Visa, a global leader in digital payments and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) have signed a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to strengthen Singapore’s appeal as a preferred travel destination and to unlock new growth opportunities. The collaboration will focus on three key pillars – driving discovery of Singapore’s tourism products, especially its dining and night-time experiences; deriving insights to identify high-value tourism opportunities; and developing co-branded marketing campaigns to build brand preference for both Visa and Singapore.
at Fri, 23 Oct 2026 13:21:02 +0000

In an increasingly competitive world of luxury hospitality, the ability to evolve while remaining true to a distinctive identity has never been more important. For Cheval Collection, a brand synonymous with exceptional serviced apartments and considered luxury living, the unveiling of its new brand identity marks a defining moment in its journey. Representing its most significant brand evolution in more than 16 years, the relaunch reflects a business with growing international ambitions, a strengthening focus on the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, and a clear vision for the future of luxury accommodation. In this exclusive Q&A, Breaking Travel News speaks with Nick Pilbeam, Chief Commercial Officer of Cheval Collection, to explore the thinking behind the relaunch, what it signals about the group’s next phase of growth, and how the brand intends to build on its reputation for creating exceptional experiences for guests, owners and partners.
at Fri, 23 Oct 2026 13:14:54 +0000

Meliá Pattaya Hotel is introducing a new chapter in its culinary offering with the transformation of DEN restaurant into a modern premium izakaya specialising in Japanese grilling and sharing plates. The new concept will be launched with an exclusive four-course dinner paired with premium sake selections on Friday, October 30, 2026. Steeped in Japan’s traditional izakaya culture, DEN takes inspiration from the country’s informal pubs where people gather over drinks and small dishes designed for sharing, offering premium Japanese grilling and beverages amid an atmosphere that pays homage to Tokyo after dark.
at Fri, 23 Oct 2026 10:29:02 +0000

Four years after launching operations in Mexico, Arajet continues to strengthen its presence in this important market, achieving historic performance to date. This is reflected in the growth of total air passenger traffic between the two countries, which, according to data from the Dominican Republic’s Civil Aviation Board (JAC), is projected to exceed 398,000 passengers by the end of 2026. This significant increase in passenger traffic represents 423% growth compared to the 76,049 passengers transported in 2022, the year the Dominican flag carrier began operations in Mexico.
at Fri, 23 Oct 2026 10:28:43 +0000

Amadeus and NVIDIA have been collaborating to explore how accelerated computing and travel-specific AI could support faster, more scalable and more efficient flight search. Building on this work, the companies have now signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to deepen their collaboration and accelerate further exploration. As AI assistants increasingly search on behalf of travelers, they are changing both the volume and complexity of demand placed on travel technology.
at Fri, 23 Oct 2026 10:25:39 +0000

Etihad Cargo, the cargo and logistics arm of Etihad Airways, has helped transport two rescued brown bears from Russia to their new home at Wild Ireland, a wildlife sanctuary in County Donegal reinforcing its commitment to animal welfare and supporting wildlife conservation efforts.
at Fri, 23 Oct 2026 09:20:07 +0000

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, today launched the only nonstop service between Luxembourg and Abu Dhabi, becoming the first airline from the Middle East to fly to Luxembourg. The route operates four times a week on the Etihad A321LR, with strong demand since bookings opened in January 2026. Etihad’s inaugural flight, EY51 from Abu Dhabi, was welcomed at Luxembourg Airport with a water cannon salute.
at Fri, 23 Oct 2026 09:18:05 +0000

Emirates will deploy its latest-generation Airbus A350 to Mauritius from 1 November 2026, replacing the Boeing 777 currently operating the airline’s daily EK709/710 service between Dubai and Mauritius.
at Fri, 23 Oct 2026 09:16:06 +0000

