Experiences tips

It’s been two months since Liberty Tripadvisor announced it was exploring a potential sale of itself and Tripadvisor, which it controls. Tripadvisor, in turn, formed an independent committee to vet any deals.

Indian online travel agency MakeMyTrip will be resuming its attractions and activities product for travelers, a feature it had paused during the Covid pandemic.

Disney’s executives said Tuesday they see strong attendance at the company’s theme parks and said they would be “leaning heavily” into cruises in the coming years.

Ben Drew, president of Tripadvisor’s travel experiences brand Viator for the past four years, announced on Tuesday that he would leave the company on April 12 for “a new opportunity in a new industry.”

German vacation rental platform HomeToGo has partnered with Komoot, a route planning and navigation app for outdoor activities such as hiking, cycling, mountain biking, and running.

GetYourGuide launched a suite of tools for tour and activity operators on Tuesday. The company, which has raised roughly $1 billion in funding, aims to make it easier for solo and mom-and-pop entrepreneurs to sell their walking tours, cooking classes, and other services through its online travel app.

Last July, Marriott International and MGM Resorts announced a licensing tie-up where members of the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program could earn and redeem points for activity at MGM Resorts’ properties. On Wednesday, travelers became able to take advantage of this partnership at 16 MGM Resort locations.

Airbnb several years ago had the ambition to be a “super brand for travel.” There was talk of an Airbnb flights feature, as well as restaurants, boutique hotels and experiences. But the pandemic forced it to refocus on its core business of short-term rental stays.

Guests on Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas will now have the opportunity to see the world’s largest kinetic art installation.

Destination Canada has launched the the DinkDunk Pickleball Spa, the world’s first pop-up winter pickleball spa.

Asian travel marketplace Klook has confirmed its first strategic partnership for 2024 – a deal with Krungsri, the Bank of Ayudhya PCL in Thailand. 

European low-cost carrier easyJet announced a new partnership Monday with global tours and activities business Musement for customers to add experiences to their flight or holiday packages.

Viator drives the experience booking offering of its parent company, Tripadvisor, with a portfolio of over 300,000 offerings. Still, its market research shows that most leisure travelers are unaware of the brand.

Experience marketplace GetYourGuide has appointed Genevieve Vancutsem-Zednik as its chief people officer.

TUI asked its shareholders on Thursday to consider changing where and how its stock is publicly listed. 

Luxury travel planners are seeing an uptick in bookings, driven by a demand for remote destinations, exclusive group travel, and passion-centered experiences.

Operators of adventure travel tours expect 2024 to bring more demand for private group trips and more bookings during shoulder seasons.

How will the largest of the tours-and-activities marketplaces — Viator, GetYourGuide, and Klook — grow and compete in 2024? 

More international travelers have been visiting South Africa this year, with visitors from the U.S. especially seeing significant growth. But crime fears might deter a full recovery. So leaders are deploying 2,300 tourism monitors during the peak holiday season to bolster the safety of visitors.

Universal Studios is looking to England for its next theme park. The attractions operator has bought land in Bedford, 45 minutes outside of London, and may build its next big project there.  

More women are traveling alone, and tour operators and travel companies are seeing a surge in older, married women embarking on these solo adventures.