And other travel news you may have missed.
This week in travel, we’ve uncovered several stories that might have flown under your radar. Among them: residents in the Canary Islands held large anti-tourism protests; the Mexican government is angry at MrBeast for filming at cultural sites; and a Lufthansa flight flew 10 minutes without pilots.
Dive into these and more as we examine the latest in travel news.
NO.1
THOUSANDS PROTEST AGAINST TOURISM ON THE CANARY ISLANDS
On Sunday, thousands of residents of the Canary Islands protested against overtourism. They urged the authorities to limit visitors as they marched through the streets. The islands have a population of 2.2 million, but each month, more than a million arrive on the Spanish islands off the coast of western Africa.
According to news reports, 30,000 people participated in the protests to demand affordable housing and a better quality of life. They marched under the banner of “Canarias tiene un límite” (Canaries have a limit). The coordinated protests occurred simultaneously at 11 a.m. on all seven islands against the unrestrained construction of roads, hotels, and airports, among other developments, causing environmental degradation.
NO.2
MEXICO WANTS MR.BEAST TO PAY FOR FILMING AT CULTURAL LANDMARKS
A video titled “I Explored 2,000-Year-Old Ancient Temples” was released on YouTube on May 10, and while it has garnered almost 70 million views, the Mexican government has taken notice, too. In the video, American YouTuber Jimmy Donaldson, known as MrBeast, explored ancient archaeological sites in Mexico that require special permission to visit, including the sites of Calakmul and Chichén Itzá.
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In the video, he remarked, “Can’t believe the government is letting us do this,” while also mentioning that archaeologists are not allowed to visit. He did have permission to visit and shoot, but the video is receiving backlash because he promoted a chocolate brand, held a prehistoric mask, and descended from a helicopter.
President Claudia Sheinbaum has asked the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) to report under what conditions the production company and the YouTuber were allowed access to the sites.
CNN reported that the INAH claimed the video was heavily edited. “Clearly, the video involves extensive audiovisual post-production work and alludes to events that did not occur, such as the fact that the producers never descended from a helicopter, spent the night inside the archaeological site, or possessed a pre-Hispanic mask, as the one presented is clearly a contemporary reproduction. All of these are false assertions that reflect the theatricality of the YouTuber in question.”
Claudia Curiel de Icaza, secretary of culture, confirmed that the YouTuber had permission but denied authorizing the visits for commercial use. INAH is demanding compensation from the production company that was given the permit.
MrBeast has 396 million subscribers on YouTube—the most in the world.
NO.3
MEXICAN SHIP CRASHES INTO BROOKLYN BRIDGE
A navy training ship from Mexico collided with the Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday night, killing two people on board and injuring 22. Video footage showed three tall masts—lit up to the top—crashing into the bottom of the bridge while crew members dangled from harnesses. The masts broke, and debris fell onto the ship. There was no damage reported to the bridge.
The investigation into the incident is still underway, but initial reports suggested that the ship lost power and could not steer in the right direction. The ship was on its way to Iceland with 277 people on board.
NO.4
DISRUPTIVE RYANAIR PASSENGER IS FINED BY POLISH COURT
Ryanair welcomed the sentence of a disruptive passenger who was fined €3,230 ($3,630). The incident occurred on June 30, 2024, on a flight from Glasgow to Kraków when an unruly passenger forced the plane to be diverted to Rzeszów. The flight had 191 passengers and six crew members. Almost a year later, the Polish court ruled in favor of the airline.
In its statement, the low-cost carrier said, “Today we welcome the decision of the Kraków district court, which demonstrates just one of the many consequences that passengers who disrupt flights will face as part of Ryanair’s zero-tolerance policy, and we hope this action will deter further disruptive behavior on flights so that passengers and crew can travel in a comfortable and respectful environment.”
Related: Can Airlines Sue You if You Behave Badly?
NO.5
FLIGHT FLIES WITHOUT PILOTS FOR 10 MINUTES
The Spanish aviation regulator revealed the shocking details of an emergency incident on board a Lufthansa plane last year. According to reports, a flight from Frankfurt, Germany, to Seville, Spain, flew without a pilot for 10 minutes in February 2024. It happened when the captain went to use the restroom just as the plane approached the last leg of the journey, but he was unable to get back into the cockpit because the first officer lost consciousness.
The jet was about to cross the Spanish border when the incident occurred. The captain tried the access code five times as a flight attendant attempted to call the first officer. Luckily, he was able to gain access to the cockpit using an emergency code and took control. The first officer was attended to by a doctor on board, and the flight was diverted to the nearest airport in Madrid.
The first officer had a pre-existing neurological condition that wasn’t detected during his medical examination. The flight had 205 people on board and flew on autopilot. Pilots are trained for such situations, and they are rare. The Spanish authority termed it extraordinary.
Europe introduced a recommendation for a two-pilot rule after a deadly crash in 2015, but regulators have been considering revisiting it. Airlines can decide whether they want to follow the rule, and German airlines and Swiss have since dropped it.
Related: The Captain on My Flight Is Socializing in the Aisle. So, Who Is Flying the Plane?
