Travel & Tourism

Austin – October 29, 2026 -- Most international travelers still pack both cash and plastic: 71% use local-currency cash abroad and 69% use a physical credit card, according to a new Upgraded Points survey of 1,500 adults who traveled internationally in the past 12 months.

The respondents included 1,000 U.S. adults and 500 adults from other countries. They answered questions about payment methods, cash habits, credit card use, airport currency exchanges and confidence with exchange rates.

Cash in the local currency is still in most wallets

More than 8 in 10 travelers (81%) carry cash in their destination's currency. Of those, 64% use it at street vendors, markets or small businesses, 55% use it for tips and other customary cash payments, and 53% keep it for emergencies.

Few people load up on it at once. About 44% exchange enough cash for several days, while 26% exchange enough for the full trip.

Munich – October 28, 2026 -- Orlando offers winter sun beyond the theme parks, with outdoor adventures, art festivals running from January 15 to March 1, and open-air dining, according to tourism board Visit Orlando.

Wekiva Springs and Gatorland put the adventure outdoors

Wekiva Springs State Park lets visitors swim in crystal-clear water, kayak and try stand-up paddling. At Gatorland, the Screamin' Gator Zip Line runs more than 300 meters over alligators and crocodiles.

The Harry P. Leu Gardens add a butterfly garden and about five kilometers of walking paths.

Two art festivals fill the winter calendar

The EPCOT International Festival of the Arts runs from January 15 to March 1. It combines visual art, food and performing arts.

IMMERSE Fest, held February 19-21, 2026, turns ten blocks of Downtown Orlando into an interactive art festival with live performances and immersive installations.

NIIGATA, Japan – October 28, 2026 -- Skiers and snowboarders can ride three linked resorts in Yuzawa, Niigata Prefecture, from Saturday, December 26, 2026, when YUZAWA SNOW LINK opens for the 2026-2027 winter season.

Tokyo is 71 minutes away by bullet train

GALA Yuzawa Station can be reached in as little as 71 minutes from Tokyo on the Joetsu Shinkansen. That makes the area workable for both day trips and overnight stays, and visitors can pair time on the snow with sightseeing in the surrounding area.

Three resorts share one connected ski area

YUZAWA SNOW LINK joins Yuzawa Kogen, GALA Yuzawa, and Ishiuchi Maruyama. The ski area offers 45 courses, from beginner to advanced. Each resort has its own mountain scenery and its own mix of difficulty levels, so skiers and snowboarders of different abilities and interests have options.

Beyond the slopes, the snow-covered mountain landscapes are part of the draw.

Kufstein – October 28, 2026 -- Kufstein Fortress in Tyrol, named one of Austria's nine most beautiful places for 2026, offers a 21-station tour, a daily organ concert at noon and a concert arena for up to 4,200 people. The ORF programme "9 Plätze – 9 Schätze" gave the award. The fortress now ranks among Tyrol's most visited sights.

A border post that became a bridal gift

The fortress was first mentioned in documents in 1205. For centuries it was a contested border post between Bavaria and Tyrol. In the 14th century it became a wedding present for the Tyrolean duchess Margarete "Maultasch".

Emperor Maximilian I captured it in 1504 and had it expanded into a powerful fortification. The town of Kufstein has owned it since 1924, acquired in exchange for several hectares of forest.

GRAND RAPIDS – October 28, 2026 -- Twelve oversized troll sculptures built from reclaimed materials will take over Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park from May 14 through Oct. 31, 2027, in an outdoor exhibition called TROLLS: A Field Study.

Danish artist Thomas Dambo brings his first traveling exhibition to Michigan

The show is produced by Imagine in collaboration with Thomas Dambo, and it is his first traveling exhibition to visit Michigan. The trolls are made from fallen branches, wooden pallets, and twigs. Each has a distinct personality, including their fearless leader, Taks.

The story behind the installation is that the trolls have set out on a curious journey to study humans and their small, intricate, and inventive ways of life.

NEW YORK – October 28, 2026 -- Two episodes of NBC's 1st Look Presents: Extra Mile Club are now streaming on Peacock. In them, two luxury travel advisors compete to design a Belgium getaway for Bravo personality Bozoma "Boz" Saint John and her fiancé, Keely Watson.

Two Global Travel Collection advisors compete for the couple's future travel business

June Kleier and Julie Shotmeyer, both advisors with Global Travel Collection (GTC), must build a personalized luxury trip that reflects the couple's interests and personalities. The prize is the chance to win the couple's future travel business.

The episodes cover Belgium, including Brussels, where filming took place at Corinthia Brussels, the restored former Grand Hotel Astoria. Kleier and Shotmeyer approach the same destination in different ways.

LAKE BUENA VISTA – October 28, 2026 -- K-12 teachers can enter the 2027 Teachers Sweepstakes through Jan. 17, 2027, for a chance to join 15 winners at Walt Disney World Resort from April 29 to May 2, 2027, ahead of Teacher Appreciation Week.

Winners get a four-day, three-night stay

Disney Imagination Campus is running the sweepstakes with The Muppets, who will join the celebration. Winners are chosen at random. Their prize includes a four-day, three-night stay at the resort, and they can bring traveling companions.

Teachers step into the student role at Disney Imagination Campus

Winners will take part in workshops that blend imagination with real-world application. The workshops offer a behind-the-scenes look at how Disney approaches learning and creativity. Teachers will also meet educators from across the country to exchange ideas.

Madrid – October 27, 2026 -- Casa Verbena Madrid, a 45-room hotel on Calle de Preciados in the centre of the Spanish capital, has opened as the first European property in Hilton's Outset Collection. Interiors come from Madrid-born designer Lorenzo Castillo, and every morning starts with a traditional Madrileño breakfast.

The name comes from a Madrid street party

Casa Verbena is named after the verbena, a lively Spanish neighbourhood celebration built around food, music and shared traditions. The hotel also draws on costumbrismo, the Spanish artistic tradition of depicting local customs, characters and daily rituals. The aim is to show guests the cafés, streets and squares that shape life for Madrileños, beyond the landmarks.

XI'AN, China – October 27, 2026 -- Travelers can plan a Shaanxi trip that goes well beyond the Terracotta Warriors: China's 240-hour visa-free transit policy remains available to eligible travelers, and a new Shaanxi Inbound Service platform at Xi'an Xianyang International Airport offers multilingual assistance, travel bookings and itinerary planning.

Fourteen diplomats from nine countries toured Shaanxi's landmarks

From October 9 to 12, 14 diplomats stationed in China, representing nine countries including Belarus, Morocco and Albania, joined the 2026 "Discover China Cultural Tour" of Shaanxi. It was the final stop of this year's tour series.

The group visited the Shaanxi History Museum, Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum and the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda. Belarus's ambassador to China said he was deeply impressed by the continuity of Chinese civilization reflected in the museum collections.

EPCOT – October 24, 2026 -- Figment, EPCOT's purple dragon, is getting a new journey into imagination at the park, and he is finally reunited with Dreamfinder.

Disney Experiences Chairman Thomas Mazloum announced the project in the closing moments of the Disney Experiences showcase at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event presented by Visa. "We are taking a new journey into imagination at EPCOT with Dreamfinder and Figment!" he told the cheering crowd. More details about their return are still to come.

Figment has been an EPCOT fixture since 1983

The dragon arrived when the first Journey into Imagination opened in 1983. The attraction has gone through several versions since, and Figment has stayed a park staple throughout.