Shannon Joins Regional Airports Programme
Shannon Airport has been added to Ireland’s Regional Airports Programme 2026‑2030, expanding the scheme to cover airports handling up to three million passengers annually. The programme, backed by the Sectoral Investment Plan for Transport, earmarks roughly €45 million in capital spending for Shannon, Knock, Kerry and Donegal over the next five years. Interim CEO Ray O’Driscoll hailed the inclusion as a validation of Shannon’s strategic role in balanced regional development and sustainable connectivity. The funding will underwrite essential infrastructure upgrades, bolstering the airport’s resilience and future‑ready capabilities.
Consultancy of the Year Winners Advantage Utilities Delivers £500,000+ in Energy Savings for UK Leading Hotel Portfolio
Advantage Utilities has been crowned Consultancy of the Year for Large Customers at the 2025 TELCA Awards, recognizing its rapid rise in the UK hotel sector. The firm delivered more than £500,000 in energy savings within two years for a...
Four Seasons Hotel George V, Paris Claims ‘World’s Leading Sustainable Supply Chain Programme’
Four Seasons Hotel George V, Paris has been named the World’s Leading Sustainable Supply Chain Programme 2025 at the World Sustainable Travel & Hospitality Awards in Dubai. The hotel’s responsible purchasing charter now covers 14 product categories, with 66% of...
Emirates Expands Payment Flexibility in Kenya Through Cellulant’s Split-Payment Solution
Emirates has introduced a split‑payment solution for Kenyan travelers through its partnership with Cellulant’s Tingg gateway. The feature lets customers combine mobile money, banking and card methods and pay an initial amount online followed by up to four instalments within...
Philippine Airlines Plans New Manila To Chicago Route As Of Mid-2026
Philippine Airlines has filed a request with the U.S. Department of Transportation to launch nonstop service between Manila and Chicago, a roughly 8,132‑mile ultra‑long‑haul route slated for the summer 2026 IATA traffic season. The airline plans to deploy its newly...
How Data-Led Diversification Helps Restaurants Better Meet Guest Needs
Restaurant operators are turning to AI‑enhanced guest engagement platforms to capture comprehensive data from reservations, payments, Wi‑Fi and loyalty interactions. By unifying this information, they can segment customers by actual behavior, refine menus, and personalize marketing rather than relying on...
LW Design Reveals 2026 Design Forecast
LW Design’s 2026 forecast spotlights a shift toward holistic, experiential wellbeing, positioning wellness as a core element of hospitality rather than an add‑on. The studio has diversified beyond its GCC roots, unveiling a slate of high‑profile openings across Saudi Arabia,...
Lufthansa Joins Airlines to Introduces IATA Turbulence Aware Real-Time Flight Safety
Lufthansa has rolled out IATA’s Turbulence Aware platform across parts of its fleet, including Swiss International Air Lines and Edelweiss Air, to provide pilots with near‑real‑time turbulence alerts. The system gathers anonymised sensor data from participating aircraft and displays colour‑coded...
Uganda Airlines Hunts Short-Term ACMI While A330s Are AOG
Uganda Airlines announced that its two Airbus A330‑800 long‑haul jets are out of service due to unscheduled maintenance, prompting the carrier to hunt for a short‑term wet‑lease to keep intercontinental routes operational. The grounding affects flights to London Gatwick, Mumbai,...
Desert Jet Expands Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport Campus
Desert Jet has secured an additional 7.5 acres at Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport, expanding its Desert Jet Center FBO and maintenance footprint. The lease extension will enable new hangars, more aircraft parking, and upgraded maintenance capabilities, with construction slated to...
From the French Riviera to Kyoto, Japan, 5 New Luxury Hotels
Five new luxury hotels are set to debut worldwide, ranging from a restored 350‑year‑old palace in India to boutique properties on the French Riviera and in Utah. The Oberoi Rajgarh Palace in Khajuraho has been transformed into a 65‑room resort...
Elevate Jet Launches Booking App with AI-Powered Pricing
Elevate Jet unveiled a new private‑jet booking app that delivers instant pricing across six aircraft categories, from light jets to ultra‑long‑range models. The platform is driven by Ruby, a proprietary AI agent that evaluates range, availability, fuel needs, crew limits...
