Here's the latest travel news for Wise Travellers around the globe:
Disruption is being warned of for travellers heading through Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi after a roof collapsed at Terminal 1, killing one person and injuring many others.
Terminal 1, which has been shut for the foreseeable future, is a domestic operation for flights operated by IndiGo and SpiceJet. These have now been moved to Terminals 2 and 3 to cope with the additional flight capacity.
India is primed to receive an additional ten new hotels as part of plans unveiled by the Radisson Hotel Group. They will be across multiple brands, including Radisson Individuals Retreats and Radisson Blue.
The hotels will be opened in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Maharashtra. Radisson said one of the hotels will include Radisson Blu Hotel, Nathdwara Stadium Rajasthan, the first Indian hotel to be located within a cricket stadium. Most of the rooms will overlook the cricket field.
Bali, Indonesia, has become Etihad Airways' latest destination.
The new Bali flights operate four times weekly on Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners featuring Business Studios and Economy Smart seats. "I am honoured to be welcomed to the island and proud to bring a full flight on our inaugural journey into Bali," said Arik De, Etihad's Chief Revenue and Commercial Officer. "We are thrilled to add Bali to the growing list of destinations we serve."
Bali flight bookings can be made on etihad.com. Etihad has also launched new flights to Al Qassim in Saudi Arabia, Jaipur in India, and summer seasonal destinations to Antalya, Málaga, Mykonos, Nice and Santorini.
Scam tours by unlicensed operators in Thailand are threatening the nation’s tourism industry, sparking the tourism ministry to call on the Tourism Police to tackle the issue head-on.
The tours involve agencies selling loss-leasing packages mainly to Chinese guests, but are then forced to visit specific stores to buy overpriced goods. There have even been reports of groups being locked in a store until they have bought.
Local reports suggest Indian and Russian travel groups are being targeted as well.
Singapore Airlines has launched its first flight from Gatwick to Singapore, helping to complement its four daily flights from London Heathrow.
The new London Gatwick flight operates five times a week to Singapore and offers the fastest connecting service from the UK to Sydney at 21 hours 40 minutes.
"We are pleased to offer more choices to customers, with London Gatwick as our third UK gateway," commented Mohamed Rafi Mar, Singapore Airlines GM, UK & Ireland. "We have seen a growing demand for travel not just to Singapore, but to Southeast Asia and Australia."
The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection will head to the Asia-Pacific region aboard the third cruise yacht Luminara between December 2025 and May 2026. Offering ten new journeys, these Asia cruises will explore 28 ports in 10 countries, including Vietnam, Singapore, Japan and Thailand.
The cruises, ranging from 10- 15 nights, feature itineraries that include Hạ Long Bay, Vietnam; Puerto Princesa, Philippines, and access to the likes of Osaka and Bangkok.
"As the first luxury hotel brand to venture into the cruise space, we are thrilled to bring our yacht cruise voyages into Asia's most sought-after destinations," said Jenni Benzaquen, SVP of The Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis, and Bulgari Hotels and Resorts.
Non-Chinese residents of Hong Kong and Macau can enter mainland China more easily after China eased visa rules to integrate the semi-autonomous cities into national development plans.
Long-term residents who are not Chinese nationals will be eligible for a five-year permit to enter the mainland starting July 10, China's National Immigration Administration announced. They can enter the mainland multiple times for up to 90 days per visit.
Andy Probert is an experienced freelance business travel journalist and PR specialist.
