See 100 mermaids in a world record performance

A resort in Sanya, China, scored the Guinness World Record for the largest underwater mermaid show, which featured 100 professional divers.

Sonder to Go Public at $2.2 Billion Valuation as Short-Term Rental Sector Stays Hot

The quasi-hotel company has announced a deal with Gores' special purpose acquisition company. -Matthew Parsons

Why I’m running 5,000 miles around the coast of Britain solo

It has taken four winters so far, but wild beauty, nature and the kindness of strangers en route make this slow journey more than worthwhile In the late summer of 2017 I became captivated by the sculpture A Line Made By Walking. It was created in 1967 by Bristol artist Richard Long, who walked carefully backwards and forwards through a grassy field, drawing a footpath with his feet. This fleeting track of trampled grass was the opposite of a footpath. It led nowhere and was created by one man. Related: My alternative summer: travel writers’ plans for an epic UK adventure Continue reading...

Tiny cabins become hot property in pandemic

Getaway is a mini-vacation concept that has grown in the past six years from a few tiny cabins outside of Boston to 581 custom-built cabins sprinkled across 15 locations in the United States. The "totally socially distant" business has had a very busy pandemic year.

TravelPerk Will Wade Even Further Into U.S. Territory With $160 Million Funding Boost

TripActions now has a serious contender on its hands, and the new investors in Spanish startup TravelPerk clearly think there's enough room to make some money. -Matthew Parsons

MGM Resorts Gears Up for a Booming Las Vegas Summer of Returning Live Events

Relaxed restrictions on crowds puts Sin City on track for an accelerated recovery over the duration of the rest of 2021, but MGM Resorts still has to grapple with a lagging comeback in Macao, its other key gaming market. -Cameron Sperance

Travel + Leisure Co. Timeshare Demand Roars Back to Life in a Matter of Weeks

Timeshare companies like Travel + Leisure Co. were well-positioned to capitalize on the early days of the leisure-led travel recovery from the pandemic. Now, it's less about a rebound and more about can they exceed pre-pandemic business performance by year's end. -Cameron Sperance

'Mad Max' superyacht concept powered by airplane jet engines

Yacht designer Uros Pavasovic has come up with a rather unorthodox way of utilizing discarded aircraft and pushing the boundaries of superyacht design simultaneously.

10 of the best rural glamping hideaways in Britain

These fun, characterful boltholes with nature on the doorstep are featured in Stay Wild, a new book from Canopy & Stars Standing in a 100-year-old apple orchard close to the Malvern Hills and on the edge of Knapp and Papermill nature reserve, this house is the work of two generations of a family with Scandinavian heritage. There’s a strong Swedish vibe: from the structure of the “little cottage” to the pine-lined interior and the red-and-blue colour scheme. In among the trees is a huge firepit. It’s a beautiful spot, with the orchard carpeted with meadow grasses in summer and its boughs heavy with fruit in autumn, and a gate leading straight on to the nature reserve. • Sleeps four from £120 a night Continue reading...

Why tourists are scooping up U-Haul rentals in Hawaii

As Hawaii's tourism industry rebounds, rental car prices are skyrocketing so tourists are turning to U-Haul trucks instead.

3 Questions For a Global Meetings Veteran on the Future of Workplaces

Many office workers will be thinking they’ve never had it so good, working at home with all the comforts that come with it. We're about to find out how office building landlords, and their tenants, draw them back in. -Matthew Parsons

10 of the best pubs in Wales with outdoor space

Welsh pubs reopen their outdoor areas from 26 April, so it’s time to savour the country’s fine drinks, food and views Best beer terrace in Wales? Quite possibly. Looking out over Carmarthen Bay, the broad alfresco area sits on a lovely stretch of the Wales Coast Path between Amroth and Saundersfoot, in the south-east corner of Pembrokeshire. It has its own beach – used in rehearsals for the D-day landings – and there’s a hamlet and the stone bridge that some mythical wise man once crossed, built or praised. Food ranges from burgers and fish pie to sea bass or a large slab of gammon with pineapple. • Open from 26 April, first come, first served, no booking, wisemansbridgeinn.co.uk Continue reading...

