Russia’s New Digital Push to Attract Global Travelers Faces One Major Hurdle

Traveling to and exploring Russia has been made easier for global travelers — at least, that’s the message the government is sending with RUSSPASS, a one-stop digital app and platform that soft launched in July 2020. Tourists and residents can search and book a number of experiences listed on the app — flight deals to […]

A Gloomy Corporate Travel Prediction for Hedge Funds and Tech Firms

Not only are consultancy firms, with their avid flyers, curbing travel, one of them now predicts hedge funds and technology firms could “never return” to taking business trips. The likes of Capgemini and Cognizant plan to drastically reduce the number of business trips in 2022, while Bain wants to reduce the emissions caused by its […]

Britain’s 10 most glorious autumn gardens, as chosen by readers

Ancient oaks, faerie trails, abbey parks and deer feature in our readers’ favourite places to watch the vivid autumn colours For a feast of autumn colour visit Calderstones Park, in south Liverpool. This large park boasts a collection of native and exotic trees whose autumnal spectacle of crimson, vermilion, russet and ochre assaults the sight. Visit the Japanese garden for a taste of oriental autumn, where colours and textures touch the senses. Stand in the Pinetum and marvel at these giant beauties. Wander across to visit the Allerton oak and reflect on how its moss-laden, gnarled branches have witnessed 1,000 autumns. If all this makes you peckish pop along to the Reader cafe for suitable autumnal fare. Jennifer Jones Continue reading...

How Oracle Hospitality Plans to Sustain Its Comeback Momentum

Welcome to the third Travel Tech Briefing. This week, I’ve enjoyed meeting several readers in Dallas at HITEC, the Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition, and Conference and technology leaders. Here are some takeaways. Perhaps the biggest company at the event was Oracle Hospitality — whose property management software is used by more hotels than any other provider worldwide. […]

A taste of Provence on a weekend break at the Collobrières chestnut festival

Winding roads lead to a town in the Var where chestnuts aren’t just roasted on open fires … they are celebrated, eaten and even drunk as liqueur It was 8am and as I opened the hotel window to let in the day, the cool autumnal air brought with it the aroma of roasting chestnuts: Collobrières’ festival was under way. I was in the Var, Provence’s most unspoiled department, for the nutty festivities, which take place over the last three Sundays in October. This rural French knees-up has seen chestnuts being munched in all their guises since 1982, with (in pre-Covid times) about 45,000 visitors descending on Provence’s chestnut capital. Continue reading...

Seaweed a Nuisance for Caribbean Tourism But Locals See Opportunity

As the sun rises in Mexico’s Quintana Roo state, home to the white sandy beaches of Cancun and Tulum, Rear Admiral Alejandro Lopez Zenteno readies his sailors for another day of dragging rafts of brown seaweed to shore and out of view of cocktail-sipping tourists. Zenteno heads the operation for the Mexican Navy, which coordinates […]

Wellness Vacations Are the Next Big Splurge for Global Travelers

Vacations, by definition, are for relaxation and to escape routine, to rest the mind and body and return feeling invigorated. But since the pandemic, focusing on mental and physical well being through travel isn’t just a nice to have if not a prized privilege that consumers now see linked as part of their self care. […]

Wildlife Trusts raises £25m for projects to help UK nature recover

Pencnwc Mawr Wood among areas being restored as the trusts embark on 35 schemes to create and secure wild places across the country With its lush broad-leaved trees home to breeding hazel dormice, barbastelle bats, and butterflies in woodland glades, Pencnwc Mawr Wood in Pembrokeshire is a rare surviving remnant of the Welsh temperate rainforest, scarcer even than tropical rainforests. Once stretching along the western uplands and into deep river valleys it shrank over the years, but now, in a project to restore habitats from chalk grassland to peatlands, the future of Pencnwc Mawr Wood has been secured. Continue reading...

See the 'miracle house' that escaped a volcano's lava path

The house narrowly escaped the lava stream from the Cumbre Vieja volcano, located on Spain's La Palma island.

Smokie hot action and goosebumps: a car-free trip to Arbroath

From atmospheric outdoor theatre and historic houses to sumptuous seafood and dramatic clifftop walks, Scotland’s east coast gets the pulse racing Lanterns pick out a path through the dark marram grass. The constellations are clear above crescent-shaped Lunan Bay and the trees are floodlit. One sandy hollow in the dunes, a natural amphitheatre, is studded with flickering fires. Xylophone players pick out bone-dancing music and a soundtrack of unearthly growls and crashing waves resolves into choral singing. This is Over Lunan, an outdoor theatrical event on the east coast of Scotland. Continue reading...

