A beloved 1,000-foot waterfall in China is actually fed by water pipes, officials admit

Nothing is more instructive than being wrong, and there’s no quicker way to be wrong than to have expectations. My arrival to Aktau, in Kazakhstan's Mangystau region, was by cargo ship, and over that 24-hour voyage, spent with long-haul truckers drinking duty-free whisky, I had plenty of time to imagine what awaited me on shore: a port city that was rough, brutalist, suspicious. At first sight, Aktau was brutalist, if only architecturally, but it was far from rough or suspicious. And while not beautiful, or even very pretty, there was something alluring about the place from the get-go.

China has extended visa-free travel to Poland, Australia and New Zealand until the end of 2025.

Earlier this year a surge of Chinese visitors during the Lunar New Year holiday signalled a thaw after the pandemic’s chill.  And this influx is now expected to gain momentum throughout the auspicious Year of the Dragon, fuelled by a predicted near-doubling of outbound Chinese trips in 2024.  Oxford Economics forecasts a return to nearly 80% of pre-pandemic levels, heralding a vibrant revival of China-Europe tourism.

Whether looking for a full transformation, or to simply introduce small changes to improve physical health, aid sleep, and foster mindfulness, guests of Jumeirah can explore a range of biohacking benefits across the global portfolio.  Cold therapy for physical biohacking… 

Jun 24, 2024 • 5 min read

India is now the third-largest domestic aviation market, after the U.S. and China, according to data by aviation analytics firm OAG. In April 2024, India’s domestic airline capacity was about 15.6 million, up from 8 million in April 2014. 

The UEFA Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Germany has sparked a surge in sports tourism, particularly among Asian travelers, according to data from Trip.com Group.

China’s flag airline Air China and The New Terminal One at JFK have launched a partnership to collaborate on New York’s new global gateway to elevate the travel experience for Chinese customers visiting the United States. The New Terminal One, a dedicated international terminal that is being constructed in partnership with The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s $19 billion redevelopment of JFK Airport, will partner with Air China with the objective of providing a world-class experience for Chinese customers at the premier global gateway scheduled to open in 2026.

Good morning from Skift. It’s Tuesday, June 18, 2024. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.

China is opening its doors even wider to the world. Australia is now the latest country to join China’s expanding visa waiver program.

Last month Skift reported a major U-Turn at Qantas. Australia’s national airline said it was leaving Mainland China just six months after returning to the market.

Turkey is ramping up efforts to attract Chinese tourists. A new memorandum of understanding between Turkey and China aims to bolster tourism cooperation, with Turkish Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy and Chinese counterpart Sun Yeli leading the charge in a meeting last week.