News

Carnival Cruise Line will withdraw two ships from Australia in 2028, halving its local fleet and reducing cruise options. Experts predict higher cruise fares due to decreased capacity.

Disney Cruise Line Japan unveiled its first Wish-class ship, Disney Imagination, scheduled to start sailing from Tokyo in spring 2029. The 140,000-gross-ton ship will carry about 4,000 guests and operate the first Disney vessel homeported in Japan.

A 44-year-old woman went overboard from Royal Caribbean's Odyssey of the Seas near Zakynthos and was rescued after 20 hours at sea. The Greek coast guard led the operation, recovering her alive and conscious.

The Knox luxury hotel and residences opened in Dallas's Knox Street neighborhood in October 2026. Reservations for stays starting January 29, 2027, are now available with rates from $1,000 per night.

Travelodge Hotels Asia opened Travelodge Gangnam Yeoksam Seoul with 360 rooms and meeting facilities. The hotel is located near key Seoul attractions and offers a range of guest amenities.

The US hotel conversion pipeline reached a record 1,567 projects and 152,044 rooms in Q2 2026, growing 15% and 18% year on year respectively. Rising financing and construction costs drive owners and brands toward conversions as alternatives to new builds.

Palawan hosted a travel and trade expo on October 19, 2026, aimed at turning tourism growth into business opportunities. The Philippine Information Agency covered the event, highlighting efforts to promote partnerships among local tourism enterprises.

Anguilla will host the Caribbean Tourism Organization’s inaugural Sports Tourism Summit from August 12 to 14, 2027. The summit will convene regional sports and tourism leaders to explore economic and community benefits of sports tourism.

A fire on an AVE train near Ricla on October 12 disrupted the Madrid-Barcelona high-speed corridor, affecting 33 trains and nearly 13,000 passengers. Despite service resuming on a single track, delays continue due to infrastructure restrictions.

Portugal started construction on its first high-speed rail line between Porto and Lisboa on October 12, 2026, covering 290 km in three phases. The 71-km initial section is under construction with a €2.651 billion PPP budget and plans to reduce travel time to 1 hour 20 minutes.