tourism

This frog is one of the most colorful creatures in the world. Photographic tourism is costing it its existence

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The frog you see above is one of the most striking amphibians that exist, so how can you not stop to take a photo of it if you find it in your path? Well, in practice it is difficult for you to come across one if you live in Madrid, London or New York because this frog that looks like it’s from another galaxy is native from a very specific place in India: the evergreen forests of the Western Ghats mountain range, at an altitude of between 900 to 1,200 meters. So if the mountain does not go to Muhammad, Muhammad goes to the mountain: just as there are those who leave to Mexico to swim with wild orcasthere are people who prepare a getaway on their own to immortalize the galaxy frog, which is its name. These unregulated photographic excursions are already taking their toll: an entire group of specimens has disappeared from the rainforest. As you can deduce from the photograph of the galaxy frog, it gets its name from its cosmic appearance, with a black background and little black spots that look like stars. It is not an appearance that goes unnoticed, but between the fact that it is similar in size to the tip of a finger and that they hide in small spaces such as cracks under rocks, fallen leaves and decaying trees, It is not easy to see them with the naked eye.. Going to photograph an endangered species is not the best thing for the species. Handle it carelessly, either And it is not easy to see them simply because they are disappearing from the face of the Earth: galaxy frogs have a conservation status classified as “threatened” that is getting worse, according to this study published in Herpetology Notes.In the paper They point directly to one of the main culprits: uncontrolled photographic outings, insofar as they cause alterations and changes in behavior that have an impact on the feeding and reproduction of the frogs. The study’s research team, led by Rajkumar K. P, a scientist at the Zoological Society of London, has been monitoring that area of ​​​​the jungle since 2019, which has allowed them to follow the population of the Melanobatrachus indicus (its scientific name) over time. Back in 2020 they discovered a group of seven galaxy frogs hidden under some logs. Via: Drjpmenon When they returned to the area after COVID-19, they found that this group had disappeared. So, all the alarms went off: What had happened to that group of frogs? Well, two summers where different groups of photographers came en masse, trampling the area and moving the logs looking for: 1. the frogs. 2. get the perfect composition to take the ideal photo. As the investigation states: “The photographers knew the microhabitat of the species through publications and local trackers and moved numerous logs while searching for the frogs.” The researchers are aware of groups of up to six photographers who came to the place eager to photograph the frogs. And not only that, they often moved the specimens to place them on moss or logs, so that they could take a photo with a more attractive background. For frogs, it not only involves the presence of man or undergoing changes in their location and that of the elements where they hide and find food, but also enduring repeated manipulations and powerful camera flashes to illuminate the scene for hours. Touching such a sensitive wild animal without biosafety protocols is not a good idea: stress, heat, potential illnesses… are some of the conditions they suffered, such as pick up the paper. One of the trackers assured the researchers that two small frogs perished during the sessions, although the scientists could not verify this. The investigation concludes with a series of good practicesa measure that researchers say should be established in the form of ethical standards for nature and conservation photography. This is not a study against natural photography, since as Rajkumar explains, done correctly it can be the best ally: “It’s a huge resource to help conservationists better understand things like animal distribution and behavior, and the resulting images can educate others about these incredible species. (…) However, irresponsible photography can turn that resource into a danger.” Rajkumar takes this sad episode as an example as “a strong warning about the consequences of unregulated photography” but that without careful and responsible management “we run the risk of disappear from the planet forever“. In Xataka | In its fight against mass tourism, Italy has entered uncharted territory: a tax on tourist dogs In Xataka | Ultra-rich tourism has found an oasis in Kenya. A Safari at $3,500 a night that blocks animal migration Cover | Davidvraju

“Tourismphobia” threatens to thwart Spain’s tourism boom. In Andalusia they have decided to nip it in the bud

