The U.S. State Department updated the travel advisory for New Zealand, maintaining Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions). New Zealand is generally safe. Travelers are advised to enroll in STEP, review the Country Security Report and CDC health info, and buy insurance.
Amadeus announces intention to acquire IDEMIA Public Security (IPS) for €1.2 billion to strengthen biometric and identity capabilities, creating seamless travel journeys. IPS employs ~3,300 and serves 600+ customers. Closing expected mid-2027, with earn-out up to €1.35 billion. This accelerates Amadeus' growth in airports and border verticals.
According to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism survey, domestic travel trips reached 1.901 billion in Q1 2026, up 6.0% year-on-year; total spending was 1.86 trillion yuan, up 2.9%. Urban residents made 1.403 billion trips, up 6.5%; rural residents made 498 million trips, up 4.6%.
Booking Holdings reported first quarter 2026 results: room nights grew 6% year-over-year, gross bookings increased 15% (8% on a constant currency basis), and revenue grew 16% (10% constant currency). Net income rose 225% and adjusted EBITDA grew 19%. The Middle East conflict negatively impacted room night growth by approximately 2 percentage points. The company effected a 25-for-1 stock split on April 2.
The U.S. Department of State has raised the travel advisory for Chad to Level 4 (Do Not Travel) due to risks of crime, terrorism, civil unrest, inadequate health infrastructure, kidnapping, and landmines. Outside N'Djamena, the U.S. government has extremely limited ability to provide emergency services. U.S. government employees require special authorization to travel outside the capital, and Embassy N'Djamena has imposed in-city restrictions, including limits on night driving areas and mandatory armored vehicle use.
The U.S. Department of State maintains Bolivia at Level 2 (Exercise Increased Caution) due to crime and civil unrest. Some areas have increased risk, particularly Chapare Province which is Level 4 (Do Not Travel) due to crime. U.S. government employees need special authorization to travel to Chapare. Petty crime is common in tourist spots, and demonstrations can occur with little warning, potentially disrupting transportation.
The U.S. Department of State has issued a Level 3 'Reconsider Travel' advisory for Azerbaijan, citing terrorism, armed conflict and landmine risk, with some areas at increased risk. The advisory says that following the onset of hostilities between the United States and Iran on 28 February 2026, there has been an ongoing threat of drone and missile attacks from Iran; a drone strike hit Nakhchivan International Airport on 5 March 2026, and commercial flights have been seriously disrupted. It lists specific areas not to travel to, including the southern border region, the border with Armenia and several landmine-affected territories.
The U.S. State Department maintains Level 3 advisory for Azerbaijan (Reconsider Travel) due to terrorism, armed conflict, and landmines. Hostilities between the U.S. and Iran have led to drone and missile threats, with a drone strike on Nakhchivan airport and serious flight disruptions. Avoid southern border, Armenia border, and mined areas.
The U.S. State Department updated the travel advisory for Lithuania, maintaining Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions). Lithuania is generally safe. Travelers are advised to enroll in STEP, review the Country Security Report, be aware of surroundings, and buy insurance.
The U.S. Department of State raised Chad's travel advisory to Level 4 (Do Not Travel) and added a 'health' indicator. Reasons include crime, terrorism, civil unrest, inadequate health infrastructure, kidnapping, and landmines. Outside N'Djamena, the U.S. government has extremely limited ability to provide emergency services. Government employees require special authorization to travel outside the capital, and the embassy has imposed in-city restrictions.
Booking Holdings will release its first quarter 2026 financial results on April 28 and hold a conference call to discuss the results.
Ctrip Corporate Travel held its first Global Business Travel Partner Conference in Shanghai, unveiling its 'Ctrip Corporate Travel AI Ecosystem' and the '2025-2026 Business Travel Management Market White Paper'. The AI ecosystem covers the entire travel process with 7 AI agents, reducing booking time to 1-2 minutes. The white paper shows Chinese enterprises' outbound business travel has grown over 30% for three consecutive years, with destinations shifting to Belt and Road countries, and Vietnam orders up 100% year-over-year.
SAP Concur published an article on how colleges and universities can improve compliance through automated travel and expense management. Research shows 63% of organizations cite time wasted on audits due to non-compliance, 64% of higher education institutions take over 60 days to process vendor payments, and 37% of expense reports are still manually audited. Automated tools can identify non-compliant transactions early, reduce audit workload, and protect institutional funds.
