Royal Caribbean announced that Spectrum of the Seas will return to Hong Kong homeport in November 2026, launching 'Turn Up The Weekend' themed cruises featuring Cantopop music, offering 2- to 11-night itineraries to various Asian destinations.
Furong Town in Xiangxi, Hunan, attracts foreign tourists with Tujia intangible heritage experiences such as welcome wine, brocade weaving, and hand-waving dance. In 2025, it received 338,000 overseas visitors, up 57.14% year-on-year, becoming a highlight of inbound tourism.
The 'Beijing Zoo 120th Anniversary' philatelic cultural products, developed by China Philatelic Corporation and Beijing Zoo, debuted at CIFTIS, with eight products including commemorative envelopes, postcards, and stamp folders. Among them, the 'Meng Qi Xin Cheng' frame set is designed for panda Meng Meng's 20th birthday, and the 'Bamboo Forest Six Little Cuties' stamp folder depicts the panda family of six reuniting, blending the zoo's century-long history with cuteness.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) welcomed changes by Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) to contractual terms that had raised competition concerns in the market for used engine parts. The changes remove restrictions on maintenance shops in P&WC's network that could have limited independent suppliers' access to used engine material and related service. The changes are limited to used parts for P&WC's PT6 and PW100-series turboprop engines.
On September 7, Sanya Marina Hotel was sold at a base price of 133 million yuan. The property has a building area of 11,422 sqm, is a first-line sea-view hotel with 101 rooms. It failed to sell at first auction for 166 million yuan and again at a reduced price in the second auction. This time it was sold at 80% of the first auction price (appraised at 237 million yuan) to a local Sanya trading company.
Shanghai sees high inbound consumption, with tax refund services expanding to high-end malls, street commerce, and supermarkets. Jing'an District accounts for nearly half of the city's refund sales, with over 800 registered stores.兴业太古汇's instant refund transactions grew 700%, and RT-Mart launched instant refund service.
Direct Travel China announced the deep integration of its two flagship business travel platforms, ANYICHENG and Avenir, into a coordinated, self-controlled global digital service capability matrix. The company said this is not only data interconnection but a system-level response to uncertainty in multinational travel programs. Based on this, Direct Travel is delivering to Chinese enterprises an ANYICHENG x Avenir global integrated travel solution, built on a TaaS (Travel as a Service) architecture with open API interfaces to connect with existing enterprise systems and provide unified response to domestic and international travel needs.
China Railway officially clarified that live seafood such as fish, shrimp, crabs, and shellfish can be carried on high-speed trains if sealed in leak-proof packaging with no odor, and the total weight for adults must not exceed 20 kg. Cangnan Station in Zhejiang provides packing materials like tape and rope to assist travelers carrying swimming crabs.
U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics data show the July 2026 Freight Transportation Services Index (TSI) fell 0.7% from June and 2.0% from July 2025, after one month of growth. The Freight TSI measures the amount of freight carried by the for-hire transportation industry. The Passenger TSI rose 0.4% in July from June, its third consecutive monthly increase, and rose 1.8% year over year to a new high for 2026, though still 5.6% below the all-time high in January 2020. The combined freight and passenger index fell 0.3% from June and 0.7% year over year. The freight decline came from decreases in air freight, pipeline and trucking, while rail carloads, rail intermodal and water volumes inc…
The Jilin Provincial Government announced that the China Gold Museum will open on September 19 in Jiapigou Town, Huadian City. Built on the site of the 'China's First Gold Mine' Jiapigou Gold Mine, it covers a total land area of 19,700 sqm and a building area of 13,000 sqm, making it the first museum in China with dual themes of gold industry and red history. The first phase investment is 164 million yuan. Jilin Province also launched a 'Golden Jilin' preferential policy involving 29 scenic spots.
Thunderobot, an esports hotel brand under Shangmei Shuzhi, launched a 100-store celebration during summer, using IP-themed rooms and esports events to achieve 3 million impressions, with occupancy over 90% at many stores and signed stores exceeding 300.
Air Canada announced it will launch year-round nonstop service between Vancouver and Guangzhou starting May 4, 2027, with three weekly flights on Boeing 787-9 aircraft, making it the only North American carrier flying directly to Guangzhou. This move marks the first entry of a North American airline into the Guangzhou market, competing with China Southern's hub.
On September 7, Cao Cao Mobility announced a share buyback of 170,000 shares for HK$2.3119 million, at prices between HK$13.49 and HK$13.73 per share. The repurchased shares will be held as treasury stock. Cumulative buybacks reach 4.8609 million shares, representing 0.83% of issued shares as of the authorization date.
