Latest news with #Alpine
Local France
6 hours ago
- Local France
How has France avoided Europe's anti-tourism protests?
Protests against over-tourism started in earnest in Spain in 2024 and have resumed this summer , while Portugal and Italy have also seen demonstrations ranging from stickers and graffiti to protest marches and symbolic actions like spraying tourists with water pistols. Protesters stress that they are not against tourism per se, and recognise the value it brings to the local economy, but they are fed up with the effects on locals - especially on the housing market. Access to housing was clearly a key factor in the recent protests in Spain - and it's recognised as a problem in certain areas of France too, particularly tourism hotspots. And yet despite this, these demonstrations have so far largely skipped France, which seems odd, given the pressure on housing in popular parts of the country (and also, let's face it, the French are not usually shy about protesting). It's certainly not to do with the tourist demand - France is the world's most visited tourist destination, a title it has hung on to since 2016, and it's predicted to break its own tourism records again in 2025. Advertisement Tourism problems This is not to say that there are no tourism-linked problems in France and, as in Spain, the number one issue is tourists pricing locals out of the housing market. In response, n umerous French cities have cracked down on Airbnb with key box bans , for example. France also introduced strict new laws on renting out holiday homes on January 1st this year, and lawmakers voted in favour of a bill to tighten Airbnb regulation . And it's not as if there are no tensions between locals and tourists. At the height of the summer 2022 drought, a mystery night-time environmental vandal sabotaged outdoor jacuzzis at holiday lets and second homes in the Vosges . A small-scale protest in the popular French Alpine tourist town of Annecy last summer had a similar goal to the Spanish demos: 'to raise awareness of the issues of overtourism and to denounce the ransacking of the old districts of Annecy'. Organisers argued at the time that certain newly introduced rules in the picturesque and historic centre favoured tourist shops and terraces, to the detriment of local residents. Housing shortages While France does have shortages of housing, especially in tourist hotspots, the pressure is not the same as in Spain - partly due to simple goegraphy. According to Spain's Ministry for Territorial Policy, 90 percent of the country's population lives in 1,500 towns and cities occupying 30 percent of the land while the other 10 percent are distributed across the remaining 70 percent of the territory. While France has the greater Paris Île-de-France region, the most populous in the country, there are other big cities in the interior of the country such as Lyon, Toulouse and Strasbourg for example. All of which have their satellite towns and villages. As do the big coastal cities of Nice, Marseille, Bordeaux. Frankly, there isn't as much empty space in France – much of the interior of Spain is as good as empty because it is far too hot in summer and bitterly cold in the winter. The population here is more spread out. Advertisement There's also the fact that the French government has been taking action in this area - apart from the measures limiting tourist rentals outlined above, there is also the ' zone tendue ' designation , which indicates that an area either has a housing shortage, or the housing is too expensive for the local market. Being given this designation gives local authorities powers including a block on new tourist accommodation or the imposition of extra taxes on second homes or tourist rentals, with the money spent on creating more housing. Over-crowding It would be accurate to say that France has suffered from knock-on effects of mass tourism, but they seem to be primarily concentrated in certain areas, such as Paris, Mont-Saint-Michel and the Calanques national park, for example. In 2023, the cliffs of Etretat, in Normandy, and the Calanques, around Marseille, La Ciotat, and Cassis on the Mediterranean coast, made the Fodor's Travel list of places to avoid because of tourist overcrowding and threats to the environment. Advertisement An increasing number of tourist hotspots are either capping the number of visitors allowed or introducing a pre-booking system in order to control numbers. READ ALSO : Visiting France: What activities and places do I need to reserve in advance?