JTB Corp. announced that AOMI Tomo, current Managing Executive Officer, will become President and CEO effective June 30, 2026. Current President YAMAKITA Eijiro will become Chairperson, and current Chairman TAKAHASHI Hiroyuki will become Advisor. Aomi previously led JTB Americas, strengthening MICE and business travel through M&A.
The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office updated travel advice for St Vincent and the Grenadines, adding new information about risks of crime in public areas. Travelers are advised to purchase appropriate travel insurance and read the full guide.
Travelport released updates to its Flights API for 2026, covering both GDS and NDC content. Key features include a unique identifier for split ticketing in AirPrice responses (appending _PC), support for requesting mixed cabins per leg, new Premium Flex Search (flexible dates and PCCs), and NDC bundled offers and disruption handling. These updates aim to enhance booking flexibility and operational efficiency.
SAP Concur blog explains operating expenses (OpEx) definition, categories (fixed vs variable, direct vs indirect), and importance. It emphasizes expense visibility for budgeting, cost optimization, and risk identification, and recommends automated expense management platforms like SAP Concur for efficiency and control.
SAP Concur article discusses the importance of automated fraud detection in expense management. Citing 2025 report: 77% of finance leaders know an AP fraud victim in past five years, only 35% consider their prevention measures very effective. It highlights AI/ML for real-time monitoring and anomaly detection, and introduces SAP Concur solutions.
SAP Concur article explains reimbursable expenses definition and main categories: transportation/travel, meals/entertainment, office supplies, professional development, communications, etc. Emphasizes proper categorization for compliance, financial reporting, taxes, and employee satisfaction, and recommends automation platforms like SAP Concur for smart categorization and policy enforcement.
SAP Concur article explains accounts payable (AP) definition, importance, and challenges, highlighting manual process drawbacks. Introduces automated AP workflow: invoice intake, data validation, approval routing, payment, and audit trail. AI and OCR improve accuracy, optimize cash flow, enhance fraud detection, and tax compliance.
SAP Concur article explores miscellaneous expenses definition, misuse risks (compliance, budgeting, fraud), and best practices. Emphasizes that misc expenses may mask waste and compliance issues, recommending clear boundaries, regular reviews, increased documentation, automated flagging, and employee training. SAP Concur offers smart categorization and policy enforcement.
Booking Holdings announced that CFO Ewout Steenbergen will participate in a fireside chat at the Barclays 18th Annual Americas Select Conference in London on May 5. Live audio cast and replay will be available to the public.
Ctrip Corporate Travel officially launched its AI Open Platform, modularizing and standardizing AI capabilities through an MCP open system for customers and partners. The platform offers three-tier open architecture (standard, advanced, custom) covering information queries, resource recommendations, itinerary planning. Claimed improvements: booking efficiency +85%, compliance accuracy 90%, cost reduction 15%.
During Routes Americas 2026, Aeropuertos Mexicanos (AME) and Amadeus reaffirmed their commitment to implement the ACUS (Airport Cloud Use Service) system at Saltillo International Airport (SLW). AME's other airports already use ACUS, which has improved operational efficiency and passenger experience. The collaboration aims to modernize Saltillo and support its growth.
Amadeus released the Travel Dreams 2026 report, based on surveys of 6,000 travelers and 500 hoteliers. It finds travelers increasingly use travel as a mental health reset, with 41% aspiring to return with a calmer nervous system. Hotels can generate an additional US$1 million annually by retailing personalized attributes like early check-in/late check-out. Sustainability is a key differentiator, with travelers willing to pay an average 11.7% premium for eco-friendly hotels. AI investment is accelerating, but travelers still value human touch.
The U.S. Department of State has issued a Level 1 travel advisory for Hungary, advising normal precautions. Hungary is generally safe, but crimes against foreigners are mostly opportunistic, such as pickpocketing and passport theft, especially in tourist areas and major train stations in Budapest, and on trains between Budapest, Vienna, and Bratislava.
The U.S. Department of State updated its travel advisory for Hungary, maintaining Level 1 with no change. Hungary is generally safe, but opportunistic crimes like pickpocketing and passport theft occur, especially in tourist areas and major train stations in Budapest, and on trains to Vienna and Bratislava. Travelers are advised to remain vigilant.
ACI World published its 2025 rankings of the world's busiest airports on 14 April 2026. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport retained the top spot for total passengers with 106.3 million, followed by Dubai International and Tokyo Haneda; Chicago O'Hare ranked first for aircraft movements. Global total passengers are estimated at 9.8 billion in 2025, up 3.6% year over year; international passengers reached 4.0 billion, up 5.9%; air cargo rose 2.9% to almost 128.9 million metric tonnes. Shanghai Pudong posted the biggest jump in the top 10, rising from 10th to 5th.
