tourism

Spain has been an untouchable power of Mediterranean tourism for years. A country steps on your heels: Türkiye

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With tourism recovering (and even overcoming) the pulse I had before the pandemic, Spain is not the only country that seeks break records and crowned at the top of the podium of international destinations. About 2,500 kilometers from the Iberian Peninsula there is another country, also bathed in the Mediterranean, with a powerful offer of beaches, culture, heritage and gastronomy that struggles for Get a hole in it World top 3 of tourism, a select club now basically reserved to France, Spain and the US. Which? Türkiye. All this accompanied, of course, of a powerful flow of billions of dollars in income for the sector. A for the Top 3. Türkiye is determined to increase at the top of the world tourism ranking. He left it Of course in April his minister of the branch, Mehmet Nuri Ersoyduring a forum organized in Eruzurum, northwest of the country: “In 2024 we managed to become one of the four largest tourist economies in the world, but we will not stop there. Our goal is to be among the first three countries in tourism.” Same message He movedThese days Mehmet İşler, vice president of the Turkish Hotel Federation (Türofed), insisting that the “objective” of the sector is to turn the nation into “one of the three main” powers in the sector. “We have gone from being an affordable holiday destination to be a recognized tourist center,” He claimed in statements collected by Hürriyet Daily Newsthe oldest newspaper in Türkiye. How many tourists do they receive? According to The data Disseminated by his Ministry of Tourism and Culture, in 2024 Türkiye received 62.3 million visitors who translated into income from value of 61.1 billion of dollars. The figure however has a “but”: those 62.3 million include both the 52.6 million of international tourists who passed through the country during the year as the nearly 10 million Turks residing abroad and visited their homeland. The nuance does not mean that the trend of international tourism has been clearly positive in Türkiye. Those 52.6 million foreign visitors suppose A historical record and Improve 9% The result of 2023. The rise also moved to the money generated by the sector: the 61.1 billion dollars registered by the Turkish Statistical Institute (Tüik) reflect an year -on -year increase of 8.3%. And how is 2025? The year has also started with the occasional joy for the Turkish industry, although with nuances. The income flow grew 5.6% during the first quarter to place in 9,450 million Of dollars, but the general balance of visitors was not so good: it stayed at 6.7 million foreign tourists, 5% less than last year. The objectives for this year are ambitious, according to Hürriyet Daily: reach 65 million visitors and shoot the billing at 64,000 million dollars. Expanding the photo. To appreciate the growth of Turkish tourism, however, to take perspective and follow its evolution over the last years. He Historical record De Türsab show that in 2017 the country received around 32.4 million foreign visitors. In 2024 they were 52.6 millionso the increase was 62% in less than a decade. In cash and sound money, that boom resulted in an increase even greater of income Climbing in the ranking. Thanks to this growth Türkiye sneaked first in the Top 10 of the great international destinations and climbed positions in that table. The World Population Review website places it in The sixth place In 2024, behind France, Spain, USA, China and Italy. In other classifications (2023) occupies the fifth. It would actually be various criteria When ordering destinations, such as the flow of international travelers, the weight of the tourism sector or the volume of income. During Your intervention In Erzurum, Ersoy claimed that Turkey managed World Tourism Organizationhe trusted to be fourth in 2024. Important how much … and where. The growth of Turkish tourism does not respond only to the attractiveness of Istanbul or Capadocia, its landscape and gastronomy or the government’s commitment to boost the sector. 2024 data show that it has managed to become strong in certain key markets, such as Russian or Iranian. The first, who now see their flights to Europe for The answer From the West to the war in Ukraine, they grew 6% to add 6.7 million of travelers, almost 13% of the total. Iran received about 3.2 million tourists, 31% more than the previous year. Other key markets were the German, the second main issuing market, with 6.6 millionthe British (4.4 million) or the Bulgarians (2.9), also of course from the Turkish citizens who live outside the country and fly to visit their nation. In 2024 they touched the 10 million. In the first three months of the year the demand punctured in the Russian, German and Iranian markets, so Türsab trusts in alleviating its fall with China, Germany or the United Kingdom. The figures import (all). Turkey tourist emerge is interesting because it has not only translated into more visitors. That trend has come accompanied by greater income flow in a country that, Recognize Ersoyit has been proposed to “prioritize quality over quantity”. “The objective is not only to increase the number of visitors, but go to tourists with high expenses not related to accommodation.” For now, 2025 would have started with an increase in almost 5% In the average spending per traveler. And how does Spain affect? Spain and Türkiye may be separated by thousands of kilometers, but in a way they point to the same markets thanks to their heritage offer, Sun and beach. Although their sector drinks largely from Russian and Iranian markets, Turkish hotels have attracted an intense flow of German and British travelers, very relevant markets for Spanish tourism. Only in 2024 both countries added 20% of foreign demand. Turkish growth in those key points could threaten that of Spain, which It goes now Towards the barrier of 100 million of foreign travelers. In his favor Türkiye has another great asset: prices. Although the fees of their hotels … Read more

The US feared a boycott of its tourism sector. It already has a first calculation and shows a hole of 12.5 billion dollars

