Travel & Tourism

Manchester – September 22, 2026 -- Treehouse Hotel Manchester has unveiled a major expansion, adding three new rooftop dining and drinking venues, nine premium suites, and expanded wellness facilities including padel courts and an outdoor sauna.

Three new venues open across the 14th and 15th floors

The rooftop additions include Sister Moon, a restaurant from Chef Sam Grainger with hospitality collaborators Luke Cowdrey and Justin Crawford; The Nest, an agave-focused cocktail bar; and The Hideout, a speakeasy-style lounge with its own outdoor terrace. Sister Moon's menu blends British ingredients with Southeast Asian influences and open-fire cooking, featuring dishes such as red prawn toast with red curry bisque, Singapore chilli crab and lobster baked noodles, and an 80-day-aged beef ribeye.

Silver Spring, Md. – September 22, 2026 -- Travel booking platform Tripmasters has identified emerging patterns expected to shape independent travel in 2027, based on traveler search and booking data.

Travelers are shifting away from peak summer crowds

According to Skyscanner's Horizons research cited by Tripmasters, 34% of travelers plan to seek out quieter destinations in the coming year, while 31% intend to visit popular spots during shoulder seasons when crowds thin out. Another 26% say choosing less-touristy locations will help them save money.

Las Vegas – September 22, 2026 -- The "Vegas 5-Day Sale" launched Tuesday, Sept. 22, running through Saturday, Sept. 26, with more than 180 limited-time offers on hotels, dining, entertainment and weddings across the Strip, downtown and beyond.

Resort discounts reach as high as 60% off room rates

Caesars Entertainment properties, including Flamingo Las Vegas, Harrah's Las Vegas, Horseshoe Las Vegas and The LINQ, are offering up to 60% off rooms plus a $50 food and beverage credit. SAHARA Las Vegas matches that discount with complimentary late checkout until noon. MGM Resorts International is cutting rates by 50% at MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay, W Las Vegas, Park MGM, New York-New York, Luxor and Excalibur, while ARIA, Bellagio, The Cosmopolitan and Vdara offer 25% off with a $100 daily dining credit.

Lansing, Michigan – September 21, 2026 -- Pure Michigan is rolling out a fall marketing push across 19 million acres of forest as the state's official tourism brand marks its 20th anniversary in 2026.

A new CTV spot targets streaming audiences on Amazon Prime and Netflix

The campaign's centerpiece, an ad called "In Vivid Color," blends nostalgia with footage of Michigan's autumn foliage. It runs on premium connected-TV placements including Amazon Prime and Netflix, alongside online video, social platforms, print, out-of-home, streaming audio, digital, and search ads that went live in August.

Daytona Beach – September 21, 2026 -- The 34th annual Biketoberfest motorcycle rally will run October 15-18, 2026, in the Daytona Beach area and Volusia County, again forming part of the AMA National Gypsy Tour for the third consecutive year.

Riders can collect a century-old tradition's official pin

The AMA National Gypsy Tour, with more than 100 years of history, includes 14 events nationwide in 2026. AMA members who attend can collect official Gypsy Tour pins as proof of participation, along with other materials on AMA and American motorcycling history, distributed at the Daytona Beach Area Convention and Visitors Bureau's Official Biketoberfest Welcome Center, located trackside at Daytona International Speedway's Fall Cycle Scene display area.

Broomfield, Colo. – September 21, 2026 -- Skiers and riders have until October 7 to lock in discounted Epic Day Pass rates for the 2026-27 season, with savings of up to 65% compared to window lift ticket prices.

Four days at Vail or Whistler costs $471 before the deadline

A 4-Day Epic Day Pass covering marquee destinations like Vail Mountain, Whistler Blackcomb, Park City Mountain and Breckenridge runs $118 per day, or $471 total. Regional resorts including Keystone, Crested Butte, Heavenly, Northstar and Stowe cost $367 for four days ($92/day). East and Midwest local favorites are priced at $223 for four days, or $56/day. Prices rise for all tiers after October 7.

Tacoma – September 21, 2026 -- Visit Tacoma-Pierce County has released a new three-day fall itinerary called "3 Feet High," built around what actually excites young children rather than typical adult sightseeing priorities.

The route runs through five small towns near Mount Rainier

The itinerary connects Sumner, Spanaway, Eatonville, Elbe and Ashford, giving families a geographic backbone for a self-paced fall trip. Along the way, kids can feed farm animals, navigate corn mazes and launch apples from cannons at pumpkin patches designed for hands-on play rather than photo ops.

A steam train and a national park anchor the trip

The Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad turns the act of traveling into the main event, while Mount Rainier National Park's historic Longmire area adds a stop focused on the mountain's natural and human history. A nearby lakeshore is included as open space for kids to invent their own games.

Tacoma, Wash. – September 20, 2026 -- Visit Tacoma-Pierce County has released a three-day travel itinerary called the "PNW Starter Pack," mapping out a route through Tacoma, Lakewood, Steilacoom, Puyallup and Sumner for visitors wanting a compact introduction to the region.

The itinerary mixes art, food and outdoor stops rather than a standard sightseeing checklist. It includes browsing vintage shops, touring a coffee roastery, eating seafood on the waterfront and spending time on small-town main streets.

Tacoma Art Museum anchors the region's cultural stops

The museum is positioned as a way to view the American West through art and regional perspectives. The route also highlights historic buildings that have been converted into restaurants, music venues and overnight lodging, alongside independent shops and neighborhood eateries.

London – September 20, 2026 -- Hainan Airlines has been named a SKYTRAX Five-Star Airline for the 15th consecutive year, the carrier announced at the 2026 World Airline Awards ceremony held in London on Sept. 18.

The airline, part of HNA Aviation Group, also placed among the SKYTRAX World's Best Airlines Top 10 List and took home category wins for Best Airline in China, Best Airline Staff Service in China and Best Business Class Airline Comfort Amenities. Zhu Tao, Vice President of HNA Aviation Group and Chairman of Hainan Airlines, attended the ceremony to accept the honors.

Albuquerque, N.M. – September 20, 2026 -- Shelby Steudle, president of Pavlus Travel & Cruise, will christen Viking's new river ship, the Viking Fjolvar, at an official ceremony in Amsterdam on October 15. Viking selected Steudle as the vessel's "godmother," a maritime tradition dating back thousands of years meant to bless a ship and protect those who sail aboard it.

Seven new Viking vessels will be named that day in Amsterdam, with Steudle and six other godparents each christening one ship. The 168-passenger Viking Fjolvar will sail Seine River itineraries between Paris and Normandy, while the other new vessels will operate on the Rhine, Main, and Danube rivers in Europe, and on Egypt's Nile River.