Purchasing concert tickets has long been a high-stakes affair, with popular events often selling out within minutes. Increasingly, however, fans are competing against automated ticket-buying programs, commonly referred to as bots, that can snap up seats in seconds before reselling them at higher prices. This has distorted access not only to concert tickets but also to everyday…
Guelb er-Richat, Adrar Region, Mauritania – From inside her thatch-roof tent, Fatima Cheikh Mohammad Bouya scans the vast, rocky landscape outside, hoping to catch sight of approaching guests, ideally travellers looking to stay the night. The 49-year-old is custodian of one of Africa’s most striking natural landmarks, the Richat Structure, also known as the “Eye…
Shorouk Express The Canary Islands’ Tourism Minister who recently pushed through reforms to regulate tourist flats on the archipelago has received several threats and attacks to her property, including an AI-generated video in which she is seen being burnt alive. The Canary Islands Minister for Tourism and Employment, Jéssica de León, has received threats after…
Shorouk Express Spain’s crucial yet controversial mass tourism model is projected to continue to grow next year, with new data showing an increase in bookings by foreign holidaymakers for Christmas and the start of 2026. Spain is already, and has been for some time, the second-most visited country in the world just behind France, yet…
Shorouk Express In our first edition of The Local’s Americans in Spain newsletter, we cover the new passport checks at Spanish airports, fertility tourism, the huge influx of anti-Trump Americans moving to Spain, as well as key changes to the Spanish non-lucrative visa. Welcome to The Local’s “Americans in Spain” newsletter for members, featuring all…
Shorouk Express Even though 2025 has not been marked by as many protests against overtourism in Spain as the previous year, new data indicates that dissatisfaction among locals with the current tourism model keeps increasing. The latest edition of the Tourism Perception Barometer by global marketing company LLYC shows that Spaniards’ opinions about tourism in…
Shorouk Express In this week’s Inside Spain, we look at why the decision to limit visitor numbers at Barcelona’s overcrowded Park Güell has been shrugged off as a “distraction tactic” by disgruntled locals. Spain’s most touristy city continues to look for ways to crack down on overtourism, albeit not too drastically. Barcelona City Council approved…
Shorouk Express Fifty years after General Francisco Franco’s death, Benidorm still clings to the mass tourism model it pioneered under his dictatorship, even as protests against overtourism sweep other Spanish holiday hotspots. Built on bikinis, skyscrapers and package holidays, the industry reshaped socially conservative Spain’s image abroad and brought in much-needed foreign currency. “There are…
Shorouk Express Economy Materials 8 September 2025 18:17 (UTC +04:00) Azerbaijan Railways reported a significant rise in foreign passengers this summer, with nearly 11,000 tourists traveling by train. The boost highlights growing international interest in Azerbaijan’s rail tourism sector and its role in supporting the broader travel economy. Access to paid information…
Shorouk Express “During 2024, the Spanish tourism sector experienced its best year since 2019. Its contribution to GDP rose by almost 8% to €248.7 billion, or 15.6% of the economy. It also employed 3 million people, nearly 14% of the country’s total jobs,” the World Travel & Tourism Council reported in May. For many Spaniards,…