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He “Make America Great Again” promises get expensive To the American tourism industry. Fulfilled the first 100 days of Trump’s mandate and after a start of the year marked by the Tariff warthe aggressive immigration policy from Washington and his distancing from historical allies, such as Canada or the EU, US tourism faces turbulence. He last report of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), based in London, predict that distrust From foreign travelers it will cost the country around 12.5 billion dollars. And the figure goes with a message included. “This is a US government attention call”, warns The WTTC. What happened? That the WTTC, a forum that brings together the private tourism industry, has just thrown a jug of cold water at the expectations of the sector in the US. And the reason is very simple: according to the forecasts of its technicians the travel, hotels, restaurants and other businesses that depend on tourism will enter much less dollars out of foreign pockets. To be more precise the WTTC talks about a loss of about $ 12.5 billion in foreign visitors spending, an “amazing sum”, Apostille. Where does that data come from? The organism does not clarify how it has calculated it, but it does contribute some context. According to your data In 2024 international visitors who arrived in the US spent about 181,000 million dollars. If its forecasts are fulfilled, in 2025 the figure will remain in “just under 169,000 million”. It is a forecast that could vary if the circumstances that have motivated that collapse of spending, but a priori leaves two bad readings. The first is an interannual fall of almost 7%. The second is that the US tourism industry moves away from the data it handled in 2019, before the pandemic. He WTTC calculates that during that year foreign visitors generated a revenue flow of about 217.4 billion euros that promoted job creation in the country. “Today that legacy is in danger,” warns the organism in A statement in which he sends a couple of errands to Donald Trump’s executive. Why is it important? For the weight of tourism in the American economy and the threats it faces. The US is one of the main destinations of the world. His trade department estimates that last year he received some 72.4 million of international visitors who contributed to the tourism and travel sector contributing, as a whole, 2.36 billion of dollars to the national economy and generate more than 20 million jobs. The administration itself benefits from this activity via tax revenues. The problem is that the vast majority of that tourist expense (almost 90%) It did not start with visitors from other countries but from the domestic market, of travelers who moved nationwide, within the country. For the WTTC that percentage is somewhat a challenge. “This strong dependence on local tourism masks a serious vulnerability: true growth resides in the international market, and the US is losing its leadership,” They warn. Spain leaves a good example: the flow of foreign tourists moves in record levels while falls The domestic. Is there anything else? Yes. WTTC forecasts contradict those who handled It is not so much The US National Travel and Tourism Office (NTOO), which expected the flow of international visitors to the US to increase 6.5% between 2024 and 2025 to reach 77.1 million. In 2026 he even trusted to reach 85 million, which would exceed the data prior to the pandemic. By 2027 it provided for an expense level of 279,000 million Of dollars, quite above what the WTTC now forecasts for this year. Are all forecasts? No. The study of the WTCC cites data from March of the US Department of Commerce that already reveal a contraction in the flow of international tourists. Specifically, it shows an interannual “prick” of 15% in the British market, of more than 28% in Germany, almost 15% in South Korea and between 24 and 33% in “other key markets”, such as Colombia or Spain. “As expected, the Canadian market is exhausted: reserves in early summer have dropped more than 20% compared to last year,” Add the WTTCwhich ensures that in general the country is receiving fewer visitors from both its neighbors and distant nations, “a clear indicator that the global attractiveness of the United States decreases.” The agency ensures that it is the only destination of the 184 analyzed that faces the 2025 exercise with a downward forecast. And what is the reason? The newspaper The New York Times remember That in 2024 the spending of travel in the US already remained below the values ​​prior to the health crisis, basically due to the strength of the dollar and its influence on the budgets of tourists from other countries. The situation is quite different today. Both in regard to The currency as to the geopolitical context, which explains for the WTTC what is happening to foreign tourism in the United States. “The world’s largest economy and tourism is on a bad way, not due to lack of demand, but action. While other nations extend the red welcome carpet, the US government hangs the ‘closed’ poster, closed ‘, Julia Simpson ditchExecutive Director of the WTTC. “If urgent measures are not taken to restore travelers’ confidence, the US could take several years to return to the expenditure levels of international visitors prior to the pandemic.” Is it something unforeseen? Not quite. The tariff war, Washington’s clash with Denmark, Canada or Mexico and especially arrests In the borders and the confusion with visas It has been affecting the flow of travelers to the United States for some time. In fact there is talk of A boycott that extends beyond tourism, industry and Commerce. The US International Trade Administration already registered in March that the number of European visitors who spent at least one night in the country had fallen 17% With respect to last year. The data could be explained in part for the effect of Holy Week … Read more

Mr. Beast has brought his extreme tourism videos inside the Mayan ruins in Mexico. That is a problem for ruins

