade 5 titanium construction, an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance, Ceramic Shield protection and a hinge containing more than 100 components. The internal folding display uses several protective layers designed to reduce stress as the phone repeatedly opens and closes.

Apple’s arrival could nevertheless give the foldable category considerably more visibility. Analysts see the launch as characteristic of the company’s tendency to enter emerging product categories after competitors have spent years developing them rather than attempting to be first. Reuters reports that analysts at IDC expect Apple to capture around 40% of the foldable market by the end of 2027, although the category remains a niche compared with conventional smartphones.

Whether the Duo can push foldable smartphones beyond their current niche remains uncertain. For travellers and travel professionals, however, combining a larger screen with photography, video, editing, navigation and multitasking in a pocket-sized device could make it a useful tool on the road. Whether those advantages justify its premium price will become clearer once the Duo reaches consumers in October.

L’article Apple enters foldable market with iPhone Duo, but what could it mean for travel? est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Stops currently listed on the European Sleeper website for the future route include Brussels, Antwerp, Rotterdam, The Hague, Amsterdam, and Copenhagen. Departures from both Brussels and Malmö will be timetabled three times a week at around 7:00 pm, European Sleeper said in promotional materials, with arrival at around 10:00 am the following morning. This way, the train firm says, “you can start your day in the Benelux or Scandinavia well rested.”

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On-board accommodation is likely to include European Sleeper’s typical range of seats, couchettes, and sleeping compartments but, amid the “premiumization” of travel, more “luxurious” configurations such as double beds and private en-suite bathrooms are “being considered,” press information reveals.

The service will be the Belgian-Dutch operator’s first to Scandinavia, and will rely on a partnership with Germany’s RDC, a rail firm that already works with European Sleeper on Paris-Berlin and Milan routes.

Markus Hunkel, chief executive officer of RDC, explained: “RDC has many years of experience operating night trains between Germany and Scandinavia. Together with European Sleeper, we can build on that experience and create a strong new connection between the Benelux, Denmark, and Sweden. We see real potential in combining our operational expertise with European Sleeper’s growing network and customer reach.”

European Sleeper already runs a suite of night trains to destinations in Germany, including Hamburg, Berlin, and Dresden, as well as to Prague in the Czech Republic. Delayed by a few months due to track works and regulatory issues, a new service is coming from 9 September 2026, through Switzerland and on to Italy’s Milan—a route the train firm has described as an important north-south axis. Brussels-Barcelona is also an upcoming connection.

“Our network is growing quickly, and Scandinavia is a natural next step,” said Chris Engelsman of European Sleeper.

Though separate infrastructure, different rail gauges, multiple websites, and ticketing challenges have historically dogged the development of pan-European rail travel, the segment is now growing rapidly, supported by legislation and subsidies that are making never-before-seen itineraries possible. That includes an epic 5,000-km rail adventure from the southern tip of Europe on Portugal’s Algarve to Finland’s northernmost train station of Kolari that is being hailed as the longest train journey in Europe.

L’article New European Sleeper train to connect Brussels, Amsterdam, Copenhagen and Malmo est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

The project has roots in a 2024 visit to Saudi Arabia, when Macron and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman discovered a shared interest in Dragon Ball Z. Qiddiya Investment Company, a subsidiary of Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, has been developing the world’s first Dragon Ball theme park in Saudi Arabia since 2024, prompting discussions about a similar project in France.

On Monday, 24 August 2026, French President Emmanuel Macron was finally able to take to X to make an “extraordinary” announcement: a €6 billion investment by Saudi Arabia in an entertainment complex in the town of Cergy-Pontoise near Paris. A total of three theme parks have been planned, one of which will probably be dedicated to Dragon Ball Z.

“You are aware of my interest in manga. You also know of my determination to attract investment to France that creates jobs and makes the most ambitious projects possible. Together with Saudi Arabia, we are making an unprecedented announcement. Three theme parks are to be built in Cergy-Pontoise. €6 billion in investment. 22,000 jobs created. Unprecedented since Disneyland Paris. A new global destination. Right here in France,” Macron wrote.

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The agreement was part of a wider series of deals struck between France and Saudi Arabia during Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to Paris. A memorandum of understanding for the project was signed by French Economy Minister Roland Lescure and the chief executive of Qiddiya Investment Company.

Qiddiya Investment Company’s recent interest in theme parks and other forms of entertainment is part of a wider push by Saudi Arabia to diversify its economy, reducing its dependence on oil and investing in other sectors, including tourism and entertainment.

“Thank you to Qiddiya and Saudi Arabia for their confidence in our country, our talent and our future. That is the very essence of Choose France: to seek out the most ambitious projects and make France the country where they become a reality. To create jobs. To promote France’s reputation. We haven’t finished surprising the world yet. I am very proud of this achievement,” Macron added.

