Category: Breaking Travel News

Cruiseline.com and Shipmate released the results of their annual 2026 Member Survey, gathering cruise preference insights from more than 5,500 travelers. The survey reveals strong demand for cruise vacations, with 92.8% of respondents reporting at least one voyage booked for 2026 or beyond, and 70.3% considering making additional bookings.

The survey examined traveler preferences across cruise lines, destinations, and itinerary lengths, offering a comprehensive look at the trends shaping the cruise industry for 2026 and beyond.

Hostaway, the leading AI-driven vacation rental property management software (PMS), today announced the appointment of three senior executives to its leadership team. These strategic hires come as the company enters its next phase of scaling, following a milestone year in 2025 where it became the first vacation rental management software unicorn.

Joining the executive leadership team are Robert Goldenberg as Chief Financial Officer to lead the company’s financial strategy, Janis Rozenblats as Chief Product Officer to drive product innovation and AI, and Darcy Kurtz as Chief Marketing Officer to accelerate global brand growth.

The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) wins praise for its new Food and Beverage Standard, a significant milestone in advancing sustainability across F&B operations in the global hospitality and tourism industries. Among other provisions, the new Standard requires companies seeking GSTC certification to ensure that at least 30% of main dishes and meal options are plant-based or predominantly plant-based (defined in the Standard as at least 95% plant-based by weight).

Interest in Italy’s rich history and cultural heritage is on the rise, with searches for “Pompeii tours”1 increasing by more than 5,000% over the last month, while searches for “UNESCO Italy”2 have risen by 80% in the past week alone.

While Italy is known for its food, coastline and picturesque towns, it is also home to more UNESCO World Heritage Sites than any other country in the world, with 61 recognised cultural and natural landmarks3. From Rome’s iconic ruins and Pompeii’s frozen in time streets to Sicily’s Greek temples and Ravenna’s Byzantine mosaics, every region offers a different chapter of the country’s story.