Mongolia is in the tourism spotlight and making it easier to visit. Reindeer sledding, anyone?

Mongolia is in the tourism spotlight and making it easier to visit. Reindeer sledding, anyone?

ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia — With its reindeer sleigh rides, camel racing and stunning landscapes with room to roam, Mongolia is hoping to woo visitors who are truly looking to get away from it all. Like most countries, its tourism industry was devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic, and it has launched a “Welcome to MonGOlia” campaign to … Read more

Summer tourists flock to boardwalks and piers while sticking to their budgets

Summer tourists flock to boardwalks and piers while sticking to their budgets

NEW YORK — Small businesses along popular vacation destinations like boardwalks and piers in the U.S. say the number of tourists flocking to the waterfront is back to normal, meaning pre-2020 levels. But while the affluent are spending freely, lower-income vacationers are sticking to carefully planned-out budgets. Sean Bailey, marketing manager of the SkyWheel observation … Read more

Barcelona wants to get rid of short-term rental units. Will other tourist destinations do the same?

Barcelona wants to get rid of short-term rental units. Will other tourist destinations do the same?

BARCELONA, Spain — Imagine planning a vacation and not being able to check Airbnb or another online booking site for an apartment in which to spend a few days walking, shopping and eating among the locals. Would a hotel do? That’s the future confronting visitors to central Barcelona in four years. To safeguard and expand … Read more

Terrell Davis says United banned him after flight incident. Airline says it was already rescinded

Terrell Davis says United banned him after flight incident. Airline says it was already rescinded

DENVER — Pro Football Hall of Famer Terrell Davis posted an email from United Airlines Tuesday saying he was banned from flying the airline until a review of an incident earlier this month was complete. But United officials said that ban was sent and then rescinded weeks ago. Davis, who previously played for the Denver … Read more

Spirit Airlines is going upscale. In a break from its history, it will offer fares with extra perks

Spirit Airlines is going upscale. In a break from its history, it will offer fares with extra perks

Spirit Airlines is moving farther away from its history as a fee-happy budget airline and will start selling tickets that include some of its most popular extras in bundles. The Florida-based airline said Tuesday the top ticket will be a “Go Big” package that includes priority check-in, a roomier seat, snacks and drinks, a checked … Read more

Air New Zealand scraps its 2030 carbon emissions target, saying solutions are costly and scarce

Air New Zealand scraps its 2030 carbon emissions target, saying solutions are costly and scarce

WELLINGTON, New Zealand — Air New Zealand scrapped its 2030 carbon emissions reduction targets on Tuesday, citing lags in producing new planes, a lack of alternative fuel and “challenging” regulatory and policy settings. The move by the national carrier — one of New Zealand’s biggest companies by revenue — was the highest-profile reversal yet of … Read more

A greener getaway? Danish capital tests climate reward scheme for tourists

A greener getaway? Danish capital tests climate reward scheme for tourists

COPENHAGEN, Denmark — Tourists visiting Copenhagen this summer are encouraged to participate in unusual kinds of vacation fun, including plucking floating trash from the Danish capital’s waterways, cycling to museums instead of going by car, or volunteering at an urban garden. All these activities are part of a new, four-week pilot project called CopenPay that … Read more

In beachy Galveston, locals buckle down without power after Beryl’s blow during peak tourist season

In beachy Galveston, locals buckle down without power after Beryl’s blow during peak tourist season

GALVESTON, Texas — Vacuums sucked the water out of the seaside inn run by Nick Gaido’s family in Galveston since 1911 as power was still spotty nearly one week after a resurgent Hurricane Beryl swept into Texas. Blue tarp covered much of the torn off roof. Gaido scheduled cleanup shifts for the hotel and restaurant … Read more

Most airlines except one are recovering from the CrowdStrike tech outage. The feds have noticed

Most airlines except one are recovering from the CrowdStrike tech outage. The feds have noticed

Delta Air Lines struggled for a fourth straight day to recover from a worldwide technology outage caused by a faulty software update, stranding tens of thousands of passengers and drawing unwanted attention from the federal government. Other carriers were returning Monday to nearly normal levels of service disruptions, intensifying the glare on Delta’s relatively weaker … Read more

United Airlines Q2 profit rises to $1.32 billion as travel demand offsets the carrier’s rising costs

United Airlines Q2 profit rises to .32 billion as travel demand offsets the carrier’s rising costs

United Airlines on Wednesday reported that its second-quarter profit rose 23% to $1.32 billion, as record crowds at U.S. airports helped the carrier overcome sharply rising costs for fuel and labor. However, United warned that third-quarter results will fall short of Wall Street expectations because of a glut of U.S. flights that has airlines cutting … Read more