Bowman’s Travel Brief: The One Thing the Booming Travel Industry Will Always Need

This year, it felt like everyone I knew was visiting Portugal — which makes sense, considering the country saw a record-breaking number of tourists between January and June.

When I first visited Montreal, it was during a blizzard. I was in my 20s, at an inflection point in my life, and the weather felt portentous. Somewhere between having a smoked-meat sandwich at the counter of Schwartz's and barely making it up the charming but icy spiral staircases that are characteristic of the city's architecture, I fell hard for the place—though, luckily, not down the stairs. Before I knew it, I had abandoned my plans for grad school and moved to La Belle Province to start a new life.

If you are young and looking for a budget-friendly way to explore Europe, there’s good news.

There's about to be a new southernmost hotel in the world — operated by a company you might not expect.

Good morning from Skift. It’s Tuesday, October 1, and here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today. 

Air Astana is launching one of the world's longest narrowbody routes with the aim of increasing comfort for passengers.

There’s never a wrong time of year to visit the Berkshires, the mountainous stretch of western Massachusetts located just 140 miles north of New York City. You can thank the fall’s vibrant display of foliage, summer’s Tanglewood music festival that draws crowds from all over the world, and a steady tide of new hotel openings to take advantage of as cozy winter getaways and for ski season. The region also has strong roots as an artists community, with a robust community of galleries, independent boutiques, and museums. And for city dwellers looking to stretch their legs, the Berkshires is also home to scenic hiking trails and winter slopes for every activity and ability level.

When the Van Cortlandt family acquired their sprawling Hudson Valley estate in the late 1600s, they couldn't have imagined that it would one day host a jack-o'-lantern festival with pumpkin sculptures including a Kraken, moving windmill, and Statue of Liberty.

Few films drive home travel’s ability to help us understand one another as poignantly as Will & Harper. When Will Ferrell’s longtime friend and Saturday Night Live collaborator Harper Steele comes out as a trans woman, the two set off on a road trip from New York to Los Angeles to better understand her transition and, in turn, their friendship. “I love this country so much,” Harper says. “I just don’t know if it loves me back right now.” Over 17 days, a three-vehicle crew followed the pair and, with mounts on Harper’s Jeep and car-to-car shooting, captured 240 hours of footage. Here, director Josh Greenbaum reflects on the places that moved him and on navigating the country in a new light.

If you'd asked me just a year ago what I thought of cruises, my answer would have been a resounding "meh."

Sep 19, 2024 • 9 min read

My husband and I went on a 10-day luxury African safari trip for our big summer vacation.