Social media is filled with images of celebrities and influencers lighting up cigarettes and hyping the habit of smoking, suggesting it's experiencing a bit of a cultural resurgence. Though data suggests tobacco use has long been trending downward, experts say if we want it to stay that way, harmful online content that glamourizes smoking shouldn't be ignored.

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to strengthen the voice, growth and competitiveness of millions of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across the global Travel & Tourism sector. The partnership brings together WTTC’s specialist Travel & Tourism expertise, economic research and industry insight with ICC’s global business network spanning more than 45 million businesses across over 170 countries. Together, the organisations will provide SMEs with practical guidance, tools, insights, connections and opportunities to help them grow and compete.

For generations, South Africans have known how to welcome people, whether through a steaming pot of umngqusho shared around the fire or the careful sweeping of a verandah before guests arrived. Hospitality is a vital part of our heritage and has long been one of the threads connecting our various cultures and traditions. As a nation, we are well-known for it: a quality closely linked to the philosophy of ubuntu, which reminds us that our humanity is bound up in one another.

Americans may be watching their wallets, but they aren’t giving up their vacations. New findings from MMGY’s 2026 Portrait of American Travelers™ “Fall Edition” reveal that travel demand is rebounding this fall, with Americans expecting to spend $5,655 on leisure travel over the next 12 months and take nearly four vacations, both up from the “Summer Edition” of the survey.