Newmark Hotels & Reserves | Set to Open a Luxury Lodge in Bwabwata National Park, Namibia

Newmark Hotels & Reserves, a hospitality company based in Cape Town, South Africa,  offering a curated portfolio of luxury boutique hotels, safaris lodges and island retreats across Africa and expanding in Europe, focusing on authentic, personalized guest experiences and high – end, tailored service is set to open a luxury lodge located in Bwabwata National Park in the Zambezi Region, a protected area in northeastern Namibia covers 6,274 km², established in 2007 by merging Namibia’s Caprivi Game Park and Mahango Game Park in the Zambezi and Kavango East regions, extending along the Caprivi Strip.

Scheduled to open in July 2026, Thitaka River Lodge is a luxury tented camp positioned along the Kwando River in a remote wilderness setting, and the property will be accessible via a 280km road transfer or private charter to its on – site airstrip.

Guests can also reach the property via a three - hour drive from Kasane, a bustling safari toiwn in n northern Botswana through Chobe National Park and the Botswana - Namibia border, or a one - hour transfer from Katima Mulilo, the capital of the Zambezi region in Namibia.

Thitaka River Lodge will feature a selection of luxury tents, including private villa and family options, all set on elevated decks within a forested elephant corridor offeriing privacy and scenic views.

Dining will focus on seasonal, locally sourced ingredients, including produce from the lodge’s own herb and vegetable garden.

Sustainability and community integration are central to the project, with low - impact design, local sourcing, and locally made crafts available for purchase on site.

Eperiences on the offer at the lodge will include game drives, river safaris, birdwatching, walking safaris, and spa treatments.

During their stay, guests will have the opportunity to enjoy the beauty of Bwabwata National Park features diverse ecosystems include riverine woodlands,wetlands, dense forests, floodplains, shrub savannah set on ancient sandy terrain, and rivers like Okavango and Kwando, acting as a vital wildlife corridor, popular for game drives in the Mahango and Kwando core areas, and supporting huge elephant populations,  4 - of - 5 Big Five, and over 400 bird species.

Link

https://atta.travel/resource/new-luxury-tented-camp-to-open-in-namibia-s-bwabwata-national-park.html

Hilton | Signed a Franchise Agreement to Open a New Curio Collection by Hilton Hotel and Residences in Nassau, The Bahamas

Hilton Worldwide Holdings, Inc. , American multinational hospitality company headquartered in Tysons, Virginia, has signed a franchise agreement with B.P.G. LTD, Bahamas Property Group to open a new - build hotel and residences in Nassau, the vibrant capital of the Bahamas on New Providence Island, a major cruise port known for its blend of British colonial history, turquoise waters,   and lively beaches like Cable Beach, boasting attractions such as Straw Market, the historic Queen’s Staircase, as well as the massive Atlantic resort on Paradise Island.

The Paradise Breeze Nassau complex is expected to open open in 2028 and will be operated under the Curio Collection by Hilton brand, marking its introduction in the Bahamas.

The property will be located on West Bay Street, a premier coastal corridor leading to Brown’s Point and Saunders Beach,  known for luxury developments, stunning ocean views and close to proximity tourist spots like Cable Beach, dining at Arawak Cay, about 5 km from the airport and 8 km from local shops and fine restaurants. 

The Paradise Breeze Nassau, Curio Collection by Hilton after completion will be an 11 - story building featurimg 125 accommodations combining hotel and residential units.

Dining options will include three venues: an all day  dining restaurant overlooking the pool and the Caribbean Sea, a rooftop specialty restaurant with panoramic ocean views, and a bar serving fresh juices, light bites and cocktails.

Amenities will include a 5.000 - square - foot infinity - edge pool overlooking the ocean, 15.000 square feet of spa and fitness facilities, padel and squash courts, an artisanal bakery, a coffee bar, a curated market and more than 4.000 square feet of private and flexible event space for meetings and social gatherings.

The property will join the Curio Collection by Hilton brand, a global portfolio of unique, upper - upscale hotels, known for their  distinctive character, history and local immersion, offering guests bespoke stories through unique architecture, curated local experiences, and world - class dining.

