The Walt Disney Company and Make-A-Wish celebrated World Wish Day on Saturday, April 29, a date that marks the anniversary of the wish that inspired the founding of Make-A-Wish in 1980. Since the first official wish – which was granted at Disneyland® Resort – Disney and Make-A-Wish have worked together to help grant 150,000 wishes globally, delivering joy when it is needed most to wish kids and their families.

Over the past 43 years, Disney has become the biggest wish granter in the world for Make-A-Wish, bringing the life-changing impact of a wish to children facing critical illnesses and their families.

"Disney and Make-A-Wish are a perfect match – we're both in the business of creating happiness," said Josh D'Amaro, Chairman of Disney Parks Experiences and Products, and Make-A-Wish America Board Member. "We also understand the transformative impact we can make on the lives of wish kids and their families. We're thrilled to honor the history of Make-A-Wish and Disney together and look forward to creating special moments for many years to come."

As part of this year's World Wish Day celebration, Disney unveiled special, first-of-its-kind windows on Main Street, U.S.A. at Disneyland Park, dedicated to Make-A-Wish and all the wish kids of the world.

Main Street, U.S.A. windows historically have been dedicated to people who have made significant contributions to Disney over the past century. The windows, the first ever dedicated to a nonprofit, represent the unique and special relationship Disney and Make-A-Wish have developed throughout the years. The three windows include a center window dedicated to Make-A-Wish and all the wish kids past, present and future; and side windows honoring Chris Greicius, whose wish inspired the creation of Make-A-Wish, and Frank 'Bopsy' Salazar, who made the first official wish granted by Make-A-Wish (and the first Disney wish).

"World Wish Day presents an opportunity to bring together the global community of supporters that makes wishes possible, and Disney has been one of our most committed and impactful supporters from the very beginning," said Make-A-Wish America President and CEO, Leslie Motter. "It's a testament to the passion and generosity of cast members past and present that we have reached the point where our wish families are being recognized with their very own, dedicated windows at Disneyland Resort."

The three windows are located above the redesigned and rededicated Wish Lounge, where wish families can relax privately during their visit to Disneyland. Walt Disney Imagineering worked with story artists and animators at Walt Disney Animation Studios to bring to life this incredible wish lounge inspired by the artistic style and characters from Disney Animation's upcoming animated film, "Wish."

Disney also announced this weekend that Mikayla, a talented 16-year-old from Florida who 'lives and breathes theater,' will be Disney's official 150,000th wish. Mikayla and her family were surprised with the news on World Wish Day at Disney's Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort, where she was Grand Marshal of the Disney "Festival of Fantasy" Parade. After the parade, Disney had another surprise for Mikayla unique to this very special occasion marking this historic milestone of our 150,000th wish – an exclusive opportunity to stay in the famous Cinderella Castle Suite. She will return to the park later this year for a special celebration to fulfill her wish, which is to perform on stage at Disney.

The Walt Disney Company works with Make-A-Wish to grant wishes ranging from theme park and resort vacations, cruises, and shopping sprees, to studio visits, talent meet-and-greets, sports-themed experiences and more. Many Disney cast members are also wish-granting volunteers, parents of wish kids, or wish alumni themselves. To learn more about the longstanding relationship between Disney and Make-A-Wish, visit wish.org/Disney.

Disney Parks, Experiences and Products brings the magic of The Walt Disney Company's powerful brands and franchises — including Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, ESPN, Twentieth Century Studios and National Geographic — into the daily lives of families and fans around the world to create magical memories that last a lifetime.

When Walt Disney opened Disneyland in Anaheim, California, on July 17, 1955, he created a unique destination built around storytelling and immersive experiences, ushering in a new era of family entertainment. More than 60 years later, Disney has grown into one of the world's leading providers of family travel and leisure experiences, with iconic businesses including six resort destinations with 12 theme parks and 53 resorts in the United States, Europe and Asia; a top-rated cruise line fleet of five ships with three more planned in the coming years; a luxurious family beach resort in Hawaii; a popular vacation ownership program; and two award-winning guided tour adventure businesses. Disney Imagineers are the creative force behind Disney theme parks, resort hotels and cruise ships globally.