✎ Nor is there any doubt that climate change is already changing the French landscape. During the summer of 2023, France saw soaring temperatures and wildfires around the Mediterranean, leading many tourists to cancel their holidays. Although France has not, so far, been as badly affected as Greece or Italy , the long-term trends are for temperatures to rise and wildfires to become more common. READ ALSO Visiting France: What activities and places do I need to reserve in advance? Tourist spread But despite having obvious problems in some areas, tourism does tend to be more spread out in France - both geographically and seasonally. The French tourism offering is not just beaches - it has popular cities, seaside resorts, rural areas and a thriving mountain tourism sector. Holidays in France range from lying on the beach to taking up extreme sports in the Alps, from wandering around markets in small towns to hitting up the world-class galleries in Paris. It's also not just a summer destination - while summer tourism is popular there's also a busy ski season and plenty of year-round tourism in the cities. READ ALSO : Six reasons why France is so popular with tourists✎ Matt Philipps Managing Editor of travel app Polarsteps told sister site The Local Spain earlier this year: 'Spain's tourism is heavily concentrated in coastal areas and a few major cities, while France spreads its tourists across many different regions and types of destinations, from the Loire Valley châteaux to the French Alps, from Provence to Normandy, and from wine regions to small historic villages'. Rosie Mansfield, from canal boat holiday specialists French Waterways, agreed. 'France has a highly developed tourism offering, with greater geographic spread throughout the country,' she said. That said, according to the French government, some 80 percent of the country's tourist activity is concentrated in just 20 percent of the country. READ ALSO The 10 French tourist spots most likely to be overcrowded The French government set up an Observatoire National des Sites Touristiques at the end of 2024 to monitor the impact of tourism on 15 popular tourist sites across the country, with the intention of expanding the reach of the survey in the future. Advertisement Type of tourism There's also the profile of French tourists. Tom Bourlet who works for The Stag Company said: 'We don't send any stags or hens [that's bachelor/bachelorette parties, for American readers] from the UK to France. In contrast, Benidorm was our top selling destination in 2024, while we also sent thousands of groups of young Brits to Barcelona and Magaluf'. Simon Richards, from Provence Holidays, also believes this is an important factor. 'Spain has a stronger dependence on mainstream tourism operators, package holidays and all inclusive resorts – which drives mass tourism that can cause a strain on infrastructure,' he said. READ ALSO 19 alternative places to visit in France to avoid the crowds 'France, on the other hand, has a higher proportion of independent travel agencies who operate a boutique, locally-driven approach that champions positive tourism.' There's also perhaps the fact that the majority of France's tourists are French - in total only around 30 percent of the total tourists in France come from overseas, the rest are French enjoying a holiday in their own country. There's a strong cultural tradition of French people taking a long summer holiday in France, while it's also common in the winter to head to the French Alps or Pyrenees to ski. In total almost 10 percent of France's housing stock is second homes - and 90 percent of those are owned by French people . Perhaps it's just easier to blame tourists when they're foreign ones?
Local Germany
12 hours ago
- Science
- Local Germany
Climate change could double summer rainfall in the German Alps
Researchers said that in a scenario where temperatures rise by two degrees Celsius, the Alps and nearby regions could experience episodes of intense summer rainfall twice as often as currently. "With such warming, an intense storm currently expected once every 50 years could occur once every 25 years in the future," said the Swiss university, which conducted the study in collaboration with the University of Padua in Italy. "Hot air holds more moisture (around seven percent more per degree), intensifying storm activity", the researchers said. "As the Alpine environment warms faster than the global average, it is particularly affected," they added. The study used summer rainfall data collected from nearly 300 meteorological stations across the European Alps in Switzerland, Germany, Austria, France and Italy. They focused on record-breaking rainfall events - lasting from ten minutes to an hour - that occurred between 1991 and 2020, as well as the temperatures associated with these episodes. "The sudden and massive arrival of large volumes of water can exceed the soil's absorption capacity," which can "trigger flash floods and debris flows, causing damage to infrastructure", said Nadav Peleg, a researcher at UNIL and the study's lead author. Advertisement Researchers recommend "preparing urban water management systems and other infrastructures" that are ill suited to handle significant rainfall volumes. "Promptly updating engineering and urban planning standards" would help mitigate potential risks associated with these events, they added, while also emphasising the need to "limit global warming to 1.5C or less above current levels". According to scientists from the United Nations' IPCC panel on climate change, there is a 50 percent chance of global temperatures rising by an average of 1.5C by 2030-2035. "We are already observing a trend towards intensified summer storms and this trend is expected to worsen in the coming years," said Francesco Marra, a researcher at the University of Padova and a co-author of the study.
