Here’s the latest news from the world of travel.
Indonesia: Elephant rides have been banned nationwide following a directive from the Ministry of Forestry's Directorate General of Natural Resources and Ecosystem Conservation.
Indonesia becomes the first Asian nation to outlaw the activity, which also affects tourism attractions, parks and conservation centres, on animal welfare grounds. The country is home to the critically endangered Sumatran elephant and the endangered Bornean elephant.
The ban, first mooted in December, has since accelerated. Bali's conservation sites, including Bali Zoo and Mason Elephant Park & Lodge, officially banned elephant rides in January.
"Based on our most recent monitoring, all five of the conservation sites in Bali have complied and no longer offers elephant rides for visitors," said agency head Ratna Hendratmoko.
The action "puts Indonesia at the forefront of elephant welfare," and makes it "the first country in Asia to ban elephant rides nationwide," said Jason Baker, president of PETA in Asia. "We urge the Thai government and other countries, including Nepal and India, to follow Indonesia's lead."
Vietnam: Budget carrier Vietjet has unveiled a new route to Singapore, with a direct flight from the resort of Nha Trang. The route, launching on December 11, will operate four times a week.
"The direct service will offer Singapore travellers a more convenient way to reach Nha Trang, reducing the need for Vietnam domestic transfers and opening up easier access to Vietnam's south-central coast," said the airline.
Vietjet currently flies from Singapore to Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Da Nang and Phu Quoc, offering more than 100 flights a week on these routes.
Poland: The Hel bus is back! Three years after the infamous 666 bus to the Hel Peninsula in Poland, it is set to return thanks to FlixBus.
FlixBus's 666 service will link Kraków with Hel, via Warsaw and popular resorts on the Hel Peninsula, such as Władysławowo, Chałupy, and Jurata.
The bus ran to Hel for years, but in 2023, the number was changed to 669 following protests from religious groups. In the 2026 summer season, the 666 number will return, with FlixBus launching the new long-distance line from Kraków.
Thailand: A new digital platform aimed at simplifying entry procedures for foreign visitors and long-stay residents is set to be launched.
The Thailand Immigration Management System (THIM) will become the country's first fully integrated web and mobile immigration platform. It will officially launch on October 1 and aims to streamline processes for the nation's 30 million-plus international visitors.
Thai immigration officials see the app becoming a must for foreigners, helping reduce paperwork for expatriates, long-stay travellers, and business visitors while supporting future automated airport clearance systems.
Under the new THIM system, travellers create a profile once and only need to update limited information for future visits, such as flight details and departure dates. Officials estimate the process will reduce the time to complete arrival forms to around three minutes.
The app is already available for pilot downloads and uses an electronic know-your-customer (e-KYC) verification process that matches user information with passport data. THIM supports English, Russian, Japanese, and Chinese, with plans to expand to 15 languages.
Italy: A tourist's request for a glass of tap water at a hotel restaurant in the Italian Dolomites has culminated in Italy's top court ruling that being served tap water is not a consumer right, reports The Guardian.
The case dates back to 2019, when the woman spent a week at the five-star hotel in the ski resort of Corvara. She was on a half-board deal with the evening meal included, except for drinks.
According to Italian press reports, the woman repeatedly asked for tap water with her meal, even offering to pay for it. This was refused, and instead she arrived at dinner each night to find a 0.75-litre bottle of mineral water, costing €7, on the table.
The woman then pursued legal action, arguing that water was "a natural resource and a universal human right". She sought €2,700 in compensation for the "economic damage and emotional distress" suffered.
Two courts dismissed her case, but she appealed to the Supreme Court of Cassation. That court confirmed there was no law in Italy obliging restaurant managers or hoteliers to serve customers tap water and dismissed the case.
South Korea: Travelling into and out of Jeju Island has become easier after the resumption of direct flights between Seoul Incheon International Airport. The Incheon-Jeju route, which was suspended in 2016, resumed full-scale operations in May.
Travellers wanting to get to Jeju Island had to take an airport bus to Gimpo International Airport and transfer to a domestic flight to reach the resort island.
Now, travellers can transfer from Incheon, reducing overall travel time from four hours to up to two hours. If passengers land at Terminal 2, they can reach Terminal 1 by taking a free shuttle bus from Gate 1 on the 1st floor. The Jeju Air flight route will operate until August 7 on Mondays and Fridays, and take 75 minutes.
Global: Airbnb is expanding beyond home rentals with new travel services, exclusive experiences, boutique hotels, and AI-powered tools designed to make trips more personalised.
Airbnb introduced Experiences and Services, allowing travellers to book accommodations, local activities, and in-home services like private chefs, all in one app. New services are being added including grocery delivery, airport transfers, luggage storage, and rental cars.
In the US, guests in more than 25 cities can order groceries through a partnership with Instacart, including optional pre-stocking before arrival. Airport pickup services are being rolled out in more than 160 cities worldwide through Welcome Pickups, offering private transfers with flight tracking and curbside pickup.
Airbnb has also partnered with Bounce for luggage storage, giving travellers access to more than 15,000 bag drop locations across 175 cities. Rental cars will soon be bookable directly in the app, with vehicles suggested based on the traveller's group size and location.
The company is also expanding Airbnb Experiences. Thousands of new activities led by local experts are being added across categories such as landmarks, food culture, and major events.
Sydney: A new dining experience called The Rocks will open in Sydney Airport's T2 Domestic this July. It will bring together a few of Australia's most-loved hospitality brands, including MoVida and ST. Ali and The Taphouse.
Mark Zaouk, Sydney Airport's group executive for commercial, said: "The Rocks precinct represents a step change in how we think about airport dining by bringing together a strong mix of contemporary food and drinks brands in a space that is open, welcoming and designed for connection."
According to Sydney Airport, the new addition has been inspired by the city's iconic harbour-side neighbourhood, The Rocks, and will channel the character and charm of its namesake.
UK: Disruptive plane passengers could find themselves banned from flying by all airlines under a new UK government proposal, Sky News reports.
It is understood that the Department for Transport and the Home Office are developing a scheme for carriers to share information on unruly travellers. The proposal, still at the concept stage, could require airlines to notify the government of disruptive passengers.
A participating airline could then be alerted when the same marked person checked in for a subsequent flight. It would then be up to that airline to determine how to respond, though it could refuse to carry them.
At present, unruly passengers banned from future travel by an airline can still fly with another airline due to a lack of information sharing, partly due to data protection rules.
