Hotel Calimala Florence announces the opening of The Lobby, a new ground-floor aperitivo bar, complemented by a refreshed culinary direction at Angel Roofbar & Dining. Together, the two concepts reflect the hotel’s continued evolution of its food and beverage offerings, creating a cohesive journey starting with pre-dinner Italian aperitivo culture to an elevated rooftop dining experience overlooking Florence.

ORA Developers is expanding its UAE presence through the acquisition of an additional 4.8 million sqm of land from Modon Holding in Ghantoot, increasing its UAE land bank to 9.6 million sqm. This steps is expected to drive a total project investment of AED 30 billion upon full development. This reiterates ORA Developers’ long-term confidence in the UAE market and its continued commitment to delivering integrated, world-class, mixed-use communities.

With globalization, industrial standardization, and shifting consumer habits placing traditional foodways under mounting pressure, the World Food Travel Association (WFTA) today launched World Culinary Heritage Day — an annual global observance, held each April 18, dedicated to celebrating and safeguarding the food traditions that define communities, identities, and destinations worldwide. The observance evolves from World Food Travel Day, which the WFTA has organized for eight years. The rebrand reflects a broader mission and greater global appeal — shifting the focus from culinary travel to culinary heritage itself — while making the day more immediately understood by communities, media, and policymakers worldwide.

The Luxury Collection today announces a new collaboration with Margherita Maccapani Missoni, founder of the fashion label Maccapani and a longtime Global Explorer of The Luxury Collection. In tandem with Milan’s celebrated design week and the citywide Fuorisalone program, the partnership will unveil Maccapani Edits for The Luxury Collection, an immersive retail pop-up and capsule collection hosted at Casa Brera, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Milan, from April 20 – 26, 2026

Building on strong momentum and record performance, Holland America Line announced Holland America Evolution, a bold multiyear investment to thoughtfully reimagine six ships. Representing the most ambitious guest experience update in the company’s 153-year history, Evolution will deliver a comprehensive bow-to-stern revitalisation while bringing the best of its Pinnacle Class ships across most of the fleet. The multiyear renovation will take place ship by ship, delivering substantial transformation focused on expanding onboard choice, adding restaurant and bar options, and refreshing and reinventing key guest spaces — including new stateroom and suite categories — while maintaining the spacious design and intimate ship feel guests […]

Casago, a premier franchise-based vacation rental management company, has expanded its Idaho presence with a new locally owned and operated franchise serving McCall and the greater Boise area, led by Idaho residents Alex and Susan Pedigo. The launch marks the continued rollout of Casago’s franchise-first model following its 2025 acquisition of Vacasa, converting markets into locally owned and operated businesses. Under this structure, local franchise owners lead operations on the ground, supported by Casago’s systems and national platform, ensuring homeowners and guests are served by teams directly accountable to their communities.

As the FIFA World Cup™ returns to North America for the first time in more than three decades, Marriott Bonvoy, Marriott International’s award‑winning travel platform, and Visa, a global leader in digital payments, today announced their joint global campaign: For Fans, Everywhere. Anchored by two iconic football stars known for their strong connection to fans, the campaign pays tribute to the passion of those who cross borders, never miss a kickoff, and live and breathe the beautiful game. Throughout the tournament, For Fans, Everywhere will unlock unparalleled match access and once‑in‑a‑lifetime experiences for Marriott Bonvoy members who are also Visa cardholders, bringing them closer than ever to the world’s most […]

La Réserve Golf Links, the flagship course of Heritage Resorts & Golf in Mauritius, has secured the 28th position in Golfweek’s Best Top 100 International Courses (outside the United States) for 2026. Recognising the finest golf courses beyond the United States, these prestigious rankings place the Mauritian course ahead of renowned venues in traditional golfing heartlands, firmly cementing its status as the premier golf destination across Africa as well as the Indian Ocean, and a true must-play for discerning golfers worldwide.

Avani Victoria Falls Resort introduces a newly refreshed stay at Victoria Falls, offering guests direct access to one of the world’s most iconic natural wonders. Located within Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, the resort combines redesigned rooms, destination-led dining and year-round access to adventure, creating a contemporary base for exploring Livingstone year-round. Set across 46 hectares of protected land, the resort is defined by its immediate connection to nature. Wildlife moves freely through the grounds, from zebras and giraffes to impalas and monkeys, creating an experience that feels both unstructured and distinctly local.

