attract

attract more visitors but distribute them better

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The dilemma brings them. Japan wants more tourists, but not at any price. The first is quite understandable if you take into account that the Government estimates that at the end of this decade the country could be entering billions of dollars extra thanks to tourism. The second is also not difficult to understand in a country that has seen how in record time its main cities, temples, monuments, parks and trails they have been crowded of foreigners. To get out of this crossroads, the Government of Sanae Takaichi has had an idea: to draw a plan to continue gaining visitors between now and 2030, although in a much more orderly and compatible way with the daily lives of the Japanese. What has happened? that Japan has proposed an ambitious goal that, if it goes well, could lead the way to Spain and other countries dealing with the effects of mass tourism. The Japanese authorities do not want to give up the ‘goose that lays the golden eggs’ of the arrival of foreign visitors, but they are also not willing to allow the sector to continue putting pressure on the local population. Both objectives are understandable, especially on a political level. Tourism generates billions of yen each year, a constant cash flow that irrigates both the private sector and the coffers of the Japanese State itself. Furthermore, the Executive led by Takaichi is convinced that the country has not reached its ceiling as a destination and can receive even more tourists. On the other hand, massification has become such a thorny issue that it already conditions the political agenda and has given wings to one far right xenophobic and ‘anti-tourist’. What does the Government want to do? At the end of last week the Council of Ministers approved an ambitious 94 page document titled “Basic Plan for the Promotion of Japan as a Tourist Nation”, basically a roadmap that outlines the path that the country wants to follow between 2026 and 2030. In their presentation, the authorities insisted above all on two messages. First, they want to continue working to establish Japan as an international destination, making tourism a “strategic industry.” The second idea is that they want to advance on that path in a “sustainable” way. “Based on the fact that tourism is a strategic industry (and) with the aim of achieving tourism that sustainably transmits the attractiveness and dynamism of Japan to future generations, it has been decided to promote tourism policy with the following guidelines: ‘sustainable development of tourism’, ‘increased spending’, ‘promoting the attraction of visitors to the regions’, ‘strengthening collaboration between tourism, transportation and urban development’, and ‘large-scale application and deployment of new technologies’”, resume the Executive. Is it that important? Yes. It may sound like bureaucratic language, but it brings up some very interesting ideas. For example, the Government is not willing to take its foot off the accelerator. Although there are regions of Japan that give samples of being saturated by the avalanche of foreign visitors and there are even voices that warn that the country will end up suffering a staffing deficit If demand continues to grow, the Government maintains its growth goals. There is no course correction, no steps back. The objective is the same as the Executive It was marked in 2016: reach the 60 million visitors foreigners in 2030, 40.5% more than in 2025, when the year ended with 42.7 million of international tourists. The idea is that these 60 million visitors will also generate spending of 15 billion yen, almost 60% more than last year. How do you want to do it? Increasing the capacity of the Japanese administration to put an end to excesses. The Government has decided increase regions that apply policies against overcrowding: from the 47 in 2025 it will be 100 in 2030. The idea is to reinforce the measures deployed thanks to the “international tourist tax”a tribute paid by visitors and that also will redouble in a few months, going from the current 1,000 yen to 3,000. With this commitment, the Executive seeks to provide more resources to local authorities that want to find solutions to, for example, alleviate saturation problems or combat conflictive behavior, such as the one that a few years ago led the Kyoto authorities to prohibit access of tourists to the geisha district or the Fujikawaguchiko Government to install a fence to cover the views of Fuji and get rid of the tourists who hindered traffic. Is it the only measure? At all. The plan also proposes reducing congestion on the roads, contemplates limitations on visitors, applying different rates to the native and foreign population, boosting per capita spending by tourists by more than 9% in the coming years… Tokyo also wants to address the challenge of unlicensed accommodationplaces that have strengthened the country’s capacity to welcome tourists but at the cost of feeding a deregulated supply. With Chinese tourism in low hoursJapan also aspires to diversify your market. Until now, China represented a fundamental source market for the country of the rising sun, but the political conflict generated in November following Takaichi’s statements about Taiwan has caused collapse. The Government plans to expand its market and attract travelers in Europe and the US. And will it come with that? In reality there is another measure. One with quite a bit of logic. Japan wants to continue gaining tourists without aggravating the situation of those national destinations that are already saturated, so… Why not diversify demand and supply? Why not take tourists out of Tokyo, Kyoto or Osaka and take them further afield, even to rural areas? That is one of the ideas collected in the endorsed plan by the Government, which talks about promoting regional areas. What does it say exactly? “It is essential to reinforce measures aimed at preventing and stopping ‘mass tourism’ (…) and correcting the concentration in certain cities and regions,” collect the document, which is also committed to “diversifying” demand, “improving the attractiveness of … Read more

