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In this article UAL Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTHong Kong-Taipei is the busiest international flight route, according to a report released Tuesday by aviation intelligence company OAG. Seven of the 10 busiest international routes in the world are in Asia-Pacific, though seat capacity on many of those routes still haven't recovered to 2019 levels. Busiest domestic routesDomestic flight routes are far busier than international ones, in terms of the volume of scheduled seats. The busiest route in the world is in South Korea, linking Seoul to the island of Jeju. Busiest domestic routes by regionThe busiest route in Africa links South Africa's Cape Town to Johannesburg (5 million seats) and in Europe, Spain's Barcelona to the island of Mallorca (2.9 million seats).

Persons: Hong, —, John Grant, OAG, Grant Organizations: Air Japan, Shanghai —, Spain's Locations: Hong Kong, Taipei, Asia, Cairo, Jeddah, Seoul Incheon, Tokyo, Japan, Haneda, Narita, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Bangkok, New York, JFK, London, Heathrow, North America, Europe, America, Orlando , Florida, San Juan , Puerto Rico, South Korea, Seoul, Jeju, Hokkaido, Fukuoka, Tokyo Haneda, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, Africa, South, Town, Johannesburg, Spain's Barcelona, Mallorca

Indian travelers spent $34.2 billion on outbound travel in 2023, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council. But the current level of Indian travel is "minuscule" compared with what's to come, Alan Watts, Hilton's Asia-Pacific president, told "Squawk Box Asia" Monday. "India outbound will be the story of the next decade." By 2034, Indian travelers' outbound spend is projected to more than double to $76.8 billion, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council's Economic Impact 2024 report — which would make the country the seventh-largest travel spenders in the world, up from 12th in 2023. "When you think of India, it has the characteristics of China, which is the second largest lodging market in the world," said Watts.

Persons: what's, Alan Watts, Watts Organizations: Tourism Council, Hilton's, Tourism Locations: Hilton's Asia, Pacific, India, China

During the first nine months of 2024, international arrivals worldwide reached 98% of pre-pandemic levels, compared to the same period in 2019, it said. The remaining 2% gap will close this month, according to the organization, marking a momentous shift in the industry into a new era of growth. Growth in the region during that timeframe was led by an increase of visitors to Qatar (+141%) and Saudi Arabia (+61%), it said. Epicenter of global growthInternational travel in Asia-Pacific may be lagging behind today, but it's expected to be the epicenter of global travel growth in the coming decades. 'Back with a vengeance'Global recovery has been thwarted by the slow return of two types of travelers: Chinese outbound travelers and business travelers.

Persons: Alan Watts, Hilton, Watts, Anthony Capuano Organizations: Council International Asia, Indonesia . Hospitality, Hilton's, Marriott International, Sheraton, CNBC Travel, Marriott Locations: U.N . Tourism, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Africa, Europe, Americas, Asia, Pacific, Middle, China, India, Indonesia, Hilton's Asia, Vietnam, Japan, Southeast Asia

Ed Sheeran announced this week he's taking his Mathematics Tour to Bhutan, India and the Middle East in early 2025. Tickets went on sale Saturday, with the cheapest tickets, priced at 860 Bhutanese ngultrum ($10) already sold out. Other tickets for the concert at Thimpu's Changlimithang Stadium are priced at $30, $50, $70 and $100. The average price for an Ed Sheeran concert ticket is $167, according to the user ranking website Ranker.com, which ranked Sheeran No. By contrast, tickets to see Sheeran perform in Singapore in February ranged from $88 to $488 Singapore dollars ($65 to $363), according to the booking website Klook.

Persons: Ed Sheeran, Sheeran, Pink — Locations: Bhutan, India, Thimphu, Jan, Singapore

Six travelers have died from suspected methanol poisoning after visiting the tourist town of Vang Vieng, Laos, this month. A lack of knowledge about methanol poisoning, from the public as well as the medical communities where outbreaks often occur, exacerbates the problem, according to the organization. Where incidents are the highestMost incidents of methanol poisoning occur in Asia, according to Doctors Without Borders. A website by Doctors Without Borders that monitors methanol poisoning says many foreign tourists have fallen victim to methanol poisoning after consuming incorrectly distilled "arak" in Bali, Lombok and Gili Islands. In September, several people were poisoned by methanol in Indonesia after consuming alcohol ordered off the internet, according to the website.