Greece takes a gigantic leap of faith on Covid

Its citizens are still under lockdown, but Greece is already inviting tourists to make the most of its islands, beaches and historical treasures. The potentially risky move, which puts it ahead of other prime European tourism destinations, reflects the country's desperation to revive its tourism industry and its faith in vaccines and testing to ride out the pandemic's next phase.

Agoda Leads an Asia Experiment in Quarantine Hotel Bookings

The industry blames quarantines for keeping tourists away. Agoda is on a quest to make it a solution, not the problem, to revive international travel to Asia. Here's why and how. -Raini Hamdi

Behind-The-Scenes With American Demothballing Jets From Pandemic Storage

Airlines have come a long way from the dark days of the pandemic when idled jets lined runways around the world. On the ground in Tulsa, we check out the meticulous way American is taking its last few aircraft out of mothballs with an opportunistic eye towards summer. -Edward Russell

Taxis, Limos in Demand for Canada Border Crossings to Skirt the Air Travel Quarantines

Here's one sector of travel the industry that is seeing a unique opportunity in this pandemic. Taxis and limousines shuttling snowbird Canadians back home across the border from the U.S. are racking up the fares. -Tom Lowry

10 of Britain’s best waterside hotels

From grand lakes to tranquil rivers, lap up the peace and quiet at one of these glorious waterside boltholes On the aptly named Loch Awe, Ardanaiseig has an opulent, baronial feel without any of the stuffiness that can sometimes characterise older-style hotels. This is a place for books in front of the fire, croquet on the lawn and late-night whiskies in the scarlet-walled bar, before retiring to one of the 16 seductive rooms. The hotel has its own boats, which can be used for fishing or simply pottering between the ancient ruins and islets that dot the loch. Cycling, horse-riding and clay-pigeon shooting can all be arranged. • Doubles from £155 room-only, ardanaiseig.com Continue reading...

Amtrak Prepares for Close-Up When the Oscars Go Live at L.A.’s Union Station

When jet-setting Hollywood chooses a train station, yes, a train station, for its biggest night of the year, you know the rail industry is having its 15 minutes in the limelight. Oscars buzz can be short-lived. Amtrak and its biggest fan at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue hope that isn't the case this year. -Tom Lowry

Lockdowned Iran Bans Travelers From India Over Covid Variant

Iran joins a growing list of destinations with worries over Covid variants in India, barring travelers from the country on Saturday. Until vaccines roll out more quickly across the world, a ban like this, unfortunately, will not be the last. -Tom Lowry

Fifehead revisited: my ride through north Dorset’s mysterious past

Cycling deep into Thomas Hardy country to uncover the story of an ancestral home that vanished (almost) without a trace My bike has mostly been unused this winter. In me at least, lockdown inspired a need to walk rather than cycle, but today I took a short ride through the lanes of north Dorset to the village of Fifehead Magdalen. The early April sun was weak, the trees budding later than I would like, but it was time to be out. This is the Blackmore Vale – thousands of acres of farmland devoted mostly to cattle, bounded by hills on three sides. It’s also Thomas Hardy’s Vale of the Little Dairies: Tess of the d’Urbervilles opens in the village of Marnhull (Marlott, he renamed it) and Shaftesbury, perched on a nearby hill, became Shaston, home to the doomed and obscure Jude. Continue reading...