attract tourism without going bankrupt

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Fossil fuel-dependent countries have amassed enormous fortunes over the past few decades. However, they are aware that their future is as finite as their natural resources. For this reason, countries like Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates are investing huge sums of money in changing the course of their countries by disengaging them of its oil reserves or natural gas. According to an official statementDubai is launching a new tourism project that, in ambition and size, could compete with Saudi Arabia’s plans with NEOM, but unlike the pharaonic project and its dystopian constructions, its budget it is more manageable and it has a more sustainable approach…but not much. The Al Layan Oasis is an oasis of more than one million square meters in the middle of the desert, ready to attract visitors without putting at risk the more than 4 billion dirhams (about 926 million euros) that the Dubai government plans to invest. A millionaire oasis in the desert. While Saudi neighbors plan to build ski slopes or water parks in the middle of the desert. In the Arab Emirates they have been more traditional and have chosen to build an oasis. But such and as advertised the top leader of the country, not just anyone. As I collected Gulf NewsAl Layan Oasis will occupy one million square meters in Al Marmoom, about 50 minutes from central Dubai. The central element of the plan is an artificial lake of 230,000 square meters, which will create a cool microclimate and attract wildlife, beyond being a mere visual attraction. Infrastructure for sustainable leisure. The new enclave is expected to receive 330,000 visitors a year, including residents and tourists, which makes it an asset capable of boosting the economic activity of the area, but without being destructive to the environment or an engineering chimera. The oasis is not going to be limited to the lake. The plan includes planting 1.5 million trees in five years, more than 45 landscaping projects and 120 new parks covering 3 million square meters. In addition, 1,000 parking spaces will be enabled, along with 14 km of trails to explore the oasis on foot or by bicycle, of which 4 km will be elevated to five meters to offer spectacular views of the desert and the lake. These roads join the existing routes of Al Marmoom, facilitating tourist exploration without major complications or additional investments. ​Four areas for different audiences. The project includes a visitor center, with information about the desert, large shaded areas with native plants to lower the temperature and care for the fauna. The oasis is divided into four themed areas that adapt the oasis to different tastes and uses. The “Gathering Oasis” is the social hub, with an open-air cinema, amphitheater and food trucks for events and meetings. The “Family Oasis” prioritizes the needs of families with 28 relaxation areas, children’s games and spacious spaces to spend the day. While the “Camping Oasis” accommodates 100 spaces equipped for caravans. The bulk of the restaurants and services are concentrated in the “Recreation Oasis”, which mixes leisure, shops and accommodation, maintaining the sustainable nature of the project. Difference with plans like NEOM. Al Layan Oasis seems minor when compared to the billions of dollars that were budgeted for the NEOM works. However, according to the cuts and rethinks who are suffering The Line or TrojenaAl Layan offers a much more realistic vision with infrastructure adapted to the climatic and economic reality of Dubai The Emirates is not trying to build a separate world, but is limiting itself to improving what already exists, taking advantage of the desert as an asset and turning it into a sustainable tourist attraction, without mortgaging the future of the emirate or linking it even more to its oil price dependence. In Xataka | Saudi Arabia is not willing to give up a paradise in the purest Caribbean style, despite NEOM cuts: Laheq Island Image | Dubai Government