Emirates is commemorating 35 years of serving Hong Kong, building on a remarkable journey that took flight in July 1991. What began with Emirates’ first landing in Hong Kong has evolved into a longstanding relationship with the city, connecting generations of travellers with Dubai and destinations around the world, with its Fly Better promise at the heart of every journey.
at Fri, 23 Oct 2026 09:14:34 +0000

Emirates Skywards, the award-winning loyalty programme of Emirates and flydubai, is bringing back its popular ‘Mile-A-Minute’ offer, rewarding members with one Skywards Mile for every minute spent in Dubai, up to 7,200 bonus Miles. As Dubai welcomes its winter season of festivals, events and outdoor experiences, the limited-time offer adds an extra reward for international visitors enjoying a holiday or stopover in the city. First introduced in 2021, the popular initiative returns with an opportunity for members to earn bonus Miles on top of those earned on eligible Emirates and flydubai flight tickets.
at Fri, 23 Oct 2026 09:11:04 +0000

Air Canada’s mobile app has been named Best Airline App at the 2026 World Aviation Festival in Lisbon, winning the Battle of the Airline Apps. A panel of industry judges compared three airline finalists and rated Air Canada’s app the best. The judges highlighted the app’s ability to bring together the full travel journey in a single experience, helping customers move seamlessly from booking to arrival with personalised, contextual information throughout their trip.
at Fri, 23 Oct 2026 09:08:50 +0000

Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) has announced that Century Cruises’ new river ship, Century Star, will be available to tour at the RiverView 2027 conference. The ship will feature as part of the new ‘Lite’ programme in Vienna on March 6, when agents will be welcomed onboard for informal visits. Delegates will have the opportunity to explore the ship, meet the onboard team, and enjoy drinks and light refreshments.
at Fri, 23 Oct 2026 07:29:06 +0000

The region’s finest culinary and mixology talent is heading to Barbados. The Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) today announced the teams competing in Taste of the Caribbean 2026, taking place Nov. 16-19 at Wyndham Sam Lord’s Castle All-Inclusive Resort, where an expanded slate of competitions will raise the bar for the Caribbean’s chefs and bartenders. This year’s competition brings together 15 teams from Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Bonaire, Curaçao, Grenada, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, St. Maarten, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
at Fri, 23 Oct 2026 07:20:59 +0000

For the 12th year running, Visit Qatar is set to participate in World Travel Market (WTM) London 2026, taking place from 3–5 November 2026 at ExCeL London, where it will showcase Qatar’s expanding tourism offering to international travel trade professionals, buyers and media.
at Fri, 23 Oct 2026 07:15:11 +0000

London’s Elephant & Castle is getting a new food and drink destination this November, and there’s plenty to tempt locals through the doors. The Elephant Exchange Food Hall, the latest opening from hospitality group Blend Family, will welcome its first visitors on Thursday 12 November, with a week of special offers to celebrate. Families can enjoy Kids Eat Free throughout the first week, including the weekend, while anyone looking to escape the home office can take advantage of bottomless tea and coffee throughout launch week. Whether it’s a family meal, a catch-up with friends, or a change of scenery for the working day, the new food hall invites the local community to come in and give it a try.
at Fri, 23 Oct 2026 07:01:59 +0000

Explore Worldwide has launched its hotly anticipated annual 2026 Black Friday sale, offering travellers 20 percent off more than 1,500 selected departures worldwide for travel throughout 2027. Running from Thursday 19 November until Tuesday 1 December 2026, the sale applies to selected departures travelling between 1 March and 31 December 2027, giving customers the chance to save on adventures across Explore Worldwide’s extensive programme.
at Fri, 23 Oct 2026 06:58:41 +0000

YTL Hotels has announced the acquisition of a lifestyle hotel at 181 South Bridge Road in Singapore, which will be rebranded as Hotel Stripes Singapore Chinatown, Autograph Collection, by YTL Hotels and a private fund managed by BlackRock. The 304-room, 16-story property will be repositioned as an upper-upscale hotel within Marriott International’s Autograph Collection, marking the Hotel Stripes brand’s debut in Singapore.
at Fri, 23 Oct 2026 06:53:54 +0000

