Travel Digest: 02.11–06.11.2026

Global tourism to hit a record 1.57 billion trips in 2026; European arrivals up 5%

According to a report presented at WTM London, international tourism will reach a new all-time high in 2026 despite conflicts and rising costs. By 2032, Europe is expected to receive 226 million more foreign tourists per year than today.

In 2026, global tourism will reach a record 1.57 billion trips, with travel to Europe growing by 5% as travellers increasingly choose destinations closer to home.

According to the WTM Global Travel Report 2026, international trips are set to grow by 2% compared with 2025, despite conflicts, rising airfares and the higher cost of living.

The total number of nights spent by tourists, including domestic and international trips, is expected to reach 23.9 billion. Destination spending in both segments is forecast to rise by 9% to $7.8 trillion (€6.97 trillion).

Kyrgyzstan prepares to launch the large-scale Ala-Too Resort ski complex in Jyrgalan

Source: ru.kabar.kg

Kyrgyzstan continues to actively develop its tourism infrastructure, betting on winter and year-round tourism.

One of the most ambitious projects in this field is the Ala-Too Resort ski complex under construction in the Jyrgalan area of the Issyk-Kul region. The first phase is scheduled to open in December 2026.

The first stage includes the launch of six cable cars and the creation of 47 kilometres of ski runs. The project also covers supporting infrastructure: hotels, ski equipment rental points, ski-pass offices, parking and other facilities needed for a comfortable tourist stay.

The project matters greatly for Kyrgyzstan's tourism industry. The country has significant natural potential for mountain, eco and sports tourism, and modern infrastructure will help attract a wider international audience.

Tajikistan to allocate over $29 million for tourism development

Source: inform.kz

Tajikistan will channel more than $29 million into its tourism industry by 2030, Kazinform's correspondent in Dushanbe reports.

The corresponding resolution — «On the action plan for implementing the Tourism Development Strategy of the Republic of Tajikistan for the period to 2030 in 2027–2030» — was adopted by the government of Tajikistan on 27 July 2026.

The new strategy includes 37 key measures across six main areas. Funding totals 273.4 million somoni ($29.5 million): 60.8 million from the state budget, 68.9 million from development partners and 143.6 million somoni from the private sector.

The action plan covers every aspect of the industry — from building modern infrastructure, ensuring tourist safety and strengthening the sector's workforce to introducing the «E-mehmon» system and promoting the country's tourism potential at international exhibitions.

The Tourism Development Committee is tasked with reporting annually to the government on the plan's implementation by 1 March.

Armenia's regional hotels risk being left without guests

Source: am.sputniknews.ru

Armenia expected tourist flows to grow this autumn; instead, the market has been noticeably passive, and official statistics may yet be «rescued» by COP17 participants.

Russian citizens traditionally provided the main flow — about 705,000 people in nine months (40.1% of all visits).

As for domestic tourism, an additional risk factor is the planned end of the social package programme for civil servants (used by 130,000–150,000 people overall). The change, scheduled for 2027, could create problems for regional hotels and resorts that mainly served social package recipients.

Around 60,000 package recipients chose leisure and travel services (sanatorium stays, tours around Armenia, fitness clubs); according to expert Gevorkyan, their share accounted for about 30% of all domestic tourism in Armenia's regional hotels.

Greenland opens a new international airport to attract tourists

Source: apnews.com

Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen called the new airport «one of the largest investments» in the island's history. Nielsen was among the 169 passengers on Thursday's 4.5-hour Airbus A330neo flight. An Associated Press journalist also flew with state carrier Air Greenland as part of a trip organised by the tourism agency Visit Greenland.

Ilulissat, known as the «city of icebergs», lies on the island's west coast and is home to about 5,000 people. Greenland's third-largest city is also one of the most visited places on the island. More than 550 kilometres (342 miles) north of the capital Nuuk, it offers every kind of tourism, from dog sledding to cruises along the ice fjord in scenic Disko Bay, famous for its huge icebergs.

Ilulissat's airport has a 5,000-square-metre (53,820 sq ft) terminal and a new 2,200-metre (1.37-mile) runway able to receive larger passenger aircraft.

Park Hyatt Phu Quoc to open in December 2026 as the brand's first resort in Vietnam

Source: traveldailynews.asia

Park Hyatt Phu Quoc will welcome its first guests on 18 December 2026, marking the debut of the Park Hyatt resort brand in Vietnam. The luxury complex on the island's southwest coast will offer 114 rooms and suites, 54 villas with private pools and an eight-bedroom residence; bookings are already open.

