travel blog

Members will say "1,000 times yes" to earning up to 76,000 bonus points and higher elite status! BETHESDA, Md., Jan. 30, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Marriott Bonvoy, Marriott International's award-winning travel program is bringing back its much-loved global promotion offering members bonus points and Elite Night Credits on each night of their stay. From February 13 to April 29, registered members can earn 1,000 bonus points and one bonus Elite Night Credit on each night during the promotional earning period. Registration begins today and runs through April 15. Travel Better in 2024 with Marriott Bonvoy's New Global Promotion Marriott Bonvoy welcomes members to explore its extensive portfolio of over 30 hotel brands and earn up to 76,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points and 76 bonus Elite Night Credits. Once members are registered for the promotion, they can earn twice each night, starting on their first night. Bonus points can be redeemed in an abundant of ways – through hotel ...

The United States Department of State has issued a Level 2 travel advisory for travelers planning on going to the Bahamas. The advisory, posted on Friday, warns travelers to "exercise increased caution" due to crime, specifically on the islands of New Providence, which includes Nassau, and Grand Bahama, which includes Freeport. A security alert posted by the U.S. Embassy in the Bahamas last Wednesday also advised U.S. citizens to be "be aware that 18 murders have occurred in Nassau since the beginning of 2024." The alert warns that murders have occurred at all hours including in broad daylight on the streets. "Retaliatory gang violence has been the primary motive in 2024 murders," according to the alert. According to the advisory from the State Department, travelers should practice "increased vigilance" in the "Over the Hill" area south of Shirley Street, where gang-on-gang violence has "resulted in a high homicide rate primaril...

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Gorgeous Grand Cayman. iStock-Jodi Jacobson After the pandemic hibernation, people traveled the world in droves in 2023 to see all the faraway destinations they missed or never had a chance to visit. For 2024, we anticipate that travelers will make a concerted effort to seek out more meaningful experiences. Of course, "meaningful" is subjective. For one person, that could be a wildlife safari. For another, it could be supporting a beloved island ravaged by wildfires. Forbes Travel Guide' s list of 24 places around the globe covers it all, appealing to those who enjoy sports, art, food and more. But the destinations all share a commonality: they promise to leave you with a lasting impression. Grand Cayman Most people come to Grand Cayman for Seven Mile Beach, but it's also an under-the-radar destination for its vibrant culinary scene. Look no further than restaurants such as Five-Star The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman 's seafood-centric Blue by Eric ...

Erie County, New York, declared a number of travel bans early on Wednesday, January 17, after heavy snow fell in the region overnight. County Executive Mark Poloncarz said roads were closed in Hamburg, Orchard Park, Lancaster, and other communities, and all county and Buffalo city offices were closed for the day. A heavy band of snow was set to move north through the morning, he said. The Town of Hamburg Office of Emergency Services posted video of private contractors clearing snow from a local parking lot. The National Weather Service said more than 4 feet of snow was expected in some areas. Road crews were out the previous night clearing lake effect snow from county roads . Credit: Town of Hamburg Office of Emergency Services via Storyful

Tim Hentschel, CEO of HotelPlanner. HotelPlanner The upcoming spring break travel period may set new records for hotel occupancy — and prices. So if you're looking for a place to stay in March and April, what should you do? I asked Tim Hentschel, CEO of HotelPlanner, how to get ahead of the trend and find an affordable hotel. Here's our interview. You've seen a dramatic rise in the number of spring break hotel bookings compared to last year. What does it look like? The momentum is already there from last year. We saw a 64% year-over-year increase in spring break bookings from 2022 to 2023. So far this year, we're already seeing a 7% increase for spring break 2024. Based on that, we're projecting a 10% to 15% total increase in spring break bookings this year. What does that mean for travelers? It means that travel demand and traveler confidence remain quite high. Despite ongoing challenges with our nation's air transportation system, most t...