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Mrbeast It is the most important youtuber and followed in the world, and virtually any idea it has to generate content in its channel becomes a trend. Millionaire contests, spectacular challenges, philanthropic maneuvers … and now, adventure tourism. One of his last adventures has been to pass One hundred hours in an old Mayan temple two thousand years old. It is an idea with a peculiar dark side. One night in the temple. In the video we can see how Mrbeast wanders inside several Mayan pyramids, among other Chichén Itzá. Accompanied by an native guide, which reinforces its promotional character for the powerful tourism business in Mexico, sleeps in the jungle, and can touch funeral masks of the kings buried in the area. A privilege that is not at the scope of any tourist. A superstar. With almost 400 million followers and more than 82,000 million visualizations, no one doubts that Mrbeast is The most important youtuber in the world. The average video display on its channel is about 100 million, although it already has many exceeding 200. The income of your channel They can exceed four million dollars, not counting sponsorships or agreements. An authentic icon of the platform that is largely responsible for the spectacularization of Influencers: Always looking for the most extreme challenge, the most shocking image and the most unexpected trip. The spectacularization of YouTube. This spectacularization of the content is very clear in the titles of its last videos: ‘Would you risk drowning for $ 500,000?‘, I survived 7 days in an abandoned city, I survived the 5 most mortal places on earth… It is a radicalization of the content that is not only in the subject, but in the visual: climbing assemblies, a lot of noise and screams, many careers, a dynamic that stuns and that Keep the spectator dopamine by the clouds. Extreme tourism. Mrbeast exploits a new form of telematic tourism that is hooking millions of viewers by making these trips to remote places, often giving them an adventurous narrative: these trips are often linked to extreme challenges or tests, and have turned tourism into an experience that can be digitally consumed. For example, a few months ago we talked about Fabio Belnome and his trip in a 1998 Fiat to Japan. But there are many more in different social networks: the mountaineer @Nimsdaithe urban explorer @Shieyfreedom or the traveler to high -risk countries @drew_binsky. Thanks to them, the hashtag #tikToktravel, for example, has More than 23,000 million views. The dark side. However, there is a dark side in videos such as Mrbaest Chichén Itzá. In 2024, the Secretariat of Tourist Development of Yucatán reported that he expected the arrival of 6.7 million tourists, more than double those that arrived in the last year pre-pandemic. It is an area to which tourism provides 90% of its income. The controversial Mayan train. To promote and facilitate tourism, projects such as Mayan traina transport that will travel relevant areas of the Mayan zone, with special attention to serve tourism, connecting airports in a space of 1500 kilometers. But the authorities are concerned about Environmental impact of the pharaonic López Obrador project. For example, the works have been arrested in the area of ​​the Riviera Maya, one of the most frequented by tourists. The impact is more than studied in what affects caves, temples and other protected areas, and Even Unesco has intervened. The double track. Mexico is, in this way, before a dilemma: the content of Mrbeast is sponsored, as the video credits affirm, by the Tourism Secretariat of Mexicoin collaboration with institutions such as the National Institute of Anthropology and History. But at the same time, the massification of tourism is eroding archaeological treasures such as these temples, in a dilemma of which perhaps the great travel and adventure youtubers will have to begin to take responsibility in the future. Header | Mrbeast In Xataka | The videos of AI have broken the Instagram and Tiktok algorithms. Welcome to the new “AI landscape”

Venice established a rate to combat tourism hordes. Japan has copied the strategy: the one that arrives, pays

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It happened recently with the arrival of the “Holy Week.” Venice enhanced a little more That pioneering toll years ago. The figures that threw the input rate had gone so well, that the city He folded his price. A measure for which Italy sought to restore the balance between the rights of residents and the massive arrival of visitors. A nation has followed the popular enclave: Japan. Mass tourism and fiscal burden. We have been telling: Japan does not stop Receive touristsand given the unstoppable increase, a growing number of Japanese municipalities It has begun To look at the rates used in other enclaves Like Venice: Implement specific taxes for foreigners, in an effort to compensate for the growing costs that tourism activity imposes on local communities. According to Nikkeithese measures mainly include accommodation taxes per night, but are also expanding towards more innovative taxation forms that seek to exclude local payment residents, applying the principle of “who causes, pays.” The objective is clear: preserve fiscal viability of towns and cities that face a reverse demographic pressure (populations in decline in front of booming tourism) and sustain fundamental public services without moving the burden to those who live there permanently. Accommodation tax. Since Tokyo pioneered a pioneer fixed tax per person And by night in the accommodations, others 11 locations They have joined, the most recent of them Atamiin the prefecture of Shizuoka, which began to collect a tribute from 200 yen per night April 1. This tax, which will generate about 600 million annual yen, will serve to finance the new Atami Tourism Office and local activities such as fireworks festivals. The model adopted by most cities consists of fixed rates, staggered depending on the price of accommodation, to facilitate their collection and minimize the administrative load on hotels and hosts. However, there is a unique case with Kutchanin Hokkaido, which since 2019 imposes A 2% tax On the cost of accommodation in its resort area, a pioneering measure that other municipalities, such as Rusutsuthey study to replicate. Miyajima and the model. One of the most significant developments has been the tax applied by Hatsukaichi for access the island of Miyajimathat since October 2023 gravel with 100 additional yen to each ferry passenger. The measure, inspired by the principle of the so -called as “cause pays”seeks that visitors (not residents) absorb the costs derived from their presence, such as waste management, traffic and water and sewerage services. Unlike other rates aimed at promoting tourism, this is a general tax that can be used for any area of ​​the local budget. With a population of just 1,400 people and 4.85 million visitors in 2024, Miyajima was has become a symbol how mass tourism can overflow the operational capacity of a heritage enclave without adequate corrective measures. Biei: Combined taxes. Another illustrative case occurs in Bieialso in Hokkaido, who proposed A double taxation to balance the impact of tourists: a 200 yen accommodation tax per night and a parking charge in the Shirogane Blue Parkone of its main tourist attractions. With 2.39 million visitors in 2023 but only 158,000 overnight stays, most tourists are one -day hikers, which motivated A mixed scheme For everyone to contribute. Both measures are expected to collect more than 239 million annual yenresources that will be used both to maintain services and to support agricultural policies, in an attempt to reinforce the local economy from multiple fronts. Challenges and risks. As both prefectures and municipalities adopt their own variants of these taxes, new challenges arise, including the double taxation risk in areas where regional and local rates coincide. In addition, given that the fiscal performance of these measures depends directly on the concentration of accommodation facilities, the regions with the highest proportion of visitors without prolonged stay can be at a disadvantage, accentuating territorial inequalities. Solution? Some local governments (such as Sadoin Niigata) have considered alternatives such as Input taxes generalized to the island, which would simplify the collection and guarantee a more equitable distribution of the tax burden between short and long -term visitors. Local response to a global phenomenon. In short, the backdrop of this proliferation of tourist rates is still A paradox Increasingly common: destinations of international fame that at the same time face the collapse of their resident population and the overload of their services for the massive influx of those tourists once longed for their economies. As He counted in Nikkei Mneaki AokiProfessor at the University of Kanagawa and advisor to the tax systems of Miyajima and Biei, the “cause pays” adapts well to places where tourists exceed largely in number to the permanent inhabitants. Faced with tourism as a blessing and burden, these mechanisms seek a more pragmatic solution: conserve hospitality without sacrificing tax sustainability (or local quality of life). In that sense, Japan, with its meticulous normative approach, becomes a RARE Av of policy laboratory that could inspire other countries under the same dilemma, going from “copying” Enclaves like Venice to become a pioneer with their own initiatives. Image | Pexels In Xataka | Venice has just activated his plan against mass tourism: an entry rate that doubles its price In Xataka | Japan has realized that to welcome 60 million tourists, something lacks: workers in the hotels

