TravelNews

Africa’s hotel development pipeline hits record high as East Africa leads in construction momentum

The 2026 Hotel Chain Development Pipelines in Africa report by W Hospitality Group reveals a record 123,846 rooms across 675 hotels and resorts. This represents year-on-year growth of 18.6%, or 12.2% on a same-store basis.

While the overall pipeline reflects strong continental expansion, the data show that development activity is increasingly concentrated in a small number of dominant markets. The top ten countries now account for 79% of total pipeline rooms and more than 75% of new signings, reinforcing their growing influence on Africa’s hotel development trajectory.

TravelNews

Airlines raise airfares as fuel costs surge amid Middle East conflict

Australia’s Qantas Airways, Scandinavia’s Scandinavian Airlines (SAS), and Air New Zealand announced airfare increases on Tuesday, citing a sudden surge in jet fuel costs linked to the escalating conflict in the Middle East.

The three carriers said the spike in energy prices had significantly increased operating costs, forcing them to pass some of the burden on to passengers through higher ticket prices. Airlines are particularly sensitive to fuel price swings because fuel typically accounts for a substantial share of operating expenses.

TravelNews

AWESOME HAS LANDED! LEGO® GALAXY OFFICIALLY OPENS AT LEGOLAND® CALIFORNIA RESORT

Mission accomplished! LEGOLAND® California Resort officially just launched a brand-new land into orbit: LEGO® Galaxy. This milestone marks one of the most ambitious expansions in the Park’s history and is part of Merlin Entertainments’ largest single in-park investment across its North American LEGOLAND Resorts, which includes the recent launch of LEGO Galaxy at LEGOLAND Florida Resort and last week’s debut at LEGOLAND California Resort.

TravelNews

VIDEOS: Trip.com

Trip.com Group is one of the world’s leading online travel service providers, offering a comprehensive platform for booking flights, hotels, attractions, tours and ground transportation through its global digital ecosystem. Operating across more than 200 countries and regions, the company connects travellers with millions of travel products while supporting destinations and partners with technology, data insights and marketing tools to reach global audiences. Through brands including Trip.com, Skyscanner and Ctrip, the group focuses on making travel more accessible, personalised and seamless for travellers around the world.

TravelNews

Trip.com Expands Global Rail Vision at ITB Berlin 2026

At ITB Berlin 2026, Trip.com Group highlighted its growing ambitions in the European rail sector, with Alvaro Ungurean, Commercial Director for Europe in the company’s International Train division, outlining how the global travel platform is working to simplify cross-border rail travel and integrate train services more seamlessly into the wider digital travel ecosystem.

TravelNews

Jet2holidays reaches 1,500 certified sustainable hotels milestone

Jet2holidays has announced that 1,500 hotels in its collection are now classified as a ‘Certified Sustainable Hotel’, meaning that they meet an official standard for sustainable accommodation practices on ABTA’s list of hotel certification schemes.