France 24
13 hours ago
- Science
- France 24
Climate change could double summer rainfall in the Alps: study
Researchers said that in a scenario where temperatures rise by two degrees Celsius (about 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit), the Alps and nearby regions could experience episodes of intense summer rainfall twice as often as currently. "With such warming, an intense storm currently expected once every 50 years could occur once every 25 years in the future," said the Swiss university, which conducted the study in collaboration with the University of Padua in Italy. "Hot air holds more moisture (around seven percent more per degree), intensifying storm activity", the researchers said. "As the Alpine environment warms faster than the global average, it is particularly affected," they added. The study used summer rainfall data collected from nearly 300 meteorological stations across the European Alps in Switzerland, Germany, Austria, France and Italy. They focused on record-breaking rainfall events -- lasting from 10 minutes to an hour -- that occurred between 1991 and 2020, as well as the temperatures associated with these episodes. "The sudden and massive arrival of large volumes of water can exceed the soil's absorption capacity," which can "trigger flash floods and debris flows, causing damage to infrastructure", said Nadav Peleg, a researcher at UNIL and the study's lead author. Researchers recommend "preparing urban water management systems and other infrastructures" that are ill suited to handle significant rainfall volumes. "Promptly updating engineering and urban planning standards" would help mitigate potential risks associated with these events, they added, while also emphasising the need to "limit global warming to 1.5C or less above current levels". According to scientists from the United Nations' IPCC panel on climate change, there is a 50 percent chance of global temperatures rising by an average of 1.5C by 2030-2035. "We are already observing a trend towards intensified summer storms and this trend is expected to worsen in the coming years," said Francesco Marra, a researcher at the University of Padova and a co-author of the study. © 2025 AFP
Reuters
a day ago
- Business
- Reuters
Breakingviews - How UBS and Switzerland can come to terms
LONDON, June 18 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Switzerland is at a crossroads. Two years ago, politicians bent over backwards to help UBS (UBSG.S), opens new tab buy Credit Suisse, partly on the grounds that a failure would imperil the Alpine nation's status as banking hub. In 2025, the same leaders are calling for an extra $24 billion of equity from the enlarged giant, which could erode Zurich's status in another way by prompting UBS to take its $1.5 trillion balance sheet elsewhere. Yet a compromise, to stop the twin extremes of UBS moving or a ruinous bank bailout, looks within reach. Finance Minister Karin Keller-Sutter in 2023 controversially gave UBS significant sweeteners for the Credit Suisse deal, including a government loss guarantee, which Chair Colm Kelleher ultimately didn't need. Now, she wants, opens new tab the bank to fully deduct the value of foreign subsidiaries from the parent bank's common equity Tier 1 (CET1) capital. Keller-Sutter has grounds to insist on unusually high capital ratios. UBS's assets dwarf Switzerland's $950 billion GDP. It also has a large U.S. business, which arguably makes it prudent to have enough equity to withstand any writedowns to overseas operations. The current rules, along with other more bank-specific carveouts, meant that Credit Suisse's capital ratios were more fragile than they seemed in the runup to its rescue, undermining its ability to sort out a perennially loss-making investment bank. It's possible, at least in theory, that something similar could happen to UBS one day. Still, Kelleher and his CEO Sergio Ermotti can legitimately say that the new rules make their bank much less appealing to investors. The government's wider package of measures will by 2030 create a de facto 17.2% minimum CET1 ratio for the listed holding company, compared with 14% absent the planned changes, using UBS's estimates. That erodes returns. In May, before the government released its proposals, analysts expected $11.9 billion of annual earnings and $76 billion of regulatory capital by the end of 2027, implying a 15.7% return on CET1. Raising the capital level to 17.2% would shrink the result to 13.7%. Morgan Stanley's (MS.N), opens new tab equivalent return that year will exceed 19%, according to Breakingviews calculations using Visible Alpha data. What happens next is down to lawmakers in Switzerland's parliament, who will decide whether to approve the rules, or water them down. That process runs slowly. UBS may not decisively know their thinking until the end of 2026. One consideration is whether the bank is exaggerating the pain of the hit. Stock analysts reckon there are several billion dollars of spare capital in UBS's foreign subsidiaries. Keller-Sutter's number crunchers say the bank can shrink the de facto CET1 minimum below 15% through measures such as so-called repatriation, which involves pulling money out of the overseas units to shrink the capital required to back them. That lower number is close to Morgan Stanley and JPMorgan's (JPM.N), opens new tab CET1 levels, the government points out. Another possibility doing the rounds in Zurich is that UBS could use more leverage at its listed holding company to offset the capital trapped lower down in the corporate hierarchy. Finally, a six-to-eight-year transition period dilutes the intensity of the capital pain now. Ermotti