Daily Archives: January 22, 2025

World’s most beautiful island with ‘too many tourists’ abandons plan to ban new hotels

An island repeatedly named as the world’s best is to scrap a ban on new hotels.This is despite Bali in Indonesia having to grapple with overtourism, as stricter rules to manage the growth of tourism accommodations are set to be introduced instead.Bali’s Governor, Wayan Koster, told media: “There is no need for a moratorium. What’s needed is stricter control.”The island’s leader added that specific actions have not yet been decided, but hinted at a new Provincial Decree to regulate property ownership, including by foreign nationals, Skift reports.Mr Koster said: “Yes, I will continue to permit the building of villas and hotels. But the rules will be strict.”Bali draws visitors from across the globe due to its people, art and culture, nature, food and beautiful beaches.But concerns have been expressed about the negative effects of so many tourists, including environmental degradation.Development, for example, has changed areas like Cemagi, North Kuta, where rice fields have been replaced by buildings.In 2024, the island recorded 6.3million international tourists, surpassing a target of 5.5million.Many came from Australia, India, and China, according to the Bali Provincial Tourism Office. The island aims to draw in 6.5million overseas visitors in 2025.Bali was ranked at the top of the list of places to reconsider visiting in 2025 drafted by travel experts at Fodor’s.But there has been some debate over hotel occupancy rates.Deputy Governor Nyoman Giri has claimed that they remain low, with many accommodations struggling to attract guests even during peak months.On the other hand, Douglas Louden, senior asset manager at Global Asset Solutions, said: “We are not sure what data is being reviewed here, our research indicated year round occupancies were in excess of 70% and that the destination was performing quite well despite the opening of new inventory.”

The little city in Europe named world’s happiest place and it barely has any tourists

A beautiful European city is said to be one of the happiest places in the world – and is much less visited than the continent’s better-known travel hotspots.Aarhus, a city in Denmark on the Jutland peninsula’s east coast, is known for its beautiful waterfront with a plethora of museums and art offerings.It was named the happiest city in the world in the Happy City Index 2024, which considered factors such as mobility, green spaces, and education, and with its picturesque cityscape and charming cobbled streets, it’s easy to see why.Highlights include its picturesque Latin Quarter which features an abundance of boutiques selling handmade items, with a variety of bars, restaurants and beautiful houses.It also has a rich arts scene, including the ARoS Aarhus Kunstmuseum with five galleries, an entire floor dedicated to installation art and stunning rooftop views.Meanwhile, visitors rave over Den Gamle By in the city’s Botanical Gardens, an open-air museum that recreates historic Danish life.A TripAdvisor reviewer who visited in April last year gave the attraction a five-star rating, and said the “effort of the restoration and the gathering of the many objects, as well as the attention to detail, leave you speechless and, also with regard to our present day, very thought-provoking”.They added that visiting the site is, “Actually a must for our young people”.Aarhus Domkirke, a Romanesque-style cathedral that is the country’s tallest church, is also said to be well worth a visit.One tourist who visited in 2023 said the centuries-old structure is “beautiful both inside & out”.It’s also a short trip from the UK, with direct flights from London to Aarhus taking about two hours.Ryanair offers the only direct flights from London Stansted to Aarhus, with return fares starting at around £35. You can then get a direct bus from the airport to Aarhus city centre, which takes around 50 minutes.Visitors can also fly into Billund, the home of Lego, and take a bus from there, and the journey takes about one hour and 30 minutes.

Travel Beauty Hacks: 5 Skincare Tips for Your Next Long-Haul Flight

Long flights can be a miserable experience. Between the dry cabin air, jet lag, and time zone shifts, sitting in one position for hours can leave you feeling drained, uncomfortable, and looking less than your best. Whether you’re heading to a business meeting, vacation, or visiting loved ones, you want to arrive feeling refreshed and ready to start your trip. Here are five essential travel beauty hacks that can be easily incorporated into your in-flight routine. These tips will not only keep your skin looking its best but also help you feel refreshed and rejuvenated, so you can step off the plane glowing.

Jordan among best places to travel in 2025

Ammon News – BBC Travel, the global media portal, has ranked Jordan among the best tourist destinations for travel in 2025.Jordan came in 13th place in the classification on the list of the best travel destinations for 2025.The list includes, in order, Dominica, Naoshima – Japan, Dolomites – Italy, Greenland, Wales, Western Newfoundland and Labrador – Canada, Tucson Arizona – United States, Western Australia, Sri Lanka, Panama, Rif Mountains in Morocco, Bradford – England, Jordan, Wadi Haa, Bhutan, Hawaii, Uzbekistan, Haida Gwaii Islands, Emerald Coast – Nicaragua, Isle of Man, Gilgi Baltistan region of Pakistan, Azores Islands, Kansas City, Missouri – United States, Bolivia, Botswana, Oslo – Norway. In the BBC’s inaugural guide to the best places to travel this year, we wanted to highlight the destinations experiencing the opposite phenomenon. Each of these 25 spots is not only welcoming visitors and offering incredible travel experiences, but also using tourism to support local communities, protect the environment or preserve their unique cultural heritage. BBC said that Jordan considers as home to some of the world’s most breathtaking desert landscapes and the ancient capital of one of history’s most mysterious civilisations, Jordan never fails to evoke wonder. Jordan has been quietly building up its reputation as the Middle East’s go-to destination for outdoor adventure-seekers, according to BBC. In 2023, a stunning new 10-day, 120km-long hiking path known as the Wadi Rum Trail opened, which weaves through the rust-red walls of Jordan’s iconic Wadi Rum, tracing the otherworldly landscapes featured in the films Star Wars, Dune and The Martian. Visitors have traditionally breezed through the desert here on 4×4 tours, but this community tourism project promotes a slower, more sustainable form of travel that protects the desert’s delicate ecosystem while safeguarding the rich cultural heritage of the local Bedouin community. Elsewhere, this Maine-sized nation is teeming with 33 protected land and marine ecosystems. At the Wadi Mujib Biosphere Reserve (the world’s lowest-lying nature reserve at 410m below sea level), visitors can search for the illusive desert-dwelling Nubian ibex while climbing, swimming and sliding their way through a sandstone gorge to the base of a crashing waterfall. The Dana Biosphere Reserve (Jordan’s largest), is home to 180 bird species and 25 endangered mammal species. The rich coral reefs of the Aqaba Marine Reserve, which was added to the IUCN Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas in January 2025, support more than 500 fish species and a growing diving scene. – Florence CraigThe BBC compiled the list with input from BBC Travel journalists and some of the world’s leading sustainable travel authorities, such as the United Nations World Travel Organization, Sustainable Travel International, the Black Travel Alliance and the World Travel & Tourism Council.