Georgia’s Tourism Opportunity and 7 Other Tourism Trends This Week

Georgia’s Rising Tensions With Russia Could Be an Opportunity for Its Tourism: Georgia’s tourism sector has been a striking success story over the last decade. While recent tensions with Russia threaten to upset the progress, they may also serve as the impetus for the country’s tourism industry to become less reliant on its neighbor.

What the Western Media Gets Wrong About Sri Lanka Tourism: The Western media jumped on a 57 percent drop in arrivals to Sri Lanka in June. That’s only half the story, and one that could dissuade readers to postpone visits. The destination is actually on the mend.

Fewer Visitors to Amsterdam’s Van Gogh Museum Spells Success: Here’s Why. In the age of overtourism, a top tourist attraction admitting they have a carrying capacity is a quietly radical act. For the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, it’s one that has paid off.

Thailand Wants Travelers to Visit New Places: Will Tour Operators Get On Board? Tourism Authority of Thailand executives are keen to spread the tourism wealth to its emerging destinations. Encouraging tour operators to offer programs beyond the popular destinations is a noble goal, but are the tour operators listening?

Travel Advisors Promote Aboriginal Tourism in Australia: For travel advisors looking for alternatives to overcrowded traditional destinations, Australia’s unique aboriginal experiences could fit right in. The country’s indigenous culture is now being strongly promoted through the efforts of Tourism Australia, state tourism promoters, and savvy local operators.

Brand USA Faces Uncertain Future Despite Weakening Inbound Travel: Brand USA, the country’s official tourism marketing arm, could go under if Congress doesn’t act to secure its funding. The recent decline in international visitors to the U.S. would only get worse if marketing support is eliminated.

Australia’s Visa Bottleneck Jeopardizes Luring Cricket-Crazed Indians for World Cup Next Year: Claims that Indian travel agents are discouraging clients from going to Australia may be overblown. But they do not detract from the key issue: Australia must streamline visa processing better, especially if it wants to attract Indians to the Cricket World Cup 2020.

Are You Overlooking a $220 Billion Market? The global Muslim travel market, which will soon be worth more than $200 billion, is fast becoming an ever more attractive sector, especially for travel technology players. Here’s why.