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Category: Sport & Tourism
The total solar eclipse is turning European hotels into a hotbed of price hikes: in some popular destinations, hotel room rates have more than doubled compared to last year. In Spain, where hundreds of thousands of tourists are preparing to arrive to witness this rare celestial event, hotels are already seeing a sharp rise in demand, while authorities are simultaneously preparing for record traffic on the roads and an increased risk of wildfires.
It is proposed that funding for sports federations from the state budget be calculated using a new formula. When allocating funds, consideration will be given not only to athletes’ results in international competitions, but also to the number of registered athletes, the complexity of a particular sport, and the actual costs of training and participating in competitions.
The National Tourism Office announced the launch of a grant program for nonprofit organizations dedicated to the development of sustainable tourism in Moldova.
One in four residents of the European Union cannot afford a week-long vacation away from home. In 2025, the proportion of such people reached 27.5%, having risen by 0.5 percentage points over the course of the year. The problem was most acute in Romania, where the figure exceeded 60%.
Mogren Beach in Budva, Montenegro, took first place in the ranking of European beaches for the summer of 2026, ahead of popular resorts in Greece, Spain, and Italy. The ranking was compiled by the British company Quotezone, which compared ten beaches based on water and air temperatures, tourist reviews, the cost of accommodation and beer, and distance from the nearest airport.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino retained the support of the organization’s leadership after abandoning a controversial plan to bring in private investors for the World Cup’s commercial rights. Following a meeting in Rabat, FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström and the Executive Committee members in attendance reaffirmed their full support for the incumbent president, according to an official statement from the organization.
The heat is changing travel preferences in Spain: the north of the country is becoming the top destination for summer vacations. According to data from the Rentalia platform, by August, tourists had booked nearly 90% of short-term rental properties along the Spanish coast.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino will hold an emergency meeting with the organization’s leadership in Morocco on Wednesday following the collapse of a multibillion-dollar deal to sell commercial rights, which sparked an open conflict within world soccer and has become one of the most serious challenges for the FIFA president during his tenure.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup set a record not only for soccer but also for the short-term rental market. Over the 39 days of the tournament, owners of apartments and homes in the 16 host cities earned $1.33 billion in revenue—$276.7 million, or 26%, more than during the same period last year. This is according to data from the analytics company AirDNA.
Romania ranked third in a list of Europe’s most dangerous countries for drivers, compiled by the Swiss company Vignette Switzerland. Only Serbia and Bulgaria ranked higher. The study was published in the midst of the summer vacation season, when millions of Europeans set out on road trips.
Demand for short-term rentals in Albania is growing faster than supply, which has driven up prices. According to the analytics platform AirDNA, the market posted some of its strongest results in recent years this summer.
FIFA has scrapped one of its most controversial projects. Following a wave of criticism and threats of a boycott from major soccer federations, the organization decided against involving private investors in the commercial rights to the World Cup.
For the first time in a long while, Turkey’s tourism industry has faced a decline in revenue. In the second quarter of 2026, tourism revenue fell by 2.6% year-over-year to $15.9 billion. At the same time, the number of foreign visitors declined, while Turkish residents themselves began traveling abroad for vacations significantly more often.
UEFA and all 55 of its member national soccer associations have stated that they will not participate in tournaments organized by FIFA, including the World Cup, until the international federation abandons its plans to involve private investors in the commercial rights to its competitions.
Paris has unexpectedly topped the global ranking of cities with the best street food. It surpassed traditional culinary destinations and took first place thanks to its wide variety of dishes and the high ratings of its establishments. These are the findings of a study by Radical Storage, which surveyed 6,897 street food vendors in the world’s 100 most popular cities.
Zinedine Zidane has officially been named head coach of the French national team, putting an end to years of anticipation surrounding one of the most coveted positions in world soccer. The former national team captain has replaced Didier Deschamps, who, over the course of 14 years, transformed Les Bleus into one of the most successful national teams of modern times.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has found himself at the center of an investigation launched by Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives. Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, has demanded that the head of world soccer provide documents detailing FIFA’s contacts with U.S. President Donald Trump, his administration, and his family’s business.
For the first time, Italy will extend the hours of operation for its most-visited landmarks during the peak of the tourist season. From August 1 through 31, the Colosseum and the Pantheon in Rome, as well as Sforza Castle in Milan, will remain open until late in the evening as part of a pilot program designed to reduce lines, redistribute tourist flows, and make visiting these attractions more comfortable during the summer heat.
An advisory group to the Council of Europe identified seven instances of suspicious activity in the betting market during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. FIFA, however, states that its monitoring found no evidence of match-fixing or other forms of manipulation.
Bucharest’s two airports handled a record 8.46 million passengers in the first half of 2026. Aurel Vlaicu Bucharest-Băneasa Airport, in particular, exceeded last year’s total passenger traffic in just six months. This was reported by the Bucharest National Airports Company (CNAB).
