Tourism stories
Visitors will get a simpler way to book campsites and park passes as Western Australia replaces its ageing system with Bookeasy by mid-2027.
The trial could trim energy use at a site that welcomes about 17 million visitors a year, while helping meet its 2030 carbon-neutrality target.
Travellers now face a fast-changing maze of entry forms, fees and bans, with iVisa's free tracker logging 97 rule changes across 61 countries.
Travellers in 21 markets can now plan and book whole trips in one chat, as Agoda's mobile app adds live prices, flights and hotels.
More merchants and online retailers in Georgia can now take American Express, widening card choice for local shoppers and visitors.
Earthworks are due to start next year on a long-delayed Wānaka resort that is expected to add 136 hotel rooms and 72 homes.
Nearly half of Australian frontline workers have had no AI guidance from employers, even as many already use the tools to cut admin and shift hassles.
Travellers and domestic customers can now buy Air New Zealand Mobile, an eSIM and prepaid plan aimed at cutting roaming costs and widening the airline's revenue.
Backers say regional park status could better protect 71 hectares of heritage and coastal habitat in Chatswood and Birkenhead.
Ratepayers could face a jump in annual bills as Hastings weighs whether to spend $34.7 million keeping Splash Planet largely unchanged.
A volunteer group says the merger would better protect heritage and ecology at the 71-hectare headland, after councillors rejected it in 2022.
Visitors in the Daintree could soon hear local stories without mobile data, as an early-stage QR-code tour concept is being built for patchy coverage.
Demand for foreign currency has helped Travelex build a foothold in Canada, where it now serves more than 50 wholesale customers across three provinces.
Repairs to one of Waikato's best-known walking tracks have finished in time for summer, but the bill has climbed to NZD $420,000.
Visitors at London landmarks will now be able to pay with Discover and Diners Club cards, as Merlin broadens acceptance across its global attractions.
Travellers can now book flights and hotels through GoGlobe's Seol assistant in about 1.8 seconds, after it linked to live inventory across 600 airlines.
Commuters from Rangiora and Rolleston could be back on passenger rail by mid-2027, but councils must still agree funding and fares remain unclear.
Visitors to 33 Mackenzie toilets will pay $1.50 a visit from Waitangi weekend 2027, as the council shifts costs onto tourists.
Residents are being asked whether to keep funding the ageing theme park as Hastings District Council weighs service cuts to ease rates pressure.
A temporary fix to a flood-damaged bridge could cost more than $300,000, as the council races to reopen the route before Christmas.
