In Prague this spring, the mood around tourism is no longer one of relief. It is one of ambition. For years, Czechia was one of Europe’s most recognisable city-break destinations: beautiful, affordable, easy to sell. But the story now unfolding is more deliberate than that. The country is not simply enjoying a post-pandemic rebound. It is trying to reshape its tourism economy into something smarter, more premium and more strategically managed — and it is using hard data, targeted marketing and a stronger national policy framework to do it.

Princess Cruises, one of the world’s most iconic cruise brands, celebrated a major milestone over the weekend as its newest ship, Star Princess, completed its first-ever transit of the Panama Canal.

Hilton and Olive Hospitality today announced the signing of their first 10 Spark by Hilton hotels in India, marking a significant milestone in the brand’s India mid-market growth journey. The signings advance the strategic agreement signed in 2024 to sign and open 150 Spark by Hilton franchised hotels across the country. Set to open across key business and leisure corridors including Bengaluru, Goa, Jaipur, Nashik, Mathura, Pune, Rajkot and Hyderabad, the expansion reflects Hilton’s strategy to deepen its presence beyond metros into the country’s next wave of growth cities, where rising mobility, infrastructure investment and expanding commercial hubs are driving sustained demand for reliable, branded accommodation at accessible price points.

As we reflect on this year’s Earth Day theme “Our Power, Our Planet,” the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association (CHTA) and the Caribbean Alliance for Sustainable Tourism (CAST) reaffirm their commitment to protecting the region’s natural and human resources. The sister organizations recognize the important role that regional and local stakeholders play in supporting both individual and collective action to preserve and strengthen the Caribbean’s environment.

Boeing and Ethiopian Airlines announced today the purchase of six 787 Dreamliner jets as the airline fully exercises commitments from its 2023 landmark order. Ethiopian Airlines will use the 787-9 jets to expand its intercontinental network from Addis Ababa and increase cargo capacity as demand for long-haul travel continues to rise.

Across the cruise sector and wider travel industry, one thing is becoming increasingly clear: in a world of digital tools, virtual training and AI-powered content, face-to-face connection still drives the strongest commercial results. Travel remains a relationship business, and nowhere is that more evident than in how we support and engage our agent partners – or as we call them at Virgin Voyages, our First Mates.

WK Management Consulting GmbH (WKMC) is proud to announce the acquisition of the Little Guest brand and digital assets, strengthening its position in the family travel market. Little Guest is a leading marketing and lead generation platform dedicated to child-friendly hotels and destinations worldwide, connecting the world’s finest child-friendly properties with the discerning families who belong in them, helping guests to discover, compare, and book directly with the hotels themselves. Member properties, meanwhile, benefit from a marketing platform with an engaged database of over 120,000 users, providing unmatched visibility among a highly qualified, travel-ready family audience.