Tourist levy in Bali. On February 14, 2024, Bali, Indonesia started imposing a tourist levy on all foreign visitors. It’s 150,000 Indonesian Rupiah, but that’s only about $10 USD. They recommend that you pay for it before you arrive in Bali by going to this website: https://lovebali.baliprov.go.id./.
Pre-flight weigh-in? Finnair has started to ask passengers to volunteer to be weighed so that they can make absolutely sure their planes aren’t going over the safe weight allotment. Would you volunteer?
Norwegian Cruise Lines gone in Venice. Due to the latest restrictions in Venice against larger ships, Norwegian will not sail there in 2024 or 2025.
Yikes! Maggots? A Delta flight from Amsterdam to Detroit had to turn back to Amsterdam on February 14th because . . . barf! . . . maggots started falling on passengers from above. But they all came from one suitcase that had rotten fish in it. (Why someone was traveling with rotten fish and how it got through the scanners is anyone’s guess.) But I don’t think we have to worry about an ongoing maggot problem on Delta.
Italy is trying to combat over-tourism. In June, Venice will limit tour groups to 25 people, and group leaders can’t use loudspeakers anymore. If you take too long to take a selfie in Portofino, you could get slapped with a fine of $300. Florence is banning new short-term rental licenses to make sure locals have enough housing, but this will mean fewer places for tourists to stay. You can’t stoop to snap a photo on the Spanish Steps in Rome anymore either unless you want to pay a fine of $269. Be careful in Italy!
Craving sun? Get to the sunniest city in the U.S., which is Yuma, Arizona with 90% sunshine.
Melanie Votaw is the Publisher and Executive Travel Writer of LuxuryWeb Magazine. She has visited more than 50 countries on 6 continents and written for such magazines as Executive Travel, Just Luxe, Business Insider, South China Morning Post, Travel Mindset, and more. She is a member of the International Food, Wine & Travel Writers Association and the International Travel Writers Alliance. Melanie's photography has won awards, and she has also written 39 nonfiction books as either the author or ghostwriter.
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