Paradise Breeze Nassau Curio Collection by Hilton, will participate in Hilton Honors, the guest loyalty program for Hilton brands.

Hilton currently boasts a portfolio of more than 300 hotels in the Caribbean and Latin America and a development pipeline of more than 150 hotels in various stages of design and construction.

Link

https://www.hotelnewsresource.com/article140901.html

AvantStay | Assuming the Management of a 66 - Room Hotel in Laguna Beach, California, U.S.

AvantStay,  a short - term rental hospitality company and a full - service rental management group based in West Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, has taken over management of a 66 - room hotel in Laguna Beach, a scenic Southern California seaside city in Orange County renowned for its11.2 kilometres of protected coastline and 22.000 acres of wilderness.

Laguna Beach known as the “heart” of Laguna with a boardwalk and tide pools features over 100 art galleries, the annual Pageant of the Masters, upscale dining, and key attractions include Main Beach, Victoria Beach famous for its “Pirate Tower”, Thousand Steps Beach, a large popular sandy spot, and Crescent Bay Beach,  famous for its calm waters and beauty.

The establishment, enters in AvantStay portfolio is The Mara Laguna Beach, marking the company’s ninth takeover of a former Sonder - operated hotel.

The property, a reimagined boutique hotel with ocean views is located at 1600 S. Coast Highway, just one block from the beach in Laguna Beach’s Pearl District, and offers access to nearby beaches, galleries, local dining, and is situatedwithin walking distance of stunning attractions such as Woods Cove and Crescent Bay.

The hotel features 66 comfortable rooms with modern coastal design, a rooftop terrace with ocean views, a pool, hot tub and shared communal spaces for guests. Concierge services are available throughout the stay.

The Mara Laguna Beach is now accepting bookings and welcoming guests, with its official opening that took place on April 20, 2026.

AvantStay operates more than 3.000 properties across 65 destinations. The company’s expansion into The Mara Laguna Beach is part of its ongoing growth in Southern California and its strategy to expand its presence in high - demand markets. 

Links

https://avantstay.com/collections/the-mara

https://www.hotelnewsresource.com/article140980.html

Russia | Ministry of Transport and Rosaviatsiya Focus on Restoring Direct Flights with the Dominican Republic

Russia through its Ministry of Transport and Rosaviatsiya, the Federal Air Transport Agency regularly works alongside the Interstate Aviation Committee and part of the Russian Federation government structure are working and coordinating with the Civil Aviation Board (JAC) of the Dominican Republic to restore direct flights between the two countries, according to Alexei Seredin, the Russian ambassador to the Caribbean nation.

The initiative aims to revive tourism, which dropped by  nearly 90% following 2022 restrictions. Expected outcomes include non - stop flights will drastically reduce travel time  (12 - 14 hours vs 22 – 31 hours avoiding layovers in  Istanbul, Madrid and Panama), increased tourist volume, improved cooperation, and also potentially eased visa requirements.

The lack of direct flights from Russia to the Caribbean country reduced visitor from 178.955 travellers in 2021 to just 21.278 last year. Compared to 2019, when 208.000 arrivals were recorded, and this drop in operation  represents a loss of almosy 90% of the market.

This move seeks to restore air connectivity suspended four year ago and reactivate passenger flows, that before the restrictions, positioned the Dominican Republic as the main destination for Russians travellers in the Caribbean.

The Russian ambassador to the Dominican Republic told RIA Novosti, a major Russian state - owned news agency  that the Russian Federation formally offered the immediate resumption of services to boost the bilateral economy, although the implementation of the scheduled depends on the operational and safety guarantees and has to be defined by the aeronautical authorities of Russia and the Dominican Republic. 

Current logistical costs are directly impacting the market. According to the Russian Association of Tour Operators, a tour package for two people in May, including accommodation in Punta Cana, costs 750 rubles (approximately $9.500) of which 84% is solely for airfare. Individual ticlets from Moskow average 300.000 rubles, which is triple the price recorded at the beginning of 2022.

Despite the tariffs, hotel prices in destinations like Bávaro and Samaná remain competitive compared to markets like Mexico. The Dominican tourism sector expects the reopening of direct air corridor to normalize demand, considering that in September 2021, the Caribbean country received more Russian citizens in a single month that in all of 2025.

