News & Stories
Anyone travelling to the UK now needs a digital entry permit. Online traps are now lurking: Third-party providers are cashing in - often for little to no real service.
The travel and hospitality sector is entering a turbulent season, not because people have stopped wanting to travel, but because of the cost of doing so, for both consumers and service providers. Trump is pushing the global economy into a cautious, uncertain mood. European hoteliers are entering a decisive year.
On the campaign trail, Trump vowed revenge against people and policies in conflict with the MAGA (Make America Great Again) agenda, which has been detailed in Project 2025, a 922-page tome. Trump allegedly hasn't heard anything about it yet and just carries on.
Tourist taxes are no longer the exception; they're quickly becoming the global rule. The United Kingdom is also joining the conversation about the tourist tax. What does that mean for hoteliers – are they becoming "piggy banks" for municipalities?
The global travel and tourism sector is expected to grow strongly by 2025, making a record contribution to the world economy. However, not all countries benefit equally from tourists' desire to travel and spend money.
It is not only in Austria that tourists are to pay a flat rate for all infrastructure costs that are used for leisure activities, thus saving public budgets. More and more countries are demanding or increasing tourist taxes. The tug-of-war over guest cards and other services for tourists is intensifying. And locals grumble.
The Alpine tourism industry is generally satisfied with the winter season. Among the Alpine countries, Switzerland was able to (re)gain ground, while Austria had to cope with a larger decline.
No more dolce vita - in the Italian fashion metropolis, smoking outdoors is now only permitted at a distance of ten metres from others. Other cities want to follow suit. The Milanese have so far interpreted the ban with Italian composure.
Sufficient snow and tourists from abroad brought Switzerland a slight increase in overnight stays in winter 2024/2025, with a strikingly high number of guests coming from the USA.
In many places around the world, there are mammoth green projects that are almost turning visions into nightmares. The Saudi city of Neom is apparently running out of money, the Green Wall in the Sahara has withered away and South Korea's Smart City Songdo is stagnating, as is a model socialist city in China.