Share a tip about a small city or town in France to win a £200 holiday voucher

Tell us about a lesser-known French city, town or village that took your breath away and you could win £200 towards a Sawday’s stay We’d love to hear about your favourite city, town or village in la belle France. We’d like to steer away from the huge draws like Paris, Lyon and Marseille, and focus on smaller characterful gems that dot the country – places such as Honfleur in Normandy, with its colourful harbour that inspired Claude Monet; or the hilltop village vibe of Aix-en Provence; or the cobbled streets and canals of Annecy. Tell us what you saw and did that made it special – maybe it was a lovely place to stay, a brilliant family restaurant, the architecture or a local festival – with websites and prices where appropriate. Continue reading...

Palm trees growing in an unexpected place

The longest continental mountain range in the world may be one of the last places you would expect to find a palm tree. High above the foliage of the Andean mountains, Colombia's National Tree, the wax palm, has been intriguing scientists for decades.

Qatar Airways Posts $4.1 Billion Annual Loss

Qatar Airways Group on Monday reported a doubling of annual losses to $4.1 billion, hit by the Covid-19 collapse in long-haul travel and aircraft impairment charges. The state-owned group, which includes the airline and other aviation assets, said it booked a one-off impairment of $2.24 billion on its fleet 10 Airbus A380s and 16 A330s […]

Air Canada Will Match Perks of U.S. Frequent Flyers to Boost Tourism

Canada is trying to use the lure of travel perks to convince America’s frequent flying elite to fly north on Air Canada, as the country steps up efforts to revive crucial traffic from the U.S., a Canadian official told Reuters. Covid-19 has battered travel from Canada’s largest tourism market. During the first half of 2021, […]

From coal mining to soul mining on a heritage walk around St Helens

Discover the traces of Merseyside’s industrial past with a new walking app, partly made by former miners determined the past should not be forgotten Ex terra lucem. Light from the ground. St Helens has the finest motto in England. It evokes the town’s long mining history, its world-leading glass industry – which used, as well as coal-fired furnaces, the fireclays beneath the coal measures – and, now that so many of our working-class heroes have passed on, the illumination to be gleaned from communing with wise ancestors. That, anyway, is how I like to think of a new mining themed walk on an app, Landscape Legacies of Coal Mining, developed by historian Dr Catherine Mills of the University of Stirling. The three-mile route (with an optional two-mile extension) through Bold Forest Park – the 1,780 hectare (4,400-acre) area that surrounds the famous Dream statue by Jaume Plensa – adds a new seam of interest. Former miner Jim Housley, 60, wrote the texts for the St Helens walk, which peeks behind the tree cover and carefully planned parkland to reveal the park’s previous life as Sutton Manor colliery. Continue reading...

A Contrarian Investment for Luxury: The Humble Doorman

Covid protocols have been predicated on creating space and reducing contact between guests and staff. Luxury hospitality has used a fine-toothed comb to re-evaluate every element of the experience, optimizing for safety with staff behind glass, contactless screens, and other facets. The human-to-human element has most certainly been reduced. But as Covid continues and guests […]

10 of the best island adventures around Britain

From Anglesey to Jersey, escape from everyday life and find dramatic landscapes with a trip over the water from a new book on island bagging Enjoy the last of the season’s warmer waters with a swim from the golden sands of Kynance Cove around the jumble of translucent green serpentine rocks at the base of this island. Start this wild 2km swim from the sandy tombolo between the mainland and island at the west end of Kynance Cove (note at high tide the beach and tombolo disappear, so check tide times for Lizard Point). Swim independently or guided by Sea Swim Cornwall (some experience of open-water swimming necessary, £40 a trip). Finish with a coffee and pasty in the Kynance Cove Beach Cafe nearby. Continue reading...

Blackstone’s $305 Million Hotel Grab Shines Light on Acquisition Climate

There’s plenty of deal making happening in the hotel industry, but the major brands aren’t generating the activity. Blackstone announced late last week plans to acquire Condor Hospitality Trust’s entire real estate portfolio for $305 million, or roughly $160,000 per room. The deal — which encompasses 15 limited-service hotels across brands like Residence Inn and […]

Van life looks idyllic on social media. But for couples, it can be challenging

It looks like a dreamy life of freedom on the open road: golden sunsets, cozy bunks and endless photo ops amidst stunning views of nature.

