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Global emerging markets are already defining the future of tourism
DestinationsNo matter how Cyprus’s financial drama ends, its troubles show yet again that rich countries enfeebled by the great financial crisis remain a weak link in the world economy. By comparison, emerging markets are not only looking stronger but are also contributing more consistently to global growth. At worst, if Cyprus has to abandon the [...]
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Athens Airport saw a 10 percent drop in passenger traffic in 2012
TransportPassenger traffic at Athens International Airport SA dropped 10 percent last year as the European crisis cut trips by Greek and international travelers. The number of people passing through Greece’s biggest airport declined to 12.9 million from 14.4 million in 2011, the airport said on its website. International passenger traffic fell 12 percent to 8.4 [...]
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Strikes across Southern Europe cripple transportation by air and rail
DestinationsPolice and protesters clashed in Spain and Italy on Wednesday as millions of workers went on strike across Europe to protest against spending cuts they say have made the economic crisis worse. Hundreds of flights were cancelled, car factories and ports were at a standstill and trains barely ran in Spain and Portugal where unions [...]
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Tourist season in Spain ends and unemployment goes up
DestinationsSpain’s jobless rate rose further in September as services sector layoffs accelerated at the end of a busy summer tourist season, suggesting one in four of the country’s workforce is now unemployed. Tuesday’s Labour Ministry data showed the jobless rate rose by 1.7 percent to leave 4.7 million people out of work. The figure had [...]
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Tourism industry in Greece would benefit from the country’s Eurozone exit
DestinationsA Greek exit from the eurozone would result in cheaper holidays and a boost for tourism to the country, according to a leading financial expert. Graham Pickett, representative for aviation and travel at the financial firm Deloitte, said that a Greek exit was “inevitable”, and suggested that a much-needed influx of foreign holidaymakers would follow. [...]
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Tourists face deja vu in Greece today as strikes shut down transportation
DestinationsAir passengers to Greece have been warned that their journeys are likely to be affected by industrial action taking place today.
A 24-hour general strike has been called by trade unions in protest against a £9bn austerity package being discussed by th…
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Spanish rail services stopped as workers protest perceived salary cuts
TransportHundreds of Spanish train services have been canceled, resulting in traffic jams on roads into Madrid and Barcelona, as rail and subway workers staged strikes to protest wage cuts and reforms. State rail company RENFE said Monday it had canceled some 300 high-speed and intercity trains. It said minimum services agreed with labor unions meant [...]
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Will the Euro crisis lead Catalonia to declare itself Europe’s newest nation?
DestinationsSeptember 11 always brings Barcelonans into the streets to dance the sardana, sing for their enemies’ blood in the anthem Els Segaders, and chant political slogans in celebration of their national holiday, the Diada de Catalunya. But this year, a new intensity colored the Catalans’ nationalist fervor. The independence movement’s flag bearing a white star [...]
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Sharp decline in local tourism in Spain; tough summer ahead?
DestinationsSpain’s tourism industry is bracing itself for a painful slowdown in bookings this summer, driven by a steep decline in local tourism due to economic crisis. Reservations by Spanish vacationers for July are 30% lower than last year. Hoteliers are concerned that govt may raise the industry’s value-added tax to 18% from the current 8% [...]
