News and Deals

Tourism Australia rolls out second phase of U.S. marketing campaign Travel Weekly Capitalizing on the momentum from its standout Super Bowl Sunday ad, Tourism Australia this week rolled out the … Read More

Carnival Cruise Line plans massive makeover of 18-year-old Carnival Victory USA Today Another Carnival cruise ship designed in the 1990s is about to be reborn. The 2,758-passenger Carnival Victory in 2020 … Read More

Contentious Mexico train revived as new president comes to office Travel Weekly The Mexican Congress is expected to increase its tourism tax on airline tickets to $32 from $25 to … Read More

Alitalia relaunch to include Italian state ownership USA Today The Italian populist government’s relaunch of the struggling Alitalia airline includes plans to take a 15-percent share and the inclusion of … Read More

Japan to introduce electronic visa system for tourists from April 2020 The Japan Times The government will introduce an electronic system for tourist visa applications in April 2020 in an … Read More

Lebanon’s Grand Sofar Hotel reopens after four decades BBC News Since Lebanon’s civil war of the 1970s and 80s many buildings in the country have lain ruined and unused. The … Read More

Marriott aims for 80+ UAE hotels in five years Hotel Management Marriott International expects to end 2018 with 11 new properties and more than 2,600 guestrooms added to its United … Read More

American Airlines reduces options for travelers with delayed, canceled flights USA Today American Airlines has reduced options for travelers whose flights are delayed or canceled. Under a new policy, passengers without … Read More

Tropical Storm Michael Approaching US Gulf Coast, Could Become a Hurricane Travel Pulse The United States National Hurricane Center revealed tropical depression No. 14 has upgraded to Tropical Storm Michael … Read More

Royal Caribbean Issues Refunds After Cruise Gets Out of Control Travel Pulse Officials from Royal Caribbean International have apologized and reimbursed passengers on a September cruise after the ship became … Read More

Dubai expands tourism ambitions, sets new target for 2025 ArabianBusiness.com Dubai has extended its tourism ambitions, announcing new targets for attracting visitors to the emirate up to 2025. Building on … Read More

Royal Caribbean Issues Refunds After Cruise Gets Out of Control Travel Pulse Officials from Royal Caribbean International have apologized and reimbursed passengers on a September cruise after the ship became … Read More

Primera Air ceases operations Travel Weekly Nordic low-cost carrier Primera Air abruptly ended its operations at midnight Monday and has filed for bankruptcy, according to a statement from the carrier. … Read More

Budget airline Primera Air ceases operations USA TODAY Primera Air, which expanded into the United States earlier this year and recently announced more flights for next summer, is going out of … Read More

LAX Allowing Weed Inside Facility, TSA Still Says No Travel Pulse A new policy at Los Angeles International Airport permits people entering the facility to carry small amounts of marijuana. … Read More

Tourists Warned to Stop Swimming Near Great Barrier Reef Travel Pulse Tourists heading to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia are being warned to stay out of the water following … Read More

Delta System Outage Halts Domestic Flights Nationwide Travel Pulse Technical issues within the Delta Air Lines computer system caused a nationwide hold on all domestic flights for more than an … Read More

South Africa to relax visa rules to boost investment, tourism Channel NewsAsia South Africa will ease some immigration rules, including agreeing visa waiver agreements with more countries, in an effort … Read More

Delta Increases Checked Baggage Fees Travel Pulse Joining a recent wave of changes made by other United States carriers, Delta Air Lines has increased checked bag fees to $30 for … Read More

Sandals Resorts Announces First Phase of Single-Use Plastic Elimination Travel Pulse Monday, on the first day of Pollution Prevention Week, Sandals Resorts International (SRI) announced that all 19 Sandals and … Read More

United Airlines to add more Dreamliner flights at Newark hub, report says USA Today Expect to see more United Boeing 787 “Dreamliners” flying international routes from New Jersey’s Newark Liberty … Read More

Epcot’s IllumiNations to End in 2019 Travel Pulse Epcot’s IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth will be ending in the second half of 2019. Disney made the announcement Monday. While Epcot fans … Read More