In January 2022, there were approximately 20 regular flights per week between Russia and the Dominican Republic, with Ikar flew to Punta Cana from Ufa, Kazan, and Krasnoyarsk, and to Puerto Plata and Samaná from Moskow.

Norwind Airlines, a Russian leisure carrier based at Moskow - Sheremetyevo, specializing in charter and scheduled flights to domestic, Asian, and Caribbean destinations flew between Moskow and Samaná, and Aeroflot, Russia’s flag carrier and largest airline group between the Russian capital and Punta Cana. 

Azur Air, a charter airline focusing on leisure travel to exotic destinations, on the other hand, flew to La Romana from Moskow - Vnukovo, Yekaterinburg, and St. Petersburg, and from Rostov to Punta Cana. All this represented an offer of more than 12.000 seats each week, according to Aviaciononline and the Russian  Ministry of Transport and Rosaviatsiya are actively working to restablish this relevant business.

Link

https://dominicantoday.com/dr/tourism/2026/04/18/russia-remains-focused-on-restoring-direct-flights-with-the-dominican-republic/

India | Officially Inaugurated a Six - Lane Highway as an Economic Corridor between Delhi and Dehradun

India through its Prime Minister Narendra Modi has officially inaugurated a six - lane highway that will function as an economic corridor between Delhi, India’a capital’s territory, a massive metropolitan area in the country’s north and Dehradun, the capital of the state of Uttarakhand, near the Himalayan foothills, marking the completion of an ambitious project valued at more than 120.000 million rupees (approximately $1,284 million) as reported by Asian News International (ANI),  a premier multimedia news agency based in New Delhi.

The new high - speed highway connecting Delhi with the states of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakand is 213 km in length, equipped with an advanced traffic management system that ensures safer circulation for users.

The corridor includes 10 road links, 3 rail overpasses, 4 bridges, and 12 facilities along the road, such as catering and rest areas, and fuel stations.

Special attention  was paid to the protection of wildlife. To allow animals to cross the highwat safely, a 12 km elevated corridor was built on a stretch in Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh state, one of the longest in Asia.

Eight wildlife crossings, two 200 - metre underpasses for elephants, and a 370 - metre tunnel were also built near the Maa Daat Kali Temple, located in the vicinity of Dehradun.

Minister of Road Transport and highways Nitin Gadkari called the event historic for the country’s infrastructure sector, stating that this 213 km high - speed corridor with six lanes and controlled access, will reduce the travel time between Delhi and Dehradun from 6 hours to just 3 hours, ensuring a smooth connection between three states, thanking the prime minister for the execution of this important project.

Link

https://tvbrics.com/es/news/en-india-se-inaugur-una-autopista-un-corredor-econ-mico-entre-deli-y-dehradun/

Italy | Italian Prime Minister Highlighted the Development of the National Tourism Sector, Ranked among Those with the Best International Results

In a note released on 20^th April 2026 Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni highlighted the development of the national tourism sector, ranked among those with the best international results, and one of the main engines of the country's economy.

The Prime Minister has positioned tourism as a central pillar of Italy’s economic growth and national identity, aiming for “tourism superpower” status, with a strategy focuses on promoting “Made in Italy”, upgrading infrastructure with National Recovery and Resilience Plan funds, regulating short - term rentals and combating illegal practices.

The government has invested over $4 billion over three years to strengthen the sector with key actions include strengthening tourist guide regulations, regulating online reviews to protect operators, and investing in staff housing to improve working conditions, and nowadays tourism accounts for 13% of Italy’s GDP employing over 3 million people contributing significantly to national wealth.

A statement released by the President of the Council of Ministers states that in the speech given during the National Assembly of the Federation of Hotel and Tourism Association (Federalalberghi), the main business organization that represents and protects the interest of hoteliers and tourism companies nationwide, was stated that Italy is already the second nation in Europe in terms of visitor arrivals.

The statement highlighted that Italy continues to climb positions in the world ranking of the most most visited country, and highlighted that in that order last year the coutry surpassed France for the first time in history and came close to the figure of Spain.

