Tourism

Tourism can be a force for good when done well – and we want to hear about places and projects you’ve discovered that help conserve local ecosystems and cultures. Whether it was a volunteering holiday planting trees in Scotland, a stay at an eco-hotel that helps protect local flora and fauna, or a project breathing life back into abandoned villages, tell about us your experience for the chance to win a holiday voucher.

The best tip of the week, chosen by Tom Hall of Lonely Planet wins a £200 voucher to stay at a Coolstays property – the company has more than 3,000 worldwide. The best tips will appear in the Guardian Travel section and website.

Keep your tip to about 100 words

If you have a relevant photo, do send it in – but it’s your words we will be judging for the competition.

We’re sorry, but for legal reasons you must be a UK resident to enter this competition.

ANOTHER UK train station could soon be made international in a predicted £1.3billion tourism boost.

There are now plans to put Stratford on the map by making it the second international stop in London, along with St Pancras.

Despite its name, Stratford International currently only operates domestic services.

The move would make Stratford the second international rail stop in London, along with St Pancras.

An application has now been submitted for a Business Rate Retention Zone (BRRZ) in the area.

A Business Rates Retention Zone allows local councils to reinvest money into local economic development, like expanding the train station.

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The London Mayor’s officials are meeting with train operators, authorities in Paris and commercial bodies to get backing for the plan.

Speaking to The Standard, Sadiq Khan said: “The case for creating a Stratford International worthy of the name is clear and compelling.

“The popularity of international rail continues to grow in London, which is why my team and I have been lobbying for cross-channel rail services from Stratford for many years – and I’m hoping that our efforts are close to paying off.”

He explained further: “Over the last few months, we’ve been working closely with this new Government to make Stratford International truly ‘international’ for the first time and we’re now within touching distance of getting our plans over the line.

“The data shows that bringing international services to Stratford would bring in an additional £1.3bn in tourist spending for the UK.

“Stratford has become one of Europe’s largest and most successful regeneration projects, and I believe with the arrival of cross-Channel services, the future of East London will be even brighter still.”

This is not the only proposal that has been made for Stratford – Sir Richard Branson‘s rail company Virgin Trains have confirmed they are interested in the station too.

A Virgin Group spokesperson previously said the company is: “looking forward to exploring additional stops, including Stratford International.”

The Foreign Office is urging UK travellers to ‘stay away’

The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has revised its travel guidance in an update today, October 13. In its latest update for those planning a trip to Mauritius, the Foreign Office is warning tourists about “localised demonstrations and community unrest” following a shooting.

The FCDO warns: “Localised demonstrations and community unrest have occurred in parts of Mauritius following a police shooting incident on October 9 2026. Further protests may occur at short notice and could result in road closures, transport disruptions and interruptions to public services.

“Stay away from demonstrations and large public gatherings, monitor local media, follow the instructions of local authorities and exercise caution if travelling in affected areas.” About 150,000 UK tourists travel to the island every year.

If you find yourself in a situation where you need help, you should report any incidents to the Mauritius tourist police by calling 999.

Emergency services in Mauritius

• Ambulance: 999 or 114
• Fire: 999 or 115
• Police: 999 or 112

Tourist police

Contact your travel provider and insurer

The Foreign Office stresses on its website: “Contact your travel provider and your insurer if you are involved in a serious incident or emergency abroad. They will tell you if they can help and what you need to do.”

Mauritius temporarily shut schools after shooting say reports

Mauritius closed schools in some parts of the country on Tuesday, October 13, reports say. It came after ‌a night of unrest that began when a police officer allegedly shot a young woman.

An investigation is under way. It is being reported by local media that a police sergeant has been provisionally charged over the shooting of Élodie Thomas, 27.

She has since had successful surgery to remove the bullet. The incident led to protests. Police were dispatched as people burned tyres and blocked roads in parts of the country on Monday night.

Mauritius entry requirements

The island country in the Indian Ocean, located off the eastern coast of Africa, is becoming increasingly popular, with around 1.3 million tourists visiting every year.

In order to enter the country, your passport must:

• be valid for the duration of your stay
• have one blank page

The Foreign Office urges people to check with their travel provider to ensure their passport and any other travel documents meet the entry requirements, and to renew their passport if needed. Tourists could be refused entry if they do not have a valid travel document, or if they try to travel on a passport that has been reported lost or stolen.

