Divers

🏨 🏨 Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group announces the reopening of its iconic seaside properties in Italy (Mandarin Oriental, Lago di Como), Turkey (Mandarin Oriental, Bodrum), and Greece (Mandarin Oriental, Costa Navarino) starting April. The hotels offer immersive experiences that blend Mandarin Oriental's legendary service with local culture. Group Chief Executive Laurent Kleitman expresses excitement for the global expansion, including the anticipated 2026 opening of Mandarin Oriental Punta Negra, Majorca.

🍹 MGallery's 120 hotels worldwide invite travelers to experience exclusive cocktails starting in May to celebrate World Cocktail Month. MGallery has partnered with French lifestyle brand Maison Sarah Lavoine to create a unique set of three cocktail glasses, complemented by three special cocktail recipes from craft gin pioneer Citadelle Gin. The collaboration aims to offer a unique tasting experience amid diverse settings, from Thai sandy beaches to Parisian cobbled streets.

🚀 Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin launches its first all-female crew on April 14, 2025, at 15:30 Paris time. The crew includes Katy Perry, former NASA scientist Aisha Bowe, and journalist Gayle King, aboard the New Shepard's 11th suborbital flight, NS-31, from West Texas. The 10-11 minute mission reaches the Kármán line at 100km altitude, offering minutes of weightlessness. Ticket prices for New Shepard range from $1 million to $28 million, with past passengers like Wally Funk and William Shatner flying free as guests of honor.

✈ Emirates celebrated transporting 3 million passengers on the Nice-Dubai route, offering a daily A380 flight connecting to over 140 destinations via Dubai. The milestone passenger was greeted at Nice Côte d’Azur Airport with a festive arch and a giant boarding pass for 2 round-trip economy tickets. The airline adorned check-in counters with floral bouquets for the occasion. Over 700,000 French nationals and residents are members of the Emirates Skywards loyalty program.

🎭 Walibi Rhône-Alpes welcomed 667,000 visitors during its 45th anniversary last year and will reopen from April 19 to May 4, 2023, including on May 8, Ascension, and Pentecost holidays. Visitors can enjoy 34 attractions and shows, including the Mahuka coaster, awarded "Best Attraction in France" by Parcs Actus and one of the "Top 7 New European Attractions" by Parksmania. The park features three themed areas: Adventure Explorer, Festival City, and Exotic Island.

📱 "Starter Packs" trending on social media, originated on TikTok and Twitter. The hospitality industry joined the trend, with dozens of posts featuring typical items like logo mugs, room keys, badges, and forced smiles. However, the repetitive nature of these posts may lead to saturation and a perception of the trend becoming outdated.

🌍 In 2025, Croatia boosts air connectivity from France with airlines like Croatia Airlines, Air France, and Ryanair, linking Paris and other cities to Zagreb, Split, Dubrovnik, among others. Ryanair adds new routes from Bordeaux to Dubrovnik and Lyon to Zadar. Croatia will connect to 122 foreign cities in the summer season, spanning from late March to late October, with about 485 national and international flight routes, expecting a 2% increase in operations from the previous summer.

🏡 Co-living, modern lifestyle designed for young professionals, freelancers, digital nomads, offers private bedrooms with shared spaces like a fully-equipped kitchen, cozy living room, and sometimes a gym, home cinema, or rooftop with a city view. Amenities include stable Wi-Fi and included housekeeping services, promoting social life, flexibility, and comfort.

🚀 Cathay launched a new division, Cathay Technologies, on April 7, 2025, in Hong Kong, offering digital solutions to airlines. The division will market innovations like the Electronic Flight Folder (EFF), adopted in 2019, which proved to save time, resources, and manage flight safety data efficiently. Cathay Technologies also serves as an incubator, partnering with Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation, supporting over 1,200 startups, part of a "co-acceleration" program, reflecting Cathay's commitment to Hong Kong's tech ecosystem and economic growth in the Greater Bay area.

🎃 In February, Venice's Carnaval saw an 18% increase in Revenue per Available Room (RevPAR), driven by the Carnaval's popularity. The hotel industry's success was primarily due to a 16.8% rise in average prices, while occupancy rates grew only slightly by 0.5 point. Compared to 2023, attendance increased by 4.4 points. Despite the ongoing issue of overtourism, Venice chose not to impose the contentious entry fee during the Carnaval.