Club Med is pleased to announce the appointment of Marc Lauret as Sales Director for Singapore and Malaysia, reinforcing the brand’s commitment to accelerating growth and deepening partnerships across two of Southeast Asia’s most dynamic outbound travel markets. With a proven track-record in driving commercial performance, digital transformation, and trade engagement, Marc brings a wealth of international experience to his new role. His appointment comes at a pivotal time as Club Med continues to strengthen its premium positioning while expanding its footprint across both sun and ski resort offerings.

The United States remained the largest Travel & Tourism market in the world in 2025 but is losing market share according to the World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) latest Economic Impact Research, sponsored by its Lead Research Partner, Chase Travel. While 2025 saw the best year ever for the Travel & Tourism sector in terms of GDP growth of 4.1%, the story was very different for North America, which was the slowest-growing region globally, rising just 1.0%, and by only 0.9% in the U.S.

The Short Stay Summit 2026 returns to Old Billingsgate in London, on 22nd April, bringing together the short-term rental industry’s key players to explore the challenges and opportunities shaping the sector’s next phase of growth. Hosted by the Short Term Accommodation Association (STAA), the summit stage will see speakers from key industry leaders to politicians setting the agenda. The exhibition hall will host over 1,300 delegates including executives from Airbnb, Expedia and Booking.com, alongside property managers, hosts and technology providers, for a day of insight, debate and industry announcements.

Singapore-based Scoot has been named the world’s most emissions-efficient airline in Cirium’s 2025 EmeraldSky Annual Review, taking the top position from last year’s leader, Wizz Air. Qatar Airways, Ryanair, and Turkish Airlines were each recognised as the top three most efficient airlines, ranked by available seat kilometres (ASK).

SITA’s 2025 Air Transport IT Insights report finds that, while the air transport industry invested a record $50.8 billion in technology in 2025, a common obstacle keeps emerging: where data does not flow freely between systems and partners, that investment cannot fully deliver what it was designed to unlock. The cost of this data coordination gap is higher than ever now that the conflict in the Middle East continues to disrupt the industry at a global scale. Operators investing in closing that gap are building foundations that will outlast the current disruption.

LZ Travel has officially unveiled ‘The Green Journey Collection”, a forward- thinking evolution of its luxury transfer offering, placing sustainability at the center of how high-end travel is experienced across South Africa Launched during ILTM Africa, the collection signals a decisive shift in how the company approaches mobility, where refined service meets measurable environmental responsibility.

RateGain Travel Technologies Limited, a global leader in AI-powered SaaS solutions for the travel and hospitality industry, today launched the FIFA World Cup 2026 Market Pulse Dashboard, a first-of-its-kind, free resource giving travel brands continuous visibility into where travelers are going, how far in advance they’re booking, and which markets are driving demand across all 16 World Cup host cities in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Built on Sojern’s travel intent data, the world’s largest of its kind and now part of RateGain, data paints a more optimistic picture than recent media coverage suggests, showing sharp increases in real-time booking signals across flights and hotels. With the tournament now less than two months […]

Stellantis boosts investment in AI, partnering with Microsoft to enhance mobility and streamline operations. The partnership aims to integrate advanced AI technologies to create smarter, more connected vehicles. AI will personalize in-car experiences, improve navigation, and assist drivers in real-time. Inside the company, AI will automate tasks and enhance decision-making across various departments. This collaboration reflects a broader automotive trend toward software-driven cars and highlights AI’s essential role in future mobility.

On the sidelines of Africa’s World Travel Market (WTM), Emirates and Wesgro have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to drive inbound tourism and boost visitors to Cape Town and the Western Cape. The partnership underscores the airline’s longstanding commitment to the market through attracting visitors from across its global network supporting the province’s strategy of unlocking tourism growth.

The Meetings Show Asia Pacific 2026 (TMS APAC) concluded its third edition on a high note, reinforcing Asia Pacific’s position as one of the world’s most dynamic and resilient markets for the meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE) industry. Held from 14–15 April 2026 at the Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre, Singapore, the show demonstrated strong growth, with deeper regional participation and a significant uplift in business outcomes, underscoring the industry’s continued momentum amid a challenging global landscape.

BTN delivers exclusive video interviews from WTM Africa 2026, one of the leading B2B travel and tourism events on the continent, bringing together top buyers, exhibitors, and industry decision-makers from across Africa and around the world. Influential leaders and senior executives share expert insights into regional and global travel trends, sustainable tourism development, digital innovation, investment and partnership opportunities, destination growth strategies, and the evolving frameworks shaping the future of the African travel marketplace.