The number of bags airlines lost dropped last year, thanks to tech innovations being used by the aviation industry, a new report has found.

A record 5.3 billion passengers took flights in 2024. These numbers come with logistical challenges, not least the pressure on baggage handling systems.

But there’s good news for travellers on that front. A new report from aviation technology company SITA shows that baggage handling is not just keeping pace but is steadily improving.

Even with passenger numbers up by 8.2 per cent, the rate of luggage mishandling dropped to 6.3 per 1,000 passengers in 2024, down from 6.9 the year before.

That’s an 8.7 per cent improvement from 2023, and a 67 per cent drop since 2007.

Experts say automation and data are doing the heavy lifting, from self-service bag drops to real-time tracking.

Mishandled baggage costs airlines €4.3 billion annually

According to the report, 33.4 million bags were mishandled in 2024. The group describes this as “a clear signal that while progress is real, the work is far from done.”

The financial impact remains substantial, however. Mishandled baggage still costs airlines an average of $5 billion (€4.3 billion) each year.

“Technology has made a difference, but unlocking the next leap in performance will require better data sharing and seamless coordination across the industry,” SITA says.

Self-service bag drops and electronic tags

The report found that automation and real-time data are the key to unlocking faster, more accurate baggage operations.

Travellers are now more likely to find technology handling their bags at airports from the get-go.

Touchless, self-service bag drops and tracking via electronic tags, the Internet of Things, and GPS are becoming widespread.

Today, 42 per cent of passengers use real-time baggage tracking. By 2027, that number is expected to nearly double to 82 per cent.

One of the most notable innovations in 2024 was the integration of Apple’s Share Item Location feature with SITA’s lost or delayed baggage tracking system, allowing passengers to share their AirTag location directly with airlines.

British Airways, Lufthansa, Qantas, Cathay Pacific, and Virgin Atlantic were among the early adopters.

Another milestone was the introduction of new industry standards for messaging about baggage, which are designed to reduce mishandling by a further five per cent by shifting the focus from simply reporting issues to predicting and preventing them.

Baggage handling should be ‘as reliable as a delivery app’

Regionally, performance is improving across the board. North America’s mishandling rate improved by 4.5 per cent with 5.5 per cent of bags lost per 1,000 passengers, better than pre-2019 levels.

Europe reduced its rate to 12.3 (from 15.7 in 2022), while Asia-Pacific maintained its global lead with just 3.1 mishandled bags per 1,000 passengers. That still means, however, that you are more than twice as likely to face problems in Europe than in other parts of the world.

Another result of this technological advance is that of the 33.4 million mishandled bags, 66 per cent were resolved within 48 hours.

While you may be more likely to face problems in the first place, Europe led the way by returning 4.4 million bags within 48 hours. The Americas followed with 3.2 million, while Asia-Pacific and the Middle East and Africa each resolved over a million within the same time frame.

According to SITA, continued improvement will require systems that connect every player – airlines, airports, ground handlers, and passengers – through intelligent, real-time data flows.

“With passenger expectations rising, baggage can no longer be treated as a back-end logistics function,” the report states. “It’s a critical part of the journey, expected to work as intuitively and reliably as a rideshare or delivery app.”

The summer of 2024 was a tipping point for many destinations in Europe, as soaring visitor numbers caused tourism to become a burden rather than a benefit.

With mass tourism showing no signs of slowing in 2025, many hotspots have brought in measures to mitigate its negative effects.

Some moves seemed obvious: limiting cruise ships, increasing tourist taxes and capping visitor numbers.

But other efforts to curb visitor numbers have made headlines thanks to outside-the-box thinking from both officials and residents.

Here are some of the strangest overtourism measures that have been brought in so far this year.

Notting Hill residents paint iconic coloured houses black

Notting Hill, a neighbourhood in West London, first gained tourist fame in the 90s thanks to the eponymous romantic film starring Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant.

More recently, its photogenic, candy-coloured houses have made the area a social media darling.

But the crowds of snap-happy tourists have begun to frustrate residents, who are raising complaints about litter, noise and a lack of privacy.

Locals report incidents of influencers walking up to front doors to take pictures, setting out picnics, and even asking one homeowner to go inside so as not to ruin a photo.

Now, some residents have resorted to painting their houses in less eye-catching hues like black and grey to deter the cameras.

