As  Asia prepares to welcome 2026, hotels and resorts across the region are curating immersive New Year celebrations that blend music, food, culture and memorable experiences. From tropical beaches and mountain-view rooftops to heritage hotels and wellness retreats, travellers have no shortage of ways to ring in the New Year.

On Vietnam’s Cam Ranh Peninsula, Alma Resort ushers in 2026 with its vibrant Sparkling Soirée, featuring live entertainment, DJ sets and a Champagne countdown. Guests can enjoy Italian fine dining, festive buffets, cultural shows celebrating Vietnamese heritage, and family-friendly activities including a kids’ corner and magic show.

In Chiang Mai, Thailand, Meliá Chiang Mai hosts celebrations at the city’s tallest rooftop bar. The evening begins with a lavish international buffet before moving sky-high to MAI The Sky Bar, where live music, DJs and panoramic mountain and river views create a dramatic midnight moment.

For those drawn to the sea, Banyan Tree Krabi offers a barefoot beach celebration with live entertainment, an expansive international buffet and fireworks lighting up the shoreline. Meanwhile, Banyan Tree Samui delivers a fairytale finale with gala dinners, fine Thai dining and a beachfront countdown party complete with Champagne and fireworks.

In Hong Kong, The Hari welcomes 2026 with an energetic rooftop countdown party in Wan Chai, paired with stay packages that include dining credits, Champagne toasts and access to festive menus across the hotel’s restaurants.

Vietnam continues to shine with beachside celebrations at The Anam Cam Ranh and The Anam Mui Ne, featuring seafood feasts, live music, fire shows and oceanfront countdowns. In Bangkok, INNSiDE by Meliá Bangkok Sukhumvit blends Spanish flavours, international buffets and a rooftop DJ-led countdown overlooking the city skyline.

For a quieter, reflective welcome to the New Year, TIA Wellness Resort in Vietnam offers mindful experiences including fire ceremonies, vision-setting workshops and sunrise yoga on the beach, allowing guests to begin 2026 with clarity and calm.

Grand celebrations also unfold in Pattaya, Hanoi, Hue, Ke Ga Bay, and across Cambodia, where luxury hotels host gala dinners, fireworks, cultural performances and poolside soirées. Wellness-focused brands like Fusion Resorts round out the season with yoga, sound healing, festive dining and star-lit countdowns by the sea.

Together, these celebrations highlight Asia’s diverse hospitality landscape, offering travellers unforgettable ways to welcome 2026, whether through high-energy parties, cultural immersion, beachside fireworks or wellness-led renewal.

Germany continues to witness strong momentum from the Indian outbound travel market, driven by rising travel intent, improved air connectivity and a growing preference for immersive and experience-focused journeys. Over the past few years, interest from Indian travellers has steadily increased, reinforcing Germany’s position as a preferred long-haul destination.

This positive growth is reflected in recent travel performance indicators. Indian travellers recorded over 104,066 overnight stays in Germany during October 2025, highlighting consistent demand across both leisure and business travel segments. Overnight stays from India in October 2025 were also 16.5 percent higher than pre-pandemic 2019 levels, indicating sustained growth rather than a short-term rebound. According to data from the German National Tourist Board (GNTB), India recorded a total of 775,294 overnight stays from January to October 2025.

Air connectivity continues to play a crucial role in supporting this momentum. GNTB Dashboard data shows that approximately 296 flights are currently operating between India and Germany, improving access to multiple German cities and enabling more flexible, multi-city itineraries. Seat availability between the two countries stands at around 93,447 seats, further supporting steady travel volumes.

Indian travellers are also choosing to spend more time exploring the destination. The average length of stay has now crossed nine nights, reflecting a shift towards deeper exploration, slower travel and extended itineraries. This trend aligns with evolving traveller preferences for meaningful experiences over quick sightseeing trips.

Against this backdrop, the German National Tourist Office hosted a press event to outline Germany’s tourism priorities for the Indian market in 2025. The destination’s refreshed narrative focuses on culture-driven travel, romantic experiences, seasonal journeys and region-led exploration. These curated travel propositions are designed to match the changing expectations of Indian travellers.

