Tourism Stories

Australian Stories

Tourism stories

Australians want embedded travel cover, Cover Genius says

Three in four Australians would switch booking platforms for automatic travel cover, as trust in AI-led protection decisions remains low.

By Sean Mitchell • 4 min read • Last week

Global Stories

Tourism stories

Smart Cities

NSW signs AI deal with HCLTech in India trade push

Revenues from NSW's traffic system could rise if a new HCLTech partnership helps sell the technology into India's multilingual cities.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 5 min read • Yesterday

Tourism

Travellers warned EU cabin bag rules are not yet live

Holidaymakers could still face airport fees of up to GBP £75 if they assume the newly approved EU hand luggage rules already apply.

By Sofiah Nichole Salivio • 5 min read • Last month

Fintech

PayPal lets US travellers pay QR merchants in China

The new link gives US travellers a simpler way to pay in mainland China, where QR code wallets dominate everyday shopping and dining.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 4 min read • Last month

Stories from Other Regions

Tourism stories

Māori

'Iconic national' road thrown a funding lifeline

Ratepayers in South Wairarapa will avoid a funding gap of up to NZD $35 million after NZTA agreed to keep Cape Palliser Rd largely subsidised for three years.

By Local Democracy Reporter • 3 min read • Today

Data Analytics

OpenAI says Kiwis use ChatGPT to save hours weekly

New Zealand users are saving hours a week with ChatGPT, as the tool is used for work, budgets, health checks and trip planning.

By Sean Mitchell • 5 min read • Today

Disaster Recovery

Mount Maunganui slip: Full reopening of facilities could cost up to $38m

Restoring full access to the Mount Maunganui base could require up to GBP £38 million in slope works, a risk assessment says.

By Local Democracy Reporter • 5 min read • 2 days ago

Energy efficient

Kāpiti Coast weighs up $1.4m splash on manu pool

Councillors will decide on Thursday whether to back a bigger Ōtaki pool rebuild that could make the site the lower North Island's only manu pool.

By Local Democracy Reporter • 3 min read • 2 days ago

Local Government

Gisborne council to explore campervan dump station after decade-long push

Pressure is mounting on Gisborne's tourism infrastructure, with councillors weighing a campervan waste site after years of complaints and a closure.

By Local Democracy Reporter • 3 min read • Last week

Tourism

uDriveus launches Florida app for multi-stop travel

Travellers with changing itineraries can now book one driver and vehicle for multi-stop trips, starting with Florida, at a fixed daily rate.

By Sofiah Nichole Salivio • 4 min read • Last week

Smart Cities

Uber launches ridesharing across Northeastern Ontario

Residents across Northeastern Ontario gain a new transport option as the province tests its first rideshare framework, with supply set to ramp up.

By Sean Mitchell • 5 min read • Last week

Risk & Compliance

Ohakune water outage raises questions internal review can't answer, councillor says

Residents of the Ruapehu town were left without taps for nearly three days after a pipeline break went undetected, prompting calls for outside scrutiny.

By Local Democracy Reporter • 3 min read • Last month

Manufacturing

Jakarta property market strengthens across sectors

Stronger leasing and higher occupancy in Jakarta's offices, malls and warehouses signal a broad property recovery despite cautious pricing.

By Mark Tarre • 6 min read • Last month

Radio New Zealand

West Coast suffering from transport funding squeeze - leaders

Funding shortfalls could force West Coast councils to revert roads to gravel, leaders warn, as tourism and freight access come under pressure.

By Local Democracy Reporter • 4 min read • Last month

Fintech

Wavebridge, BC Card test overseas stablecoin QR payments

The trial points to a way foreign visitors could pay Korean merchants with USDC while shops still settle in won, easing cross-border spending.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 4 min read • Last month

Taxation

Details of bids to help struggling Fiordland airport kept under wraps

Questions remain over investor interest in Te Anau Airport Manapōuri, after the council declined to say how many bids were lodged.

By Local Democracy Reporter • 3 min read • Last month

Local Government

'Highway robbery': South Island leaders demand fairer transport funding

South Island councils say the region gets too little of New Zealand's transport budget, despite generating a quarter of the population and a third of exports.

By Local Democracy Reporter • 5 min read • Last month