Travel in China

As we approach the longest holiday season in China, DidaTravel – China’s largest outbound wholesaler of accommodation and flights – is helping hotelier partners around the world to prepare by highlighting the Golden Week (also known as National Day) festival in October. The company is firstly drawing attention to the fact that the national holiday calendar this year is different from last year’s, which saw a combined Mid-Autumn Festival and Golden Week period to create one of the longest ever holiday periods suitable for extended travels.

As the summer travel heats up, a surprising trend is emerging: Russia is experiencing a tourism uptick, according to the latest Skift Travel Health Index for June 2024. Despite the ongoing war, tourism performance in the country in June 2024 witnessed a 12 percentage point surge over May 2024. The index is at 103, which indicates a 3% rise above June 2023.

Jul 25, 2024 • 7 min read

Royal Caribbean Group said Thursday that customers are booking cruises at record levels despite higher prices – and that the trend should continue.

In a shift in global mobility rankings, Singapore has claimed the top spot in the 2024 Henley Passport Index released on Wednesday, granting its citizens visa-free access to 195 countries.

Following an extensive five-year restoration project, the East Wing at Buckingham Palace is available to tour for the first time ever. Beginning July 11, visitors will have the opportunity to tour the previously restricted area throughout the summer as part of the palace’s annual Summer Opening of the State Rooms. “Led by expert guides, small groups of visitors will tour a series of rooms on the East Wing’s Principal Floor, which have never been accessible to the public before,” reads a press release from the Royal Collection Trust.

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As summer heats up, Heathrow Airport highlights nine hidden gem destinations perfect for last-minute travel. From Pula’s glittering waters to Chengdu’s giant pandas, these varied locations cater to sun seekers, adventurers, and everyone in between. Heathrow, the most connected airport globally, serves numerous exclusive destinations, making it the ideal starting point for unforgettable summer holidays.

Japan is bracing for a tourism boom like never before. With a record 35 million foreign visitors expected this year and tourism spending projected to hit an unprecedented JPY 8 trillion ($51 billion), the country is seeing a surge driven by a weak yen.

The French champagne committee, along with producers have suggested slashing the number of grapes harvested in 2024, following disappointing champagne sales, with customers unwilling to spend on luxury goods. 

Cruise fans in Southern California are about to have another major option for sailings to Mexico.

A global IT outage on Friday canceled thousands of flights and forced several airlines to request ground stops, throwing travel into chaos.

North Korea plans to open its much-talked about Wonsan-Kalma coastal tourist zone within the next 12 months. The tourist site is set for an inauguration on May 2025, state media reported on Thursday.

Jul 18, 2024 • 6 min read

The Indian aviation industry has recorded its highest-ever half yearly domestic passenger traffic. Between January and June 2024, Indian airlines carried 79.35 million passengers. This was an increase of over 4% from the previous year, as per data from Indian aviation watchdog Directorate General of Civil Aviation. 

Good morning from Skift. It’s Thursday, July 18, and here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today. 

Are airport lounges the next culinary frontier? If you are an American Express cardholder passing through Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), the answer is a resounding yes. Today, the credit card issuer opens its 29th Centurion Lounge right outside the nation’s capital, and it comes with some serious foodie perks.

The UAE-born Global Hotel Alliance (GHA) has posted combined room revenues of $1.3 billion for the first six months of this year, 18% more than in the first half of 2023.

Virgin Atlantic is withdrawing from China after 25 years. The last round-trip for the company’s London to Shanghai service will be on October 25. The British airline cited “significant challenges and complexities” for the commercially motivated decision.

The Ming Tombs Scenic Area, the largest imperial tomb complex in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, will encourage more travelers to gaze upon its wonders as it begins a phased opening this year that will see all of them opened to the public by 2030.

The vacation rentals market represents a relatively small segment of India’s hospitality industry. However, despite its small size, the short-term rental market has significant potential. Catch Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia in conversation with Skift Research’s Varsha Arora as they discuss what’s driving the growth of this sector in India, in the latest episode of the Skift India Travel Podcast, presented by Amadeus.