India's Tourism Boom: Middle Class Drives Surge, Global Brands and Hotels Pivot

Over 80% of Indians have either had or are planning a destination wedding, a survey conducted by search aggregator Skyscanner showed. This preference is strongest among Gen Z, with about 50% of that group indicating that they are considering a destination wedding. This figure is 33% among Millennials. 

Alva Vanderbilt's 39th birthday present from her husband was a 140,000-square-foot summer "cottage" on the shores of Newport, Rhode Island.

The thing about Hawaii cruises is that there’s no bad time of year to take one. Thanks to its year-round sunshine and warm weather, Hawaii will be there for you whenever you’re ready to set sail.

I'm a big proponent of creating a spending strategy when applying for a new credit card. That way, I never miss out on a welcome bonus and don't overspend trying to achieve one.

Exciting news, Carnival Cruise Line fans: A visit to a massively revamped private island is in your future.

I'd never cruised before — but when 12 of my friends from high school hatched a plan to celebrate our 60th birthdays on a four-night Royal Caribbean cruise, I immediately said yes.

Sri Lanka is set to launch a six-month pilot program on October 1, offering free 30-day tourist visas on arrival to citizens from 35 countries, including the U.S., UK, Russia, India and China. The initiative, which temporarily waives the typical $50 visa fee, aligns with the island nation’s peak travel season, lasting from December to mid-April. This move is part of a broader strategy to revitalize tourism, a sector crucial to Sri Lanka’s economy.

Skift’s State of Travel 2024 report highlighted that the Middle East and Africa are seeing a surge in international tourism, driven largely by Saudi Arabia’s push in recent years.

The rapidly brightening sky was painted with swaths of orange, pink, and yellow. The early-morning light revealed a city that seemed to be little more than a patchwork of haphazardly planned mid-rise buildings in varying states of repair, punctuated with sprawling bushes, trees quivering in the morning breeze, and lawns sloping toward the nearby sea. The nocturnal beep-beep of tree frogs gave way to the insistent chirp of morning birds that rose from the trees to swoop across the sky like animated chevrons. As I watched the Senegalese sunrise on my first day in Africa, I was vibrating with anticipation. Dakar was waking up, and I was here to witness it.

Universal Orlando currently boasts eight on-site hotels, offering guests easy access to the fun of Universal's theme parks. Next year, they'll add three more to that lineup to accommodate the influx of guests likely to flock to Orlando when Universal Epic Universe, the resort's newest theme park, opens in 2025. Epic Universe is being built on a 750-acre site a few miles away from Universal's existing parks and hotels and will nearly double the size of Universal Orlando Resort, further exacerbating the need for additional hotels.

IndiGo, India’s largest airline, will be introducing a business class on the high-demand Delhi-Mumbai route. This is a strategic move by the airline to meet the growing demand for luxury and premium travel.

Good morning from Skift. It’s Wednesday, August 21, 2024, and here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.