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That tourism is a millionaire business It doesn’t have much discussion. Which is a sensitive sector in which it is terribly easy die of successneither. We are seeing it in Japan, where the avalanche of foreigners is encouraging a growing tourismphobia that already permeates the political sphere. In Spain the situation is somewhat different, but the record of travelers is also encouraging demonstrations against overcrowding, some as high-profile as the one that killed residents of Barcelona shooting with water guns to the vacationers on the terraces. In Andalusia they have decided to tackle the problem at its roots. “The Andalusian Treatment”. The Government of Andalusia just launched a tourist campaign, “The Andalusian Treatment”. The person in charge of presenting it was the advisor of the branch, Arturo Bernal, who explained its key points to representatives of the sector and the media. So far exceptional. The curious thing is that in this case the campaign does not seek to attract more visitors or open new markets. Its objective is to give certain guidelines to tourists and “raise awareness” about the sector. In the words of Bernalestablish “a contract of coexistence between the Andalusian and the visitor.” What does that mean? That the Andalusian Government wants to eliminate any hint of tourismphobia and insist on the importance of locals and tourists “coexisting” in the same territory. The statement launched by the Board leaves little doubt in this regard: although it is not excessively long, that word (“coexistence”) is repeated over and over again along with others such as “respect” or “responsibility.” Hence, during his presentation on Tuesday, Bernal asked his countrymen to join the “Andalusian Treaty” to achieve “tourism that reflects the best of our land and projects a future of opportunities for all.” He also spoke of “responsible tourism” and even turning the community into “an example of how a territory can welcome the world without losing its essence.” From theory to practice. The Board’s intention is to deploy the campaign through media and “innovative media” (it does not specify which ones) that allow it to be brought to visitors in the busiest points of the region. Its key piece is a video of two minutes in which tourists are encouraged to bet on local businesses and products, get to know the region beyond its large cities or respect the rest of locals and their right to enjoy spaces such as beaches. In total, the pact is articulated in eight points, including one that asks tourists to use water responsibly. Click on the image to go to the tweet. Tourism: side A and B. It is no coincidence that the Andalusian Government launches a campaign with that focus now, just when Spain registers a record flow of foreign tourists and aspires to become the most visited country of the planet, even ahead of France. The problem is that as the influx of tourists grows, so does the tension it exerts on commerce, transportation or (above all) housing, where the appearance of tourists is encouraged. vacation rentals. One word: tourismphobia. The result of this tension is a feeling of rejection towards mass tourism, a phenomenon that the Board knows well. In 2023 he published a report in which he already recognized that, although the majority of Andalusians agree that tourism is an economic engine, the sector must think about how it wants to grow in the future. “The excessive influx, especially of the most disruptive visitors, causes problems of coexistence, noise, dirt and incidents.” The report It goes further and leaves two warnings. First, the risk that the avalanche of tourists will saturate municipal infrastructure and resources. Second, an excess of visitors can end up degrading the quality of the destination. It’s nothing new. I warned about a similar risk not long ago a study from the Malaga City Council and in fact there are guides that they are already advising against visit certain saturated destinations in Spain, such as Mallorca or Barcelona. Beyond paper. Beyond the reports, the tensions generated by mass tourism can also be seen in the streets. Over the last few months, cities like Malaga, Seville, Palm, San Sebastian either Barcelona They have registered demonstrations by residents who are crying out against the saturation of their cities and the effect that this has (especially) on the residential rental market. Of all of them, perhaps the most media-worthy is the one that was held last year in Barcelona, ​​where a group of neighbors shot tourists in the street with water guns, an image captured by media around the world. There are billions of euros at stake. According to data managed by the Ministry of Industry and Tourism, only during the first ten months of the year have international visitors spent their time in Spain more than 118,000 million of euros, 7% more than in 2024. If we talk about Andalusia, during the same period the community received a record of 12.9 million of foreign tourists who accumulated an expenditure of approximately 18,000 million euros. Images | Chris Boland (Unsplash) In Xataka | There is a reason why Vigo is announcing its Christmas in Japan. And it has little to do with Japanese tourists

Mercadona has found a vein to grow beyond its white label and prepared food: tourism

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Hotels, restaurants, agencies, guides… When you think about those who are making a fortune with the tourist boom In Spain, the mind goes directly to the hospitality industry and related businesses, such as holiday apartments. There are, however, other sectors in which the flow of visitors is felt with similar force, such as commerce or food. They show it with astonishing clarity the data from one of the firms most relevant of the retail national, Mercadona. In their stores, tourists represent such an important business niche that this year they will leave 1.8 billion of euros and will account for 4.5% of gross sales. One figure: 126.3 billion. That tourism is a huge business is nothing new. The INE estimates that last year the accumulated spending of foreign visitors in Spain was close to 126.3 billion euros16.1% more than in 2023. And everything indicates that this progression will be maintained in 2025. First, because the flow of travelers keeps growing at a good pace. Second, because this greater influx comes accompanied by an increase of spending: between January and October of this year alone, tourists spent around 118.6 billion eurosa figure that takes into account international tourism. A percentage: 4.5%. The increase in tourists is felt in vacation rentals, restaurants, hotels… and the accounts of one of the large Spanish retail chains, Mercadona. Yesterday Expansion public an article which shows how the footprint of foreign visitors in the Valencian chain has not stopped growing in recent years, both in net terms (millions invoiced) and in the weight that these incomes have in the company’s accounts. If in 2021 Juan Roig’s chain earned 750 million euros thanks to sales to tourists, which represented 2.7% of gross income that year, in 2025 the picture is very different. If Mercadona’s forecasts are met, 2025 will close with a sales volume to tourists of 1.8 billion euros, which will increase its contribution to the company’s total gross turnover to 4.5%. The data They are calculated thanks to purchases paid with foreign cards and are interesting because they show a sustained progression during the five-year period. One year: 2021. The last five years have been anything but boring in the tourism sector, which has gone from suffering the hangover of the pandemic to achieving record results. The INE tables show that in 2021 Spain received 31.2 million foreign tourists, 71.6 in 2022, 85.2 in 2023 and 93.7 in 2024. This year in October it already exceeded the 85 million. This rise has been even an increase in tourist spending: 34.9 billion in 2021 to 126,100 in 2024. All this data seems to have been clearly reflected in Mercadona’s accounts. According to the information to which you have had access ExpansionIn 2021, tourists left 750 million in the chain’s stores, which represented 2.7% of its total gross income. In 2022 these values ​​were already at 1,060 and 3.4%, respectively; In 2023 they amounted to 1,340 and 3.8% and in 2024 they reached 1,550 and 4%. If the forecasts are right, this year will close with sales to tourists worth 1.8 billion euros, 4.5% of gross sales. One question: Was it expected? Yes. And not only because of the increase in tourism, which translates into a greater number of potential foreign buyers. The supermarket employers’ association, AEDAS, calculate that in the most touristy areas these represent around 18% of the total consumers. And if Mercadona stands out for something, it is for its extensive presence in Spanish territory, with more than 1,600 stores spread throughout Spain and a wide presence in the Valencian Community. In fact, at a general level it is estimated that its market share in the sector it’s already around 30% (a high percentage that even exceeds some regions), far above the rest of its competitors. Images | Pedro López (Flickr) and Mercadona Via | Expansion In Xataka | Action supermarkets have gone from being unknown to conquering half of Europe. In Spain they will not have it easy