The north of Spain has been complaining about mass tourism for years. Asturias has discovered the bitter consequences of losing it

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The formula of nature, calm and good kitchen that for years promoted Rural tourism In Asturias It seems to lose bellows. AND clearly. Although the photo of recent years is distorted by COVID, the housing of the principality specialized in this type of tourism have seen how His activity descended until they were driving before the pandemic. At least according to INE data. It is not so much a “puncture” in the flow of travelers and in that of the rooms (They last less) and the loss of interest in the national market. The phenomenon is interesting because it coincides with another or even more media: complaints in a large part of the peninsular northern ( Galicia to Cantabria or in your own Asturias) For precisely the opposite, the effects of tourist massification. While in Cantabria they cry for not being “The North Ibiza” And Galicia complains about The “fodechinchos”inside and the Asturian mountain the hoteliers cry out for measures that avoid the slow decline of rural tourism. An icon in low hours. A quick search arrives on Google to verify that rural tourism does not go through its best moment in Asturias. TO The news of the Regional Press about The fall of activity those in the sector claiming are added “Specific aids” and those of the Principality trying to reassure him. In fact, in January Adrián Barbón He promised to “rethink” rural tourism of the region “to recover thrust.” Shortly after its executive announced a Bond program With discounts designed to encourage demand. That the situation of the sector arouses so much interest in the Principality is more than understandable. In the mid -80s, and thanks largely to your campaign “Asturias Paraíso Natural”the community managed to make a place in a sector in which until then the tourism of Sun and beach prevailed. Today Asturias adds hundreds of establishments with thousands of places (in August the INE computed almost 1,400 and 14,800respectively) and stands out for its volume of rural houses per capita. What do the data say? That the sector has known better times. The INE shows that last year the Rural Accommodations of Asturias received some 304,000 travelers who paid for 924,400 overnight stays. The first data is not exactly bad. It is a slight increase of 1.7% compared to 2023 and is online of 2019. The second worries. In a Growth scenario The number of hired nights fell 3.2% year -on -year and remains away from the almost 975,000 overnight stays that the sector managed in 2019. The 2025 start has not been especially good. During the first quarter the volume of travelers and overnight stays fell with respect to last year, although the data should be handled cautiously. First because in 2024 Holy Week, a period of strong tourist demand, fell in March and this year did so in April. Second because There may be variations important from one month to another. In fact the Principality He has checked already for the growth of February. “Very black winter”. The truth is that the sector is far from satisfied. Recently the president of the EO-Porcia association implied in An interview with eldiario.es that the balance has been of everything but good in recent months. “50% of the peoples that are still inhabited today are for rural tourism. Fixed population and allows you I recognized. In its own accommodations, three apartments and a house, it did not register any reserve between the Bridge of the Constitution and last Holy Week. Looking for the causes. The big question is … What are you due to these data from the sector, especially overnight stays? Why if in August 2001 the average stay In rural accommodations, was 6.13 days passed to 4.76 in 2019 and 4.24 last year? For Ana Llanoof the Fuentes del Narcea Association, one of the keys is the change in demand. Tourists are looking for different things today during their vacations. Or rather, it does so at a different rhythm and way. “Before people came to spend the summer, to spend a few days in nature, to enjoy the house themselves. Now people want regrets In eldiario.es. His comment is in tune with the data on the duration of the rooms and another key indicator: the overnight stays fall in the rural one, but grow in the set of Asturias. “They end rural tourism”. To that challenge others are added: the de -stationalization, the need to enrich the offer with packages or the competition of other types of accommodation, such as Tourist housing (VUT) or the “illegal establishments” that (precisely by acting outside the administration) also blur the balance of the sector. There are those who speak of tens only between Vegadeo and Navia and who focuses the focus on the VUT. “They are ending rural tourism,” they said recently From the sector to The voice. Foreign lifeguard. The general photo leaves another interesting nuance. Asturian rural accommodations may be invoiced today less overnight than before pandemic, but that fall is mainly due to domestic demand. The nights hired by Spaniards fall, but those reserved by tourists from outside the country have grown considerably. With that backdrop last autumn the Principality launched A campaign aimed above all to the Asturian themselves. His slogan: “Are you sure you know Asturias?” When tourism does not arrive. The case of Asturias is interesting for something else. Between record tourism data and with the open debate on the effect of the sector on the real estate market, over the last years in much of Spain they have happened The protests against tourist. Especially in points such as the Canary Islands or Balearic Islands, but also in areas of the North, including Galicia or Cantabria, where the saturation of certain points has become a matter of debate. The Asturian rural and interior situation leaves a key question: what happens when tourism stops arriving or comes less? What if the Fodechinchos Do they stop traveling or areas that have developed … Read more

