Lisbon Gears Up For Wine Harvest with Host of Options for Tourists

Barcelona’s tourism board is replacing its 15-year-old slogan ‘Visit Barcelona’ with ‘This is Barcelona.’

One of the oldest cities in the world, Lisbon is an enchanting place—but let's face it, once you've seen the ceramic tiles, ridden the trams, and tasted the Pastéis de Belém, you might be ready to broaden your horizons. Portugal's treasures are well worth venturing beyond the capital city, and all you need is a rental car for the southern half of the country to open up to you. If it’s charming villages, stunning beaches, verdant mountains, and ancient castles you’re after, you'll find them all within a three hours' drive from Lisbon.

This August, La Vuelta a España, one of cycling’s big three Grand Tours, sets off in Lisbon for the first time since 1997, with stages one and two starting in the region. To celebrate, the team at Visit Lisbon (https://www.visitlisboa.com) has recommended five slow and scenic short rides for holidaymakers to explore the region.

As a professional travel writer, I cover a lot of ground. This year, I’m hopping on several flights per month ranging from long-hauls to Vietnam, Cape Town, and Hawaii, to slightly shorter jaunts to Paris, Rome, and Greenland—a whopping 77,000+ miles so far and counting. One thing that’s hugely important on any trip? Staying comfortable in transit.

India’s foreign exchange earnings through tourism in 2023 was INR 2.3 trillion ($27.5 billion), according to the government’s latest Economic Survey for 2023-24 – a 66% gain over 2022.

For half of Brits, the weather is the number one deciding factor in picking a holiday destination - First Choice reports that last month people booked just 11 days before their trip, with many booking late to ensure sunny skies - First Choice offers a Weather Guarantee product, that will automatically pay out compensation if you’re let down by bad weather on your trip

Short-term rental platforms have not been raising money in 2024 quite as often as last year. But they made a bit of a comeback this week with two niche platforms getting nearly $50 million in funding. 

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. 

Since I moved to Washington, I've been trying to explore my area more. Recently, I took two ferries to Bainbridge Island, a popular spot for daytrippers.

For many, Pan American World Airways represents our collective nostalgia for the golden age of air travel, when jet-setters were transported around the world in sleek, spacious planes with stylish flight attendants and glamorous meal service.

Jet2.com and Jet2holidays advanced Bournemouth Airport’s launch to February 2025 due to strong demand, offering earlier Canary Islands winter sun flights.

Portugal’s hotel market is increasingly focusing on luxury, driven by supportive government policies and rising foreign investment, with significant growth in room supply anticipated.