TravelNews
Anguilla Tourist Board Unveils Taste. Feel. Live. Summer Campaign
The Anguilla Tourist Board (ATB) has officially launched its 2026 Summer Campaign, Anguilla: Taste. Feel. Live., alongside the introduction of the innovative Xce p, marking a significant step forward in the destination’s efforts to enhance visitor engagement, strengthen destination awareness, and position Anguilla as a year-round Caribbean destination.
The integrated initiative reflects the Anguilla Tourist Board’s continued commitment to driving summer visitation, supporting tourism stakeholders, reducing seasonality, and creating meaningful connections between visitors and the authentic experiences that define the island.
At the heart of the campaign is the invitation for travellers to experience Anguilla beyond its world-renowned beaches and luxury accommodations. Through the themes of Taste, Feel, and Live, the campaign celebrates the destination’s rich culinary heritage, vibrant culture, warm hospitality, and immersive lifestyle experiences. Visitors are encouraged to discover everything from roadside barbecue vendors and local eateries to award-winning restaurants, beach bars, and luxury dining establishments that have helped establish Anguilla as the Culinary Cital of the Caribbean.
The campaign also highlights the energy and excitement of summer on the island, showcasing cultural festivals, boat racing, live entertainment, heritage celebrations, community experiences, and opportunities for visitors to connect with Anguillian traditions and island life. Through strategic storytelling, immersive content, and collaborative destination partnerships, the campaign aims to inspire travellers to experience Anguilla in a more authentic and meaningful way while encouraging longer stays and increased visitor spending throughout the summer season.
As part of the initiative, the Anguilla Tourist Board has partnered with accommodations, tourism stakeholders, travel trade partners, and industry collaborators to develop integrated promotional opportunities, accommodation packages, visitor experiences, and targeted marketing activations designed to increase destination visibility and convert travel interest into bookings.
Mrs. Kendisha Hall-Prentice, Chief Marketing Officer of the Anguilla Tourist Board, stated, The ‘Taste. Feel. Live.’ Summer Campaign represents our commitment to showcasing the very essence of Anguilla—our people, culture, culinary excellence, vibrant experiences, and authentic island spirit. Through this campaign, we aim not only to drive visitation during the summer season but to deepen destination connection, strengthen industry partnerships, and position Anguilla as a year-round destination.
Complementing the summer campaign is the launch of the Xce p, a dynamic digital platform developed to serve as a personalised travel companion for visitors exploring Anguilla. The plication forms part of the Anguilla Tourist Board’s broader digital transformation strategy and is designed to make it easier for travellers to discover, navigate, and engage with the destination before and during their stay.
The Xce p provides users with access to curated destination information, interactive island experiences, real-time travel updates, customisable itineraries, accommodation options, dining recommendations, attractions, activities, and GPS-enabled navigation. The platform also creates valuable opportunities for local businesses and tourism stakeholders to connect directly with visitors through a centralised digital ecosystem that promotes greater destination exploration and engagement.
Beyond enhancing convenience for travellers, the p will support the Anguilla Tourist Board’s long-term objective of strengthening data-driven tourism initiatives, increasing visibility for local tourism enterprises, and delivering a more connected and personalised visitor journey.
Mrs. Keri Rogers, Manager, Destination Experience, stated that The Xce p represents an exciting step forward in how visitors experience Anguilla. Today’s travellers are looking for convenience, personalisation, and authentic connections when they visit a destination, and this platform helps us deliver exactly that. It allows visitors to explore Anguilla more intentionally while connecting them to the people, places, culture, and experiences that make our island so special. More importantly, it strengthens our ability to modernise the visitor journey while supporting our tourism stakeholders through increased visibility and engagement.
The launch of the Taste. Feel. Live. Summer Campaign and Xce p reflects the Anguilla Tourist Board’s ongoing investment in innovative destination marketing, digital advancement, and visitor experience enhancement. Together, these initiatives reinforce Anguilla’s position as one of the Caribbean’s leading luxury and lifestyle destinations while ensuring that travellers can experience the island in a more immersive, authentic, and connected way.