Don’t crowd the gate: United rolls out a new boarding process USA Today United has become the latest airline to tweak the way it calls passengers to board its planes. … Read More

Golf life: The Ryder riddle – Why doesn’t it drive more tourism? Golfweek This month France will be at the center of the golf universe when the United States meets … Read More

Cristiano Ronaldo Eyes Paris for Sixth ‘CR7’ Hotel Travel Pulse Soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo will open the sixth hotel under his “CR7” lifestyle hotel chain in Paris in 2021. According … Read More

Kerala unveils action plan to revive tourism Economic Times The devastating floods in Kerala last month, coming soon after a Nipah virus outbreak, has left the state’s tourism industry in … Read More

Fake TripAdvisor Reviewer Sentenced to Jail in Italy Travel Pulse In a landmark decision, a TripAdvisor reviewer from Italy was sentenced to nine months in prison for fraud after selling … Read More

Great Barrier Reef Shows Significant Signs of Recovery Travel Pulse Queensland, Australia is pleased to advise a positive update on the recovery status of the iconic Great Barrier Reef. The … Read More

Luxury Hotels Carve Out Wellness Enclaves For Health-Conscious Travelers Forbes The hassles of travel, whether for business or pleasure, can be taxing on the mind and body. So it’s not … Read More

Bill Banning Non-Members From TSA Pre-Check Passes House Travel Pulse Have you noticed longer lines at TSA Pre-Check lately? Sometimes, in order to alleviate congestion in main security lines, travelers … Read More

Hotels are arming workers with panic buttons to combat harassment CNBC After countless complaints of hotel workers enduring sexual harassment, the industry is finally responding by introducing increased measures to … Read More

A&K Introduces New Immersive Journeys in Europe Travel Pulse The most unforgettable journeys are made when travelers experience the authentic heart of a destination. Abercrombie & Kent is taking them … Read More

United Increases Baggage Fees to $30-$50 Travel Pulse United Airlines is increasing checked baggage fees on North American, Caribbean and Central American flights by at least $5 for tickets issued … Read More

The US Is Getting A New Airline This November Forbes California Pacific Airlines has announced it will begin operating flights from November 1, 2018. The new airline will begin by … Read More

Azamara Pursuit christened in England Travel Weekly Azamara Club Cruises’ first ship in over a decade was christened the Azamara Pursuit here in a dockside ceremony on Tuesday. The godmothers … Read More

JetBlue hikes checked-bag fee to $30 Travel Pulse JetBlue has begun charging $30 for a first checked bag, making it the first U.S. carrier that is not an ultralow-cost carrier … Read More

Anbang looking to unload luxury hotel portfolio Travel Weekly Embattled Chinese conglomerate Anbang Insurance Group is said to be seeking a buyer for a portfolio of roughly 15 U.S. luxury … Read More

Allianz Global Assistance Launches New SmartBenefits Travel Pulse Allianz Global Assistance announced Thursday it has launched its new SmartBenefits that will reshape how travel insurance works. The new benefits and … Read More

After grim 2016, Turkish tourism makes a comeback Fox News Tourists have returned in droves to Turkey, helped this summer by the sharp fall in the value of the Turkish … Read More

Virgin to develop group-wide loyalty programme Business Traveller Virgin Group has announced plans to develop a new Virgin-wide loyalty programme , which will use the same currency as Virgin Atlantic’s … Read More

Southwest still mum on Hawaii schedule Travel Weekly Southwest, which is still waiting on FAA approval to begin its much-anticipated Hawaii service, won’t schedule flights until that regulatory process is … Read More

United to Launch New Seasonal, Nonstop Flights to Saint Kitts Travel Pulse United Airlines is bringing a second flight to St. Kitts for the first time. The carrier announced Monday … Read More

Adare Manor named world’s best hotel for 2018 Independent.ie Less than a year after it re-opened for business, Co. Limerick’s Adare Manor has been named the world’s best luxury hotel. … Read More

Herschel Supply Co. Launches Entire Travel Line Condé Nast Traveler Herschel Supply Co. has long been one of our favorite affordable travel brands on the market. Founders and brothers Jamie … Read More

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