that of Ukraine with disaster tourism

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In October we met that Ryanair was going to escalate its confrontation with the Spanish government with a figure that was going to appear in all the media: a 1.2 million cut of seats in the summer season of 2026, with enclaves such as Asturias especially affected. The figure, added to the previous cutsmeant three million fewer places in just twelve months. Now, in a surprising turn of events, the airline, along with the rest of Low Cost, is preparing an unexpected landing: Ukraine. Fly after the war. Yes, Europe is preparing for a scenario in which Ukrainian airspace reopens after a peace agreementand low-cost airlines see at that time not only the recovery of lost routes, but the beginning of an unprecedented stage in European commercial aviation. Wizz Air, which before the Russian invasion was the country’s largest foreign operator, anticipates a massive return supported by the diaspora that wants to return, in the gigantic reconstruction that will transform the Ukrainian economic geography and in an uncomfortable, but historically recurring phenomenon: the disaster tourismthat collective drive to visit scenes that have marked a traumatic chapter in recent history. A known phenomenon. That’s how it is, how it happened With the fall of the Berlin Wall, the visible wounds of war will attract millions of interested people for a time in being witnesses from the place where everything happened, and the airlines seek to position themselves before that human tide. For Wizz Air, this translates into deploy fifteen aircraft in the first two years after peace and fifty in a horizon of seven, a leap that outlines the ambition to quickly rebuild a network that operated more than 5,000 flights annually before February 2022. Ryanair’s strategy. In parallel, Ryanair has moved pieces with a speed that reveals the extent to which it considers Ukraine a key territory for its future growth. The Financial Times said A few hours ago its managers visited the main airports in the country with a plan already closed to achieve the four million passengers annually, almost tripling the 1.5 million it transported before the airspace closure. The fortress of your model (dozens of bases distributed throughout Europe and the ability to open routes from practically any point in a matter of days) would allow it to fly to cities like kyiv, Lviv or Odessa as soon as two weeks later that it is declared safe to do so. That logistical muscle will make the difference in a race in which each airline seeks to be the first to occupy an infrastructure that, although damaged, retains enormous strategic potential. Ryanair, depending on the mediuminsists that filling planes will not be a problem: the return of citizens, pent-up demand and the natural flow of European travelers guarantee robust occupancy from day one. The role of EasyJet. For its part, EasyJet, which never operated in Ukraine before the war, is eyeing the country as what could be Europe’s biggest civil project in decades. The attraction is not only tourist or demographic, but economic: The volume of investment that reconstruction will mobilize promises to turn Ukraine into a hub of activity that will attract companies, workers and entire logistics chains. The airline insist in that operational viability will depend on the ability to restore control towers, runways and terminals, but emphasizes that these processes can be restarted relatively quickly once the military risk ceases. Even so, unlike Wizz Air and Ryanair, EasyJet does not plan to base aircraft in the country in the short term, reflecting a more cautious approach in a market that continues to be conditioned by geopolitical uncertainty and the need to rebuild essential infrastructure from scratch. Security and the past. All this planning hits an inevitable and obvious obstacle: air safety. The European Aviation Safety Agency maintains the veto to fly over or land in Ukraine while the risk of attacks, misidentification or collateral damage persists, a warning that echoes the memory of the demolition of flight MH17 in 2014, a trauma that continues to mark continental aeronautical policy. The warning reflects the precarious balance between the economic urgency to reconnect the country with Europe and the need to prevent a hasty reopening from turning civil aviation into an easy target or an accidental victim of a conflict that has not yet been completely extinguished. Currently, only the Russian Smartavia has recorded flights in two years, an indication of the air vacuum in which Ukraine has lived since the beginning of the invasion. A future tied to the end of the war. There is no doubt, the renaissance of air traffic Ukrainian will depend, ultimately, on the long-awaited peace signing and the pace at which its airports are rebuilt, but also the narrative that the country manages to project. Ukraine will become a space where memory, economic opportunity, return mobility and a massive reconstruction effort converge that will reconfigure its position in Europe. And in this scenario, low-cost airlines are already competing for stand on the front line of a renaissance, convinced that, when the country reopens to the world, it will not only recover the almost fifteen million passengers before the war, but that it will become a symbolic destination of a new European stage. Paradoxically, their deceased aim to be the first to generate an economy. Image | Michael OrtegaZohra Bensemra, RawPixel In Xataka | A giant spider web has taken over the front lines in Ukraine: a death trap made of almost undetectable threads In Xataka | If the question is how peace negotiations in Ukraine are going, Russia’s answer is disturbing: “we are ready”

Ultra-rich tourism has found an oasis in Kenya. A Safari at $3,500 a night that blocks animal migration

