Hospitality & Leisure

New York – September 18, 2026 -- Lindblad Expeditions Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: LIND) has acquired a 60% majority stake in White Desert, the Antarctic luxury travel operator, and Echo Charlie, a new aviation adventure brand, for an aggregate cash purchase price of approximately $61 million, plus roughly $6 million for cash on the balance sheet, subject to customary working capital adjustments.

Lindblad raises full-year 2026 guidance following the deal

The company lifted its FY2026 outlook to tour revenues of $850 million to $880 million, Net Yield per Available Guest Night of 5.5% to 6.5%, and Adjusted EBITDA of $140 million to $148 million, citing the White Desert and Echo Charlie acquisitions alongside continued core business momentum. CEO Natalya Leahy called the transaction the largest in the company's history.

Miami – September 18, 2026 -- SMARTLINEN® has upgraded Ask Debbie, described as the hospitality industry's first AI linen expert, to respond to spoken questions in real time in both English and Spanish. The update lets hotel and laundry staff query operational data by voice instead of navigating reports or software screens.

Ask Debbie now answers spoken questions about inventory in real time

Staff can ask direct questions such as how many bath towels have not returned from the laundry or whether pool towel supply meets daily demand. Ask Debbie processes the query, analyzes the hotel's SMARTLINEN® data, and delivers a verbal answer in either language.

Dubai – September 17, 2026 -- Emaar Properties has signed on as title partner of Dubai Premier Padel P1, with the 2026 edition set for 8–15 November at Hamdan Sports Complex.

Emaar takes title sponsorship of eight-day international padel event

The tournament, rebranded Emaar Dubai Premier Padel P1, will host men's and women's competition on the Premier Padel circuit, combining ranking points and prize money with hospitality and fan experiences across the week-long schedule.

"The partnership reflects our commitment to creating distinctive experiences for residents and visitors and adds to Dubai's diverse lifestyle and leisure offering," said Ahmad Al Matrooshi, Executive Director of Emaar Properties.

MANILA – September 17, 2026 -- Nearly 320,000 Chinese tourists had entered the Philippines as of September 9, making China the country's fourth-largest source market, Philippine Department of Tourism Assistant Secretary Maria Christina G. Aquino said at a two-day Chongqing-Manila festival that drew roughly 400 business, political and cultural delegates to SM Mall of Asia on September 12.

Chongqing brands sign travel and cooperation deals in Manila

The event, hosted by the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines and the Information Office of the Chongqing Municipal People's Government and organized by the Western China International Communication Organization, staged seven themed exhibitions covering Bayu culture, Chongqing cuisine and 'Made in Chongqing' industrial output. Happyyou International Travel signed a cooperation agreement with Philippine tourism organizations during the accompanying 'China, An Opportunity: Chongqing Brands' conference.

Bratislava – September 17, 2026 -- EXPO 2027 Belgrade organizers will pitch Serbia's tourism and investment potential to Slovak industry executives at a B2B networking event on 17 September 2026 at Incheba in Bratislava.

Serbia targets Slovak business leaders ahead of 2027 Expo opening

The "Visit Serbia B2B Networking" session, running from 10:30 a.m. at Incheba, a.s. on Viedenská cesta 3–7, forms part of an international roadshow promoting Serbia as a travel and investment destination before EXPO 2027 Belgrade opens on 15 May 2027. Igor Kovačević, Executive Director of EXPO 2027 Belgrade, and Lukáš Parízek, Slovakia's Commissioner General for the Expo, will address representatives of Slovakia's tourism industry and business community, with the programme including delegation visits, targeted B2B meetings, and access to a digital platform connecting companies.

Orlando, Fla. – September 17, 2026 -- The International Luxury Hotel Association (ILHA) has confirmed new sessions for INSPIRE 2026, its flagship luxury hospitality conference set for December 15-17 at the JW Marriott Bonnet Creek Resort & Spa in Orlando.

Executives from Nobu, Microsoft and Honeywell will address AI's actual return on investment

Rodney Linville, Global Head of Information Technology at Nobu Hospitality, will join Shane O'Flaherty, Global Director of Travel, Transportation and Hospitality at Microsoft, and Neha Jaitpal, Global General Manager of Honeywell's Hospitality Vertical, for a session titled "AI at Scale: Building the Business Case for Hospitality." The panel, moderated by ILHA President Barak Hirschowitz, will examine where AI deployments are delivering measurable returns versus where adoption has stalled, and what operators need to move projects from pilot programs to full-scale rollout across teams.

Las Vegas -- IGT has appointed Adam Chibib as Chief Financial Officer effective November 1, 2026, subject to regulatory approvals, succeeding Fabio Celadon in a leadership transition tied to the gaming technology firm's push for stronger cash flow and operating discipline.

Chibib arrives with a track record of six successful exits across public and private equity-backed companies

Most recently CFO of Raptor Technologies, which Warburg Pincus acquired in January 2026 after the company's transformation under Thoma Bravo and JMI Equity ownership, Chibib brings more than three decades of financial and operational leadership. His earlier roles include financial leadership positions at Self Financial, NetSpend and several technology companies.

Cancún, Mexico – September 17, 2026 -- Sunset World Group will launch a formal partnership with recycling non-profit ECOCE on September 15, 2026, to align its hotel operations with Mexico's Circular Economy Law.

Sunset World Group commits to circular economy standards across its hotel portfolio

The agreement targets the integration of processes that meet the principles and standards set by the Circular Economy Law, covering resource use, waste reduction, and reintroduction of materials into production cycles. Sunset World Group operates six hotels across Cancun and Playa del Carmen.

Stockholm – – September 17, 2026 -- Sweden's regulated online gambling market generated an estimated €2.5 billion in annual revenue, with operators facing a 22% tax on gross gaming revenue (GGR), according to Bettingbladet's newly released Swedish Online Gambling Market Report H1 2026. The report tracks operator performance, supplier market shares, payment methods and return-to-player (RTP) levels across Sweden's licensed market during the first half of the year.

London – – September 17, 2026 -- Travel + Leisure, a People Inc. brand, will host its sold-out World's Best Summit outside New York for the first time, staging the two-day B2B event at The Dorchester in London on October 27-28, 2026.

Sold-out event marks first international expansion beyond three annual New York editions

The London edition, curated by Travel + Leisure editor in chief Jacqueline Gifford, will bring together travel executives, advisors, and industry leaders to discuss media and AI, hospitality design, and luxury travel trends. The venue, Dorchester Collection's flagship property, recently underwent a renovation.