The players of ‘Gran Tourism’ thought that the RUF were the Porsche de Hacendado. They were the opposite

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The fancy It is an essential element in video games. It can be the theme, such as medieval fantasy of a ‘Dark Souls‘, but it can also be the relative to the fantasy of power in a game like’God of War‘ either ‘Civilization VII‘. The cars games They satisfy our fantasies to pilot the car of our dreams, unless your dream was to pilot a Porsche at 250 km/h in the most famous simulator of its time. Because there what breaks fantasy is something as earthly as … money. Luckily for years a brand went to the rescue of lovers of German sportsmen: Ruf. The problem. You are a young car enthusiast, buy the driving simulator on duty and discover that you can drive a Lambo, a Ferrari and brands of brands you didn’t even know, but not the one you really want: a Porsche. With the naivety of childhood, you did not imagine that a more ‘cheap’ brand that others were not in your video game, but at least you could be content with RUF. RUF cars looked like a tuning Porsche and it wasn’t what you wanted, either had their shield, but it served you. You thought it was like the ‘Pro Evolution Soccer‘When they modified the names of the players whose license belonged to the’ FIFA ‘saga, but you kept wanting to drive a Porsche and did not understand that the’ Need for Speed ​​’had the brand and’ Gran Tourism ‘no. Blessed (and damn) licenses. Because in video games, licenses are a blessing, but also a problem. Let’s go back to football sagas. While in FIFA we had Cafu, Rivaldo Oa Ronaldinho, in PES we had Facu, Ravoldi Ya Naldorinho. His gestures and faces simulated real players, but their names were, as little, original. The reason? The Japanese football saga did not have the licenses of real players, competitions or teams. And it happens with everything, really. We recently told you how there are extremely similar weapons to the real in shooting games, but many times the names are invented because The corresponding license has not been paid. And if we get into the subject of Royal Group SongsIt is a curious eggplant. There are games that have been edited through a patch to eliminate songs whose license has expired (‘GTA IV‘, for example) and others that have completely disappeared (‘Spec Ops The Line‘). Electronic Arts. It is as simple as, if you want to show a real person, a song, a weapon or whatever in a video game, those responsible for it must pay the brand. And this is something very juicy for companies, since they can promote their video game, precisely, with that license they have paid. In the case of cars, all brands included in a video game receive money for your rightsbut with Porsche he went one step further. At the beginning of the century, Electronic Arts was very strong in the field of driving with its saga ‘Need for Speed’. Before launching at night street races and cars modifications, in 2000 ‘Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed 2000’, a video game in which it should not be explained what Marca was the protagonist. The problem (for the rest of the companies)? That EA and Porsche signed an exclusivity agreement that lasted 15 years. Porsche 911 Carrera to the left, Ruf ‘YellowBird’ on the right RUF. Since then, the EA saga had Porsche cars that we could even modify, but in simulators like ‘Gran Turismo 2‘The mythical firm was not. In others like ‘PROJECT GOTHAM RACING‘ either ‘Forza Motorsport‘We also had Porsche, but this was the result of an agreement between Microsoft, Electronic Arts and Porsche herself. Now, why do you remember that you could conduct a Porsche 911 career in the ‘Grantu’? Very easy, because the Porsche 911 Carrera was in the ‘Grantu’. Well, more or less. The one that was Ruf, and a mythical model of ‘Gran Turismo 2’ was the RUF CRT YellowBird of 1987. Aesthetically, it was a Porsche 911 Carrera 3.2 and, precisely, what Ruf does in reality, outside Gran Turismo, is to modify Porsche cars in such a deep way that it is considered a totally independent brand. Porsche was created in 1931 and RUF In 1936 and what they do is build their cars on a bare chassis of Porsche, but using their own engines, suspensions, gearbox or body elements. In short: it is not a Porsche with steroids, it is something else At the legal level. The work is so deep that they are legally considered Ruf cars, not Porsche, and that is the reason why some games without Porsche’s license could have cars like the Porsche of our dreams, but without the shield or name of Porsche. What would happen to me and you will think that that YellowBird was the 911 race of ‘Gran Turismo 2’ with a different name and slightly different body because they could not have the Porsche brand, but as I explain, we were wrong: it was not a false car, but totally real. Happy end. That is why the RUF brand was in games like the ‘Gran Turismo’ or ‘Driveclub‘Instead of a Porsche that appeared in other sagas, next to RUF in case of’Forza Horizon 4‘. However, in 2016 the license agreement between the German firm and Electronic Arts expired, which allowed other racing games to incorporate the mythical German house. And a sample of the desire that ‘Gran Tourism’ had to have Porsche in its catalog is that the brand itself detailed The dozens of models in the latest installment of the saga … and that on the cover of ‘Gran Turismo 7‘Porsche VGT appears next to Mazda Rx Vision GT3. Now, we can pilot a 911 in almost any game, but those of us who grew up with RUF and ‘Gran Tourism’, we will never forget the mythical YellowBird. Images | Xataka, Porsche, Norbert Aepli, Gran Tourism In Xataka | It seemed an impossible enemy, it … Read more

