Viking has taken delivery of the 82-guest Viking Sekhmet at Massara shipyard in Cairo, adding Nile capacity ahead of its new Total Eclipse on the Nile itinerary in 2027.

Scottish Agritourism has launched online profitability forums for farm cafes, shops, accommodation, tours and wedding venues, and will host a members’ evening at Cairns Farm on November 24.

Mazu-themed blind boxes co-developed by the Mazu Ancestral Temple on Meizhou Island have passed CNY100mn in sales, as Fujian’s pilgrimage island adds costume, theatre and street experiences.

Vail Resorts is upgrading all private ski lessons at Vail Mountain and Beaver Creek to concierge-led Epic Ascent packages for up to six guests, with no price rise beyond inflation.

Tebello Polisane-Casper, executive director of the South African College for Tourism and the Drostdy Hotel, said her 20-year hospitality career […]

Iraq has reopened limited passenger flights with Iran through Iraqi Airways only, after securing a temporary exemption to keep travel moving for pilgrims.

Air India will restore Delhi-Tel Aviv services on December 1, giving India and Israel their only non-stop air link and adding five weekly Boeing 777 flights.

Wego and DCT Abu Dhabi have launched a regional campaign to promote the UAE capital to MENA travellers, linking digital demand to bookable flights and hotel stays.

Armenia is aiming to complete its EU visa liberalisation plan by 2029, with biometric ID and border management reforms forming part of the process.

China’s Golden Week is set for heavy travel volumes, but analysts warn that cautious consumers and weak spending could limit the boost for hotels, airlines and tour operators.

ABTA and UKinbound used a Labour Party Conference reception to argue that international travel contributes £88.5bn to the UK economy and supports more than 1.4mn jobs.

Syria has begun rehabilitating Latakia International Airport to restore passenger flights on its Mediterranean coast, with no reopening date yet set.

China expects 31.19mn air passengers over its extended Golden Week, up 3.6%, as international holiday bookings jump 22.5% led by South-East Asia.

Croatia will postpone anchor price rules for retail and consumer services that were due on October 1, with new regulations on base prices and online price lists planned for November.

The Saudi Tourism Authority and Wego have launched a MENA campaign selling Saudi Arabia as a multi-stop trip across Riyadh, Jeddah, AlUla and the Red Sea coast.

Albania, Vietnam and Laos posted the biggest gains in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026, as Japan topped the ranking of 110 economies.

International travel adds GBP88.5bn to the UK economy and supports more than 1.4mn jobs, ABTA and UKinbound said, pressing for action on Air Passenger Duty and visa costs.

Catania airport in Sicily stayed shut for a third day on September 28 as ash from Mount Etna halted all flights, with operator SAC suspending operations until midnight.

El Salvador hosted UN Tourism's official World Tourism Day celebrations on September 27, with artificial intelligence and the digital agenda as the 2026 theme.

Iran's Imam Khomeini airport says it has no order to restart Najaf flights, after reports that the route would reopen this week. Iraq suspended Iranian flights on September 25.