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It turned out so well that he doubled and expanded it

May 9, 2026 by usatoday24

Tourism equals overcrowding in Venice. It is nothing new and, in fact, the enclave has been a pioneer in some regulations that have sought to put a stop to the hordes to reconcile the lives of the locals and ensure that its ecosystem does not end up swallowed up as a victim of its own success. Its geography simply does not allow for more, and that is why they have imposed caps on large groups with fines to whomever passes, or even They have tracked phones. They also imposed a pioneer tollan entrance fee that went so well that the days doubled. Now also the price. The experiment is consolidated in 2025. As we said, Venice is a pioneer in the imposition of an entry fee for single day visitorsand the success has been such for the administration that They decided to double the rate in 2025, raising it from 5 to 10 euros for those who enter without an accommodation reservation. Furthermore, and as we explained in the past, The measure was applied on 54 days of the year, almost double the 29 days selected in 2024. The dates included a continuous block from April 18 to May 4, followed by every Friday, Saturday and Sunday until the end of July. The charge will remain between the hours of 8:30 am and 4:00 pm, and those who reserve at least four days in advance will be able to pay only 5 euros. And it will be updated in 2026. Yes, because the system extends to 60 daysnot 54. Now it practically covers every weekend and several long weekends between April and July. Of course, the double rate is maintained: 5 euros if you reserve at least 4 days in advance, or 10 if you reserve later. Furthermore, the official schedule checkpoint remains from 08:30 to 16:00, the mandatory QR system is now much more consolidated and controls are more frequent, and fines can still reach between 50 and 300 euros if you do not have the QR or do not pay. Extra ball: the exemption is maintained for those who sleep in hotels or apartments within the municipality of Venice, although they must still register online. Impact on tourism rate. In 2024, almost half a million tourists (485,062) paid the entrance fee, that is, generated 2.4 million euros in income to the public coffers (The cost of the system or the destination of the funds raised have not been revealed). Registration data indicates that, after Italians, the main tourists were Americans, Germans and French. In addition, the measure achieved a slight reduction in the number of visitors coming from the Veneto region, although the authorities have not provided figures. We also remember that despite this rate increase, access remains free for those who spend the night in the city, although You must register online at cda.ve.it to obtain your exemption. Travelers who only transit through Piazzale Roma, Tronchetto or Stazione Marittima are also exempt, as well as those who visit the outer islands of the lagoon (Lido, Murano and Burano) without passing through the center. The future in Venice. It’s the big question. The authorities admit that the tax alone is not enough to manage mass tourism, but they do consider that The system created lays the foundation for future regulations stricter. Venice, which receives tourists from 194 countriesremains one of the destinations most affected by tourist overexploitation, which has led to the implementation of increasingly restrictive measures in an effort to protect its fragile urban ecosystem and preserve its historical character. A more than difficult equation. Image | Hervé Simon In Xataka | Venice spent 5 billion euros on flood barriers. Five years later they are already “unsustainable” In Xataka | The citizens of Venice staged a small rebellion over Jeff Bezos’s wedding. Now it will be held at another point *An earlier version of this article was published in February 2025

For years tourist apartments expanded without brakes. Alicante has just reminded them that the party is over

