Boom Supersonic Announces New Aircraft, Engine, and Investment Milestones

The White House is announcing billions of dollars in new funding for train projects from coast to coast.

Dubai’s home-grown hotel group FIVE is looking at potentially expanding beyond the emirate into the world’s largest hospitality markets. This includes a potential resort in party haven Las Vegas and in the conservative Gulf kingdom Saudi Arabia.

High-speed rail in the United States may soon be a reality. The White House recently announced the allocation of $8.2 billion in funding for several key rail projects including a Las Vegas to Los Angeles corridor; a Raleigh, North Carolina to Richmond, Virginia, route; new service throughout California’s central valley; and more. The investment is a component of President Joe Biden’s “Investing in America” Agenda.  While high-speed rail has been a popular wish among travelers for many years, the allocation of funding helps put the project in motion, with one administration official sharing with Travel + Leisure that the Las Vegas to Los Angeles route could be completed in advance of the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. “If you’ve ever seen the standard of passenger rail service in Japan, Germany, Spain, or Italy, and come home and wondered, 'Why can’t we have these nice things?’ This is the beginning of the answer to that. Help is on the way,” Pete Buttigieg, the U.S. Secretary of Transportation, told T+L during a press briefing on the announcement.  Buttigieg said that the lack of investment in new rail services over the last several decades is a trend that is now being reversed and that while change won’t happen overnight, travelers will see improvements within a few years.  Over 35 rail projects were named as part of the funding announcement, including: 

Las Vegas travelers are a $3 billion step closer to speeding through the Mojave Desert on a high-speed train linking Sin City with Southern California.

Margaritaville at Sea’s newest flagship vessel will offer longer, 4- and 5-night cruises with stops to Key West, Cozumel, and Progreso beginning in June 2024.

The master developer of Saudi Arabia’s super-luxury island tourism project, The Red Sea, is working on another giga-project that will house more affordable hotel options and tap into a market — millions of travelers strong. Red Sea Global (RSG) group CEO John Pagano confirmed the development to Skift, adding that it will open before 2030 and introduce thousands more hotel rooms to the kingdom’s burgeoning tourism sector.

Aligned with NEOM’s commitment to conservation, Siranna will complement its coastal location and be delivered sustainably.

Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund has acquired a significant minority stake in Rocco Forte Hotels, the luxury hotel operator said Monday.

The Board of Directors of NEOM has unveiled Siranna, an exclusive tourism escape, and the latest destination to be announced by the sustainable regional development evolving in northwest Saudi Arabia.

In a high-profile showdown, Rome, Busan and Riyadh are the top contenders to become the host city of the 2030 World Expo, with the organizing body choosing the winner on Tuesday.

The Middle East’s travel and tourism ambitions can seem unbelievable: 150 million visitors into the once-closed off Saudi Arabia, 40 million visitors to the UAE – big goals keep getting more ambitious. The Skift Global Forum East returns to Dubai from December 12 to 14 and we’ll be speaking to the most important travel executives from the region to better understand how it might all play out.

During the summit, the Saudi Crown Prince, who is the visionary behind the Saudi Vision 2030, addressed tourism ministers, industry professionals, and leaders.