Leading travel service provider Trip.com Group reveals its Chinese mainland May Day travel trends, with strong domestic and international booking growth. Chinese outbound travellers were among the most influential consumer groups driving global tourism revenue before the pandemic. After three challenging years, China's travel industry is back on track to grow and recover.

The May Day holiday has climbed in popularity, with sharp increases in domestic and international travel consumption. International flights during the holidays recovered to around 40% over the same period in 2019, with searches increasing by more than 60% compared to 2019.

Compared to the Chinese New Year holiday (January 21 – January 27). Ctrip platform data reports that flight bookings from the Chinese mainland to Southeast Asia countries during the May Day holiday have increased by 91%. Flight bookings to Japan and Korea increased by 120% and 204%, respectively. Long-distance flight bookings to Europe have grown by over 40%.

Thailand, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, the United States, Indonesia, Vietnam, Australia, and the United Kingdom were the top 10 most-booked outbound global destinations for the May holiday, with nine out of 10 searches made by Chinese mainland travellers to these destinations surpassing the 2019 level.

Many young post-00s travellers were stepping out of the country for the first time. On the Ctrip platform, the popular cross-border destinations for first-time orders by users aged 18 to 23 were Bangkok, Singapore, Seoul, Tokyo and Kuala Lumpur.

Jane Sun, CEO of Trip.com Group, said, "The May Day holiday has ushered in the first wave of outbound tourism growth this year, driving recovery and local service capabilities.

"With capacity continuing to increase, Chinese consumers will soon seek destinations beyond APAC and return to long-haul travel to EMEA and the Americas.

"We continue to work with global partners to ensure capacity and safeguard the pent-up travel demand seen from Chinese mainland consumers."

Cities across the Chinese mainland continue to focus on tourism to boost domestic demand and consumption. Numerous scenic spots joined hands with Trip.com Group's Ctrip platform to offer VIP services and special activity packages to provide a wide range of experience options for May Day visitors.

As of April 19, bookings for domestic hotels, flights and scenic spot tickets for May Day holiday on the Ctrip platform surpassed the 2019 level.

The top ten cities were Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Hangzhou, Guangzhou, Nanjing, Chongqing, Xi'an, Wuhan and Shenzhen.

According to data from Ctrip's FlightAi market insight platform, more than 80,000 domestic flights were operated during this year's May Day, with the average daily level increasing by around 15% compared to the same period in 2019.

Escaping the city and embracing the rural areas has become a holiday travel choice for more and more users. Ctrip data shows that during May Day, the overall order size of rural tours has recovered to 242% of the same period in May Day 2019, and the proportion of orders from tourists staying in the countryside for more than three days has increased by 230% compared to 2019.

The overall order volume for Trip.com Group's Country Retreats increased by 261% year-on-year. Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Chengdu and Hangzhou became the most vibrant cities for countryside tours.

Most notably, post-00s accounted for over 34% of rural tour orders on May 1 this year, ahead of the post-90s and post-80s, becoming the mainstay of rural tourism for the first time.

With digital consumer trends shifting since the pandemic, Trip.com Group emphasises its user-centric all-in-one platform and unique content and product offerings.

Trip.com Group launched its "Super World Trip" livestream series tailored to promote short-haul travel to the Chinese mainland consumer and stimulate tourism products in key destinations.

The first livestream held in Thailand achieved a gross merchandise value of RMB 40 million, with over 20,000 room nights sold. The success of this has been mimicked in Tokyo and Hong Kong, with GMV reaching RMB 23 million and RMB 30 million, respectively.

Jane Sun, CEO of Trip.com Group, commented, "Chinese consumers have been unable to travel for an extended period, but it is clear consumers wish to explore the world again.

"We continue to digitalise and respond to consumer change to ensure we deliver great consumer choice through a diversified content marketing approach."

Trip.com Group is a leading global travel service provider comprising of Trip.com, Ctrip, Skyscanner, and Qunar. Across its platforms, Trip.com Group helps travellers around the world make informed and cost-effective bookings for travel products and services and enables partners to connect their offerings with users through the aggregation of comprehensive travel-related content and resources, and an advanced transaction platform consisting of apps, websites and 24/7 customer service centres. Founded in 1999 and listed on NASDAQ in 2003 and HKEX in 2021, Trip.com Group has become one of the best-known travel groups in the world, with the mission "to pursue the perfect trip for a better world". Find out more about Trip.com Group here: group.trip.com

Stay near the Thrills at Disney Springs® Resort Area Hotels and enjoy enchantment, excitement, and incomparable experiences at all four Walt Disney World® Theme Parks with extra perks and savings exclusively for hotel guests.