On the closing day of the event of Fedderalberghi, the Prime Minister assured that Italy is currently the regional leader in terms of stay, with an average of approximately 3.6 nights.

The head of government added that this result exceeds those of other tourism powers in the European Union (EU) such as France, Germany and Spain, which shows that Italian tourism has recovered its strength, solidity and good health.

To achieve these objectives the Prime Minister explained that the resources of the Nat-onal Recovery and Resilience Program, implemented by the regional community after the Covid - 19 pandemic, were used to improve the tourism offer, allowing, in particular, small and medium - sized companies to improve their facilities.

The Italian Prime Minister also said that among other mesures, guarantee instruments for access to credit for small and medium - sized enterprises were strengthened and a revolving find of about €1.4 billion was created, which helps companies improve the tourism offer, increase sustainability, innovation, and energy efficiency.

The Italian leader referred to the current objectives of the tourism sector, among which was cited the promotion of tourism development in towns, small cities, and inland areas, combating depopulation and the risk of economic and desertification faced by some regions.

To this end, in southern localities, more than 110 tourist permits were issued, with a total of investment of €1.2 billion, a move that generated more than 3.300 new jobs to date, the Prime Minister added.

Link

https://infoturlatam.com/giorgia-meloni-destaco-desarrollo-del-turismo-en-italia

Zimbabwe | NetOne and ZTA Forge a Strategic Digital Partnership to Modernize the Country’s Tourism Sector

NetOne, a prominent cellular network operator in Zimbabwe, recognized as the first GSM ( Global System for Mobile Communications) in the country, a state - owned enterprise, operating as a subsidiary of the Post and Telecommunications Corporation (PTC), has formalized a strategic digital partnership with the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) to modernize the country’s tourism sector.  

The collaboration was established at a ceremony held in Acturus, Harare, marking a significant significant step towards digitising the sector. 

The two entities have partnered to digitize Zimbabwe’s tourism sector, replacing paper-based systems with digital regulatory tools. Key features include handing over critical computer equipment, improving connectivity in tourism areas, modernising the authority’s inspectorate functions, deploying digital inspection systems, and enhancing data-driven service delivery to modernize operations and boost competitiveness.

Additional interventions include expanded network coverage across key tourism corridors, WiFi rollouts at strategic visitor locations, and the intgroduction of eTourism SIM solutions for international travellers. 

Key Features of the NetOne - ZTA Partnership:

 •    Digitalization of the Tourism Inspectorate: Replacing outdated, paper - based regulatory functions with digital, electronic systems. 
•    ICT Equipment Handover: NetOne provided critical computer hardware to the ZTA to facilitate this transition. 
•    Enhanced Connectivity: The partnership focuses on improving network coverage across key tourism destinations and remote areas, facilitating better connectivity for tourists.
•    Modernising Operations: Streamlining ZTA processes through digital platforms to improve Efficiency and service delivery. 
•    AI - Enabled Ecosystem: The initiative is framed as part of a move towards a smarter, AI - enabled government ecosystem, aligning with national development priorities. 
•    Support for Tourism Growth: The partnership aims to strengthen Zimbabwe’s position as a competitive global tourism destination by bolstering tourism and ICT integration. 

Government representatives underscored the broader significance of the initiative, with permanent secretary Dr Beaulah Chirume linking it to Zimbabwe’s National Artificial Intelligence Strategy and calling on stakeholders to explore what AI - enabled tourism could deliver in practice.  

Tourism already contributes in excess of 15% to Zimbabwe GDP, and Ministry of Tourism representative Mrs Tarirai Musonza noted the partnership arrives ar a pivotal moment in the country’s push towards a fully digitalised tourism ecosystem.  

The Zimbabwe Tourism Authority will deploy the resources to support facility and licensing across all provinces, strengthen provincial offices in line with the devolution agenda, and improve operational efficiency, with ZTA CEO Dr George Manyaya credited for moving swifty to advance the initiative.

Link 
https://atta.travel/resource/netone-and-zta-forge-digital-partnership-to-modernise-zimbabwe-s-tourism-sector.html