Boeing's troubles continue, plus four more major travel news stories from the last week.
Travel ground to a halt last week at the world’s second busiest airport in Dubai when a severe storm flooded the city. Airport operations were severely impacted and the CEO of Emirates Airlines issued a letter of apology. But travel chaos also struck closer to home when the Federal Aviation Administration put a ground stop on all Alaska Airlines flights on Wednesday due to a system error.
But there’s been plenty more bad news in the travel space. These are the five travel stories you may have missed over the last week.
BARCELONA REMOVES BUSES FROM MAPS TO AVOID OVERCROWDING
Spain is no stranger to overtourism. The country has been trying to limit the number of tourists with cruise bans and tourist taxes. Barcelona has been particularly vocal about its feelings about the more than 12 million tourists who visit every year. Now the city has removed a bus route from Apple and Google Maps in an attempt to curb overcrowding.
Residents who live in the neighborhood of La Salut have long complained of crammed buses. A local said that the bus is frequently so crowded that people with walking sticks couldn’t get on. Tourists board Bus 116 to visit Park Güell, the popular attraction designed by Antoni Gaudi that hosted 4.4 million people last year. So, residents and the city council believe that removing this route from maps will be effective in tackling overcrowding. The next move will be removing its references from the internet and improving mobility around the park, city council member Albert Batlle said.
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LAKE COMO MAY INTRODUCE TOURIST TAX
Italy is another European nation on a mission to deal with overtourism. From fining bad tourists in Rome to limiting the access of drivers to the Amalfi Coast, it’s been one change after another. And now it is considering imposing a tourist tax in Lake Como.
The glamorous town of Como is overwhelmed, so the mayor is discussing a Venice-like tourist tax for day-trippers. Travelers who visit the town for just a day bring little income, and may also deter tourists who want to stay overnight and pump money into the local economy, Severino Beri, president of the hotel association of Lecco, said.
The details of the tax aren’t clear yet, but it’s possible that those who don’t stay in Como will be charged extra in the future.
Related: Tourists Beware: Italy Will Now Fine You up to $65,000 for Doing This
BLAME BAD TOURISTS FOR THE REMOVAL OF THE HAIKU STAIRS IN OAHU
Haiku Stairs, also called the Stairway to Heaven, are a set of 3,922 steps on the Koolau Mountain Range. Social media has hiked up their popularity, even though they’ve been closed to the public since 1987. Travelers still illegally climb up for the views despite fines and warnings.
Now the city has decided to dismantle the stairs to preserve the local area and put an end to unauthorized hikes. Mayor Rick Blangiardi said, “This decision that was made was predicated upon our respect for the people who live in and around the entrance to the stairs, our respect for our ʻāina [land and sea], and our respect for both the future and the past history of the culture of the Haʻikū community.”
For years, locals have complained about trespassers causing disturbances and damaging fences to climb these World War II-era stairs. It is a dangerous path, so hikers need to be rescued by helicopters if an incident occurs. The stairs are a liability for the city and a cause for concern for locals.
The process to dismantle will take six months to complete and the city warns that the stairs are even more perilous now, so no one should attempt a final hike.
TOURISTS DAMAGE ANCIENT ROCK FORMATION AT LAKE MEAD
Speaking of bad tourist behavior, a video of two men toppling ancient rock formations at Lake Mead National Recreation Area has gone viral. The 140 million-year-old formations are federally protected and the men who scaled and threw slabs down have done irreparable damage. If charged, they could be fined or jailed.
The Lake Mead National Recreation Area spreads over 1.5 million acres and rangers can’t keep an eye out on every remote corner. The trail where the incident happened is popular among hikers and park rangers have asked the public to share any tips to help identify the suspects.
Spokesperson John Haynes was appalled by the senseless destruction and urged travelers to record videos or images of people behaving inappropriately and report to the officials. You don’t have to engage with them because people may not feel safe, but if you can, try to record them, he advised.
Related: Are There Destinations That Actually Want Tourists?
FORMER BOEING ENGINEER: GROUND ALL DREAMLINERS
Boeing’s never-ending problems were further exacerbated when a whistleblower, a former Boeing engineer, gave an interview to say all 787 Dreamliners should be grounded. Citing quality issues in the plane model, Sam Salehpour alleged that the company has employed shortcuts to reduce bottlenecks, which compromises the wide-body plane and reduces its lifespan.
He also mentioned that he wouldn’t put his family members on the plane.
Boeing, in return, has denied allegations and said, “These claims about the structural integrity of the 787 are inaccurate and do not represent the comprehensive work Boeing has done to ensure the quality and long-term safety of the aircraft.”
There have been a series of incidents with Boeing planes since January and many investigations are still on. The FAA identified the company’s quality issues back in March and the company has seen a major shuffle in management after safety incidents.
These men need to have a lifetime perminate restraing order from access to public lands inlccuing but not limited to BLM, State Parks and National Parks Wilderness areas etc. What they did is inexcusable. This is what are country has come to become people who have no respect. Damaging nature like this is totally irrresponsible. They violated the publics trust and were extremely selfish in their irresponsible behavior.