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Overwhelming crowds of visitors have stirred anti-tourism sentiments in Barcelona, Spain.Albert Llop/NurPhoto/Getty ImagesCNN — 

Following several years of pandemic-induced downturn, the travel sector is not only back, it’s positively booming. According to the World Travel & Tourism Council, the industry is expected to bring in some $9.5 trillion in 2023 — which accounts for 95% of its pre-pandemic levels.

Nowhere is this surge more evident than at popular tourist hot spots around the world, many of which have experienced record visitor numbers over the past year.

Such surges may be sweet for local economies and hospitality businesses’ bottom line, but they also come with notable downsides: increased noise, pollution, traffic and strain on public resources; a lower quality of life for locals; and a diminished visitor experience, just to name a few.

Not surprisingly, many tourist magnets across the globe, including several European hubs, have created initiatives and restrictions aimed to combat overtourism issues. Among them: new or increased tourist taxes, campaigns aimed at discouraging problematic visitors and attendance caps at popular attractions.

On the bright side, more travelers seem to be aware of the risks of overtourism — and how they can help alleviate the problem. In a 2022 survey by travel booking site Booking.com, 64% of respondents said they would be prepared to stay away from busy tourist sites to avoid adding to congestion. And 31% said they’d even be willing to choose an alternative to their preferred destination to help avoid overcrowding.

On that front, here’s a look at some of the most prominent destinations around the world whose overtourism issues made headlines in 2023 — along with what’s being done to address the issue and how travelers themselves can mitigate (or avoid altogether) the crowds in 2024.

Amsterdam

Amsterdam has been actively discouraging certain tourists from visiting the city.Koen van Weel/ANP/Zuma

The Dutch are traditionally known for their directness, and in 2023, tourism officials in Amsterdam weren’t shy about taking aim at one particular demographic — young British males — as “nuisance tourists” who are not welcome in the Dutch capital, a city long associated with vice.

The initiative, announced in March 2023, specifically targeted young male Brits, telling them to “stay away” if they had plans to “go wild” in Amsterdam. Online searches in the UK for terms such as “pub crawl Amsterdam,” “stag party Amsterdam,” or “cheap hotel Amsterdam” generated a video ad warning about the consequences of overimbibing, drug use or acting too rowdy.

The campaign is part of the city’s comprehensive plan to reduce mass tourism, attract a different kind of demographic and make life more hospitable for residents, especially in De Wallen, also known as the Red Light District. In 2021, an ordinance called “Amsterdam Tourism in Balance” was implemented, establishing that when the number of overnight visitors hits 18 million, the city council is “obliged to intervene”.

Amsterdam asks ‘wild’ young male British tourists to ‘stay away’

Since then, officials have banned smoking marijuana on the streets in De Wallen and adopted a proposal that will eventually ban cruise ships from the city.

Good or bad behavior notwithstanding, all visitors to Amsterdam in 2024 should plan to pay the highest tourist taxes in Europe.

In September, the city announced the daily fee for cruise ship day visitors will go from 8 to 11 euros (about $8.50 to $11.60), while the nightly fee built into hotel room prices will jump to 12.5% of the room rate. But even with such initiatives in place, Amsterdam is still expected to host up to 23 million annual overnight visitors by 2025 (not counting another 24 million to 25 million day visits).

How to avoid the crowds: January, February and March are among Amsterdam’s least-visited months, but travelers also should be prepared to deal with cold, rainy weather. June brings better weather but more crowds, though not as many as later in the summer since school is still in session for many European countries.

Travelers looking to experience Dutch culture but not the masses in Amsterdam can choose from plenty of worthwhile alternatives within an easy train ride.

The Hague, Utrecht and Rotterdam are all solid options http://masurip.org/ for a city-centric getaway, while an array of quaint towns beckon with more relaxed exploring and distinctly Dutch charm. About an hour southwest of Amsterdam, Delft, which is sometimes described as a “mini Amsterdam” thanks to its network of canals and Dutch architecture, does draw its own share of tourists, but it remains refreshingly free of boisterous, bawdy crowds.

