Bali bans small plastic water bottles

Bali has taken a major stop towards reducing plastic waste.

The holiday island's governor, Wayan Koster, has banned the production and manufacture of water in small plastic containers, newsletter Bali Update reports.

All plastic containers with capacities of less than one litre are included. The decree effectively ends the use of plastic cups of water, small drinking bottles, or half-litre water containers.

The Provincial Government of Bali said the move represented "a collective, systematic, integrated, and culturally based action to alleviate the growing trash problem".

The memorandum is intended to dramatically reduce plastic waste across six sectors: offices, traditional villages, businesses, hotels and restaurants, educational institutions, marketplaces, and places of worship.

The includes severe enforcement provisions. Sanctions include revocation of company permits and licenses and suspension of financial aid to traditional villages.

Conversely, community members who consistently support the program to eliminate one-time-use plastics will be given government incentives and rewards.

Governor Koster said the move would apply across the armed forces, the Indonesian police, village chiefs, community leaders, and community organisers.

“We must stop using single-use plastic and process waste starting from the source," Koster said. "Use compost, maggots, animal feed, or other modern systems. This is a collective movement, not just a campaign.

“Green hotels, green malls, green restaurants - that’s the future of Bali. If a destination is not environmentally friendly, don’t expect to be visited by international travellers.”

Tourists will now need to provide their own stainless steel drinking bottles.  

Airline bans passengers after seat reclining row

Yet another in-air argument over when/if to recline your seat when flying.

Some folk just slam their seats back the moment their plane is airborne. Others have the courtesy to wait until after the first meal service before reclining.

I get it. If seats recline then you are free to use that facility.

A Chinese couple disagreed and has been banned from flying Cathay Pacific after a woman said she was harassed by the couple sitting behind her after she reclined her seat, Travel Mole reports.

A post of the incident has gone viral on a Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu showing footage of the altercation.

The airline responded by banning the couple for their behaviour.

Cathay says it has a "strict zero-tolerance policy" towards threatening behaviour and harassment.

The incident happened on a London bound flight from Hong Kong earlier this month. .

The victim said she was subjected to derogatory comments and gestures.

Meet the airline that has just been banned from European skies

The European Union has officially banned Turkish airline Southwind from its airspace, alleging the carrier is controlled from Russia.

The decision follows a recent move to ban the airline by Finnish authorities.

The EU accused the airline of being effectively controlled from Russia and using Turkey as a flag of convenience, travel website Travel Mole reported.

“Our overall assessment indicates that a significant portion of ownership and effective control  does not belong to Turkish individuals or companies,” the EU said in a statement.

Southwind Airlines was established with backing from Russian-based tour operator Pegas Touristik to operate flights to and from Russia.

Southwind has also been operating flights to Germany, Switzerland, Greece, Northern Macedonia, and Italy.

The EU and other Western countries have sanctioned Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, resulting in a full-scale war from February, 2022.

Southwind has a fleet of 12 aircraft.

The EU’s ban is effective immediately.

Europe starts to crack down on Airbnb properties

Portugal has unveiled a package of measures aimed at tackling a housing crisis, including a ban on new licenses for Airbnb properties and other short-term holiday rentals.

Rents and house prices have skyrocketed in Portugal - and many other parts of the world - as tourists flock to one of Europe's most affordable holiday destinations.

The tourism boom is a key factor in rents in Lisbon jumping 37% in 2022, local news service WIO reported.

Portugal also signalled the end of its controversial Golden Visa programme for new property buyers from abroad.

Foreign property owners will now only be eligible for the visas if their properties are used as their own home, or placed in the long-term rental market.

Prime Minister Antonio Costa told a press conference in Lisbon that new licences for tourism businesses - like Airbnb properties - will be prohibited, though rural areas will be exempt.

The move aims to make more properties available to locals who have been priced out of the rental market.   

Amsterdam wants to scare away dope smoking tourists

The last time I visited Amsterdam there was fellow running around the streets menacing people with a machete.

He was clearly high on a substance a little stronger than cannabis.

But the good people of Amsterdam council are now apparently worried about marijuana tourism.

They are to launch a "stay away" campaign in the northern spring targeting tourists travelling to the capital for drugs, alcohol and sex purposes.

Which are, of course, three of Amsterdam's major tourism drawcards, whether the good local burghers like it or not.

The city's mayor is hoping to curb crime by banning smoking marijuana outdoors from mid-May.

Good luck with that.

Apparently, residents in the city centre have complained that tourist-fuelled nightlife noise has made the city unbearable.

The Dutch capital has long been known for its liberal attitude to drug use and sex work but will ban the smoking of cannabis on the streets of its red-light district, city authorities.

The ban, which will come into effect in mid-May, is seeking to tackle crime and anti-social behavior to improve the quality of life for the area's residents.

Amsterdam is a popular tourist hotspot and its marijuana cafes as well as its brothels and strip clubs draw in millions of visitors every year.

The real problem is not a marijuana smoking - it is an overabundance of tourists in cities that are relatively small.

Venice suffers from similar problems, as does Prague - neither of which are dens of drug smoking mania. Rome, too, and Dubrovnik.

What has happened in these cities - and many others - is that they have promoted themselves to tourists, and then discovered they lack the necessary infrastructure for the masses.

"Residents of the old town suffer a lot from mass tourism and alcohol and drug abuse in the streets," Amsterdam city fathers and mothers said in a statement.

"Tourists also attract street dealers, who in turn cause crime and insecurity," it added.

But therein lies a problem. 

Tourists are highly unlikely to flock to Amsterdam for the local cuisine, so when businesses start losing money my bet is that dope smokers will be welcomed back with open arms.

Crying in the Chapels: Elvis-themed weddings to be banned

Is it Heartbreak Hotel time?

Elvis Presley-themed wedding chapels in Las Vegas face closure with The King’s licensing company Authentic Brands Group having sent cease-and-desist notices to several operators.

The Las Vegas’ wedding industry is worth about $US2 billion a year and Elvis-themed nuptials have played a major role.

The court orders demand chapels stop using Elvis look-a-likes in ceremonies and seeks to halt unauthorized use of Elvis’ name, likeness, voice image and persona for commercial purposes.

Some wedding chapels have said they could go out of business, Travel Mole reports.

"We are a family-run business, and now we're hanging with the big dogs," said Kayla Collins, who operates two Elvis-themed chapels with her husband.

"That's our bread and butter. I don't get it. We were just hitting our stride again through Covid, then this happens."

Clark County Clerk Lynn Goya, who led a marketing campaign promoting Las Vegas as a wedding destination, said the order for chapels to stop using Elvis couldn't have come at a worse time for the sector.

The licensing company also oversees the estates of star names like Marilyn Monroe and Muhammad Ali.