Europe’s boycott to the United States is real and is being noticed in one of its most profitable sectors: tourism

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David Pereira is 53 years old, Reside in France And like others thousands Millions of Europeans have been raised under the influence of the US culture. The songs he listened to, the series he saw as a child, the films they threw in the cinema of his city or the cars he dreamed of driving: all ‘made in use’. Hence, when Pereira saw enough money, he decided to make his bags and meet the country in person. And he has done it conscientiously. He has been there almost a dozen times. Two years ago the national parks of the west coast was toured. His idea was to return this summer with his family to Yellowstone. But after two months of Trump administration, Pereira has changed plans. A few days ago I recognized To the CNN that has decided, in conscience, to cancel the trip. Your case connects with A trend which begins to be received in the powerful US tourism industry. A percentage: 17%. That the change of harmony between the US and Europe is taking its toll on American tourism is not a novelty. Weeks ago than the sector emits signals In that direction. And from both banks of the Atlantic. In Europe there are agencies that They find a loss of interest In the US. And on the other side of the ocean there are organisms that They start talking of a puncture in the demand. The clearest track of what is happening, especially in the flow of Europe-Use tourists, it gave it however Financial Times (Ft) a few days ago in An article with A holder that leaves little margin to interpretations: “European tourists cancel their trips to the US for Trump’s policies.” What are they based on? Basically in A percentage: according to international trade administration data (Itafor its acronym in English) visitors from Western Europe who spent at least one night in the US over March 17% collapsed with respect to 2024. It is a considerable fact. Especially if the relevance of the tourism industry is taken into account as an economic engine: represents about 2.5% of the country’s GDP. Click on the image to go to Tweet. Are there more indicators? Yes. Trump does not have not been at the head of the White House for three months, so there is still a perspective, but throughout the last weeks they have been published figures and testimonies that suggest that something is changing in US tourism. And not for good. FT He has prepared graphics They show that the flow of travelers with destiny has collapsed from Austria, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Germany, Norway or Spain, sometimes with setbacks that exceed 20%. There is also a puncture on the flights of different regions. “Something is happening”. In general Ita has found that in March they traveled to the US 12% less of foreign visitors who during the same month of 2024. And that the percentage excludes the arrivals from the residents of Canada and Mexico, two markets that do not seem to look with too much enthusiasm American tourist destinations. You have to go back to 2021, when the sector still suffered the pandemic hangover, to find a more dire March. Probably in that percentage has influenced the fact that last year Holy Week fell in March and in 2025 it will do so in April, but the sector acknowledges that there is a background trend that goes much further. “It is clear that something is happening … and it is a reaction to Trump”, Recognize Tourism Economics. Fall of reservations. They are not the only ones to point in that direction. In early April the French hotel group Accor SA, behind several brands and highlighted accommodations in the USA, confessed to Bloomberg TV that European reserves to visit this summer the country of bars and stars have collapsed 25%. Simply, tourists seem to opt for Canada, South America or Egypt. In Spain the Confederation of Travel Agencies (CEAV) also recognized A few days ago that perceives a loss of attractiveness of the US for tourists. With those data as a backdrop, Tourism Economics He has rethink down its forecasts this year for the US sector. If in February it foresee a fall of around 5%, that percentage has worsened until 9.4%already around. The French Voyageurs Du Monde has also recognized the CNN chain that since Trump’s investiture the reserves to the US have fallen by 20%. But … why? “It is probably anxious to enter an unknown territory,” He reflected the executive director of Accor when talking about the trend with Bloomberg. The truth is that the change in tendency in the sector coincides with a complex geopolitical framework: the distancing Between Washington and Brussels after Trump’s return to the White House, the escalation in the Commercial Warthe recession drumsthe speech about the European rear and, in Paul English opinionKayak co -founder, a change in the reputational image of the US. Throughout the last months several European countries They have updated Their recommendations for travelers who move to the US or have shown concern about changes in migratory and border control policies, including guidelines that affect trans people. Denmark ha issued an alert and in Spain exterior has updated Its guidelines. In the US attraction they also influence The news about arrests at the borders. Beyond Europe. The phenomenon goes beyond Europe. China He has issued Warnings on the “deterioration of economic and commercial relations” with the US and warns its citizens: “completely evaluate the risks of traveling to the US and travel with caution.” In Canada the Statistics Office registered in February A 23% drop on car trips to the US. In air traffic the descent was somewhat lower, but also stood at 13%. Those percentages and those of Ita coincide with another phenomenon that has been found for months, especially in Europe and Canada: The boycott of USA products in favor of domestic goods and services or other countries. In fact there … Read more

‘The White Lotus’ has shown how a group of millionaires veraneanding on your coasts is a magnet for tourism