October 14, 2025 by usatoday24

Alicante has become serious with its tourist offer. The city, which so far this year received more than 600,000 visitors (taking into account only those staying in its hotels), has decided to close the tap on new licenses in “saturated” areas and setting a maximum rate that will be applied by neighborhoods. The measure just received the endorsement of the Government Board and still has a long way to go before passing through the municipal plenary session, but it points out the path that more and more cities are following. The objective, as recognize the Alicante mayor, is to achieve a (complicated) “balance between the daily lives of residents and tourist activity.” What has happened? That Alicante has decided to say enough is enough to the proliferation of tourist accommodation. It’s not the first time he’s done it. In December already advertisement a moratorium on the granting of licenses for vacation rentals in residential buildings, a measure that extended months later to buildings dedicated only to tourist apartments. Now its City Council has gone further: a few days ago launched its administrative machinery to modify its PGOU and regulate how and where the opening of new places for visitors will be allowed. At the moment the proposal has received the endorsement of the Local Government Board. Once the change in the General Plan has obtained the necessary permits, the initiative will be submitted for approval by the Plenary of the City Council for its entry into force. What do you want to do? Apply a series of guidelines that will determine where, when and under what conditions the accommodation offer in Alicante can be increased. At a general level, a maximum of 0.187 tourist places per inhabitant. From there, the tap will be turned off. For its application, the Consistory will take as reference the census sections of the municipality. That will be the unit you use to decide, for example, which areas are “saturated” or which can still accommodate new places without exceeding the threshold. The situation will be reviewed every year. Is it the only measure? No. In neighborhoods that are already considered “saturated” at the outset (that is, those that exceed the limit of 0.187) new “tourist places” will not be allowed. In the statement In which the City Council announces the measure, it does not speak of flats, but of “squares” intended for visitors, in general. The only exception it provides is for the highest quality hotels: three, four and five stars. In the first case (three-star businesses) there will also be a limit, but more lax: the limit after which new licenses will stop being granted will be 0.32 tourist places per inhabitant. Things will be different for higher-class establishments. Entrepreneurs interested in setting up four or five star hotels will not encounter limits, “even if the area in which they are located has reached the maximum permitted threshold,” confirm from the City Hall. Map of saturated areas of Alicante. Go into more details? Yes. The City Council wants to adopt two measures that will clearly determine where new tourist apartments can be opened. The first is to prohibit “the implementation of tourist uses on the ground floors of the main commercial roads.” That is, in these areas it does not matter whether or not the maximum limit of 0.187 beds/inhabitant has been reached: vacation rentals will be prohibited in the lower parts of the buildings. The second measure is that this type of accommodation must have “independent access” if it is located in residential buildings. It is not something exceptional. Many other cities have promoted a similar rule in an attempt to facilitate coexistence between neighbors and visitors. If this mandatory condition is not met, the Alicante City Council already warns that it will not grant the municipal license. What is the objective? in words of Mayor Luis Barcala (PP), achieve “sustainable tourism” and “the balance between the daily lives of residents and tourist activity.” “The city aims to attract visitors, but guaranteeing its sustainability: without compromising its model, exceeding the capacity of the territory or expelling the local population, guaranteeing that residents can continue living in their neighborhoods, access to housing, work and services.” another of the objectives of the Consistory is to prioritize “quality over quantity”, “reducing pressure” and “promoting three, four and five star hotels”. It is not the city’s first move in that direction. In December the City Council approved a two-year moratorium on the granting of new licenses for tourist apartments and in summer extended the suspension to apartment blocks intended for vacation rentals. The decision has been met with front rejection of the sector, which has even taken the issue to court. Why is it important? First, because Alicante is one of the main tourist centers in the country. Second, because it is not the first (nor will it probably be the last) city that has applied such a measure in its tourist fabric. In 2024 Madrid decided freeze the concession of licenses for tourist apartments, in Barcelona directly the City Council has proposed remove offer in the medium term and in other cities with a tourist ‘pull’, such as Seville, Malaga, Valencia either Santiago de Compostelathe institutions have also moved in one direction or another to regulate the supply. The reason: among others, the enormous pressure that offers vacation rentals in the urban residential market. Images | Cale Weaver (Unsplash) and Alicante City Council In Xataka | Northern Spain has been complaining about mass tourism for years. Asturias has discovered the bitter consequences of losing it

In full European rearme, Belgium has just expanded his f-35 fighter request. The next step is much more ambitious

July 22, 2025 by usatoday24

In full European rearme, not exempt from obstaclesBelgium will expand your request for F-35 With eleven new units. Thus adds to other allies such as the United Kingdom, who continue to bet on the American hunting Despite the problems that its deployment has raised. The current geopolitical context has once again placed aerial superiority in the center of the strategic board. Belgium had already commissioned 34 F-35 in 2018 With a clear objective: replace its aging F-16 fleet, a hunt that has been in service decades. At that time, the Belgian government opted for the American model against other proposals such as the Eurofighteralleging interoperability reasons, costs throughout the life cycle and compatibility with NATO nuclear weapons. Why the F-35 is the option that Belgium continues to see how more solid To date, eight units have been delivered, All in US baseswhere they serve as a training platform for the first Belgian pilots. The new order will raise the total figure to 45, in a decision framed in the reinforcement of the military budget agreed by the current government, that has committed to achieve 2% of GDP in defense in 2025 and climb up to 2.5% in the following decade. The investment planned for this extension amounts to about 1.6 billion euros, According to the strategic vision document. Although the F-16 have been updated over the years-and remain operational in several countries-it is a fourth generation platform, without furtive abilities and with less integrated sensors. They are versatile, reliable and relatively economic fighters, but belong to another era. In some scenarios, the technological difference with F-35 is abysmal. The new Lockheed Martin hunt offers a poaching, fusion of real -time sensors, advanced electronic warfacities and, above all, It is certified to carry American nuclear armament. Beyond conventional combat, this renewal of the fleet has deep strategic implications. Belgium is one of the European countries that actively participates in the strategy of NATO nuclear deterrence. To fulfill that paper, you need compatible aircraft with nuclear pumps that it is believed that they are stored in the base of Kleine Brogel. The current F-16 are certified for that mission, and the F-35 not only inherits that function, but reinforces it with more stealthy and precise technology. The delivery calendar also imposes its own limits. According to VRTthe Lockheed Martin production line is practically saturated, and the first additional fighters will not arrive until after 2033. The decision to expand the fleet, in that sense, is also a long -term commitment: future governments may resume the issue and add more units if the budgetary conditions allow it. Apart from F-35, Belgium seeks to gain weight in the air defense of the continent. In parallel to this acquisition, he has reserved 300 million euros to fully integrate into the second phase of the FCAS, The New Generation European Hunting Program. The objective is to be at the table where the technological standards of the next decades are defined, without renouncing the US fleet. On the horizon, a future coexistence is even contemplated between the F-35 and the plane that emerges from the FCAS after 2040, if the staff and the budget allow it. Images | US Air Force (1, 2, 3) In Xataka | China will need 9,000 new airplanes in the coming years. And a manufacturer takes the lead to Boeing: Airbus

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