San Francisco Travel Association holds 113th Annual Meeting

For me, travel is about meeting people, being a lifelong learner and seeing the world through different perspectives.

Southeast Mexico is brimming with archeological sites, biodiversity, and Pueblos Mágicos known for their rich cultural heritage. Many visitors barely make a dent in the region’s offerings, though, by flying to Cancún and heading straight for the beach, perhaps booking an excursion or two to Chichen Itza or Tulum, but generally not venturing further.

World travelers are well aware of the most expensive cities in the world, particularly in 2023 when global prices rose on average by 7.4%. Three new surveys offer an insight into whether the most expensive cities merit the high price tags—are they the most sustainable and the ones offering the best quality of life?

Get out the eggnog! Because all the fun with Santa starts very soon.

If, somehow, you’re still looking for a spot to spend Christmas or the final week of 2023, the personal-finance website WalletHub’s latest report has some important insights for you. It reviewed data on the nation’s 100 largest cities to find out which are simultaneously the most festive and affordable for celebratory getaways this Christmas season.

San Francisco is no noob to reinvention. People have said the city is “over” for more than a hundred years. As native San Franciscan Chris Larsen said on local TV news, "We've seen this many times before. You know San Francisco is a story of boom, bust and, kind of, reinvention." Since COVID, the tech elite and their legions of vest and backpack uniformed armies have mostly vanished, leaving downtown and the areas around Market Street in disarray.

While many reports this time of year are focused on looking at what lies ahead, Skyscanner is taking a different approach.The global travel marketplace has crunched its voluminous booking data from the past 12 months to provide an insider's review of the “Year in Travel” for 2023. All of the Skyscanner number crunching resulted in insights surrounding the most popular travel destinations of the past year among U.S. travelers, cheapest flights, biggest hotel bargains, and even the most budget-friendly car rental destinations. Let’s start with the most popular travel destinations, shall we?Drumroll please….Sin City aka Las Vegas, Nevada nabbed the top spot in the hearts of American travelers in 2023, attracting more visitors than any other location.“From visiting one of the many world-famous casinos or checking out world-renowned restaurants and shops on the Las Vegas strip, US travelers loved to visit and feel the vibes of Sin City,” says the Skyscanner report.  Coming in second place among Americans was the eternal favorite, London.

The Hotel del Coronado enjoys an historic legacy, one that dates back 130 years, but the big story this year is what’s new at the property—The debut of Shore House at the Del and the just-unveiled fully renovated Beach Village neighborhood. With a century of history that features a cast of movie stars and presidents, The Hotel del Coronado (aka The Del) is legendary for creating lifetime memories, which is why so many people return each year. The two new residentially styled accommodations are rather like sanctuaries within the resort—offering guests access to all of The Del’s historic charms, beachfront, golf, tennis and more but also delivering on privacy and exclusivity.

For the first time, Detroit will serve as host site of U.S. Travel’s IPW, the leading international inbound travel trade show and largest generator of travel to the United States, the association announced today. IPW will be held in the city on June 10-14, 2028.

Hidden away in the snowy north of Finland is Santa’s Official Post Office. The sorting center, located in Rovaniemi, is expected to receive over 30,000 letters daily from children and adults around the world this year. In a bid to attract novice elves, Santa Claus’ Cabin has been listed on Airbnb for guests—free of charge—to roll up their sleeves, lend a hand with the backlog of letters and experience the joy of the holiday season from the Arctic Circle.

You’re standing in a darkened Roman ruin, with your arms extended, chanting, and heart pacing. As you look to your right and your left, the profiles of those surrounding you are lit solely by the glow of a futuristic blue “S” beaming from headphones that are directing them about what to think, how to move, and what to feel. No, this isn’t a post-apocalyptic scene; it’s post-blasé wellness—Sanctum, to be exact—come to rescue a sea of sameness in the United States in partnership with Auberge Resorts next year.

dnata Travel experts continuously monitor trends and work with long-standing international partners to offer exclusive rates and added extras for the local market, alongside the latest in travel inspiration.