Winter storms are battering the US, causing floods, power outages, and travel chaos. Thousands of flights have been grounded around Chicago as blizzards hit. The record-breaking cold weather has been forecast to continue this weekend.  Thanks for signing up! Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. download the app ...

Environment Canada says heavy snowfall is coming to areas including Hamilton, Brantford, Ont. and Burlington, Ont. late in the day Friday.  "Motorists should expect hazardous winter driving conditions and adjust travel plans accordingly. Avoid travel if possible."  The federal agency issued a travel advisory for a swath of southwestern Ontario, and a winter storm warning for a significant portion of southern, central and eastern Ontario. The Hamilton advisory states snow is forecast to begin this afternoon and will become heavy at times, with a peak of two to five centimetres per hour, totalling five to 10 centimetres of snow.  The forecast calls for rain tonight, and wind gusts of up to 70 kilometres per hour. Combined with the snow, Environment Canada writes, that will make travel difficult.  The Burlington advisory is similar, the main difference being snow is forecast to start later in the day. 

A state of emergency is in place across Ecuador and cities are under curfew following days of chaos in the South American country. The decision follows the escape of notorious gangster Adolfo Macias from his prison cell during riots on Sunday, January 7, and an incident on Tuesday, January 9, in which masked gunmen broke into a television studio during a broadcast and ordered staff to lie down on the floor. It is unclear whether the events are related, but both took place in Guayaquil — Ecuador's largest and most crime-ridden city. Ecuador's president Daniel Noboa said on Tuesday, January 9, that an "internal armed conflict" was unfolding in the country and he was mobilising the armed forces to carry out "military operations to neutralise . . . transnational organised crime, terrorist organisations and belligerent non-state actors". Since the state of emergency, there have been reports of explosions, shootings, vehicles set on fire and abductions ...

Young affluents are prioritizing travel. AFP via Getty Images High-income earners show a greater propensity to agree with the growing importance of travel (44%) than other groups and sit well above the global average of all income groups (35%) in terms of the significance they place on this activity, according to a report by YouGov . The study defines the high-income demographic as those who earn higher than 200% of the median. There's another key segment that the global report recognizes will be a key stakeholder in the future of luxury travel: high-income groups aged 18-34 (i.e. young affluents). This group pushes the importance of travel in the post-pandemic even further than affluent consumers overall (54% vs. 44%). Young affluents place an importance on personal interests. Getty Images "Young affluents are prioritizing travel, although so are travelers in older generations," says Ashley Ganz, Founder & CEO of luxury travel company Artisans of Leisure ...

Unlock the Editor's Digest for free Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway averted a courtroom showdown over its purchase of a truck stop operator founded by a Tennessee billionaire, after settling a dispute centred on the value of the business. Berkshire had struck a deal about six years ago to acquire an interest in Pilot Travel Centers, founded by billionaire James "Big Jim" Haslam II, patriarch of a powerful Tennessee family. The acquisition was done in stages. Berkshire now controls the network with an 80 per cent stake bought for almost $11bn. The Haslams also had an option to sell the remaining 20 per cent stake to Berkshire. But the deal ended in acrimony. In October, the Haslam family company Pilot Corp accused Buffett's conglomerate of changing the truck stop chain's accounting methodology to make it look less profitable and lower the value of the remaining 20 per ...

By all accounts, 2023 was an exceedingly busy travel year. Undeterred by international unrest, frequent flight delays and rising prices—in travel and at home—Americans made travel a priority. Now, 2024 is poised to continue the travel trend. To learn more about upcoming travel intentions and potential adjustments to plans, Forbes Advisor surveyed 1,000 Americans who plan to travel this year. Travel Frequency and Budgets Remain Priorities for Americans When asked how much they'll travel in 2024, 52% of consumers said they plan to travel the same amount as they did in 2023. Another 40% of respondents expect to travel even more. That's slightly down from the proportion of Americans increasing travel from 2022 to 2023 (49%) but still impressive considering nearly two-thirds (63%) of Americans took at least two leisure trips during 2023. While travel remains a priority for Americans of ...