From weather warnings to travel rule changes that could cost you, we round up the latest travel news and updates from around the globe each month (newest updates top of page).
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A recent investigation by The Barber Law Firm has revealed just how dangerous chasing the perfect selfie can be. The study examined reported selfie-related injuries and deaths worldwide from March 2014 through May 2025.
According to data compiled from Google News, only cases where taking a selfie directly caused harm were counted, and falling was identified as the number one cause of these fatalities.
In terms of countries with the highest "selfie deaths", India tops the list by a large margin: 271 total incidents, including 214 deaths and 57 injuries. The United States follows in second place, followed by Russia, with Pakistan and Australia rounding out the top five.
We've rounded up some shocking examples of why “that perfect selfie” can be deadly, from the top 5 countries on the list:
India – Prahlad Gujjar (2024): Mauled by a lion after jumping into the Sri Venkateswara Zoo enclosure for a selfie. Ignored warnings, attacked by the lion, fatally wounded.
United States – Richard Jacobson (2022): 21-year-old hiker fell 700 feet off a cliff in Arizona’s Superstition Mountains while attempting a selfie with the skyline in view.
Russia – Elizaveta Gushchina (2025): Mother of two and experienced bungee jumper slipped 300 feet from an unfinished chimney structure while attempting to take a selfie after her jump.
Pakistan – Rubina Bano, Kiran & Nimra (2014): These three women fell into a glacier near Lake Saiful Malook, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while posing for selfies inside a glacier hole; all died from the fall.
Australia – Unnamed tourist (2024): 20-year-old jumped from a ledge at Crystal Cascades waterfall near Cairns to take a selfie; the fall proved fatal.
Most of the tragedies happened in risky locations — cliffs, rooftops, train tracks, as well as from ignoring wildlife interaction rules. Moral of the story? Don't risk it!
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Ahead of South Africa’s high tourism season, the Southern Africa Tourism Services Association (SATSA) has sounded the alarm about a rising wave of travel fraud.
SATSA urges travellers, overseas tour operators and local travel businesses to be extra vigilant — especially when booking deals and interacting with unfamiliar agencies. Fraudsters are reportedly misusing SATSA’s logo, creating fake listings and posing as legitimate agents to lure victims.
David Frost, SATSA’s CEO, emphasises that use of the SATSA logo alone does not guarantee legitimacy. Only agencies listed in SATSA’s official directory can truly claim membership.
To protect against scams, SATSA recommends:
When booking any travel via a South African travel agent, protect yourself against scams by ensuring the agency is an accredited ASATA member – find out more on why this is essential here.
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Starting October 13, CemAir will begin operating a weekly service between Cape Town and East London, responding to strong public demand.
Flights will depart Cape Town at 06:00 every Monday, landing in East London at 07:20. The return leg takes off from East London at 07:50, touching down in Cape Town at 09:30.
The route will be flown using CemAir’s CRJ900 aircraft, which seats 90 passengers. If demand picks up, capacity may increase. One-way fares start from approximately R1,207.
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Dubai is about to get a new landmark: InterContinental Hotels Group's Ciel Dubai Marina will officially open in November 2025, becoming the world's tallest hotel at a staggering 377 metres over 82 floors.
The hotel's opening will make Dubai home to two records: the world's tallest hotel, and the world's tallest building – the title held by the 828 meter tall Burj Khalifa since 2010.
The Ciel Dubai Marina will house 1 004 rooms and suites over its 82 floors. Guests can expect sweeping views of Palm Jumeirah, the Arabian Gulf and the Dubai skyline through floor-to-ceiling windows.
The property’s amenities include eight distinct dining venues, a luxury spa on the 61st floor, a sky-pool and sky-lounge, and access to Soluna Beach Club on Palm Jumeirah.
Location is prime: direct access to the Marina boardwalk, with nearby beaches, shopping and public transport links like tram and metro service. Bookings are expected to open from 15 November.
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Royal Caribbean is unveiling what could be the biggest leap in cruising yet: the Legend of the Seas, a ship so massive and advanced it’s already making waves before it even sails.
Built at Finland’s Meyer Turku shipyard, the vessel stretches 366 metres in length, spans 50 metres wide and displaces over 250,800 gross tons — in effect, a floating city. Its amenities include 18 decks, 7 pools, 22 lifts and capacity for 7,600 guests plus 2,350 crew members.
