Travel & Leisure

    24 October 2026
    Yokkaichi's industrial waterfront in Mie prefecture, central Japan, glows after dark. Once known for pollution that sickened residents, the area now draws visitors on nighttime boat tours. (Photo by Stephen Mansfield)
    Japan's roughly 64,000 tax-free shops are preparing to transition from tax exemptions to refunds for foreign customers. (Photo by Hazumu Urushiyama)
    Travel & Leisure

    Japan's retailers brace for revamp of tax-free tourist shopping

    Department stores see move from exemptions to refunds hitting demand for high-end goods

    22 October 2026
    A Toyoko Inn in Frankfurt, Germany. The Japanese company plans to expand on its 17 overseas hotels. (Toyoko Inn)
    Travel & Leisure

    Japan budget hotels ramp up overseas push with public baths, free breakfast

    APA, others eye new properties in North America, Europe and Southeast Asia

    21 October 2026
    Zipair Tokyo aims to build a flight network connecting North America and Asia via Japan's Narita International Airport with its new route between Narita and the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur. (Photo by Shintaro Ino)
    Travel & Leisure

    Japan's Zipair launches Kuala Lumpur flight as first Malaysia route

    Economy starts at $220 one-way with eye also on North America-Asia transfer demand

    20 October 2026
    The sun deck of the ABN Rajmahal offers views of daily life along the Ganges River in eastern India. The writer and her fellow travelers visited historic towns and Buddhist ruins before rising waters forced them to continue their journey on land. (Courtesy of ABN Cruises)
    Destinations

    On the Ganges, the river sets the itinerary

    Luxury cruise passes former capitals and Buddhist ruins before floods intervene

    18 October 2026
    The companies say the fare increases reflect rising costs from inflation and service improvements. (Photo by Kazumi Saito)
    Transportation

    Japan bullet trains to raise super express fares in 2027

    JR Central and JR West fares to go up by $4 between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka

    16 October 2026
    Christian R. Baudat, country general manager of Ascott Japan, sees the area near Tokyo Station as a key hub for both short- and long-term travelers to Japan. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Mayuko Kurihara and The Ascott Limited)
    Interview

    Singapore residence provider Ascott bets on Tokyo Station area

    Company plans two more properties within walking distance of travel, business hub

    15 October 2026
    Oriental Land Chairperson and CEO Yumiko Takano unveils the name of the Disney Imagination cruise ship on Oct. 14. (Photo by Takashi Miyazaki)
    Travel & Leisure

    Japan Disney cruise ship to float a new travel option for busy families

    Disney Imagination will offer packages as short as two nights

    15 October 2026
    Vehicles line up for fuel at a gas station run by Indonesia's state energy company Pertamina in Denpasar, Bali, on Oct. 13.
    Energy

    Indonesia fuel shortages spread to Bali, other regions as prices climb

    State energy company faces 'growing pressure on cash flow,' analyst warns

    14 October 2026
    The new facility lets travelers automatically complete procedures for both sides of the border at one gate. (Photo by Kensaku Ihara)
    Politics

    New Hong Kong-China checkpoint can handle 200,000 trips a day

    Huanggang Port facility in Shenzhen set to slash crossing times

    14 October 2026
    A Boeing 737 Max aircraft in production at a Boeing facility in Renton, Washington. (Photo by Azusa Kawakami)
    14 October 2026
    Vietjet passengers were given souvenirs on the airline's first-ever flight outside Asia-Pacific when an Airbus A330 flew from Hanoi to Prague in the Czech Republic via Almaty in Kazakhstan on Oct. 10. (Vietjet)
    Transportation

    Vietjet's maiden Prague flight reveals Vietnamese carrier's global ambition

    Budget airline prepares more European flights, taps growing underserved markets

    12 October 2026
    John Aglionby, center, his son Julien, left, and their guide Ogi pose at sunrise on the summit of Mount Rinjani, a 3,726-meter-high volcano on the Indonesian island of Lombok. (Photo supplied by John Aglionby)
    Destinations

    On Lombok island, a volcano climb worth every step

    Indonesia's Mount Rinjani tests a family before rewarding them with extraordinary scenery

    10 October 2026
    Most of the guests who stay at The Ryokan O in Nakatsugawa, in central Japan, are from abroad. (The Ryokan O)
    Travel & Leisure

    Japan's Nakatsugawa aims to attract more visitors to 'Samurai Road'

    Despite delays to maglev train line, locals launch hotels, eateries

    10 October 2026
    Visitors tour the Temple of Heaven, also known as Tiantan Park, on National Day, the first day of China's Golden Week holiday, in Beijing on Oct. 1.
    Economy

