Hospitality and leisure industry
Macao is becoming a city of sports and entertainment, Sands China CEO says, as President Xi urges diversification
Sands China CEO and President Grant Chum said Macao was diversifying its economy away from gaming to become “a city of sports and … a city of entertainment,” during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to the city that concluded Friday. In an interview on “Squawk Box Asia,” Chum cited a deal announced in early December […]
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Luxury safaris are changing — here’s what affluent travelers want now
Luxury safari-goers were once all about spotting lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes and rhinos — albeit while staying in nicer tents and dining on gourmet food. But that’s changing. “Safaris are not just about the ‘Big Five’ anymore,” said Lori Cohen, a writer who covers luxury safaris. “People have got limited time off in their lives, […]
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The world’s busiest flight routes in 2024
Hong Kong-Taipei is the busiest international flight route, according to a report released Tuesday by aviation intelligence company OAG. The route — which last held that position in 2019 — again tops the list despite seat capacity remaining 15% below pre-pandemic levels, according to OAG’s report. Seven of the 10 busiest international routes in the […]
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Indian outbound travel will be ‘the story’ of the next decade, says Hilton executive
Indian travelers spent $34.2 billion on outbound travel in 2023, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council. But the current level of Indian travel is “minuscule” compared with what’s to come, Alan Watts, Hilton’s Asia-Pacific president, told “Squawk Box Asia” Monday. “The story for India is before us,” he said. “India outbound will be […]
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Travel is finally back — and an era of huge growth is upon us
The global travel industry is set to fully recover from the Covid-19 pandemic this month, according to U.N. Tourism. During the first nine months of 2024, international arrivals worldwide reached 98% of pre-pandemic levels, compared to the same period in 2019, it said. The remaining 2% gap will close this month, according to the organization, […]
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Ed Sheeran announces concert in Bhutan — with tickets starting at $10
Ed Sheeran announced this week he’s taking his Mathematics Tour to Bhutan, India and the Middle East in early 2025. The tour, formally named the +–=÷x Tour, includes a notable stop in Bhutan’s capital of Thimphu on Jan. 24, 2025 — which will be the first major international concert to be held in the country, according […]
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Visiting Europe’s Christmas markets? Here’s how to do it — via a river cruise
Picture twinkling lights reflected on the Danube River as you sail into port, steps away from the merriment of a festive Christmas market. European Christmas markets have been a tradition since the Middle Ages. Market stalls decked in garland and ornaments beckon visitors with a cozy atmosphere and delicious food and drink. There are thousands of […]
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Deaths of 6 travelers suspected to be caused by tainted alcohol. Here’s where incidents happen the most
Six travelers have died from suspected methanol poisoning after visiting the tourist town of Vang Vieng, Laos, this month. The travelers — two from Australia, two from Denmark, one from United Kingdom and one from United States — are believed to have consumed alcohol tainted with methanol, which is sometimes illegally added to regular or […]
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‘We are firing on all cylinders’: Marriott CEO says business is solid despite corporate layoffs
Marriott International’s business operations and growth are solid, CEO Anthony Capuano told CNBC Monday, amid layoffs of more than 800 corporate employees and continued sluggishness in China’s tourism market. “We are firing on all cylinders in every geography,” he said. The company’s third-quarter earnings showed a 3% increase in worldwide RevPar — or revenue per […]
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Thailand legalizing same-sex marriage is likely to bring a flood of tourists
Thailand’s same-sex marriage legislation, scheduled to come into effect in January 2025, could attract an additional 4 million tourists to the country per year, according to a report commissioned by the travel company Agoda. The report published Thursday estimates the country’s marriage equality law may increase tourism arrivals by 10%, netting the country an extra […]
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