Travel unpacked: Etihad’s December passenger stats and historic hotel in Turkey to be rebranded

The National rounds up the most interesting tourism news you might have missed

The UAE's national airline welcomed 1.7 million travellers in December. Jakub Porzycki / NurPhoto

Etihad Airways has revealed its busiest month of the year, while a historic Turkish hotel is set to undergo a renovation and rebrand. Meanwhile, the world's busiest travel rush is under way thanks to the Lunar New Year.

Here's a round-up of recent travel and tourism news – in case you missed it.

Etihad Airways releases December passenger stats

The UAE’s national airline has released its traffic statistics for December, which was its busiest month of the year. It welcomed 1.7 million passengers during the month, up 22 per cent from last year (1.4 million).

Etihad carried more than 18 million guests in 2024. Chief executive Antonoaldo Neves said: “It represents an 80 per cent increase in our total passenger numbers for 2022, underlining our strong growth trajectory over the past two years.

“In December, our network continued to grow as we resumed our service to Nairobi, Kenya, and we are looking forward to starting operations to the new destinations recently announced.”

The airline last year introduced several new direct routes, among them Boston, Bali, Nairobi, Prague and Jaipur.

Record nine billion domestic trips estimated for Lunar New Year

Passengers wait for trains ahead of the Chinese Lunar New Year at a railway station in Hangzhou, China. AP Photo

The world’s largest annual travel surge has begun, as millions prepare for Chinese New Year celebrations and the Year of the Snake. Officials estimate that a record nine billion domestic trips will take place in China during the 40-day travel period from January 14 to February 22.

Road trips are expected to dominate, with 7.2 billion journeys projected – accounting for about 80 per cent of all travel. That is followed by train and air travel. Rail travel is predicted to hit a record 510 million trips, a 5.5 per cent increase from last year, while air travel is expected to exceed 90 million trips.

According to state broadcaster CCTV, top air travel destinations include Chongqing, Chengdu, Beijing, Harbin and Xi’an. The state railway operator reports Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Nanjing, Hangzhou and Wuhan as railway hotspots.

Internationally, flights to Tokyo, Osaka, Bangkok and Singapore are also in high demand, according to the civil aviation regulator.

Historic hotel in Istanbul to undergo renovation and rebrand

Accor, a French hospitality group with more than 5,600 properties in more than 110 countries, is set to take over management of The Grand Tarabya, a historic hotel in Istanbul’s Tarabya neighbourhood along the Bosphorus Strait.

One of the country’s first five-star hotels, it will become Accor’s 38th property in the Turkish city. Originally opened in 1966, The Grand Tarabya boasts panoramic views of the Bosphorus; 248 rooms; 29 residences; seven restaurants; and a wellness centre. Accor will manage the property under a white-label arrangement during an extensive renovation, after which it will be rebranded as a Fairmont hotel.

Accor currently operates more than 70 hotels in Turkey across several brands, including Raffles, Fairmont, Sofitel, MGallery, Rixos, Swissotel, Pullman, Movenpick, Grand Mercure, Novotel, Mercure, ibis Styles, and ibis.

Kyoto to raise accommodation tax in 2026

Kyoto is a popular destination for travellers to visit in Japan. Andre Benz/ Unsplash

Local government officials in Kyoto, a popular Japanese tourist destination, have announced that the city will raise its hotel tax in 2026 to address overtourism and fund infrastructure improvements.

Under the new plan, rooms priced more than 100,000 yen ($640) will incur a tax of 10,000 yen ($63) per night, the highest rate in the country.

The increased taxes are expected to generate approximately 12.6 billion yen ($80 million) annually – more than double the current revenue. Kyoto’s mayor, Koji Matsui, said the income would be used to promote tourism and also support projects benefiting the city’s residents. This includes upgrades to roads and bridges, as well as enhanced disaster response measures.

"I want the citizens to tangibly feel that taking in tourists will improve their daily lives," said Matsui. Kyoto currently welcomes 50.28 million visitors each year, including day-trippers.

The new tax system will have five tiers. Rooms priced below 6,000 yen will be subject to a 200 yen tax, while those costing 100,000 yen or more will be subject to a maximum 10,000 yen tax.

Hilton and Peloton team up again

Hilton and Peloton are collaborating to help travellers who want to stay on top of their fitness while away from home.

Hotel guests can now access Peloton’s on-demand fitness content on their in-room TVs, and no bikes or other equipment is needed. The instructor-led workout classes include yoga, strength, barre, cardio, stretching and Pilates.

The service is now available in 2,400 hotels and builds on an existing Hilton-Peloton partnership. All 5,400 Hilton-branded hotels in the US currently have Peloton bikes in their fitness centres.

Hilton's new in-room service comes after a 2024 study from the Global Wellness Institute found that 80 per cent of guests are more likely to return to hotels offering personalised wellness services, such as tailored fitness plans and spa treatments.