Persons: Colin Ahaern, it's Organizations: Doctors Locations: Vang Vieng, Laos, Australia, Denmark, United Kingdom, United States, New Zealand, Asia, arak, Bali, Lombok, Gili, Indonesia, Iran

In this article MAR Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTMarriott International's business operations and growth are solid, CEO Anthony Capuano told CNBC Monday, amid layoffs of more than 800 corporate employees and continued sluggishness in China's tourism market. Marriott International reported net room growth of 6% year-on-year and room rate growth of 2.5%, driven by a strong return of group travel, which Capuano called the "bright, shining star" for the business today. The company raised its year-end guidance for net room growth, and added 9 million new Bonvoy members in the third quarter. That measure turned out to be corporate layoffs, first reported by the travel media company Skift on Nov. 14, which later linked to a notice of "mass layoffs" of 833 Marriott employees posted on a Maryland government labor website. watch nowCapuano denied that the company — which doubled in size during the past decade — grew too big, too fast, at least in terms of corporate employees, instead calling the move a much-needed "reorganization" of its global corporate structure.

Persons: Anthony Capuano, Capuano, Leeny Oberg, —, Rather Organizations: Marriott, CNBC, Marriott International, Uber, Starbucks Locations: RevPar, China, Greater China, Maryland, Bethesda , Maryland

Thailand's same-sex marriage legislation, scheduled to come into effect in January 2025, could attract an additional 4 million tourists to the country per year, according to a report commissioned by the travel company Agoda. The report published Thursday estimates the country's marriage equality law may increase tourism arrivals by 10%, netting the country an extra $2 billion in tourism revenue per year, within two years. Arrivals are expected to come, not only from same-sex couples and their wedding guests, but from the broader LGBTQ community and beyond. The new law will make Thailand the third place in Asia to allow same-same marriage, following Taiwan in 2019 and, on a more limited basis, Nepal in 2023. The law is also set to grant same-sex couples rights related to child adoption, health care and inheritance.

Organizations: Thailand's Tourism Industry, Partnership Locations: Thailand, Asia, Taiwan, Nepal

Delta Air Lines allows buyers to personalize gift cards with photos and is shipping gift cards for free through Dec. 13. Royal Caribbean sells gift cards that can be redeemed for a cruise booking, but not pre-cruise purchases such as shore excursions, beverage packages and internet. Intrepid Travel, which specializes in sustainable tours for small groups, lets gift buyers purchase specific tours for another person. Other websites offer gift cards that aren't tied to specific brands, but reviews are mixed on some of those companies. For example, Finnair gift cards expire in one year, while Airbnb gift cards aren't available in every region.

Persons: Zs, millennials, Reddit, Rick Steves, Hilton Organizations: American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Marriott, Royal, Intrepid Locations: Italy, Rick Steves Italy, Lyft, Royal Caribbean, U.S

LVMH-owned luxury hospitality company Belmond will launch a luxury sleeper train next year that will take travelers through the countryside of England and Wales. The Britannic Explorer will run three itineraries: one to the southwestern county of Cornwall and the other to the opposite end of England through the Lake District of Cumbria in the north, while the third will journey though the country of Wales. All trips will start from London and run for three nights, with the England routes operating during the weekends (Fridays to Mondays) and the Wales route during the week (Monday to Thursday), allowing travelers to combine two journeys into one trip. Belmond operates several luxury hotels around the globe, including the famed Venice Simplon-Orient-Express and Asia's Eastern & Oriental Express.