10 great British walking trails where you won’t see another soul

Snowdon and Scafell will be busy this year, but our pick of lesser-known routes should be as empty as ever In a densely populated country like Britain, finding somewhere to walk alone is never straightforward, but there are places that rarely see humans, and footpaths that have no footprints, often surprisingly close to towns and villages. There is nothing quite like passing an entire day of walking without seeing a single soul, never being called upon to utter greetings. When mental health is in the spotlight and the dangers of isolation are constantly reiterated, it’s good to mention that time alone can also be beneficial, even essential. Many years ago on top of Scafell Pike, after a day spent in thick mist without encountering anyone, I bumped into another solo hiker. As we passed I said, “Hello,” but he did not reply, just glared. I was young then, and only now do I realise how inappropriate my talkativeness was; an eyebrow twitch would have been adequate. Continue reading...

Spirit Anticipates Profits Later This Year Even With Growing Competition for Leisure Travelers

Spirit delivered better than expected earnings, but just barely. The company is preparing for fuller loads and a return to profits, confident in its strengths flying to leisure destinations. But a lot of carriers have expressed that same confidence. -Ruthy Muñoz

10 off-the-beaten-track adventures in Scotland

Scotland will be a first choice for the many Brits holidaying in the UK this year, but these active breaks avoid the country’s famous Highland and island honeypots Travellers have for years hurtled past the Scottish Borders, eyes on the prize that is the heart-stopping Highlands. But with UK holidaymakers swamping the traditional hotspots, it’s time to check out the southern hinterlands. The Borders mat not have the mighty Munros, but its softly rounded hills, wooded valleys, sleepy towns and ivy-tangled abbeys have their own magic. Continue reading...

Asylum seekers treated ‘in dehumanising way’ by UK host hotels

Thousands left with unacceptable living conditions as Home Office ceased evictions in pandemic, finds Refugee Council Thousands of asylum seekers accommodated in hotels in England have been subjected to “dehumanising treatment” during the pandemic, the Refugee Council has warned. The council revealed that one 14-year-old boy was sent to hospital after losing 3kg in body weight (just under 7lb) due to the poor quality of the food provided. Continue reading...

Puerto Rico Wants Its Share of Remote Workers — Is Now the Best Time?

Tourism boards have a dilemma. Cut off from their offices due to the pandemic, remote workers could be a revenue stream. But governments also have a duty to safeguard the health of their citizens. -Matthew Parsons

10 of Britain’s best outdoor pools in the countryside

Swimming at a lido is particularly blissful when surrounded by glorious countryside. As they start to reopen for summer, we pick 10 gems There have been some benefits to a worldwide pandemic. There was the farmer who grumbled to me that he was having to douse his fields with extra minerals because, in his words: “We’re just not getting the air pollution we used to.” And then there’s all the people who have taken up cold-water swimming, no doubt hoping to boost their immune systems (the evidence remains equivocal: this academic paper is worth reading). I’ll own up here: I did wild swim every day until early December, when the water temperature was 2C, and then one day, in a downpour of freezing rain and a moment of deep personal insight, I realised how much I like warm water. Many others, made of sterner stuff, have kept it going, but now with lockdown easing there is the chance to swim outdoors in beautiful countryside without being chased by dragonflies, standing in sheep poo or swallowing algae (all things I experienced before retiring). Continue reading...

45 Percent of Americans Say They’ll Increase Travel Spending in April

The U.S. travel rate jumped to 35.3 percent in March, marking the biggest two-month increase since travel hit rock bottom in April 2020. With over half of American adults already vaccinated, the summer vacation peak is looking very promising for the travel industry. -Haixia Wang

Find out which countries are welcoming international tourists back

There have been more than 142 million Covid-19 cases worldwide and vaccination roll outs have been much smoother in some countries than others. This pandemic is far from over, even though many of us are now itching to make plans to travel or to reunite with loved ones.

Walking around Menorca: my lockdown project is never staying still

Having ‘washed up’ on the island due to travel restrictions, our writer finds joy in hiking the Camí de Cavalls coastal trail and swimming in secluded coves I’m walking along a sandy path through a forest high above the flashing kingfisher-coloured coast. It smells of hot pine and wild rosemary. The sound of bells deep in the wood stops me in my tracks. Have I finally lost my mind, after months of piloting solo through the pandemic on this small island far from home? From between the trees step a herd of cows, as if from a child’s picture book, caramel coloured, soft noses, liquid eyes and each with a collar from which a large bell swings. Mystery solved, I pick up my water bottle and keep going. Continue reading...

