KATHMANDU, 31 August 2026: PATA Nepal Chapter released an operational update on 29 August 2026 following the devastating flash flood that destroyed villages with more than 2,400 people missing after part of a glacier collapsed near the border between Nepal and China.
On Wednesday, 26 August, a colossal flash flood surged down the Bhote Koshi River and into the Trishuli River, destroying Rasuwa, Nuwakot, and Dhading districts and affecting 10,000 households. The death toll has exceeded 700, while 3,000 people are missing, including 320 foreigners. Nepal Tourism Board reported 250 foreigners have since been rescued.
Search and rescue efforts continue in the steep valleys and gorges, with over 18,000 rescuers deployed to a disaster region extending 100 km downstream of the Gyirong border gate. “Our thoughts are with every family still waiting for news of their loved ones and our first priority is to support that response,” said the PATA Chapter statement.
“Our thoughts are with every family still waiting for news of their loved ones and our first priority is to support that response,” said the PATA Chapter statement.
“Our second priority is accuracy. International coverage has not distinguished between one river corridor and a country of 147,000 sq km, and travellers are drawing conclusions the facts do not support.”
Map: Flood-Affected Zone – Bhote Koshi–Trishuli River Corridor, Nepal (August 2026)
Disaster region
The Langtang, Rasuwa, and Bhote Koshi corridor is closed. Search and rescue is active, and authorities have warned of further flooding from a barrier lake upstream. Travel there is not possible. The Galchhi–Syabrubesi road is closed.
Operating normally
Overland movements between Kathmandu–Pokhara and Kathmandu–Chitwan are operating normally.
Tribhuvan International Airport and all domestic airports
Kathmandu Valley — hotels, restaurants and heritage sites
Everest and Khumbu region, including Lukla flights
Annapurna region and Pokhara
Chitwan and Bardiya
Lumbini and the Terai
Autumn is Nepal’s principal trekking season, which will open in four weeks. The Everest and Annapurna regions, where the great majority of autumn arrivals travel, are outside the affected river system and were not in the flood path. PATA Nepal Chapter will confirm operating conditions in the affected region in subsequent updates as the situation stabilises.
The Nepal Tourism Board is issuing numbered situation updates on the Bhote Koshi flood, the latest being Situation Update No 6, 28 August. It includes verification of the whereabouts and safety of travellers. See: Latest Travel Updates | Nepal Tourism Board.
BANGKOK, 31 August 2026: Australia’s Brockenchack Wines has officially entered Thailand, bringing its premium, single-vineyard Eden Valley portfolio to a market increasingly ready to look beyond familiar labels and discover the people, place and provenance behind the bottle.
The Australian family-owned winery marked its Thailand debut with an invitation-only tasting at Marriott Executive Apartments Bangkok, Sukhumvit Thonglor.
The Australian family-owned winery marked its Thailand debut with an invitation-only tasting at Marriott Executive Apartments Bangkok, Sukhumvit Thonglor.
Hosted by Bangkok-based hospitality consultancy OK Business Solutions, the event brought together hoteliers, restaurateurs, wine buyers, distributors, hospitality professionals and media for an evening that placed family storytelling alongside what was in the glass.
Representing the winery in Bangkok were Darren Naylor and his son Mack Naylor, who introduced guests to Brockenchack’s wines and the family history behind them. Founded by Trevor and Marilyn Harch, the winery takes its name from their four grandchildren: Brontë, Mackenzie, Charli and Jack.
A market ready for more than a label
The timing is significant. Wine Australia reported in July 2026 that Thailand is now ASEAN’s largest wine market and was ranked by IWSR as the world’s 16th most attractive wine market in 2025. Premium wine has significantly outperformed the commercial segment since 2020, with that trend forecast to continue through 2030. A recent study also identified growing interest among Thai consumers in learning how to select wine and pair it confidently with food.
Australia enters that conversation from a position of strength. It is Thailand’s leading supplier of imported wine by volume and ranks second by value, behind France.
Thailand is also now the seventh-largest destination for Australian wine exports priced above AUD10 per litre, a useful signal for boutique producers whose appeal rests on quality, origin and character rather than volume alone.