What Italy's famous hermit did next

For nearly 33 years he lived a hermit life on a beautiful island in the Mediterranean, where he was the sole inhabitant.

Top 10 teen travel destinations in Britain

Quad biking, pizzas, axe throwing … great resorts where the kids will want to come, too A contemporary take on the traditional country house, Another Place is the sister property to the Watergate Bay Hotel and has much the same fun, contemporary feel. The hotel comprises a Georgian house and modern extension that opens on to 18 acres of grounds, complete with archery field. The lakeside location means kayaking, SUP and sailing are all on offer, with excellent mountain-biking trails nearby and a sizeable indoor pool. The all-day menu in the Living Space means hungry teens can eat whenever they want, with its Rampsbeck restaurant offering an adults-only option for dinner. Doubles from £240 B&B; another.place Continue reading...

I took a sailing holiday – on one of Norfolk’s historic wherries

The elegant wooden boats that once cruised the Broads ferrying groceries – and George Formby – are once again carrying daytrippers There is a rightness about sailing a Norfolk wherry that leaves you feeling in harmony with the world. As a sustainable form of transport, a wooden boat being propelled across the water by the wind is about as low-carbon as you can get. I must confess, though, I had never heard of a wherry before setting off on an overnight trip from Wroxham on the Norfolk Broads. Little wonder, as there are only eight of these traditional boats still sailing from a fleet of hundreds that once earned their living delivering goods around Britain’s waterways. Later, some of these trading vessels were converted into elegant cruisers such as the Ardea (Latin for heron), where I am to spend the night. Continue reading...

10 of the best autumn sun holidays in southern Europe

Characterful places to stay, where for another month or so the weather is balmy enough for the beach and alfresco evenings Autumn is near-perfect in Crete: the masses have left, days reach 24C, the Libyan Sea is still bath-like, and tavernas are still open and pouring raki. Much of the island’s east has been overdeveloped but there is a lovely, low-key alternative on the south coast. White River Cottages is a hamlet of rustic self-catering stone houses amid olive, pine and carob trees in the rocky Aspros Potamos valley, near the pretty harbour of Makriyialos. The sea is a 15-minute walk, and there’s is good hiking inland, up through the gorge to the mountain village of Pefki, where an excellent taverna awaits. Studios for two from €81 a night, minimum four nights Continue reading...

U.S. Eases Travel Restrictions for Fully Vaccinated Global Travelers and 9 Other Top Travel Stories

Throughout the week we are posting original stories night and day covering news and travel trends, including on the impact of coronavirus. Every weekend we will offer you a chance to read the most essential stories again in case you missed them earlier. U.S. to Ease Travel Restrictions for All Vaccinated Travelers Worldwide From November: […]

RateGain Buys Hotel Marketing Tech Ahead of Its IPO

Travel tech company RateGain, which is on track to go public on an Indian stock exchange most likely by year-end, said late this week it was buying Myhotelshop, a hotel marketing technology vendor based in Leipzig, Germany. The companies didn’t disclose the deal terms, but said they expected to have regulatory approval within about a […]

A local’s guide to Málaga: five great things to do

Great places to shop, walk, eat and drink, as selected by Mark Holness, a cafe owner who moved from London to the sunny Spanish city After moving to the Costa del Sol six years ago, Mark Holness opened Café de Estraperlo, close to the harbour in Málaga, with his associate José Luis Gallardo. A popular meeting point for malagueños and visitors alike, the cafe also exhibits works by local artists. Continue reading...

A great walk to a great pub: the Green Dragon, Yorkshire Dales

A four-hour stroll on the fells followed by a pint, a bite and a place to rest your head – with a waterfall out the back Start Green Dragon pub Hardraw Distance 9½ miles Time 3-4 hours Total ascent 490 metres Difficulty moderate An important truth was established some time ago when that celebrated bar room pundit Aristotle proved beyond all reasonable doubt that any decent walk undertaken in the British Isles must end at a good pub. Continue reading...

Congress Considers Stricter Measures for Unruly Flyers After Hearing Tales of Abuse

When flight attendant Teddy Andrews returned to work in September 2020 after recovering from a severe bout of Covid-19 in March that nearly killed him, the work environment had drastically changed. Andrews spoke Thursday before a Congressional Aviation Subcommittee holding a hearing on unruly and disruptive passengers. That changed work environment, the rising epidemic proportions […]

The airplane concept with an 'underwater' cabin

Private jet passengers could soon be able to travel through the air and "underwater" at the same time thanks to an innovative new cabin concept.

