NEW YORK (AP) — In a park amid skyscrapers, a gem has emerged: a posh public bathroom that cost nearly $300,000, complete with freshly delivered flowers, imported tiles, classical music and artwork. The free-of-charge, air-conditioned splendor, inspired by visits to the city’s priciest hotels, is open to everyone. More than …
LAS VEGAS (AP) — When the Monte Carlo casino closes its eight-table poker room in about a month as part of a $450 million overhaul, the Las Vegas Strip will be down nearly a quarter of the tables it had a decade ago. Casinos constantly adjust their floors to meet …
MADRID (AP) — Despite fierce opposition from hotel and business owners, Barcelona officials agreed Friday to curb the number of rooms for tourists in the city center in a move aimed at appeasing residents angry about sky-high property prices. The City Council approved the proposal from Barcelona Mayor Ada Colau, …
HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — Vietnamese gamblers will soon be allowed into local casinos under a three-year pilot project. Under a decree signed by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc that takes effect in mid-March, Vietnamese over 21 years of age with a monthly income of at least 10 million dong ($440) …
ISTANBUL (AP) — The once bustling Grand Bazaar in Istanbul is astonishingly quiet. The shops and restaurants in the city’s trendy Istiklal Street are all but empty of foreign customers and the hotels in the upscale Nisantasi district are nearly deserted. Turkey’s economy is suffering in the face of a …
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Servers and dealers on the Las Vegas Strip say they’re worried that as more foreign visitors hit the restaurants and casinos, they’ll receive smaller tips because the tourists are coming from countries like China, where American-style, 20 percent gratuities are uncommon. “It’s very difficult when you’re …
BOSTON (AP) — Travel website TripAdvisor says it’s taking a stand against animal exploitation by no longer selling bookings to attractions where travelers can make physical contact with captive wild animals or endangered species. The policy, six months in the making, was formed with input from tourism, animal welfare and …
HAVANA (AP) — At the height of Cuba’s post-Soviet economic crisis, a man with the obscure title of city historian began transforming Havana’s crumbling historic center block by block, polishing stone facades, replacing broken stained glass and repairing potholed streets. Over a quarter century, Eusebio Leal turned Old Havana into …
BANGOR, Maine (AP) — The closing of one of the last two Howard Johnson restaurants in a couple of weeks will mark the end of its fried clam strips, ice cream and other menu staples that nourished baby boomers and leave the once-proud restaurant chain teetering on the brink of …
NEW YORK (AP) — This week’s terrorist attack at Istanbul’s main airport may make many travelers jittery as they prepare for an overseas summer getaway. And who can blame them, following attacks in Paris, at the Brussels airport and elsewhere around the world? Travel experts advise vacationers not to lose …
NEW YORK (AP) — Grab your sunglasses, a giant cup of coffee and prepare to hit the highway: 2016 is shaping up to be the summer of the road trip. Cheap fuel prices have left many American families flush with spare cash, which they now plan to spend on vacations. …
WASHINGTON (AP) — More than 19 million U.S. tourists visited Washington in 2015, an increase of 1 million over the previous year and a record for the nation’s capital as its tourism industry continues to make steady progress since the Great Recession. Foreign and domestic tourists spent a record $7.1 …