Hot air balloon tourism in Türkiye reaches record high
Türkiye’s skies were more crowded than ever in 2024, as hot air balloon tourism soared to a historic high with a record-breaking 933,195 tourists taking flight across seven scenic regions.
The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) unveiled the “critical” gap between travellers’ desire for sustainable options and their actual behaviour.
Launched today at FITUR 2025, Madrid, the WTTC report explored that cost and quality remain the dominant priorities for travellers, outweighing sustainability considerations. Across all consumer segments, more than 50% say cost is the most important factor influencing purchasing decisions, while around 30% prioritise quality.
Sustainability is a primary factor for only a small minority, ranging from 11% to 7%, even among the most environmentally conscious groups, according to the survey of more than 10,000 respondents.
“Travellers care about sustainability but when buying travel, cost and quality are king. Customers expect businesses to create affordable sustainable options. But many WTTC companies inspire change – whether that is regrowing coral reefs or reducing food waste. Customers engage with brands that have strong values,”- said Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO
A lack of visibility also remains a significant barrier to drive real change and the WTTC experts recommend highlighting the economic and personal benefits of sustainable travel, ensuring eco-friendly options are simple and convenient for consumers to motivate action at all levels.
“Tailored marketing that speaks directly to the values and needs of individual consumers has been shown to significantly increase engagement across different segments. Designing out unsustainable options to make sustainability the default choice can facilitate the decision-making process and improve the overall experience,” the experts said.
The Russian ruble has emerged as the top-performing currency globally in 2025, registering an impressive 38% appreciation against the US dollar since the beginning of the year, according to a report by Bloomberg.
A small plane crashed near Kopake, New York, on April 13, killing at 6 people. The Mitsubishi MU-2B aircraft, carrying six people, went down under unclear circumstances. This marks the second aviation accident in New York in a week, raising safety concerns.
Several regions in Ukraine faced heightened alert on Palm Sunday, as reports of explosions and missile threats drew public attention and official responses.
The Holy Fire ceremony stands as one of Christianity's most enduring and mysterious rituals, drawing thousands of pilgrims to Jerusalem each year.
Severe rainfall on April 17 led to flooding and landslides in the Piedmont region, prompting a large-scale emergency response from over 400 firefighters.
Jordan's King Abdullah II and Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi held a phone conversation on Saturday to discuss ongoing efforts to end the Israeli war on Gaza, which has been ongoing since October 7, 2023.
Elon Musk announced on Saturday that he plans to visit India later this year, following a discussion with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi about potential collaboration in technology and innovation.
Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said of Oman is scheduled to visit Moscow on Monday, just days after the commencement of a new round of U.S.-Iran nuclear talks mediated by Muscat.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance met with senior Vatican officials on Saturday for talks that the Vatican described as "cordial," following ongoing criticisms of the Trump administration’s policies, particularly regarding immigration.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a temporary ceasefire in Ukraine for Easter, set to last from 6 p.m. Moscow time (1500 GMT) on Saturday until midnight (2100 GMT) following Easter Sunday.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment