Day Headlines in Travel News: 2026-09-18

  • Ski Beat celebrates 40 years as a UK leader in ski chalet holidays (Breaking Travel News 2026-09-18 05:13:27)
    As Ski Beat approaches its 40th year of offering fully hosted slope-side ski chalets in seven of France’s top ten, high altitude ski resorts, the company has added new chalets, a new in-advance check-in, a new one-in-ten free offer, self-drive holidays, zero deposits, and a new `Toe in the Snow’ beginners’ departure for 2026-27.Ski Beat’s MD, Laura Hazell, says, “Our priority, four decades on, is to offer home from home ski chalets, in the best locations, in high altitude resorts across the French Alps, hosted by friendly, knowledgeable staff.
  • Havila Voyages launches Autumn booking campaign (Breaking Travel News 2026-09-18 05:11:05)
    Havila Voyages has announced details of its Autumn booking campaign offering savings of £300 plus £300 on-board credit for double occupancy cabins.The full £150pp saving plus £150pp credit is being offered on twelve-day Round Voyages (Bergen/Kirkenes/Bergen) and eleven-day cruises from Bergen to Kirkenes and back to Trondheim and on all sailings departing from 1 January 2027 until 31 March 2029, regardless of the type of cabin or suite booked.
  • Brazil of the Winds: From World Champions to Destinations That Captivate Kitesurfers (Breaking Travel News 2026-09-18 05:08:33)
    Brazil’s prominence in international kitesurfing stems from more than just its beaches and natural conditions; the country is also represented among the sport’s top names across various disciplines. According to the GKA Kite World Tour Rankings, in the men’s Kite-Surf category, Gabriel Benetton holds second place, while Sebastian Ribeiro ranks sixth. Among the women, Bruna Kajiya, Kesiane Rodrigues, Serena Luz, and Luiza Neto share eighth place.
  • THE RITZ-CARLTON MALDIVES, FARI ISLANDS RISES INTO HALLOWEEN (Breaking Travel News 2026-09-18 05:06:35)
    The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands, invites guests to celebrate Mid-Autumn as it unfolds into Halloween with Rise of the Phoenix, a week-long island celebration from October 26 to November 1, 2026. Inspired by the mythical Phoenix and its journey of transformation, resilience, and renewal, the resort reimagines Halloween through the colors and natural beauty of the Maldives. Phoenix feathers emerge through tropical greens evolving into warm autumn colors, setting the scene for a program of family discovery, gastronomy, creativity, wellness, and ocean experiences. Born from fire, the Phoenix becomes the thread connecting the week, as feathers, flames, and nature transform the island into a world of imagination.
  • dnata brings Travelbag and Imagine Cruising together to strengthen UK leisure travel portfolio (Breaking Travel News 2026-09-18 05:05:49)
    dnata Travel Group, the travel division of dnata, announced the integration of Travelbag, one of the UK’s leading tailor-made travel specialists, into Imagine Cruising, its global cruise holiday provider.The move brings together two highly successful dnata Travel Group brands with complementary strengths, expanding customer choice while creating a stronger platform for future growth through greater scale, shared expertise and operational efficiencies.
  • Just You introduces new 2027 and 2028 tours (Breaking Travel News 2026-09-18 05:04:12)
    Specialist solo escorted tour operator Just You has launched four new escorted tours departing in 2027 and 2028, covering Europe, Canada and India.
  • When Needs Are Understood Without a Word, Care Feels Effortlessly Natural (Breaking Travel News 2026-09-18 04:59:49)
    Oriental Residence Bangkok presents a new chapter in urban living through The Art of Intuitive Refinement, a concept that combines the elegance of residential living with service that intuitively understands each guest’s needs, respects their privacy and anticipates every detail to provide complete peace of mind throughout their stay. The philosophy of care behind this experience has also earned international recognition, with the property receiving One MICHELIN Key in both 2024 and 2025, marking its second consecutive year of recognition, as well as membership of Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH).
  • How guest stays are funding Africa’s greatest recovery story (Breaking Travel News 2026-09-18 04:56:46)
    As Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park records a landmark 52% reduction in rhino poaching this year, Rhino Ridge Safari Lodge offers travellers a front-row seat to one of Africa’s greatest environmental turnarounds. Set inside the reserve where every southern white rhino traces its lineage, the lodge operates at the intersection of luxury tourism and high-impact protection. Here, guests’ stays directly fund the ranger patrols, smart-fencing technology, and community partnerships driving the park’s historic anti-poaching success.
  • Milan Fashion Week: discovering the city beyond the runway | NEMI Hotel Milano (Breaking Travel News 2026-09-18 04:50:28)
    NEMI Hotel combines references to Milan’s creative heritage with a modern, residential atmosphere. Its 49 rooms and suites, central garden, restaurant and lounge create spaces designed as much for pausing as for moving on, whether that means a quiet coffee before the day’s appointments, a moment to reset between shows or an evening that begins with an aperitivo and unfolds elsewhere in the city.During Fashion Week, this slower rhythm becomes part of the experience, NEMI’s garden, restaurant and lounge become natural places to pause, meet and recharge before stepping back into the city’s rhythm.
