tourism news

Thailand records 20,935,135 international arrivals from Jan to Aug 2026 (-3.08% YoY), led by China (+16.05%) while South Korea drops 24.78%.

Thailand records a 12% year-on-year drop in Indian tourist arrivals between August 1 and August 22, 2026, threatening its 2.7 million annual visitor target.

Early spring floral bloom propels South Korea to an all-time record 18.937M annual foreign arrivals, led by 3.34M visitors at Jinhae Gunhangje and $97M economic impact.

Solomon Islands activates its digital border e-Visa portal featuring 34 visa categories across 11 subclasses, $100 tourist visa fee, and online payment gateway.

Oklahoma tourism generates a record $12.76 billion in 2026 direct visitor spending, supporting 110,000 jobs across Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Norman, and rural counties.

Turkey, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt initiate joint diplomatic channels to reduce regional tensions, safeguarding key aviation hubs and international tourism.

The proposed Lucknow Link Expressway in Uttar Pradesh cuts Agra-Lucknow to Purvanchal transit from 2 hours to 25 minutes, creating a seamless bypass for Delhi, Ayodhya, and Gorakhpur.

Kazakhstan invests over $4.8B in tourism infrastructure across 2024-2025, building 25 luxury hotel complexes, 3 new airports, and expanding the Almaty mountain cluster.

Japan highlights tourism at the 90th Thessaloniki Fair as Greece generates €8.8B in H1 2026 travel receipts, though the lack of direct ATH-TYO flights constrains long-haul growth.