Meet, train and play padel with former World No.1 player, Martita Ortega, at Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi this summer. Taking place across two days, from 18 to 19 August 2026, the limited-availability experience in collaboration with LUX Tennis invites guests to enjoy a programme of coaching, play sessions and courtside conversations with Ortega, who made history in 2019 by becoming the youngest player ever to reach World No. 1 in the World Padel Tour rankings, a record she still holds today. The residency includes:

Artificial intelligence dominated the agenda at Business Travel Show Europe, but it wasn’t the conference’s defining message. Across three days of discussions covering technology, travel management, procurement, supplier relationships, traveller safety and geopolitical uncertainty, a more fundamental theme consistently emerged. Reducing uncertainty is becoming business travel’s next competitive advantage. Whether speakers were discussing AI, travel policy, supplier partnerships or duty of care, they repeatedly returned to the same challenge: how do we help travellers make better decisions, give organisations greater confidence and remove unnecessary friction from increasingly complex journeys?

2026 is fast shaping to be another record year of travel, as jetsetters seek to tick off their holiday checklists and fulfil their wanderlust. Looking back at the first half of 2026, Trip.com Group found that users from Mainland China, the United Kingdom and Malaysia were the most avid about clocking their miles, travelling up to 2,800km on average, which is equivalent to the distance between Beijing and Manila, or London and Tenerife.

The California Science Center announced today that the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center, the permanent home of Space Shuttle Endeavour, will soon be ready to launch, with an opening date set for November 13, 2026. Chairperson of the Mr. and Mrs. Oschin Family Foundation, Mrs. Lynda Oschin, Los Angeles County Supervisor for the 2nd District, Holly Mitchell, and former NASA astronaut, John “Danny” Olivas joined California Science Center President and CEO, Jeffrey Rudolph, to make the announcement inside the Samuel Oschin Shuttle Gallery.

As cruise travel continues to grow, a new trend is quietly reshaping how passengers experience their vacations: travelers are increasingly connecting with fellow cruisers before they ever step onboard. For decades, the social side of cruising began at sail-away parties, pool decks, dining rooms, and shore excursions. Today, many passengers are arriving at the terminal already connected with fellow travelers through online cruise communities.

Visit Orlando is enhancing its Vacation Planning Services with the addition of a new artificial intelligence-driven trip planning tool, OPAL (Orlando Planning Assistance by Locals), giving travelers another easy way to plan their Orlando vacations.  Now live on VisitOrlando.com and available 24/7, the tool, powered by Mindtrip, offers a convenient, interactive option alongside Visit Orlando’s existing free planning resources such as one-on-one consultations and insider advic