Cultural news

Tibet: Lunar New Year Honors Protestors Who Died

Date: February 13th, 2013 |

Tibetan communities in China chose to forgo their traditional Lunar New Year celebrations this year, opting instead to quietly honor their kinsmen who self-immolated in protest of Chinese rule. Since 2009, nearly 100 Tibetans have set themselves on fire in public, drawing greater international attention to their plight and severe criticism of China. Most of [read more]

Brazil: Street Mosaics Installed with Smartphone Codes

Date: January 30th, 2013 |

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Never mind the guidebook, tourist information is now available on the street in Rio de Janeiro—literally. Officials have incorporated Quick Response or “QR” codes—two-dimensional bar codes that can be read by a smartphone—into the traditional black-and-white pavement mosaics found around the city. After downloading the app, visitors can scan QR codes as they stroll, using [read more]

Thailand: Tourist’s Facebook Photo Offends Thais

Date: January 20th, 2013 |

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A Facebook photo of a tourist posed with an ancient Buddha statue has come under fire for showing disrespect to the national religion and culture. Taken at Ayutthaya Historical Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the photo shows a foreign woman standing behind the relic, replacing its missing head and arms with her own. While [read more]

Guatemala: Doomsday Tourists Damage Ancient Mayan Temple

Date: December 26th, 2012 |

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Tourists flocked to the ancient sites of the Maya to celebrate the Dec. 21 “end of the world,” as predicted by the Mayan calendar, bringing a much-needed economic boost to parts of Guatemala and Mexico. However, not all of the extra attention was helpful. When an estimated 7,000 apocalypse party-goers descended on Tikal, a UNESCO [read more]

Netherlands: Amsterdam Rejects Pot Ban for Tourists

Date: November 7th, 2012 |

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Amsterdam’s mayor has rejected the national government’s ruling that would ban tourists from smoking marijuana in the city’s infamous coffee shops. After some legal wrangling in The Hague, the choice to adopt the ban, which takes effect Jan. 1, has been left to individual cities. Although the coffee shops draw an estimated 1.5 million of [read more]

India: U.S., Other Nations Advise Women Not to Travel Alone

Date: February 6th, 2013 |

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Several countries, including the U.S., have issued new warnings that advise women against traveling alone in India, stating they are “at risk and should exercise vigilance.” The treatment of women in India—and the all-too-common occurrence of gender-based violence—has come under closer scrutiny since December, when the brutal gang-rape and subsequent death of a 23-year-old student [read more]

Spain: Tomato-Tossing Festival No Longer Free

Date: January 23rd, 2013 |

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Tourists hoping to participate in La Tomatina, the infamous tomato-throwing festival held in Buñol, should arrive early and be prepared to pay for it. Citing increased security concerns and production costs, town officials have declared that the annual free-for-all will no longer be free: participants will pay an entrance fee of 10 Euros (about $13) [read more]

Serbia: Villagers Use Vampire Legend to Lure Tourists

Date: January 2nd, 2013 |

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No one has filmed a vampire trilogy there yet, but the tiny village of Zarozje, near the Bosnian border, is embracing its local vampire legend in the hope of attracting more visitors. The strategy seems to be working, as curious tourists trail in from all over the country to see a decrepit mill, supposedly haunted [read more]

Germany: Berlin Tourist-Bashing Sparks Counter Movement

Date: December 5th, 2012 |

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Now the third most-visited capital in Europe, Berlin inevitably has suffered some growing pains. Disgruntled by gentrification and rising costs, a relatively small anti-tourist and anti-“hipster” movement escalated into hateful propaganda and even physical attacks on foreign tourists and expats. Now an anti-fascist group has sprung up in response, promoting tolerance of foreigners and peaceful [read more]

Netherlands: Art Gallery Visits Increase After Heist

Date: October 23rd, 2012 |

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Despite the theft of several masterpieces that were central to its current exhibit, Rotterdam’s Kunstal art gallery has experienced a surge of visitors—a case of “disaster tourism,” some have said. The small gallery, which does not have its own collection, made international headlines after one of the world’s biggest art heists took place there on [read more]

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