Athens

Athens placed a cap on visitor numbers to the ancient Acropolis in the summer of 2023.Thanassis Stavrakis/AP

A scorching heat wave in Europe didn’t stop hordes of visitors from cramming into the Greek capital this summer.

In fact, the Acropolis, the country’s most visited archaeological site, was so packed that in September officials capped the number of visitors into the ancient landmark at 20,000 per day via an hourly slot system on a booking site. Starting in April 2024, the new booking system will also apply to more than 25 other archaeological sites and monuments across the country.

Crowds swarmed Greece’s most popular islands, too, including Santorini and Mykonos — a trend that’s sure to continue as Greece’s perennial appeal among travelers shows no signs of fading.

How to avoid the crowds: To sidestep the worst of the congestion in Athens, visit outside the peak months of July and August. April and May are sublime before summer crowds arrive, and after they disperse, September and October beckon with cooler temperatures and more space to enjoy the city’s museums and monuments.

On that note: Anyone who has the Acropolis on their bucket list may want to book a timeslot in the afternoon or early evening, as the bulk of the crowds, including cruise ship passengers, come in the morning.

Finally, anyone planning to tack an island visit onto an off-season Athens trip should note there are reduced ferry services and closures for restaurants and lodging, especially January through March.

Eurostar trains were were cancelled on Saturday due to flooded tunnels, causing misery for people travelling for New Year celebrations in the second major disruption in 10 days.Henry Nicholls/AFP/Getty ImagesLondonCNN — 

Flooded railway tunnels forced the cancelation of all services on Saturday linking Britain to Europe, operator Eurostar said.

Travelers hoping to journey from London to Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam for New Year were dealt a blow after Eurostar announced in a social media post the cancellation of services due to “part of the track being temporarily closed near London.”

The track was closed due to the flooding of railway tunnels near the Ebbsfleet International station in Kent, southern England.

UK train operator, Southwestern Railways said it was also cancelling its high-speed services to and from London’s St Pancras International station.

It is the second time Eurostar services have been hit over Christmas, after a last-minute strike earlier in December caused major disruption.

The latest cancelations come as the UK braces itself for a bout of severe weather, with heavy snow and rain expected.

The UK’s Meteorological Office issued yellow weather warnings for swathes of the country for Saturday.

In southern England, a “spell of strong and gusty winds will move east across England and Wales, bringing some disruption to travel and services,” the warning said. Short term losses of power are also possible, the Met Office warned.

Gusts of 45-50 mph of wind will blow widely across affected parts of southern England and Wales with the strongest gusts forecast for coastal areas. The warning added that 20-30mm of rain is predicted to fall widely across Wales during the “spell of heavy rain and strong winds.”

Most of Scotland has been placed under a rain and http://sayurkana.com/ snow yellow warning, with meteorologists predicting some “disruption” will be caused by the “period of sleet and snow, turning to rain” forecast for Saturday.

LondonCNN — 

If 2023 was the year British politics got stuck in traffic, 2024 should be the year it gets moving again.

At some point in the next 12 months, it is expected that the United Kingdom will hold an election some would argue is long overdue.

Not constitutionally overdue: Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is not obliged to call an election until 17 December 2024, exactly five years since the last one took place.

Overdue in the sense that the incumbent Conservative government’s mandate – won in 2019 on Boris Johnson’s optimistic, pre-Covid, post-Brexit platform – belongs to a different decade.

The UK is going through a difficult patch.

There is a cost-of-living crisis. Inflation and interest rates are very high by comparison with any period of time in the past decade. Public services, already struggling to keep up with demand, have been stretched further by rising costs and strike action, leading to longer waits for hospital treatment.

There is a shortage of affordable housing and frequent strikes disrupt rail services. And all of this is happening at a time when the tax burden is historically high.