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For some time now, conflicts between large tourism projects and fragile ecosystems have multiplied: from the megaresorts built next to mangroves in the Caribbean that destroy natural barriers, even the hotels built in areas turtle nesting or unregulated cabins that have degraded reserves in Nepal and Sri Lanka. Each case shows the same pattern: the promise of immediate economic development versus the risk of damaging landscapes that cannot be recovered. The last one: a safari that short the wings of many animals. A camp in the worst place. The story was told these days the new york times. The opening of Ritz-Carlton Masai Mara Safari Campwith its $3,500-a-night suites, private plunge pool and privileged views of the Sand River, has ignited a controversy that goes far beyond elite tourism: for Maasai leaders, local guides and ecologists, the resort has been built on one of the last areas free of construction and in the middle of the corridor through which millions of wildebeest, zebras and gazelles move every year between the Serengeti and the Mara. What Marriott presented as a “historic” raid in the high-end safari, many perceive it as the most serious threat to a natural corridor that supports one of the most important ecological spectacles on the planet. The complaint filed by the Maasai scholar Meitamei Olol Dapash It maintains precisely that: that it has been built in a critical space where decades of monitoring data confirm a continuous and irreplaceable migratory flow. Overwhelmed tourism. The Ritz-Carlton is not an isolated casebut the most recent symbol of a growth that has become explosive: from 95 camps in 2012 to 175 in 2024an increase that experts consider incompatible with the ecological capacity of the Mara. The rise of tourism has multiplied the number of vehicles that chase animals off-road, deteriorate vegetation and corner predators, as in the viral video of 2023 in which dozens of cars closed a circle around two cheetahs while they hunted. Added to this are the discharged wastewater to the rivers, the light pollution of the camps and the noise that alters the nocturnal routes of the fauna. Various species have already disappeared from the Mara (such as the african wild dog or the oryx) in a process that researchers describe as an inversely proportional relationship: when the tourism industry grows exponentially, fauna decreases in the same way. Ritz-Carlton An exceptional permit. Outrage grew when it was learned that the construction of the Ritz-Carlton was authorized despite the moratorium of 2023 that prohibited building new lodges within the reserve. The approval was based on a “one-time exemption” signed by President William Ruto’s leadership, a gesture that activists they interpret as the porch for an avalanche of uncontrolled luxury projects. Even more disconcerting, according to the Timesis the controversy over the supposed community consultation: signatures of Maasai who claim not to have participated in any meeting, questioned documents and a climate of vulnerability that makes many think that the most powerful took it for granted that no one would protest. For the inhabitants of the Mara, the feeling is that the process is deliberately jumped essential steps of environmental assessment and local participation. Ritz-Carlton A wall to block animals. The camp, it seems, is surrounded by an improvised wall of earth and grass that prevents seeing the interior and that, according to local guidesalready shows marks of animals trying to cross or climb it. It is, if you still stand still, an uncomfortable symbol: a luxurious refuge shielded from the rest of the environment and the communities that live a few meters away. For many Maasai guides, the barrier embodies a dangerous idea: that visitors can enjoy the ecosystem without having to face its real problems, isolated from the pressure that the camps exert on the territory. African conservationists have been calling for years for accommodation models with a minimal footprint (fewer rooms, removable structures, reversible impact) and a transition towards smaller, more sustainable conservancies, but the presence of large chains threatens to reverse that trend. The line that should not be crossed. The paradox is profound: the Maasai communities know that tourism is their main source of income and they don’t want to stop it. Hospitals, schools and scholarships exist thanks to visitors. What they demand is a model that does not destroy that which gives them life. For many, the problem is not Marriott itself, but its exact location: placing a permanent complex in a migration corridor sets a dangerous precedent that could open the door to future construction in equally sensitive areas. Young activists like Emmanuel Sananka they insist in which the fight is not against tourism, but against a model that ignores the local voice and prioritizes profitability over conservation. Faced with this, Marriott He defends that his camp generates employment (90% of the staff is Kenyan, and 40% local) and that it complies with environmental regulations, but mistrust persists. Ecosystem to the limit. In short, the conflict reveals a clash between two visions of the Mara: that of global luxury that sees it as an exclusive setting and that of the communities and scientists who consider it a living and fragile system where every square meter matters. The Ritz-Carlton embodies that stress point: a project that is too big, too fixed and located in the worst possible place. The court decision What is done will not only determine whether the camp remains or is removed, but also the direction of the entire Masai Mara tourism model in the next decade. It depends on what is decided the Great Migration It continues to flow as it has for millions of years… or it begins to fragment due to the same human pressure that claims to come to admire it. Image | Vencha, Ritzcarlton In Xataka | Someone wants to build a 144 meter high skyscraper in the middle of the port of Malaga. The reason: luxury tourism In Xataka | A robot called “Sardinator” circulated through the streets of Malaga promoting a … Read more

Spain has been wondering for years what the hell to do with the “castle of the tricorns.” Tourism has come to their aid

