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Wynn is holding to its September 2027 date for the UAE’s first casino resort but it will now decide in February what form the opening takes. The U.S.-Iran war means its first customers may travel from down the road in Dubai and elsewhere in the UAE, rather than being the international guests it primarily wants.
Five years after the Glasgow Declaration, tourism has plenty of climate commitments but little shared proof of what they’ve achieved. The industry is still split on whether better measurement or faster action should come first.
Qatar’s visitor numbers are recovering on road traffic across the Saudi border, while air arrivals keep falling. Drive-in visitors tend to make shorter trips, which limits how much they can do for hotels.
Airbnb’s money may not have bought it a friendlier mayor in Los Angeles. Expect the company to look for other ways to add Olympic supply.
None of this week’s threats has proved real, but each one still cost a diversion, a search and a rebuilt schedule. Whoever sent them, the hoaxes have added to a list of disruptions, from conflict-driven fuel costs to closed airspace, that is making routine flying in Europe ever more challenging.
Fuel hedges turned a likely loss into a profit for Emirates. The war’s full cost will show only once that cover runs out.
The EU Sustainable Tourism Strategy sits on top of existing tourism strategies released by the economic bloc’s Commission. But it still falls short of presenting measurable targets that would actually support its implementation.
Thailand’s $118 billion goal targets spending rather than arrivals, which have stalled at about 33 million. Rising prices will surely lift revenue regardless, but higher rates aren’t the same as higher value, and the plan has no budget yet for the terminals, marinas and guides needed to attract bigger spenders.
Oman’s arrivals have held up this year, but its hotels lost more than a tenth of their guests and revenue as Europeans stayed away. Regional travelers are still arriving but make shorter visits at lower rates.
Airbnb’s LA election spending is framed around the 2028 Olympics. A bigger bet could be on the rules after the Games.
At the Skift Transatlantic Summit, Tourism Ireland Chief Executive Alice Mansergh explained how the island of Ireland is navigating current headwinds by investing in connectivity marketing, market diversification, AI-driven discovery, and the authentic local experiences that can keep the country high on travelers’ wish lists.
The hotel industry’s distribution war has an overlooked third party: the owner. New questions about AI, loyalty and customer acquisition could make that imbalance even more consequential.
Bookings for the Gulf’s peak quarter are on hold until after the U.S. vote. With airlines still staying away, some operators don’t expect a real recovery until late 2027.
Golden Week gave Thailand its first real sign that Chinese travelers were coming back. Now a single embassy advisory has put that at risk, and Lunar New Year 2027, coming in early February, will show whether the damage is a dip or something more prolonged.
The company was doing fine. The family wasn’t.
Gulf events can still insure against cancellation but not against war. That is pushing organizers to postpone events or to take on the risk themselves. It’s a growing issue, and Saudi Arabia’s calendar has been paying the price.
China is seeing growing interest in ‘dark tourism’, where visitors flock to attractions that recreate natural disasters.
CEO Josh D’Amaro has said he is highly focused on reducing costs at the media giant.
A quick tweak to a five-year-old web page has brought in tens of thousands of views to Visit Norway’s website.
With several airlines staying out of Dubai into 2027 and forward bookings well below last year, this winter’s peak season is unlikely to rescue smaller holiday-home operators following the March and April disruption. More exits are likely.