Thailand’s wine market is overwhelmingly international, imported wines representing approximately 98% of the market.
The local connection
At the centre of Brockenchack’s Thailand story is Poonlap Chantavongviriya, Founder of Chante Wine and Beverage, the winery’s exclusive importer and distributor in Thailand. His connection to Australian wine began long before the first shipment arrived in Bangkok.
“My appreciation for fine wine began as a student in Adelaide, where I first encountered exceptional wines and formed a lasting emotional connection to the region and its producers,” Khun Poonlap said. “It is therefore an honour to introduce and help promote Brockenchack Wines from Eden Valley in Thailand. I was immediately impressed by the craftsmanship in every bottle, as well as the warmth of the genuinely lovely family behind the winery. You can truly feel the passion and quality-driven energy from the winemaker and everyone involved, which makes the wines not only exceptional but also deeply authentic.”
For a boutique producer entering a relationship-driven hospitality market, local knowledge matters. Chante connects the winery with the hotels, restaurants, wine professionals and curious consumers who can give the brand a meaningful place at the table. Just as importantly, Khun Poonlap helps translate Brockenchack’s family heritage and Eden Valley identity into experiences suited to Thailand.
“Beyond simply tasting the wine, we hoped guests would get to know the people behind the brand,” he said. “That in-person connection, putting faces to the names of the people actually producing the wine, is something not everyone gets to experience. It has become lost in parts of the wine industry dominated by faceless corporate brands. This brings back the essence of human-to-human connection: creating experiences and sharing stories.”
That combination of access, education and personal connection is particularly relevant in a market where consumers want to learn more about wine but can still find the category intimidating. Chante’s work gives Brockenchack a local voice, not simply a local address.
A family story from Eden Valley
Brockenchack’s single-vineyard estate is located in Eden Valley, within South Australia’s Barossa region. Some of its Riesling vines date to 1896, linking the contemporary family business to more than a century of regional winemaking history. Its portfolio includes Riesling, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Grenache, Pinot Noir, Rosé and Pinot Grigio.
The non-vintage Great Scott Sparkling Shiraz proved one of the evening’s conversation starters. This lively Australian expression did exactly what a good launch wine should do: loosen the room and get people talking. Across the tasting, however, the broader message was consistency. Brockenchack arrived not as a single-bottle novelty, but as a portfolio with the range to work across restaurant lists, hotel dining rooms and private wine occasions.
“From the first pour, what stood out was not simply the quality in the glass, but the family story and character behind the label. Great Scott Sparkling Shiraz certainly got the room talking, but Zip Line Shiraz was my personal favourite; bright and fruit-forward, with ripe plum and black-fruit character, soft chocolate and vanilla notes, and a smooth finish. This felt less like a product launch and more like being welcomed into the Brockenchack family.”
Dr Scott Michael Smith, who attended the Bangkok launch.
From Bangkok launch to long-term presence
The Bangkok tasting offered an early glimpse of how the brand may find its place in Thailand. Rather than relying on a conventional product presentation, the evening encouraged guests to ask questions, meet the family and understand why the wines taste as they do.
Poonlap believes this experience-led approach offers a clear opening within Thailand’s hospitality industry. “Guests are looking for a reason to show up in person, a moment they cannot get by scrolling on their phone, and the venues that deliver that are the ones people keep coming back to,” he said. “Wine dinners, tastings and events hosted alongside the venue are exactly what create that pull.
“That is where Brockenchack comes in. We do not just send a representative and a case of wine and hope for the best. The family flies over from Australia, gets into the room, hosts the experience and tells the story behind every bottle. They become part of what makes the venue worth visiting.
“There is a real gap in the market for this, and very few wineries are willing actually to show up the way Brockenchack does,” he added. “That is what sets the winery apart, and it is why partnering with us adds something to a venue that guests remember long after they leave.”
For Brockenchack, the launch opened a promising new chapter in Southeast Asia. For Chante Wine and Beverage, it demonstrated the value of thoughtful representation: selecting a producer with a credible story, introducing it to the right people and allowing relationships to develop around the table.
