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Hotel Watch

Marriott's Mexico and Caribbean Refresh

Nine Marriott hotels in Mexico and the Caribbean have new rooms, restaurants or beach clubs, from an US$11 million Santo Domingo makeover to Aruba plunge-pool suites.

Photograph · Marriott International
Live Intel
Icelandair adds St. Louis–Reykjavik from 14 May 2027, four flights a week America's 10 Best Campgrounds for Hikers Royal Sonesta Crowns Its Youngest Guests Volaris Sells a Paid Delay Safety Net Crystal Serenity adds a 1,722 sq ft Owner's Suite and four Junior Penthouse Premium Suites at its 2028 drydock Barcelona's Paradiso Becomes a Legend Four Barbecue Joints Among Texas's 19 Stars Boston's Frostival: Drones, a Lodge and a 75-Foot Wheel
Today in two minutes
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What moved the trade

Photograph · busand2003 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)
Travel Guide

Sled the North: Abitibi-Témiscamingue's Snowmobile Trails

More than 3,500 km of groomed trail, reliable snow and hotels that open onto the network. How to plan a snowmobile trip in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, and why to buy your trail pass in October.

2 min
Photograph · Acroterion / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Market Pulse US

Icelandair Bets on St. Louis

Icelandair adds St. Louis as its 16th US city from 14 May 2027, giving a mid-sized Midwest market a one-stop path to…

Photograph · Bureau of Land Management / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
Travel Guide US

America's 10 Best Campgrounds for Hikers

Camper reviews on The Dyrt crown Tennessee's Fall Creek Falls the best US hiking base camp. All ten, with prices, site counts…

204 figures from our reporting

Every number is published and sourced. Swipe or scroll sideways: the feed keeps going.

North America · Events
1,000+

Seats at Le Cathcart, the food hall under Place Ville Marie

The 35,000-square-foot glass-roofed hall opened in January 2020 with 15 kiosks.

Source · Sid Lee Architecture
Africa · Events
6m 23s

Maximum totality, 2 August 2027 solar eclipse (Egypt)

The longest totality of the eclipse falls in Egypt, and Luxor lies in the path, according to Astronomy magazine.

Source · Astronomy Read the story
Latin America · Air
16

Puerto Vallarta nonstop routes from Canada

Puerto Vallarta International Airport serves 55 destinations: 15 domestic and 40 international, including 24 in the US and 16 in Canada.

Caribbean · Hotels
50

Rooms at Nobu Hotel San Juan, due in 2028

Nobu's first Puerto Rico hotel will be a small urban property with a Nobu restaurant at street level and a rooftop bar, developed with KTT.

Global · Policy
250+

Adventure activities covered by World Nomads plans

World Nomads, now owned by IMG, says its plans cover more than 250 adventure sports and activities for travellers from more than 100 countries.

Europe · Arrivals
+54.5%

Canadians leaving Iceland via Keflavík, August

About 314,000 international visitors departed in August. US citizens were 33.9% of them, up 27.2% year on year.

Europe · Air
£61.5m

Leeds Bradford Airport turnover, year to 31 March 2025

Up from £54m the year before, according to Unite, which cites the figure to argue the airport can afford a better pay offer.

North America · Prices & Fees
$1,529

Starting price of Vélo Québec's guided Véloroute trip

Five days and four nights in three- and four-star hotels, with breakfasts, a dinner, luggage transfer and a guide, from its 2026 listing.

Africa · Prices & Fees
US$44

Tanzania mandatory inbound insurance, per adult

Required from 1 Oct 2026 for mainland arrivals via the National Insurance Corporation; children 3–17 pay US$22, under-3s free. Valid up to 92 days.

Source · ATTA Read the story
North America · Hotels
245

SongTeller Hotel rooms and suites

Rooms and suites at Dolly Parton's SongTeller Hotel, which opened in downtown Nashville in October 2026 with a 20,000 sq ft museum.

Source · Haute Living Read the story
Asia-Pacific · Policy
17%

Maldives T-GST on overseas operators' margins

Tax on margins and commissions earned by overseas agents and operators selling Maldives tourism products; start date now said to be 1 April 2027.

Vote, then see the room

One question a week, for advisors and travellers alike. Results feed a Monday story, and travellers who opt in can be quoted in it.

Where are you going this winter?

One vote per reader. Results show once you vote.Results in Monday's Market Pulse

Five questions on this week's travel news

Destination Intelligence

Where the market is moving

Every dot is a place on Earth. Hotspots are built from published numbers: visitor arrivals, airline seats, hotel rooms in the pipeline and luxury openings. Switch the lens, scrub the months, or hover a destination for the figures and their sources.

Figures checked 1 Oct 2026Next check 1 Nov19 destinations · every figure linked to its source
Low High
Aug 2026 Published figures, sourced per destination · Periods vary by source · Movement score = average of the available measures, each scaled 0–100 across the map How we build this map, with every source
Insider Intelligence
Four things every advisor
should know this week
Barcelona
Barcelona's Paradiso Becomes a Legend

Paradiso, the El Born bar behind a pastrami shop's fridge door, has won the Rémy Martin Legend of the List Award. A ready hook for Barcelona nightlife clients.

Read brief
Orlando
Epic Universe Floats Its Solar

Universal Epic Universe runs a 1.4 MW floating solar array, one of three on-site installations totalling 3.7 MW. It powers the park's electric buses.