The U.S. Department of State updated its travel advisory for Trinidad and Tobago, maintaining Level 3 but removing the 'kidnapping' indicator and adding an area of increased risk. The government declared a State of Emergency on March 2, 2026, allowing police to arrest suspects, search properties, and suspend bail. Violent crime has dropped since 2024 but remains a challenge. U.S. employees are restricted from several areas in Port of Spain. Rural healthcare is limited.
The U.S. Department of State has issued a Level 3 travel advisory for Trinidad and Tobago due to crime, health, and terrorism risks. The government declared a nationwide State of Emergency on March 2, 2026, allowing police to arrest suspects, search properties, and suspend bail. No curfews or gathering restrictions currently. Violent crime has dropped since 2024 but remains a challenge. U.S. employees are restricted from certain areas in Port of Spain. Rural healthcare is limited.
The U.S. Department of State has issued a Level 1 travel advisory for Barbados, advising normal precautions. Barbados is generally safe, but petty crime is common in popular tourist areas, mostly opportunistic like pickpocketing. Travelers are advised to stay alert, avoid displaying wealth, and be cautious at night.
The U.S. Department of State has issued a Level 1 travel advisory for Bermuda, advising normal precautions. Bermuda is generally safe with no significant risks. Travelers are advised to maintain routine vigilance and enroll in STEP for emergency alerts.
Travelport's TripServices Flights API release AirReservation 26.11.14W supports adding Travel Agency Service Fees (TASF) to a PNR. TASFs are fees charged by travel agencies to customers for the professional services they provide, separate from the airline ticket price. This feature applies to GDS only.
The U.S. Department of State has issued a Level 3 travel advisory for Oman, advising travelers to reconsider travel due to terrorism and armed conflict. Some areas have increased risk, with the Yemen border area under a Level 4 do-not-travel advisory. On March 13, 2026, the Department ordered non-emergency U.S. government employees and their families to leave Oman due to safety risks. Since the onset of U.S.-Iran hostilities on February 28, there has been an ongoing threat of drone and missile attacks from Iran and significant disruptions to commercial flights.
Almosafer, Saudi Arabia's leading travel company, has launched on the ChatGPT platform, becoming the first Saudi app to offer consumer services through OpenAI's global AI interface. Users can access over 1.5 million hotels via Arabic or English dialogue, receive personalized recommendations, and build multi-city itineraries. This move transforms travel planning from manual search to natural conversation, supporting Saudi Vision 2030's digital transformation.
Travelport has released updates to its Flights API, including NDC enhancements such as Air Canada Flight Pass payment, bundled ancillary offers, and disruption handling flows. For GDS, new features include Premium Flex Search with multi-PCC and flexible date search, and mixed cabin requests per leg. These updates aim to improve search and booking flexibility, directly impacting travel agencies and corporate travel management.
The U.S. Department of State has issued a Level 1 travel advisory for Luxembourg overall, but parts of the north and east are elevated to Level 2 due to unexploded ordnance from World Wars I and II. These unmarked areas are often found on farms and rural construction zones, particularly where the Battle of the Bulge took place. Luxembourg's explosive ordnance teams are working to clear them, but travelers should exercise increased caution.
The U.S. Department of State has issued a Level 2 travel advisory for Costa Rica due to crime. Petty crime is common, and violent crime, including armed robbery, homicide, and sexual assault, also affects tourists. Travelers are advised to stay aware, avoid walking alone on poorly lit beaches or streets, not physically resist robbery attempts, and avoid displaying signs of wealth.
The UK FCDO has updated travel advice for Hong Kong, covering dual nationality, e-cigarettes, and illegal drugs including CBD. Hong Kong does not recognize dual nationality and does not recognize BN(O) passports as valid travel documents. If you hold both British and Chinese nationality, local authorities may treat you solely as a Chinese citizen, and the British Consulate-General may not be able to offer consular assistance. Additionally, e-cigarettes and CBD may be subject to legal restrictions.
A SAP Concur blog post discusses the importance of transparency in regulated industries, noting that cybersecurity has become the top external concern for finance leaders. It emphasizes that fragmented data and manual processes weaken accountability and increase risk. Leading organizations build trust through real-time visibility, policy enforcement, and audit readiness. The post also mentions the average data breach cost of $4.4 million, highlighting the financial impact of visibility gaps.