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More than a decade and a few auctions Then, a long (and fruitless) succession of bids during which its sale price fell little by little, the Maqueda castle It finally has a new owner. The Canarian firm Amcotur (América de Construcciones y Turismo SL) has decided to buy this old Toledo fortress from the State for 3.25 million of euros to convert it into a hotel. Its sale is important for several reasons. The bastion sees its future clear after a long (very long) administrative soap opera. The people trust in winning a stimulus that will boost their economy. And the Ministry of the Interior is getting rid of a property in which it invested millions of euros and which it has been trying to get rid of for a decade. In a place in Castilla-La Mancha… Although the last years of the Maqueda castle (known as “the castle of the tricorns”) have been moved at an institutional level, in reality they are only a chapter in the vast history of this fortress, located 75 km from the center of Madrid, in a town of just 500 neighbors. Its origins can be traced back at least 981when Almanzor decided to reinforce a fortress that already existed. Since then its history has been full of twists, turns and big names (it is said that Isabel la Católica stayed in one of its towers): in 1157 the bastion came under the control of the Order of Calatrava, in the 15th century it was almost completely rebuilt and over the centuries it ended up in interior handswhich was initially assigned to the Civil Guard units. What do we do with it? In your file of the Junta de Castilla-La Mancha explains that until “recently” the fortress basically acted as a Civil Guard barracks, but the truth is that its recent history is somewhat more complex. Between the 90s and early 2000 An ambitious remodeling was carried out to convert the bastion into the headquarters of the Armed Institute’s historical archive. The idea was left half-finished. As relates The Countrychanges in the Government and economic ups and downs marked the project. First it expanded, adding a museum to the archive functions; But the 2008 crisis caused the plan to go into a tailspin. During the time of Mariano Rajoy at the head of Moncloa, it was decided to put the property up for sale (along with many other assets) to inject funds into the public coffers. Although the dream of converting the fortress into a museum-archive did not materialize, it did have consequences: a new block was built between the castle walls, in the parade ground, a modern concrete building with three floors and a basement. In total, the remodeling cost the State 7.4 million of euros. Until recently the property was still listed in the catalog of the GIESE (State Security Infrastructure and Equipment Management), where it was specified that it has a constructed area of ​​3,060 square meters. The plot adds 2,861 m2. Dropping in price. The castle is impressive, it has new construction and the plot is classified also as urban land suitable for residential, public or hotel uses (among others), which opens the range of possible uses. None of this prevented Interior from struggling and wanting to free itself from the fortress. In 2014 he asked 9.58 million. In vain. Nobody bid. The following year it adjusted the starting price, leaving it at 7.47 million. Another failure. The figure continued to decline (first to 5.9 million, then to 2.76) without whetting investors’ appetite. In 2023 its value was established at 3.25 million, the price for which the Canarian company has now decided to buy it, owned by Yusef Nasser and with experience both in the hotel sector and in the management of historic buildings. Among the accommodations in its catalogue, the company includes a four-star hotel located in a Burgos castle from the 15th century. Although the figure for which the bastion of Maqueda has been acquired directly is much lower than what was requested in 2014 or 2017the hotel group assures to Canarias7 that the operation has been closed at the “official appraisal” price. You will probably have to add the cost of the works to the purchase amount. Next stop: a small rural hotel. In mind, the company plans to set up a rural hotel, a four-star accommodation, with a spa, swimming pool, restaurants and conference room, according to precise laser. The station clarifies that the establishment will allow you to visit the surroundings of the walls and their archaeological challenges. For that we will have to wait. From the company recognize that to release the accommodation it will be necessary to invest in the reform and rehabilitate the old wall that surrounds the castle, declared in 1931 artistic historical monument. The idea is that the bastion, popularly known as “Castle of the Tricorns” will open its doors to guests in about a year and a half, around mid 2027. “It will give life to the town”. The mayor of Maqueda, Andrés Congosto (PSOE), admitted these days to SER that in the town they are “very happy” about the news about the reactivation of the property after “more than 10 years” of projects and ideas that had not quite come to fruition. At the time, it was even proposed to convert the bastion into a museum dedicated to democratic memory, an approach presented by the City Council and the Manuel Azaña Association to the Government years ago. The councilor has recognized elDiario.es now feels a certain “frustration”, but he then clarifies: “At least a private owner has not bought it and it will be a rural hotel. That will give life to the town, promote tourism and employment.” Images | Giborn_134 (Flickr) and Junta of Castilla-La Mancha In Xataka | Toledo has had enough of the mass tourism that saturates the city center. His plan to change it: China

A tiny Spanish town with 13 houses can’t take it anymore. A murder has turned it into the capital of crime tourism