3 New Tourism Ad Campaigns Striking the Right Tone for These Times

The rise of responsible travel messaging in marketing is a welcome next step, as destinations prepare for the return of large summer crowds locally, and international travelers keep a close eye on their favorite locales. Now's also the time to warn the ugly tourists. -Lebawit Lily Girma

Airlines Group Chief Slams Travel Covid Tests as Pure ‘Profiteering’

There's going to be a balance between opening up borders and Covid-19 testing procedures. In these early stages, governments will understandably be cautious and anyone wanting to fly will probably have to pay the price, until the science says otherwise. -Matthew Parsons

The meal that takes me back to Lesbos – plus the recipe

For the cookbook author, this pomegranate chicken dish tells the story of migration and the refugees she spent time with on the Greek island Lesbos is Greece’s third-largest island, sitting in the Aegean Sea just 16 miles off the Turkish coast. It’s a breathtakingly beautiful place, with long stretches of sandy beaches next to crystal-clear waters, thickly forested mountains with therapeutic hot springs, salt marshes that are home to flamingos and wild birds, and more than 11m olive trees, cultivated for the island’s most important product: olive oil. But Lesbos also carries a heavy load, for its story has taken on a more troubling aspect in recent years. That proximity to Turkey has made it the first stop for many refugees fleeing conflict in countries to the east, who arrive by boat after a perilous journey over land and sea. In the past six years, 500,000 refugees have passed through this island – a staggering number given that its local population is 40,000. Continue reading...

Expedia Adds 25 Million Travelers to Loyalty Program in Challenge to Tripadvisor Subscription Plan

Expedia wants to help people find a new travel companion — namely Expedia. We've heard online travel agencies and others vow to become to become less price-oriented before, but fickle deal hunters will make that a tough pledge to fulfill. -Dennis Schaal

Trip.com Group Shares Rise in Hong Kong Market Debut

Wise of Trip.com to take advantage of the spike in Chinese domestic travel as well as optimism in other markets that can provide some tailwinds, too. -Jason Clampet

Apple’s Privacy Update May Cripple Some Travel Ad Campaigns

Travel marketers need to fine-tune their digital advertising tactics in response to Apple's imminent privacy move. New data from adtech firm Criteo underscores the opportunities as well as the challenges. -Sean O'Neill

Thailand's 'sea people' adapt to life on land

These days, Salamak Klathalay, like most of us, lives in a house, on land. But this is a relatively new experience for the 78-year-old.

Australia to Global Visitors: Not So Fast as Borders Remain Closed

Prime Minister Scott Morrison isn't budging on a decision to keep borders closed in Oz. But how much longer can tourism businesses survive on just the locals? -Tom Lowry

Art escapes: a short break at artist Sidney Nolan’s former home

Captivated by its solitude and beauty, the Australian artist made the Rodd Estate in the Welsh Marches his home – it’s easy to see why I’d normally expect to find a pint of milk and slice or two of cake on arrival at a holiday home. But the welcome pack awaiting me at Orchard Cottage, on the Rodd Estate in Herefordshire, contains a more unusual item – a DVD about the man who once lived here, the artist Sidney Nolan. I abandon the unpacking, set a fire in the woodburner in the sitting room, and start watching the documentary. It tells the story of Nolan’s progress from untutored artist in his native Australia to one of the hottest prospects on the international art scene in the mid-1950s, and his eventual arrival at the Rodd. He lived here from 1983, continuing to push the boundaries of his art until his death aged 75 in 1992. Continue reading...