As summer ends, domestic airfare and hotel prices have dropped. In the first week of September, average airfare fell 35% from the summer peak. Experts suggest traveling off-peak in the first half of September for better value and experience.
Fairfield by Marriott Linyi North New Area, the brand's first in Linyi, has officially opened. The hotel has 139 rooms and suites, with restaurant, fitness center, etc. It is near the Olympic Sports Center, about 10 km from Linyi North Station and 18 km from the airport.
On September 9, the 'Sanjiangyuan Rise · Yushu Meets Beijing' cultural exchange week opened at Shougang Park in Beijing, running until September 13. Leveraging the CIFTIS platform, the event showcases the achievements of Beijing's counterpart support to Yushu over 16 years, including intangible cultural heritage displays, industry promotions, and food tastings, along with a 'Qinghai Good Products' matchmaking event.
On September 9, Jiangsu Province held a promotion conference on high-quality cultural tourism development in Jiangyin. The meeting outlined five key tasks, including optimizing scenic area operations, deepening cross-sector integration, extending industry chains, attracting international visitors, and emphasizing meticulous and efficient services. Several policy measures were issued, covering inbound tourism consumption, performing arts market growth, and promoting a 'ticket economy'.
Consumer councils in Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei reported that as of August 31, all 10 airlines and 5 online ticketing platforms previously summoned have completed rectification of flight overbooking. Improvements cover purchase notification, on-site handling, compensation standards, and complaint mechanisms, ensuring consumers see overbooking rules before purchase and have clear compensation if bumped.
The 2026 National Pickleball Championship was held in Hebi, Henan, attracting nearly 500 athletes from 33 teams. The event integrated cultural tourism experiences and a consumption carnival, offering scenic discounts and night markets, boosting urban spending and image.
Ningxia Shahu Eco-Tourism Area, a 5A scenic spot, achieves sustainable development through ecological protection measures and bird-watching festivals. Covering 57,000 mu, it attracts many visitors annually, serving as a model for eco-tourism.
Xinjiang is promoting sports-tourism integration by hosting events like the Taklimakan Rally and the Xinjiang Super League, attracting visitors to travel with the races. The events feature tourism routes and benefit packages, boosting spending on dining and lodging and driving county-level economic growth.
The homestay industry faces a shakeout after rapid expansion, with enterprises growing from 19,000 in 2016 to 375,000 by end of 2025. Homogenization, hygiene, and service issues lead to declining occupancy. Experts suggest returning to core accommodation and enhancing personalized experience.
Anhui Province held a video conference to deploy cultural tourism consumption promotion for the Mid-Autumn Festival, National Day, and autumn break. The meeting proposed using 'Anhui Treasure Towns' as a guide, focusing on leisure, vacation, wellness, and study tours, innovating activities, and enriching consumption scenarios. It also emphasized project leadership, service quality improvement, rectifying tour guide chaos and forced consumption, and maintaining safety bottom lines.
Ruijin, Jiangxi, is innovating red tourism with immersive performances and interactive dramas. In the first half of the year, scenic areas received over 4 million visitors, up 25% year-on-year. The new high-speed rail from Ruijin to Yan'an further boosts red tourism.
Gansu and Shandong provinces jointly held the launch ceremony of the 'Shandong-Gansu Cooperation' named train and the 'Ten Million Shandong People Tour Gansu' initiative. The train, themed 'Symphonic Silk Road · Auspicious Gansu,' features five cultural tourism carriages showcasing Gansu's Silk Road culture and Yellow River scenery. Concurrently, the Shandong-Gansu cultural tourism resource matchmaking event started, with a delegation visiting Linxia, Dingxi, and Longnan, holding three promotion conferences to facilitate tourist exchange.
After Jingdezhen's handmade porcelain heritage was inscribed as a World Heritage site, museum visits increased and pottery experiences became popular among foreign tourists. Since the inscription, 30 museums received 1.046 million visitors, up 11.63% year-on-year.
Shitanjing, an old mining area in Ningxia, has transformed through ecological restoration and industrial tourism, film shooting, and sports events. It produced over 170 million tons of coal, restored 146 square kilometers, attracted more than 60 film productions, and drew nearly 80,000 tourists after the release of 'Welcome to the Dragon Restaurant' in August 2026.
China State Railway Group announced holiday transport from September 23 to October 8, lasting 16 days, with October 1 as the peak day. The national railway will operate a peak schedule with about 13,000 passenger trains daily, including special tourist trains and fan trains. The railway authority reminds that popular trains may sell out quickly and advises passengers to book early.
