The RuMa Hotel and Residences, a one MICHELIN Key awarded five-star property, introduces “The Kuala Lumpur Escape,” a thoughtfully curated stay experience that invites residents of ASEAN countries to step away from the everyday and
rediscover Kuala Lumpur through a lens of calm, comfort, and understated luxury.
Crafted for the discerning regional traveller, The Kuala Lumpur Escape blends Kuala Lumpur’s energy with quiet luxury and culturally rooted experiences. Nestled in the heart of the city, The RuMa, whose name derives from the Malay word “rumah”, meaning home, is a tranquil sanctuary where every detail is meticulously considered to evoke the feeling of a private residence.

China Ready Workshop, a sold-out, two-hour premium paid training session was held on 15 April at WTM Africa 2026 in Cape Town, marking the first time the workshop has been staged in South Africa. The program was partnership between CBISN and WTM Africa.
Attendance reflected the breadth of the industry, with registered participants spanning hotels, DMCs, attractions, wineries, transportation providers, MICE operators and luxury travel. Senior management from several tourism boards were also present.

Last Thursday evening in Cologne, numerous guests from the worlds of politics, the aviation industry, local society, and sports gathered for a ceremony marking the 100th anniversary of the founding of the first Lufthansa. The Mayor of Cologne had hosted a reception at the Historic City Hall.

Cologne Mayor Torsten Burmester: “Cologne is proud to have played a major role in Lufthansa’s corporate history since World War II. Cologne is growing as an aviation hub, because in addition to being home to the headquarters of EASA and the DLR, as well as the prospect of a European space hub, Cologne/Bonn Airport is the cargo hub of Western Europe. I hope that the relationship between Cologne and Lufthansa will intensify again even beyond this anniversary year. I therefore congratulate all Lufthansa employees from the bottom of my heart on the company’s 100th anniversary.”

Africa’s chain hotel development pipeline has reached a record high of 675 hotels and 123,846 rooms as of early 2026, representing an 18.6% increase year-on-year, according to the 18th annual Hotel Chain Development Pipelines in Africa report published by W Hospitality Group. At the heart of this surge is Egypt, the continent’s undisputed hotel development powerhouse with 185 planned hotels and 45,984 rooms, representing 37.1% of the entire African pipeline.

North Africa as a whole now commands 50% of all pipeline rooms across the continent, with its pipeline growing 27% year-on-year – well over double the 11% growth recorded in sub-Saharan Africa. The North African pipeline stands at 284 hotels and 62,630 rooms, drawing from four active development markets: Egypt, Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. There is no current development pipeline in Libya.