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Showing posts from September, 2024

Hotels reveal their wildest room service orders

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Also: Shameful tourist actions and the best airline reward programs View in Browser 09.14.24 In  travel  news this week: odd room service requests, the cruise passengers stranded for months at their departure port, plus how a rogue bag of Cheetos caused havoc in a New Mexico cave.   By Maureen O'Hare   🏨 Unusual guest requests Room service. (Erik Von Weber/The Image Bank RF/Getty Images) Far be it from us to say folks are getting a little entitled, but a new report from Hotels.com has revealed the oddest room service requests made to its hotel partners around the world.   There's the Evian-filled bathtub requested for a child's routine scrub-up, and the customized, allergen-free menu for a pet.   There's the separate requests that were fielded for burnt toast, fresh goat milk and 2 kilos of bananas.   And finally there's the demand for a high-five from a team member to ensure their room service r

How US vacations made America No. 1

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Also: Nightlife in the mocktail era and Britain's oldest sleeper train service View in Browser 09.07.24 In  travel  news this week: booze-free bars are on the rise, the unexpected perks of traveling with kids, plus the countries whose tourism economies are booming.   By Maureen O'Hare   πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ Why tourism matters Arches National Park in Utah. (Mark Brodkin/Moment RF/Getty Images) The United States is the world's most powerful travel and tourism market, bringing in a record-breaking $2.36 trillion to the nation's economy in 2023, a new report by industry body the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has revealed.   This has been a  tricky year for tourism globally, with protests across Europe and local communities pushing back against damage to their environment and their lifestyles. Just this week, New Zealand tripled  its tourist tax and Rome is thinking about limiting access to the world-famous  Trevi Fo