Disney Springs® Resort Area Hotels include seven properties conveniently located in the Walt Disney World® Resort with spacious accommodations, luxurious amenities, dining, and recreation offerings. Each resort is an Official Walt Disney World® Hotel and is within walking distance of the area's finest shopping, dining, and entertainment via the pedestrian sky bridge to Disney Springs®.

Stay near the Thrills with rooms starting at $97

Book a guestroom* at one of the Disney Springs® Resort Area Hotels between May 1 and August 31, 2023, then buy a Theme Park ticket and make a park reservation to begin a thrilling adventure to soar on a Banshee high above Pandora – The World of Avatar, meet your favorite Disney Character, or launch into TRON Lightcycle / Run presented by Enterprise, a high-tech, high-speed thrill ride now open at Magic Kingdom® Park.

Disney Springs® Resort Area Hotels guests receive additional savings to add value to their Orlando area vacation experience including:

- Complimentary transportation – Daily bus shuttle service is available to all Walt Disney World® Theme Parks. Individual hotel shuttle schedules vary.

- Early Access – Enjoy even more magic with exclusive 30-minute early entry to any theme park every day.

- Golf - Tee times can be booked up to 90 days in advance with discounts on greens fees and rental equipment to play Walt Disney World® Golf championship courses.

*Some blackout dates may apply, and availability may be limited. The rates do not include Resort Services Fee, daily parking fee (if applicable), taxes, or gratuities. The offer is not valid with any other special offers, promotions, existing reservations, or for groups.

The Disney Springs® Resort Area Hotels includes B Resort & Spa, DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Orlando, Drury Plaza Hotel Orlando, Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace, Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista, Holiday Inn Orlando Disney Springs, and Wyndham Garden Lake Buena Vista. Sign up for special offers and seasonal promotions at disneyspringshotels.com.

Macao Government Tourism Office Launches 'Buy One Get One Free' Offer for Air, Bus and Ferry Tickets. Upon the loosening of anti-epidemic measures, Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) has put forth a promotional campaign with Air Macau to entice foreign tourists to visit the city after years of travel restrictions. From now until June 30, 2023, tourists can enjoy a limited-time 'Buy One Get One Free' offer when they purchase a round-trip ticket from Air Macau, departing from Singapore, South Korea, Japan, Thailand or Vietnam with Macao as the destination.

Beyond air transport, MGTO has recently joined forces with public transport operators to roll out the 'Macao Treat' programme, encouraging longer stays by offering free return tickets to tourists who stay overnight in Macao. Individuals must be either Hong Kong residents, Taiwanese or international tourists visiting Hong Kong to be eligible for the offer. Within the promotion period from April 10 to June 30, the programme will cover a majority of services, including land transport via HK-MO Express, One Bus Hong Kong Macau and Eternal East Cross-Border Coach, water transport via TurboJet and Cotai Water Jet – taking only 1 hour to arrive by ferry.

The Charm of Macao's Culture

Famed as a 'Creative City of Gastronomy' by UNESCO in 2017, Macao is profoundly renowned for its culinary diversity, making food one of the best ways to experience Macao. With a blend of Portuguese and Chinese heritage, tourists can indulge in the city's East-meets-West chic as they stroll through the streets and alleys, visit the UNESCO world heritage sites, as well as embrace the stylish twist brought by modern shopping and entertainment centers.

To demonstrate the multifaceted charm of Macao, MGTO has rolled out a campaign namely 'Experience Macao, Unlimited' with a diversity of themed events, enlightening local arts and cultural scenes with a burst of vibrance. Monthly themes comprise 'Spring into Arts' for April, 'May there be FUN' for May, 'Tasty June' for June, 'Summer Heat is On' for July and August, 'Autumn Delights' for September, 'Festive October' for October, 'November Formula' for November and 'Dazzling Winter' for December.

Please visit the official websites of Macao Government Tourism Office and Air Macau for further information.