Will airfares come down this year? Yes, but just slightly say reports

The airline industry’s dramatic climb from the depths of the pandemic may be ending soon. A review of multiple reports shows stabilization across several key metrics, as rapid growth ends and a new era of normalcy begins. “2024 is expected to mark the end of the dramatic year-on-year increases that have been characteristic of the … Read more

Why foreign workers are flocking to this 700-year-old European city

When Ricardo Schmitz’s brother was visiting him in Vilnius, Lithuania, the pair went for a wintertime walk at midnight — something he said they would never do back home in Brazil.   “My brother hadn’t seen snow since he was a kid, so he was super excited. We walked from midnight to 3 a.m.,” Schmitz … Read more

Cabbing in Italy can be a gnarly affair. Here’s how to navigate it

I knew something was amiss when the taxi meter read 10.50 euros as we pulled away from the Roma Termini train station. While negotiating the evening rush hour traffic and typing into a translation app on his cell phone, the cab driver suggested the starting fare included a surcharge for all rides from Rome’s main … Read more

How much does it cost to Aman’s new brand Janu hotels?

Few names exude “quiet luxury” like the ultra-luxe Aman Resorts. Its hotels bear its moniker: from Amanoi in Vietnam, to Aman Sveti Stefan in Montenegro and the hotel that started it all — Amanpuri in Phuket, Thailand. Fans of the brands — known as ‘Aman Junkies’ — are accustomed to paying its top-dollar rates, which … Read more

Travelers want deals — here’s where to find them, says HotelPlanner CEO

It’s been a stellar year for the travel industry, according to Morning Consult. The market research company, in a new report entitled “2023 Holiday Travel Trends,” summarized the year by stating: “leisure volume soared, airplanes were packed, and hotel bookings were high.” But heading into the year-end peak travel season, consumers are showing increased price … Read more

See the top 20 list

Paris is, once again, the best city to visit in the world, according to Euromonitor International. The city topped the market research company’s annual list of the “Top 100 City Destinations” which compares cities using 55 metrics across six categories: economic and business performance, tourism performance, tourism infrastructure, tourism policy and attractiveness, health and safety, … Read more

Pack your jerseys. The era of ‘sports tourism’ is here

Start your engines. From Formula One races to the Summer Olympic Games, traveling to attend major sporting events is on the rise. Sports tourism, as it’s called, is one of the fastest-growing sectors in the travel industry, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organization.   The market is massive, and only stands to grow, … Read more

National Geographic’s Pictures of the Year

Some 165 photographers working on assignment for National Geographic shot more than 2.1 million images in 2023. Now, 29 are featured in its annual “Pictures of the Year” retrospective. The feature — published in the magazine’s December issue and online in November — contains “stunning photographs that unearth remarkable, rarely seen moments,” according to National … Read more

A UNESCO World Heritage site with thousands of people living inside it

I strolled through the tawny labyrinth-like halls — past quirky cafes, curious tourists, men on motorbikes carrying groceries to their homes, and veiled women ringing temple bells. It’s life as usual in Jaisalmer Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that thousands of people call home. Jaisalmer Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Rajasthan, India. … Read more

Man buys into small town to draw more travelers

For the past two years, property developer Matt Rogatz made a weekly five-hour round trip from his home in northern Chicago to Green Lake, Wisconsin — population 1,005. Before that, the only thing he knew about the small town was that his high school buddy had family there, he said. But after a 30-year career … Read more