Day Headlines in Travel News: 2026-01-05

  • Uniworld Boutique River Cruises launches golden jubilee celebrations (Breaking Travel News 2026-01-05 15:51:55)
    Uniworld Boutique River Cruises is excited to announce that in 2026 – its 50th anniversary year – it will host a minimum of 500 UK travel agents on board its super ships
  • Doha Named 2026 “GCC Tourism Capital” (Breaking Travel News 2026-01-05 12:22:56)
    The committee responsible for the GCC Tourism Capital has officially announced Doha as the GCC Tourism Capital for 2026, within the framework of strengthening joint tourism cooperation among GCC member states. This decision has been approved by Their Excellencies the Ministers responsible for tourism across the Gulf Cooperation Council.
  • Qatar welcomes over 5.1 million guests (Breaking Travel News 2026-01-05 12:14:00)
    Qatar welcomed over 5.1 million guests from across the globe, drawn by the country’s dynamic year-round calendar of events and vibrant atmosphere, creating memorable experiences for every traveller.
  • Ryanair calls on De Wever to make the abolition of the Belgian air tax his number one resolution (Breaking Travel News 2026-01-05 12:11:34)
    Ryanair, Europe’s largest airline has called on Prime Minister De Wever and his government to make abandoning their plan to double Belgium’s already very high air tax their number one New Year’s resolution. This harmful tax, which increased by 150% last July, severely penalizes Belgium’s competitiveness compared to other EU countries such as Sweden, Hungary, Italy, and Slovakia, where governments are abolishing air taxes to boost traffic, tourism, and employment.
  • easyJet expands popular Twilight Bag Drop service to Birmingham Airport (Breaking Travel News 2026-01-05 12:09:18)
    easyJet is launching its popular, free Twilight Bag Drop service at Birmingham Airport.Available from 5th January, the service provides customers on early morning flights with the option to drop their bags off the evening before free of charge, saving time for their journey through the airport on their day of travel by skipping bag drop and heading straight to security.
  • Meraas unveils Dubai Design District residential masterplan (Breaking Travel News 2026-01-05 12:01:40)
    Meraas, a member of Dubai Holding Real Estate, has unveiled an expanded residential masterplan for Dubai Design District (d3), transforming the district into one of Dubai’s most desirable creative-led waterfront neighbourhoods.
  • 2025 wrapped: a look back on Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines’ first combined year (Breaking Travel News 2026-01-05 08:09:13)
    A year of meaningful progress on the integration between Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines, 2025 was full growth, innovation and impact across our newly combined company. Let’s take a moment to look back at some of the biggest highlights of the year.
  • Southwest Airlines and Turkish Airlines to Partner in Transatlantic Travel Beginning in January 2026 (Breaking Travel News 2026-01-05 08:05:06)
    Southwest Airlines announced today a partnership with Turkish Airlines is scheduled to begin in early 2026 to offer travelers around the globe one-ticket, transatlantic journeys between the United States and Istanbul unlocking onward connections across both carriers’ networks. Turkish Airlines flies to more than 350 destinations in 132 countries from its global hub, Istanbul Airport, including ten airports in the United States served by Southwest. International travelers will be able to seamlessly connect through those shared gateway airports on tickets that will become available next year through Turkish Airlines, travel agents, and travel websites.
  • Ethiopian Airlines Partners with Nucore Technologies to Advance Digital Transformation (Breaking Travel News 2026-01-05 08:02:19)
    Ethiopian Airlines Group, Africa’s leading airline, signed a strategic agreement with Nucore Technologies, a company that specialized in providing software solutions for advanced back-office automation, integration, reporting and analytics capabilities to travel agencies, OTAs, aggregators, and corporate customers.
  • American leads Eastern Caribbean recovery with interisland flights and another nearly 2,000 seats (Breaking Travel News 2026-01-05 07:53:18)
    American Airlines continues its support of customers affected by the FAA-mandated airspace closure in the Eastern Caribbean with more flights, more seats and limited-time interisland flying. The airline has added nearly 2,000 more seats — a total of nearly 7,000 seats with 43 extra flights — to boost capacity and expand access for customers who need to travel between the Eastern Caribbean and U.S.
