And other travel news you may have missed.
This week in travel, we’ve uncovered several stories that might have flown under your radar. Among them: Airbnb calls on European cities to focus on hotels as a measure to control overtourism; London rail passengers endure brutal heat conditions after trains break down; and Amsterdam celebrates its 750th birthday.
Dive into these and more as we examine the latest in travel news.
NO.1
AIRBNB TELLS EUROPEAN CITIES TO FOCUS ON HOTELS
Short-term rental company Airbnb is pushing back against claims that it is the primary driver of overtourism in Europe, pointing instead to hotels as major contributors. According to the company, hotels accounted for 80% of guest nights in 2023 and 2024. Airbnb argues that cities seeking to address overtourism should examine the impact of hotels, especially amid a growing housing crisis in many European cities. In an interview, founder Brian Chesky said Airbnb had become a scapegoat for a long-standing housing crisis and failed policy.
While there is a need for more housing, new hotel construction is rising across Europe. These hotels are often concentrated in city centers, whereas Airbnbs tend to spread visitors out. “In total across the top ten most visited EU cities in 2024, over 260,000 Airbnb guests stayed in a neighborhood without a hotel,” the company report stated. The report also claimed that overtourism has worsened in cities where short-term rentals are restricted, citing examples in Amsterdam and Barcelona.
Airbnb’s vice president of public policy, Theo Yedinsky, said, “Where Airbnb is restricted, visitor numbers continue to rise, more guests stay in city center hotels, and travel becomes more expensive–with fewer proceeds going to local families. We encourage leaders to look beyond hotels and embrace tourism that supports families and communities.”
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NO.2
AMSTERDAM CELEBRATES ITS 750TH BIRTHDAY
Amsterdam celebrated its 750th birthday Saturday with a public party on the A10 ring road, Festival op de Ring. A 9.3-mile stretch of highway was closed Friday evening, and the festivities began Saturday with a 2-mile run. The festival coincided with the hottest day of the year so far, prompting authorities to pull some tickets and shorten the run. Attendees were also advised to stay hydrated, as the road offered little protection from the sun.
Up to 200,000 people participated in the festival, which included street dancing, sporting events, and couples getting married. Although the event caused some train and traffic disruptions, there were no major incidents reported.
Amsterdam’s official birthday falls on October 27, but additional festivals and celebrations are planned throughout the year to commemorate the day the city’s official name was first documented.
NO.3
AIRLINES CANCEL FLIGHTS TO THE MIDDLE EAST
After Israel launched an attack on Iran last week and the U.S. began bombing Iran, the region has become embroiled in conflict. Iran launched missiles at a U.S. base in Qatar on Monday, escalating an already tense situation and sparking fears of a wider war.
Flightradar data shows that Iranian, Iraqi, and Syrian airspace is now virtually empty. Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain all have closed or restricted airspace. Airlines have canceled flights to Tel Aviv, Dubai, and Doha, and are rerouting to avoid airspace over large swathes of the Middle East. These changes are causing notable disruptions and flight cancellations, and flight times have increased, with the airspace over Ukraine and Russia also closed.
NO.4
LONDON RAIL PASSENGERS FORCED TO WALK IN HEAT AFTER TRAIN STOPS
In south London, train passengers were forced to walk in temperatures exceeding 86 degrees Fahrenheit after a fault brought trains to a halt. The incident occurred at 10:40 a.m. near Loughborough Junction station; two trains were evacuated by 12:20 p.m., while the third was evacuated about 50 minutes later.
Passengers spent up to two hours in overheated trains before being evacuated along the tracks. One passenger likened the experience to being “slow-cooked,” while another pleaded for help on social media.
Railway companies Network Rail and Govia Thameslink Railway apologized for the incident in a joint statement: “Earlier today, a fault on a train near Loughborough Junction brought all services to a halt in the area, three of them outside station platforms. Without power and air conditioning on such a hot day, we pulled all resources from across Sussex and Kent to get personnel on site to safely evacuate passengers as quickly as possible along the track.”
NO.5
72 MILLION AMERICANS WILL TRAVEL THIS FOURTH OF JULY
More than 72 million Americans are expected to travel over the Independence Day holiday week, June 28 to July 6, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA). AAA estimates that 61.6 million people will travel by car—1.3 million more than last year—and 5.84 million will fly, a 1.4% increase over 2024. The organization also named the top U.S. and international destinations this year: Orlando, Seattle, and New York, and Vancouver, Rome, and Paris took the top three spots.