ITW GSE: Good Gate Economics
ITW GSE is expanding its Odense, Denmark facility with a new production hall slated to open in May 2026, boosting European output by roughly 50%. The company’s strategic shift from selling standalone gate boxes to delivering integrated gate systems, branded as...
Port Polska Takes the Next Step
Port Polska, Poland’s new greenfield airport, is being positioned as a major gateway for Central and Eastern Europe. The project will serve both passenger and cargo traffic while directly supporting LOT Polish Airlines’ expansion plans. Integrated high‑speed rail will link...
Plaza Premium Group Names New Oceania GM
Plaza Premium Group has named Cyrus Wong as General Manager for Oceania, overseeing regional operations and performance. Wong, who joined the firm in 2020, previously served as Director of Asset Management, steering portfolio performance and long‑range commercial planning. His experience...
Juan Losada Takes Helm at Regent Phu Quoc
Juan Losada has been reappointed as General Manager of Regent Phu Quoc, the luxury resort on Vietnam’s premier island. Losada previously led the property’s pre‑opening and launch from 2019 to 2022, establishing its market positioning. He returns with more than...
State of the Union 2026: What Trump Said — and What the Tourism Industry Heard
President Donald Trump’s 2026 State of the Union emphasized tariffs, massive investment and a “golden age” narrative, while omitting climate and LGBTQ issues. The travel and tourism industry, especially in Europe, interpreted the rhetoric as a potential cost increase and...
Airbnb Lets Asia Pacific Guests Book Without Paying Upfront: Here’s How It Works
Airbnb has rolled out a Reserve Now, Pay Later option across most Asia‑Pacific markets, letting guests secure eligible homes without an upfront card payment. The feature applies to listings with flexible or moderate cancellation policies and charges guests just before...
Work Underway on Stations for Melbourne Airport Rail Project
Early design packages for the A$4.1 billion West Footscray‑to‑Albion rail upgrade have been released, marking the first phase of Melbourne Airport Rail. The plan redevelops Sunshine Station into a multi‑modal "superhub" with extra platforms and a new pedestrian‑cycling bridge, while a...
Philippine Hotel Owners Oppose Plan to Scrap Travel Tax
The Philippine Hotel Owners Association (PHOA) opposes a legislative proposal to eliminate the national travel tax, arguing it could derail domestic tourism recovery. The tax currently funds tourism infrastructure, marketing, and development programs. PHOA warns that scrapping the tax may...
Four Seasons Yachts Unveils 2027 Caribbean Season Featuring 18 New Voyages
Four Seasons Yachts announced its 2027‑2028 Caribbean season, unveiling 18 new voyages and destinations, including a first‑time stop in Costa Rica. The itineraries emphasize intimate marinas, wildlife encounters such as humpback whale migrations, and a Panama Canal transit for select...
One Million Visitors and Counting: Emirates Drives Tourism Demand for Mauritius
Emirates has carried more than one million tourists to Mauritius between 2022 and 2025, accounting for over 20% of the island’s total arrivals. The airline’s network helped push total visitor numbers to a record 1,436,250 in 2025, a 3.9% increase...
Pulse Hotels & Resorts Unveils Aura Maldives: A New Era of Mindful Luxury, Opening Q4 2026
Pulse Hotels & Resorts announced Aura Maldives, a new 5‑star island resort slated to open in Q4 2026 in the Baa Atoll UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. The property will feature 71 private villas ranging from 246 to 710 sqm, each with its own...
Madeira’s Flower Parade to Be Held Over Two Sundays
The Madeira Flower Parade will be split across two Sundays—May 3 and May 17, 2026—under a new format introduced by the Regional Secretariat for Tourism, Environment and Culture. The change addresses the parade’s growing length, improves viewing conditions, and allows more groups...
THE RITZ-CARLTON, LANGKAWI INTRODUCES DAYANG MASTURA
The Ritz‑Carlton, Langkawi has launched Dayang Mastura, a private 620‑ft Lagoon sailing catamaran that offers luxury charters for up to 20 guests. The vessel features Nauta Design interiors, a dedicated yoga and meditation space, and a suite of water‑sports equipment....
