Top Destination Travel News From June

Canada updated its travel advisory for Canadians heading to the United States in June, adding an additional paragraph warning Canadian nationals about the risk of gun violence in the United States. While the advisory did not change from its lowest risk status, the country does want its citizens to be vigilant. Canada isn't the first country to add a clause like this in its travel advisory for the nation.

The Bahamas' House of Assembly proposed a new bill that would nearly double cruise passenger fees and introduce a $5 environmental levy for every cruise passenger entering the port, as well as a $2 "tourism enhancement levy," all of which are ways that the islands are looking to improve tourism infrastructure.

New data from the National Travel and Tourism Office found that international visitor spending increased for 25 straight months in the United States, despite excessively long visa wait times and a growing sense of discomfort among international travelers heading to the country for fear of gun violence. In April 2023 alone, international travelers spent $17.3 billion, an increase of 26 percent from April 2022.

New research from Discover Puerto Rico shows how demand for the island, which requires no passport for Americans to visit, surged during the first quarter of 2023. Passenger arrivals increased 18.6 percent and short-term rentals and hotel demand increased 14 percent from the same period in 2022.

New Orleans & Company announced earlier in mid-June that is has partnered with the New Orleans LGBTQ Hospitality Alliance to re-launch its 2019 "Everyone's Welcome Here" campaign, which includes a city-wide business initiative and training program.

The United Kingdom officially announced that it would begin charging international travelers an Electronic Travel Authorization fee to enter, which should cost around $12.50 each — and that includes children and infants. Those simply transiting through the United Kingdom on their way to somewhere else are also required to pay the fee. The ETA system will begin being in effect for travelers from a select few countries as soon as November 2023.

The Hawai'i Tourism Authority awarded $3.78 million to community events, festivals and programs as part of its Signature Events and Community Enrichment program for the year. The program typically funds important and culturally significant annual events and festivals across the Hawaiian islands.

Hawai'i Tourism Authority's President and CEO announced mid-June that he will be stepping down from his role in September, when his contract ends. John de Fries began his tenure in 2020 and successfully navigated the tourism authority through the pandemic and towards a more sustainable tourism approach.

In late June, a Roman archaeological complex that holds tour temples and Pompey's Curia, the site of Julius Caesar's infamous assassination, opened as a tourist attraction following the creation of accessible walkways and other key infrastructure in Rome. The site is called the "Sacred Area" and is located the Largo Argentina. Key attractions include the site of the emperor's assassination as well as what is thought to be a temple to Fortuna.

The remote island of Ulko-Tammio, located within Finland's Eastern Gulf of Finland National Park, recently began promoting itself as the world's first phone-free island destination. Campers and hikers are now encouraged to visit the island without the use of their phone, being gifted with a removable sticker that covers the front of a cell phone as an encouragement to stay in the moment.

A new initiative in New Orleans is focusing on reducing the city's reputation for its waste by working with businesses and hotels on how to reduce waste and make more sustainable, community-minded decisions, called Keep It Clean NOLA.

Mexico will be able to boast of having 108 Blue Flag destinations and tourism ships this year, making it the tenth highest country for Blue Flag designations in the world. Some of these destinations include resorts, tourism boats or ships, as well as beaches and other attractions that focus on sustainability.

Jamaica's ministry of tourism reported that in 2022 alone, the popular island destination welcomed 117 more travelers than in 2021 and surpassed its pre-pandemic record, with a total of 3.3 million visitors. But the nation expects to see even more travelers this year, having already welcomed over 2 million during the first six months of the year and generating a total of $2 billion in spending, 18 percent above that generated in the first half of 2019.

The Fort Lauderdale Downtown Development Authority reported a 162 percent increase in out-of-town domestic trips since 2018, welcoming 900,000 in 2022 alone.

A new exclusive interview with Belize's minister of tourism and diaspora relations, Anthony Mahler, provides an insight into how Belize is positioning itself and preparing itself to become a quality destination for American travelers, from building cruise infrastructure to expanding the presence of luxury resorts and more.

The Hawai'i Tourism Authority provided grants totalling $2.7 million to help fund cultural and ecological preservation programs across the Hawaiian islands. It's been doing so since 2010 and has since provided funds totalling $25.5 million.

Research from the World Travel & Tourism Council reports that the European Union's tourism economy has nearly reached 2019 levels, signalling that the region is nearly reaching a full recovery from the pandemic. The report also predicts that by the end of the year, 22.4 million people (one in nine workers across the region) will be employed in the travel and tourism industry.