6 Things Locals Wish Tourists Wouldn’t Do When In Iceland

BY  Ankita Dec 11, 2023

Get ready for the much-anticipated SGFE (Skift Global Forum East). It is the ultimate travel conference by Skift. This year, it joins forces with the annual summit of Dubai Tourism organized by the DET (the Department of Economy and Tourism). Save the dates – December 12-14, 2023, at the luxurious Atlantis The Royal. Forget about the things to do in Dubai. This three-part extravaganza includes the Skift Global Forum East, a MENA extension of the renowned Skift Global Forum. Brace yourself for deep dives into the future of travel, exploring innovations in marketing, strategy, and technology. Meanwhile, DET's bi-annual 'City Briefing' is the pulse of industry stakeholders coming together to share ideas and strategies. The Dubai Tourism Summit, born during last year's Skift Global Forum East, is a world-class thought leadership program for networking among industry stakeholders. The 'City Briefing' event gathers DET’s aviation, travel, hospitality, and retail partners to discuss the latest industry developments. Expect a powerhouse lineup at Skift Global Forum East 2023, featuring CEOs, thought leaders, and innovators from Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, Global Hotel Alliance, Dubai Airports, Emirates, Google, Accor, Emaar Hospitality Group, and more. Dive into discussions covering the future of travel, challenges of air capacity, post-pandemic trends for Chinese travelers, destination marketing through filmmaking, and the role of AI in shaping travel's future – with a focus on the dynamic Middle East region. Be part of conversations on global consumer shifts, building destination capacity, demographic trends, sustainability, and macroeconomic impacts on the industry. The Forum starts with a dazzling opening night reception at Cloud 22, Atlantis The Royal, on December 12, 2023 – an opportunity for networking and connecting with industry leaders. Ready to join the conversation? Register for detailed event information at https://live.skift.com/skift-global-forum-east-2023, the official Skift Global Forum East 2023 site. Don't miss this chance to be at the forefront of the travel industry's future. Read Also: Crime Rate In Florida Trending Down While California Skyrockets: Report Thailand Becomes Most Preferred Destination For Tourists: Agoda Reports

BY  Abdul Aziz Dec 8, 2023

The most preferred destinations for tourists traveling within their country as well as abroad remain a matter of trend and fluctuations. But one country that has seen a huge surge in inbound tourists is Thailand. Especially Indians who want a small break. This growth comes from Thailand's latest visa policy that allows visa-free entry to its visitors, one of the nationals being Indians. Thailand's Bangkok has stolen this coveted spot from Dubai, according to Agoda, an online travel platform. They analyzed the trends based on hotel bookings on their application. Ever since the government of Thailand has permitted visa-free entry for many countries including India, the country has seen a 26% increase in searches on Agoda and Indian tourists have found their favorite escape. Other countries that have recently waived the visa requirements for tourists of various nationals include Malaysia and Sri Lanka. Both of these countries are seeing renewed interest from tourists. The report says, “When it comes to international travel choices, Indians consistently favour short haul destinations across the region. Chart topper Bangkok and fifth most popular destination Pattaya are poised to further strengthen their appeal, with the recent announcement of visa-free travel for Indians to Thailand.” The report also said that, “The rankings with the most booked destinations on Agoda underscore a distinct inclination among Indians for tried-and-tested destinations, showcasing a preference for all-time favourites that have lots to offer to any type of traveller and no matter how frequently they are visited." Krishna Rathi, Agoda's country director for India, Maldives, and Sri Lanka says, "2023 has been an incredible year for travel in India. Agoda search numbers reveal growth on all levels: domestic, inbound, and outbound. I am excited to see how this trend will shape the travel industry in 2024. "Bangkok has been followed by Dubai, then Bali in the third and Singapore in the fourth place. Read Also: Crime Rate In Florida Trending Down While California Skyrockets: Report World’s Most Famous Christmas Tree Has Reached Trafalgar Square

BY  Abdul Aziz Dec 6, 2023

According to one crime control policy expert, California's spiking violent-crime rate can be due to the liberal district attorneys in the big cities who are promoting a "culture of lawlessness." Florida on the other hand has "law and order" policies that yield lower crime. Heritage Senior Legal Fellow Cully Stimson told Fox News Digital over a phone interview this week, that, "If [California] had law and order DAs, if you had a governor of California - like previous governors, including Reagan - who were pro-law enforcement, pro-law and order, and were hammering [DAs] George Gascon and Chesa Boudin and Pamela Price campaigning for law and order DA candidates, you wouldn't have the disparity between Florida and California in terms of crime rates." This month the FBI released its annual national crime data that analyzed 2022's crime trends and found that violent incidents decreased by 1.7% since last year, in comparison to 2021. Violent crimes are defined as cases like robberies, rape, armed assault, and homicide. Murders and non-negligent manslaughter have also dropped to 6.1% while rape cases decreased by 5.4%. The national violent crime numbers for 2022 are just a fraction higher than the data of 2019 which depicts a return to the pre-pandemic numbers. New Report Shows New Numbers Stimson is one of the authors behind the Heritage Foundation's report named, "The Blue City Murder Problem," which retorted to the Democratic narrative that America has a "red state murder problem." He says, "Crime, especially violent crime, is demographically and geographically concentrated in the inner cities. That's just a fact… But to get a real sense of what's happening in a state, you have to look what's happening in your big cities in those states." The report found that "There were 2,554 homicides in those 30 cities through June 2022. In the 14 cities with Soros-backed rogue prosecutors, there were 1,752 homicides, representing 68 percent of homicides in the 30 top homicide cities in the United States." Florida on the other hand, according to Stimson, has promoted law and order policies through Gov. Ron DeSantis and prosecutors. He said, "When you look at the crime rates in big cities in Florida and you see that unlike California, the Florida constitution empowers the governor to remove elected officials who are not fulfilling their fiduciary duties. DeSantis [got] rid of Andrew Warren and Monique Worrell, two DAs in two separate counties because they're not doing their job." Read Also: Earthquake Of 6.9 Magnitude Leaves Philippines Jolted- 3rd Jolt In 2 Days World’s Most Famous Christmas Tree Has Reached Trafalgar Square Zanzibar Is Luring Tourists With A 30Kg Christmas Cake