News

Princess Cruises Announces Biggest Japan Season for 2027

Princess Cruises is set to redefine Japan travel with its most spectacular cruise season ever in 2027, offering travelers exclusive opportunities to experience the country’s vibrant cultural festivals and breathtaking coastal landscapes. This expanded season responds directly to the surging global interest in Japan as a top travel destination, combining immersive festival visits with scenic cruising along Japan’s diverse shores. By blending rich traditions, world-class sights, and extended port stays, Princess Cruises ensures an unparalleled journey that captures the essence of Japan like never before. Japan’s Tourism Growth Draws a Wide Audience In recent years, Japan has seen a remarkable rise in international visitors, with numbers climbing steadily through 2024 and into 2025. What sets Japan apart is its broad appeal—it captivates a wide variety of travelers, including solo explorers, families seeking meaningful experiences, and luxury travelers looking for something special. Geographically, Japan’s extensive coastline means no part of the country is far from the ocean, making cruises a convenient and immersive way to explore diverse regions, historic towns, and picturesque coastal scenery.

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ALL Accor+ Explorer to Revamp Asia-Pacific Loyalty Programs

Accor Plus, the travel loyalty subscription program active in the Asia Pacific region, will undergo significant changes effective October 1, 2025. The program will be rebranded to ALL Accor+ Explorer, introducing a new format which promises improved features for its members. This change is expected to coincide with global patterns in subscription models, providing frequent travelers with more opportunities to unlock exclusive benefits with over 4,500 hotels, including Raffles, Fairmont, Sofitel, and ibis. What’s New with ALL Accor+ Explorer? The updated ALL Accor+ Explorer membership incorporates new features, enhancing benefits for modern travelers. Important highlights are full ALL Accor Gold membership or higher, two complimentary nights each year, as well as other considerable discounts worldwide, which makes the offer attractive for all travelers, whether loyal or occasional. There is an automatic transition for old Accor Plus members starting from October 1, 2025, which will change their accounts to the new ALL Accor+ Explorer format without their intervention. New members also have the option to join the program for an annual fee of S299(US299(US222), which grants them a host of benefits across 30+ Accor hotel brands

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Emirates to Ban In-Flight Power Banks from October 2025

Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Al Ain, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah, and Ajman—seven gateways that connect the UAE to the world—are set to experience a new era of onboard safety regulations. From October 1, 2025, Emirates Airline, the nation’s flagship carrier, will implement a strict ban on the use of power banks during flights. This decision follows a comprehensive safety review revealing an upward trend in lithium battery-related incidents across the global aviation sector. The policy does not prohibit passengers from bringing a power bank onboard entirely. Instead, travellers will be allowed to carry only one power bank, which must be rated under 100 watt-hours and clearly marked with its capacity. While the device can remain with the passenger, it must be stored in the seat pocket or under the seat in front and may not be used to charge devices or be charged from the aircraft’s power supply at any time during the journey.

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London Luxury Hotels More Affordable Amid Rising Competition

Luxury hotels in London are cutting their prices as the economy wobbles and new competition heats up. After the big revenge travel wave following COVID, when some rooms were one thousand pounds and up, the city’s top hotels are rethinking their nightly rates. The new prices are lower and more people can now book a luxury stay. You can see the competition’s effect in the renowned hotels. Raffles at the OWO, which opened in 2023 and began at one thousand one hundred pounds a night, is now selling rooms for about eight hundred eighty pounds a drop of twenty percent. The Peninsula London, which started at one thousand three hundred pounds, now lists rooms from nine hundred pounds. Even the new Emory Hotel in Knightsbridge, which first charged one thousand six hundred pounds, is showing rooms from nine hundred thirty six pounds.

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Vietnam Hits 12M Tourists as Global Arrivals Surge Toward 25M

Vietnam’s tourism industry has seen a remarkable increase in international tourists in the year 2023 when compared to previous years. For instance, in the first seven months, the country recorded 12.2 million international tourists, marking a 22.5% increase from the previous year. This increase has been well supported by the major markets including China, South Korea, Taiwan, the US, Japan, Cambodia, India, Australia, Russia, and Malaysia which have seen a boost in their tourism numbers. In addition, the Vietnam tourism’s relaxed policies regarding entrance visas, explosive marketing, and promotions were rather effective in drawing overseas visitors eager to learn about the diversified culture, fascinating places, and natural scenery Vietnam has to offer. These trends suggest Vietnam is quite likely to achieve its target of 25 million international tourists by the end of 2025. Vietnam’s tourism industry has experienced an extraordinary surge in 2025, with more than 12.2 million international visitors arriving in the first seven months alone. This remarkable achievement marks a 22.5% increase from the same period last year, nearly matching the total number of international arrivals recorded in 2023. As the year progresses, the country is set to meet its ambitious target of welcoming at least 25 million international tourists by the end of 2025, driven largely by visitors from China, South Korea, Taiwan, the United States, Japan, Cambodia, India, Australia, Russia, and Malaysia.

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Riyadh Air & Amadeus Partner to Advance Vision 2030 Travel Goals

Riyadh Air, the newly established national airline of Saudi Arabia, just entered a pioneering partnership with Amadeus, a technology company for the travel industry globally. This strategic cooperation reflects another strong milestone of the airline in support of the Vision 2030 of the Kingdom: diversification of the economy while establishing Saudi Arabia as one of the leaders in world aviation and tourism. The agreement between Amadeus and Riyadh Air will give the airline access to one of the largest and most extensive global distribution networks of travel sellers. The agreement will be able to increase Riyadh Air’s exposure on the international stage, allowing the airline to increase its market coverage and reach out to travel agencies in more than 190 countries. Through access to this vast network, Riyadh Air seeks to enhance its presence in major international markets, further driving Saudi Arabia’s efforts to encourage inbound tourism and establish the Kingdom as a pre-eminent destination for international travelers. The deal also aligns with Saudi Arabia’s broader objective of becoming a global aviation and tourism hub, a key component of the Vision 2030 strategy. With the support of Amadeus, Riyadh Air will be able to offer its services to millions of potential travelers, significantly contributing to the Kingdom’s goal of increasing the number of international visitors. By focusing on enhancing connectivity and expanding the reach of Saudi Arabia’s air travel network, this partnership is poised to boost the tourism sector and promote the Kingdom as a must-visit destination.

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