Japan has extended its visa-free entry scheme for holders of ordinary Thai passports by another year until 2027, Thailand’s Department of Consular Affairs announced.

Portugal claimed the championship at the 2026 Da Nang International Fireworks Festival (DIFF), which concluded on July 11 evening.

China, Asia’s largest economy, aims to increase inbound tourist arrivals to 190 million by 2030, a 23% rise from last year, with visitor spending expected to exceed US$150 billion, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism announced as reported by Global Times.

Deputy Minister of Construction Nguyen Xuan Sang signed a dispatch ordering tougher safety measures for inland waterway and maritime passenger transport, with a specific focus on ferry and tourist routes serving Con Dao, Phu Quoc, Cat Ba and Ha Long Bay.

Baros Maldives, where room rates start at US$500 per night, has been named Asia’s best resort in the 2026 Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards, based on more than 661,000 reader votes.

South Korea’s Incheon International Airport, ranked the world’s second-best airport behind Singapore’s Changi in the 2026 Skytrax World Airport Awards, has become the fastest major aviation hub to surpass 1 billion cumulative passengers.

Vietnam is projected to post the fastest tourism growth in the Asia-Pacific region in 2027, with foreign arrivals expected to jump by 31.2% to 27.8 million, according to the Pacific Asia Travel Association and the Research Centre for Digital Transformation of Tourism.

Thousands of miles away from Son La Province, a woman is serving mac khen-spiced fish and cham cheo dipping sauce to people trying these flavors for the first time.

Turkey’s Istanbul has lost its title as the world’s best international airport this year to Singapore Changi based on 661,000 votes cast by readers of American magazine Travel+Leisure.

After Michelin dubbed this alleyway gem a top affordable eat, sales of Banh Canh Cua Ba Ba’s crab noodle soup, served in clay pots if asked, have jumped 20%.