Saudi Arabia has realized that to attract wealthy expats and Western tourists it needs something: alcohol

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Maybe the Spanish we are moving away little by little from alcohol, but beer, wine and spirits continue to be a pillar of Western leisure. Saudi Arabia knows this well, as in its efforts to modernize and gain appeal to Westerners (both expats wealthy as tourists) has decided to make more flexible access to the drink in the country, where its purchase has been radically restricted for more than 70 years. The change is being made timidly, silently, almost underground; but it tells us a lot about how the kingdom is transforming. The news that they are coming in drops to the West they leave a resounding reading: foreigners will be able to buy alcohol in Saudi Arabia… as long as they meet a series of requirements that focus in your wallet. Looking to the 20th century. If you like to share a few beers with friends, have dinner with a glass of wine or drink a cocktail when you go out, Saudi Arabia is not your country. Or it hasn’t been at least for the last seven decades. The kingdom is governed by shariawhich vetoes alcohol. Even Foreign Affairs reminds Spaniards traveling to the country that public consumption “is strictly prohibited” and landing with bottles can lead to “severe fines” and an accusation of smuggling. Saudi Arabia’s zeal to ban the drink dates back to at least the mid-20th century. And not only because of Koranic law and the fact that the kingdom claims to be the guardian of the sacred places of Islam. In the early 1950s, King Abdul Aziz banned the sale of alcohol after one of his sons, Prince Mishari, assassinate a diplomat British drunk. For diplomats. Although getting alcohol in Saudi Arabia is much (very much) more difficult than in Europe or even in Dubaisomething is changing in the Islamic kingdom. The first sign came just two years ago, beginning of 2024when the Saudis saw the first liquor store in more than 70 years. Of course, the business was launched with certain limitations. To begin with, the establishment only sold alcohol to non-Muslim diplomats. In fact, it opened precisely in the neighborhood of the city where they work. At least at first The Executive also intended that customers would have to register through an app, obtain an authorization code and respect certain quotas. A small (big) step. That first store may not look anything like the liquor stores of Europe, but its debut marked a milestone in Saudi Arabia and began to break the long taboo that prevailed in the kingdom around alcohol. Last November that opening was confirmed when agencies such as Reuters either Bloomberg revealed that the country planned to open two new liquor stores: one in Dhrahan, in a complex owned by the oil company Aramco, and another in Jeddah. The first would be designed for non-Muslim employees of the company. The second would be located again in an area frequented by diplomats. Expanding the market. In November, both Reuters and Bloomberg reported another relevant news that is now has confirmed The Wall Street Journal: The Riyadh liquor store that was theoretically intended for foreign diplomats will also sell bottles to certain residents of Saudi Arabia. To whom? Especially non-Muslim foreigners with Premium Residence. These residence permits are basically granted to businessmen, large investors, wealthy foreigners and qualified professionals who work in strategic sectors or for the Government. In December Bloomberg needed In fact, customers who want to buy wine or spirits in Riyadh have to prove that they earn at least 50,000 riyals per month, about $13,300. Reporter Vivian Nereim, from The New York Times, came in person outside the Riyadh liquor store and spoke with customers of the business who (among other issues) confirmed that one price is applied to diplomats and another, higher price, to the rest of the buyers. A bottle of mid-priced white wine cost about $85, about five times the US price. “Something was coming”. Against this backdrop, recently TWSJ public a chronicle which goes one step further. According to the American newspaper, Saudi Arabia plans to continue making its relationship with alcohol more flexible with another historic decision: allowing its consumption in luxury hotels and resorts in the Red Sea. “We always knew it was going to happen, that Saudi Arabia was preparing for something,” explains Michael Ratneyformer US ambassador, who speaks of “physical signs” that have been seen for years: “You went into restaurants and they all had bars. They didn’t offer alcohol, but the infrastructure was emerging.” The example of Dubai. The objective is clear: to reinforce the country’s attractiveness for expats, investors and tourists as part of the policy promoted by Prince Mohammed bin Salman to modernize the nation, diversify its economy and reduce your fiscal deficit. In recent years the kingdom has already taken several steps in that direction in different areas (in 2018 allowed women get behind the wheel of a car and in 2034 will host the World Cup) and there are those who point that in terms of leisure and alcohol will look to the United Arab Emirates. Especially to Dubai. In part of the UAE, access to alcohol is limited, but it is relatively easy to obtain in Dubai, a city that has stood out for its ability to attract tourists and wealthy foreigners. For years, those who wanted to access alcohol in Saudi Arabia had to resort to the diplomatic courierartisanal manufacturing at home or the black market, with the risks that it entails. The question is to what extent the kingdom is willing to change that to attract foreign assets. Images | سيف الظاهر (Unsplash), Ambitious Studio*-Rick Barrett (Unsplash) In Xataka | There is an age at which we should stop drinking alcohol forever. Neuroscience is clear why