Connecting investors with the next generation of event industry businesses, IBTM Ignite, which combines investment-ready support, live pitching and structured introductions, will return to IBTM World for 2026. Delivered in partnership with growth consultancy and M&A specialist allpoints, Ignite creates a route from early potential to real commercial opportunity. To date, Ignite has helped participating businesses secure £3.5 million in investment, demonstrating the programme’s role in turning promising ideas into sustainable growth. We speak to two of this year’s exciting start-ups taking part in the programme - Gianluca Sordano, CEO & Co-Founder at Always Friday, and Shelby Crisan, Founder at KNO Events, to discuss what IBTM Ignite means for the future success of their businesses.
at Fri, 23 Oct 2026 06:49:20 +0000

African Bush Camps, a luxury safari operator with bespoke itineraries across Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe, has long pioneered family safari travel by making authentic African safaris accessible, educational and inspiring for guests of all ages. While many safaris impose strict age restrictions that exclude children, African Bush Camps believes exceptional safaris should be experienced together as a family, with special Experiences designed to be shared across generations.
at Fri, 23 Oct 2026 06:46:58 +0000

Escorted tour operator Travelsphere has launched a new limited-time ‘Great Autumn Sale’, offering savings on almost 100 itineraries departing in 2027.
at Fri, 23 Oct 2026 06:45:42 +0000

Wymara Resort + Villas, which comprises a stylish oceanfront resort on Grace Bay Beach and ultra-private villas above Sunset Cove on Providenciales in the Turks and Caicos Islands, has joined Preferred Hotels & Resorts’ prestigious Legend Collection. Wymara Villas, Sunset Cove will also be part of Preferred Residences, offering travellers seeking greater privacy and space, a distinct way to experience the island. Reserved for hotels that represent the very highest standards of luxury, the Legend Collection is a globally sophisticated, culturally refined portfolio recognized for exquisite accommodations, intuitive and personalised service, renowned dining, and exceptional spas.
at Fri, 23 Oct 2026 06:39:58 +0000

This autumn, Casa Cook El Gouna enters its next era as it unveils brand new signature suites and reimagined guest spaces. Set between the shores of the Red Sea and dunes of the desert, the design-led adults-only hotel is unveiling the first phase of an extensive refurbishment that will elevate the Casa Cook lifestyle through enhanced accommodation, refreshed spaces and curated guest experiences that are embodied by the brand’s approach to laid-back luxury.
at Fri, 23 Oct 2026 06:36:57 +0000

Lore Group, the hospitality company known for its international portfolio of luxury hotels and dining destinations (including Pulitzer Amsterdam, One Hundred Shoreditch, and Sea Containers London), announces the appointment of Kristie Rasheed as Managing Director, U.S. Hotels. Rasheed will oversee Lore Group’s U.S. operations, specifically for Riggs Washington DC, Lyle Washington DC and Hotel Park Ave NYC, with a focus on operational performance, financial strategy, and delivering exceptional guest experiences throughout the domestic portfolio.
at Fri, 23 Oct 2026 06:33:11 +0000

Singapore Airlines (SIA) is enhancing its in-flight entertainment experience with next-generation KrisWorld and high-speed connectivity, giving customers more choice, control, and flexibility throughout their journeys. The new KrisWorld brings together 4K high-resolution touchscreen displays, including OLED screens on selected aircraft and cabin classes, with spatial audio, Bluetooth headphone pairing, a redesigned user interface, a new wellness planner, personalisation features, and more than 2,500 entertainment options.
at Fri, 23 Oct 2026 06:26:57 +0000

Leading online travel agent, Opodo - part of eDreams ODIGEO - investigates how social media shapes the way we travel, sharing insights from its latest global poll of 9,000 respondents, including 2,000 from the UK. The data includes what influences us, what we post, how often we use social media while on holiday, and more.  Opodo also compares its findings to a similar global poll it conducted in 2024 (poll of 9,000 people, including 2,000 from the UK) to explore how attitudes have evolved.
at Fri, 23 Oct 2026 06:23:03 +0000

