Tourism News Page 137
Illinois Inspires Travelers to “Meet in the Middle” This Spring and Summer Travel Season
This spring and summer, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), Office of Tourism (IOT) will highlight some of the best of the state’s warm-weather adventures in an updated advertising campaign inspiring people to “Meet in the Middle.” Giving the existing “Middle of Everything” platform a fresh twist, the new creative showcases Illinois as a place where experiences, cultures, and people truly come together because of its variety, whether it’s a big city or an area of natural beauty.
Matrix Fitness Renews Partnership with the International Luxury Hotel Association
Matrix Fitness has renewed its partnership with the International Luxury Hotel Association (ILHA) for a second year, reinforcing the company’s continued focus on the global luxury hospitality sector and its commitment to supporting premium hotel brands worldwide. Through this partnership, Matrix will continue collaborating with hotel owners, operators, and developers across the ILHA network while contributing leadership and insights on fitness and wellness.
SILVERSEA ENHANCES ITS VENETIAN SOCIETY WITH NEW LOYALTY TIERS AND ENHANCED BENEFITS
Silversea, the leading experiential luxury and expedition travel brand, is enhancing its Venetian Society loyalty program, offering guests more ways to earn status, earlier recognition, and meaningful benefits throughout their journey – becoming the richest loyalty program among any luxury cruise brand. Guided by guest feedback, the enhanced program will debut on July 1, 2026, with two new loyalty milestones and enriching benefits across every tier.
Audi at Portrait Milano for Milan Design Week 2026
We wanted to share details of an exciting moment taking place at Portrait Milano during Milan Design Week. Audi will be activating within the property from April 20 to 26, bringing a major installation and a series of key previews to the space. We would be delighted to see any potential coverage highlighting Portrait Milano as one of the central locations for this activity.
Catalonia Launches the Grand Tour Catalunya Gravel
Catalonia strengthens its position as a global cycling destination with the launch of the Grand Tour Catalunya Gravel, a comprehensive 2,500 km journey across 42 stages, designed to showcase the region’s natural beauty, cultural richness, and culinary heritage through five sections:
Kuda Villingili Resort Maldives Achieves Dual Nominations
Kuda Villingili Resort Maldives is delighted to announce its nomination in the Resorts category for the prestigious Condé Nast Traveller Readers’ Choice Awards 2026 (UK) and Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards 2026 (US) — marking another proud milestone in the resort’s continued global recognition. Widely regarded as one of the most influential accolades in the travel industry, the Readers’ Choice Awards celebrate excellence through the voices of discerning travellers worldwide. The dual nomination reflects Kuda Villingili’s growing presence across key international markets, as well as the enduring connection it shares with its global guests.
Asia Pacific travel enters a new era as structural shifts reshape demand
Asia Pacific travel is undergoing its most significant structural realignment in more than a decade, according to new research from Phocuswright. The report, A Market Rewired: Ten Structural Shifts Redefining Asia Pacific Travel, outlines how demographic divergence, geopolitical tensions, new mobility patterns and financial infrastructure are reshaping how and where demand forms across the region.
VIRGIN ATLANTIC FLYING CLUB UNVEILS LIMITED-TIME TIER POINT BOOST ON HOLIDAY BOOKINGS
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club is giving new and existing members the perfect excuse to stop scrolling and start booking, with a limited-time Tier Point promotion designed to fast-track leisure travellers to Silver status. For two weeks only, Flying Club members will receive 300 bonus Tier Points as the lead booker when they spend £4,000 or more on a Virgin Atlantic Holidays booking, making this the most generous Tier Point promotion ever offered by Flying Club.
Minor Hotels Signs Anantara’s First Resort and Urban Hotel in India
Minor Hotels, a global leader in hospitality with more than 640 properties across 63 countries, announces the first signings in India under its luxury Anantara Hotels & Resorts hotel brand for 2026: Anantara Zanti Coorg Resort and Anantara Kolkata Hotel. Both properties represent firsts for the brand in India: its first resort and first urban hotel in the country.
How Korea is Boosting Domestic Spending Through a Nationwide Shopping Event
Amid evolving global economic conditions, South Korea is exploring a distinctive approach to economic stimulus – one that goes beyond traditional fiscal or monetary measures, and instead focuses on mobilizing consumption. At the center of this approach is the Donghaeng Festival (K-Shopping Festa or 동행축제 in Korean), a nationwide initiative led by Korea’s Ministry of SMEs and Startups, literally meaning a “shared journey” or collective participation.
Dida signs 5-year partnership with Tsinghua University
Global travel technology company Dida has signed a five-year strategic partnership with Tsinghua x-lab –a non-profit innovation and entrepreneurship platform at Tsinghua University in Beijing– to develop next-generation travel tech solutions and strengthen the industry’s global talent pipeline. The agreement marks a shift from ad-hoc collaboration to a deep, ecosystem-level integration between one of the world’s leading academic institutions and a global powerhouse in travel technology.
Wyndham Will Pay You $20K to Live It Up Exploring Route 66 with Your Grandma This Summer
This summer, buckle up—because grandma’s calling shotgun. As Route 66 marks its 100th anniversary, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts and its award-winning loyalty program, Wyndham Rewards®, are bringing generations together—paying one lucky road tripper $20,000 (inclusive of a travel stipend) to hit the highway with their grandparent. Dubbed The (Grand) Mother Road Trip, the selected traveler will prove once and for all that the best travel companions might just be family.