Read brief
Puerto Rico
Four Marriott Spas Win in the Caribbean and Mexico

Marriott won four country titles at the 2026 World Spa Awards, in Grand Cayman, Puerto Rico, St. Thomas and Mexico City. Here is what each spa does.

Read brief
New York
Hutton Brickyards Hires a Farm-Resort Veteran

Hutton Brickyards, the 100-acre Hudson River retreat in Kingston, N.Y., has named Steven O'Hern general manager. He has run Twin Farms and Blackberry Farm teams.

Read brief

Book it, pack it, or miss it

  1. –days
    Fri 16 Oct – 18 Oct
    For everyone

    Leeds Bradford strike weekend

    Unite action includes air traffic control; the airport expects near-normal operations.

  2. –days
    Sun 25 Oct
    For everyone

    Western Sydney International opens

    Sydney's second airport opens to passengers; Jetstar flies the first service, to the Gold Coast.

  3. –days
    Mon 26 Oct
    For travellers

    Air New Zealand to Western Sydney

    Auckland–Western Sydney three times a week (Mon, Wed, Fri) on the A320/A321.

  4. –days
    Mon 26 Oct
    For travellers

    NZ Labour Day

    Long weekend across New Zealand. Expect busy domestic flights and roads.

  5. –days
    Mon 26 Oct – 28 Oct
    For advisors

    ATEC Meeting Place, Hobart

    The Australian Tourism Export Council's trade event for inbound operators and suppliers.

  6. –days
    Wed 28 Oct
    For advisors

    UK Budget day

    Watch for Air Passenger Duty changes.

  7. –days
    Sat 31 Oct
    For travellers

    Quebec trail-pass early price

    The FCMQ snowmobile pass costs more after this date.

  8. –days
    Sun 1 Nov
    For everyone

    Flair Vacations takes off

    Packages from five Canadian gateways to Cancún, Puerto Vallarta, Punta Cana and more.

  9. –days
    Tue 3 Nov
    For travellers

    Melbourne Cup day

    A public holiday across most of Victoria.

  10. –days
    Sat 7 Nov
    For advisors

    New Zealand general election

    Watch tourism, levy and visa policy in the parties' programmes.

  11. –days
    Mon 9 Nov
    For advisors

    Brand USA's interim chief starts

    Caroline Beteta takes over with one brief: win reauthorization.

  12. –days
    Mon 23 Nov
    For travellers

    Singapore Airlines to Western Sydney

    Daily Western Sydney–Singapore, with onward connections to Europe and Asia.

  13. –days
    Thu 26 Nov
    For travellers

    US Thanksgiving

    The year's busiest travel week. Book flights and cars now.

  14. –days
    Fri 18 Dec – 27 Jan
    For travellers

    NSW summer school holidays

    Eastern-division dates. Peak demand and prices for family travel.

  15. –days
    Fri 1 Jan 2027
    For advisors

    Passenger Movement Charge rises to A$80

    Up from A$70 for travellers departing Australia, per the 2026–27 Budget. Check quotes for travel after 1 January.

  16. –days
    Tue 26 Jan 2027
    For travellers

    Australia Day

    National public holiday and the end of the summer school-holiday peak in most states.

  17. –days
    Sat 6 Feb 2027
    For travellers

    Waitangi Day

    National holiday, observed on Monday 8 February as it falls on a Saturday.

  18. –days
    Thu 1 Apr 2027
    For advisors

    Maldives 17% T-GST begins

    Tax on overseas operators' margins now starts. Quote spring with care.

  19. –days
    Sat 10 Apr – 26 Apr 2027
    For travellers

    NZ autumn school holidays

    Two weeks of family travel demand across Easter and ANZAC Day.

  20. –days
    Sun 25 Apr 2027
    For travellers

    ANZAC Day

    Falls on a Sunday; several Australian states and New Zealand observe Monday 26 April.

  21. –days
    Tue 11 May – 13 May 2027
    For advisors

    TRENZ 2027, Christchurch

    New Zealand's main tourism trade show, at Te Pae Christchurch.

  22. –days
    Fri 14 May 2027
    For travellers

    Icelandair St. Louis–Reykjavik launches

    Four flights a week, with easy onward connections to Europe.

  23. –days
    Sun 16 May – 20 May 2027
    For advisors

    Australian Tourism Exchange 2027

    Tourism Australia's trade event at ICC Sydney.

  24. –days
    Fri 25 Jun 2027
    For travellers

    Matariki

    Public holiday marking the Māori New Year: a long weekend in mid-winter.

Most anticipated openings

Follow an opening and we'll send one email when its date, rates or booking window change, and nothing else.

All openings

Four things every traveller
should know this week

All traveller briefs

Ask a question. Get our reporting back.

Live answers, drawn only from Not An Atlas stories, figures and openings, with numbered sources. Ask a follow-up and it keeps the thread.

Most asked this week

Try a destination, a hotel opening, a fee or a date. Answers quote our reporting and link every source.

Answers are passages quoted from Not An Atlas reporting, with sources.

Three things reshaping
the trade this season
All reports
II
Trend Analysis

The Vacation Americans Won't Cut

MMGY's fall survey puts planned US leisure spend at $5,655 over 12 months, with Boomers outspending Gen Z four to one. Value-hunting is up; cancellations are not.

Read report
III
Trend Analysis

Japan's Family Room Problem, Solved

Japanese city hotel rooms are small and private rentals are capped. MIMARU's two new Osaka properties show how staffed apartment hotels work for families of four to six.

Read report

Who's reporting this week

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