Global luxury hospitality operator The Lux Collective has won seven titles at the 2026 World Culinary Awards. Five went to LUX* Grand Baie in Mauritius and two to LUX* Saint Gilles on Réunion Island. Both resorts competed against restaurants from across the Indian Ocean, including the Maldives, Seychelles and Madagascar, and between them won five regional titles and two national ones. The World Culinary Awards recognise excellence in dining across restaurants, hotels and destinations worldwide, with winners voted for by industry professionals and the public.
at Fri, 23 Oct 2026 06:20:33 +0000

The Anguilla Tourist Board (ATB) strengthened its engagement with the United Kingdom’s luxury travel market at Virtuoso On Tour London 2026, where Deputy Director of Tourism Chantelle Richardson delivered a destination presentation to 200 travel professionals during the event’s lunch program. Virtuoso On Tour London, held Oct. 20-21, brought together Virtuoso travel advisors and preferred partners to exchange industry insights, explore evolving luxury travel preferences and build business relationships. For Anguilla, it provided an opportunity to deepen established partnerships, develop new trade connections and increase destination awareness among advisors serving discerning travelers.
at Fri, 23 Oct 2026 05:57:39 +0000

The Tower of London has been crowned the UK’s most photographed castle, according to new data released by photo curation app Popsa - just as Halloween arrives and Britain’s castles enjoy a cultural relevance surge thanks to the new Traitors series. Analysing anonymised, aggregated metadata from millions of photos across 2024 and 2025, Popsa assigned each castle a Photo Index Score reflecting the relative volume of photos taken there.
at Thu, 22 Oct 2026 13:04:16 +0000

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and OneVasco announced that OneVasco’s visa concierge service will be integrated into IATA’s Timatic Solutions. This will simplify international air travel by connecting visa information and application services, enabling travelers to move directly from checking entry requirements through Timatic to applying for a visa, in a seamless digital experience. “Understanding what travel documents and visas are required for a journey is complicated. Joining forces with OneVasco will help passengers navigate travel requirements that can be time consuming and onerous. Together, we will help travelers understand the requirements and how to fulfil them,” said Frederic Leger, IATA’s Senior Vice President, Products & Services.
at Thu, 22 Oct 2026 12:59:14 +0000

The Ministers of Tourism for Angola, Belize, Portugal, Guatemala, Jamaica, Uruguay and Montenegro are among the latest speakers to be announced for WTM London’s Wanderlust Headliner stage. Sustainability is a key theme across several of the ministerial sessions, with leaders sharing how their countries are making tourism work better for people and places. Among the highlights, Pedro Machado, Portugal’s Secretary of State for Tourism, will share how the country’s new Tourism Strategy 2035 puts inclusive, resilient growth at its heart.
at Thu, 22 Oct 2026 12:56:47 +0000

Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) is preparing to return to World Travel Market (WTM) London, taking place from 3–5 November 2026 at ExCeL London, with a refreshed destination identity, exciting new tourism experiences and a renewed focus on strengthening partnerships with the UK travel industry. Under its newly launched tagline, ‘Sarawak: Gateway to Borneo’, Malaysia’s largest state is positioning itself as the natural starting point for exploring the island of Borneo, bringing together extraordinary biodiversity, UNESCO-recognised heritage, indigenous cultures and authentic community-led tourism experiences.
at Thu, 22 Oct 2026 12:49:42 +0000

Saint Lucia’s renowned wellness resort celebrates a major accolade, reinforcing its position as a leading destination for restorative luxury escapes. BodyHoliday, the luxury wellness resort nestled along Saint Lucia’s Cariblue Beach, has been named ‘Caribbean’s Leading Retreat 2026’ at the World Travel Awards, marking a significant achievement for the resort and its distinctive approach to wellbeing.
at Thu, 22 Oct 2026 12:17:05 +0000