The 2026 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) is held from September 9-13 at Shougang Park in Beijing. The cultural tourism section covers 6,600 square meters with 413 exhibitors, featuring units like new tech scenes and overseas expansion. Highlights include the 'Beijing Cultural Tourism Cube', China Tourism Group's tax refund service, and BTG's online life festival.
The Linyi Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism is recruiting 'College Student Tourism Ambassadors' from universities nationwide, targeting current students and graduates within three years. Selected candidates will receive a certificate with a two-year term, enjoy free or discounted admission to some scenic areas, and have priority in participating in familiarization trips and new media training. This initiative aims to leverage youth in culture-tourism integration and enhance Linyi's tourism brand awareness.
Tongcheng Travel showcased four self-developed AI products at the 2026 China Cultural Tourism Industry Expo: DeepTrip smart itinerary planner, AI face-to-face translation screen, AI companion tour guide, and AR souvenir tickets. DeepTrip supports 17 languages and parses vague queries in 5 seconds; the translation screen covers over 150 languages and 27 dialects; AI companion has been deployed at attractions like Niushoushan.
The 'Beijing Grand Audiovisual' exhibition, hosted by the Beijing Municipal Radio and Television Bureau, debuted at the 2026 CIFTIS, showcasing technologies like naked-eye 3D, 8K 'super live,' and XR glasses. Inspired by film and TV IPs such as 'Tree of Life,' the exhibition launched 'Travel Beijing with Films' check-in routes and released Yushu film tourism routes, integrating audiovisual IP with cultural tourism scenarios.
The 8th European Young Leaders Delegation visited Hunan for 5 days, with members from over 20 European countries. They visited tech companies, cultural sites, experienced night economy, and exchanged with Hunan youth to promote China-Europe cooperation.
Saudia has expanded its partnership with Almosafer through NDC connectivity, enabling Almosafer's booking channels and AI tools to offer richer, more personalized Saudia content. The agreement was signed during WTM Spotlight Riyadh, allowing travelers to search and compare flights via natural language and access tailored fares and ancillary services.
SITA has launched SITA Border Flow Lane, a border processing solution that leverages traveler data and intelligence to transform border control from a stop-and-check process into a data-driven, pre-clearance and move-through experience. Travelers are verified before departure and upon arrival, eliminating the need to present passports at gates or kiosks. The solution can clear borders up to eight times faster than traditional eGates.
Travelport announced on 9 September 2026 the appointment of Naomi Hahn to lead its Go-to-Market, Marketing and Communications, and Commercial Operations functions. Hahn brings more than 25 years in the digital industry, including six years on Skyscanner's Executive Team as Chief of Staff, VP Strategy & Operations and latterly VP Data, where she led global data strategy and transformation; she previously spent 11 years at Auto Trader, joining its Executive Team in 2014. Travelport CEO John Mangelaars said the appointment will help build a more connected, data-driven, customer-focused organization.
According to Amadeus Travel Intelligence, during Oktoberfest, air bookings from India and Japan increased by 60% and 31% respectively, while the US declined by 10%. Solo travelers accounted for 47% of air bookings, and stays of 14 nights or more rose 13% year-on-year. Hotel occupancy averaged 70.9%, with ADR slightly up to €326.
IHG's Holiday Inn brand partnered with global educational esports provider EStars to launch Holiday Inn x Elite Gaming Pods across four hotels in Saudi Arabia, available until December 2026. Each hotel has two gaming pods with MSI gaming PCs, next-generation consoles, curved monitors and premium accessories, with complimentary access to titles including Fortnite, Rocket League and Overwatch. Participating hotels will host competitions with prizes including hotel stays, food and beverage vouchers and IHG One Rewards points. The initiative launched during the Esports World Cup 2026.
In summer 2026 (July-August), Yangtze River Three Gorges cruise ships made 973 voyages, carrying 273,500 passengers, up 7.85% year-on-year. Capacity increased with 21,948 berths. Peak period was in early-to-mid August, with daily highs over 6,000.
The U.S. State Department kept Curaçao at a Level 1 travel advisory, calling for normal precautions. The advisory says Curaçao is generally a safe destination with low crime rates, and that petty crime is most likely in popular tourist locations. Most crimes against foreigners are crimes of opportunity, such as theft of unsecured property or vehicle break-ins. Overcharges and scams occur in tourist areas, some sellers may be aggressive, and tourist police are available at most sites. Armed robberies occur at businesses storing large amounts of cash or involved in drug or gang activity. Bringing guns, ammunition, and even spent shells or casings into Curaçao is illegal and may lead to arrest…