tour operators

A judge has approved an agreement between LIV Golf and the investment firm BC Partners, formalizing the deal between the Saudi-backed golf circuit and the private equity group. Further details of the arrangement, including its financial terms and what it means for the tour's operations, have not been disclosed. The ruling marks a notable development in the business side of professional golf.

Travel industry executive Nick Levasseur has returned to tour operator Collette after a short spell at cruise line Celebrity Cruises. The move, reported by trade outlet PAX News, marks a quick return to his former company. The industry will be watching what role he takes on and what prompted the rapid switch between the two travel brands.

Travelers are showing a growing willingness to pay extra for flexible cancellation policies as anxiety around trip planning intensifies. According to travel industry reporting, uncertain conditions are pushing vacationers to prioritize refundable bookings and change-friendly options, even at a higher price point. The trend suggests tour operators, airlines and hotels that offer lenient cancellation terms may gain a competitive advantage in attracting hesitant customers.

The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln has returned to San Diego after a deployment of roughly 11 months. The extended tour reportedly included support operations connected to the war involving Iran. The unusually long stretch at sea is being described as grueling for the crew, and the homecoming is drawing attention to the strain such extended deployments place on sailors and their families.

Japanese travel company Club Tourism is restarting tours routed through three Middle Eastern airports from December 2, according to a report by Livedoor News. The resumption signals that the operator sees conditions along those transit routes as stable enough to send travellers again. Readers in Japan are following the story for what it says about safety on regional flight corridors.

Oregon lawmakers have toured the ICE facility in South Portland, in the US state of Oregon. The visit comes amid ongoing national debate over immigration enforcement and conditions at detention sites. Details of what the lawmakers observed and any statements they made afterward were not immediately available, but such visits typically focus on oversight of detainee treatment and facility operations.

The Asheville Citizen Times has published a visual tour of Thatchmore Farm, located in Leicester, North Carolina. The feature offers readers a look at the farm's property and setting. Little further detail is available about the farm's operations or why the tour was produced now.

Irish tour operator Brack Tours has announced custom golf travel packages for visitors attending the 2027 Ryder Cup in Ireland. The offerings combine attendance at the tournament with round trips to some of the country's best-known golf courses. The announcement is aimed at international travelers planning ahead for the event, which is expected to draw large crowds and a surge in golf tourism to Ireland.

Members of the New Mexico Military Base Planning Commission toured White Sands Missile Range, the Army's largest testing installation in southern New Mexico. The visit is part of the commission's work assessing the state's military installations, their missions, and their economic and strategic importance. Officials typically use such tours to inform planning recommendations and coordination between the state and the Army on base operations and future development.

A new behind-the-scenes look spends 24 hours inside a New York-based AI advertising technology startup valued at $1.4 billion, showing how the company operates day to day. The tour has drawn wide attention, with viewers discussing the fast growth of AI-driven adtech firms, the scale of funding in the sector, and what a billion-dollar startup workplace actually looks like.

Tour operators working in the Himalayas are adjusting how they plan and run trips following deadly disasters linked to extreme weather in the region. Companies are reassessing routes, seasons and safety protocols as climate-related risks make mountain tourism increasingly unpredictable, according to industry coverage by Skift.