Designed in the style of a modern Vietnamese coastal village, the resort will combine traditional architecture, local cultural experiences and wellness programmes across 65 hectares with a 1.7-kilometre white-sand beach. Guests will find six restaurants, SOMA Wellbeing — the brand's first rhythm-focused spa — cultural events, family entertainment and direct beach access.

Park Hyatt Phu Quoc is about a 25-minute drive from Phu Quoc International Airport, keeping it accessible for local and international travellers.

Vietnam welcomed 19.5 million foreign tourists in ten months

Source: en.vietnamplus.vn

According to the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism (VNAT), 19.5 million foreign tourists visited the country in the first ten months of 2026, up 13.8% year on year — about 78% of the annual target of 25 million.

Asia remains the largest source of visitors, accounting for almost 75% of all arrivals — 14.6 million people. Europe is second with 3.22 million (16.5%), followed by the Americas with 1.04 million (4.4%), Oceania with 602,700 (3.1%) and Africa with 59,900 (0.3%).

China remains Vietnam's biggest market with almost 4.4 million visitors, followed by the Republic of Korea (3.4 million), Russia (1.25 million) and Taiwan (1.07 million).

Singapore Airlines leads the 2026 Business Traveller Awards

Source: bangladeshmonitor.com.bd

Singapore Airlines, Emirates and Qatar Airways were among the top winners of the Business Traveller Awards 2026, which honour the leading brands of the global travel industry — airlines, airports, hotels and travel services.

This year's regional awards were decided by a readers' vote, with more than 85,000 votes cast across all regions. According to Business Traveller, an expert panel selected the winners of the international awards.

Singapore Airlines was named the world's best airline, followed by Qatar Airways, Emirates, Cathay Pacific and Turkish Airlines. The Singaporean carrier also took first place for Best Business Class, Best Cabin Crew and Best Frequent Flyer Programme, with KrisFlyer beating British Airways Executive Club, Flying Blue and Miles & More.

Libya says international aviation restrictions lifted after 11 years

Source: reuters.com

Libya's Ministry of Transport said on Monday that airspace restrictions imposed by the UN's International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in 2015, during the country's civil war, have been lifted.

According to the ministry, the decision, officially published on 23 October, was announced by ICAO Secretary General Juan Carlos Salazar at the opening of a meeting of Middle East civil aviation officials in Doha.

«This measure is the result of significant progress achieved recently and of confidence in the capabilities of Libya's civil aviation sector», the Tripoli-based ministry said in a statement on its verified Facebook page.

In a separate statement, the ministry said the North African country had received requests for transit through Libyan airspace, describing them as «unprecedented demand from international airlines».

Air Astana and China Southern sign a strategic agreement

Source: ttrweekly.com

On 30 October 2026, Kazakhstan's Air Astana and China Southern Airlines signed a strategic partnership agreement aimed at developing air connectivity between Kazakhstan and China. The cooperation covers schedule coordination, expanded code-sharing, joint route promotion and more convenient conditions for international passengers.

The partnership will give travellers more options for flights between the two countries' cities and make it easier to plan transit journeys via Almaty and Astana. The airlines' current network covers Beijing, Guangzhou, Urumqi, Shanghai and Xi'an.

The cooperation also aims to grow tourist flows, strengthen business ties and attract Chinese travellers to Kazakhstan. For the tourism industry, it opens additional prospects for international tourism, the hotel business and transit traffic.

Foreign tourists are discovering new ways to travel in China

Source: russian.people.com.cn

Inbound tourism in China keeps gaining popularity, and foreign travellers are discovering the country in ever more varied ways, People's Daily reports. Their trips are no longer limited to traditional sights: visitors are increasingly drawn to new technology, culture and unusual consumption formats.

In Shanghai, tourists are taking to rides in new-energy vehicles and encounters with driverless transport and intelligent robots. Some travel companies offer dedicated technology routes where travellers experience drone delivery, autonomous cars and high-speed rail.

In Sichuan, foreign tourists visit the filming locations of xianxia series (a fantasy literary genre) and explore traditional Chinese wuxia culture — an adventure genre of Chinese fantasy showcasing martial arts.

UAE begins reopening beaches after the oil spill

Source: profi.travel

Hotels in Ajman are reopening beaches closed after the oil spill off the UAE coast. According to tour operator Intourist, the beaches of six hotels in the emirate are open again. Earlier social media reports about the closure of Al Mamzar beach in Dubai proved false: swimming there is allowed.

Meanwhile, the authorities announced that the leak from the tanker GEM NO. 2 has been stopped and pollution has fallen significantly. Specialists continue repairing the damaged sections of the vessel and assessing its hull, state news agency WAM reports.

