GCC Tourism Cooperation: Bahrain chaired a GCC tourism undersecretaries meeting, pushing joint promotion, a GCC tourism data dashboard, and hotel classification guidelines. Tourism Funding Pressure: New Zealand mayors and tourism leaders renewed calls for a durable national fix to the tourism funding gap, warning underfunded visitor services keep ratepayer pressure high. Local Heritage Programming: Pakistan’s Punjab Walled Cities Authority will kick off its 2026 season Sept. 12 at Lahore Fort with “History by Night,” plus Shalimar and other heritage experiences. EU Housing vs Travel Demand: The European Commission is set to clarify when cities can curb short-term rentals to protect affordable housing in tourism hotspots. Travel Business Launches: FlySafair rebrands its SME support into “Travel Booster,” spotlighting tourism and hospitality operators with flights and national exposure. Digital Marketplaces: Croatia launched “Meet Croatia” to centralize bookings for accommodations, marine charters, dining, and tours. Accessibility Spotlight: A new U.S. study finds 17% of travel parties include someone needing accessibility services, signaling a major market opportunity. Adventure Infrastructure: Andhra Pradesh plans phased seaplane services and waterdromes at 10 destinations to grow adventure tourism. Tourism Safety & Disruption: Meghalaya and Assam agreed on smoother cross-border rules for tourist taxi operators, including parking and police-check coordination.