Rescue operation underway after flash floods swept away home, bridges and parts of the Manaslu trekking trail.

More than 100 foreign trekkers have been stranded in central Nepal, according to a local official, a day after flash floods in the Gorkha district washed away bridges, hiking trails and hundreds of homes.

Bhuwan Raj Ojha, an official of the Manaslu Conservation Area Project, told the Reuters news agency on Monday that the trekkers were stranded in different areas of the popular Manaslu trekking trail because part of the route had been swept away.

“Those hikers who want to return because of the flood need to be rescued. Those who ⁠want to continue their trekking can do so from locations that are safe,” he told Reuters from Gorkha.

“There are ⁠restaurants and tea houses along the route. They are ⁠safe”.

The flash floods hit on Sunday, when a predawn landslide blocked the Budhi Gandaki River in the Gorkha district, about 100km (62 miles) west of the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu.

Authorities ⁠rescued 321 people, including 12 foreigners, on Monday, and the army said the rescue operation would continue on Tuesday, even as the water level in the river receded.

The river is a tributary of the Trishuli River, downstream from another tributary where a ‌glacier collapse caused a catastrophic flood in August that killed 1,457 people, with thousands still missing.

There were no reports of deaths in the latest flood, but five villagers were out of contact after black muddy sludge and debris washed away more than 200 homes and damaged infrastructure, including three hydroelectric plants, national disaster authorities said.

Md Shahadat Hossain, a Bangladeshi trekker stranded in Jagat village, told the Anadolu news agency that nine Bangladeshis were waiting for a possible evacuation by helicopter.

“We have been stranded in Jagat since yesterday. A flash flood came down from above the village and flowed through its lower part,” he said.

“We are safe, but there has been no electricity since yesterday, communication with the outside world has been disrupted, and food supplies are gradually running short,” he added.

Gorkha district authorities have asked villagers living along the riverbanks downstream to evacuate.

National disaster authorities had also alerted people living along the river in the Gorkha, Tanahun, Chitwan, East Nawalparasi and West Nawalparasi districts about the flood.

Two residents of the village of Bibury, Gloucestershire, are taking matters into their own hands after becoming fed up with a change in tourists’ behaviour after the Covid-19 pandemic

A couple who live in one of the UK’s most beautiful villages, located in the Cotswolds, have announced their plans to leave after a major change in the area following the Covid-19 pandemic.

Brian and Jill Skarda have decided to leave the village of Bibury, Gloucestershire, a place named “the most beautiful village in England” by William Morris, due to the worsening behaviour of visitors.

Brian and Jill originally moved to Bibury, which was also branded the “world’s most beautiful village” by Forbes last year, that lies along the River Coln, from Barnsley. During their time in the area, they joined the parish council and became part of everyday life.

Writing in the Village Life magazine in a column known as Tales from the Riverbank, Mr Skarda admitted “we have had enough invasive tourism”.

Mr Skarda, who highlighted Arlington Row as a key point of issue, explained that he felt tourists are now getting too up close and personal with locals, so much so they had been finding it harder to go about their own lives.

He explained: “We have decided that we have had enough invasive tourism in Arlington Row…We have been here for over 14 years and noticed that since Covid, visitor behaviours have changed.

“They have become more inconsiderate and the sheer numbers of tourists …meant that, on occasions, we have virtually been unable to get out of our front door.”

In the latter part of his column, the Independent reported that Mr Skarda said he hoped that Bibury would one day “resolve its tourism issues” after complaining the area was being “ruined by the very people who come to see it”.

When it comes to Bibury, Mr Skarda isn’t the only person to have taken issue with the seasonal influx of tourists.

Speaking to the Independent, parish council chairman Craig Chapman said overtourism was having an impact on the local environment too.

He added: “Over the summer with the hot weather, people would not just sit on the river bank but would go in the water and even bring chairs in to sit on to cool down.

“The main concern is the wildlife, but also the whole area with people using it like it is a recreational area. When they go into the water they can upset the habitat.”

So great are the concerns about the impact on Bibury’s environment that last month, they announced they were going to put up fences around the river to stop people paddling in it.

Mr Skarda’s and Mr Chapman’s remarks about the village comes as debate grows about the impact of overtourism in places like Bibury and Castle Combe.

Every year, thousands of people from all over the world and the UK flock to these aesthetically pleasing places, many of which they have seen in films, to admire them.

Whilst these visits can be good for the local economy, locals are often caught in the crossfire.