  • Minor Hotels to Rebrand Hua Hin Property as NH Hua Hin (Breaking Travel News 2026-01-05 07:48:16)
    Minor Hotels, a global hospitality group with hotels, resorts and branded residences across 59 countries, announces the upcoming launch of NH Hua Hin in Thailand’s royal seaside town. Minor Hotels will assume management of the hotel from 16 January 2026.NH Hua Hin will offer 152 modern rooms and suites with city and mountain views, starting from 30 sqm. The property provides accommodation options for leisure and business guests, designed for comfort and functionality, including deluxe rooms, family rooms with bunk beds, and one-bedroom suites.
  • Autograph Collection Hotels Debuts in the Philippines (Breaking Travel News 2026-01-05 07:44:00)
    Autograph Collection Hotels, part of Marriott Bonvoy’s global portfolio of over 30 extraordinary hotel brands, announces its debut in the Philippines with the opening of The Farm at San Benito, Autograph Collection. Set across 52 hectares of lush tropical landscape in Lipa, Batangas, this wellness sanctuary marks a transformative milestone for the brand – introducing a destination where growth in health, spirit, and life converges with the Autograph Collection ethos of individuality and immersive storytelling.
  • Lunar New Year at The Peninsula London (Breaking Travel News 2026-01-05 07:41:29)
    This Lunar New Year, The Peninsula London invites guests to welcome the Year of the Fire Horse with an elegant fusion of time-honoured customs, immersive experiences, and contemporary artistry. From Tuesday 3rd February to Saturday 3rd March, the hotel will present a curated calendar of celebrations inspired by The Peninsula’s rich Asian heritage, ranging from exquisite culinary offerings and dim sum masterclasses to a striking new art installation by Chinese textile artist Lin Fanglu, lent by The Peninsula’s Art in Resonance programme.
  • Discover a Culinary Journey “Beyond the Wok” at Michelin-Recommended Jiang-Nan Chun (Breaking Travel News 2026-01-05 07:38:11)
    Four Seasons Hotel Singapore welcomes guests to embark on a gastronomic discovery that goes Beyond The Wok with a limited-time experience hosted at Michelin-recommended Cantonese restaurant Jiang Nan Chun. The culinary journey features a specially curated seasonal menu available through May 15, 2026, alongside a one-night-only Michelin Masters: Symphony of Eight Hands guest chef promotion on April 10, 2026, showcasing the artistry of highly acclaimed chefs from the region.
  • Gallop into the Year of the Horse at Yun House, Four Seasons Hotel Kuala Lumpur (Breaking Travel News 2026-01-05 07:36:33)
    With the majestic Horse taking over the zodiac, Four Seasons Hotel Kuala Lumpur welcomes Chinese New Year with a burst of vibrant celebrations from January 15 to March 3, 2026. Yun House anchors the festive celebrations with a refined Cantonese Chinese New Year dining experience, thoughtfully crafted to honour tradition and delight the senses. In addition, guests can also enjoy festive menus at Curate and The Lounge.
  • Thomas Krooswijk Appointed as New General Manager of Four Seasons Hotels Istanbul (Breaking Travel News 2026-01-05 07:34:57)
    Bringing decades of global luxury hospitality experience and a visionary leadership style, Thomas Krooswijk has been appointed General Manager of Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at the Bosphorus and Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at Sultanahmet.Born in France and raised across Africa and the Middle East, Thomas is celebrated for his people-first philosophy, cultural sensitivity, and unwavering commitment to excellence. He began his Four Seasons journey in 2001 at The Pierre, New York (formerly a Four Seasons hotel), where his early experience in food and beverage shaped his understanding of hospitality, attention to detail, authentic guest connections, and the art of creating unforgettable experiences
  • Sandals® Resorts Kicks Off Its New Year with a Winter Blues Sale (Breaking Travel News 2026-01-05 07:30:35)
    Sandals® Resorts is inviting travelers to make the Caribbean their New Year’s resolution with their limited-time Winter Blues Sale. Available to book through February 2, 2026, the offer features instant credits, spa perks, and even a complimentary catamaran cruise, so guests can bask in the Caribbean’s most dazzling shades of blue.
  • Why Egypt Is the Ultimate Bucket List Trip for Luxury Travelers Right Now (Breaking Travel News 2026-01-05 07:07:20)
    There are some places in the world that feel big before you even see them. Egypt is one of those places. You hear about it your whole life. You see it in movies, textbooks, and every travel show ever made. But nothing compares to actually standing there, looking up at something that has existed for thousands of years and realizing you’re just a tiny part of its story.