More Americans are shifting their travel plans to lesser-known U.S. destinations, and the growing demand is already pushing up hotel rates, airfare, and short-term rental prices in several markets. Industry data shows the trend is being driven by affordability, cooler weather, and a search for less crowded alternatives.
More travelers heading to Japan are finding that the price of a hotel stay now includes higher local accommodation taxes in some cities and a new national hike under discussion. The changes are small per night but matter as Japan deals with record tourism and rising pressure on popular destinations.
Barcelona is tightening rules on short-term rentals, cruise arrivals, and tourist behavior as officials try to ease pressure on housing and public space. The changes are reshaping how travelers experience one of Europe’s most visited cities, and not everyone likes the new direction.
Thailand is moving ahead with a long-discussed tourism entry fee for foreign visitors, reviving a plan officials say will help fund insurance coverage and tourism infrastructure. The charge is not in place yet, but authorities say they are preparing to roll it out.
A once little-known airfare trick called hidden-city ticketing is facing tougher enforcement from major airlines, online booking sites, and loyalty programs. Frequent flyers say the crackdown is making an already expensive and frustrating system even harder to navigate.
Forecasters say El Nino conditions are already reshaping weather patterns, and a stronger event could touch everything from grocery bills to flight delays. Here are 12 everyday effects experts say Americans may feel most directly.
Cannes transforms from a quiet Riviera city into one of the world’s busiest entertainment hubs during the film festival each May. For travelers, the experience can be thrilling, crowded, expensive, and surprisingly accessible, depending on what they expect.
A hantavirus scare aboard a luxury cruise ship left passengers confined to their cabins and scrambling for answers after a rodent exposure concern disrupted the voyage. What unfolded was less a mass illness event than a tense, uncertain quarantine at sea.