As the final glasses were poured, the clearest takeaway was that successful wine launches are rarely about the bottle alone. They are about trust, timing and the people capable of connecting one place with another. In Thailand, Brockenchack appears to have found that connection in Poonlap and Chante Wine and Beverage.
About Brockenchack Wines Brockenchack Wines is a family-owned, single-vineyard winery in Eden Valley, South Australia. Founded by Trevor and Marilyn Harch, it produces a portfolio of premium wines shaped by the region’s cool-climate conditions and winemaking heritage.
DUBAI, UAE, 31 August 2026: Global Hotel Alliance (GHA), an alliance of independent hotel brands, is expanding its portfolio with two regional hospitality brands from Turkey and Poland.
Together, The Marmara Hotels and PURO Hotels will add 15 hotels to GHA DISCOVERY, further enriching GHA’s award-winning loyalty programme.
The Marmara Hotels and its six properties across Turkey are already live in the programme, with PURO Hotels’ nine-property portfolio set to follow in Q3 2026.
“Independent hotel brands are increasingly looking for ways to reach more international travellers while staying true to their local identity,” said GHA CEO Chris Hartley. “GHA enables brands to achieve this by combining global reach and scale with the freedom to maintain their individuality. With their amazing history and unique culture, Turkey and Poland are destinations experiencing significant growth in international demand, as people expand their travel horizons, and we are now able to offer a fabulous choice of hotels in these markets.”
Marmara Hotels
Headquartered in Istanbul, Marmara Hotels brings together contemporary comfort with a strong sense of Turkish heritage. From its landmark location in Taksim Square and Pera to properties in Bodrum and Antalya, each hotel reflects the character of its destination. The Marmara Hotels’ connection to place also extends to preserving cultural heritage, including historic landmarks such as the Esma Sultan Palace by the Bosphorus and the restored Zeyrek Çinili Hamam.
PURO Hotels
PURO is a modern urban hotel brand that creates distinctive hospitality experiences in Poland and beyond. Today, the portfolio comprises eight hotels located in Warsaw, Wrocław, Kraków, Poznań, Gdańsk, and Łódź. The brand continues to expand its footprint, preparing to open its first hotels outside Poland, in Budapest in 2026 and Prague in 2027.
“These brands are particularly exciting additions to GHA, marking the arrival of our first homegrown Polish and Turkish hotel brands. Each brings a strong sense of place, deep local expertise and a distinctive hospitality culture to our portfolio. This is at the heart of what we want to offer our members: authentic experiences rooted in the destinations they visit, while giving independent brands a global platform to share their unique stories,” concludes Hartley.
SINGAPORE, 31 August: A subsidiary of Jin Jiang Hotels is collaborating with Trip.com Travel Singapore Pte Ltd to deliver value to travellers visiting the ASEAN region.
The two companies signed a three-year MoU to cooperate by leveraging their respective system and platform strengths across ten ASEAN nations — Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, and Brunei.
Photo credit: Jin Jiang Hotels.
The alliance highlights a unified fixed commission structure for participating properties of Jin Jiang Hotels’ subsidiary across the ASEAN region covered by the MoU.
This standardised framework will replace traditional, volatile floating commission models to improve commercial transparency, enhance cost predictability, and provide a more stable foundation for sustainable, higher-certainty growth for the hotel franchisee.
Deepening their collaboration through joint marketing and resource integration will enable the companies to build an integrated tourism-plus-accommodation ecosystem across ASEAN, aimed at strengthening tourism connectivity, supporting local hospitality ecosystems, and delivering value to travellers.
In parallel with this strategic cooperation, Jin Jiang Hotels’ subsidiary has established a robust localised footprint in Southeast Asia, deploying dedicated development and operations teams in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam.
NEW DELHI, 31 August 2026: SriLankan Airlines is back in full force in the Middle East, resuming six weekly flights to Kuwait from 8 August 2026 and completing the restoration of its network across the region.
SriLankan’s Middle East network spans Riyadh, Dammam, Dubai, Doha and Kuwait, offering passengers connections via Colombo between the Middle East and southern Indian cities, such as Chennai, Tiruchirappalli, Thiruvananthapuram, Madurai and Cochin.