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High in the Catalan Pyrenees, among clouds, forests and cows grazing in the rain, Tor risesa village of just thirteen houses where three decades ago a crime occurred that forever marked its inhabitants. In 1995 appeared the body of Josep Montanéknown as Sansa, with an electric cable around his neck and the corpse dragged to his kitchen. It was the third murder in fifteen years in a place too small for so many deaths. Today it seems the decoration of the mythical “A crime has been written”. National myth. History recovered this weekend the new york times as an example of a type of tourism which has been added in parallel to that of sun and beach. What seemed like a rural reckoning became, over time, a a national story about greed, secrets and institutional abandonment. the mountain, shared since 1896 by the town’s families under an ancestral agreement, had become the object of dispute between those who dreamed of a lucrative ski resort and those who wanted to preserve their peasant life. The conflict, fueled by smuggling interests and disputes over ownership, culminated in the judicial grant of the mountain to Sansa and, five months later, in her death. Then came the cultural phenomenon. From tragedy to true crime. The Catalan journalist Carles Porta, then a young reporter, was the one who turned the Tor crime into a media obsession. It started with a television report In 1997, he continued with a book in 2005, a podcast very successful in 2018 and a documentary series in 2023 that transformed the small town into the epicenter of Spanish “true crime.” Porta, fascinated by Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood, found his own Holcomb in that Pyrenean valley and turned the story in an industry. Over the years, the public’s fascination with unsolved crimes attracted visitors from all over the country: curious people, mystery fans and hikers who wanted walk the stage of the murder, staying at Sansa’s old house or posing in the places where the police found evidence. Some even recreated the crime scene. with cables around the necka morbid parody that the neighbors watch with a mixture of bewilderment and resignation. Tor Municipality Crime tourism. The Times remembered that media notoriety brought money, but also disfigured life in Tor. In summer, the streets are filled of cars, the houses become scenery and the neighbors become involuntary characters in a story that never ends. In the Alins family hostel, at the foot of the mountain, phrases by Porta and bottles of liquor with quotes from his book hang, while the visitors ask relentlessly “who killed Sansa.” Merce Turallols, who was a girl when the body appeared, admits that fame has benefited the family business, but he confesses that the residents can no longer stand the circus: in the busiest months, you can’t even park and eccentric tourists tour the town disguised as victims. And more. “One arrived with a rope around his neck,” they remembered in the report. Porta himself, now producer of documentaries for Disney Regarding other cases, he recognizes that Tor’s has become his personal legacy, a phenomenon without end. The man assures have new clues (a possible hitman who lives in Miami) and the intention to close the case with a fiction series, but the people, who never saw justice or rest, feel that the journalist has exploded its tragedy to the limit. Town turned into a stage. Thus, going through Tor today is like going through a museum of rural crime: the local guide point out the places where the body was dragged, the house where a hippie committed suicide, the abandoned car of some smugglers, the meadows where neighbors charged tolls to those who crossed with goods from Andorra. Everything has become anecdote for visitors who seek excitement, while local people demand something as simple as mobile coverage or tranquility. Pilar Tomàs, who lives across the street from Sansa’s old house and was the one who found him dead, serves homemade food in her restaurant full of strangers. He appreciates the increase in clients, but would like a life without cameras nor curious. He joked in the media that if Porta has benefited so much from the case, he could donate at least enough for a telephone antenna. The rise of crime tourism. The call “dark tourism”sordid or thanatotourism has ceased to be a rarity and has consolidated itself as a global trend that turns tragedy into destiny. From the streets of Barcelona’s Raval, where the crimes of Enriqueta Martí either of the “Arropiero”even the towns devastated by the civil war like Belchitethe tourism industry has been able to capitalize on human fascination with death and evil, an interest as old as the shows of the Roman circus. According to the criminologist Vicente Garridothis attraction responds to the mixture of fear and curiosity in the face of the unknown, but today it takes the form of guided routes, theatrical visits and immersive experiences where the visitor seeks to understand (or feel) the echo of horror. New narratives to enhance it. Series and podcasts true crime have reinforced this phenomenon, generating a media aesthetic that romanticizes murder and transforms the victims and executioners into cultural characters. In Spain, theplaces like Torwith their story of unresolved deaths, symbolize that dilemma between memory and commodification: what for some is an economic opportunity and visibility, for others is the trivialization of a tragedy that is still alive. He crime tourism It grows, and with it the ethical question that accompanies it: how much knowledge and how much morbidity there is in looking head-on at the scenes of horror. Image | jqmj (Queralt) In Xataka | Sordid tourism: 17 places for those who travel looking for horror In Xataka | Italy’s tourism has a challenge worse than massification: mafia souvenirs. has started to ban them

Dubrovnik feared to become the new Barcelona, ​​so it has come farther than anyone to fulminate mass tourism

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There was a time that Croatia went from 0 to 100 As for visitors. If it is an almost unprecedented destination for the great masses of tourists, to become a “must” where the last Mediterranean jewel to explode. Tourism then became an economic power of the nation, and Dubrovnik became a space that It began to rival With places Like Barcelona. And then Croatia reversed. Tourist collapse preserve. As we said, the walled city of the Dalmatian coast, known as the “pearl of the Adriatic”, became the last decade in a paradigmatic example of what has been called extreme touristification. With visitors overcoming in a proportion of 27 to 1 to residents and a historical center transformed into a decoration of mass consumption after their stellar role In Game of ThronesDubrovnik faced the UNESCO WARNING of losing his condition as a World Heritage if he did not put a brake on lack of control. The diagnosis was devastating: tourism, far from enriching the city, was killing its authenticity and expelling its inhabitants. The radical turn. And then 2017 arrived, when Mayor Mato Franković He assumed the challenge To reverse the situation with measures that, unlike those applied in other European cities, do not remain in superficial patches. While Venice imposes rates on hikers or Barcelona borders hotel beds, Dubrovnik has set a maximum capacity within the walls of 11,200 people. Not only that has also drastically reduced the arrival of cruises: from the eight newspapers that docked only two in 2016, with the obligation to remain at least eight hours to foster tourism more leisurely and profitable. With the implementation of control cameras and of the Dubrovnik Passthe City Council obtains real -time data that allow it to manage flows and anticipate saturations. Urban and social reforms. Plus: The transformation is not limited to regulating the entry of tourists. The strategic plan includes the purchase of old town buildings to allocate them to affordable rent For young families, the opening of a school in a historic palace and new standards that penalize the tourist lease of housing, thus encouraging repopulation. Measures as curious as the prohibition of suitcases With wheels (replaced by an Economic Transportation of Equipos), they seek to preserve the material and immaterial heritage, preventing the streets from becoming a noisy and hostile showcase. The message is clear: Dubrovnik does not want to be a theme park, but a living city. Most controlled tourism. Plus: From next year, access to walls and museums must reserve in time stripeswith a traffic light system that will indicate the moments of greater and lesser influx. The intention is to avoid human stamps and improve the experience of those who visit the city, although some residents suspect that it is a tool to maximize income. In parallel, the Cruise limitation It has reduced the pressure on summer peaks, allowing the number of visitors not to exceed the critical threshold of 10,500 people a day in high season. Resistances and criticism. The measures have not convinced everyone. Neighbors like veteran Marc van Bloemen consider That the reforms do not go to the bottom of the problem and accuse the Consistory of treating the city as an ATM, where the inhabitants feel displaced. In his opinion, time reserves are a trick to attract more visitors and not a real limitation. Faced with this skeptical vision, others Like Marko Miloslocal guide and resident of the historic center, defend that the situation has improved with respect to the maximum saturation years and highlight that the reopening of schools and the return of families is returning life to the center. The international look. Travel agencies Like Regent Holidays recognize the value of Dubrovnicense experimentalthough they warn that the rigidity of the system could divert tourists to other less saturated Croatian regions, such as Istria or the Adriatic Islands. However, the fact that a city so dependent on tourism chooses to sacrifice immediate income volume in favor of sustainability and quality of life makes it a global reference. The mayor insists in which it is a long -term commitment: less visitors, but with a greater expense and a more balanced coexistence with residents. Necessary risk. Thus, the path taken by Dubrovnik is a RARE Avan exception in a world where most destinations continue to pursue a Unlimited tourism growth. The Croatian city dares to challenge that logic and seeks a new balance where quality does not mean quantity. Franković Recognize in the BBC That the benefits will not be immediate, but trusts that, in a few years, Dubrovnik is remembered not as a tourist decoration, but as a living community that knew how to recover his soul. If the experiment thrives, it can mark the course for other cities trapped between the profitability of mass tourism and the survival of its identity. Image | Alex Proimos, Kenny McCartney In Xataka | The eruption of a volcano was synonymous with danger 100 years ago. Today has made Iceland a theme park In Xataka | It is not that mass tourism has been installed in Madrid, Barcelona or Rome, is that it has reached the Galapagos Islands