Among its headline features: a massive Category 6 waterpark, Crown’s Edge (a suspended ocean-view walkway and ropes course), and increased accessibility for travellers with mobility needs. Sustainable design is also central — energy-efficient propulsion systems and advanced wastewater management are woven into the ship’s blueprint.
The ship is slated to launch in European summer 2026, starting with Western Mediterranean cruises out of Barcelona, then heading to Fort Lauderdale for Caribbean itineraries. But with great size comes great responsibility — ports will need serious upgrades to handle the influx, and many operational challenges lie ahead.
Stay tuned — this could reshape what “cruise ship” really means.
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A bold new roadshow campaign is crisscrossing Africa — spanning 39 countries over 163 days — pushing for visa-free travel to unlock tourism, jobs and cross-border unity.
Spearheaded by former Ghanaian MP Ras Mubarak and backed by the Ghanaian government, the travelling campaign has already logged nearly 10 000 km across nine countries, with many more to go before ending in January 2026.
The campaign's message is simple: remove visa obstacles and unlock Africa’s tourism potential, create jobs and deepen integration. Several governments —including Angola, Gabon, Benin, and the DRC — have already expressed support.
The roadshow isn’t only about visas, however. The team is also pushing sustainability, conservation and responsible cross-border tourism at each stop.
Challenges remain — immigration policy, security, logistics — but the campaign has reignited discussion about what a more connected Africa could look like.
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Europe’s push to cut carbon emissions has made trains cool again, and France intends to lead the way by bringing back the romance of rail travel with “train hotels” – sleeper cars that offer a more comfortable and eco-friendly alternative to short-haul flights across the country.
Over a million passengers boarded France’s night trains in 2024 — a 26% jump in a year — and the government is now doubling down, ordering 180 new sleeper cars and 30 locomotives for delivery by 2030. Routes like Paris–Nice and Paris–Toulouse are already booking out months in advance, showing that travellers are happy to swap cramped short-haul flights for beds on rails.
Fair warning: demand far exceeds supply, with fewer than 130 sleeper cars currently available nationwide, so if you want to travel France by “train hotel” booking far in advance is essential! Contact your nearest Sure Travel Agent for details.
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American Airlines is shaking up how carry-ons are handled at the gate by removing the familiar metal bag-measuring frames (effective October 6).
Don’t get too excited, though, the carry-on size limits aren’t going anywhere – it remains no more than 22×14×9 inches, plus one personal – and check-in staff are now tasked with spotting oversized luggage at boarding gates. What is changing, however, is how strictly carry-on luggage rules are enforced, with the airline’s internal memo encouraging staff to err on the side of passenger convenience for slightly oversized bags.
The move aims to reduce gate congestion and accelerate boarding by assigning check-in staff to identify oversized carry-on bags rather than relying on passengers to place them in sizers at the gate.
It’s a small tweak, but it fits into a broader push by airlines to smooth the chaos of boarding. So all eyes are now on American Airlines to see if this new strategy works!
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A lesser-known Chinese carrier, Xiamen Air, just claimed a major aviation milestone: its flight from New York JFK to Fuzhou now clocks in at 19 hours, 20 minutes — making it the longest nonstop scheduled passenger route in the world.
This route, relaunched in 2024 and flying twice a week, took the record by edging past Singapore Airlines’ famed ultra-long hauls like JFK–Singapore and Newark–Singapore.
It’s more than a bragging right, though. This shift signals the changing calculus of long-haul air travel: airlines are now leaning into longer, nonstop routes where aircraft range, geopolitical airspace access and passenger comfort are all taken into account.
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China’s rail network has officially gone paperless. Travellers no longer need a physical ticket to board, instead your ID (if you’re a Chinese national) or your passport (if you’re a foreigner) now acts as the ticket itself.
Passengers must now book online through the official China Railway app or website, using their ID or passport number. At the station, a quick ID/passport scan at the gate confirms your booking and grants entry — no printing, no pickup, no paper trail.
The switch to fully digital travel speeds up boarding, reduces queues and fits seamlessly into the country’s tech-driven infrastructure. It of course also builds on China’s long-standing real-name ticketing policy that aims to tie every journey to a verified ID, so every person on public transport is easily trackable…
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