Photo credit: SriLankan.
SriLankan Airlines Head of Commercial Dimuthu Tennakoon stated: “As an airline that has been connecting passengers to the Middle East for over 40 years, we are delighted to announce our full return to the region.
“This milestone marks not only the restoration of convenient connectivity, but also the return of the dependable service and warm Sri Lankan hospitality that have made us a preferred carrier for travellers across South Asia.”
SriLankan Airlines Regional Manager India, Bangladesh and Nepal Fawzan Fareid added: “Our Middle East network has long been a vital part of our service to customers in South India. While the past few months presented significant challenges for our Middle East operations, we remained resilient by strengthening other markets and staying committed to serving our customers across India. As we restore our full Middle East network, we are excited to build on this momentum with renewed confidence and continue delivering the seamless connectivity, dependable service and warm SriLankan hospitality that our passengers value.”
With 90 weekly flights between India and Colombo, serving Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Madurai and Tiruchirappalli, SriLankan counts India as its largest market.
SriLankan Airlines connects passengers to 130 destinations across 63 countries through its own services and codeshare partnerships, while operating direct services to 33 destinations worldwide. Its network spans Europe, Australia, the Middle East, the Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia and East Asia.
The airline operates an all-Airbus fleet comprising A330-200/300 and A320/321 aircraft.
SINGAPORE, 26 August 2026: Flight Centre Travel Group’s (FCTG) corporate division has posted record transaction value (TTV) and revenue, with its USA business crossing the USD2 billion TTV mark for the first time.
The landmark result was revealed as part of the group’s end-of-financial-year results to the Australian Securities Exchange.
FCM Travel Asia Managing Director, Vicki Parris, said the results came against a rapidly changing business travel landscape.
“FY26 has reinforced just how quickly the business travel landscape can change. Geopolitical tensions, economic uncertainty and the rapid evolution of AI have all challenged organisations to rethink how they manage travel. “Yet across Asia, business travel has remained a strategic investment as companies continue to expand and bring increasingly regional workforces together.
“Customer expectations are moving just as quickly. Organisations want more than efficient travel management; they’re looking for technology that makes travel easier to manage, backed by trusted advice and people who understand the markets they operate in. For us, that has created a real opportunity to keep raising the bar on what managed travel can deliver,” she explained.
“There’s plenty to be proud of in how we’ve responded to that opportunity across Asia in FY26. Our accelerated growth across our emerging markets, with Southeast Asia and Greater China delivering exceptional growth and nearly doubling in scale from FY25. “We’ve also made great strides in technology. In Japan, we launched our proprietary domestic booking solution, bringing more local content through a simpler, more seamless booking experience.
“Together with the continued evolution of Sam and our AI capabilities, we’re giving customers the benefits of globally connected technology while responding to the very different needs of individual markets across Asia.”
FCTG Global reports new wins
FCTG Global Corporate CEO Chris Galanty said: “It was a record year for TTV and revenue, and the productivity work we’ve been putting in for several years is really showing up in the result. This is despite headwinds, including the conflict in the Middle East, which affected businesses across Asia, the Middle East, Africa and parts of Europe. We’re operating in a world that keeps throwing curveballs, and our teams navigated that really well.”
“The US was a standout. Corporate TTV in the market surpassed USD2 billion for the first time,” commented Galanty. “The US is the largest travel market in the world, and we still only hold a small share of it. That tells you how much room we have to keep growing there.”
Closer to home, the ANZ Corporate business had its best year for both TTV and profit, strengthening its position as the number one player in the local market. Much of the year’s profit growth has come from what Mr Galanty calls “productive operations,” a multi-year effort to modernise the way the business runs.
“We’ve automated more of the process and given customers the tools to do more themselves when that’s what they want,” Galanty said. “What I’m proudest of is that this hasn’t come at the expense of service. We hit record SLA, NPS and CSAT scores this year. Productivity and customer experience have moved together, not against each other.
