Travel

With 142 days to go until the FIFA World Cup 2026, Mexico’s state of Jalisco is finalising preparations to welcome international visitors, highlighting its strong tourism, transport and fan-focused readiness. Guadalajara, Jalisco’s capital, will host four group-stage matches at Estadio Guadalajara, including an opening-day fixture and the highly anticipated Mexico vs South Korea match on 18 June 2026.

Novotel, Accor’s founding brand, has launched Longevity Everyday, a new vision designed to redefine how hotels support guests’ wellbeing and quality of life by making longevity practical, intuitive, and accessible through small daily habits. With more than 600 hotels across 67 countries, the brand is responding to the rapidly growing longevity economy, expected to reach $4.6 trillion for the travel and hospitality sector by the end of the decade, and to rising traveller demand for mental and physical wellness. The strategy will roll out from 2026 onwards across four pillars—Eat, Sleep, Move, Meet—through refreshed bedding, healthier and more sustainable dining, movement-focused experiences, and enhanced meetings and family offerings, all underpinned by a commitment to ocean preservation. At the heart of the initiative is the Novotel 37 Collective, a global community of wellbeing leaders and experts inspiring achievable, everyday choices that compound into long-term impact.

The roomangel Foundation today announced the introduction of Assetware, a new intelligence category designed to redefine how artificial intelligence is connected, governed, and applied across the hospitality industry. The announcement was made during the Hotel Revolution Summit Dubai, where industry leaders gathered to examine the structural changes reshaping hotel performance in an increasingly AI-driven world.

The Call for Entries for the World Travel Awards 2026 is now open. Travel and tourism organisations worldwide are invited to submit their entries for the opportunity to win the industry’s most prestigious accolade. Organisations demonstrating market-leading excellence are encouraged to participate. All available categories can be viewed online. The application process is quick and straightforward, and entries are submitted via the World Travel Awards website.

This week marks the official opening of Desert X AlUla 2026, the landmark fourth edition of the international, open-air biennial exhibition. Arts AlUla, in collaboration with Desert X, welcomes visitors to experience a stellar line-up of Saudi and international multi-generational artists whose site-responsive earthworks, sculptures, and installations will engage in a powerful dialogue with the awe-inspiring landscapes and layered heritage of AlUla.