And more of today’s top travel news stories.
Today in travel, we have several stories that may have flown under your radar. Among them: floods shut down parts of the Grand Canyon; a Cypriot ferry has sunk in the Mediterranean; Europe has extended Middle East airspace warnings; and Google Maps has changed the name of Lake Ontario.
Dive into these and more as we examine the latest in travel news.
Some or all of this article was crafted with help from AI. An editor reviewed and vetted this article before publishing.
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Grand Canyon to Halt Overnight Lodging After Flash Flood Damages Water System
Grand Canyon National Park will halt overnight lodging at park concession properties beginning at noon on August 31 after flash flooding damaged infrastructure that supplies water to the park. The August 29 flooding in Bright Angel Canyon left the Transcanyon Waterline out of service, prompting officials to impose Stage 4 water restrictions on the South Rim.
The closure affects Xanterra properties including El Tovar, Bright Angel Lodge, Maswik Lodge, and Phantom Ranch, as well as Delaware North’s Yavapai Lodge and Trailer Village. The National Park Service says the restrictions will remain in place for the foreseeable future. Hotels outside the park in Tusayan are not affected by the measures.
The South Rim will remain open to day visitors, but water-conservation measures will significantly limit some services. Only dry camping will be permitted, with campground water spigots shut off except for one at the Mather Campground check-in kiosk; bathroom faucets will remain available. Wood and charcoal fires are prohibited on the South Rim and in the inner canyon. Food and beverage services, the Grand Canyon Clinic, and the post office will remain open, although some operations may have reduced hours.
Read the National Park Service bulletin.
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Europe Extends Persian Gulf Airspace Warning Through September 30
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency has extended and revised a conflict-zone warning covering parts of the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman through September 30, 2026. The bulletin applies to EASA-regulated airlines and foreign carriers operating under EASA authorization on routes to, from, or within the European Union.
The advisory covers the flight-information regions of Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman. EASA recommends that airlines avoid flying over Persian Gulf waters within the Bahrain, Kuwait, Doha, and Emirates regions except when necessary to arrive at or depart from airports there. It also advises against flights at any altitude over Gulf of Oman waters within the Muscat region west of longitude 58°E.
EASA says the continuing conflict between the United States and Iran has created risks from missiles, drones, military aircraft, air-defense activity, interceptions, and falling debris. Flights over land within the affected countries are not prohibited, but airlines are urged to exercise caution, continually reassess risks, prepare contingency plans, and be ready for sudden instructions or airspace restrictions from national authorities.
Read the EASA notice.
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Ferry Capsize Off Northern Cyprus Leaves at Least Eight Dead, 18 Missing
At least eight people were killed and 18 remained missing after a passenger ferry capsized shortly after leaving Kyrenia in northern Cyprus on August 30. The privately operated FILOJET was bound for the Turkish port of Tasucu with 259 passengers and eight crew members aboard.
Authorities have not determined what caused the disaster. Survivors described the vessel moving violently before a hard impact with the water damaged part of its bow and allowed water inside. The ferry later sank to the seabed at a depth of 514 meters.
A large rescue operation involving Turkish and Turkish Cypriot coast guard vessels, helicopters, and a civilian passenger boat brought 241 people to safety. Authorities detained the captain and seven other crew members for questioning, while divers from Turkey were expected to assist with the continuing search for those still missing.
Read more at Reuters.
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Travelers Between Italy and Spain Face 15 More Days of Border Checks
Travel between Italy and Spain will remain subject to additional passenger checks after both countries extended temporary restrictions for another 15 days, continuing an unusual disruption to normal movement within Europe’s passport-free Schengen area.
Italy first imposed its measures on August 1 following the mass arrival of migrants in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta. At least 72,000 people crossed into Ceuta from Morocco on July 30, according to Spanish authorities, and an estimated 5,000 to 8,000 remain there. At least 82 migrants were found dead on the Spanish side of the border, while Morocco reported another 14 deaths.
Rome said it was extending the restrictions because the conditions that led to their introduction had not sufficiently changed. Spain, which began reciprocal controls on August 8, said it would likewise continue checking passengers arriving by air and sea from Italy for another 15 days. Italy’s center-left opposition has criticized the measures, arguing that they strain relations with Madrid despite no indication that migrants remaining in Ceuta intend to travel to Italy.
Read more at Reuters.
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Google Maps users in the United States will now see Lake Ontario labeled “Lake America” following President Donald Trump’s executive order renaming the smallest of the five Great Lakes. Google says users in Canada will continue to see “Lake Ontario,” while people elsewhere in the world will see both names.
The executive order changed the lake’s designation in the U.S. Geographic Names Information System, which Google uses as its source for official American place names. The change has no effect on Canada’s terminology or on how other countries officially refer to the lake.
Trump announced the renaming amid an escalating trade dispute between the United States and Canada. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney rejected the change, while Ontario Premier Doug Ford unveiled a bilingual sign declaring “Lake Ontario: Now and Always.” Ontario officials are also reviewing government websites that automatically draw map information from Google to make sure they continue identifying the lake by its Canadian name. Google made a comparable location-dependent change last year after the U.S. government renamed the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America.