On September 7, the Shanghai Stock Exchange project status showed that the 'CICC Kaiyuan Tourism REIT' was updated to 'Feedback', with the update date of September 6. The fund is a commercial real estate REIT, with the original equity holder being Hangzhou Hansheng Enterprise Management Co., Ltd. and the manager being CICC Fund. The acceptance date was April 30, 2026.
The 2026 TravelDaily Summit will take place on September 22-23 at the Shanghai International Convention Center, with over 1,000 travel industry executives already confirmed to attend. The summit is expected to host 1,800+ participants, with 70% holding director-level or above positions. The event features three forums, over 100 speakers, and 30+ core topics, aiming to facilitate networking among corporate buyers, hotels, airlines, car rentals, destinations, TMCs, and travel agencies.
Despite a 32.7% increase in domestic trips this summer, homestay occupancy rates have fallen in many areas; a Chongqing homestay sold only 3-5 rooms daily. Industry analysis attributes this to a near 20-fold expansion in homestay numbers over a decade and severe homogenization causing traveler fatigue. Experts suggest expanding 'homestay+' composite formats and non-room revenue, shifting toward quality.
The 2026 TravelDaily Summit will be held on September 22-23 at the Shanghai International Convention Center, featuring a main forum, accommodation summit, and business travel digital summit, with over 100 industry leaders and 30+ topics, expecting 1800+ senior attendees.
Skift columnist Colin Nagy presents his biannual list of innovators, highlighting places, experiences, and people that showed judgment and nerve in a crowded hospitality landscape. Examples include a converted prison, a school returned to a neighborhood, and an airport lounge designed for productive time.
Amadeus data shows that during Celine Dion's Paris residency, international flight searches to Paris rose 11% YoY, and bookings rose 5%. The U.S. accounts for 26.5% of searches, followed by Brazil and Canada. APAC shows strong growth, with Thailand bookings up 200%. Paris hotel RevPAR is up 13% YoY, with longer stays.
Trip.com Group announced it will release its Q2 and first half 2026 financial results after market close on September 15, 2026, followed by a conference call at 8 PM ET.
Club Med Lifestyle Group, controlled by China's Fosun International, has filed for a Hong Kong IPO to spin off the iconic all-inclusive resort brand into a publicly traded company while Fosun retains control. The group operates 69 resorts, generating roughly $2.3 billion in revenue last year (up 4.8%) and about $453 million in adjusted EBITDA. Despite a multi-year premium repositioning, financials suggest limited pricing power and occupancy stuck near 62% for three years. This is Fosun's second attempt at public markets for the brand, following a 2018 listing and a March 2025 privatization. Proceeds would fund expansion toward ~85 resorts by 2030, including asset-light 'cultural tourism com…
Escalating trade tensions between the U.S. and Canada threaten the recovery of Canadian travel to the U.S. The U.S. imposed 50% tariffs on Canadian goods, and Canada retaliated with tariffs on roughly $20 billion of goods. This comes as Canadian travel to the U.S. had seen four consecutive months of year-over-year growth, with a July survey showing 28% of Canadian travelers had visited the U.S. in the past six months, up from 23% a year earlier. The dispute could reverse this trend, posing risks for hotels and destinations.
New York City Tourism + Conventions has appointed Fred Dixon as president and CEO, effective Dec. 1. He previously held the role from 2014 to 2024 and most recently served as president and CEO of Brand USA. The appointment comes as New York faces a shortage of international travelers, pressuring hotels. The city projects 66.3 million visitors in 2026, down from 66.6 million in 2019.
The report shows that from 2024 to 2026, hotel supply in Xinjiang expanded driven by tourist flows, with 3,941 new openings accounting for 32% of the total. In 2025, there was a notable upgrade in hotel tiers, with mid-to-high-end share increasing. Tourism remains hot, but there are concerns about digestion pressure after concentrated supply and seasonal imbalance.
On August 24, Yunnan Tourism released its semi-annual report: revenue of 54.9407 million yuan, down 52.93% year-on-year; net loss attributable to shareholders of 139 million yuan, with loss expanding by 43.79%; non-GAAP net loss of 142 million yuan. Total assets were 2.79 billion yuan, net assets 952 million yuan.
On August 18, Western Region Tourism disclosed its semi-annual report: H1 revenue was 107 million yuan, down 6.08% YoY; net profit attributable to shareholders was 3.6791 million yuan, down 67.23% YoY; non-GAAP net profit was 3.6472 million yuan, down 67.41% YoY; operating cash flow was 37.2724 million yuan, down 32.12% YoY. Total assets were 1.036 billion yuan, net assets 740 million yuan.
Meadin Research released a report analyzing the transformation of Chinese film studios from 'shooting grounds' to 'experience venues.' Based on ten major studios, it notes AI short dramas reduced film crews but increased tourists. Hengdian World Studios built a moat in C-end tourism through free rental, full industry chain support, and 'everyone's film set' model, receiving 1.5217 million visitors during 2026 Spring Festival, up 45.76% year-on-year.