Organizations: Belmond, Orient, Oriental Express Locations: England, Wales, Cornwall, Lake District, Cumbria, London, Venice

Temperatures are cooling in Japan, but interest in visiting shows no signs of abating, as autumn arrivals continue to outpace pre-pandemic levels. Before the pandemic, China was Japan's largest tourism source market, representing 30% of all arrivals, according to Japanese authorities. Chinese visitors to Japan doubled last month, from 325,645 in September 2023 to 652,300 in September 2024, according to Japan's tourism statistics. From January to September this year, more than 5.2 million visitors from China visited Japan, a 228% increase from 2023, according to preliminary statistics. But that leaves plenty of space to grow to reach the 9.6 million that arrived in 2019.

Organizations: Japan National Tourism Organization Locations: Japan, China

Americans disappointed with the outcome of the U.S. election took their anguish online, with searches related to moving abroad surging following the results of the presidential race. Google Trends showed that searches related to "leaving the country" and "how to move to …" spiked following the news that Donald Trump would be returning to the White House. Searches for "how to move to Canada" peaked on Nov. 6, with Google Trends showing interest in the phrase highest among Democratic strongholds, like Vermont, Maine, Oregon and Washington. A survey conducted earlier this month found that 21% of Americans said they would consider moving abroad if their preferred candidate lost the race. Among those polled, nearly 60% said they would be "very unlikely" to move, while only 2.6% said they were "very likely" to uproot and leave.

Persons: Donald Trump Organizations: Google, Democratic, NBC, Trump —, Casino.org Locations: Canada, Vermont , Maine , Oregon, Washington, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Minnesota, Indiana

From Friday, citizens of nine more countries can enter China without needing a visa to visit. South Korea is a major tourism source market for China. In 2019, some 4.3 million South Koreans visited China, according to The Korea Times. Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported less than 1.3 million visited in 2023. Share prices of prominent Chinese and Korean travel companies rose following Beijing's announcement of the expanded visa-free program on Friday.

Persons: Trip.com Organizations: Europe —, Liechtenstein —, The Korea Times, Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Jin Locations: China, Europe, Europe — Slovakia, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Andorra, Monaco, South Korea

Kamala Harris told supporters "we must accept the results of this election " after she conceded defeat Wednesday to President-elect Donald Trump . "Earlier today, I spoke with President-elect Trump and congratulated him on his victory," Harris said at the vice president's alma mater Howard University, in Washington, D.C. It was the first time that Harris had spoken on camera to the public since Trump declared victory early Wednesday morning. "We will continue to wage this fight in the voting booth, in the courts and in the public square," she said.

Persons: Kamala Harris, Donald Trump, Trump, Harris, alma Organizations: alma mater Howard University, Washington , D.C, Trump Locations: Washington ,

U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) and U.S. House of Representatives Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY). "As more results come in it is clear that, as we have predicted all along, Republicans are poised to have unified government in the White House, Senate and House," Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson said Wednesday in a statement. "The party that will hold the majority in the House of Representatives in January 2025 has yet to be determined. Democrats poured huge sums of money into House races, trying to flip the lower chamber. They far outspent their Republican rivals in many of the most competitive House races across the country.

Persons: Mike Johnson, Hakeem Jeffries, Donald Trump Organizations: House, Democratic, Republicans, Senate, Republican, NBC News, Congressional, Maine's, GOP Locations: D

Former President Donald Trump's universal tariff proposals could cause prices to skyrocket on clothing, toys, furniture, household appliances, footwear and travel goods, according to a new report from the National Retail Federation. Trump has said he would impose a 10% or 20% tariff on all imports across the board. In both cases, the NRF found that the impact of Trump's tariffs would be "dramatic" double-digit percentage price spikes in nearly all six retail categories that the trade group examined. The report found that the greatest price spikes could occur for toys: between 36.3% and 55.8%. The report found that the more expensive retail goods would lead to a $46 billion decrease in purchasing power, if Trump imposes both universal tariffs and especially high China rates.