Toledo has stretched its Christmas season to last 49 days and attract more tourists. Some neighbors think it’s a bad idea.

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Day of celebration for some. Outrageous to others. The one of Friday, November 21 It was a night of conflicting feelings in Toledo. While the City Council celebrated the official switching on of its Christmas lights (the early risers of its history) a group of neighbors gathered in the historic center to protest the ‘bill’ of mass Christmas tourism. For them, long celebrations of 49 days (until January 8) marked by crowds and difficulties in continuing with their lives. The (mega)Christmas. They do not reach the height of Vigo, which turned on its lights November 15 and probably won’t turn them off until well into Januarybut Christmas in Toledo will be much longer than usual this year. The City Council decided advance one week the implementation of its lighting and redoubling its commitment to attract tourists: if in 2024 the red button is pressed on November 29in 2025 it was activated the 21stwhen they started to shine 1.1 million LEDs100,000 more than a year ago. The result: Christmas brighter and more extensive that are remembered in the Castilian-La Mancha town. A percentage: 94.25%. The bet seems to have gone well for the City Council, which a few days ago he stuck out his chest due to the flood of tourists it received during the Constitution and Immaculate Bridge. According to the data provided by its Tourism Councilor, the city achieved a hotel occupancy of 94.25%, which, he emphasizes, consolidates it as “one of the preferred destinations” for visitors. As a reference, the year-on-year increase in visits has exceeded 47%. Visitors came to Toledo from Madrid, Valencia, Barcelona, ​​Seville, other towns in the province of Toledo and even travelers from France, Italy, Argentina and the USA. The tourist boom was not limited to just the long weekend. Although Christmas has not yet started as such, The Spanish posted last week a series of photos that show that the historic center of the city was crowded again on the weekend of December 13 and 14. One coin, two sides. Greater influx of visitors usually translates (not always) in more business for restaurants, more guests in hotels and a greater number of potential clients for commerce. In Toledo, however, there are those who has raised his voice to warn that all this does not come for free to the city. And not just because of the cost of Christmas decorations. The same Friday that the mayor presided over the ceremony a group of residents of the historic center turning on the lights they concentrated to denounce the impact that crowds and mass tourism have on their lives. Is it something new? No. The debate on tourism (and its impact) it’s not new in Toledo. In fact, a few months ago the City Council gave the green light to an ordinance that seeks precisely to “promote a balanced coexistence between visitors and neighbors” and sets limits to the use of megaphones or tourist groups. This Christmas, however, the patience of the neighbors seems to have been exhausted. First for the phenomenon of Christmas tourismwhich transcends to other areas of Spain. Second, because this year Toledo has decided stretch your holidays. “Dangerous streets”. The most critical residents warn of the saturation of the historic center and how this affects their daily lives. After all, those who live in tourist areas are forced to continue with their routines (working, shopping, walking the dog…) with the streets crowded with visitors. “There are a lot of people circulating. I understand that they come to do tourism, to enjoy themselves, but they should be aware that there are people living there who are carrying out their normal daily lives,” explains to elDiario Natacha, a neighbor of the Historic Center who complains about the “overcrowding” on weekends. One of her neighbors, Carmen, goes even further and warns: “The streets are becoming dangerous.” And what is the solution? There is who poses distribute the tourist offer throughout the town to decongest the historic center and seek a “more livable” city model. One thing is clear: Toledo is forced to deal with two realities that seem to collide with each other. A, the discomfort on the part of its inhabitants with the agglomerations, something that is clear with their protests. The other reality is that tourism is a fundamental (and inalienable) source of wealth for the region. In 2023, for example, it assumed 7.3% of GDP of Castilla-La Mancha. Beyond Toledo. Toledo is not the only city that has encountered such a dilemma. In Vigo too have registered protests of neighbors and groups critical of the Christmas lights phenomenon, which according to the City Council attracts several million of visitors to the city in a matter of two months. Perhaps the most critical voice is that of the Vigo Central Zone Neighborhood Association, which complaint that the holidays become “a period of circulatory chaos, mobility problems, security problems, dirt and noise and light pollution in the heart of the city.” Your complaints already They have arrived at the court. Images | Toledo City Council In Xataka | There is a reason why Vigo is announcing its Christmas in Japan. And it has little to do with Japanese tourists

