Top European Travel News From September 2024

From details on new fees to cruise ship passengers to the announcements of new flights and cruises, it was a busy month in the world of European travel.

If you missed any of them, read on to get up to speed on the big stories of September, and be sure to register for the TravelPulse newsletter to keep up to date with the latest news in the travel industry.  

Azamara Announces New Sailings & Ports

Azamara revealed that three of its ships (Azamara Journey, Azamara Onward and Azamara Quest) will spend the entire 2026 summer season in Europe, exploring the waters and ports of the Mediterranean and Northern Europe, with a focus on the British Isles and Greece. Three of the sailings will coincide with the August 2026 solar eclipse.  

In addition, Azamara announced that their ships will visit several new ports, which are exclusive to smaller vessels. The list includes Menton (France), Fredericia (Denmark), Sarande, (Albania), Turku (Finland) and Karlskrona (Sweden). 

PHOTO: Prague Castle, Prague. (Photo via Hans Brunk)

Czechia Enters ‘Overtourism’ Chat

It was reported this month that the alluring Central European nation of Czechia has become the latest country on the continent to embark on making changes in its tourism sector. Proposals include a limit on rental accommodations, driving in the Old Town of Prague and a crackdown on tacky costumes worn by bachelor and bachelorette parties on pub crawls.

Malta Looks to Increase American Presence

The Mediterranean nation of Malta has seen its profile rise among North American travelers in recent years, but its tourism body is aiming for a much larger presence. This month, Carlo Micallef, CEO of the Malta Tourism Authority (MTA), said at an event in New York that the MTA is set to increase its staff in the North American market and open an office in New York in 2025. This is all being done with the goal of eventually having a non-stop flight from the U.S. to Malta in mind.  

Santorini in Greece (Photo Credit: maglara / Adobe Stock)

Greek Island Cruise Tax Revealed

Last month in this column, we talked about tensions regarding ‘overtourism’ on Santorini, and this month we have the news that Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has announced some concrete plans to tackle the issues on the nation’s most popular islands. A new tax for cruise ship passengers visiting Santorini and Mykonos during the peak summer season has been announced. The fee will be  €20 ($22) with a portion of the windfall earmarked for projects that will help the islands deal with the deluge of summer crowds. 

Celestyal & Costa Launch Autumn Promotions

Celestyal Cruises and Costa Cruises announced promotions this month that will run through October 31 and November 4 respectively. Celestyal Cruises’s promotion is called “Heavenly Autumn Sailings” and includes up to 50 percent off future sailings, including in the Mediterranean and Adriatic. Costa’s “Always Summer” promotion features balcony cabins for the price of an ocean-view cabin, featuring sailings on the Costa Toscana that depart from Barcelona, Civitavecchia (Rome) and Savona, Italy. 

One of the images from Hurtigruten’s new “Norwegianess” brand campaign (Photo Credit: Hurtigruten)

Hurtigruten Launches Quirky Campaign

Hurtigruten introduced a new brand campaign titled “Norwegianess,” which showcases its Norwegian heritage with a twist. The campaign incorporates popular Norwegian expressions in their native language, along with English translations displayed alongside breathtaking images of Norwegian landscapes. One example  is “a ta det for god fisk”, which translates to “take it as good fish” in English, but is used in Norway as “to believe something without doubt.” Take it as good fish that this campaign will prove to be memorable. 

Rome Contemplates Trevi Fountain Entry Fee

In an attempt to control the crush of tourists that gather around the famed Trevi Fountain, Rome is considering making changes to how people access the beautiful Baroque water feature. Plans are now being discussed for visitors to pay for a reservation to visit the fountain at a set time, with residents able to retrain their unlimited free access to Trevi. The proposal is just one being considered by the city to cut back on degradation at the fountain. 

British Airways Boeing 777-300 in flight. (Photo Credit: British Airways)

2025 Airlift on the Increase

The summer of 2024 may have just ended, but airlines are already preparing for next year. 

This month, British Airways announced that they will operate over 400 direct flights per week during peak periods in the summer of 2025, the most robust transatlantic service ever operated by a European airline. Miami, Las Vegas, Pittsburgh, Austin and Washington D.C. are among the markets to see an increase in flights. 

Not to be outdone, Delta revealed that it will fly a record number of transatlantic flights in the summer of 2025, with a 10 percent year-over-year increase in Italy, where Delta is already the largest U.S. carrier in the market. Starting next summer, the airline will become the first American airline to offer a direct non-stop flight to the Sicilian city of Catania.

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