In the full boom of foreign tourism, Metro de Madrid has had an idea to make its brand profitable: luxury merchandising

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No matter where you go or who you ask. There are certain icons that everyone recognizes worldwide. They are part of a border -proof visual heritage. A clear example are The Olympic ringsthe symbol of peace or the dollarthe arroba or the Celebrate Smilethe smiling yellow face designed decades for Harvey Ball. If we probably did a survey most people would include in that list of universal symbols The subway logo from London. Madrid It seems determined The same thing happens with your suburban. What happened? What Metro de Madrid has surprised with A peculiar proposal. One that has little to do with trains, infrastructure and schedules. Or yes. The institution has just presented an official clock, a submersible Berbier piece, stainless steel and sapphire crystal ‘inspired’ in the capital’s suburban. The images that they have already been seen show the red, blue and white logo of Madrid in the sphere and how the marks of the hours are decorated with The colors of the different lines. One, light blue; two, red; three, yellow; four, brown … in another historical wink at the bottom of the sphere appears The figure “1919”the year in which the First Line Four Caminos-Sol was inaugurated. Click on the image to go to Tweet. Is more known? Yes. Sunday The world slid Some details of the launch. The idea is to create only 50 numbered units that will be sold for 395 euros. Too much money? No problem. In case the Limited Editing Berbier clock is exhausted or the client wants to pay less, Metro plans to market another, cheaper model, which will incorporate a similar sphere with interchangeable silicone straps in four colors. The price in that case will be 120 euros. However, there is much more interesting fact. Not by what he tells us about the clock itself, but of the Metro plans. According to Precise The worldthe new accessory can be bought unocidly in the store that the operator plans to release at the opera station. It will be The third (There is already one at the Sunstation and another in the Plaza de Castilla) and the idea is that not much to open its doors. In January He pointed to the second half of 2025 already early summer It was specified that the space is probably available in the last quarter of the year, which will allow you to take advantage (at least partly) the Christmas campaign. Metro stores? That’s how it is. In itself, stores are not a novelty. As Remember Europa Pressthe history of the Metro store can be traced at least 1984, when it opened its sun sales space. Several decades later, at the end of 2017, added the place of Plaza de Castilla. Today its catalog of items can be consulted (and buy) also in latientademetromadrid.com. In addition to selling merchandising Officer and pieces such as the new Berbier watch, the opera space will serve travelers as office Customer service. But … What do they sell? They don’t sell, better. His articles list It is amazing broad: bolis, bags and backpacks, cushions, sweatshirts, fans, bottles, socks, notebooks, toys, cups and even lames with stations posters such as Santiago Bernabéu or metropolitan state. All related in one way or another to the Madrid suburban. Most show the famous blue, red and white logo or incorporate the colors of the different lines. In the wide metro catalog there is also Bestsellers They have stood out for their commercial success. For example, Some shoes Sports designed in collaboration with Titocustoms to celebrate the company’s 105 years. They launched as a limited series, but given their “great reception” Metro decided to create a new edition. In total more than 1,000 pairs have been sold. Another product with pull is The Christmas sweater. It was released in 2023 and they have already been dispatch More than 3,000 units. Are there more figures? Yes. Not many more, but there is some that helps us understand the scope of the commercial stores of Metro de Madrid and especially its evolution. At the beginning of the year, when the plans to open the opera store were announced, the Europa Press agency wakefulness That in 2023 the volume of sales before taxes reached 127,470 euros, a record that exceeds the box of the previous year, which had been 81,619. That is, the billing shot more than 56% in a year. Most sales were channeled through physical stores (75%), highlighting above all sun, with almost 65,400 euros. Why do you do it? To understand Metro’s commitment you have to know your data, but also (and even more) the context. His decision to open a new opera store coincides with two clear trends. The first is the increase in travelers. In January the company estimated that in 2024 it had reached its “historical user record”, with 715.2 million trips8% more than in 2023. The data of fact improves those registered by the company in the years before the pandemic. The other trend is the increase in tourism. Especially that of foreign origin. Spain is close to passing the historical barrier of the 100 million of international visitors and there are those who believe that in not much time, By 2040will be the great tourist referent of the planet, surpassing France or the US. Much of that flow is directed to destinations of the Mediterranean coast, the Canary Islands or Northern regions, such as Cantabria either Galiciabut Madrid also plays a key role in the national tourist fabric. In 2024 Madrid received More than 11 million of visitors. It is estimated that the international market meant 56% and generated more than 16,000 million euros, 21% more than in 2023, with a key weight of the US, Italy and France, although the Chinese are the ones who have grown the most, 74%. And what is Metro? Everything indicates that taking advantage of that pull of visitors and users. After all, the new store will not open in any place. … Read more

