The results of a recent survey show: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport remains the world's busiest airport for passenger traffic. At the same time, Chicago O'Hare International Airport ranks first for aircraft movements.

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and UN World Tourism Organisation have launched the "Recipe of Change" initiative to tackle a global sustainability challenge: food waste.

Many travellers want to make the most of every moment on their journeys through Europe. To meet this demand, operators constantly expand the range of overnight train services.

Anyone who's tired on a flight longs to be able to stretch out across three seats. It's not actually comfortable. Now an airline has found a solution.

The Black Forest is rethinking rural tourism: currently, the region is working on a concept that transforms entire villages into hotels – without constructing any new buildings. This is based on the Italian model of the "Alberghi Diffusi".

More than 11,000 bankruptcies in six years: The crisis in the German restaurant industry is worsening. Many people are cutting back on dining out. A quick recovery is not in sight.

The consequences of climate change come at a cost. Without additional investment in climate protection, Germany faces the prospect of much higher national debt than previously expected by 2050.

Scandic has further elevated its climate ambitions now that its climate targets have been validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). The company's long-term goal is to reach net-zero emissions across the entire value chain by 2050.

Germans are travelling differently. New analysis on outbound demand shows they increasingly prioritise destinations that blend cultural heritage, natural beauty, and authentic local experiences. Europe remains the focus, with rising costs determining travel behaviour.

We all know the buzzwords of sustainability in hospitality. But what is it that regenerative hospitality actually looks like and what work needs to be done? The publishers Prof Dr Willy Legrand, Carlos Martin-Rios and Allessandro Inversini collected articles of 28 authors in five chapters.

At the end of January 2026, the German Federal Cabinet approved the Federal Government's new National Tourism Strategy. This strategy explicitly anchors business travel as a central pillar of tourism policy.

The world of work and the realities of life have changed fundamentally. Working time legislation has not. The aim of a campaign in Germany is to introduce a practical regulation on weekly working hours.

Madaster, the building materials register for Germany, has launched a major crowdfunding campaign and is inviting companies to contribute financially to strengthen sustainability in the industry.

At the beginning of February, the think tank Zukunft der Gastwelt (DZG) established the task force "Digitalisation & Artificial Intelligence". The aim is to accelerate the digital transformation of the hospitality industry and to provide practical support to small and medium-sized businesses.

By 2050, we will see around 3.5 billion trips. The proportion of travellers in the global population could then grow from 50 to 70 per cent. The outlook for tourism is brighter than ever, says Google. But the rules of the game have changed.

The US further tightens its entry rules for tourists. Those wishing to spend their holidays there will probably have to disclose more information about their lives, including their social media activities.

ALL Accor, the group's booking platform and loyalty program, announced the launch of its ALL Accor app in ChatGPT on 29 January 2026. The app is designed to make booking easier for travelers.

For almost half of Germans, cost is the most important factor when choosing a travel destination. In addition to price, safety, accessibility, and the general economic situation also influence travel decisions. This is because more and more travelers are booking at short notice.

An estimated 1.52 billion international tourists were recorded globally in 2025, almost 60 million more than in 2024. Arrivals grew by 4% in 2025.

The German Hotel Association (IHA) is launching the application phase for its Start-up Award 2026 and invites all start-ups with innovative product developments specific to the hotel industry to apply. 

Travellers are increasingly looking for alternative and affordable ways to explore the world. In addition to short-term rentals, holiday apartments and hotels, house swapping is developing into a travel model in its own right.

On 17 January 2026, after more than 20 years of negotiations, the Agreement on the Protection of the High Seas came into force. It applies to areas of the oceans that lie outside national territorial waters (up to 12 nautical miles) and outside the national exclusive economic zone (up to 200 nautical miles).

The development of artificial intelligence has reached a new level: AI agents are now acting almost autonomously. Consumers are expected to encounter this for the first time this year: while shopping.

The extent to which German cities and municipalities will be affected by climate change in the future varies considerably from region to region. The new "Climate Risk Index" shows this — it has examined natural hazards and forecasts the situation for individual locations up to 2050.

Mulled wine, bratwurst and roasted almonds - these things can be really lucrative. The most visited Christmas markets in Central Europe are in Germany and France and will welcome over 17 million people in 2025 - mainly day trip tourists.

By 2035, most hotel discoveries and bookings will happen through a single AI conversation, at least half of back-office tasks will be automated, and most routine guest requests will be handled by AI agents. Human staff will be left to do what algorithms can't.

The Welcome Hotel Darmstadt has launched a pilot project. Together with Hotelbird and Vingcard, NFC-based wallet keys have been introduced in the hotel. These work without a separate app – and even when your smartphone battery is flat.

US border guards want to scrutinise the social media profiles of short-term visitors, such as tourists and business travellers from Europe. What is behind this data collection?

During the summer flight schedule, around 68.5 million passengers departed from Germany's main airports to destinations abroad. That was 3 million or 4.6% more travellers than in the previous year. However, only Spain, Greece and Turkey saw figures higher than before the pandemic.

Morocco is also committed to responsible tourism: it is massively expanding its rail transport network, while the number of eco-friendly accommodations and local community projects is growing, making the country an interesting and sustainable destination.