Virgin Atlantic cuts Austin-London route, a rare blow for the Texas city

It's not just Black Friday and Cyber Monday travel deals that have people getting excited for the holidays. Many hotels around the world are rolling out the holiday decorations and activities to get everyone into the spirit of the season. For many, giving the gift of travel is one of the most exciting presents of all. Here are some of the most interesting hotel experiences available to travelers this month.

Two travel tech startups announced fundraises over the past week totaling more than $203 million.

It’s about to get easier to fly to Japan thanks to a pair of new flights to Tokyo from two different U.S. airlines.

Next Saturday at 10 p.m. local time—that’s 1 a.m. on Sunday for East Coast night owls—Formula 1 racing will return to Sin City after a 40-year hiatus with the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix. Set against a neon-drenched cityscape, the high-octane spectacle will see 20 drivers take 50 laps around the 3.8-mile street circuit, with its 17 turns winding past the new MSG Sphere. After two quick bends and a hard left, it’s a straight shot down the Las Vegas Strip at speeds up to 212 m.p.h., racing past the Venetian and Caesars Palace and zipping between the famed Bellagio fountains and the Eiffel Tower at Paris Las Vegas.

Canada, our friendly northern neighbor, boasts extraordinarily diverse geography, from tall Rocky Mountain peaks to expansive flat prairie land and seaside communities on both coasts. With a smaller national population than that of California, it's perhaps unsurprising that Canada is also full of charming small towns and welcoming rural communities worth planning a trip around. You’ll find salty little enclaves, graced by orcas and world-class surfers in British Columbia; tiny mountain towns with Gold Rush history in the Yukon’s Grizzly country; and, of course, flannel-filled hubs for outdoors lovers who want to bike and hike in the country’s dramatic national parks. What links them together, though, is that small town spirit, and undeniable charm. (Don’t be surprised if your small town trip warrants big time vacation days—please like these are never easy to leave.)

The Turks and Caicos Islands is celebrating Virgin Atlantic’s twice-weekly, non-stop flight from London to Providenciales.

Becoming a birder is easy – all you have to do is step outside. 

Passengers on board a recent cruise to the Canary Islands who were worried about a bad weather forecast begged the ship's captain to head to port, according to a report.

As part of a road-trip series they're filming for the "Today" show, Jenna Bush Hager and Barbara Pierce Bush stopped in Waco, Texas, to see home-renovation power duo Chip and Joanna Gaines.

With its high-rise buildings and broad boulevards, Nagoya used to be best known for its industrial heritage — a place to delve into the history of Toyota, which was founded here, or to browse museums housed in former factories. That changed late last year, when a more fantastical reason to visit sprang up just 30 minutes’ drive to the east: Ghibli Park. As the name suggests, the theme park is based around Studio Ghibli, the country’s most successful anime company, which rose to fame with titles such as Spirited Away and Howl’s Moving Castle.

Major UK and international artists have donated work to an online and live auction supporting the British charity Freedom from Torture. The 13th edition of the charity’s biennial art auction, Drawing a Line Under Torture is currently online, with a live auction of twelve artworks to take place at an invite-only private view on 6 November at Sotheby’s New Bond Street, London.

Even though the leaves are just starting to turn, airline network planners are already getting excited for next summer.