Travel & Tourism

Seattle – October 01, 2026 -- Holland America Line has opened bookings for its 2028 Canada & New England season, running May through October aboard the Volendam and Zuiderdam.

The season marks the regional debut of the post-Evolution Zuiderdam, following what the cruise line calls its largest fleet investment in 153 years. Cruises range from seven to 14 days, with longer Collectors' Voyages also available, departing from Montréal, Québec City, Boston, New York and Fort Lauderdale.

Zuiderdam brings new staterooms and dining to the region

The refurbished Zuiderdam introduces purpose-built Solo Verandah staterooms, new Bridgeview Suites with forward-facing views, and the Grand Dutch Café. Refreshed staterooms, updated guest spaces and Pinnacle Class-inspired enhancements round out the overhaul.

Newark, Del. – October 01, 2026 -- Roughly one in four travelers gets their electronic travel authorization wrong on the first try, according to a new analysis from Service eVisa, a platform that helps applicants prepare documents for destinations like the UK, US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

The company's Travel Readiness Index reviewed more than 10,000 anonymized applications for the UK ETA, US ESTA, Canada eTA, New Zealand NZeTA and Australia ETA submitted between January 1 and September 1, 2026. It found that 76% of applications passed caseworker review with no corrections needed.

Austin – September 30, 2026 -- Tickets are now on sale for the 62nd Annual Austin Trail of Lights, powered by H-E-B, which will light up Zilker Park from December 10 through 23 with more than 2 million lights.

The holiday display features 96 illuminated trees and over 70 lighted tunnels and installations.

The event, which began in 1965 as a small gathering around a yule log, now draws visitors from across the country to Austin's capital city each winter.

General admission is free on seven nights starting at 7 p.m.

Free entry runs December 10–11 and 13–17. On December 12 and 18–23, general admission costs $8 per person, though children under 12 get in free every single night.

New York – September 30, 2026 -- Couples can now exchange vows inside One Times Square, the building famous for hosting the New Year's Eve Ball Drop, after the launch of a new venue called One Times Square Weddings. Reservations are open now at OneTimesSquare.com, with ceremonies for up to 75 guests starting at $600.

Four rooms offer distinct views of the Crossroads of the World

Ceremonies run 30 to 60 minutes and take place in one of several spaces on the building's upper floors. The Eternal Room offers natural light and access to the 15th floor lobby, while the Ruby Room uses red drapes and carpet for a more intimate feel. The Harmony Room looks directly onto the intersection of 7th Avenue and 42nd Street through floor-to-ceiling windows, and the 15th Floor Bowtie Balcony puts couples above the street-level crowds for photos.

Riverside – September 30, 2026 -- The Mission Inn Hotel & Spa will switch on its annual Festival of Lights on Nov. 21, 2026, kicking off a holiday season that runs through Jan. 3, 2027.

The free Switch-On Ceremony opens the season on Nov. 21

The public event includes a massive lights display, a fireworks show and live performances, marking the resort's 150th anniversary year in downtown Riverside, California.

Build-A-Bear Workshop joins the festival for the first time

Select pop-up events throughout the season will let guests create personalized stuffed animals, a new addition to the resort's holiday lineup.

Returning traditions include Santa meet-and-greets and a Holiday Market

Guests can visit the lobby Gingerbread House, browse the Holiday Market for hot cocoa and themed retail, and shop a newly opened Festival of Lights gift shop selling year-round merchandise.

Gatlinburg, Tenn. – September 30, 2026 -- Ghosal Luxury Lodging has launched Ghosal Experiences, a new wedding collection combining ceremony spaces, receptions, and overnight lodging across three Smoky Mountain properties, letting couples book an entire wedding weekend on a single site instead of coordinating separate venues and hotels.

Three properties each host up to 60 guests with on-site lodging

The Grand Haven offers a mountaintop ceremony and reception space plus two cabins with nine bedrooms, sleeping up to 24 overnight guests. Elegant Elite Estate provides hillside and mountain views with outdoor ceremony and reception space for up to 60 guests, alongside a 12-bedroom estate that sleeps 40. The Grand Sojourn, run in partnership with Sojourn Lodging, pairs an outdoor ceremony and indoor reception with private tiny-home accommodations in a walkable mountain community.

Muscle Shoals – September 30, 2026 -- Contour Airlines will launch nonstop service between Northwest Alabama Regional Airport (MSL) and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) starting November 12, 2026, operating five round trips per week.

Charlotte service stays daily despite the schedule shift

To add the Dallas-Fort Worth route, Contour is reallocating five weekly flights from its existing Muscle Shoals-Charlotte schedule. Daily nonstop service to Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) will continue unaffected.

The new route opens connections through a major American Airlines hub

Barry Griffith, Airport Director at Northwest Alabama Regional Airport, said DFW is a highly sought-after nonstop destination for local travelers. He added that the route is expected to increase passenger traffic, provide seamless American Airlines connections, and deliver economic benefits to the region.

Marina del Rey – September 30, 2026 -- Two of Marina del Rey's waterfront hotels are undergoing major renovations ahead of Super Bowl LXI in February 2027, part of a broader push to draw travelers to the coastal destination four miles from LAX.

The Ritz-Carlton is renovating all 304 rooms before Super Bowl LXI

The Ritz-Carlton, Marina del Rey is completing a floor-by-floor renovation of its 304 rooms and suites, with the work timed to finish before Super Bowl LXI, which SoFi Stadium hosts in February 2027. Designed with Hirsch Bedner Associates, the redesigned rooms combine contemporary style with a coastal look inspired by the marina. After the Super Bowl, renovations continue in the lobby, corridors, public restrooms and the hotel's Cast & Plow restaurant.

Kanazawa – – September 30, 2026 -- Roughly 40 vendors will gather at Shiinoki Ryokuchi park in Kanazawa, Japan, for the two-day KANAZAWA Oishii Festa 2026, running Saturday, October 17 through Sunday, October 18 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

This year's theme centers on fermented food, with 23 food vendors serving dishes made exclusively for the event under the banner "Local Ingredients and Fermentation." Dishes will feature Kaga vegetables, heirloom varieties grown in the region since before 1945, alongside local seafood, all flavored with Ōno soy sauce brewed in Kanazawa's Ōno district since the early 1600s and Kaga miso made with rice koji.

Visitors Can Sample Local Sake, Craft Beer and Original Cocktails

The drink lineup includes sake from Kanazawa, craft beer and original cocktails, giving attendees the option to eat their way through the festival or simply relax on the lawn.

Hoi An – September 30, 2026 -- Hotel Royal Hoi An – The Legacy By The River has been named Vietnam's Leading Riverfront Hotel 2026 at the World Travel Awards 2026.

The hotel sits along the Thu Bon River in the heart of Hoi An

The property was recognised for its riverside setting, distinctive sense of place and commitment to creating meaningful guest experiences in the central Vietnamese destination. Art-inspired interiors and design details throughout the hotel connect directly to Hoi An's cultural heritage.

The hotel's design draws on a real Vietnam-Japan love story

The property's narrative is built around the historic relationship between Vietnam and Japan, told through the story of Vietnamese Princess Ngoc Hoa and Japanese merchant Sotaro Araki. This heritage theme runs through the hotel's history, art and architecture.