Venice Crackdown
Good morning, readers. I've been to Italy several times but have yet to make it to Venice, sadly. That may put me in the minority, what with all the overtourism there, but Venice authorities are taking step to get that under control. We've also got an update on Hawaii's short-term rentals, and a goodbye to some early travel AI. – Larry DiTore
On the itinerary:
Venice bans large tour groups, loudspeakers
Judge allows short-term rentals in Hawaii
Buzzy, AI-powered Tripnotes is no more
Don't Miss the Megatrends
Megatrends, our annual forecast of the top travel industry trends, is back for another highly anticipated program in January. Kick-start 2024 beginning January 9 with unmatched thought leadership in New York City, London, or online. Secure your spot.
Venice Bans Large Tour Groups
Ahh, Venice. It seems the picturesque Italian destination loved by tourists and locals alike has had enough. Local authorities voted to limit the size of large guided tour groups, with the municipal government approving a measure to ban tours of more than 25 people.
The prohibition will begin on June 1, so the unwieldy crowds will continue to roam the bridges and squares for several more months. The portable loudspeaker used by tour guides will also be banned come that date.
The rules signal to uncertified tour guides that they “will no longer be tolerated,” said commerce councilor Sebastiano Costalonga in the government’s statement online.
The rules will be enforced in Venice’s historic center and on Murano, Burano, and Torcello islands.
Limiting large group tours will preserve Venice’s old infrastructure, reduce overcrowding, and support residents’ quality of life, said tourism councilor Simone Venturini.
The move is the latest step from Venetian authorities to get overtourism under control. In the spring, Venice will test out a roughly $5.50 (5 euro) admission fee for day-trippers aimed at discouraging daily tourism during peak periods.
Now, if we could only get folks to listen to the gondoliers when they say the constant selfie-taking is going to tip the boat.
4 Questions with Oracle Hospitality
There are a lot of reasons for optimism looking ahead to 2024, including an increase in international travel and an easing labor shortage. The challenge for hoteliers will be to keep the momentum building, especially if construction continues to move slowly and consumer spending habits start to cool.
Sponsored by Oracle Hospitality
Hawaii Short-Term Rentals Allowed
Short-term rental operators in Hawaii owe a district court judge a big mahalo. Said judge ruled that existing short-term rentals can continue their operations and advertising of rental stays of 30 to 89 days despite a 2022 ordinance making them illegal in Hawaii.
Ordinance 22-7, which passed in October 2022, redefined a “short-term” and made rentals from 30 to 89 days illegal and subject to fines, Courthouse News reported. The Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance challenged the ordinance, claiming it violated property owners longstanding rights and would lead to financial losses.
The permanent injunction means that those rentals that were grandfathered-in can operate under the 30-day minimum rule. The judge said the ordinance conflicted with state zoning laws and ruled that it cannot eliminate existing lawful residential uses within zoned areas.
The new ruling, however, doesn’t apply to any short-term rentals that opened after the ordinance was put in place.
The City Council originally passed the ordinance to address the perceived adverse impact of short-term rentals, often owned by out-of-state landlords, on housing costs and local life.
Buzzy Tripnotes Is No More
Tripnotes, we hardly knew ye. As one of the first experimental AI trip planners powered by ChatGPT, Tripnotes garnered quite a bit of attention in early 2023. Its death in late 2023 garnered decidedly less.
A demo of the product went viral on LinkedIn and Twitter in January and was shared by Foursquare founder Dennis Crowley. It was referenced consistently since then by media and industry professionals.
But in mid-December, the founders shut down the Tripnotes website several months after selling to Dorsia, a members-only restaurant reservation startup. Dorsia also bought Welcome, a city guide app similar to Tripadvisor and the owner of Tripnotes.
Why the sale? Tripnotes had buzz, but it needed money – which wasn’t easy to raise in 2023, especially after Silicon Valley Bank collapsed in March.
“It was just a moment where everything froze,” Tripnotes and Welcome co-founder Matthew Rosenberg told Skift. “And it just became clear to us that even if you have a good idea, even if you have what I would consider really great early traction — we just found ourselves in a situation where we were going to have to find a different outcome than being able to raise another round and keep going.”
More From Skift
Skift Travel 200: Top Movers
Norwegian Cruise Line led a selloff among the major cruise operators on Tuesday, dropping more than 8.5% on the day. Royal Caribbean and Carnival also slumped, slipping 7.2% and 6.6% respectively.
Source: The Skift Travel 200 (ST200) combines the financial performance of nearly 200 travel companies worth more than a trillion dollars into a single number. Go to the Skift Travel 200. Stock data as of market close.