Late last month, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee added 42 sites to its World Heritage List, which recognizes cultural and natural sites across the world. The list was updated as part of the 45th session of the World Heritage Committee in Saudi Arabia. It now includes 33 additional cultural sites and nine new natural sites; in total, there are 1,199 World Heritage sites across 168 countries. "These sites will now benefit from the highest level of heritage protection in the world," UNESCO wrote in a statement. "They will also have access to new opportunities for technical and financial assis ..read more

A dream destination for many, the Maldives in particular is under serious threat for the future with the sea levels rising too high. For decades, the Maldives has been synonymous with luxury tourism. Overwater bungalows, pristine beaches, and vibrant marine life have made it a top choice for honeymooners, divers, and anyone looking to escape the hustle and bustle of city life. The Maldives is a low-lying island nation, making it particularly vulnerable to rising sea levels. As of now, the Maldives isn't majorly submerged, but with rising sea levels, it's predicted that 80% could be underwater ..read more

If travel planning is a major stress point for you, have you considered outsourcing it to artificial intelligence, otherwise known as AI? Soon that might be a reality. Tech giant Google is doubling down on this possibility, enabling its AI model – known as Bard – to offer numerous more ways to help users plan their trips. The web search company's latest iteration of Bard enables it to communicate with other Google applications and services, including Google Flights and Hotels. With newly launched Bard Extensions, Bard can find and share information from Gmail, Google Docs, Google Maps, and eve ..read more

As summer fades into fall, we're officially ready for the fabulous foliage that comes with it! Traveling around the United States to chase the beautiful leaves is a hobby popular with many, so we've gathered some relevant updates thanks to AccuWeather that will make it easy to follow the foliage this season. When to Spot Peak Foliage Across the U.S. While people have come to know and love the New England region for its iconic and stunning displays of fall foliage, AccuWeather’s senior meteorologist Paul Pastelok said that this year, the super fans may want to head west. "The best places to che ..read more

Well, it's official: Venice has finally revealed the details for its entry fee, making it the first city in the world to charge day-tripper visitors to access. Starting in spring 2024, visitors to the Italian tourist hotspot will have to pay 5 euros ($5.40) to enter on peak days if they won't be staying in the city overnight. However, this isn’t a permanent move. The Venice authorities have committed to a 30-day "experiment," according to mayor Luigi Brugnaro, who shared the news on Twitter/X. Sperimentazione del contributo di accesso per i turisti giornalieri a #Venezia: si partirà dalla pr ..read more

How would you feel about taking a flight that had a "no kids" policy? For families that travel together, it's almost entirely unthinkable, but for many other adult fliers, it sounds like a dream come true. A Turkish-Dutch airline recently announced the launch of its unusual new policy on a specific route to the Caribbean: a firm no kids zone on the long-haul route. Corendon Airlines flies between Amsterdam and the island of Curacao; on this 10-hour journey, passengers must be at least 16 years old to sit in the front of the aircraft. Though the announcement was made in recent weeks, the policy ..read more

For American travelers that have delayed or postponed trips due to summer's sky-high airfares, there might be a light at the end of the tunnel. Of course, this depends on several factors. According to airlines, some return of travel demand seasonality is expected this fall. In other words, record-breaking travel demand is expected to slow down in the weeks following Labor Day, allowing prices on some routes to drop from their summer peaks. However, there are likely to be two big catches for consumers. First, despite general drops in airfares, travelers flying domestically will likely see the g ..read more

The current "Euro summer" frenzy may still be all over your social media feeds, but if you missed out on booking your own fab holiday getaway – not to worry! American Airlines announced that it is launching four new routes to major cities in Europe next year. This is the largest transatlantic expansion for American Airlines since the pandemic hit in 2020. Next year, American Airlines will fly from Philadelphia to Copenhagen, Nice, and Naples non-stop every day starting June 6, May 6, and June 5, respectively. The airline will also service a daily non-stop route from Dallas-Forth Worth to Barce ..read more

We haven't reached the tail end of Summer 2023, but with Labor Day on the horizon, there's lots of chatter about holiday weekend travel. New data has been released that sheds light on the most popular destinations chosen by travelers who plan to get out of town for Labor Day, which falls on Monday, September 4 this year. Labor Day is informally seen as the end of summer, with people all over the United States making moves for one last warm-weather hurrah before busy back to school season kicks off. According to data released by Chase Travel, Friday, September 1 and Monday the 4th will see the ..read more

In an attempt to control crowding, Greece will limit daily visitors to the Acropolis in Athens starting in September. From September 4th, daily visitors to the popular monument will be capped at 20,000 people. According to Culture Minister Lina Mendoni, this is part of a pilot program developed to better manage crowds by using timed entry zones between 8am and 8pm. It's expected that the pilot program will go into effect on a permanent basis on April 1, 2024. The caps on visitors and timed entry system will be implemented in all Greek archaeological sites that utilize electronic tickets. "Ther ..read more