As global demand for experiential travel continues to grow, Anguilla remains focused on delivering meaningful visitor experiences that celebrate the island’s unique culture, exceptional hospitality, culinary excellence, and unparalleled sense of place.
TravelNews
After deadly Virginia bus crash, investigators probe company’s links to other carriers
The company that operated a bus involved in a deadly crash in Virginia last week has ties to a broader network of travel firms, including one shut down by regulators a decade ago, a CBS News investigation has found.
The company that operated a bus involved in a deadly crash in Virginia last week has ties to a broader network of travel firms, including one shut down by regulators a decade ago due to “excessive” speeding violations, a CBS News investigation has found. Now, federal authorities are also looking into those connections.
The network bears some of the hallmarks of operators who, under scrutiny of federal safety regulators, stay in business by creating new companies under different names, but at the same locations, with the same people and sometimes using the same buses. In the trucking and passenger bus industry, they are commonly called chameleon carriers. The phenomenon has been the subject of a yearlong CBS News investigation that identified at least 10,000 of them across the country.
“It’s about hiding who you are,” said Rob Carpenter, a safety consultant for the trucking and busing industries. “When a company gets to dispear and come back as a stranger, every bad brake and unqualified driver dispears right along with it until a wreck on the interstate drags it all back into the daylight.”
Five people were killed and dozens injured on May 29 when an E&P Travel Inc. bus slammed into traffic stopped at a work zone on I-95 in Stafford County, Virginia.
That crash followed a similar incident in 2024 when nine people were injured when an E&P Travel bus rammed into a vehicle at a construction site in North Carolina.
The U.S. Department of Transportation is currently probing E&P Travel Inc.’s potential links to more than a dozen current and former bus companies operating in the Northeast, according to a source familiar with the investigation.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is working with other agencies to investigate the latest crash, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy said. “Any company, trainer, or school that contributed to putting an unqualified driver on the road will face intense scrutiny,” Duffy said.
An FMCSA spokesperson on Thursday declined to discuss details of the investigation.
In addition to the accidents, E&P Travel itself has been cited three times in two years for “speeding 15 or more miles per hour over the speed limit” and once for a driver who failed an English proficiency test, federal records show.
The driver of the bus in last week’s crash, Jing S. Dong of Staten Island, New York, is now facing five felony involuntary manslaughter charges. Despite the company’s history of violations, E&P received a “satisfactory” safety rating from the FMCSA in ril.
E&P Travel was incorporated in North Carolina in November 2023, listing its headquarters as a residential artment in Kings Mountain, N.C., and its CEO as Shuo Liu. Efforts to reach Liu at the company’s email address and phone number were not immediately successful.
E&P Travel’s filings with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration in 2023 list its officer as Joyce Gao. Joyce Gao is also listed on a motorcoach association directory as the CEO of a separate bus company, Super Bus Inc.
Ronghai Gao, the president of Super Bus Inc. according to Massachusetts records, told CBS News Thursday that listing is incorrect and that he is the CEO of Super Bus.
Ronghai Gao said Joyce Gao was a bookkeeper at Super Bus until about ril. He declined to say whether he and Joyce Gao are related. “I cannot tell you about it,” he said. “This is my personal stuff.”
Ronghai Gao also declined to discuss Joyce Gao’s parent employment at his company while she was an officer at the then newly-formed E&P Travel. “That’s her personal stuff,” he said. Gao declined to answer further questions and the call was terminated. Efforts to reach Joyce Gao were not successful.
Super Bus currently has a “Satisfactory” safety rating from the FMCSA, according to federal records, which list 15 violations over the past two years including speeding and other issues.
The names Ronghai Gao and Joyce Gao are tied to multiple current and former busing operations in the Northeast, CBS News found.
One of those companies is Pandora Travel Inc., a Massachusetts-headquartered firm that ran regular bus tours from a storefront in New York City to destinations across the eastern United States. Federal regulators accused the company in a 2014 press release of “continuing serious violations and non-compliance with previously identified federal safety regulations.”
Ronghai Gao was identified in FMCSA investigative records as the general manager for Pandora Travel. He’s also listed as the point of contact for the company in New York City records listing the address at that same storefront.
