Bhutan may reconsider its controversial $100 daily tourism fees if the country’s tourism industry recovers soon, Bhutan’s Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay told CNBC on May 10. But the fees are likely to go higher, he said. Bhutan reopened its borders in September 2022 with an increased “Sustainable Development Fee” of $200 per person per day … Read more
LAS VEGAS — The iconic Mirage hotel-casino on the Las Vegas Strip will shut its doors this summer, the end of an era for a property credited with helping transform Sin City into an ultra-luxury resort destination. The July 17 closure will clear the way for major renovations and construction on the 80-acre (32-hectare) property, … Read more
Calls for Indian travelers to boycott the Maldives is “absolutely” helping Sri Lanka’s travel industry, the country’s Tourism Minister Harin Fernando said Thursday. “The Maldives issue is … helping us,” Fernando told CNBC, referencing a social media row in January that resulted in a sharp drop in Indian visitors to the Maldives this year. India … Read more
The cost to obtain a short-term visa to visit Sri Lanka rose from $50 to $100 in April. But the reason for it is disputed. The price hike followed Sri Lanka’s transition from using internal Electronic Travel Authorizations, or ETAs, to an e-visa system operated by the visa processing company VFS Global. Sri Lanka’s Tourism … Read more
All-inclusive hotels are making a big play for luxury travelers. In the wake of the pandemic, demand for all-inclusive resorts skyrocketed, according to a report by JLL Research Hotels & Hospitality. Travelers — suddenly and en masse — wanted vacations that were stress-free and easy to plan, ideally with a wellness component, according to the … Read more
LONDON — Thousands of ride-or-die Taylor Swift fans who missed out on her U.S. concert tour last year or didn’t want to buy exorbitantly priced tickets to see her again found an out-of-the-way solution: Fly to Europe. The pop star is scheduled to kick off the 18-city Europe leg of her record-setting Eras Tour in … Read more
Responding to angry customers is one of the hardest parts of her job, Natasha said. Finding the right words, conveying the appropriate level of contrition — especially when the hotel isn’t at fault (read: rain complaints) — is a tedious and time-consuming process, said the director of a five-star resort, who asked that CNBC not … Read more
Some pandemic-era yacht owners are headed back for dry land. The pandemic spurred a “massive spike” in yacht sales, said Richard Allen, chief operating officer of the Hong Kong-based yachting company Simpson Marine. “We’ve seen a lot of those people, that had their boats for two years, sort of now wanting to travel,” he told … Read more
Live snakes, a mounted ram head, a Halloween card signed by Richard Nixon. Those are some of the most fascinating items found in lost luggage in 2023, according to a new report by Unclaimed Baggage, a store that buys lost items from airlines, sight unseen. The company also found a 13-foot vaulting pole, gruesome props … Read more
GOVERNMENT CAMP, Ore. — Firefighters doused a late-night fire at Oregon’s historic Timberline Lodge — featured in Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 film “The Shining” — before it caused significant damage. The fire Thursday night was confined to the roof and attic of the lodge, 60 miles (97 kilometers) east of Portland, and it may have been … Read more
