BOONE, N.C. — Freddie Pell helps lift a vintage wooden chair off the sidewalk and back inside his art gallery. It’s starting to rain in downtown Boone, and he doesn’t want it to get soaked — again. Inside, vast muddy puddles spread across the room as workers use mops to push the water out the … Read more
Outbound travel from China is set to receive a much-anticipated jolt as “Golden Week” bookings show changes in where and why Chinese people are traveling. Buoyed by falling airfares, Chinese travelers are booking more overseas trips for the National Day holiday period, which extends from Oct. 1 to 7, according to Fliggy, a major travel … Read more
Extreme temperatures are driving travelers to seek cooler destinations. And there’s a term for the trend: “coolcations.” Heat waves — which are increasing in frequency, duration and intensity, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — are affecting where people are choosing to vacation, especially during the hot summer months. “Often, when we think of vacation, … Read more
BERLIN, Vt. — This fall, hundreds of the most vulnerable people experiencing homelessness in Vermont must leave state-funded motel rooms where they’ve been living as the state winds down its pandemic-era motel voucher program. The move is prompting outcry from municipal leaders and advocates who say many don’t have a place to go. The biggest … Read more
Most people like traveling. But far fewer enjoy booking it. A survey of more than 2,400 people who book their own travel arrangements found that 71% say the process is at least somewhat stressful for them, according to a 2024 survey by the consumer data company CivicScience. The percentage is even higher among parents of kids … Read more
Chinese officials dropped a bombshell in a news briefing usually reserved for major policy announcements: Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, was set to hold a listening party for his new “Vultures” studio album on the Chinese island of Hainan on Sept. 15. To 33-year-old Ziteng Du, a Shanghai-based office worker, and many other … Read more
PARIS — Parisian business owners and hotel managers were promised a summer like no other. Millions of tourists would flood the French capital for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, generating huge profits for the region. With the Games officially over, the time has come to run the numbers. And many in the Paris service industry … Read more
“Greetings from the cockpit. This is your captain speaking.” It’s a phrase frequent flyers know well. Only this isn’t a pilot. And what follows isn’t the same ol’ in-flight safety talk. Rather, it’s the opening salvo of a now viral YouTube video from travel journalist Doug Lansky, who delivers a near 7-minute “honest pre-flight … Read more
Airfare, departure times, flight length — these are the usual considerations for travelers who want to book a flight. But now, more are looking at a new factor: the aircraft itself. One in five travelers said they are doing more research into the plane they may be flying on before they book, while slightly … Read more
With a plum position atop many “Best Places to Travel” lists, Japan is on track to welcome a record-breaking number of travelers in 2024. But China faces a different reality: a far slower return of international visitors. Both countries dropped Covid-related border restrictions relatively late — Japan in October 2022, and China in January 2023 … Read more