Predictability Is Boring!
David Cooke of BDM argues that airport retail remains stagnant, relying on long‑term leases and static shopfronts despite high foot traffic. He proposes pop‑up stores as a fast, low‑risk solution that can be deployed within days, delivering higher brand visibility...
Make Every Location Your Best Location: Drive More Revenue From Your Underperforming Stores
Fast Casual’s new white paper, sponsored by Momos Guest AI, reveals that multi‑location restaurant and retail brands can reclaim up to $28 million annually by revitalizing their lowest‑performing stores. The report highlights that 96 % of unhappy guests never complain, and that...
IHG Targets Upscale Conversions with Noted Collection Brand
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has unveiled Noted Collection, its 21st brand aimed at converting upscale and upper‑upscale independent hotels into the IHG portfolio. The new premium brand offers access to IHG’s global distribution network, revenue‑management tools, and the One Rewards...
Beyond Green Joins Travalyst Coalition as Accommodation Partner
Beyond Green has become the latest accommodation partner of the Travalyst Coalition, a not‑for‑profit group dedicated to standardising sustainability data in travel. The partnership gives Beyond Green’s global portfolio of independent hotels a voice in shaping emerging data models, metrics...
China Airlines, Agoda Launch StayMiles Hotel Platform
Agoda’s Rocket Travel division has partnered with China Airlines to launch StayMiles, a white‑label hotel booking platform for the carrier’s loyalty members. The service gives members access to over 600,000 properties worldwide and lets them earn up to 10,000 miles...
Villa Fontaine Premier Haneda Airport Rolls Out New All-Inclusive Experience
Sumitomo Fudosan Villa Fontaine has unveiled an all‑inclusive experience at its Villa Fontaine Premier Haneda Airport hotel, directly linked to Terminal 3. Starting April 2026, guests can book a curated "Wonderful Japan" itinerary that bundles executive‑level rooms, daily meals, spa treatments, and...
Mövenpick Resort & Spa Bintan Lagoon Appoints GM
Mövenpick Resort & Spa Bintan Lagoon has appointed Richard Margo as its general manager ahead of the resort’s scheduled opening in the second quarter of 2026. Margo arrives with more than three decades of hospitality leadership across Europe, the Middle East...
Pan Pacific Strengthens Singapore Leadership with Cluster GM Appointment
Pan Pacific Hotels Group has appointed Kung Teong Wah as cluster general manager for Parkroyal Collection Pickering and Parkroyal on Beach Road in Singapore. In this expanded role he will retain leadership of the Pickering property while taking strategic oversight...
Panini Kabob Grill Opens 31st Location in San Diego
Panini Kabob Grill opened its 31st restaurant, the sixth in San Diego, inside the Park 12 building near Petco Park and the Gaslamp Quarter. The new location continues the brand’s aggressive expansion strategy, emphasizing a true scratch kitchen and daily...
Cebu Pacific Growth Plans Hinge on Timing of Philippine Airport Expansion
Cebu Pacific’s next growth wave hinges on the Philippines’ airport expansion projects. The carrier has placed orders for more than 100 aircraft, aiming to build on post‑pandemic gains and a weakened competitive landscape. However, congestion at Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International...
EOS Hospitality Appoints Abe Liao As Vice President of Operations
EOS Hospitality announced the appointment of Abe Liao as Vice President of Operations, where he will oversee a select group of assets including Kingston Resorts, Brittain Resorts & Hotels, the Hamilton Hotel and Embassy Suites Georgetown. Liao brings more than...
Beyond the Queue: Smarter Security Will Ultimately Shape the Future of Global Air Travel
Airports in 2026 face a rapidly evolving threat matrix that blends physical, digital and human risks, from sophisticated stowaways and drone incursions to a 600% surge in cyber‑attacks. Balancing passenger convenience with robust security is no longer optional—it defines the...
Bad Daddy’s Announces Monthly Drop of Limited-Time Menu Items
Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar is launching Big Bad’s Monthly Drops, a rotating lineup of limited‑time burgers beginning in March. The inaugural offering, the French Onion Smash Burger, combines a smashed beef patty with caramelized onions, Swiss and provolone, onion straws,...
