Travel & Tourism

Ya'an – September 15, 2026 -- Diplomats, cultural experts and international students toured Ya'an, China, on September 9 as part of the "Ya'an in Dialogue with the World" cultural exchange event, visiting sites tied to giant panda conservation and centuries-old tea traditions.

Visitors tour the Bifengxia panda research base in Yucheng District

The group explored the Bifengxia Base of the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, part of Ya'an's cultural tourism brand "Green Lungs of Sichuan, Home of the Giant Panda." François Tchiegue, ambassador for China-Africa Cultural Exchanges from Cameroon, crossed the site's see-through suspension bridge and described the fresh air and scenery, saying he was delighted by feeding animals and seeing giant pandas.

Miami – September 15, 2026 -- Avianca has rolled out Business Class Americas across 100% of its routes within the region, giving travelers on international and select domestic flights in Colombia, Ecuador and Guatemala access to a premium cabin that previously wasn't available network-wide.

Economy passengers now get a free 22-pound carry-on on every international fare

Under its "More for Everyone" initiative, Avianca is including a 22-pound carry-on bag on all international fares, including U.S. routes. The airline has also added complimentary food and beverages on international Americas flights lasting longer than 3.5 hours, on top of its existing Café del Cielo onboard sales service.

Beijing – September 15, 2026 -- China Daily and the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism launched "China Bound • Beijing," an English-language smart travel platform, on Sept 9 at the World Conference on Tourism Cooperation and Development in the city.

The platform bundles a website, two mini-programs and an AI assistant into one system.

It runs as a city-level extension of China Daily's broader "China Bound" platform, accessible via www.chinabound.cn/beijing, plus dedicated Beijing pages on the Alipay and WeChat mini-programs. Users can find these by searching "ChinaBound" or "游在中国" within either app.

Seattle – September 15, 2026 -- Holland America Line is moving up the renovation of its Oosterdam ship by five weeks, adding five new voyages after strong demand for cruises aboard the newly reimagined vessel.

Oosterdam's first post-renovation cruise now departs October 31, 2027

The ship will undergo its Holland America Evolution transformation in Marseille, France, returning to service with a 10-day voyage from Civitavecchia (Rome) to Trieste, Italy. Guests on that sailing will visit Italy, Greece, Montenegro and Croatia.

Because the dry dock start date moved earlier, several previously scheduled voyages between September 11, 2027, and December 9, 2027, have been canceled. Affected guests and travel advisors are being contacted directly about rebooking options.

Anguilla -- Cap Juluca, A Belmond Hotel on Anguilla's Maundays Bay, reopens October 10, 2026, with a refreshed beach bar, a new bespoke rum and an exclusive spa treatment unavailable anywhere else in the Caribbean or Latin America.

Cap Shack gets a new look and its own rum

The resort's beachfront bar and grill, led by Chef de Cuisine Primrose Ritchie-Gumbs, relaunches with a menu built around local ingredients: grilled Caribbean spiny lobster with Creole butter, a Sandy Ground lobster roll with curried brown-butter mayo and mango chow, and Island Harbour crayfish cooked over open flame. Cap Juluca also debuts CAP RUM, a small-batch, barrel-aged rum made exclusively for the property in partnership with Topper's Rhum.

Nassau – September 15, 2026 -- Resort packages are now on sale for the seventh annual Baha Mar Tennis Cup, a four-day charity event running Thursday, December 10 through Sunday, December 13, 2026, in The Bahamas.

Tennis legends John McEnroe and Mark Knowles host the fundraiser again this year.

The event supports the Baha Mar Resort Foundation and the Mark Knowles Children's Tennis Initiative. Eight celebrities will pair with eight tennis professionals for the Celebrity Pro-Am, a format that debuted in 2025. Past participants have included Tommy Paul, Coco Gauff, Andy Roddick, Victoria Azarenka, and Milos Raonic, among others. The 2026 professional and celebrity lineup will be announced in the coming months.

Aspen – September 15, 2026 -- Aspen Snowmass has confirmed its 2026/27 season dates and launched new lesson packages and early-booking discounts, while giving skiers until Sept. 18 to lock in current season pass prices before rates rise Sept. 19.

Aspen Mountain and Snowmass open Nov. 26, with Highlands and Buttermilk following Dec. 12

The season is scheduled to run through April 4, 2027 at Buttermilk, April 11 at Aspen Highlands and Snowmass, and April 18 at Aspen Mountain, conditions permitting.

New packages bundle lessons, lift tickets and gear for beginners

The 3-Day First Time Lesson package covers a lift ticket, lesson and rental equipment for beginners, and completers qualify for free ski access and rentals for the rest of the season. The Lesson + Lift Ticket Bundle now extends to adults and seniors, offering discounted lift tickets at $174 for adults and $86 for seniors 65 and older when bundled with group lessons.

Galveston – September 15, 2026 -- Margaritaville at Sea will launch its newest ship, Beachcomber, from Galveston, Texas, in October 2027, offering four- to seven-night cruises now open for booking.

Beachcomber offers the widest itinerary lineup from Galveston

The ship's routes include Aruba, Key West, Curaçao, Grand Cayman, Montego Bay, Belize, Progreso, Roatán, Cozumel, Grand Bahama Island and Bimini. Veracruz, Mexico, will be a new addition to the Galveston cruise market.

"Texas knows how to have a good time, so bringing Margaritaville at Sea to Galveston feels like a natural fit," said Christopher Ivy, CEO of Margaritaville at Sea. He added that Beachcomber gives guests more destination choices than other cruises departing from the port.

San Francisco – September 15, 2026 -- The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco will open Bruma, a new cocktail lounge, on October 12, 2026, inside the hotel's 1909 Neoclassical building on Nob Hill.

The lounge takes its name from the Spanish word for "mist"

Bruma draws its concept from San Francisco's fog, Nob Hill's residential character, and the city's history as a Pacific port. The room is designed to shift mood throughout the day, moving from afternoon tea traditions to late-night conversation, with the cocktail menu changing alongside it.

The cocktail menu is split into four themed sections

Drinks are organized into World's Edge (citrus-forward), Open Water (globally influenced), Golden City (California seasonal, fruit-driven), and High Ground (spirit-forward Martinis and stirred classics). Signature offerings include a tableside Martini chilled with liquid nitrogen and a reimagined Nob Hill Pisco Punch topped with pineapple brûlée.

Smyrna, Tenn. – September 15, 2026 -- Contour Airlines will begin seasonal nonstop flights between Cape Girardeau Regional Airport (CGI) in Missouri and Orlando Sanford International Airport (SFB) in Florida starting December 16, 2026.

The route will operate every Wednesday and Saturday through March 27, 2027, giving Southeast Missouri travelers a direct option for winter getaways to Central Florida.

The airline is building on demand from an existing Florida route

Contour says strong bookings on its seasonal Cape Girardeau-to-Pensacola service showed demand for direct Florida access from the region, prompting the new Orlando Sanford route.

"Adding seasonal service between Cape Girardeau and Central Florida gives travelers in the region another convenient way to escape the winter," said Ben Munson, President of Contour Airlines.