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In addition to catching millions of viewers, Successful television series They have proven to have an unexpected power: become fashion tourist destination Your locations. Beyond their plots or characters, the landscapes that appear in them become one more actor and an object of desire to Millions of anxious tourists for living the same experiences as the protagonists of the series. The last to exploit this phenomenon has been “The White Lotus” in which, for more signs, a group of millionaires enjoy some vacation in a luxury resort. The tourist claim is served. The “The White Lotus” effect is very real In the same way as each stop on the Taylor Swift tour affected the economy Local for the singer’s convocation power, every season of “The White Lotus” has had in response an increase in visitors in the locations in which it has been filmed. In the BBC They analyzed the phenomenonwho have not hesitated to qualify as “White Lotus effect“ The White Lotus series, which tells the vacations of a group of Millionaires in a luxury resort which gives name to the series, but in real life it is hotels of the Four Seasons chain. For the first season, Mike White, made the whole plot happen at the facilities of the Four Seasons Resort Maui in Waileain Hawaii. According to data published by the BBC, the hotel registered an annual increase of 425% in the number of visitors to its website and 386% in availability consultations after the broadcast of the first season. Four years after the broadcast of the first season of the series in Hawaii, there is still no availability for the “pineapple suite” that appears in the series. The hotel chain has not let the occasion escape and has taken advantage of the pull of the series to offer one of its “premium experiences” emulating the protagonists From the series on a 20 -day jet in private jet to the three hotels that have served as a location for “The White Lotus”. Its price: since 188,000 per adult. The tourism of “The White Lotus” in figures According to published data by The Wrapthe impact on Hawaii’s local economy Tourism attracted by the series In the first season it was 12.89 million dollars for local economic activity. That provided 3.86 million dollars in salaries to the workers of the island and attracted an investment of 7 million in local companies and suppliers. All this in his first season, when his success still did not reach current popularity quotas, where Variety He reportedan audience of 4.2 million viewers in episode 6 of the third season. For the second season of the series, the group of millionaires moved to the facilities of the FOUR SEASONS SAN DOMENICO PALACE In Taormina, Sicily, and with them They dragged a legion of followers. In the case of Sicily, the series was already coming from a very successful first season, so its figures quadrupled. The local tourism economy It received an impact of 40.1 million dollars after the broadcast of the second season, which generated 18.7 million dollars in salaries for local workers and an investment of 21.4 million dollars for local companies and suppliers. The numbers suggest that the third season of the series, set in the Four Seasons Resort Koh Samuiin Thailand, they will also be a tourist ball that has already generated a benefit of 36.9 million dollars in tourist activities. According to published The New York Timesthe reserves in the Four Seasons in which the third season has already registered a 40% increase in its reserves. Those responsible for local airlines They assuredto Bloomberg They expected a record of 2.7 million visitors this year, attracted by the The White Lotus effect. Set-Jetting: Choose destination according to your favorite series The tourist success of The White Lotus is not an isolated case result of the aspirational desire to achieve some luxury vacation like those enjoyed by the wealthy protagonists of the HBO series. Choose how Vacation destination The locations of the series most popular of the moment has become a trend called “Set-Jetting“ According to The UNPACK´24 report Expedia, 66% of travelers have considered traveling to a destination after watching it in a series or film, and 39% have ended up spending their vacation in one of these film locations. Game of Thrones left an even deeper mark on his recording scenarios, such as Dubrovnik. From the premiere of the series, the city, which served as the scenario for landing of the King, experienced a 40% increase in the influx of international tourists. That generated immediate economic benefits, such as a 60% growth in local income related to tourism. However, series impact also brought some inconveniences For the inhabitants of the Croatian city. According to a studybetween 2012 and 2018, housing prices in Dubrovnik fired 28%, promoted in part by international investments and the arrival of foreigners who sought to acquire properties in the now famous destination. In Xataka | The last trend among millionaires is not to buy a yacht. Is to share a luxury minicrucero Image | Max

Chichén Itzá has been the queen of tourism in Mexico for decades. He has competition with the new “Egypt of the Maya”