    China Golden Week spending per trip hits 4-year low as overseas travel jumps

    Movie ticket sales fall to lowest in 12 years during weeklong holiday

    10 October 2026
    Tourists on My Khe Beach in Danang in March 2026. The Vietnamese coastal city has launched a campaign to curb begging and street solicitation in tourist areas. (Photo by Atsushi Tomiyama)
    Society

    Danang cracks down on begging as Vietnam tourism surges

    Popular destinations across the country grapple with persistent social challenges

    9 October 2026
    Passengers exit the station after arriving at Nanjing Railway Station on Oct. 7 in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province of China. Railways across Jiangsu Province have seen a surge in passenger arrivals during the return peak of the holiday period. (Photo by Yang Suping/Getty Images)
    Photos

    Through the Lens: China's Golden Week holiday

    A selection of striking photos from Asia

    9 October 2026
    The number of foreign visitors to Japan fell 2.7% on the year in the January-August period. (Photo by Toshiki Sasazu)
    Travel & Leisure

    Japan's tourist spending windfall shrinks as Chinese visitors plunge

    Travel surplus had offset country's digital trade deficit

    9 October 2026
    South Korea's Incheon airport, near Seoul, became the world's busiest international hub for the first time in the first half of 2026.
    Transportation

    Geopolitical headwinds hit airlines as Asia-Pacific tops route rankings

    Region dominates international and domestic seat capacity but China tensions loom

    8 October 2026
    South Korea has seized illegal imports of weight loss drugs such as Mounjaro.
    Pharmaceuticals

    South Koreans are sneaking cheap Mounjaro home from Japan to lose weight

    Customs seizures up sharply this year as price difference widens

    8 October 2026
    Wade Shealy, chairman and CEO at ThirdHome, a luxury home-exchange club, says that his company needs to secure properties in Japan to meet increasing demand from the wealthy owners. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Suzu Takahashi and Third Home)
    Travel & Leisure

    Japan demand draws entry of home-exchange service for wealthy owners

    ThirdHome targets Niseko, Hakuba and other resorts with eye on 600 properties

    7 October 2026
    Planes of Cathay Pacific and its budget unit HK Express are parked at Hong Kong International Airport. 
    Interview

    HK Express CEO says airline 'firmly on path to turnaround'

    Cathay Pacific budget unit swiftly slashes unprofitable routes; conditions 'still challenging'

    6 October 2026
    Solarina Setoda Marina opened in September on Ikuchijima Island, located off the coast of Hiroshima prefecture. (Photo by Momoko Kidera)
    Travel & Leisure

    Japan's Seto Inland Sea cruise tours target wealthy visitors

    Operators say more piers needed to increase capacity in scenic region

    4 October 2026
    A river winds through mangroves and limestone hills in Malaysia's Langkawi UNESCO Global Geopark. A boat trip reveals the island's rich wildlife and dramatic scenery. (Courtesy of The St. Regis Langkawi)
    Destinations

    Exploring Langkawi's ancient ecosystem

    A boat safari into the mangroves reveals an unexpected aspect of the Malaysian resort island

    4 October 2026
    Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky in 2025. Chesky said in a recent interview he would not open up Airbnb's platform to outside AI agents, which are designed to browse websites and complete transactions autonomously. (Photo by Manami Yamada)
    Travel & Leisure

    Airbnb unlikely to let AI agents like Muse make bookings, CEO says

    'Planning travel is entertainment,' Brian Chesky argues as firm seeks to avoid being bypassed

    3 October 2026
    Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways are competing for high-value customers. (Photo by Hajime Tsukada)
    Travel & Leisure

    JAL to lower bar for elite status in bid for frequent flyers

    Japan's top airlines compete on benefits as other differences narrow

    3 October 2026
    Thai Airways aircraft seen at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Thailand on Sept. 27. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
    Transportation

    Thai Airways suspends CEO after Bangkok airport chaos during flooding

    Company to conduct investigation, says luggage troubles affected its reputation

    2 October 2026
    A woman crosses a street in heavy rain during a typhoon in Tokyo.
    Travel & Leisure

    Japan's soggy September dampens tourist spending

    Heavy rain and record-low sunlight also threaten rice harvest

    2 October 2026
    Over 3.5 million passengers rode with the Thai low-cost carrier in the first half of 2026. 
    Transportation

    Vietjet Thailand aims to double revenue by 2028: CEO

    Budget airline's expansion plans include fuel-efficient jets and new routes

    2 October 2026
    A plane carrying passengers who were on a Flydubai aircraft bound for Israel from the United Arab Emirates, which was diverted to Saudi Arabia following an emergency, arrives at Ben Gurion International Airport, near Tel Aviv, on Sept. 30.
    Transportation

    Passengers foil bid to crash Dubai-Tel Aviv flight, Israeli officials say

    Netanyahu orders tighter checks on pilots flying to Israel

    1 October 2026