The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released data for November 2023 air travel performance indicating that air travel demand topped 99% of 2019 levels. Total traffic in November 2023 (measured in revenue passenger kilometers or RPKs) rose 29.7% compared to November 2022. Globally, traffic is now at 99.1% of November 2019 levels. International traffic rose 26.4% versus November 2022. The Asia-Pacific region continued to report the strongest year-over-year results (+63.8%) with all regions showing improvement compared to the prior year. November 2023 international RPKs reached 94.5% of November 2019 levels. Domestic traffic for November 2023 was up 34.8% compared to November 2022. Total November 2023 domestic traffic was 6.7% above the November 2019 level. Growth...
Read MoreYear: 2024
Scientists knew it would make history — but not by this much Last year was the planet's hottest on record by a substantial margin and likely the world's warmest in the last 100,000 years, the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) said on Tuesday. Scientists had widely expected the milestone, after climate records were repeatedly broken. Since June, every month has been the world's hottest on record compared with the corresponding month in previous years. "This has been a very exceptional year, climate-wise... in a league of its own, even when compared to other very warm years," C3S Director Carlo Buontempo said. FILE PHOTO: A man walks on the cracked ground of the Baells reservoir as drinking water supplies have plunged to their lowest level since 1990 due t...
Read More# Tripadvisor's top 2024 destinations according to global travelers # Asia dominates Trending Destinations list globally for 2024 Tripadvisor, the world's largest travel guidance platform, has announced its first Travelers' Choice Award for 2024: the Best of the Best Destinations. With roughly four in five (81%) Americans planning vacations in 2024, these are the most sought-after destinations for the year, according to Tripadvisor reviewers. Tripadvisor's Best of the Best Destinations span seven categories for 2024: Top Destinations (formerly Popular Destinations), Trending Destinations, Culture Destinations, Food Destinations, Nature Destinations and two new subcategories this year, Honeymoon Destinations and Sustainable Destinations. 2024 Travel Outlook Last year s...
Read MoreHolland America Line's 2025-2026 season brings together ten unique itineraries and two Pacific Ocean crossings showcase diverse cultural experiences and fresh, regional cuisine Holland America Line's Westerdam is heading to Asia, where it will explore 11 countries from September 2025 through April 2026. The itineraries have a strong focus on Japan with 24 different ports around the country, as well as visits to Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. Cruises in the Far East depart from Hong Kong, China; Yokohama (Tokyo), Japan; and Singapore to some of Asia's most iconic cities — with up to 12 ports in a single cruise. Late departures and overnight stays allow extra time for guests to sample the nightlife, local ...
Read MoreOne of India's largest travel platforms suspended flight bookings to the tourism-dependent Maldives on Monday after disparaging social media posts against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi embittered relations between the South Asian neighbours. India and Russia send the largest number of visitors to the Maldives, a chain of sun-kissed islands in the Indian Ocean that is home to many luxury resorts. Tourism accounts for almost one-third of its economy, according to the World Bank. EaseMyTrip co-founder and Executive Director Prashant Pitti said bookings to the Maldives were suspended "indefinitely". Even though New Delhi and Male have traditionally had close ties, relations have been tense since President Mohamed Muizzu came to power in November winning the election on an 'Indi...
Read MoreThe countdown to Mardi Gras begins Saturday in New Orleans as Carnival season kicks off with dozens of costumed revelers and a brass band set to crowd onto a streetcar for a nighttime ride down historic St. Charles Avenue. Meanwhile, a walking club in the French Quarter will march in its annual procession honoring Joan of Arc. WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT While it’s a secular celebration, Carnival in New Orleans — and around the world — is strongly linked to Christian and Roman Catholic traditions. The season begins on Jan. 6, the 12th day after Christmas, and continues until Mardi Gras, known as Fat Tuesday, which is the final day of feasting, drinking and revelry before Ash Wednesday and the fasting associated with Lent. FILE PHOTO: Revelers march in the La Societe de Saint Anne Parade ...
Read MoreThe first person to spot it was a shovel operator working the overnight shift, eyeing a glint of white as he scooped up a giant mound of dirt and dropped it into a dump truck. Later, after the truck driver dumped the load, a dozer driver was ready to flatten the dirt but stopped for a closer look when he, too, spotted that bit of white. Only then did the miners realize they had unearthed something special: a 7-foot-long mammoth tusk that had been buried for thousands of years. “We were very fortunate, lucky to find what we found,” said David Straley, an executive of North American Coal, which owns the mine. In this image provided by Coleman Fredricks, coal miners unearthed a mammoth tusk in May 2023 at the Freedom Mine near Beulah, N.D. The large scoop of an electric shovel du...
Read MoreAlUla's Mugharia Heritage Sports Village hosted 2,000 elite falcons and their owners during the first edition of the tournament, held from December 28th to January 5th International contest attracted leading falconers from all over the world for a series of exciting races and traditional 'best-in-show' falcon beauty contests After nine days of thrilling aerial action and hotly-debated beauty contests featuring perfectly groomed birds of prey, the first-ever AlUla Falcon Cup has come to an end. The debut tournament attracted some of the best and most awarded falconers, who competed for a share of a record-breaking prize pot of US$16 million. A collaboration between the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) and the Saudi Falcons Club (SFC), the AlUla Falcon Cup is an exciting new edition...
Read MoreAccording to recent reports, there were 19.8 million visitors to Japan between January and October of 2023. Naturally, when visiting a different country, you’re likely to want to learn a few key common phrases to help you get by. But it’s not just language skills that tourists should be thinking about ahead of their trip, as etiquette and expectations can also vary greatly as you travel from country to country - and Japan is no exception. Whilst Japan is well known for its many unspoken rules of etiquette that have been passed down over many years, it’s not expected that visitors to the beautiful, often strict and highly structured country will know each and every golden rule. And so, with the above in mind and with January typically being the busiest month for people looking to ...
Read MoreChina's annual Ice and Snow Festival, with its fairy-tale ice sculptures, opened on Friday attracting throngs of tourists who shuffled carefully over the slippy ice and snow and dragged their children in sledges around the park. This year the ice park spans 810,000 sq metres with 250,000 cubic metres of sculptured ice, harvested from the nearby frozen Songhua River, and lit up at night with colourful lights. A woman dressed up in a costume poses for pictures in front of an ice sculpture depicting a castle, at the Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival, in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, China January 4, 2024. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang The sculptures, some a few-storeys-high, featured Chinese-style buildings and bridges, fairy-tale castles, towers and one fashioned after Beijing's T...
Read More
You must be logged in to post a comment.