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, pictured at a news conference in Downing Street in September, became Conservative Party leader in October 2022.Chris J. Ratcliffe/Bloomberg/Getty Images

Many of these problems were inherited by Sunak when he took over from Liz Truss in October 2022. Since coming into office, Sunak’s primary objective has been to steady the ship after his two predecessors, Truss and Johnson before her, oversaw such chaotic governments that they were both forced from office as Conservative polling numbers fell through the floor.

Sunak has since done his best to patch the hole in his sinking ship. But, more often than not, he and his government look stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Politically, Sunak is in an undesirable position. The biggest threat to his authority comes from the right of his own base – both within the party and among right-wing voters. Their key concerns include immigration (net migration for 2022 was upgraded by the Office for National Statistics to a record high of 745,000 in November), so-called culture wars issues and any perceived betrayal of the Brexit vote in 2016.

He is blamed by many in his party for the political assassination of Johnson. Sunak served as Johnson’s chancellor (finance minister) from February 2020 to July 2022. During the Covid-19 pandemic, he was a key part of Johnson’s crisis government and was at times lauded for the financial support he provided businesses and individuals during the toughest periods of lockdown.

However, the overlapping scandals of Johnson’s government – ranging from breaking his own Covid rules to appointing a key ally known for sexual harassment – made Johnson too toxic for Sunak, leading him to step down in July 2022.

Sunak’s resignation – which was followed by a string of others – was seen by ultra-committed Johnson allies as the defining moment in his downfall. They have never forgiven Sunak for his betrayal.

Johnson’s exit from office created an acute division in the Conservative Party. Johnson is widely seen as both the architect and deliverer of Brexit, making him the champion of the Conservative right.

British lawmakers in Parliament listen to Rishi Sunak during Prime Minister’s Questions.Jessica Taylor/UK Parliament/Reuters

Even though Sunak is, in many ways, to the right of Johnson, his perceived treachery means loyal Johnsonites will never trust him.

This has created a headache for Sunak, who must simultaneously appease the right of the party with red-meat policy while also presenting to the wider public as the anti-Johnson: a sensible, calm, technocratic leader stabilizing the country during difficult times.

Balancing act

Sunak has refused to cut taxes and fostered friendlier relations with the European Union – unpopular with the right of his party – while also pushing back green policies and making lots of noise on culture war issues like immigration and trans rights.

His impossible balancing act is perhaps best illustrated by two decisions he made this autumn. In October, Sunak junked HS2, a high-speed rail project connecting the north and south of England that was signed off under former Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron. This decision was taken to appease some on the right of the party who saw it as an unnecessary waste of money that Cameron should have never introduced.

Britain invented trains. Now its railway system seems to be having a nervous breakdown

Weeks later, Cameron – a liberal reformer who led the campaign against Brexit – was appointed as Sunak’s new foreign secretary, to the dismay of many on the party’s right. An unfriendly headline in the Conservative-supporting Daily Telegraph newspaper recently read: “David Cameron’s return has put the pro-EU, anti-Israel blob back in charge.”

It isn’t just right-wing media commentators who are publicly laying into Sunak and his government.

Johnson himself has recently started a weekly column in the Daily Mail newspaper, from which he has lobbed grenades at his successor. The firebrand Brexiteer Nigel Farage has a daily TV show in which he rages about immigration and Brexit. One of Johnson’s biggest allies, former cabinet minister Nadine Dorries, has written a book all about the apparent plot to remove Johnson from office, in which she claims Sunak had a starring role.

Even Sunak’s allies are seeing the dire polling numbers and thinking it might be game over. In the past 12 months, multiple Conservative MPs, activists and party members have told CNN that they expect the next election to result in defeat.

It’s here that we come back to the election and the fact that it is overdue.

All the issues described above can in some way be filed under “party management.” So much of what Sunak and his government spend their time talking about seems to be aimed at a very small audience of Conservative MPs and party members. It often feels that niche issues are driving the political narrative in a country that has bigger and more important things to be worrying about.

Former British Prime Minister David Cameron (5th from right), who resigned following the 2016 Brexit vote, returned to front-line politics this year.Kin Cheung/AFP/Getty Images

And for all the energy – and even moderate successes of Sunak’s premiership to date – the polls have barely budged, with the Conservatives still trailing the opposition Labour Party by double digits. Which raises the question: Why is Sunak, the third Conservative prime minister since the last election, ­waiting to give the public a say?

