Hospitality and leisure industry
Chinese travelers trickle back to a Taiwanese island, mere miles from the mainland
Remnants of military conflict surround Zhang Zhong Jie’s cafe. The coffee shop sits within an abandoned military fortification, its entrance surrounded by rusting tanks. It’s a scene the citizens of Taiwan’s remote Kinmen Island know well. All that separates the cafe from mainland China are 6 miles of choppy water and a row of anti-invasion […]
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Starlink to end the days of spotty Wi-Fi on planes, says Air New Zealand CEO
The days of spotty — or worse, no — Wi-Fi on airplanes are numbered, said Air New Zealand CEO Greg Foran. Reliable and fast Wi-Fi will become “ubiquitous” on full-service carriers, he told “Squawk Box Asia” Friday. But not just any Wi-Fi will do. As airlines race to entice passengers with fast — and ideally free […]
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A private island for $1,000 per night — for those who are willing to get there
When Richard Kvech first set foot on Pinang four years ago, a dilapidated bungalow used by passing fishermen was the only sign of human life on the island. Kvech and three friends, all from the Czech Republic, slept in hammocks and cooked on the beach, while dreaming of creating an eco-retreat on the 50-hectare Indonesian […]
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‘Golden Week’ bookings show Chinese travel preferences are evolving
Outbound travel from China is set to receive a much-anticipated jolt as “Golden Week” bookings show changes in where and why Chinese people are traveling. Buoyed by falling airfares, Chinese travelers are booking more overseas trips for the National Day holiday period, which extends from Oct. 1 to 7, according to Fliggy, a major travel […]
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‘Coolcations’ had another big summer. Here are the places travelers went
Extreme temperatures are driving travelers to seek cooler destinations. And there’s a term for the trend: “coolcations.” Heat waves — which are increasing in frequency, duration and intensity, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — are affecting where people are choosing to vacation, especially during the hot summer months. “Often, when we think of vacation, […]
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People like traveling, but hate planning. Hear how Booking Holdings CEO plans to change that
Most people like traveling. But far fewer enjoy booking it. A survey of more than 2,400 people who book their own travel arrangements found that 71% say the process is at least somewhat stressful for them, according to a 2024 survey by the consumer data company CivicScience. The percentage is even higher among parents of kids […]
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Rapper Ye is set to perform a controversial show in China this week — and many are wondering why
A Chinese official dropped a bombshell in a news briefing usually reserved for major policy announcements: Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, was set to hold a “listening party” for his new “Vultures” studio album on the Chinese island of Hainan on Sept. 15. To 33-year-old Ziteng Du, a Shanghai-based office worker, and many other […]
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Passengers often ignore in-flight safety videos. But this ‘honest’ one has 8.4 million views
“Greetings from the cockpit. This is your captain speaking.” It’s a phrase frequent flyers know well. Only this isn’t a pilot. And what follows isn’t the same ol’ in-flight safety talk. Rather, it’s the opening salvo of a now viral YouTube video from travel journalist Doug Lansky, who delivers a near 7-minute “honest pre-flight […]
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Has Boeing shaken your confidence to fly? A new MIT study could restore it
Airfare, departure times, flight length — these are the usual considerations for travelers who want to book a flight. But now, more are looking at a new factor: the aircraft itself. One in five travelers said they are doing more research into the plane they may be flying on before they book, while slightly […]
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A tale of two travel recoveries: Japan soars, while China struggles to lure travelers back
With a plum position atop many “Best Places to Travel” lists, Japan is on track to welcome a record-breaking number of travelers in 2024. But China faces a different reality: a far slower return of international visitors. Both countries dropped Covid-related border restrictions relatively late — Japan in October 2022, and China in January 2023 […]
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