Selene Brophy travel tips

WeRoad, a European-based tour operator, has secured €18 million ($19.6 million) in a Series-B funding round led by H14, bringing its total raised capital to €36 million ($39.3 million).

The travel industry is witnessing a significant shift with an aging yet increasingly active demographic of travelers seeking more than just conventional luxury tours involving a leisurely-paced cruise or train trip. 

American Airlines has responded to the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) complaint about the airline’s ticket distribution through the New Distribution Capability (NDC), calling it “a frivolous compilation of rhetoric and unsupported allegations.” 

Sphere Entertainment Company, sister company to Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corporation MSG, is looking for a new location for its second Sphere venue after its London-based plans were blocked by the city’s mayor, Sadiq Khan. 

European small-group tour operator WeRoad, whose tours are typically run by travelers who have never visited the destination they’re leading a tour to, has doubled its traveler numbers by 50,000 in its fiscal year ending September 2023. 

This weekend, F1 fans can expect a visually enthralling experience, as custom real-time content tracks across the world’s largest LED screen of the Sphere, as part of the official broadcast for the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

Tripadvisor has released a preview for its upcoming 2024 study on the Experience of Travel, which showed that 67% of travelers surveyed across 7 key markets placed more value on experiences than things. It’s a drum the sector has been beating for a while.

European tour operator TUI’s tours and activities division, TUI Musement, has expanded its collaboration with National Geographic Expeditions, launching 40 new NatGeo Day Tours. 

Tours and activities operators in Asia expect at least another 6 to 12 months of pent-up travel demand. However, maximizing this opportunity depends on addressing capacity bottlenecks, especially in markets like Japan. 

Google teamed up with South Africa’s tourism department Monday to boost travel marketing efforts after a government inquiry concluded in July that Google’s practices impede competition.

Demand for unique experiences is an unstoppable trend that will continue to shape how travel businesses operate and engage with their customers in 2024 and beyond.

Trevor Noah, world-renowned comedian and 2024 Grammy nominee for best comedy album, has taken on a new title: ‘chief tourism comedian for South Africa.’ 

Tripadvisor’s Viator has long been one of the largest online travel agencies for tours and activities. But to juice its revenue, it began letting tour operators spend more for better placement in Viator search results.

Las Vegas likes to gamble, and the opening of The Sphere arena in September was certainly a gamble for its operator. Fresh data shared on Wednesday highlighted the risks and potential rewards.

American Express Global Business Travel says its push to make it easier for small businesses to manage their travel needs has paid off. The company reported double-digit transaction growth in the small- and medium-sized business segment in the third quarter. 

Trips taken by education consultants and technology providers serving colleges and universities led business travel this year between the U.S., Australia, and New Zealand.  

When Ennismore launched a rewards program in July, the lifestyle hospitality joint venture with Accor said it wanted to stand apart from supposedly boring, generic loyalty programs — partly by adopting a paid subscription model instead. Ennismore on Monday introduced its latest twist.

Misguided stereotypes often define inbound tourism to South Africa. Think: “exotic” safaris with , , or themes — and poverty voyeurism.

American Airlines’ multi-year changes to its ticket distribution have had contentious implications for travel agents. The American Society of Travel Advisors in August filed an unfair trade complaint with the U.S. Department of Transportation, accusing American of causing “substantially higher air ticket prices for consumers and frustrated travel management companies.”

American Airlines is adjusting its course during the pandemic recovery to boost its profitability, such as by focusing on under-served routes in the U.S. and by making its frequent flyer program an even bigger revenue generator. 

So much of travel marketing focuses on the transactional, with tons of airtime and budget given to selling hotels and other classic travel products. Yet a mammoth survey of 18,000 travelers underscores how experiences are rising in importance.