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While several potential locations were initially considered, the entertainment complex is set to be located on the grounds of Mirapolis, a former theme park that has been closed since 1991. Qiddiya reportedly favoured the location because of its proximity to both the French capital and Disneyland Paris.

Aside from the three parks, the site is expected to include hotels, catering facilities and housing for young workers and students. Moreover, some 50,000 square metres of green space will be dedicated to biodiversity. At the time of writing, no exact timeline has been announced for the project, but construction is expected to take several years.

L’article Saudi Arabia to invest €6 billion in Dragon Ball Z theme park near Paris est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

But the balance of European tourism may be shifting.

A major study by Deloitte and Google forecasts that Spain will overtake France by 2040, receiving around 110 million international tourists a year compared with 105 million in France.

The difference may appear relatively small, but the forecast points to a larger transformation of global tourism. International travel is expected to expand from around 1.5 billion trips in 2019 to 2.4 billion by 2040, while the traditional dominance of a handful of countries gradually gives way to a more diversified tourism map.

For Spain, however, the most striking point is that a forecast once looking relatively distant is beginning to appear increasingly plausible.

In 2025, Spain welcomed a record 96.8 million international tourists, up 3.2% from the previous year. As Travel Tomorrow reported in July, the country is now on course to approach or potentially surpass the symbolic threshold of 100 million visitors in 2026.

If that happens, Spain could effectively reach within the next year a level that leaves it only around 10 million visitors short of Deloitte and Google’s projection for 2040.

A global tourism market heading towards 2.4 billion trips

The Deloitte and Google research looks at how international travel has evolved over several decades and models how demographic, economic and geopolitical changes could reshape the sector up to 2040.

Between 1975 and 2019, global international arrivals roughly doubled every 15 years, eventually reaching almost 1.5 billion before the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted that trajectory.

The long-term growth story is nevertheless expected to continue. By 2040, the study anticipates around 2.4 billion international trips globally.

Europe will remain the largest destination region, capturing 38% of the additional international arrivals generated between 2019 and 2040. That represents more than 362 million incremental tourists. Asia-Pacific follows with more than 278 million additional visitors.

The five leading destinations accounted for around 30% of global arrivals in 2019. By 2040, Deloitte and Google expect their combined share to fall to approximately 20%, even though most of today’s tourism giants will remain near the top.

Spain, France, the United States and China are all expected to retain positions in the global top five. Mexico is projected to rise to fifth place, pushing Italy into sixth, while destinations such as Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates could enter the top 15.

The Mediterranean, Southeast Asia, the emerging tourism markets of the Middle East and the Caribbean are collectively expected to account for around 45% of international travellers.

Spain is already closing the gap

France remains number one today and its latest figures underline the scale of that achievement.

As Travel Tomorrow reported earlier this year, France welcomed 102 million international visitors in 2025, compared with 100 million in 2024. Those travellers generated 743 million overnight stays, while international tourism receipts reached a record €77.5 billion, an increase of 9% year-on-year.

France therefore still welcomed around five million more international visitors than Spain in 2025.

Spain earned €134.7 billion from international tourists in 2025, up 6.8% from €126.3 billion in 2024, according to official Spanish figures. That means Spain generated considerably more international visitor spending despite receiving fewer tourists.

El turismo internacional se mantiene como un motor clave de nuestra economía.

En el primer semestre, España recibió la visita de 46,6 M de turistas internacionales (+4,6% que en 2025), quienes realizaron un gasto de más de 63.800 M € (+7%).

https://t.co/B5b9o5WET0 pic.twitter.com/vbimq9mKNZ

— Ministerio de Industria y Turismo (@minturgob) August 3, 2026

Part of the difference comes from length of stay. International visitors to Spain tend to remain longer than those travelling to France, allowing accommodation, restaurants, attractions and other tourism businesses to capture more spending per trip.

The comparison also highlights one of the increasingly important questions facing mature tourism destinations: is success best measured by the number of people who cross the border, or by the economic, social and environmental value generated by each visitor?

France itself is increasingly emphasising the latter. Its tourism authorities aim to increase international tourism receipts to €100 billion by 2030 while positioning the country as a leading sustainable destination, rather than simply focusing on maintaining the highest arrival figures. Spain is moving in a similar direction.

From record arrivals to ‘calm growth’

Spain’s rise has been driven by a combination of factors that are difficult for competitors to replicate: an enormous tourism infrastructure, strong aviation connectivity, beaches and islands, major cultural cities, a broad hotel supply and a climate that allows tourism to operate throughout much of the year.

Its tourism geography is also remarkably diverse. Barcelona, Madrid, Seville, Valencia and Málaga compete alongside the Canary and Balearic Islands, the Mediterranean coast, northern Spain, historic inland cities and increasingly popular rural and nature destinations.