Altman’s plan to attract private investment to OpenAI has stayed halfway. It’s a victory for Elon Musk

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Openai has conquered a place at the forefront of artificial intelligence (AI) with products such as Chatgpt and GPT-4O. But there is a detail that escapes in many conversations: It is still a startup. It is several times smaller than Microsoft or Google and faces an existential challenge that does not have so much to do with its products, but with money. That challenge has its own name: its peculiar organizational structure. The openai part that generates income, directed by Sam Altmanis controlled by a non -profit organization. This unconventional model has aroused doubts among investors. Altman proposed to restructure the company to attract more private capital and accelerate the path to a General Artificial Intelligence (AGI). The problem is that this plan has just received a blow. A difficult governance to sell. The Board of Directors has decided to maintain control from the non -profit entity, after opening conversations with the general prosecutors of California and Delaware. These authorities monitor the legal status of organizations of this type and could have blocked change. The announcement has made it public Bret Taylor, president of the Board, In an official statement from OpenAI. A victory for Musk. Elon Musk had sued Openai for that attempt at reorganization. He assured that the company had diverted from its initial purpose of developing a safe and oriented the good of humanity. The decision to preserve the original supervision partially reinforces its argument: the structure remains, at least for the moment. New model, but with the same control. Despite the other way around, Openai maintains another important change. It is expected that its commercial organization will operate as a public benefit corporation (PBC). The difference is that, instead of separating itself from the non -profit organization, it will continue to have the last word. Now they are negotiating how that supervision will be articulated, but everything indicates that it will be the non -profit organization that designates the members of the Board of the New PBC. This could hinder future financing rounds. Because in this OpenAi, which has not managed to transform completely, interest is not measured only into dividends, as investors would like. Outstanding image | Sam Altman (X) + Photoshop | Ted Conference In Xataka | Silicon Valley has an obsession with “Todismo”: they begin by dominating a sector and then wanting to dominate them all