Chatham Lodging Trust (CLDT) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
Chatham Lodging Trust reported mixed Q3 results and outlined a Q4 outlook marked by modest RevPAR declines and steady earnings. The REIT sold five low‑performing hotels at roughly a 6% cap rate, repurchased about 500,000 shares at $6.85, and expanded...
Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corp (VAC) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
Marriott Vacations Worldwide reported strong Q4 2025 results, with adjusted EBITDA up 9% to $1.4 billion and full‑year adjusted EBITDA rising 8% to $5.38 billion. The company expanded its portfolio to nearly 1.78 million rooms across 9,800 properties, adding a record 610,000‑room pipeline...
Service Properties Trust (SVC) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
Service Properties Trust reported Q2 2025 results highlighting a rapid hotel disposition program, with non‑refundable deposits received for 111 Sonesta hotels worth $900 million and three additional hotels pending at $20 million. The company expects total 2025 hotel sales of $966 million, representing an...
Airports International Issue 1 2026
Airports International’s inaugural 2026 issue expands its scope to include Air Traffic Management, positioning the magazine as a comprehensive source for aviation infrastructure insights. The edition spotlights "Gate Expectations," exploring how smart technologies address current airport bottlenecks, and "Singapore Swing,"...
Monterey Regional Airport Celebrates a New Passenger Record and Favorable Rating for Terminal Revenue Financing
Monterey Regional Airport (MRY) announced a new all‑time passenger record of 659,867 travelers in 2025, a 6.3% increase over the prior year. The growth stems from airlines adding seats and deploying larger aircraft to meet rising demand for the Monterey...
San Diego International Airport Launches SAN Assist Program to Support Travelers with Non-Visible Disabilities
San Diego International Airport launched SAN Assist, a program to aid travelers with non‑visible disabilities. The service offers on‑day travel guides and pre‑travel familiarization tours, available in Terminals 1 and 2. Requests require three business days for guides and two‑to‑three weeks for...
Meyer Jabara Hotels to Address Agentic Hotel Distribution at Annual Executive Conference in March
At its March executive conference in Providence, Meyer Jabara Hotels will host Brad Brewer, Co‑Founder and Chief AI Officer of Agentic Hospitality, to discuss “Agentic Hotel Distribution.” Brewer will explain how AI‑powered agents are reshaping the way travelers discover and...
PriestmanGoode Showcases Thai Airways A321neo Cabin Interiors
PriestmanGoode is extending its partnership with Thai Airways by designing the cabin interior for the carrier’s first A321neo, dubbed Bowonrangsi. The design draws on the historic Bangkok community of Wat Bowonniwet Vihara, merging traditional Thai motifs, silk curtains and a...
Food Accademia Brings Italian Fine Food and Beverage Brands to WTCE 2026
Food Accademia, the Italian fine‑food distributor founded in 2016, will exhibit at the World Travel Catering and Onboard Services Expo (WTCE) in Hamburg from April 14‑16, 2026. The company will present a curated selection of over 20 artisan brands, ranging...
Etihad Airways Honors Ramadan Traditions with Onboard Service Offerings
Etihad Airways has launched a Ramadan‑focused program that brings Emirati hospitality to passengers through curated menus, take‑away bags, and themed entertainment across all cabins and lounges. The airline offers traditional iftar dishes in Business and First lounges in Abu Dhabi...
St. Peter’s Basilica Fourth Centenary: Technology, Faith and the Future of Religious Tourism
St. Peter’s Basilica’s Fourth Centenary launches a comprehensive Digital Ecosystem that blends AI, IoT and a Smart Pass booking platform to streamline pilgrim flow and enrich the visitor experience. The “Beyond the Visible” project adds a real‑time structural monitoring system and a...
JAL Enhances Inflight Dining on International Routes
Japan Airlines is overhauling its international inflight dining, launching chef‑curated menus in First, Business, Premium Economy and Economy classes starting March 2026. Renowned chefs Natsuko Shoji and Nae Ogawa will design exclusive dishes for premium cabins, while rising talent from the RED U‑35...