Carefully selected travel news, interpreted for the individual traveller. Checked 13 August 2026.
What this briefing covers. This is a weekly read on the ten destinations Great Wide Open writes about — Australia, Canada, China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Spain and the USA. It is not a global bulletin. A quiet week here tells you nothing about anywhere else: if you’re travelling to another country, please keep checking the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) advice and your own providers for developments that may affect your plans.
What matters this week
Two big stories, both weather. Typhoon Dolphin slammed eastern China on 9 August, grounding well over a thousand flights at Shanghai, and Asia’s storm season is at its fierce peak around Hong Kong and Japan too. Meanwhile fast-moving wildfires in British Columbia have forced more than 20,000 people from their homes and put the province under a state of emergency. Spain’s airport strikes rumble on into a second week, and — a reminder for travellers everywhere — measles is rising worldwide.
At a glance
| Development | Who it affects | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Typhoon Dolphin hits eastern China; ~1,384 Shanghai flights cut | Travellers to Shanghai / eastern China (& HK, Japan) | Check national weather services & your airline |
| Canada: British Columbia wildfire emergency; 20,000+ evacuated | Travellers to BC / western Canada | Check evacuation orders & air quality; avoid fire zones |
| Spain: airport ground strikes continue (from 4 Aug) | Flying via Barcelona or Palma | Check your flight; expect baggage delays |
| Mallorca: renewed anti-tourism protests | Visitors to Mallorca | Peaceful; expect marches and local feeling |
| Gatwick: refuelling ballot closed, result awaited | Gatwick flyers, late August | Watch for possible strike dates |
| Measles rising worldwide | All international travellers | Check you’re up to date with the MMR vaccine |
Entry rules and official advice
Canada: a wildfire emergency in British Columbia.
Fast-moving wildfires have forced more than 20,000 people from their homes around Okanagan Lake, in British Columbia’s southern interior — including the districts of Summerland and Peachland — as the fast-growing Bald Range fire destroyed homes and the province declared a state of emergency, with more than 100 fires burning. Smoke has pushed air-quality warnings across the region, including Vancouver, and can drift far beyond the fires themselves. If your trip takes in British Columbia — the Okanagan, or a Rockies route through the interior — check the FCDO Canada advice and BC’s emergency information before you go, keep your plans flexible, and stay clear of fire-affected areas. Canada’s main cities and Rockies resorts are largely operating; the BC interior is the place to watch.
Flights, rail and getting there
Typhoon Dolphin hits eastern China; Asia’s storm season peaks.
Typhoon Dolphin — the season’s thirteenth — made landfall on China’s east coast on 9 August, between Zhejiang and Fujian, and the disruption was severe: Shanghai’s two airports cancelled around 1,384 flights under a red alert, ferries and some rail services were suspended, and heavy rain is pushing north toward Beijing through mid-week. Dolphin had already grazed Okinawa on 7 August and disrupted Hong Kong. This is the fierce heart of the western Pacific typhoon season, and Japan — still recovering from last month’s Kumamoto earthquake — remains exposed too. If you’re travelling to eastern China (Shanghai), Hong Kong or Japan over the next few weeks, check the national weather services — China’s Meteorological Administration, the Hong Kong Observatory and the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) — keep airline alerts on, and build in buffer time.
Spain: airport ground strikes continue.
The indefinite ground-handling strikes at Barcelona (Groundforce) and Palma (Swissport) that began on 4 August are still running, with disruption expected to persist through September; minimum-service rules keep most flights moving, but baggage delays and cancellations continue. On top of that, a Europe-wide air-traffic-control shortage — Spain and France are among the biggest sources of delay — means flying to and around the continent needs extra time this month.
Mallorca: renewed anti-tourism protests.
On 8 August, more than 2,500 residents marched in Sóller against mass tourism — the island’s second such protest this summer. The demonstrations have been peaceful and are aimed at housing pressure and overcrowding rather than visitors themselves, but if you’re in Mallorca you may come across marches; give them room, and expect strong local feeling about the island’s tourism model.
Gatwick: refuelling ballot closed, result awaited.
The Menzies refuelling-staff ballot at Gatwick closed on 11 August. No strike dates have been set and talks are continuing, but it remains a possible source of disruption over the late-August bank holiday. Worth watching if you fly from Gatwick then.
Health
A measles reminder. Measles is rising in many countries this year, and health authorities are urging travellers to make sure they are fully protected with the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine before any international trip. A quick check of your vaccination history now is worth it — especially before long-haul or family travel.
Dates for the diary
- China (from 15 September): China’s new exit-entry rules take effect. Among them, foreign nationals who give false information on a visa or entry application can be banned from entering for one to five years. Straightforward if you are accurate on your forms — but the penalties have hardened, so it is worth knowing.
- Balearic Islands (proposed): lawmakers are debating raising the islands’ nightly sustainable-tourism tax from up to €4.40 to €6.00 per person. It is not yet law — we will confirm if it passes.
- Europe entry systems: the European Union’s Entry/Exit System (EES) is already live at Schengen borders. The separate European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) is still expected in the last quarter of 2026 and won’t be mandatory until several months after launch. Nothing to apply for yet.
- South Korea: UK visitors remain exempt from the Korea Electronic Travel Authorisation (K-ETA) until 31 December 2026, but must complete the digital e-Arrival Card.
Before you travel
This briefing is a weekly selection covering only our ten destinations, not a global or emergency service. For anything time-sensitive — or for any country we don’t cover — check the FCDO advice for your destination and your airline or operator directly. Rules and disruption can change between editions.
Sources
- China / typhoon — CNBC — Dolphin grounds ~950+ Shanghai flights; CBC — Shanghai cancels 1,300+ flights; Hong Kong Observatory
- Canada — Al Jazeera — BC evacuations, 8 Aug; FCDO Canada (recheck live)
- Spain strikes — AirHelp — Spain ground-handling strikes; European ATC — EUROCONTROL Flash Briefing wk31
- Mallorca — Olive Press — Sóller protest, 9 Aug
- Gatwick — Unite — Menzies refuelling ballot
- Health — CDC — measles & travel
- China entry rule — DLA Piper — new exit/entry regulation