Daily Podcast: Barcelona’s Overtourism Balancing Act

D

Skift Take

Great early morning from Skift. It’s Monday, June 27 in New York City City. Here’s what you require to know about the business of travel today.

Rashaad Jorden

Today’s edition of Skift’s everyday podcast takes a look at Barcelona’s effort to manage tourism growth, Qantas’ efforts to handle a spike in traffic, and Kenya’s push for more cashless tourism transactions.

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Episode Notes

Barcelona is aiming to accelerate the recovery of its tourist industry, however the city faces a delicate balancing act of working to bring in more visitors while preventing becoming the poster child for overtourism once again, reports Factor Paula Krizanovic.

As Barcelona has actually released a tourist project targeted at American travelers, Krizanovic composes that regional citizens who had actually retaken Barcelona’s public spaces throughout pandemic-era border closures are worried about return of problems associated with massive tourism. However the city is also considering actions to restrict the variety of traveler arrivals.

On the other hand, Barcelona-based teacher Esteve Dot Jutglà believes the city can manage tourism if it executes a sustainable long-lasting method. Dot Jutglà has actually recommended the city decentralize tourism by establishing places beyond the city as attractions for potential visitors.

Next, Australian flag provider Qantas is improving its staffing numbers in preparation of a busy July. But like its peers in the U.S. and Europe, the company is cutting flights to relieve airport crowds that are causing bedlam at airports in recent weeks, writes Airlines Reporter Edward Russell.

Qantas announced on Friday it will increase ground staff numbers by 15 percent in July compared to levels throughout Easter this year. The airline company is likewise providing non-management staff a one-time benefit of approximately $3,500. However, as Australia’s three busiest airports have warned leaflets about likely huge crowds and possible hold-ups, Qantas is reducing flights on domestic paths through March 2023. The business likewise stated the cuts will help it recoup high oil rates.

Lastly, Kenya leads its peers in Africa concerning the approval of digital payments, which have actually grown worldwide throughout the pandemic. But Kenyan tourism executives believe that customers have been slow to embrace cashless deals, writes Factor Harriet Akinyi.

John Musau, the general supervisor of Nairobi-based Tamarind Tree Hotel, acknowledges that the worry of identity theft has steered visitors far from using a cashless system. While the cashless system the hotel embraced has actually made it attractive to visitors who no longer carry cash, Musau confesses that he’s losing out on potential visitors who choose to utilize money. Roughly 15 percent of Kenyans utilize digital payment as a means of transaction, according to Visa Kenya.

On the other hand, significant players in Kenya’s travel industry– such as nationwide carrier, Kenya Airways, and its national parks– have likewise announced the shift to cashless systems.