American-JetBlue Deal Draws Scrutiny and 9 Other Top Travel Stories This Week

In Skift's top travel stories this week, we covered antitrust concerns about the American-JetBlue partnership, the hospitality industry's insurance woes, a labor shortage as travel rebounds, and we reviewed Kayak's first hotel. -Dennis Schaal

15 UK market towns you’ll want to discover

These lovely and lively towns – for a day trip or spring getaway – also make great bases for exploring the nearby countryside As one of the country’s celebrated foodie hubs, Ludlow will become a battle zone for outdoor table slots now that lockdown has relaxed. Continue reading...

This vacation hotspot is offering vaccinations to visitors

After becoming one of the first destinations to fully reopen to tourism, the Maldives is now rolling out a program to inoculate foreign arrivals who are checking into its upscale island resorts.

Inspirato Could Go Public in $1 Billion SPAC Deal With Travel Investor Thayer Ventures

Subscriptions look set to be big business, with the needle currently swinging to higher quality holidays and experiences. -Matthew Parsons

Before Covid, giving up flying was taking off. We need to get that momentum back

Interest in low-carbon living, including pledges not to fly, was high before the pandemic. After lockdown, we must not allow climate action to fall off the radar It’s hard to remember what life was like before the pandemic hit. A year and a half ago, 2019 was drawing to a close with something like a promise. It had been the year of Greta Thunberg, Extinction Rebellion and the school climate strikes, and the momentum was with climate activism. And 2020 promised to be the year of change. Helped by Thunberg’s yacht journey across the Atlantic, the spotlight was on aviation’s role in the climate crisis. An airline ticket is about the most carbon-heavy thing consumers can buy, and for those of us fortunate enough to be able to access air travel, our flights can quickly put us among the top polluters in the world. Continue reading...

They met at an airport and fell in love

A mutual friend put Finnish New Yorker Irja Uotila in touch with Mexican local Jesus Estrella during her 12-hour airport layover in Mexico City. Thirty years later Irja and Jesus are married with a daughter living in New York.

10 of the best places to see outdoor art in the UK: chosen by readers

Many a lockdown walk has been brightened by a piece of modern art. Readers pick their favourites, from seafronts and forests to more urban settings Conversation Piece – 22 bronze statues on Littlehaven beach in South Shields – is by Juan Muñoz and peers out over the sand dunes towards Herd Groyne lighthouse, the point where the River Tyne spills into the North Sea. The statues are known locally as weebles. These lifesize figures laugh, whisper, chatter, point or just stare out to sea. Some huddle in groups; others are alone. Yet, despite their quarter-tonne roly-poly bodies, they are all frozen in time and space. Cyclists or walkers on the coastal path stop when they see them, hug them for a selfie, skip round them, wonder about them. What are they talking about? visitsouthtyneside.co.uk Fiona MacLean Continue reading...

Chrissy Teigen's mom Pepper talks cooking, family and why she has to eat Thai food daily

As anyone who's visited Thailand knows, food is a key part of the experience.

Las Vegas is set to come out of Covid-19 better than ever

New casino resorts, innovative restaurants, expanded convention space and one-of-a-kind cultural destinations characterize the latest iteration of this desert city that continues to reinvent itself in the face of adversity.

World's most powerful passport for 2021 revealed

Temporary travel bans have undercut the freedoms traditionally enjoyed by the world's most powerful passports, with an Asian country holding onto the No.1 slot but the UK and the United States plummeting down the real-world ranking

New Christ statue in Brazil will be taller than Rio's

Brazil is building one of the world's tallest statues of Jesus in Encantado, Rio Grande do Sul, standing 43 meters (140 feet) tall.

Scotland to lift Covid restrictions ahead of schedule

Nicola Sturgeon says ‘Covid is in retreat in Scotland’ as travel and outdoor rules eased * Coronavirus – latest updates * See all our coronavirus coverage Nicola Sturgeon has accelerated the relaxation of restrictions on travel and outdoor meetings as she said Covid was “in retreat” in Scotland. Announcing the changes, which will allow Scots to meet up with family and friends across the country outside in larger groups, the first minister said that from this Friday: Continue reading...