Commenting on the initiative, Romit Theophilus, Director – Marketing & Sales Office, India, GNTO, said, “Indian outbound travel is evolving rapidly, with travellers today placing greater value on depth, relevance and personal connection rather than conventional sightseeing alone. We are seeing a clear preference for journeys that are immersive, thoughtfully paced and shaped around individual interests. Germany’s strength lies in its culturally rich regions, diverse landscapes and year-round experiences, which together allow travellers to curate journeys that are distinctive, meaningful and aligned with their evolving travel expectations.”

Germany’s rich cultural landscape continues to be a major draw for Indian travellers. Through the Cultureland Germany initiative, visitors can explore historic town centres, world-renowned museums, architectural landmarks and a vibrant contemporary arts scene. Germany has been recognised as Europe’s leading cultural travel destination for ten consecutive years, highlighting the depth and diversity of its cultural offerings.

In addition to culture-led travel, Germany is enhancing its appeal as a year-round romantic and honeymoon destination. Tailored experiences across seasons, from spring and summer countryside retreats to autumn landscapes and festive winter settings, are drawing increased interest. The Seasons Greetings programme further strengthens this appeal by showcasing Germany’s Christmas traditions, festive markets and seasonal celebrations, offering unique winter travel experiences for Indian visitors.

As Indian outbound travel continues to mature, Germany’s tourism strategy for 2025 reflects a strong alignment with emerging travel behaviours. Longer stays, region-focused exploration and experience-led journeys remain central to its approach. Backed by strong connectivity, consistent arrival volumes and high engagement levels, Germany is well positioned to deepen its relationship with the Indian market and inspire travel experiences that go beyond the conventional.

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has announced that its Operating Committee has unanimously approved Madrid, Spain, as the location for the organisation’s new Global Office. The decision marks a strategic move aimed at strengthening WTTC’s global leadership role and supporting the long-term growth potential of the travel and tourism sector worldwide.

The selection followed an extensive strategic review, during which five destinations expressed interest in hosting the Global Office, including Dubai (UAE), France, Italy, Spain and Switzerland. The evaluation process was based on six key areas: office rental and operating costs, tax and incentive structures, visa and work permit frameworks, government support, cost of living for talent attraction and retention, and proximity to international organisations.

All 17 members of WTTC’s Operating Committee endorsed Madrid as the most competitive option after assessing the organisation’s long-term strategic and operational needs. The city was chosen for its favourable tax environment, strong government support, efficient visa processing for employees and lower overall operating costs. Challenges linked to Brexit, particularly restrictions around talent mobility, were also noted as factors that made the UK a less attractive base for future operations.

Establishing the Global Office in Madrid provides WTTC with access to a broader and more diverse talent pool, covering nearly 350 million qualified professionals across the region. The city’s proximity to international organisations further supports structured collaboration, reinforcing WTTC’s global advocacy and research efforts.

Madrid’s strong international connectivity through Madrid-Barajas Airport, its competitive business environment, government incentives and alignment with WTTC’s mission were additional factors behind the decision. The new Global Office will play a central role within WTTC’s worldwide network, supporting advocacy initiatives, research programmes and deeper engagement with members across global markets.

Commenting on the decision, Manfredi Lefebvre, Chairman of WTTC, said,

“The unanimous decision to establish our Global Office in Madrid reflects a clear view among the Operating Committee about what WTTC needs to succeed in the years ahead. This move ensures we operate more efficiently, deliver more value to our members, access the best global talent and maintain a truly international outlook, strongly supported by the Spanish government. 2026 will be a year in which we will reshape WTTC so it is focused on its members, stronger research capability and deeper government advocacy in the travel and tourism sector.”

Gloria Guevara, Interim President and CEO of WTTC, added,

“We'd like to thank the government of Spain for their support during this process to create the new WTTC Global Office. Spain has prioritised travel and tourism and clearly understands the enormous contribution the sector makes to global growth. Being based in a competitive city like Madrid will help WTTC go from strength to strength, offer closer engagement with our members worldwide and enable us to play a major role advising on good policy development, investments that help tourism growth and job creation from our members which have global impact. I'd also like to thank the other countries that expressed interest in hosting WTTC's new Global Office - France, Italy, Switzerland and Dubai (UAE). We are humbled by their proposals and the huge interest shown by governments worldwide.”