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Pre -Hispanic presence is omnipresent in Mexico. We are getting more and more about the past of cities as Mexico Citybut if we have to talk about seeing cities and constructions of the Maya, Yucatán is the power. It is where are the most relevant archaeological sites. And, among all, a proper name stands out: Chichén Itzá. By far, It is the great Mayan power of tourism in the Yucatan Peninsula. But that crown jewel has just left a tough competition: Ichkabal, also known as the ‘Mesoamerican Egypt’. Ichkabal. In the state of Quintana Rooa few kilometers from La Laguna de Bacalar, the Maya raised an older city than others as famous as the aforementioned Chichen Itzá. HE esteem That it began to populate at some point in 400 BC and was inhabited until 1500 AD was the most important administrative city of the Maya, something that is believed due to the imposing size of some of its constructions. The problem is that, for centuries, the area was totally forgotten by the nature of nature, whose green opulence swallowed practically every trace of the buildings of the Maya except the main temple and some more construction. And, as is usually the case, its discovery was almost by accident. Fluke. In 1995, a team of researchers from the National Institute of Anthropology and History was in the area searching A much smaller archaeological territory known as ‘Las Higueras’ when they ran into something different and much larger. Thus, they ran into an imposing pyramid, but also with mounds of land and vegetation that covered different buildings. They immediately realized the importance of the site, so a path was built that can be seen perfectly in Apps such as Google Earth –This link-. In addition, in the application we can understand how the site had gone totally unnoticed due to that vegetation. The Mesoamerican Egypt. But well, there was no doubt that they were facing something big. In Ichkabal, the Maya built several small and medium buildings, but also other colossal. For example, an open square of about 300 meters, a couple of small pyramids and the crown jewel: a building 46 meters high and a 200 -meter plant. There is also a 60 x 8 -meter lagoon that could have supplied the population. And that proximity to a source of water and the ocean itself is what could have given Ichkabal the administrative importance that is estimated, had. Due to the size of these constructions, the Mesoamerican Egypt ‘has been called to the area. Rivaling with Kukulcán. To get an idea of ​​the size of that construction, the Kukulcán Temple that is the main Mayan attraction of Mexico as part of Chichén Itzá and indisputable protagonist of the equinox Spring and autumn, it has a height of about 30 meters and a base of 55.5 meters. The base of the main building of Ichkabal is four times larger and the height reaches 15 meters more. Now, the state of conservation is not the same, something logical considering that restoration work in both places did not run the same fate. But this is something that changed relatively little thanks to the goal of converting Ichkabal into one of the key stop stops of the Mayan train. Mayan train. With this railway network, the previous Mexican president -manuel López Obrador- wanted to create a transport system that value the archaeological sites of the country, connecting them better with the municipalities and the most tourist areas in order to facilitate it would arrive from one point to another. With that idea of ​​revitalizing the cultural heritage, the opening of Ichkabal once the objects of cataloging objects, other elements and restoration was finished, it was linked to the Mayan train project. So much so that, from INAH and as we read in The nationthey consider that Ichkabal has potential to unseat other archaeological sites, at the tourist level, such as Chacchoben either Kohunlich. Open to the public. And, after all the work of archaeologists, Ichkabal is the pre -Hispanic archaeological site number 194. As reported by himself INAHyou can visit from Monday to Sunday and it is located a distance from the stations of the Mayan Train of Bacalar and Chetumal, since the road we commented on a few lines has about 23 kilometers. And cruises. We said that Ichkabal is in Quintana Roo, a state in which yes, there are Mayan ruins XCARET-, but where tourism is otherwise. Is where the famous beaches of Cancun and the Rivera Mayawith all those kilometers of beach occupied by large resorts and hotel complexes. The ports of Xcalac and Mahahual are crucial for the arrival of cruises and is something that, together with the Mayan train, the state hopes that allows a high influx of visitors to the new Mayan city. Without a doubt, taking into account the dimensions of the archaeological site and the tourist magnet that is the state coast, Ichkabal has many ballots to be placed among the top of the most visited Mayan ruins in the country. We will have to be attentive to the list next year to see if the applicant can play the crown to Chichen Itzá and the Kukulcán temple. In Xataka | When the Spanish conquerors arrived in Tenochtitlan were fascinated by a technology: the Mexican canoes

Drought and mass tourism have aggravated the shortage of water in the Balearic Islands. Now it is going to entrust the desaliners

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Throughout the month of March Let’s have a storm characterized by many rains. However, when this temporary pass will come the good weather and return The drought again. Given this situation, the Balearic Islands, one of the communities most affected by water scarcityThey are looking to get ahead. The projects. The seafore and water cycle. has announced The construction of three desalination plants in Mallorca, Menorca and Ibiza. The installation will have an initial budget of 3.5 million euros and are expected to be operational within five years, supplying more than 60,000 inhabitants. A serious problem. Currently, reservoirs on the islands are 51% of its capacity, showing the water problem despite the recent rains. For that reason, from the Ministry They have pointed out That these new desalination makers are to guarantee the medium and long term water supply, regardless of the weather conditions. However, this is not all, because there are other concerns, such as overexploitation of aquifers that It has generated problems With the introduction of salts. In addition, the archipelago receives a large amount of tourism every summer, which triggers demand and Test The supply capacity. Future desalination. The Balearic Government has planned the construction of desalists financed through the STI 24-25 call, with the aim of improving the water supply in the region. In Mallorca, the Rostent area will be prioritized, especially the strip between Ses Salines and Artà, as well as the municipalities of the PLA. In Menorca and Ibiza, areas with the highest water deficit will be served. The project will take place in several phases with the construction in 2027 and the commissioning of the facilities in 2030. But they already have others … that’s how, in the Balearic Islands There are desalination plants They help meet the growing demand for water. Currently, ABAQUA manages a supply and desalination infrastructure network that includes several plants, such as Mallorca, Menorca and Ibiza. To give an example, the three existing desalination plants in Ibiza operate at 75 % of their capacity throughout the year, and They reach 110 % peaks In more than five months, which shows the overload of the supply system. Inconveniences. Although desalination plants have become an alternative for water use, they have a series of problem. On the one hand, they need high energy consumption, so would imply an increase in the price of water In the long term. On the other hand, these facilities They can have brinea residue with high salt concentration that can damage marine ecosystems. So the Balearic Islands will have to continue trusting technologies such as desalination plants, which despite the aforementioned problems, offer a response to the growing demand for water. However, they can bet on the implementation of long -term measures such as Wastewater reuse or Other methods within desalination. Image | Pexels Xataka | Barcelona is about to live something unpublished for 50 months and that until recently we thought it impossible: the end of drought

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