FINN Partners has been appointed by the Belize Tourism Board (BTB) to lead its global rebrand across trade, public relations and marketing in Europe and the United States, following a highly competitive review process. The win expands FINN Partners’ remit after more than a decade of representing Belize across Europe, marking an exciting new chapter in the destination’s international growth. The global win reflects Belize’s drive to position themselves as one of the world’s leading sustainable and authentic travel destinations by protecting what makes them unique: their people, culture, and environment.
at Thu, 22 Oct 2026 12:15:19 +0000

Vietnam Airlines has become the first Asian airline to receive the World’s Best Culinary Airline 2026 award at the World Culinary Awards, earning recognition ahead of leading international carriers including Emirates, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, Air France, Cathay Pacific and Turkish Airlines. An annual global awards programme affiliated with the World Travel Awards, the World Culinary Awards celebrates excellence and innovation across the culinary industry.
at Thu, 22 Oct 2026 12:11:05 +0000

Preferred Hotels & Resorts, the world’s largest independent luxury hotel brand and a global provider of sales, marketing, and distribution services to member hotels, has announced the promotion of Roberta Possenti to Senior Vice President, Europe. A respected leader with more than two decades at Preferred Hotels & Resorts, Possenti will continue to report to Brenda Collin, Executive Vice President, Europe. In her expanded role, she will oversee the company’s Regional Partnership organization across Europe, leading hotel relationships, driving retention, and ensuring member properties maximize the value of their partnership with the brand.
at Thu, 22 Oct 2026 12:09:04 +0000

Karma Kandara has announced the launch of its 2027 Event & Wedding Collection, a new portfolio of bespoke celebrations designed for couples, families and anyone with a milestone worth marking properly. The collection spans eight distinct experiences, from intimate proposals to barefoot beach weddings for 100, each one making full use of what Karma Kandara does better than almost anywhere else in Bali.
at Thu, 22 Oct 2026 12:05:00 +0000

Bookings for Riviera Travel’s Highlights of South Korea tour have increased 167% year-on-year, while views of the operator’s South Korea tour pages have risen 89%, as interest in the East Asian destination continues to grow. The trend reflects wider growth in South Korea’s tourism sector. According to UN Tourism, international visitor arrivals to South Korea increased by 21.3% in the first half of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025.
at Thu, 22 Oct 2026 12:00:19 +0000

International Golf Travel Market (IGTM) and IGTM Discovery, organised by RX, have confirmed Türkiye as the host destination for the show’s 30th edition in 2027. The news comes as this year’s IGTM and IGTM Discovery get underway at the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès in Cannes, where the global golf tourism industry and the wider golf business have gathered for four days of business meetings, networking and industry insight.
at Thu, 22 Oct 2026 10:50:48 +0000

Forget dating apps and awkward first dates. Finland, the world’s happiest country, is taking romance to a whole new level by inviting 16 lucky singles on an unforgettable culinary adventure this February, with the chance to fall in love with Finnish food, its people and perhaps even someone special. As part of its Have Some Finnish campaign, Visit Finland is inviting international singles to experience the country’s culinary traditions through two exclusive group dinner dates, taking place in Helsinki and Tampere, in Finland’s beautiful Lakeland region.
at Thu, 22 Oct 2026 10:44:16 +0000

More than half of Pan Pacific Hotels Group (PPHG) portfolio has been newly built, redesigned or significantly renovated since 2020, marking a fundamental transformation of the Group as it enters the next chapter of its Version 2 journey. What began with Pan Pacific London and PARKROYAL COLLECTION Marina Bay Singapore has evolved into a Group-wide transformation spanning properties in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Jakarta, Hanoi, Tokyo, Kyoto, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney, alongside new developments across the region.
at Thu, 22 Oct 2026 10:36:11 +0000