Biding time

Allies of the prime minister point out that the UK does not elect leaders, but MPs whose parties can form governments. Parliaments are then typically given five years to get on with governing. But a lot has happened in the past five years and, with the best will in the world, it is hard to argue that Johnson’s election manifesto of 2019 is the basis on which Sunak is currently governing.

Meanwhile, the Conservative Party is still in charge of public services for 66 million people. The opposition Labour Party, as you might expect, believes this obsession with infighting to be irresponsible. A shadow cabinet minister told CNN: “It really does feel like their MPs have given up. So many of them don’t even turn up to Parliament anymore. How can they seriously claim to be running the country with people’s interests at heart?”

Rishi Sunak is picking a fight on the migration issue that he probably cannot win

One likely reason for the delay is that Sunak is waiting to see if his polling numbers improve. Pro-Sunak moderate Conservatives support this even if they think they are ultimately fated to lose the next election.

“At this point I just want to see us hang on, http://kolechai.com/ so we are not completely destroyed at the next election. The worst thing would be for us to get hammered and for the hardest elements of the right to take the party over,” a senior Conservative told CNN.

Sunak is quite within his rights to hang on until the last minute. Who knows, he might even turn around those polling numbers and pull off an improbable win.

Whenever it happens and whatever the outcome, it does feel like Groundhog Day in the UK as the Conservative Party once again is embroiled in turmoil. There is an argument that a break from the rollercoaster of Brexit, Covid and Johnson is a good thing.

But 2019 really does feel like a long time ago, and it’s hard to find anyone who can make a coherent argument that the public should be denied a say in how they are governed for very much longer.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia used “nearly every type of weapon in its arsenal” in the “terrorist strikes,” to which he pledged Ukraine’s military would respond.

The massive overnight assault comes just days after Ukraine struck a Russian Navy landing ship in Crimea on Tuesday, causing severe damage to the vessel in another major blow to Moscow’s Black Sea fleet.

But the onslaught also came shortly after Ukraine received the last package of military aid from the United States until Congress approves the Biden administration’s funding request.

On Friday, Biden called again on Congress to pass additional assistance to Ukraine, saying US-provided defense systems had intercepted many of the Russian drones and missiles launched Friday.

“The American people can be proud of the lives we have helped to save and the support we have given Ukraine as it defends its people, its freedom, and its independence,” he wrote. “But unless Congress takes urgent action in the new year, we will not be able to continue sending the weapons and vital air defense systems Ukraine needs to protect its people. Congress must step up and act without any further delay.”

Biden has requested nearly $60 billion in new assistance for Ukraine, but the funding has stalled amid negotiations over toughening US immigration rules.

Nearly two years since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Zelensky is facing a largely-stalled counteroffensive while Western aid has begun to dry up.

In a separate development, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made a surprise visit to troops fighting in one of the most fiercely contested parts of front, the ruined city of Avdiivka.

Video released by the Ukrainian Presidency showed Zelensky standing on a muddy track with the town’s name behind him. As he speaks, two detonations in the distance are heard. He is also shown presenting medals to troops in an underground bunker.

“Ukraine is defending its own here,” he said. “Defending our entire nation. Just as on the entire front line.”

Workers clear the road near a maternity hospital in Dnipro that was destroyed by a Russian missile strike, December 29, 2023.Thomas Peter/Reuters

A series of strikes

Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations, Vasily Alekseevich Nebenzya, claimed that Moscow was aiming for military targets and that its operation was not against civilians, even though Ukraine said many of the buildings struck were civilian, including at least two hospitals.

He boasted that Ukraine does not have the resources to “achieve a breakthrough” and claimed that its military plans are a “total fiasco.”

“So very soon, you and your Ukrainian proxies can expect the very worst news,” he warned.

In Kyiv at least seven people were killed and dozens injured after Russia targeted a metro station and residential buildings.