“Pandora Travel Inc failed to monitor drivers and take corrective action to deter unsafe driving practices,” an FMCSA inspector wrote in regulatory records reviewed by CBS News, despite knowledge of drivers operating in “excess of posted speed limits.”
Records show Pandora’s drivers had “histories that would show patterns of unsafe driving practices,” including one driver with 23 speeding and moving violations.
Citations against Pandora Travel included failing to exercise caution while operating in a heavy snowstorm in January 2014, resulting in a rollover crash on I-80 in New Jersey that injured seven people.
The FMCSA reviewed GPS data and found four drivers were “exceeding the posted speeds by 10mph or greater for 50 days out of 135 days reviewed,” according to inspection records.
When FMCSA officials visited the Lawrence, Massachusetts, headquarters of Pandora Travel in 2014 they found an empty desk, a vacuum cleaner, and no staff or business perwork, according to pictures and notes included in the regulatory filings.
Regulators reached a settlement agreement with Pandora Travel in 2014 that allowed it to continue operating under certain conditions.
TravelNews
U.S. warns Europe to step up Ebola screening ahead of World Cup
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is urging European countries to mirror U.S. travel restrictions implemented in response to Ebola as the U.S. prepares to host the largest-ever World Cup amid growing concerns about the spread of the disease, according to a State Department cable reviewed by NBC News
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is urging European countries to mirror U.S. travel restrictions implemented in response to Ebola as the U.S. prepares to host the largest-ever World Cup amid growing concerns about the spread of the disease, according to a State Department cable reviewed by NBC News.
As global health officials warn the Ebola outbreak is outpacing the international response, the U.S. warned European countries this week that a failure to adopt the administration’s precautions may have consequences, according to the cable issued on Monday. The State Department declined to provide further details on what actions the U.S. might take.
The U.S. is also speaking with countries in the Middle East about their measures to prevent Ebola’s spread, according to a U.S. official.
A State Department spokesperson confirmed that diplomatic officials are in touch with a number of countries around the world to coordinate our proach to protect our citizens, including the millions of visitors, fans, athletes and tourists expected during the FIFA World Cup.
The Trump administration is protecting our nation and its citizens by upholding the highest standards of national security and public health, the spokesperson said, adding that we do not comment on private diplomatic conversations.
The Ebola outbreak in central Africa has complicated the already herculean task of preparing for a sprawling global event like the World Cup. Beginning on June 11, teams from 48 countries will be competing across the U.S., Canada and Mexico. FIFA has sold more than 6 million tickets to fans traveling from across the world. The teams and the fans will also be working their way through North America to attend matches in 16 cities — 11 in the U.S. alone — and the competition will last until the final match in New Jersey, outside of New York City.
It’s an enormous challenge, Susan Reichle, a former USAID counselor and former head of the agency’s Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance Bureau, told NBC News. It really takes constructive engagement and a lot of planning.
The U.S. official said there are no plans to ban European Union citizens from traveling to the U.S. for the World Cup, while pointing out that European countries have many flight interconnections with the U.S. and if countries experience cases, we will obviously enact measures to protect Americans.
In Monday’s cable, the State Department instructed U.S. diplomats in European citals to speak with foreign officials at the highest propriate level to request information on the precautionary measures taken around Ebola, according to the cable. The department also requested the U.S. diplomats share the countries’ responses to the directive as well as an identified point person for each country who could field follow-up questions from the administration.
The cable listed proposed talking points for diplomats to use in their conversations with European officials, such as: Given the close travel links between Europe and the United States, we request that you adopt similar travel measures as ours to prevent the spread of the disease and ensure we do not have cases affect our countries.
U.S. diplomats were told to ask European countries to specifically implement the same travel restrictions as the U.S. and to warn that failure to adopt similar travel measures may require the United States to adopt unilateral measures, according to the cable.
Under a 30-day order from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. has suspended the entry of foreign nationals who were present or transited through the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan or Uganda within 21 days of their planned arrival in the U.S. The State Department also paused the issuance of new visas for foreign nationals meeting the same criteria.
