Carnival cruising for Cuba

Carnival Corp. said Cuba has lifted a long-standing ban on Cuban-born travelers returning to the island by sea, clearing the way for the world's largest cruise operator to launch weeklong voyages to that country. Today's inaugural voyage will be the first U.S. cruise line to arrive at the island in 50 years. The Miami-based company, anticipating an easing of the travel ban, had begun accepting bookings for the voyage through its Fathom brand. At first the company wasn't accepting reservations from Cuban-born passengers, which provoked widespread criticism of Carnival and protests.

Bloomberg News

Delta to expand Basic Economy fares

Delta Air Lines announced recently that its so-called Basic Economy fare generated $20 million in incremental revenue in the first three months of 2016, and executives now plan to expand the bare-bones ticket to more routes. Delta launched the fare in 2012 to compete with low-cost carriers such as Spirit Airlines and Frontier Airlines, and later expanded it to about 1,650 domestic routes. Later this year American Airlines and United Airlines will introduce their own class of ticket that is cheaper and offers even fewer amenities than the regular economy section seats.

Los Angeles Times

'Thrones' museum in Spain

The HBO blockbuster "Game of Thrones" shot some of last season's most memorable scenes in the hillside village of Osuna, Spain. The town's century-old bullring was transformed into the main fighting pit of Meereen. Now the Museum of Osuna has rolled out a permanent exhibit devoted to the series (closed Mondays; admission 2 euros). Local television producer Jesus Cansino's private collection of cast photos, autographs and memorabilia make up many of the displays spread across two rooms in the modest museum. The concise, well-curated exhibit includes everything from tiny Tyrion Lannister dolls to a life-size White Walker. Osuna is an easy day trip by car or train from Seville, which is no stranger to "Game of Thrones" camera crews, either.

Chicago Tribune

The bullring in Osuna, Spain, was featured on “Game of Thrones.”

Ride sharing vs. car rental

Seven years after Uber was founded, the ride-sharing businesses may have overtaken taxis and car rental companies as the favorite mode of transportation for business travelers in the U.S. Maine-based Certify found that 46 percent of all ground transportation transactions for business travelers in the first quarter of 2016 were for Uber and Lyft, compared with 40 percent for car rentals and 14 percent for taxis. Car rental companies dispute that conclusion, saying they continue to be popular with business travelers.

Los Angeles Times

Grand View Lodge wins Visionary Award

Hot on the heels of winning "best resort for golf" in the Star Tribune's Best of MN edition, Grand View Lodge near Brainerd has nabbed a 2016 International Hotel Visionary Award from Hotel Technology magazine. The award recognizes Grand View's creation of a digital concierge, which guests use to book the full range of activities at the resort online (3,435 activities booked last year). Grand View was honored alongside another Visionary winner, hospitality megabrand Starwood Hotels & Resorts.

Simon Peter Groebner