Top Destination Travel News from November

Destination news was slow in November, but what we have reported on is important nonetheless: the Caribbean's post-pandemic recovery, a new feature showcasing the next popular African destination and new tourist taxes are all important topics that travelers and travel advisors should familiarize themselves with. Click through the slideshow to read the biggest news, and click the links found within to read the full stories.

Air ticket sales continue to place the Caribbean at the top of the industry in terms of its popularity post-pandemic, with seven of the top ten most-visited countries from January to September, 2023 in the Caribbean. The Dominican Republic is leading the destinations, with 14 percent more air arrivals compared to 2019. 

A new feature sheds light on the only Spanish-speaking country in Africa: Equatorial Guinea. The country, located on the west coast of Africa, offers incredible natural wonders and a modern infrastructure, and it just might be the next big destination.

To fund Denmark's transition to net zero domestic flights by 2030, the country has proposed that travelers pay a green tax for domestic, medium-haul and international long-haul flights.

ProColombia, Colombia's tourism agency, expects to see incredible growth in its cruise sector this year and the next. In 2022, the country saw cruise arrivals grow 151 percent year-over-year. Through June, 2024, the country is expected to welcome over 334,000 cruise tourists. AmaWaterways will also begin river cruising in Colombia in 2024.

A new report published by the Hawai'i Tourism Authority shows hotel revenue, bookings and air traffic slumping somewhat as we head into the new year. Learn the full impact here.

Day-trippers visiting Venice after April, 2024 will need to pay 5 euro on peak travel weekends when they don't stay overnight. The hope is that the tourist tax encourages day-trippers to visit on the days when Venice is least-visited, instead.

China expanded its visa-free travel program to six new countries in the hopes of spurring a recovery of its tourism industry. Travelers carrying passports from France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia can now visit the country without a traveler's visa from December 1, 2023 through November 30, 2024.

Americans are the second-highest nation group to visit Brazil during January through September of this year. The country has seen a 74 percent increase in visitor totals during this period compared to 2022.

A new feature provides an inside look at how the Seoul Tourism Organization promotes local experiences for travelers to enjoy across the glittering, storied metropolis that's riding a new wave of international popularity as the Korean Wave continues to put South Korea on the bucket list map for travelers across the globe.

Turks and Caicos is another Caribbean island benefitting from the international travel trend: it's welcomed a 4.8 percent year-over-year increase in airport arrivals and an 18 percent increase in cruise ship arrivals in the first ten months of the year.

Cancun's beaches are preparing for the destination's high tourism period by adding more lifeguards and issuing updated guidance for travelers, including informing them of the different flags that symbolize ocean conditions and urging them to be responsible about alcohol consumption to avoid drownings and other ocean emergencies.