Congo qualified for the World Cup, and its team is based in Houston.
In comparison to recent outbreaks, the world is behind in preventing the spread of the severe Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which has no known treatment or vaccine. Along with the U.S. withdrawal from the World Health Organization and its shuttering of USAID, global health experts say, cuts to U.S. funding for disease surveillance networks on the ground contributed to the delayed detection and slow contact tracing that hampered the international response.
As of Wednesday, the WHO said there were an estimated 344 confirmed cases of Ebola, including 60 deaths, in Congo and 15 confirmed cases in neighboring Uganda and one death.
The State Department said Friday that it has spent more than $200 million in its response to the outbreak, which has involved contact tracing, border and point-of-entry screening, assisting at dozens of health clinics in affected areas, and community education to combat misinformation about how Ebola spreads.
The Trump administration has also undertaken a series of efforts to prevent the disease from reaching U.S. shores including erecting a quarantine center for exposed Americans in Kenya, an enhanced health screening center at four American airports for travelers coming from the affected countries and a series of travel restrictions. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said earlier this week that Americans who test positive for Ebola would be brought to the nearest treatment facility either in Europe or the U.S.
TravelNews
Icelandair: Record load factor in May
In May 2026, Icelandair transported 464 thousand passengers, an increase of 4% year-on-year. Passenger distribution was as follows: 30% traveled to Iceland, 19% from Iceland, 45% were connecting passengers, and 5% traveled within Iceland.
The number of passengers traveling to and from Iceland increased by 8% and 24% respectively, while connecting passengers decreased by 5%. This reflects the Company’s focus on the currently higher yielding markets to and from Iceland.
Load factor was a record 83%, increasing by 3.4 percentage points between years, and on-time performance was 82.3%. Sold block hours in charter flights decreased by 2% between years and freight, measured in Freight Ton Kilometers, increased by 4%.
CO2 emissions per operational tonne-kilometre (OTK) decreased by 8% year-on-year as a result of the Company’s extensive fleet renewal program, continued focus on operational efficiencies, and the high load factor.
Bogi Nils Bogason, Icelandair President and CEO:
We saw strong demand in May, reflected in a record load factor and continued growth in our markets to and from Iceland. Achieving record load factor in May, which historically is a complex ramp-up month into peak summer, reflects strong demand cture and effective coordination of the schedule across markets. Fuel prices remain at elevated levels, and we have responded with cacity adjustment and efficiency measures, including previously announced steps to accelerate fleet modernization.
The addition of Venice to our route network has been very well received, further strengthening our offering to customers. At the same time, we continue to inspire travel to Iceland through creative marketing, including our recent ‘really bad photogrher’ recruitment drive. The response exceeded expectations, with nearly 130,000 plicants from 178 countries. The winner will help us test our hypothesis that it is genuinely difficult to take a bad photogrh in Icelandic nature.
TravelNews
TAT elevates Amazing Thailand Grand Sale 2026 with Thai brand experiences
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), together with public and private sector partners, is presenting the Amazing Thailand Grand Sale 2026 from June to August, inviting Thai and international tourists to discover Thai brands, local identity, and creative tourism experiences under the concept Unforgettable Experience of Thai Brands.
Ms. Thanee Kiatphaibool, TAT Governor, said, The next value of Thai tourism will come from experiences travellers remember, share, and return to. Amazing Thailand Grand Sale 2026 is designed to make Thai brands a living expression of Thailand’s creativity, from fashion and craft to lifestyle and community products. When a purchase carries a story of place and people, it extends the journey beyond the trip and creates lasting value for Thailand.
The campaign turns Thailand’s seasonal shopping promotion into a broader travel experience, with curated privileges and activities that encourage visitors to explore products and services rooted in local character. TAT expects the campaign to support Thai entrepreneurs, strengthen spending across the visitor journey, and generate more than 700 billion Baht in economic circulation.
The press launch featured a panel on the campaign’s Thai brand experience direction, with Mr. Natt Krutetsut, TAT Deputy Governor for Tourism Products and Business; Ms. Kanchana Chanathephon, founder of BWILD ISAN, a contemporary fashion and lifestyle brand based in Khon Kaen; and Ms. Priyada Sitthachai, known as Kaem-Bum, actor and traveller representative.
