News and Deals

North Korea Suspends Tour Operator Visas Ahead of 70th Anniversary Travel Pulse As North Korea prepares for the country’s 70th-anniversary celebration, officials have stopped issuing tourist visas for foreign travelers. … Read More

Delta Airlines to Hire 1,000 More Flight Attendants Travel Pulse Chosen from among thousands of applicants, Delta flight attendants are recognized as the best in the business. And with more … Read More

Toxic ‘red tide’ algae bloom is killing Florida wildlife and menacing tourism The Guardian With its long, white, sandy beaches, Sanibel Island off the coast of south-western Florida is usually … Read More

DoubleTree by Hilton Appoints Chief Cookie Officer Travel Pulse In the business world, there are CEOs, CFOs and CMOs. And now, DoubleTree by Hilton is adding the title CCO to … Read More

TSA considering ending screening at small airports Travel Weekly The TSA is considering ending screening of passengers at smaller airports across the country to focus security efforts at the largest … Read More

Tourists Are Injuring Santorini’s Overworked Donkeys Condé Nast Traveler The Greek island of Santorini is set to introduce another set of restrictions: But this time, they will be around its … Read More

United adding Miami-Washington Dulles flights as American drops route USA Today United Airlines will add a new non-stop route to Florida from its hub at Washington Dulles, picking up a … Read More

Delta testing upscale dining in international economy Travel Weekly Delta is contemplating a more upscale dining offering for economy flyers on international flights. The service would be part of the … Read More

Construction begins on new Celebrity Cruises ship Celebrity Apex USA Today Construction has begun on another new ship for Celebrity Cruises. French shipbuilder Chantiers de l’Atlantique on Monday held a … Read More

Indonesia earthquake: 14 dead on tourist island of Lombok BBC News A powerful earthquake has struck a popular tourist destination in Indonesia, killing at least 14 people. The 6.4 magnitude … Read More

22 New Hotels Join Preferred Hotels Portfolio Travel Pulse Nearly two dozen new properties have been added to the Preferred Hotels & Resorts global portfolio. The new additions range from … Read More

Lindblad Eliminates Single-Use Plastic Fleetwide Travel Pulse Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic has completed a fleet-wide plastic elimination initiative. All ships are now free of single-use plastic bottles, cups, straws and stirrers. … Read More

Storms! 22,500 flights delayed, 3,150 canceled since Sunday USA Today Late flights and cancellations awaited fliers again on Tuesday as a stormy weather pattern remained entrenched along the East Coast. … Read More

Residents Flee Forest Fires in Athens, Greece Travel Pulse The skies over Athens, Greece, are a hazy orange as a pair of wildfires rage outside the city. The first fire … Read More

Grand Teton Sights Closed After Fissure Opens Travel Pulse An emergency closure in Grand Teton National Park is limiting access to popular areas around Jenny Lake in Wyoming. The National … Read More

Homeland Security: Photography Could be a Sign of Terrorism Travel Pulse Travel Instagrammers, beware. Your excessive photo habits might just be mistaken as a sign of terrorist activity, according to … Read More

JW Marriott opens in Nashville Travel Weekly The JW Marriott Nashville celebrated its grand opening Thursday. The hotel is located in a 33-story glass tower in downtown Music City. The … Read More

Mexico to Begin Bullet Train Construction Next Year Travel Pulse A new rail line connecting some of the most popular tourism destinations in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula could begin construction as … Read More

YouTube Stars Die in Waterfall Accident Travel Pulse Three adventurous YouTube stars have fallen to their death while visiting a Canadian waterfall earlier this week. The trio, consisting of Ryker … Read More

Boeing to acquire 80% of Embraer’s commercial aircraft division Travel Weekly Boeing has agreed to purchase 80% of Embraer’s commercial aircraft division. The transaction, which values Boeing’s share at $3.8 … Read More

New EU System Will Prescreen Visa-Exempt Nationals Travel Pulse Europe is beefing up border security and earning praise from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC). The EU is adopting … Read More

Boeing to acquire 80% of Embraer’s commercial aircraft division Travel Weekly Boeing has agreed to purchase 80% of Embraer’s commercial aircraft division. The transaction, which values Boeing’s share at $3.8 … Read More

Liberty Island Evacuated After Someone Tries to Climb Statue of Liberty Travel Pulse Liberty Island has been evacuated after two separate incidences occurred at the iconic Statue of Liberty in … Read More

State Department Updates Worldwide Travel Warning Before July 4th Travel Pulse Just in time for the July 4th holiday, a time which many experts predict will be the busiest travel … Read More

One Year Later, United to Drop LAX-Singapore Flight Travel Pulse Just one year after it introduced what was then being promoted as the longest flight in or out of the … Read More