Kharkiv was hit by a “massive attack,” Ukrainian Prime Minster Denys Shmyhal said, with more than 20 strikes reported in the region, including on a hospital. At least three people were killed and 11 injured in the strikes, according to regional military administration head Oleh Syniehubov.

At least four people were killed and 10 people were injured in the southern region of Zaporizhzhia, the regional military administration head Yurif Malashko said on Telegram. Emergency workers are still working to see if people are trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildings. Malashko said the region had been targeted by 10 missiles, including Kinzhal missiles, of which one was intercepted.

Further south, a school building was hit in Odesa, injuring seven people, including a child. At least three people were killed and 22 injured – including two children and a pregnant woman – in strikes elsewhere in the region, according to Oleh Kiper, head of Odesa region military administration. At least 18 people were hospitalized.

And in the central city of Dnipro, six people have been confirmed killed, and thirty people were injured in the missile strikes. Elsewhere in the city, 12 pregnant women and four newborn babies had a lucky escape, with video showing extensive damage to a maternity hospital after a Russian missile strike.

Among those who were killed on Friday was Viktor Kobzystyi, a celebrated basketball player in the country, who had played twice in the European Championships before becoming a leading coach, according to Ukrainian officials.

A 53-year-old primary school teacher, described by her colleague as “a very energetic person, a great hard worker, and a loving mother”, was also killed in Zaporizhzhia on Friday, local authorities said, with the education minister calling it “a tragedy for the entire educational family.”

Iryna Kulbach, the head of the obstetrics department at the hospital, said “Windows were smashed in the building and the ceilings were broken. But all the patients and medical staff are safe.”

Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry said Russia had targeted “Ukrainian women, children, the elderly, and civilians.”

“The crimes that Russia has committed in Ukraine today are its revenge for its inability to turn the tide of the battle in the fight against the Ukrainian defense forces,” it said in a statement.

Without referring directly to Friday’s attacks, the Russian Defense Ministry said its army had “carried out 50 group strikes and one mass strike with high-precision weapons and unmanned aerial vehicles” in the period from December 23 to 29, claiming it had only struck military targets.

Meanwhile, the US Embassy in Kyiv warned Americans Friday that it “anticipates there may be an increase in Russian drone and missile attacks during the New Year holiday weekend.”

The head of Ukraine’s Presidential Office, Andriy Yermak, called for support as his country battles Russian airstrikes.

“A massive terrorist attack, rockets are flying at our cities again, and civilians are being targeted,” Yermak said in a Telegram post on Friday.

“Ukraine needs support. We will be even stronger, we are doing everything to strengthen our air shield. But the world needs to see that we need more support and strength to stop this terror.”

Firefighters respond after a building was damaged following a Russian attack in Kyiv on December 29, 2023.Ukrainian Emergency Service/AP

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the European Union will support Ukraine “for as long as it takes.”

“We have stood by Ukraine since day one of Russia’s war of aggression. With almost €85 billion [$94 billion] in financial, humanitarian and military support,” she wrote on X.

The latest proposed package of EU aid to Ukraine was blocked by Hungary earlier this month, but a majority of members are exploring the use of different mechanisms to continue providing financial assistance to Ukraine. Von der Leyen said Brussels was “working very hard” to reach an agreement between 27 member states.

Following the attacks the United Kingdom’s http://jusnarte.com/ defense minister Grant Shapps said the UK is sending “hundreds of air defense missiles” to Ukraine, to “restock British gifted air defense systems capable of striking down Russian drones and missiles with incredible accuracy.”

‘The house was shaking’

The Ukrainian Air Force said it recorded “the departure of 9 Tu-95MS strategic bombers from the ‘Olenya’ airfield in the Murmansk region of Russia.” The Tu-95 bomber is a mainstay of Russia’s aerial attacks on Ukraine, able to launch cruise missiles against its neighbor out of the range of most air-defense systems.

In Kyiv, air raid sirens sounded for several hours overnight. Residents told CNN later Friday how they were woken by the attacks.