Mr. Natt Krutetsut, TAT Deputy Governor for Tourism Products and Business, said, This year, Amazing Thailand Grand Sale moves beyond discounts to focus on the quality of experience. Travellers are looking for products, places, and stories that feel distinctive to the country they visit. By linking shopping, dining, accommodation, and local experiences, the campaign makes Thai brands easier to discover and gives visitors more reasons to spend time in destinations across Thailand.
Amazing Thailand Grand Sale 2026 features four main activities for travellers and participating businesses. Go Shop Get Bag allows travellers spending 2,000 Baht or more per receipt at participating businesses to register online and redeem a shopping bag at designated points. Once Shop One Prize gives registered shoppers the chance to win prizes, including an electric vehicle and travel packages worth more than 1 million Baht in total. Shop On Top offers 10 limited-edition Thai brand prizes worth more than 200,000 Baht in total for shoppers who record their purchases online. Top Seller recognises participating businesses that achieve campaign sales targets, with Diamond, Gold, Silver, and Bronze awards based on accumulated sales of 10 million Baht, 5 million Baht, 3 million Baht, and 500,000 Baht respectively.
Travellers can also receive privileges and discount codes through the campaign website for immediate use at participating shopping centres, department stores, duty-free retailers, credit card providers, an online shopping platform, hotels, resorts, and spas.
Participating businesses include Central Group, The Mall Group, Siam Piwat, One Bangkok, MBK Center, Pantip at Ngamwongwan, MAYA Lifestyle Shopping Center, Diana Complex, Jungceylon, Terminal 21, Asiatique The Riverfront, King Power Duty Free, CP Axtra, Gateway Ekamai, Lasalle Avenue, Phoenix Pratunam, Mastercard, Visa Thailand, UnionPay, Shopee, Sri panwa Phuket Luxury Pool Villa Hotel, Baba Beach Club Hua Hin, The Sukosol Bangkok, The Nimman Hotel, AVA Hotel Udon Thani, Away Chiang Mai Thae Resort, and Fah Lanna Spa.
Travellers can find campaign details, activities, and privileges at or contact LINE Official Account: @thailandgrandsale.
TravelNews
Air India and Thai Airways deepen partnership
Air India, India’s leading global airline, and Thai Airways International (THAI), Thailand’s national carrier, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) building on their existing interline agreement, to explore a deeper partnership aimed at boosting connectivity between Thailand, India, and destinations beyond, leveraging each other’s global network strengths.
The MoU was signed on 07 June 2026 on the sidelines of the ongoing IATA AGM in Rio de Jeneiro, Brazil.
Air India and THAI intend to enter into a codeshare agreement in 2026, subject to the requisite regulatory provals, designed to expand travel options for travellers between India and Thailand and deliver enhanced customer value across their respective networks.
The two Star Alliance member carriers intend to place their respective designator codes (‘AI’ for Air India and ‘TG’ for THAI) on each other’s flights between India and Thailand as well as on select international routes from the two countries, providing their customers with convenient access to several destinations across Asia, North America, and Europe. The specific terms governing the proposed codeshare agreement will be announced in due course.
Campbell Wilson, Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director, Air India, said: India and Thailand are connected by longstanding cultural ties, growing economic engagement, and strong flows of tourism and business travel. As Asia reinforces its position at the centre of global growth, deeper collaboration between leading airlines will be key to enabling that growth by making travel more seamless and accessible. This MoU with Thai Airways brings together two carriers with complementary strengths and a shared commitment to service excellence. It also supports Air India’s broader ambition to strengthen India’s connectivity with the world, offering our customers more choice and greater value.
Chai Eamsiri, Chief Executive Officer, THAI, stated: The MoU with Air India marks a meaningful milestone in our strategy to strengthen the regional connectivity and better serve to passengers traveling between Thailand, India and destination beyond. It also reflects the shared commitment of both airlines to supporting economic growth, promoting people-to-people exchanges, while contributing to broader cooperation between the two countries.
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