The gigantic boat that can carry cruise ships

Ship-carrying ships help out cruise ships and other vessels when they get in a jam. The Boka Vanguard is the largest ship of its kind: Watch as it gives the Carnival Vista cruise ship a lift.

He left Syria as a refugee six years ago. Now he owns a successful London restaurant

In Damascus, Syria Imad Alarnab ran a range of popular restaurants, juice bars and cafes. Forced to leave Syria during the Civil War, Alarnab started over in London where he's since opened Imad's Syrian Kitchen.

Ukio Raises $9 Million for Lodging in the Hybrid Work Era: Travel Startup Funding This Week

This week, travel startups announced more than $195 million in funding. >>Flyr Labs, which has only been selling business intelligence software to airlines for about a year, revealed it had closed a $150 million equity financing round. WestCap Group led the round. Private equity giant Silver Lake also joined as a new investor. WestCap is […]

Southwest’s Incoming CEO Says Hiring Will Be a Big Early Challenge

Incoming Southwest Airlines CEO Robert Jordan was only planning to pick up his food when he went through the drive through at a Dallas-area Whataburger recently. But stapled to his food bag was also a job application — a symbol of the entry-level hiring challenges that face business across the U.S. Southwest is in the […]

Go south of Snowdon to find peaceful walks away from the crowds

Magnificent valleys, lookouts and rivers to stroll alongside add to the tranquillity in a quieter part of Snowdonia national park As I come to the summit cairn, I am in for a shock. There is another human being. We chat for a minute and then he sets off down the ridge. Now I have the place to myself and can sit in the sunshine, scanning all the peaks of north Wales, from Cadair Idris in the west to the Berwyns in the east. In between, to the north, is Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon), with the jutting shoulder of Crib Goch visible. It seems strange to think that while almost every peak I am looking at may either be deserted or host to a handful of walkers, Snowdon on this bank holiday Sunday will likely have tens of thousands of feet tramping over it. Continue reading...

Google’s New Climate Push Won’t Penalize Hotels That Opt Out

Google’s plan to provide information on a hotel’s sustainability practices offers transparency amid the climate crisis. But non-participating hotel owners don’t need to worry about their placement on the search engine. Google will put an eco-badge of sorts next to a listing if sustainability-minded firms like GreenKey or EarthCheck have highlighted a hotel for its […]

‘The path was alive with army ants!’ – readers’ holiday encounters with nature

A manta ray in the Maldives, wolf tracks in Portugal and mischievous seals in the Scilly Isles are just a few of your spectacular sightings Continue reading...

Get spirited away on a gin-making adventure in North Yorkshire

The village of Ripley, with its castle and walled gardens, proves the perfect setting for learning to make personalised gin ‘It’s about to happen, I promise!” says Rob Crossley, the “Professor”, as he uses asbestos fingers to gingerly tip-tap his way along a copper pipe to where the magic is to begin. When the heat spreads all the way down to the spindly tip, he knows the temperature will be right for the drip to start. This hand-hammered copper pot, with its bulging belly warmed by a small electric hob, looks a lot like something from a Harry Potter potion-making class. Which is fitting, because I’m inside the walls of a castle – it’s just that I’m making gin rather than polyjuice. Having been a member of the gin fanclub way longer than it’s been fashionable, it feels overdue that I’m learning to make my own (along with 11 other eager students). After the relaxation of licensing laws that spawned a boom in craft distilleries, gin schools have popped up across the UK in the past five years. This one, run by Harrogate Tipple, is in a particularly impressive location, though. A long, vaulted window to my right neatly frames a square, crenulated turret of Ripley Castle’s east wing, with a circular gravel drive in the foreground and fields in the distance. And to get to the charcoal-walled gin-making room, I entered through a fake wall in the gin shop, the door handle disguised as an unassuming porcelain bottle on a bookshelf. Continue reading...

FAA Gives Airlines a Week to Come Up With Steps to Address Unruly Passengers

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Tuesday urged U.S. passenger airlines “to commit to take more action” to address reports of violent or unruly passengers. The agency said it had asked airline trade groups at a meeting on Tuesday to disclose within a week what steps they will take to curb such incidents. The FAA […]

Share a tip on an autumnal UK garden for the chance to win a £200 holiday voucher

Some gardens excel in early autumn with late blooms and colourful foliage. Tell us about your favourite, whether it’s a local community patch or part of a heritage estate. The best tip wins a Sawday’s holiday Winter is on its way, but before the cold and dark days truly settle it’s time to savour the changing seasons and take an opportunity to head into the outdoors to see trees cloaked in russet-coloured leaves; shrubs bursting with ripe red berries and an abundance of fiery, colourful foliage. Tell us where can you enjoy a magnificent autumn garden display – maybe with a lovely coffee shop attached or a historic building to dive into nearby – with websites and prices where appropriate. Continue reading...