Homeowners have also erected ‘quiet zone’ signs and hung chains and ropes in front of the stairs leading up to their front doors.

Police check hikers’ footwear in Italy’s Cinque Terre

Italy’s Cinque Terre is famous for its sunny-coloured, cliff-clinging villages linked by vertiginous walking paths.

The hiking routes draw thousands of visitors in spring and summer, to the extent that the Cinque Terre national park authorities have had to introduce safety measures.

As well as introducing one-way systems, park authorities brought in a ban on open or smooth-soled footwear (like flip-flops) in 2019.

Inappropriate shoes can cost a would-be hiker a fine ranging from €50 to €2,500.

In the latest online guidelines for visiting the park, officials now say checks will be carried out by police to ensure walkers are properly kitted out.

Barcelona creates special selfie zone at Sagrada Familia

Until recently, Plaça Gaudí, the square in front of the Sagrada Familia church, had been exploited by tourists for a TikTok trend that caused considerable disruption.

It involved visitors balancing their phones on metro escalators to film themselves while the iconic monument appeared in the background. The trend led to tourists clogging station exits and was eventually banned.

Barcelona city council has now decided to construct a special zone beside the Sagrada Familia where visitors can take a breather – and a selfie – before entering the church.

The 6,200-square-metre ‘anteroom’ will be located between the Nativity façade of the basilica and Plaça Gaudí on Carrer de la Marina.

Benidorm cracks down on renting mobility scooters

In the Spanish resort town of Benidorm, authorities have announced hefty fines for the inappropriate use of mobility scooters.

Police say tourists have been renting the vehicles for fun and without proper insurance, and driving around at dangerous speeds.

The council has now emphasised that the use of mobility scooters is strictly limited to those with a genuine need.

Visitors violating the rules face fines of up to €500.

Published on 10/06/2025 – 16:35 GMT+2

Europe’s rail renaissance is showing no signs of slowing as high-speed rail operator Eurostar reveals ambitious plans to expand its network.

The company says it will introduce direct train connections from London to Germany and Switzerland, in what it calls the dawn of a “new golden age of international sustainable travel”.

The operator is also enhancing its existing offering by increasing services on popular routes.

Here’s what travellers can look forward to.

Eurostar’s proposed expansion includes establishing direct rail links between London St Pancras International and two key European destinations: Frankfurt in Germany and Geneva in Switzerland.

The company plans to invest approximately €2 billion to acquire a substantial fleet of up to 50 new trains for the routes.

These new services are expected to begin operating during the early 2030s and aim to rival air travel for the same trips.

And journey times make the rail alternative attractive. Passengers travelling between London and Frankfurt can expect to arrive in approximately five hours, while those heading to Geneva will make the journey in around five hours and 20 minutes.

Eurostar has not yet released details on intermediate stops and whether passengers will have the flexibility to get on and off at various points along the route.

The new services are particularly aimed at business travel, with Eurostar’s Chief Executive, Gwendoline Cazenave, highlighting that the destinations are “big financial hubs”.

Frankfurt and Geneva are also tourist hotspots, filled with culture, striking architecture and international events.

Dates for the launch remain approximate as there are still several logistical challenges to implementing these new routes.

These include expanding passenger facilities at destination stations, establishing new border control checkpoints, and securing track access agreements.

Despite these hurdles, Cazenave remains optimistic about the project’s success, citing strong commitment from Eurostar, passenger demand, and government support.

Eurostar to increase services along popular routes

Eurostar’s expanded fleet will also enable it to increase frequency on popular routes.

This includes boosting daily return services between London and Paris from 17 to 20.

The company has also confirmed plans to introduce a fourth daily return service between St Pancras and Amsterdam beginning on 9 September, with a fifth service added from mid-December.

Currently, Eurostar operates services connecting London to Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, and seasonal routes to the French Alps during the winter sports season. It also runs train links within Belgium, France, Germany and the Netherlands.

The operator transported 19.5 million passengers last year – a five per cent increase from 18.6 million in 2023. The London-Paris route proved most popular with 280,000 passengers, followed by London-Brussels with 250,000 passengers.

While Eurostar currently enjoys a monopoly on passenger services through the Channel Tunnel, several competitors are developing plans to challenge this, including Virgin Group, Italy’s FS Italiane Group, and Gemini Trains.