Tourism & Destinations

New York – September 18, 2026 -- Lindblad Expeditions Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: LIND) has acquired a 60% majority stake in White Desert, the Antarctic luxury travel operator, and Echo Charlie, a new aviation adventure brand, for an aggregate cash purchase price of approximately $61 million, plus roughly $6 million for cash on the balance sheet, subject to customary working capital adjustments.

Lindblad raises full-year 2026 guidance following the deal

The company lifted its FY2026 outlook to tour revenues of $850 million to $880 million, Net Yield per Available Guest Night of 5.5% to 6.5%, and Adjusted EBITDA of $140 million to $148 million, citing the White Desert and Echo Charlie acquisitions alongside continued core business momentum. CEO Natalya Leahy called the transaction the largest in the company's history.

MANILA – September 18, 2026 -- Nearly 320,000 Chinese tourists had entered the Philippines as of September 9, making China the country's fourth-largest source market, Philippine Department of Tourism Assistant Secretary Maria Christina G. Aquino said at a two-day Chongqing-Manila festival that drew roughly 400 business, political and cultural delegates to SM Mall of Asia on September 12.

Chongqing brands sign travel and cooperation deals in Manila

The event, hosted by the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines and the Information Office of the Chongqing Municipal People's Government and organized by the Western China International Communication Organization, staged seven themed exhibitions covering Bayu culture, Chongqing cuisine and 'Made in Chongqing' industrial output. Happyyou International Travel signed a cooperation agreement with Philippine tourism organizations during the accompanying 'China, An Opportunity: Chongqing Brands' conference.

Bratislava – September 18, 2026 -- EXPO 2027 Belgrade organizers will pitch Serbia's tourism and investment potential to Slovak industry executives at a B2B networking event on 17 September 2026 at Incheba in Bratislava.

Serbia targets Slovak business leaders ahead of 2027 Expo opening

The "Visit Serbia B2B Networking" session, running from 10:30 a.m. at Incheba, a.s. on Viedenská cesta 3–7, forms part of an international roadshow promoting Serbia as a travel and investment destination before EXPO 2027 Belgrade opens on 15 May 2027. Igor Kovačević, Executive Director of EXPO 2027 Belgrade, and Lukáš Parízek, Slovakia's Commissioner General for the Expo, will address representatives of Slovakia's tourism industry and business community, with the programme including delegation visits, targeted B2B meetings, and access to a digital platform connecting companies.

Abu Dhabi – September 18, 2026 -- Miral will invest more than AED 12 billion in Yas Island over the next five years, funding new attractions, expanded theme parks and additional hotel capacity across the Abu Dhabi destination.

Investment targets attraction expansion and hospitality growth

The capital will support new immersive rides and experiences at existing theme parks, alongside enhancements designed to meet shifting visitor expectations. Miral also plans to grow Yas Island's hotel room inventory and upgrade its accommodation portfolio as part of the five-year pipeline.

Spending sits outside the previously announced Disney project

The AED 12 billion commitment is separate from Miral's earlier announced Disney development on Yas Island, representing an additional layer of investment rather than a consolidation of existing plans.

Ajman, UAE – September 17, 2026 -- The Ajman Department of Tourism, Culture and Media will participate in Arabian Travel Market 2026, running September 14-17 at the Dubai World Trade Centre under the theme 'Travel 2040: Driving New Frontiers Through Innovation and Technology.'

Fifteen tourism entities join Ajman's stand at Dubai trade event

The emirate's pavilion will feature 15 participating organizations spanning hospitality, wellness and travel services, including Ajman Saray (a Luxury Collection Resort), Al Zorah Beach Resort, Fairmont Ajman, Bahi Ajman Palace Hotel, Dusit Ajman Resort & Villas, Wyndham Garden Hotel and Radisson Blu Hotel. Additional participants include Zarya Wellness Spa Management Company FZE, Ewan Ajman Suites Hotel, Ajman Chamber, Bronz Tourism, MUSANDAM ADVENTURE Travel, Arabian Oryx Travel and Tourism LLC, Flash Horizon and Rida International Tourism & Travel.

Newark, Del. – September 17, 2026 -- Xanh Entertainment Inc. is pursuing a $2.5 million seed funding round to scale EscapeSquid, its platform linking virtual stationary cycling with fitness studios, local events and destination travel.

Xanh Entertainment targets $2.5 million to build fitness-to-travel infrastructure

John Phung, Founder and CEO of Xanh Entertainment Inc., said the proposed seed round is intended to fund technology development and partnerships across fitness, hospitality and travel sectors. The capital would support a model designed to move participants from at-home virtual rides into studio classes, local experiences, regional events and destination travel.

Moab, Utah – September 17, 2026 -- Moab Office of Tourism has unveiled a new destination brand and advertising campaign, "Should've Stayed Longer," built on visitor research showing more than 90% of travelers either planned to return or wished they had allotted more time in the area.

Research drives repositioning away from single-stop bucket-list marketing

The campaign, developed with creative studio Camp4 Collective and travel agency TOURIST, reframes Moab as a multi-day destination rather than a quick stop en route to Arches National Park. Michael Soleta, director of the Moab Office of Tourism, said the rebrand followed a year-long collaboration among the tourism office, its board, elected officials and community and agency partners.

Potomac Falls, Va. – – September 17, 2026 -- Destinations International (DI) will convene destination leaders, policymakers and industry partners on September 17, 2026, for its second global Virtual Advocacy Day, a one-day program running 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET aimed at helping tourism organizations counter funding cuts and shifting political support.

DI cites growing funding scrutiny as the driver behind a second global advocacy program

Don Welsh, president and CEO of Destinations International, said destination leaders face rapid swings in funding, public perception and political backing, and need relationships, data and messaging in place before a crisis hits rather than after.

Beijing – September 16, 2026 -- China Daily and the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism jointly launched the "China Bound•Beijing" English-language cultural tourism platform, giving international visitors a single digital gateway to plan trips, access AI-powered assistance and navigate the capital's attractions via a dedicated website and mini-programs on Alipay and WeChat.

New platform bundles itinerary planning with AI assistance for overseas travelers

The platform, accessible at chinabound.cn/beijing, offers services ranging from trip planning to real-time AI support aimed at extending visitor stays through immersive experiences such as intangible cultural heritage tours. "We aim to tell Beijing's cultural-tourism stories in a language overseas audiences understand, and translate the city's resource advantages into inbound tourism appeal," said Zheng Fang, deputy director of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism.

Mittenwald – September 11, 2026 -- IT-Innerebner GmbH has launched a new "Insta-Hotspots" feature within its free-key CityApp, enabling cities and municipalities to spotlight photogenic locations that lack traditional tourist recognition. The tool responds to data showing social media's growing role in travel decisions: a Bitkom study found 58% of German social-media-using travelers were inspired to book a trip via social networks within the past year, while a TUI study found photogenic locations and social-media-worthy experiences are important or very important to 36.9% of travelers choosing a destination.