“Our focus is now shifting from productivity to growth. We’ve done the hard work of transforming the business; now the job is to take this proposition to market and win more customers. We’ll be investing more in sales and marketing this year, and next, than we ever have before,” he concluded.
SINGAPORE, 31 August 2026: United has launched its largest international network expansion in the company’s history with 10 new international cities and three new routes across Europe and Asia, while introducing the A321XLR to its fleet.
The announcement builds on nearly a decade of international growth, with United adding 58 international destinations to its route map since 2017. As the world’s largest airline, United now flies to more than 160 international destinations.
Photo credit: United. A321XLR.
Starting as early as March 2027, the airline will fly to 10 new international cities – including eight no other US airline serves – across Europe and Asia:
10 new international cities
Beyond the 10 new cities, United is adding new flights from Los Angeles to Osaka, Japan; Washington, DC to Milan, Italy; Denver to Paris; and will restart service from San Francisco to Tel Aviv, Israel. The airline will serve more destinations in Japan, Spain, Portugal, Italy and France.
United offers the most flights and seats from the US across the Atlantic and Pacific of any airline. United’s 10 new destinations give travellers more ways to experience the world – from scenic island escapes in Okinawa and Terceira in Portugal’s Azores to Mediterranean getaways in Ibiza and Sardinia, the history and architecture of Luxembourg City and world-renowned cuisine in Sicily.
United is also adding new international routes to destinations it already serves from three of its US hubs spanning coast to coast.
From Los Angeles, United will add new daily service to Osaka, Japan, becoming the only airline to serve Osaka from two continental US cities. The route will complement the airline’s existing service from San Francisco and Guam. The new route is scheduled to begin 27 March 2027.
From Washington, DC, United will add new three-times-weekly nonstop service to Milan on 28 May, 2027, becoming the only airline to connect the nation’s capital to Milan nonstop. United will also serve more destinations in Italy nonstop from the US than any other airline.
From Denver, United will add new daily nonstop service to Paris beginning on 27 May, 2027. The new route will complement existing service from Newark/New York, Washington Dulles, Chicago and San Francisco.
United is also restarting service from San Francisco to Tel Aviv on 28 March, 2027. The three-times-weekly service from San Francisco to Tel Aviv will offer the most business class seats between the two cities of any airline.
In addition, United will bring back the new destinations it added in summer 2026 for summer 2027, with flights from Newark/New York to Split, Croatia; Bari, Italy; Glasgow, Scotland; and Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
United A321XLR
United’s ‘Born to Explore’ Airbus A321XLR will support United’s international growth in summer 2027 with service to new destinations in Ibiza, Luxembourg, Marseille, Toulouse and Valencia.
The aircraft offers 32 premium seats, including 20 United Polaris® suites and 12 United Premium Plus seats – 16 more premium seats than the Boeing 757-200.
The A321XLR is scheduled to start flying select domestic routes this September. It will transition to international service on 1 December, starting with flights from Dulles International Airport in Washington, DC to Amsterdam and Dublin.
SINGAPORE, 31 August 2026: Air Astana has achieved Sustainable Procurement certification under the IATA Integrated Sustainability Programme (ISP), becoming the first airline in Central Asia and the CIS, and the third airline worldwide to receive the certification.
The IATA ISP provides airlines with an industry-specific framework for sustainability management and assessment, supporting integration of ESG principles into their operations in line with internationally recognised best practices.
(Photo credit: Air Astana).
The certification recognises Air Astana’s structured approach to responsible procurement, including integrating ESG considerations into sourcing decisions, supplier assessments, robust governance processes, and continuous improvement of sustainability practices across its supply chain. This approach is underpinned by Air Astana’s Sustainability & ESG Procurement Policy Statement and Supplier Code of Conduct, which set out the principles and expectations for responsible procurement and sustainable engagement with suppliers.
“Receiving the IATA ISP Sustainable Procurement certification marks an important milestone in Air Astana’s sustainability journey. As the first airline in Central Asia and the CIS, and only the third airline in the world to achieve this certification, we are proud to set a benchmark for sustainable procurement in Kazakhstan and the region,” said Air Astana Chief Executive Officer Ibrahim Canliel.
