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Tourism

This Month

Monument  boutique hotel.

Why Athens is topping European wish lists in 2025

As a new hotel opens in the ancient city’s Bohemian heart, the Greek capital is back to being a tourist drawcard.

A render of the planned InterContinental Barossa Resort & Spa, to be developed on a 21-hectare site at Lot 102 on Hoffnungsthal Road outside Lyndoch in SA. 

Barossa Valley wine mecca to get its first luxury hotel

Operator IHG has teamed up with developer Strategic Alliance to develop the 150-room InterContinental Barossa Resort & Spa.

F1 fans in the Pullman Hotel, opposite the track in Albert Park.

Grand Prix boosts hotel occupancy amid wider recovery

Domestic tourism is leading to a steady, if moderate, growth in bookings, but south-east Queensland and northern NSW have been hit hard by ex-tropical cyclone Alfred.

This bohemian New York hotel has its own fragrance library

The beauty duo behind boutique hotel The Maker is out to awaken your senses and envelop you in fragrance.

Some of Australia’s holiday coast has been hit by bad weather.

What to do if you have a holiday booked to Queensland

Flights are back, but the roads are chaos. Here are your options for cancelling flights as the impact of ex-tropical Cyclone Alfred lingers.

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Iconic beaches stripped of sand could stay that way for months

Shorelines in tourism hotspots such as the Gold Coast and Byron Bay have been denuded by giant waves caused by the cyclone, and could take months to recover.

Singapore Airline’s A380 first class suite. The airline is expected to unveil its updated first class next year.

First class is back, baby (but does it make sense for airlines?)

The arrival of non-stop flights to London is a chance for Qantas to expand its premium suites. Its competitors are doing the same. Will it be a winner?

Tony Palmer is the CEO of BlackRock Motor Resort, Australia’s first ski village-style membership club for motoring enthusiasts, which has just signed a construction financing deal to build the club facilities on the site of the former Rhondda Colliery at Wakefield, Lake Macquarie.
Pic shows Tony onsite with one of his racing buggies ahead of a stakeholder event.

Want to join Australia’s first $24,000-a-year private car racing club?

Think ski village, but for people driving cars. Want to buy a villa, stay in a hotel or drop in for a coffee? You’ll be able to here.

February

The European destinations loved to death – and where to go instead

Avoid the overworked northern hemisphere hot spots this season and seek authenticity.

Still ignoring hotel loyalty schemes? Here’s why you shouldn’t

The reward programs of hotel giants like Marriott, Accor and IHG are free to join. And you can use the points for far more than a hotel stay.

Are you game enough to try this millionaire’s trick for jet lag?

Avoid fatigue, discover exotic destinations and tick the slow-travel box by recreating the kangaroo route – flying in legs of no more than three hours.

The lobby at Anantara BoPhut as featured in The White Lotus season three.

Pack your kaftan or run for cover? White Lotus effect hits Thailand

These are the four luxury hotels featured in the HBO anthology’s third season – plus a few others for the vibe but avoiding the rush.

Correne Wilkie and David Strong.

Sex still sells: Museum Of Desire extends Melbourne season

A Collingwood warehouse featuring an “orgasm harp”, a pubic hair display and a ball pit full of rubber breasts has defied the cost-of-living crisis.

White Lotus plus gay marriage equals Thai tourist boom

Between the new TV show and the new law legalising same-sex unions, the southeast Asian country is expecting 11 million extra visitors per year - here are the best places to go.

The NZ government hopes to attract more wealthy migration to cities like Auckland, pictured from above here.

New Zealand changes ‘golden visa’ to lure wealthy migrants

The government has come up with two options to encourage high net worth individuals to live and invest in the country.

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January

The Hamilton Island Resort in Queensland was underpaying staff for eight years.

Luxury island retreat underpaid staff by more than $20m

The operators of Hamilton Island’s leisure facilities have agreed to backpay thousands of employees, admitting to almost a decade of underpayment.

The low Aussie dollar meant that US tourist numbers at the Australian Open were up by 10 per cent this year.

Hotels love that tennis now means ‘spoiling yourself’

Hoteliers have relished the boost from more tourists coming to the tennis this year because of the lower Aussie dollar.

The Fin podcast summer Fiona Carruthers

Just back from holidays? Time to plan the next one

In the second of a special two-part summer series, The Fin talks to travel editor Fiona Carruthers about why Greenland is on everyone’s list for 2025.

Pedestrians in the Lan Kwai Fong area that was once synonymous with Hong Kong nightlife.

Hong Kong’s expat party hub transformed by Chinese influx

Lan Kwai Fong was once the area in Hong Kong most associated with the city’s nightlife and its expat community, but it now serves a more mainland Chinese clientele.

Tourplan works with 350 tour operators to help them manage their bookings and tours.

NZ tourism software biz Tourplan up for sale

North Ridge Partners have been tapped to shop the $NZ150 million business to private equity types.

Original URL: https://www.afr.com/topic/tourism-63a