Why Baijiu, China's Heritage Liquor, Is Due for Its Time in the Spotlight

Two passengers aboard a Juneyao Airlines flight from Guiyang in southwestern China to Shanghai on Saturday locked a crying toddler in an airplane bathroom.

Clarksville, a historic district of Austin, Texas, has lately emerged as a stylish dining and shopping enclave. Among the area’s most compelling new businesses is La Embajada, a design shop housed in a 1923 Craftsman bungalow. Combining the hospitality and interiors expertise of its founder, Raul Cabra — who has designed tableware for some of Mexico City’s most celebrated restaurants, including Rosetta and Pujol — La Embajada presents a refined, regionally diverse selection of Mexico’s artisanal offerings. A series of small rooms display vintage and contemporary furniture, from stately midcentury armchairs and 1970s glass sconces to a minimalist agave fiber rug by the Oaxaca-based textile artist Trine Ellitsgaard. The house is also an actual residence. Cabra often stays in the bedroom up the creaky stairs, and he’s recently made it available for short-term stays (bookings include a daily basket of baked goods from Austin’s Swedish Hill). Guests can purchase the room’s handmade décor, such as a pair of sleek bedside lamps in milky white onyx, a 1960s La Malinche dresser and a bedspread from a Michoacan manufacturer that once supplied Herman Miller. Downstairs, glassware, candles and gifts fill a section modeled after a typical general store in a small Mexican town. But La Embajada’s heart is its inviting kitchen, where visiting chefs cook elaborate meals and staff prepare ice cream and coffee. In another twist, every bespoke detail — including a hammered copper sink, caramel-colored tiles and waxed pine cabinets — can be custom-ordered for one’s own home.

Good morning from Skift. It’s Wednesday, August 28, and here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.

China’s senior travelers are changing the game in the travel industry. Trip.com Group reported that these users have spent over RMB 1.6 billion ($224.6 million) on its platform so far. To cater to this demographic, the company launched the Old Friends Club last quarter, targeting those aged 50 and above.

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.

Hostels are my preferred option when I'm traveling alone.

China brought in over 17.25 million foreign tourists from January to July this year, a 130% increase compared to 2023, according to latest data from the National Immigration Administration (NIA). The influx is set to generate over CNY 100 billion ($14 billion) in consumer spending, with per capita daily spending nearing CNY 3,459 ($485).

Between Sri Lanka’s eight UNESCO world heritage sites, its thriving wildlife, and pristine white sand beaches, the “Pearl of the Indian Ocean” has enough glimmer for everyone—and now, visiting the South Asia island nation, located off the coast of India, is about to get easier (and cheaper) for travelers from 35 countries.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Simon Cockerell, a manager at the travel agency Koryo Tours. It has been edited for length and clarity.

Thailand is redefining its approach to tourism promotion by harnessing the power of digital influencers.

Patrick Forhane, 45, hit his 50th state, Kansas, in 2022. Two years earlier, he wasn't sure if achieving the feat would be possible.

Aug 16, 2024 • 7 min read