Ovolo goes global with SLH

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When I was a kid, I took lots of trips—to the bathroom. I couldn’t put on weight, and everything I ate upset my stomach. In high school, I was finally diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, an incurable irritable bowel disease like ulcerative colitis, which my mother and brother also suffer from. Chronic inflammation of the digestive tract, resulting in diarrhea, rectal bleeding, and abdominal pain, among other symptoms, is debilitating at worst and embarrassing at best. Still, thanks to an amazing gastroenterologist, a major surgery, and a cocktail of prescription medications including Infliximab infusions every eight weeks, I haven’t let it stop me from seeing the world. In fact, in the past 18 months I’ve touched down on all seven continents in my career as a travel writer. The best part: I’m far from the only “Crohnie” out there collecting passport stamps; I’ve even met travelers with stoma bags.

For decades, New York City’s LaGuardia Airport had been the butt of many jokes. Back in 2014, then-Vice President Joe Biden infamously said that if someone were taken blindfolded to the Queens airport, they would think they were in “some third world country.” Then in 2020, Saturday Night Live spent more than eight minutes mocking the airport in a musical extravaganza, calling out birds in the terminal, non-working electrical outlets, and shoddy baggage handling.

Jamaica has been named Global Destination of the Year at the renowned travel trade show, ITB in Berlin. The award was presented yesterday by the Pacific Area Travel Writers Association (PATWA). The PATWA is a nonprofit international media organization of travel writers founded in 1999 and the awards seek to recognize organizations, destinations/brands and individuals achieving the highest standards in their field. In accepting the award on behalf of the destination, Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett said, “Jamaica is known for its food, music and indeed love so we are humbled to be recognized for these experiential offerings to our visitors that provide meaningful memories.”

Last July, Marriott International and MGM Resorts announced a licensing tie-up where members of the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program could earn and redeem points for activity at MGM Resorts’ properties. On Wednesday, travelers became able to take advantage of this partnership at 16 MGM Resort locations.

American Airlines is rethinking its strategy. 

Texas-themed Jubilee celebrates Carnival Cruise Line’s new flagship.

Τhe return of outbound travel in Asia with a year-on-year increase of more than 140 per cent was the growth driver in 2023.

Luxury prices around the world increased by an average of 3.1% in 2023, with Manila (26%) leading the rankings and Dubai (15.9%*) in the second spot.

Global Travel Collection anticipates cruise bookings will significantly boost business for their advisors, with one agent already securing over £1 million in sales during their first year of booking cruises.

From 5 to 7 March at the LGBTQ+ Tourism Pavilion in Hall 4.1, LGBTQ+ tourism experts and interested parties can look forward to big-name exhibitors including the city of Valencia in Spain, the organiser of the Gay Games 2026, the LGBTQ+ cruise operator Vacaya, and Choose Chicago. Networking events and forward-looking lectures on the ITB segment’s own stage and at the ITB Berlin Convention round off events.

e-SAF purchase agreement with Twelve represents IAG’s largest SAF deal to date.