On August 17, Zhangjiajie released its semi-annual report: revenue of 212 million yuan, up 9.34% YoY; net profit attributable to shareholders of 308 million yuan, up 1026.80% YoY. Non-recurring items still show a loss of 19.6594 million yuan, with profit mainly from disposal of Dayong Ancient City assets.
On August 18, United Travel held the 'SET SAIL New Voyage' global cruise theme launch in Beijing, unveiling a cruise product matrix covering seven continents and four oceans, with over 50 routes. The company plans to release over 2,000 air seats and introduce long-haul cruise products in Europe, Australia, and the Americas, emphasizing a 'cruise+' closed-loop system.
On August 10, Lijiang Co. released its semi-annual report. H1 revenue was 419 million yuan, up 10.95% year-on-year; net profit attributable to shareholders was 133 million yuan, up 40.5%. The Maoniuping cableway has been suspended since March 4 for technical renovation, with a new cableway expected to operate in 2028. Performance and hotel business indicators all achieved year-on-year growth.
On August 10, Zhengjia Group unveiled plans for the Maofeng Bay International Cultural Tourism Resort in Baiyun District, Guangzhou, with a total investment of 4 billion yuan and covering 630 mu. The first phase is expected to operate by end of 2027. The plan features Zhonghua Palace as the core, supported by over 20 museums, two themed hotels, more than 80 outdoor entertainment formats, and digital cultural tourism scenarios. It is expected to create 20,000 jobs and generate nearly 10 billion yuan in annual regional economic benefits.
On August 11, Guizhou Party Secretary Xu Lin visited the Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism to inspect summer tourism work, emphasizing optimizing service management, promoting business integration innovation, unleashing consumption potential, improving service quality, and strengthening safety guarantees to address prominent issues raised by tourists.
On August 9, construction began on a 118-meter Ferris wheel at Shanghai Jinjiang Park, expected to open in 2027. It will be China's first single-tube wheel structure exceeding 100 meters, featuring 36 panoramic cabins offering in-air dining and VIP customization, integrated with nearly 10,000 square meters of ground facilities. The project plans to distribute about 100,000 complimentary tickets to the public.
After a punishing summer of heatwaves and deadly wildfires, Spain faces a new test with the total solar eclipse crossing the country on August 12. Rather than promote the event aggressively—given acute overtourism concerns and record projections of 100 million visitors this year—Spanish tourism leaders are treating the eclipse as an opportunity to disperse demand toward lesser-known interior and northern destinations away from the saturated Mediterranean coast. Data shows strong momentum: hotel bookings up as much as 76% and prices nearly 90% ahead of last year, with growth concentrated in the "totality corridor" (León, Burgos, Bilbao, Valencia, the Balearics) and northern coastal cities. W…
In 1969, Mexico's central bank set out to manufacture a tourism destination from nothing, dispatching a 46-person team of bankers, architects, and economists who spent two years analyzing hundreds of sites before selecting an empty Caribbean sandbar called Cancún. The strategy followed a repeatable five-part template: the state buys the land, builds the infrastructure private capital won't, separates the tourist zone from the workers' city, invites private hotel investment afterward, and targets a nearby wealthy foreign market (Americans) at prices below competitors. Cancún wildly exceeded its targets, growing into Mexico's second-busiest airport and anchoring a state that drew ~20 million…
TravelDaily China compiled tourism capital activities for the second half of July 2026, including five M&A deals: CITIC Capital's 3 billion yuan acquisition of Jianye's theatrical project, Zhejiang Tourism Investment Group's 616 million yuan purchase of 10% of Xiangyuan Cultural Tourism, Travel + Leisure Co.'s $343 million acquisition of two resort operators, and five financing deals including Fora's $60 million Series D at a $1 billion valuation.
On July 29, *ST Lingnan announced it will hold a meeting of 'Lingnan Convertible Bond' holders on August 3 to review a proposal for a new repayment arrangement. If the proposal is not approved, it will not affect the fourth-phase repayment. The company warned of risks including failure to repay the convertible bonds on time, going concern, and stock delisting. In 2025, the company's revenue was 112 million yuan, down 86.99% year-on-year; net loss was 2.336 billion yuan.
According to reports, the Zhengzhou Yellow River Night City, with a total investment of 160 million yuan, ceased operations after only half a year. It opened in October 2024, and the operating entity voluntarily withdrew after just six months. The project attracted visitors with free admission, relying solely on shop commissions for revenue, while lighting and performances incurred high fixed costs, leading to a situation of 'busy but not profitable,' highlighting the fragility of a single revenue structure in trendy night tourism.
On July 31, Xiangyuan Culture & Tourism announced that 105.5 million shares held by Anhui Xiangyuan, a person acting in concert with the controlling shareholder, were auctioned and won by Zhejiang Tourism Investment Group, with the transfer completed. After the transfer, Zhejiang Tourism Investment Group's stake rose from 4.78% to 14.78%; the controlling shareholder Xiangyuan Travel Development and its concert parties' combined stake fell from 58.08% to 48.07%, with the actual controller unchanged.