In case Spain did not have enough problems with sun and beach tourism, add a new business: wedding tourism

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There are those who travel to disconnect, to learn about new landscapes, cultures or traditions, to whom he guides his appetite or simply who wants to enjoy relaxing days on a distant beach with a soda in his hand. To all of them is now added a type of tourist difficult to classify and seeks something totally different: marry. Your trips feed the flourishing (and millionaire) Industry of Rinning Weddings And they are already The pillar of some balearic farms. The ‘yes I want’ as a new rising tourist asset. Two words: Rinning Weddings. The concept is not new, but a quick search on Google is enough to verify that little by little gains strength in Spain. The Rinning Weddings or ‘destination weddings’ are neither more nor less than what the term suggests: couples who, instead of getting married in the city in which they live or in which some of the bride and groom are sought, choose to give the ‘yes I want’ far away. In another city or region. It may even that in another country, including destinations as exotic as Las Vegas or some Greek island. The idea is very simple: that the wedding is more than a wedding for boyfriends and guests, that is also a getaway. A juicy business. It is not easy to provide precise (and updated) data on how many Spanish partners travel to other countries to marry and how many foreigners Spain choose as the scenario for their bodies. In any case something is clear: with Spanish tourism Breaking records and approaching the barrier of 100 million Of visitors, it is a juicy business. And clearly on the rise. In February, Future Marketin Sights consultant published A broad study that estimates that The global market The wedding tourism will be around 36,800 million dollars, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.4% throughout the next decade. They are high values, but above all they exceed those who handled only a few years ago. His Calculation for 2022for example, pointed to a business volume of ‘Solo’ 23,000 million. “The Rinning Weddings They are one of the most popular and most dynamic segments in the global wedding industry, in which couples opt for personalized experiences in exotic places around the world, ” The authors collect of the study. “More and more boyfriends choose to exchange their votes in picturesque and culturally rich places, often with a group of friends and family. The market covers a wide variety of services and destinations offers.” How does Spain affect? As Spain sits top of the world ranking of tourist destinations and even dreams of crowning it (something feasible already in 2040according to the estimates of Google and Deloitte), our country is also reinforced on the map of the Rinning Weddings. On the Internet they can be found A good number of websites in English dedicated to Organize weddings In Spain or what They promote the peninsula and the islands as “An ideal destination” so that the bride and groom exchange alliances. The Canary Islands, Malaga, Marbella or Mallorca usually appear on their list, although in reality the market is very wide. A few years ago Ciudad Rodrigo (Salamanca) launched a baptized initiative ‘Ciudad Rodrigo Wedding Friendly’ I was looking for precisely position the town on the map of wedding celebrations. As the main asset he used his rich historical heritage. A quick search in The Wedding Travel Company It shows in any case that couples determined to marry their city have an extensive list of alternatives in Spain, Greece, Cyprus, Italy, Portugal or the United States, to quote only some countries on their vast list. “We specialize”. To understand the phenomenon The confidential He has spoken With some representatives of the Mallorca sector, one of the hot points of national tourism. And their data and statements are striking. Finca is Cabàslocated just over 20 kilometers from the urban center of Palma, explains that practically 100% of the weddings they do are tourists. And the director of the farm They are brownlocated not much further from there, it agrees that about 98% of the links that host them also lead. “There is a lot of American, a lot of German, a lot of British,” Confirm Yesssi Morel, Wedding Plannerfor whom, beyond the attractiveness of Spain or the costs, the key of the island pull in the destination wedding market is the approach that the sector has adopted. “I think we put everything very easy to foreigners. We are specializing a lot. Every time weddings are perfected more.” As for costs, statista data Before the pandemic show that Spain is one of the countries where the most expensive weddings are celebrated ($ 23,400 on average in 2019), although in reality the data is not much higher than that of Italy and is below the $ 29,000 that were reached that same year in the US. “They seek to save and in Mallorca they have the same wedding with the same quality they could have in the US, but at a lower cost,” Morel clarifies. And how does Mallorquines affect? That is the other big question. In a market that looks at the foreign client and the American couples with a wide budget, what options do they have left? The topic is interesting because, as remember the Wedding Plannerforeigners who plan to marry their home usually follow certain patterns: they reserve well in advance and have no problem in celebrating their ceremonies any day of the week. That (of course) forces the locals to adapt. “The Mallorcan marries only on Saturday and usually prefer certain months, such as September. If they do not escape, they run out of dates,” Confirm The wedding organizer. “Farm owners believe they have a treasure in their hands. They have seen a reef.” Images | Carlo Buttinoni (UNSPLASH) and Camila Cordeiro (UNSPLASH) Via | The confidential In Xataka | The end of the open bar: how weddings are leaving behind their only ‘collective … Read more

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