and Kelleher have some strong possible counter-arguments, though. It would be perverse to partially solve a leverage issue at one set of subsidiaries by borrowing more at another level. Moreover, the government's international comparison mixes apples and oranges. Keller-Sutter's team benchmarks UBS's requirements against the 15% to 16% levels of Morgan Stanley and other American rivals, which are tangibly higher than what U.S. regulators order them to hold. Morgan Stanley's actual regulatory minimum is 13.5%. The basic fact is that UBS could have a meaningfully lower minimum equity ratio, and therefore higher returns and even share price, if it was based elsewhere. Those numbers add weight to an implicit threat: UBS could move its headquarters to New York or London if parliament sides with the government. The bank's growth opportunities are predominantly outside Switzerland. The planned rules make U.S. expansion costly, in capital terms. It's not a stretch to imagine that Kelleher, a former Morgan Stanley executive, would prioritise global expansion over local loyalties. If his old shop or JPMorgan lobbed in a bid, offering another way to switch domicile, he might listen. Switching HQ could create a meaningful tax bill under local laws and raise questions about whether UBS's additional Tier 1 (AT1) debt would be eligible under U.S. regulations. The bank also could lose any clients who like the fact that UBS is neither American nor British. Yet the conservative lawmakers, which currently constitute the biggest grouping in parliament, will also be acutely aware of the risk of going from having two globally relevant banks a few years ago to none. That could represent a big blow in a country where banking accounts, opens new tab for 5% of GDP. Yet the biggest reason a compromise is possible is that there are ways to fudge the Keller-Sutter plan while retaining its essence. Allowing UBS to cover the foreign subsidiaries' value with AT1 capital as well as CET1, for example, would still arguably protect the parent bank's equity. Letting all outstanding AT1s count for these purposes could cut the CET1 ask to just $5 billion rather than $24 billion, JPMorgan analysts have calculated. That might be too small for comfort, but lawmakers could in theory split the difference by saying that AT1s can cover 20% of the capital, with CET1 accounting for the rest. Doing so would imply $15 billion of extra CET1, or about two-thirds of the current ask, and imply a 15% de facto minimum requirement according to Breakingviews calculations. It might not be a satisfying outcome for capital purists, particularly after the controversial Credit Suisse AT1 writedown tainted the funky hybrid securities, but Swiss supervisors are already working to make those securities absorb losses more readily in a crisis. Kelleher and Ermotti have some leverage by virtue of the possible HQ move, but time is not on their side. UBS faces 18 months or more of capital uncertainty and its shares, off 20% since late January, could fall further if investors get jittery. Lawmakers preoccupied with avoiding a future bank failure, in contrast, will want to take their time. Yet they should remember that while Credit Suisse's rickety capital structure didn't help, it ultimately went bust because wealthy clients mistrusted its ropey business model. As such, hitting UBS's returns carries risks as well as rewards. Follow Liam Proud on Bluesky, opens new tab and LinkedIn, opens new tab.
The Review Geek
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Review Geek
Nine Perfect Strangers Season 2 Episode 7 Preview: Release Date, Time & Where to Watch
Nine Perfect Strangers Season 2 Nine Perfect Strangers is back and Nicole Kidman returns as healing guru Masha. A new group of wellness seekers arrive at an Alpine resort seeking transformation, all whilst Masha faces past demons that threaten both her own and her guests' well-being. If you've been keeping up with this enticing drama, you'll likely want to know the release date for the next episode. Here is everything you need to know about Nine Perfect Strangers Season 2 episode 7, including its release date, time and where you can watch it. Where Can I Watch Nine Perfect Strangers? New episodes of Nine Perfect Strangers will be released exclusively on Hulu for viewers in the U.S. All episodes of season 1 are already available on the streaming service. In the UK and internationally, this series is available to watch on Amazon Prime, where the entirety of season 1 is included with a Prime subscription. Episodes will drop slightly later than in the US though, with a slight delay between chapters, which we'll detail below! Nine Perfect Strangers Season 2 Episode 7 Release Date Nine Perfect Strangers Season 2 Episode 7 will release on Hulu on Wednesday 25th June at approximately 12am (ET). For those then watching internationally, it'll drop on Amazon at 11am (GMT) a day later, on Thursday 26th June. Episode 7 is also scheduled to clock in at around 43 minutes long, and you can expect subtitles to release with the chapter dropping on streaming platforms. How Many Episodes Will Nine Perfect Strangers Season 2 Have? Nine Perfect Strangers Season 2 will have 8 episodes in total. With us now reverting back to a familiar 1 episode a week structure after the initial double-drop. With that in mind, we'll now have 1 more episode to go for this one! Is There a Trailer for Nine Perfect Strangers Season 2? Yes, there is! You can find a trailer for Nine Perfect Strangers Season 2 below: What do you hope to see as the series progresses? What's been your favorite moment of Nine Perfect Strangers so far? Let us know in the comments below!