At Phocuswright Europe 2026, experts discussed the actual effectiveness of AI in the travel industry. Mario Gavira, CMO of Travelier, said that while AI has been accepted as an efficiency driver and cost reduction tool, there have been no 'consumer-facing killer features.' Chatbots are widely used for conversational search, but conversion rates are extremely low. The panel also discussed startup survival, regulation, and redistribution of human resources.
The European Commission published a report on EU transport and tourism, covering sustainability, resilience, connectivity, safety, and social aspects. It shows around 1.4 million transport companies employing 10.4 million people. In 2025, EU tourism accommodation overnight stays exceeded 3 billion, a record. The report includes country factsheets on transport networks and alternative fuel uptake.
At Phocuswright Europe 2026, investors said AI remains the biggest buzzword, but software alone is no longer a moat. Startups need to integrate AI into their own systems and workflows, not just as a wrapper. Companies like Nuitée have successfully raised capital through partnerships.
Expedia Group launched the Trails Fund with an initial $4.3 million in grants, partnering with three conservation organizations on 11 projects, estimated to benefit over one million visits annually. It also partnered with AllTrails, matching support for the 2026 Stewards Fund and offering AllTrails premium members discounts on Expedia lodging.
Meadin Research released its June 2026 scenic area operation report, showing Dragon Boat Festival domestic trips of 124 million and total spending of 44.456 billion yuan. Water parks opened intensively, night economy upgraded, and low-altitude economy accelerated integration with landscape tourism. July summer consumption season expects over 30,000 events and 450 million yuan in vouchers.
San Francisco-based superapp Super.com secured $65 million in Series D funding led by TPG, valuing it at $1.2 billion. Funds will expand product categories and Super+ membership, and invest in AI for personalization. The company became profitable in 2025 with 50% revenue growth.
At Phocuswright Europe, experts discussed agentic commerce's impact on travel. Microsoft Advertising projects agentic web traffic will outpace human traffic by 2030. Phocuswright data shows more travelers use AI for planning, but fewer let it book. Corporate travel may be an early use case due to structured data. Trust and accountability are key.
On June 4, Pan Yixin, senior advisor of the Cross-Strait Aviation Transport Exchange Committee, met with Wu Yingliang, chairman of the Taiwan Travel Association, and they reached consensus on resuming direct cross-strait passenger flights and deepening aviation-tourism integration. The mainland side expressed willingness to actively study measures to facilitate cross-strait travel, while Taiwan industry called for lifting unreasonable restrictions and restoring normal direct flights.
China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism released its 2025 statistical bulletin, showing domestic tourism trips reached 6.522 billion, up 16.2% YoY; domestic tourism spending reached 6.30 trillion yuan, up 9.5%. Inbound tourists reached 154.5 million, up 17.1%; outbound trips by mainland residents reached 148.36 million, up 20.8%. There were 16,994 A-level scenic spots and 7,586 star-rated hotels.
Travel by B Corp, in collaboration with Nova School of Business and Economics, has launched a Citizen Science Guidance and Implementation Toolkit to help travel companies build programs that enable travelers to contribute to scientific research while safeguarding integrity and avoiding greenwashing. The toolkit provides best practices for tour operators, hotels, and other providers, including identifying scientific partners, structuring optional participation, and building long-term programs.
In an Earth Day interview, Travel Foundation CEO Jeremy Sampson said consensus on tourism's impact has created a 'false sense of progress,' with system change lagging and climate impacts accelerating. He expects regulation to drive change and destinations to gain more control. He praised the Canary Islands' RegNext regenerative tourism initiative as a model of industry-government collaboration. Sampson also discussed how framing sustainability as economic resilience helps bring stakeholders on board.
Phocuswright and Web in Travel's report 'Online Travel Tracker: South African Spectrum' shows South Africa's tourism entering a new phase, with economic stability and infrastructure strengths supporting growth. It has the highest domestic air capacity in Africa and second-highest international. Mobile penetration is high, payments modernizing, and WhatsApp dominates consumer engagement. However, internet instability and economic challenges persist. Domestic trips are projected to reach 45.1 million by 2029, up 12%, but spend only +1.8% to 139.4 billion ZAR. International arrivals target 15 million by 2029, with 115.2 billion ZAR spend. 91% of inbound visitors visit only one province, highli…
A session at ITB Berlin addressed AI bias in travel. Professor Fevzi Okumus of the University of South Carolina noted that AI can disadvantage certain groups in recruitment, service recommendations, and business visibility, making it harder for smaller operators and independent providers to compete. He urged treating AI as an enabler rather than a replacement and proposed a framework to audit AI systems for transparency, fairness, and trustworthiness.
Phocuswright's research 'Beyond Points: Rethinking Loyalty and Brand Consistency in Travel' reveals that Gen Z is not disloyal but values novelty. When novelty and loyalty compete, novelty often wins. However, Gen Z and millennials show high engagement in loyalty programs, with higher redemption rates than other generations. They prefer credit card points and OTA programs for their diverse redemption options. The report suggests loyalty programs need to offer variety in both earning and burning to attract younger travelers.