“It was very loud, the house was shaking, it was very scary,” said Viktoria Krasyuk. “It seems like you’ve been living in this for many months, but it still causes emotions, it’s still very difficult, it’s very hard to decide whether to stay or go somewhere, or even leave (the country).”

A man named Sehiy told CNN the attack was a reminder that Russia’s “goal is the same – to destroy Ukraine as a state.”

“Unfortunately, Russia is learning to fight. It is learning to fight, including from us Ukrainians. They are accumulating ammunition, everything else they need,” he said.

A surfer catches some air off a wave at Mavericks Beach near Half Moon Bay, California, on December 28, 2023.Nathan Frandino/ReutersCNN — 

Massive waves and coastal flooding are wreaking havoc for a third day in many of California’s coastal communities, where extreme conditions have forced water rescues, washed away cars and injured a handful of enthralled onlookers.

The unusually large surf – often towering over 20 feet – has prompted beach closures along the California coast and sent damaging deluges of water into several beachside streets, homes and businesses.

In hard-hit Ventura County, waves have surged over seawalls and carried parked cars down the street and into significant intersections, blocking first responders’ paths, fire captain Brian McGrath told CNN affiliate TNLA. Flooding in a local hotel also caused damage in all of its ground-floor rooms, he said.

High water and dangerous rip currents have been besieging much of the West coast from southern California to Oregon since Thursday, caused by a series of powerful storms that have been making their way ashore from the Pacific Ocean.

Beachgoers watch as huge surf pounds the coast in Manhattan Beach, California on December 28, 2023.Richard Vogel/AP

Though hazards will lessen for Northern Californians on Saturday, coastal areas of central and Southern California will keep being battered by extreme surf, which could reach about 25 feet in impacted areas.

Some waves slamming into California’s Bay Area may peak at 40 feet – about the size of a telephone pole – and others are expected to hit 28 to 33 feet.

Southern Oregon’s coast is also set to be buffeted with strong surf and high winds early Saturday. High surf warnings are in effect in the region through Saturday morning as waves between 20 and 25 feet are expected.

Curious onlookers and excited surfers have been enthralled by the spectacular surf, but local officials are urging people to stay out of the water and away from the beaches due to potentially life-threatening conditions.

“Beaches, piers, vulnerable harbors should NOT be considered safe,” the National Weather Service in Los Angeles said.

Ventura County officials have closed all beaches through New Years Eve due to the 15- to 20-foot waves set to slam into the coast through Saturday evening. The county, along with Hermosa, Manhattan and Palos Verdes beaches, face the most extreme surf on Saturday and are at risk for significant coastal flooding.

“We know the waves look impressive and we understand the drive to want to come here,” McGrath told TNLA Friday. “But we’re asking people to stay away and stay out of the area for their safety and for ours.”

Ventura first responders rescued about 10 people on Friday “who thought they were able to navigate that high surf,” the fire captain said. Two beachgoers also helped pull a struggling lifeguard out of the water as the lifeguard was trying to get back to shore after rescuing a person near the pier, firefighter Andy VanSciver told CNN.

During the first round of severe surf on Thursday, nearly 20 people were swept away by a wave that slammed into a beach barrier lined with onlookers in Ventura Beach’s Pierpont area, officials said. Eight injured people were taken to the hospital.

“It was terrifying and apocalyptic,” said Colin Hoag, who captured a video of people scrambling to escape as the towering wave crashed over the barrier. Quickly moving seawater swept some people off their feet and pummeled cars as drivers tried to speed away.

“People were yelling and screaming. I ran as fast as I could,” Hoag said.

One of the storms fueling the waves will also bring rain and wind to California through Saturday.

By Saturday morning, the rain will shift http://kueceng.com/ inland and across Southern California before weakening over the Rocky Mountains on Sunday.

Further inland, a wintry mix will fall on areas of central and eastern California. More than a foot of snow is possible over high elevation crests and peaks and between 6 to 12 inches is expected in lower elevation mountain areas.

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