Insider Today: Travel agents are back

A record-setting nearly 71 million Americans are expected to travel for the Fourth of July holiday, cementing this as the summer of travel. 

I live a couple of minutes from Disney World and visit the parks about four times a week. Although I enjoy the attractions and entertainment, one of my favorite things to do on the property is eat. 

When an online travel company has a fast-growing business unit, it usually doesn’t take much prodding to get officials to tout it. But that’s not the case with Booking Holdings and its nine-year old business unit, Booking.com for Business.

A big airport can sometimes feel like a teeming metropolis—or an “aerotropolis” as it were, a term coined to describe these rising mega-airport-cum-commerce centers. In fact, the largest U.S. airfields, in terms of area covered, are literally as big as a decent-sized city. And, just like any major city, they also seem to be in a constant state of demolition and reconstruction, with sprawling new terminals being erected to accommodate an ever-growing population of travelers. Last year, U.S. airports handled more than 1 billion passengers flying on U.S. and international carriers, according to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics, and the number is expected to only continue to rise in the coming years.

Qatar Airways is known for its excellent service and top-of-its-class business suite, and now those have helped propel the carrier to become the overall best airline in the world.

Earlier this year a surge of Chinese visitors during the Lunar New Year holiday signalled a thaw after the pandemic’s chill.  And this influx is now expected to gain momentum throughout the auspicious Year of the Dragon, fuelled by a predicted near-doubling of outbound Chinese trips in 2024.  Oxford Economics forecasts a return to nearly 80% of pre-pandemic levels, heralding a vibrant revival of China-Europe tourism.

Gaynelle Henderson, left, and Folo host Rebecca Tobin.

The Association of Retail Travel Agents (ARTA) has largely stayed out of the headlines in recent years, but the 60-year-old organization said that it has never stopped advocating for its travel advisor members, mostly when they have a supplier dispute.

Since April 2023, InteleTravel has acquired corporate-focused consortium Hickory Global Partners, events company McVeigh Global Meetings & Events and, most recently, U.K.-based tour operator Major Travel.

Are you waiting for a Global Entry interview — or simply don't want to pay the $100 application fee? There's another option that can help you save nearly as much time at customs. Plus, it's completely free.

Welcome back to our Saturday edition! Kylie Kelce and her husband, y'know, the former Philadelphia Eagles power player Jason Kelce, are outnumbered at home. The couple has three girls and are adamant about not letting fame affect their family.

Finland's flagship carrier, Finnair, just completed a $200 million overhaul of its cabins, and it’s officially rolled out on flights across the United States.