  • Travelsphere launches new ‘RGS Collection’ tours (Breaking Travel News 2026-09-18 04:48:46)
    Escorted tour operator Travelsphere has added to its ‘Royal Geographical Society (RGS) Collection’ with new departures in 2027.The additional tours comprise a new itinerary in Iceland, and an existing ‘Treasures of Egypt’ tour has been enhanced and added to the programme:
  • AC Group appointed as exclusive DMC for Ireland by Audley Travel (Breaking Travel News 2026-09-18 04:47:17)
    AC Group has been appointed as the exclusive Destination Management Company (DMC) for Ireland by Audley Travel, one of the leading tour operators providing tailor-made travel experiences in over 90 destinations.The new appointment positions AC Group as one of the leading providers of luxury FIT business into Ireland and marks another milestone in the significant growth AC Group has achieved post-Covid.
  • USAirtours unveils new agent booking incentives and webinar (Breaking Travel News 2026-09-18 04:45:54)
    Trade-only tour operator USAirtours has launched two new travel agent incentives.For new Universal Orlando Resort bookings made before September 30, 2026, agents can earn up to an extra £50 on their ‘Cashcard’, which is the operator’s debit Mastercard reward scheme that pays agents the same day and is tax free.*
  • No1 Lounges to Open Flagship Lounge at Heathrow Terminal 5 (Breaking Travel News 2026-09-18 04:42:10)
    No1 Lounges, the multi-award-winning airport lounge operator, today announced plans to open a new flagship lounge at London Heathrow Terminal 5 in early Spring 2027.The new lounge will replace the current Club Aspire Lounge, which will close on 2 November 2026 to allow for a major refurbishment and expansion. Reopening under the No1 Lounge brand, the enlarged space will create additional capacity and elevate the guest experience at one of the world’s busiest airport terminals.
  • MAYRLIFE ANNOUNCES NEW DUBAI PARTNERSHIP WITH MAISON SANTÉ (Breaking Travel News 2026-09-18 04:39:16)
    MAYRLIFE, the award-winning medical health resort in Altaussee, Austria, has announced a new partnership with Maison Santé, Dubai’s preventive, longevity medicine clinic, offering greater support and continuity for UAE-based guests travelling to Austria to complete one of MAYRLIFE’s bespoke programs.
  • Calistoga Spa Hot Springs Switches to Mews after 20–years on the Same System (Breaking Travel News 2026-09-18 04:37:34)
    Calistoga Spa Hot Springs, an independent geothermal mineral springs resort in California’s Napa Valley, has selected Mews, the operating system for hospitality, after more than two decades on another platform. The resort credits its in-person, on-site onboarding for how quickly its team adapted to this change.
  • Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru Marks Anniversary Month (Breaking Travel News 2026-09-18 04:31:45)
    This September, Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru marks its anniversary month with a collection of curated experiences that celebrate the original Maldives spirit, with an invitation to rediscover the island through marine conservation, island-inspired mixology, wellbeing and meaningful connection.
  • Discover Laos from the New Avani+ Lanexang Vientiane with The Bohème Journey (Breaking Travel News 2026-09-18 04:26:18)
    Avani Hotels & Resorts is inviting travellers to experience Laos from capital to former royal capital with The Bohème Journey, a new hotel and river itinerary beginning at the recently opened Avani+ Lanexang Vientiane Hotel, continuing with five nights aboard Bohème by Mekong Kingdoms and concluding at Avani+ Luang Prabang Hotel.Linking two Avani hotels through a six-day passage along the Mekong, the journey brings together contemporary city life, riverside communities, craft traditions, wildlife conservation and UNESCO-listed Luang Prabang. Travellers can fly into Vientiane, spend time exploring the Lao capital, sail north at river pace and depart from Luang Prabang, avoiding the need to retrace their route.
  • Hilton London Metropole Announces West Wing Refurbishment with 363 New Family Bedrooms (Breaking Travel News 2026-09-18 04:23:32)
    A landmark investment in family travel, including a flagship connecting suite sleeping up to eight guests, opening November 2026 Hilton London Metropole, the largest Hilton hotel outside the United States, has announced the multi-million-pound refurbishment of its West Wing, introducing 363 newly designed, contemporary bedrooms created with families in mind.
  • Innovate Canada 2026 Connects Global Event Leaders with Canada’s Technology Ecosystem (Breaking Travel News 2026-09-18 04:18:58)
    From September 8 to 10, 2026, Destination Canada brought together a select group of senior international association and corporate leaders to Québec City for Innovate Canada, an invitation-only program built around a simple idea: where an event takes place can shape what that event makes possible.This year’s program focused on digital industries and applied technology, with international leaders from organizations including Google, Informa, IEEE Communications Society, INFORMS, and Women in Tech Global engaging directly with Canadian expertise in artificial intelligence, quantum, cybersecurity, telecommunications, digital infrastructure and emerging technologies.
  • AROYA Cruises Concludes Successful Mediterranean Games 2026 Charter in Taranto (Breaking Travel News 2026-09-18 04:15:21)
    AROYA Cruises, the first Arabian cruise line, has successfully completed its Mediterranean Games 2026 charter in Taranto, Italy. Serving as part of the Games’ Mediterranean Village, its flagship vessel, AROYA, hosted over 4,000 competing athletes from 26 nations, with an onboard experience tailored to their needs and those of their delegations.