Changing travel patterns are helping too. Shoulder-season tourism is growing, while warmer temperatures and changing traveller preferences are making spring, autumn and even winter increasingly attractive periods for visiting southern Europe.

But Spain’s government has begun signalling that it does not want the next chapter of tourism growth simply to be a race towards ever greater numbers.

Tourism Minister Jordi Hereu has described the preferred model as “calm growth”, with authorities seeking to spread visitors geographically and seasonally rather than concentrating ever larger numbers in the country’s established hotspots.

As Travel Tomorrow reported when looking at Spain’s prospects of reaching 100 million visitors in 2026, the government has been promoting inland destinations, gastronomy, nature, cultural tourism and travel outside the traditional summer peak.

This year’s total solar eclipse has provided one example of how a major event can redirect international visitors towards rural and lesser-known parts of the country.

Yet if Deloitte and Google are right and Spain eventually reaches 110 million annual visitors, redistribution will become more than a marketing objective. It will be an economic and political necessity.

The overtourism paradox

Spain’s rise to the top of world tourism would represent an extraordinary commercial success. But it would also sharpen one of the country’s most difficult debates.

Anti-overtourism demonstrations have become a recurring feature in Barcelona, the Canary Islands, the Balearic Islands and other heavily visited destinations. Protesters have focused on housing shortages, short-term holiday rentals, congestion, pressure on public services, water use and the perception that local communities increasingly bear the costs of a tourism industry whose benefits are unevenly distributed.

The Spanish authorities have responded with measures at national, regional and municipal level.

The government has ordered tens of thousands of properties that failed to meet requirements for tourist and seasonal accommodation to be removed from the relevant rental register. Barcelona intends to end licences for around 10,000 tourist apartments by 2028, effectively eliminating the city’s legal short-term apartment stock under the current system.

Cruise tourism has also come under greater scrutiny. Barcelona has already reduced the number of terminals used by cruise ships in its central port area, while other cities are examining ways to manage passenger flows.

In the Balearic Islands, tighter restrictions have targeted alcohol-fuelled tourism and party boats, while Málaga has launched campaigns asking visitors to respect local residents, keep noise down and behave appropriately in public spaces.

These interventions show the contradiction at the heart of the 2040 forecast.

For national tourism accounts, another 10 or 15 million tourists represent billions of euros in additional economic activity. At neighbourhood level, however, the same growth may translate into additional pressure on rents, transport systems, beaches, historic centres and natural resources.

Spain therefore faces the challenge of becoming the world’s most visited country without allowing the volume of tourism to undermine the very qualities that make people want to visit.

France is unlikely to surrender its crown quietly

It would also be premature to regard Spain’s takeover as inevitable.

Forecasts extending to 2040 inevitably depend on assumptions about economic growth, population, aviation, climate change, geopolitics, disposable income and the expansion of the global middle class.

France also possesses formidable structural advantages.

Paris remains one of the world’s most powerful destination brands, but French tourism extends far beyond the capital. The Alps, Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts, wine regions, villages, gastronomy, cultural heritage and extensive rail network give the country an extraordinarily broad tourism offer.

France is also attempting to distribute tourism more evenly through wine tourism, agritourism, memorial tourism, nature tourism and lesser-known regional destinations.

After receiving 102 million international tourists in 2025, it needs only modest growth to reach Deloitte and Google’s 105 million forecast for 2040. Spain, by contrast, would need to accommodate around 13 million more international arrivals than in 2025 to reach 110 million.

In numerical terms, neither projection looks particularly radical. The real question is what happens between those figures.

Being number one may no longer be the most important target

For decades, tourism rankings have rewarded volume. The country receiving the largest number of international arrivals takes the crown, generating headlines and political prestige.

But the Spain-France comparison increasingly exposes the limitations of that metric. Spain already generates substantially more international tourism expenditure than France despite welcoming fewer visitors. Both countries are simultaneously trying to increase tourism revenues while reducing congestion, spreading demand into different regions and seasons, and mitigating the impact on residents.

The global tourism industry itself is changing. By 2040, hundreds of millions of additional people are expected to travel internationally, fuelled particularly by the expansion of middle classes in Asia, the Middle East, Latin America and Africa.

That creates an enormous economic opportunity for Europe. It also means that destinations already dealing with overtourism cannot simply assume that absorbing more visitors is the objective.

Spain may indeed overtake France and become the world’s most visited country by 2040. At its current rate of growth, it could even happen considerably sooner.

But the more consequential test will not be whether Spain reaches 110 million tourists, or whether France manages to remain ahead.

It will be whether Europe’s two tourism superpowers can demonstrate that record demand can coexist with affordable housing, liveable cities, protected natural resources and communities that continue to see tourism as an asset rather than a burden.

By 2040, that may be a far more meaningful measure of tourism leadership than the number at the top of an arrivals table.

