Google's Best Travel App, NYC Hotel Protest and Blue Lagoon Tourism

Good morning from Skift. It’s Wednesday, October 2, and here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today. 

As Klook celebrates its 10 anniversary this month, the online travel agency for experiences is undergoing a significant strategic evolution.

October is here and so are these great points and miles deals, and the latest in credit card perks—all of which come in handy for leaf-peeping trips, spooky getaways for Halloween, and last-minute journeys to chase some autumn sun. (Need some ideas? Check out this list of the best places to visit in October to get the travel inspiration going.) And for the aviation geeks: Here’s a rundown of the latest loyalty industry news and perks, so you don’t have to scour the internet to find them. Register for these points and miles deals to boost your account balances, and then start planning where you want to go next. We've got all the best points and miles deals for October, below.

I've traveled the world on a shoestring budget.

Hotel companies are continuing to game out how the innovations and disruptions brought about by generative AI will impact them. But it’s still early days.

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.

The two largest cities in Portugal, Lisbon and Porto, are both located on the Atlantic coast, 190 miles apart. The drive between the two cities is a scenic one, but it does mean you’ll have to rent a vehicle to make the three-hour trip. If you want to travel between Lisbon and Porto in comfort, for cheap, and without putting in too much effort, take the train instead. The Lisbon to Porto train is very frequent, takes just as long as driving, costs less than what you’d pay for a rental and gas, and the landscape out the window is equally gorgeous.

Iceland is known as one of the best places in the world to see the northern lights, as it sits just south of the Arctic Circle and is known for clear winter skies. But with numerous outdoor activities ranging from coastal hiking to horseback riding and trekking through ice caves, it’s a bit hard to stay awake every night to watch the skies.

GetYourGuide, an online travel agency for tours, activities, and experiences, has been the target of ongoing protests by World Animal Protection, an activist group.

More than 1,500 San Francisco hotel workers went on strike Sunday, demanding better pay and working conditions from Hilton, Marriott, and Hyatt.

Bali has long been a tourist honeypot, but the growing influx of visitors is putting pressure on local infrastructure and endangering the environment. 

Business travel expenses are expected to steady next year, though at price levels surpassing historical averages, according to an industry forecast released Thursday.