Giuridico e Amministrativo

🏖️ In Barcelona, the tourist tax is set to increase by an additional €4, as indicated by the city government in collaboration with the Catalan government. Currently, tourists pay a variable rate based on hotel category (€1 to €3.5) or cruise ship stay duration (€2 to €3). Barcelona adds a surcharge of €4 to the general Catalonia-wide tariff, which may double to €8 with the new ordinance. Mayor Collboni emphasizes that this increase from €4 to €8 will enhance social returns for residents and help cover the cost of services used by tourists.

🎲 In Italy, a pact for tourism focusing on issues like sustainability and AI was signed at the National Tourism Forum. Spirit Airlines filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy but will honor tickets and loyalty points. Thailand targets 40 million arrivals and about 94 billion euros in tourism revenue for the next year, possibly through gambling legalization. Booking Holdings plans staff cuts despite a Q3 revenue of $8 billion and a $3.7 billion EBITDA, up 12% from 2023. Italy is essential for the Minor hotel group, which aims to expand. Pompeii caps daily visitors at 20,000 to improve the experience, possibly reducing to 15,000. Protests in Florence against short-term rentals led to calls for key-box bans. The Campuestohan Highland Resort in the Philippines opened a new 15-room hotel shaped like a 35-meter high chicken.

🌍 Presidente della Regione Basilicata, Vito Bardi, celebrated the success of Roots-in, the International Tourism Exchange of Origins, in Matera three years after its initiation. The event, addressing overtourism, promotes local traditions and culture by connecting Italian descendants with their ancestral lands, benefiting especially the smaller villages. Roots-in represents a strategy for international visibility and strengthening ties with the diaspora.

✈ Lumiwings, starting December 11, 2023, until March 26, 2025, doubles its service on the Foggia-Bergamo route with an additional frequency. New flights every Wednesday, leaving Foggia at 18:35 and Bergamo at 20:45, aim to increase connectivity for passengers traveling to Lombardy and further international destinations.

✈ Air India has announced an increase in baggage fees for flights to Europe and the United Kingdom, aligning with rates of other international carriers. Passengers must now pay an additional 4,000 rupees (approximately 45 euros) for a one-way trip to check a second piece of luggage, opting for either Classic or Flex fares. This pricing shift marks a move away from the ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach.

🏡 Ávoris, a Spanish travel company, is poised to reach 3,000 travel agencies. To avoid Antitrust interventions, Ávoris has submitted documentation to the Comisión nacional de los mercados y la competencia. Currently, the company has about 2,300 outlets across various brands. Approval from the Spanish Antitrust is anticipated by the end of the year.

✈ British Airways experienced a computer system failure causing flight disruptions at London Heathrow yesterday evening, stranding thousands of passengers. The airline has rectified the issue but further delays may occur. Past incidents have led to sanctions against the carrier, with the current problem related to electronic flight plan registration.

🚃 The railway transport in Italy is not included in the general strike scheduled for November 29 by Cgil and Uil. Rail connections will operate normally during the public and private sectors' strike on that day. However, the railway sector will strike from 21:00 on Saturday, November 23, until 21:00 on Sunday, November 24. The strike will involve personnel from the FS Group, Trenitalia, Trenitalia Tper, and Trenord, potentially causing delays or cancellations.

🏠 Airbnb contacted Madrid and Barcelona mayors proposing alternatives to their short-term rental restrictions. The aim is to protect Airbnb's business model and prevent a radical shift like New York's. For Madrid, Airbnb suggests allowing only 'occasional hosts', maintaining current housing units. In Barcelona, they seek to revise regulations that have stopped new tourist accommodation licenses for a decade.

🛫 European aviation giants are unable to compete on routes connecting Europe to China, leading to a market share for Chinese carriers soaring from 55% in 2018 to 82%. The European carriers are hampered by a Russian airspace ban, resulting in approximately two extra hours of flight time and higher fuel costs. The demand remains high, with a 15% capacity increase to 10,000 flights, benefiting Chinese companies. Iberia has not flown to Shanghai since 2020.