This achievement reflects Air Astana’s ongoing commitment to advancing responsible business practices and strengthening sustainability across its operations and supply chain. By embedding ESG principles into procurement and engaging suppliers as partners, the airline continues to support the long-term development of a more sustainable and resilient aviation industry.
Air Astana recognises progress among its suppliers and business partners through the annual Air Astana ESG Awards, held since 2024. The initiative acknowledges partners demonstrating strong ESG practices and contributing to the airline’s sustainability objectives, while encouraging further development and the exchange of best practices.
LANGKAWI, 28 August 2026: Langkawi will become a new port of call for Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Adventure, with the island set to welcome day-visitors from sailings beginning 31 December 2026.
This announcement strengthens the island’s position as a destination for international travellers arriving through different routes and travel experiences to discover Southeast Asia.
Photo credit: Naturally Langkawi. Pantai Pasir Tengkorak, Langkawi.
“We are delighted to welcome Disney Cruise Line to Langkawi and to have the island included as a new port of call for select sailings of the Disney Adventure. This is an exciting opportunity for Langkawi to welcome a new audience to our shores and introduce them to the destination beyond what they may already know about the island. We look forward to working closely with our tourism partners to ensure that guests have a memorable experience during their time in Langkawi,” said Langkawi Development Authority (LADA) Chief Executive Officer Datuk Seri Haji Iskandar bin Datuk Haji Mohd Kaus.
Photo credit: Naturally Langkawi.
Visitors who choose to go ashore can spend their day in Langkawi according to their interests, as the island offers a range of experiences suited to families and travellers alike, from nature-based activities and family-friendly attractions to local crafts and cultural experiences. The island is also home to Southeast Asia’s first UNESCO Global Geopark, offering visitors an opportunity to encounter the geological and natural heritage that distinguishes the Langkawi archipelago.
All Disney Adventure sailings will continue to begin and end in Singapore. On itineraries that include Langkawi, guests may go ashore during the port visit but will not be permitted to embark or disembark in Langkawi, and must return to the ship by the all-aboard time communicated onboard.
For Langkawi, the announcement marks the beginning of a new relationship with Disney Cruise Line and another opportunity to put the island on the itinerary of travellers discovering Southeast Asia.
Photo credit: Disney Cruise Line. Disney Adventure Four-Night Langkawi Cruise from Singapore.
About Naturally Langkawi Naturally Langkawi is a story 550 million years in the making. It has nature that is beautifully unique, wonderfully rare and vastly accessible. It envelopes the 99 islands and the people who live there, creating a culture rich with stories as unique as the archipelago itself. A land steeped with captivating legends, myths and folklore as interesting as the people who tell them. It is a place full of diverse, incredible experiences where moments become memories; naturally.
For more information on Langkawi’s tourist attractions, visit: Naturally Langkawi
SYDNEY, 28 August 2026: Radisson Hotel Group confirms the signing of Radisson RED Sydney Haymarket, a 328-room, new-build lifestyle hotel set to open in 2029.
Located at the southern end of Sydney’s Central Business District, the 31-story hotel is in proximity to Central Station, Sydney Light Rail’s Haymarket station, Chinatown, Darling Harbour, the International Convention Centre, leading universities, and Sydney’s emerging Tech Central precinct.
Photo credit: Radisson Hotel Group. Radisson RED Sydney exterior rendering.
Radisson RED Sydney Haymarket will feature 328 rooms, a restaurant, a lobby café-bar, a pool bar, meeting rooms totalling 218 square metres, an outdoor swimming pool, and a fitness centre.
The property’s location, just 200 metres from Central Station and 6.3 kim from Sydney Airport, provides strong connectivity across the city and beyond. Its position at the gateway to the CBD also puts guests within walking distance of Sydney’s key commercial, cultural, educational, and entertainment destinations.
The signing of Radisson RED Sydney Haymarket further strengthens Radisson Hotel Group’s development momentum in Australasia, where the group continues to expand through a targeted mix of lifestyle, upper-upscale, resort, and conversion opportunities in key urban and leisure destinations.