L’article Spain to overtake France as world’s most visited country by 2040, study predicts  est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

The phenomenon, first reported by Travel Tomorrow in 2024, has now reached the stage where nearly half of the destinations trending among Gen Z for autumn 2026 are small towns rather than major cities, figures from the global booking platform show.

What’s more, nearly two-thirds (63%) of Gen Z travellers said that “being one of the first people they know to visit a place feels like a status symbol,” and over 50% avoid tourist destinations because they’re too crowded to enjoy, the platform says.

Indeed, the trend is so marked that Airbnb has started tailoring promotions around it. This autumn sees the launch of a “have u considered?” campaign that aims to reframe “under-the-radar” American towns as “must-visit destinations”, with the help of influencers from the worlds of art, comedy and music endorsing their favourite localities.

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Under-the-radar towns take centre stage

Hot Springs, Arkansas,  is one of the first small-town beneficiaries of the campaign, alongside Bemidji, Minnesota, on the southwest shore of Lake Bemidji, and nicknamed “The First City on the Mississippi.” The third town to get the “have u considered?” treatment is Gibsonton, Florida, known for its historic links to the performing arts and circus sector.

As holidaymakers increasingly extend their travel windows into the so-called “shoulder seasons”, the range of destinations they might choose is changing, as Ali Killam, editorial content lead at Airbnb, told Travel+Leisure.

Consumers are “increasingly taking more weekend adventures in the fall, whether that’s Gen Z chasing local lore, or a family packing the car for foliage and apple picking,” Killam said, adding: “We’re seeing travelers look beyond traditional fall destinations to explore places that feel more personal, quirky and unexpected.”

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Can popularity undermine the appeal?

Killam’s remarks also reflect the findings of Skift’s recent State of Travel 2026 report, indicating that consumers are increasingly seeking authenticity and cultural immersion over other travel priorities. In fact, the search for a unique experience is such a strong driver that any perception of overtourism or saturation is likely to drive those same Gen Z travellers away, meaning that the very inclusion of Hot Springs, Bemidji and Gibsonton on Airbnb’s “non-touristy” tourism map could ultimately tarnish their appeal.

L’article Nearly three quarters of Gen Z prefer small-town trips over big cities, Airbnb says est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

For many people in regions in the path of totality, 2026 gave them their first-ever glimpse of a total eclipse. Iceland, where around 80,000 stargazers are reported to have travelled this time, had not experienced a total eclipse since 1954 and will not witness one again in those viewers’ lifetimes, with the next scheduled for 2196.

In Spain, which was expecting up to six million eclipse arrivals thanks to the promise of clear skies and good views, it was the first total eclipse for 121 years.

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But in 2027, an eclipse is to come that will eclipse all that. At the start of August, the longest total solar eclipse of the century will sweep over Spain, North Africa and the Middle East, creating six and a half minutes of wonder in locations as iconic as Egypt’s Valley of the Kings.

Alongside Egypt, countries and territories in the path of totality include Algeria, Gibraltar, Libya, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Spain, Tunisia and Yemen, as well as parts of the Atlantic and Indian oceans, meaning that uncanny eclipse darkness will fall on destinations including Cádiz, Tangier, Luxor and Jeddah.

Eclipse-related bookings are likely to soar again, especially in places already known as tourist magnets, like Marbella, which will see nearly three and a half minutes of totality. Brits and European’s wishing to stick to the region may also flock to Gibraltar, where totality will stretch as long as four minutes and 28 seconds.

The Italian Pelagian island of Lampedusa, accessible mainly by ferry or mainland air connections, is not out of the eclipse picture either, but, like Gibraltar, its infrastructure could struggle to cope with an influx of eclipse visitors.

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Morocco’s Tangier will get almost five minutes of totality. The Tunisian port of Sfax will go dark for two minutes and 56 seconds, and Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah and Mecca will both experience more than five minutes in the moon’s shadow.

But it is Egypt that is attracting the most attention. The Siwa Oasis is likely to offer reflections of the eclipse in stunning salt lakes and against dramatic desert backdrops, as will the otherworldly ancient ruins of Shali Fortress, with a full five minutes and 33 seconds to get the perfect shot. The Bahariya Oasis is another option.

Asyut is a more off-the-beaten-path city destination steeped in history, and religious and cultural heritage that will be plunged into darkness for just over six minutes. But, as a less touristy, more conservative area, it may be more suitable for more experienced travellers.

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Luxor’s eclipse, meanwhile, will last six minutes and 22 seconds, combining extended viewing time with probably zero cloud cover in the pharaohs’ ancient royal burial ground. Its monuments possess a “scale and grandeur” that cannot be matched by “anything in the world”, according to Lonely Planet, while the 2027 eclipse promises to add an out-of-this-world experience.

L’article Where to travel to see the “eclipse of the century” in 2027 est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.