Persons: Donald Trump's, Trump, Mark Zandi Organizations: Abercrombie, Fitch, National Retail Federation, Republican, Bureau of Labor Statistics, CNBC Locations: Manhattan, New York City, China, Mexico, Raleigh , North Carolina

Search interest for "Travel Tuesday" rose more than 500% from 2021 to 2023, according to a report published by McKinsey & Company on Thursday. Searches are highest among American and Canadian consumers, but interest is also rising in Australia, the United Kingdom, Netherlands and Spain, according to McKinsey. "European travel companies can anticipate the possibility that Travel Tuesday will become a growing phenomenon in their region," McKinsey's report notes. Searches for "Cyber Monday" are far greater than "Travel Tuesday," but interest in the former is declining, it showed. "But unlike some of the impulse purchases consumers make on Black Friday, travel bookings can require more planning."

Persons: —, Kristen Jennings, Ryan Mann, Mann Organizations: McKinsey & Company, McKinsey, Google, Bawah Reserve, McKinsey's, Logistics, Infrastructure Locations: Canadian, Australia, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Spain, North America, Western Europe, Singapore, Asia, Riau

But some countries make motorists more nervous than others. A survey published in October shows drivers are most concerned about getting behind the wheel in India. With a score of 7.15 out of 10, India had the average highest score out of 49 countries in the survey. The survey is not based on statistical information, such as roadway safety or fatalities, but perceptions of drivability among non-locals. The top 10 list is a mix of countries across Asia, Africa and South America.

Locations: India, United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Pune, Asia, Africa, South America

A report from travel news site Skift shows that seven major airlines have retreated from the country in the past four months. Longer flights require more fuel, which make flights more expensive. "Indeed U.S. carriers are making hard but very commercial decisions to drop Chinese services and redeploy the aircraft elsewhere," he said. China airlines' struggleLow demand has also plagued domestic airlines in China. Collectively, Chinese airlines have increased capacity to Europe, compared to pre-pandemic, even though the market and trade flows were much stronger then, said Grant.

Persons: Nicola Economou, John Grant, Grant, It's, Finnair, bauer, haven't Organizations: FIA, FI, British Airlines, Qantas, Nurphoto, Getty, Virgin Atlantic, Scandinavian Airlines, Boeing, OAG, EU, Aaronp, Cape Town, U.S, CNBC, Air China Locations: China, Asia, Hong Kong, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Russia, — Tokyo, Shanghai, Seoul, Bangkok, Delhi, Singapore, Thailand, Beijing, Cape, Sydney, Australia's, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Hong Kong . U.S, Russian, U.S, Europe, Frankfurt

The biggest travel trend of 2022 was to go big, spend big — with people eagerly booking bucket list-style trips to places like Bali, Rome, London and Paris. But two new reports show travelers are now in a very different headspace. Trend reports from Expedia and Booking.com show vacationers are forgoing splashy trips to global hot spots in favor of quieter trips to places that are lesser-known — and far less crowded. Some 63% of travelers said they are likely to visit an off-the-beaten-track destination on their next trip, according to Expedia's "Unpack '25," a travel trend report which surveyed 25,000 respondents from 19 countries. They want to move away and find equivalent destinations that haven't been discovered by that many people."

Persons: Japan Abu, James Marshall Organizations: France, United Locations: Bali, Rome, London, Paris, Expedia, Reims, France Brescia, Italy Cozumel, Mexico Santa Barbara , California Waikato , New Zealand Girona, Spain Fukuoka, Japan, Japan Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Thailand Canmore, Canada

When it comes to overtourism, don't blame the travelers, said Randy Durband, CEO of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council. Rather, it's "lack of management," he told "Squawk Box Asia" Monday. From marketing to managingDestination marketing organizations "must change the 'M' in DMO from marketing to management," Durband told CNBC before the interview. "This is the great awakening that needs to take place, that government needs to understand — tourism is a sector that needs management," he said. Managing tourism 'flows'Managing visitor flows is a strategy that is fast-gaining ground to mitigate overtourism.