Tourism’s Time for Talk Is Over

With breaking news of U.S. borders reopening to world travelers in November, plus more regions — namely in Asia and Africa — now gearing up to welcome more tourists in spite of ongoing vaccine inequity and uncertainty ahead, global tourism appears to be turning the darkest corner of the pandemic. Travel is set to relaunch […]

Private Equity Backs Travel Upgrade Startup Plusgrade to Do Acquisitions

Plusgrade, a company that helps travel businesses persuade travelers to spend more, has a new major investor. Novacap, a private equity firm with more than $6 billion (more than $8 billion Canadian) invested in companies, has taken an undisclosed stake in the upgrade technology vendor based in Montreal. “Plusgrade is growing a new billion-dollar category […]

The windowless cabin design that could be the future of air travel

Rosen Aviation's Maverick Project envisages a futuristic airplane cabin complete with touchless controls and virtual windows.

Tripadvisor Forced by Hotel Chains to Reverse Course on Subscriptions to Cash-Back Model

In a stunning reversal, just three months after officially launching the Tripadvisor Plus subscription program in the U.S., Tripadvisor bowed to hotel chain concerns and will transition the offering from immediate discounts on hotels when subscribers book an accommodation to cash-back after check-in. The change, which begin to take shape in the fourth quarter, seemingly […]

Australia in Step to Reopen Will Test Quarantine for Vaxxed Global Travelers

Australian officials will trial a home quarantine system for fully vaccinated international travellers arriving in Sydney, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Friday, as the country moves to reopen its borders despite persistent COVID-19 cases. Australia closed its international border in March 2020 in response to the pandemic, allowing entry almost exclusively to citizens and […]

JetBlue-American Partnership Draws Scrutiny of U.S. Senator Over Airfares

U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat who has been outspoken on antitrust issues, expressed concern to the Transportation Department on Friday that a partnership between American Airlines and JetBlue Airways would lead to higher airfares. The airlines’ “Northeast Alliance” partnership was announced in July 2020 and approved by the Transportation Department six months later, shortly […]

Ten of Britain’s best clifftop hotels

Spectacular rooms with seaside views close to home Year after year, people return to the Dru, perched on a spectacular cliff’s edge with stunning views overlooking St Brides Bay. Enjoy the dramatic sunsets over the Atlantic from one of the roof rooms or the garden. Take the winding path down to the sea (around five minutes to descend, slightly longer coming back depending how fit your are) and you’ll arrive at the rock pools and caves of Druidstone Beach. Return for hearty, homemade meals. As well as 15 rooms, there are five self-catering cottages close to the main house, too. Doubles from £165, including breakfast; druidstone.co.uk Continue reading...

Dubai Expo Tells Unvaccinated or Untested to Stay Away

Expo 2020 Dubai said on Wednesday that entry to the world fair for visitors over 18 years old would be restricted to those who had been vaccinated against COVID-19 or had tested negative in the previous 72 hours. For months, the state organiser had said visitors would not have to be vaccinated or present a […]

Pressure Mounts on White House to Reopen the Border with Canada

Four U.S. senators on Friday asked President Joe Biden to lift restrictions that have barred travel by Canadians across the northern U.S. border since March 2020. Democratic Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, Jon Tester of Montana and independent Angus King of Maine asked Biden to allow Canadians vaccinated against Covid-19 to […]

Chinese Travelers Still See U.S. as Most Unsafe for Travel

Chinese travelers back in March showed pent up desire to get back to exploring the U.S. in spite of strained relations between the two countries and a perception of America as unsafe from a pandemic perspective. Six months later, 87 percent of Chinese consumers still rank the U.S. as the most unsafe country to visit among a […]

Ski trains to resume between London and the French Alps

Service starting in December will be a charter train only available to those booking holidays through one French operator With more Eurostar trains now running again on routes from London to Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam, travellers have been awaiting news of ski trains to the French Alps and the reinstatement of other services. But recent news from Eurostar hasn’t been good. This week the train operator announced that services to Marne-la-Vallée (for Disneyland Paris) wouldn’t run until late March 2022. Then it said no Eurostar services would stop at Ebbsfleet or Ashford in Kent until 2023. Continue reading...