Iceland’s main airport struggles to keep up with hot tourism market, plans $1 billion expansion CNBC A rush of tourists to Iceland has forced the country’s state-owned airport operator to … Read More

Thousands of tourists stranded as Bali eruption closes airport The Japan Times Thousands of tourists were stranded Friday as Bali shuttered its international airport following a volcanic eruption on the … Read More

You can now bid to buy Elvis Presley’s private jet; sold ‘as is’ USA Today In the market for a vintage Lockheed Jetstar once owned by the King of Rock … Read More

UK lawmakers approve big expansion for Heathrow Airport USA Today Parliament approved plans to make Europe’s busiest airport even bigger, backing on Monday what the government described as the most … Read More

New Zealand to launch £18 ‘tourist tax’ for visitors entering the country The Independent New Zealand has proposed introducing a tourist tax of NZ$35 (£18) for visitors entering the country. … Read More

St. Louis’ Gateway Arch to Welcome New Museum Travel Pulse July 3 promises to be a big day for residents of St. Louis, Missouri. This year, the annual Independence Day … Read More

AAA Predicts Record-Breaking Independence Day Travel Numbers Travel Pulse A new AAA study revealed a record-breaking 46.9 million Americans are expected to travel 50 miles or more away from home … Read More

AmaWaterways sets course to attract new cruisers Travel Weekly AmaWaterways plans to add three vessels to its fleet next year, the most ships the company will have launched in a … Read More

Hyatt Regency Brand Unveils its First Property in the Capital of China Travel Pulse With the opening of its first property in the Chinese capital of Beijing, Hyatt Regency’s global … Read More

New Zealand to tax tourists to fund infrastructure amid tourism boom The Business Times New Zealand announced plans on Friday to introduce a tourist tax and increase other fees for … Read More

Silversea exploring feasibility of simultaneous Arctic cruises Travel Weekly Silversea Cruises is in the late stages of planning one of the most ambitious expedition itineraries ever attempted: simultaneous multiweek cruises … Read More

Astronaut christens new Viking Cruises ship, Viking Orion, in elaborate ceremony USA Today River cruise giant Viking’s move into ocean cruising hit another milestone on Thursday as the company christened its … Read More

Oprah is a cruise ship godmother Travel Weekly Holland America Line will deepen its relationship with Oprah Winfrey, picking her to ceremonially name its next ship, the Nieuw Statendam. The … Read More

Holland America Line upgrades website Travel Weekly Holland America Line has revamped its website, giving users a planning tool with filters that quickly narrow their choices to pick the desired … Read More

Volcanic eruption hurt bookings, Hawaiian Airlines warns CNBC A volcanic eruption in Hawaii will likely dent bookings and revenue in the second quarter, Hawaiian Airlines said. A powerful eruption at … Read More

Travel industry mourns Anthony Bourdain, godfather of foodie travel Travel Weekly The travel industry was still absorbing the news on Friday that celebrated chef and travel series star Anthony Bourdain, … Read More

Cruise Carnival Corp. buys excursion railroad in Alaska Travel Weekly Carnival Corp. has made an investment in Alaska that includes ownership of the White Pass & Yukon Route excursion railroad … Read More

In trend reversal, traffic at midsized airports growing Travel Weekly Midsize U.S. airports are now growing at a faster rate than their larger rivals, a reversal from just a few … Read More

United Airlines attempts to fix boarding process headaches MarketWatch Airlines are working to get passengers onto the plane faster. The perennial struggle is familiar to most air travelers: the gate … Read More

Travel industry takes aim at reducing plastic waste USA TODAY The hospitality industry no longer is being hospitable to plastic waste. Momentum is growing to minimize the use of single-use plastic among … Read More

W Hotels Returns To Australia With The Opening Of W Brisbane PR Newswire The heat is on. W Hotels Worldwide, part of Marriott International, today re-enters Australia with the opening … Read More

Ailing Thai beach made famous by Hollywood closes to tourism Travel Weekly Once a pristine Thai paradise, the secluded bay made famous by the Leonardo DiCaprio movie “The Beach” has … Read More

Singapore Airlines to launch world’s longest commercial flight in October Reuters Singapore Airlines Ltd (SIAL.SI) said it would launch the world’s longest commercial flight in October, a near-19 hour non-stop … Read More

Dominican Republic entry fee now included in airfare Travel Pulse Tourists arriving by air in the Dominican Republic no longer have to pay a $10 entry fee in cash upon … Read More

American Airlines bans insects, hedgehogs and goats as emotional support animals CNNMoney American Airlines is making it very clear: Insects, goats and hedgehogs cannot be brought on planes as emotional … Read More