Persons: Randy Durband, I've, Durband, Saint Guilhem, Désert Organizations: Sustainable Tourism, CNBC, CNBC Travel, Walt Disney, Sustainable Tourism Council Locations: Sustainable Tourism Council, Europe, North America, Asia, China, Saint, Barcelona

On July 6, thousands of anti-tourism protesters marched through the streets of Barcelona, shouting: "Tourists go home!" Tourists caught in the crossfire of Barcelona's July protest — some of whom endured water guns and confrontations caught on tape — may not be inclined to return. And the top three most popular destinations were the very spots where protesters staged marches this year. A spokesperson for Barcelona's City Council told CNBC Travel that managing the city's tourism is one its main priorities since it is "reaching a limit with 17 million visitors per year." 'Winning the struggle'Despite claims that an influx of summer tourists humiliated protesters, Rivacoba said they are enthusiastic.

Persons: —, Skift, Booking.com, Daniel Pardo Rivacoba, Josep Lago, Rivacoba, Clara Margais, touristification, Marc Asensio, overtourism, Paco Freire Organizations: Spain's National Statistics Institute, Mallorca —, Catalonia —, CNBC, Mallorca, Neighbourhoods, Tourism Degrowth, Afp, Getty, CNBC Travel, Management, Barcelona's City Council, America's, Nurphoto Locations: Barcelona, Spain, Catalonia, Andalusia, Mallorca, Barcelona's, Spanish

They thrive on it, said John Hackston, head of thought leadership at The Myers-Briggs Company. Be it spouses, best friends or acquaintances, travelers enduring long stretches of time together often struggle to find a middle ground. But the same level of reflection hasn’t happened with extroverts, said Hackston. The problem, said Hackston, is that extroverts often assume others think and feel as they do. Just because you're good friends, it doesn't mean that you'll be good travelers.

Persons: ”, John Hackston, The Myers, Susan Cain’s, —, extroverts, “ There's, introverts, there's, That's, United Kingdom …, Chris Ratcliffe, Myers, Emma Morrell Organizations: The, Briggs Company, Bloomberg, Getty, Northern Locations: “, United States, United Kingdom, Japan, Finnish

More than 90% of travelers from Southeast Asia say that gun prevalence in the United States influences whether they will visit, according to a new survey. However, nearly 80% said the likelihood that they would attend a mass gathering — such as a concert or music festival — would be greatly or moderately affected by the number of guns in the United States. Half of those surveyed said they have been to the United States. But a prior visit didn't calm Singaporeans' worries about gun violence to the same extent as other nationalities. Another 5% said they will out-and-out refuse to visit if Trump wins, with 2% saying the same about a Harris win.

Persons: Antarika Sen, Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, Harris, Scott Olson, it's Organizations: CNBC Travel, Insight, U.S, Trump, Getty Locations: Southeast Asia, United States, Hawaii, Texas, New York , California, Florida , Nevada , Arizona, Washington, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Philippines, Thailand, U.S, Flint , Michigan

In this article AF-FRUALAIR-NZ Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTThe days of spotty — or worse, no — Wi-Fi on airplanes are numbered, said Air New Zealand CEO Greg Foran. Reliable and fast Wi-Fi will become "ubiquitous" on full-service carriers, he told "Squawk Box Asia" Friday. Air New Zealand announced in December 2023 that Starlink services would be installed on two domestic aircraft in late 2024. watch nowHowever, passengers will have to wait a bit longer for those services to launch at Air New Zealand. Starlink at scaleOn Sept. 13, United Airlines said it had signed the industry's largest agreement for Starlink services to date.

Persons: Greg Foran, Foran Organizations: Air New Zealand, CNBC, United Airlines

Latina women working full time, year-round earn 58 cents for every dollar paid to white, non-Hispanic men, according to data collected by the National Women's Law Center. That gap in pay translates to a loss of nearly $1.3 million over a 40-year career. Break that down further and Latinas lose $32,070 in wages per year, or $2,672 every month, compared with the dominant cohort. "The increase in lifetime losses and widening of the wage gap for all Latina workers, including part-time workers, is likely because white men's wages are increasing at a faster rate than other demographic groups," said Ashir Coillberg, NWLC senior research analyst. Despite the narrow improvement for full-time workers, the gap actually widens for part-time and part-year Latina workers, falling to 51 cents on the dollar compared with 52 cents last year.

Persons: NWLC, Ashir Coillberg Organizations: National Women's Law, Latina Locations: San Diego, San Diego , CA

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