2017's Most Instagrammed Locations
Posted on 12/01/2017, 7:00 AM
Instagram released its year in review this week, looking back at 2017's top trends on the popular photo-sharing social network.Among the not-so-surprising revelations that Beyoncé's pregnancy announcement in February got the most likes (11.1 million) and pop star Selena Gomez had the most followers (130 million and counting), there were several travel-related findings as well. In fact, #travel was ...
Paid Reservations Now Required to Visit California's Muir Woods
Posted on 11/29/2017, 7:00 PM
From Dubrovnik to Machu Picchu, popular tourist destinations around the world are devising new sign-up strategies to combat overcrowding caused by hordes of temporary visitors.The latest spot to add to the list, as Frommer's reported would happen back in 2015: Muir Woods National Monument in Mill Valley, California, north of San Francisco. Starting on January 16, 2018, each visitor who arrives to t...
Two Brand New Museums Dedicated to Mississippi History
Posted on 11/28/2017, 1:30 AM
Side-by-side history museums in Mississippi's capital city, Jackson, will open to the public on December 9—one day before the state's bicentennial.The brand-new institutions share an entrance and a downtown address (222 North St.) in the mid-state city because the stories they tell are inextricably entwined, as you can see from their names: the Museum of Mississippi History and the Mississippi Civi...
Brazil Just Got a Whole Lot Easier to Visit
Posted on 11/26/2017, 7:00 PM
Hallelujah! Brazil's arms are finally opening wide to tourists.For years, if you wanted to visit the riches of this South American country, you soon found out how difficult it was. You'd have to make an appointment with the nearest Brazilian embassy or consulate, and that could take more than a month. On the big day, you'd travel there and proffer your passport along with photo, an application, and...
Spectacular Holiday Show Added to Universal's Hogwarts Castle
Posted on 11/22/2017, 12:45 PM
Harry Potter is getting into the holiday spirit at Universal theme parks in Orlando and Southern California for the first time this year. In Central Florida, seasonal features at Potter-related attractions were unveiled on November 18 at both of Universal's Florida parks, Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. In the latter, a yuletide spell has been cast on Hogwarts Castle, where, after dark,...
Blaming Trump, Another Airline Calls It Quits in Cuba
Posted on 11/17/2017, 3:30 PM
Alaska Airlines will discontinue its service to Cuba on January 22, 2018, the carrier has announced. The reason: the Trump Administration's new rules that make it too difficult for Americans to visit the island.The tighter restrictions do away with the Obama-era "people-to-people" travel exemption. That means that Americans who want to visit Cuba must now do so with authorized tours and cruises inv...
The U.S. Frequent Flyer Program with the Highest Customer Satisfaction Is...
Posted on 11/16/2017, 7:00 PM
Measuring loyalty programs separately from overall airline satisfaction for the first time, the market research company J.D. Power devised a 1,000-point scale rating the six largest U.S. carriers on four factors: earning/redeeming rewards, program benefits, account management, and member communication. JetBlue's TrueBlue program came in first with a score of 800, narrowly beating out Alaska Airlin...
Hotel for Liberals Coming to Washington, D.C.
Posted on 11/14/2017, 7:30 PM
Well-to-do liberal travelers with lodging preferences that are more detailed than "anywhere but a Trump hotel" now have a brand aimed squarely at securing their business. In 2018, Langham Hospitality Group is relaunching its Eaton hotels, now renamed Eaton Workshop, with properties in Washington, D.C. and Hong Kong (where Langham is based). Programming, amenities, and artwork will be intended to ap...
You Can Finally Have Breakfast at Tiffany's—Lunch, Too
Posted on 11/09/2017, 4:30 PM
As Audrey Hepburn demonstrated with maximum glamour in 1961, you could technically always have breakfast at Tiffany & Co. on Fifth Avenue in New York City, provided you brought your own coffee and croissant.But now, at long last, the iconic jewelry store is actually serving breakfast—as well as lunch and afternoon tea—in the newly opened Tiffany Blue Box Cafe, located on the freshly renovated f...
U.S. Government Makes It Harder for Americans to Visit Cuba
Posted on 11/08/2017, 4:30 PM
Travel to Cuba gets tougher for Americans this week.New rules released by the Trump Administration ban most independent travel to the island, requiring visitors from the U.S. to rely on authorized "people-to-people" tour companies instead. That's a return to the way things were before President Barack Obama restored diplomatic relations with Cuba in 2015. In June of this year, his successor announc...
