Travel & Tourism

Cambridge, Mass. and Salt Lake City – – October 06, 2026 -- Active-travel operator EF Adventures and outdoor retailer Backcountry have launched a four-tour collection of guided hiking and multi-adventure trips departing in 2027, pairing EF's travel-guiding expertise with Backcountry's gear know-how.

The collection opens on Backcountry's home turf in Utah

The anchor trip, American Southwest Hiking with Backcountry: Sedona, the Grand Canyon & Zion, runs 7 days (9 with a Zion extension), departs April 25, 2027, and starts at $6,190 per person, land only. Travelers descend the Bright Angel Trail into the Grand Canyon and hike Zion's slot canyons, with an optional two-day Bryce Canyon add-on.

Naples – October 05, 2026 -- The Ritz-Carlton Naples, Tiburón has officially reopened following a multi-million-dollar renovation, introducing redesigned guestrooms, a new event venue, and three restaurant concepts to the Florida resort.

Parker Torres Design reimagines the resort's interiors with natural light and local craftsmanship

The transformation, led by Parker Torres Design, replaces dark wood finishes throughout the property with residential-style interiors inspired by Southwest Florida's mangroves and the resort's Audubon-certified grounds. The reimagined lobby features a warm, neutral palette, organic marble inlays, and a custom alabaster chandelier. Guestrooms and suites now include curved settee lounges, built-in dining setups, and a signature in-room bar niche set against woven shell wallcoverings.

Ranthambore – October 05, 2026 -- JW Marriott Ranthambore Resort & Spa is welcoming guests into its first full season after Ranthambore National Park's core zones reopened on October 1, 2026, following the seasonal monsoon closure. The property, recently launched as Marriott Bonvoy's 10,000th hotel globally and the brand's 11th JW Marriott in India, sits at the junction of the Aravalli and Vindhya mountain ranges.

The resort houses 127 rooms, including 14 tented suites with private pools

Accommodations range from 14 tented suites -- four with temperature-controlled private pools -- to 10 family villas with private pools, a Presidential Suite, lake-view executive rooms, junior suites with garden access, and deluxe guest rooms.

Plantation, Fla. – October 05, 2026 -- Marriott International Caribbean & Latin America has won top honors at the 2026 World Spa Awards, with properties recognized in Grand Cayman, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Mexico.

Four properties claimed country-level top spa titles

The Ritz-Carlton Spa, Grand Cayman was named Cayman Islands' Best Resort Spa 2026, located at the Caribbean's first and only Forbes Travel Guide Triple Five-Star resort on Seven Mile Beach. The spa pairs in-house consultations with treatments from 111SKIN and ESPA, alongside vibroacoustic wellness beds that combine soundscapes with body-based relaxation.

Horseshoe Bay, Texas – October 05, 2026 -- Horseshoe Bay Resort has announced its 2026 holiday season, "Big & Bright: A Hill Country Holiday," running Nov. 28 through New Year's Eve, with rates starting at $274 per night for resort guests and Club members.

Santa kicks off the season with a 50-foot tree lighting on Nov. 28.

On Nov. 29, families can ride the Jingle Bell Express to the "North Pole," complete with a hot cocoa station, dance performances by Pulse Dance Project, Santa visits and a holiday breakfast buffet.

Seattle – October 05, 2026 -- Holland America Line will mark 80 years sailing Alaska in 2027 with a new eight-day Inside Passage cruise, expanded Denali Lodge rooms and the return of a 28-day Arctic Circle voyage.

Six ships will sail Alaska from April through September 2027

Eurodam, Koningsdam, Nieuw Amsterdam, Noordam, Westerdam and Zaandam will depart from Seattle, Vancouver and Whittier, Alaska. The new eight-day "Alaska Inside Passage" cruise runs roundtrip from Vancouver, stopping at Glacier Bay, Skagway, Ketchikan and Prince Rupert, British Columbia.

The 28-day "Legendary Alaska Arctic Circle Solstice" cruise returns for a third year aboard Noordam, departing June 6 from Seattle and sailing into the Bering Sea and Arctic Circle. Noordam will also offer a seven-day "Great Bear Rainforest" cruise, while Zaandam runs two 18-day "Great Bear Rainforest & Alaska Explorer" sailings.

Kauaʻi – – October 02, 2026 -- Hilton has opened Hale Hōkūala Kauaʻi, Curio Collection by Hilton, a 210-room lifestyle resort marking the brand's first property in Hawaiʻi. The resort overlooks Nāwiliwili Bay and Kalapakī Beach within the Hōkūala Resort community, near Līhuʻe Airport.

The property includes 23 suites with private lānais and floor-to-ceiling windows offering views of the Pacific Ocean, Hāʻupu Mountain and the Ocean Course at Hōkūala. Designed by Hart Howerton and AHL, with interiors by Looney & Associates, the resort was built among existing monkeypod and banyan trees.

Costa Mesa – October 02, 2026 -- Winter Fest OC returns to the OC Fair and Event Center on November 27, running through January 3, 2027, with a brand-new holiday light trail and expanded attractions for its 12th year.

The light trail adds seven themed walk-through experiences

Guests entering the all-new holiday light trail pass through the Peppermint Tunnel, Singing Forest and Aurora Snowfall Walk before reaching the Light Field, Grand Cove and Evergreen Tunnel. The Grand Cove features large trees lit in red and green, a plaza with ornaments, a real pine forest and a starfield backdrop. The light trail is included in general admission during normal operating hours.

San José, Costa Rica – October 02, 2026 -- Costa Rica has launched a free digital platform called "Discover Costa Rica," an interactive map letting students, teachers, researchers, and tourists explore the country's geography, oceans, and culture online.

The platform maps national parks, volcanoes, and ocean territory

Developed by the Country Brand essential COSTA RICA with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship, the University of Costa Rica's Center for Research in Marine Sciences and Limnology (CIMAR-UCR), and the UCR School of Geography, the tool covers national parks, islands, waterfalls, and volcanoes alongside ecosystems, protected areas, and biodiversity data. It is available in both Spanish and English.

Miami – October 02, 2026 -- Royal Caribbean will debut the first-ever at-sea production of "The SpongeBob Musical" aboard Hero of the Seas, its fourth Icon Class ship, when the vessel sets sail from Miami in August 2027.

The show, inspired by the Tony Award-nominated Broadway musical and the Nickelodeon animated series, will run in the ship's Royal Theater. It brings the undersea world of Bikini Bottom to the stage with original songs, elaborate sets and the story of SpongeBob and his friends racing to save their town from destruction.

Royal Caribbean frames the show as entertainment for every generation

"'The SpongeBob Musical' delivers on that by bringing generations together through a story families know and love, while showcasing the creativity, cutting-edge technology and world-class production that can only be experienced on a Royal Caribbean vacation," said Christi Coachman, Royal Caribbean's vice president of entertainment.