According to Intourist's partner company in the UAE, the beaches of the following hotels are currently open:

Dusit Ajman;

Fairmont Ajman;

Bahi Ajman Palace;

Ramada Hotel & Suites Ajman;

Ramada Beach Ajman;

Wyndham Garden Ajman Corniche;

Qatar welcomed 2.95 million visitors in the first ten months of 2026

Source: qna.org.qa

Qatar received 2.95 million visitors arriving by land, air and sea in the first ten months of 2026. According to Qatar Tourism, October arrivals grew 21.7% to 336,000, up from 276,000 in September.

From January to October, the largest share of visitors came from the Gulf Cooperation Council countries — 39.9% of the total, or 1.176 million people. Asia and Oceania came second, accounting for 21.4% of all visitors, or 630,000 people.

Europe ranked third with 620,000 visitors (21%), followed by the Americas at 7.3% (216,000). Other Arab countries were fifth with 209,000 visitors (7.1%), and other African countries sixth with 96,000 (around 3.3%).

Why are flights from Budapest to China being cut?

Source: dailynewshungary.com

Neither China Eastern Airlines nor Shanghai Airlines has publicly given detailed explanations for the flight cancellations. Hainan Airlines has also not officially confirmed specific commercial reasons for the latest schedule changes. Still, several economic and operational factors may explain why airlines are trimming long-haul routes.

– High jet fuel prices: long-haul flights burn large amounts of fuel, making their profitability especially sensitive to global energy prices. Higher operating costs can make low-margin routes less attractive.

– Insufficient demand: if flights fail to attract enough paying passengers, or average ticket revenue is too low, operating them can become financially unviable. For now, though, there is no publicly confirmed evidence that low bookings caused the cancellations.

Thailand drafts its 2028–2032 tourism development plan

Source: nationthailand.com

The government is pressing on with efforts to modernise Thailand's tourism industry and turn it into a key driver of sustainable economic growth, deputy government spokesperson Lalida Perisviwatana announced on Saturday (31 October 2026).

At its second meeting of 2026, chaired by Suphajee Suthumpun, the National Tourism Policy Committee discussed the approach to drafting the fourth national tourism development plan (2028–2032), aimed at raising tourism's economic significance.

The draft plan focuses on improving the quality of tourism products and services, expanding high-spending visitor markets and distributing income to small businesses and local communities. It targets at least 4 trillion baht in tourism revenue and a rise to 30th place in the global Travel & Tourism Development Index (TTDI).

Montreal tops the ranking of the safest cities for travel in 2027

Source: ru.euronews.com

According to a new ranking, European cities such as Zurich, Amsterdam and Reykjavik are considered among the safest in the world for travellers.

A new study ranking the world's safest cities for travel in 2027 put Canada's Montreal in first place, with nine European destinations in the top 15. The list, published by insurer Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection, was built from an initial selection of 38 popular cities and a survey of more than 1,500 people about which of them they had visited.

Travellers who had been to those 38 destinations rated them on various safety measures based on their own experience. The results were combined with safety indices from Numbeo and The Economist, as well as GeoSure Global's city ratings.

Montreal was named the world's safest city for travel in 2027: up from 16th place last year, it scored 82.18 points and was noted for its low crime rate.

Expedia raises its annual bookings forecast on resilient travel demand

Source: Reuters — 04.11.2026

US travel company Expedia Group has raised its 2026 gross bookings forecast to $131.4–131.9 billion, up from the previously expected $129.5–130.8 billion. The move reflects resilient travel demand despite rising airfares and economic uncertainty.

Third-quarter revenue rose 12% year on year to $4.94 billion, while bookings grew 11% to $34 billion. Growth was especially strong in the B2B segment, which brings together corporate clients and travel partners.

At the same time, Expedia warned of a possible slowdown in the fourth quarter, citing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, the situation in Europe and uncertainty around the US elections among the risk factors.

The results point to sustained interest in travel, although the foreign-policy environment and rising travel costs continue to weigh on the market.

TOURISM COMMITTEE OF THE REPUBLIC OF UZBEKISTAN

Department of Strategic Planning, Information and Analytics

SILK ROAD INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE AT THE SILK ROAD INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF TOURISM AND CULTURAL HERITAGE

Compiled by:

Alisher Azamatov — Lead Specialist, Department of Strategic Planning, Information and Analytics

Elyor O'rozaliyev — Senior Research Fellow, Department of Global Trends and Risk Analysis, Silk Road International Research Institute at the Silk Road International University of Tourism and Cultural Heritage

The digest is prepared weekly. Materials are compiled from open-source reports.