Go for free to attract MG and Byd factories

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The electric car is a pressure cooker. One that has a lot of chickpeas and that suggests how those who were well together now that the temperature has risen jump from one side to another. Chickpeas are, of course, the countries of the European Union. In their day they formed ranks to lift tariffs against electric cars (first in the form of compensatory rights). Most seemed to show themselves in favor and only Germany proposed an alternative that did not go through their cars. Both Chinese and German manufacturers produced in China. Little by little, the pot was taking heat and the pressure increased. Inside, those chickpeas that seemed to go to one began to be removed already Show your discomfort. More and more countries began to soften their positions with tariff From abstention to negative. But the fire had already started and the stew had started. There was no way to stop it. The chickpeas jumped through the air and each one took the positions that most interested. Spain, in a 180º degree turn, He went from supporting tariffs to refrain in vote. An aesthetic exercise, the latter, because before on a visit to China, the president of the Government Pedro Sánchez, there was already Praise Chinese electric cars and had been receptive to the Asian country. Now, with a new byd factory on the table, the posture change gains more importance than ever. Europe and Spain, on different roads The expansion of Byd is being one of the hot topics currently in the European car. Both for the factory that is yet to come and the one in motion. By order. Europe puts difficult things … Although Europe raised tariffs to the Chinese electric car, it kept the door open to its investments and it is understood that Do not impose new levies To vehicles moved with combustion engines (including plug -in hybrids) it was a hand laid to China. Chinese brands soon took the initiative with the soil search In Europe to make their cars … more or less. Byd confirmed a plant in Hungary and Later in Türkiyesince the country has a Commercial Agreement with the European Union that you should allow you to export cars without paying tariffs for them. Another proposal was that of the Chery group, which has been made with the Nissan facilities in Barcelona to produce cars that, in reality, They arrive in kits from China And here they just finish riding. Both this option and that of Türkiye are in the spotlight of the European Commission that already warned that more powerful investments would be needed to get rid of the economic lock. But, in addition, the European Commission seems willing to put the most complicated things to Chinese manufacturers. Financial Times He explains that the Byd plant in Hungary is being built with illegal subsidies of the Chinese state. The European Commission studies punishing Byd for the very small value generated despite raising a factory in Hungary If confirmed, the economic newspaper notes that the European Commission could force the Chinese company “to sell some assets, reduce the capacity, reimburse the subsidy and potentially pay a fine for non -compliance“. What they maintain in the heart of the European Union is that the factory has been built with Chinese labor and only uses Chinese pieces, both for batteries and their cars, creating very little value. The issue is delicate because the Hungarian government, led by Viktor Orbán, is part of the Easceptics and is one of the greatest critics of the European Union. In addition, it has been very close to Beijing, which seems essential for the company to have invested 4,000 million euros in Hungarian soil in a factory that can use 10,000 people. And we must add that The situation of Hungary Within the European Union it is key because it allows you to access a cheaper labor but without complicating the distribution of cars in its European cast. … And Spain goes for free As we said, one of those chickpeas that began stirring and ended up jumping through the air looking for their own destination was Spain. Our country played Iberian pig exports They have the Chinese market as essential to square the accounts at the end of the year. But also huge amounts of money. To start, the arrival of the Chery group to Barcelona. Then the investments have materialized. First with the arrival of companies to Spanish key ports but, above all, with the investment of 7,000 million euros that catl It will carry out in Aragon next to Stellantis to nurture the batteries of small electric cars that the automobile group will produce in Zaragoza. “President Sánchez’s position change with electric vehicles has been very important. It has been highly appreciated by Chinese companies and We appreciate it with 10,000 million investments in Spain“The words are from Yao Jing, Chinese ambassador to Spain before a group of journalists, collect in The world. Those 10,000 million euros are formed by the 7,000 million euros of Catl but also for the 3,000 million euros that in investing invision and hygreen energy in the south of the country, although these last two projects still have to get ahead. ENVISION has already committed to Invest around 3.8 billion euros In Spain in 2022. The bulk would be taken a battery factory in Navalmoral de la Mata (Cáceres) with 2.5 billion euros of investment. The rest would be distributed by Alcazar de San Juan (Ciudad Real) and Navas del Marqués (Ávila) in projects for the production of renewable energy and its storage. Last year, after the Visit from Pedro Sánchez to Chinathe investment of another 900 million euros in investment of electrolyte with Hygreen Energy money. But the Cordial relations between China and Spain They continue because there are still very juicy projects floating on the European continent. “We are proposing more economic projects with Spain,” he said in his contact with Yao Jing journalists. The … Read more

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