Features & Advice tips

Hard Rock International, Seminole Gaming, Royal Caribbean International, and Celebrity Cruises are joining forces in a global partnership deal that will let travelers take advantage of perks and discounts across all four of the powerhouse brands.As part of the massive deal, millions of customers who are members of each brands’ loyalty and casino rewards programs will now have access to “reciprocal benefits.” The loyalty programs include Unity by Hard Rock, Royal Caribbean’s Club Royale, and Celebrity Cruises’ Blue Chip Club. Moving forward, members of all of the programs will earn reciprocal benefits anytime they play, stay, dine, or shop at participating Hard Rock locations or sail on any Royal Caribbean or Celebrity ships.“We see this as a marriage made in heaven,” Jeff Hook, executive vice president and chief marketing officer of Seminole Hard Rock Support Services, told TravelPulse during a recent interview."If you’re customer of Hard Rock, now you don’t just have benefits with Hard Rock, you also have benefits with Royal Caribbean and Celebrity. And conversely if you're a Royal Caribbean or Celebrity member, you now have benefits with Hard Rock.”

Being a mom is all too often a thankless job and one day a year is surely not adequate to express to your mater just how much she means to you. Nevertheless, Mother’s Day is the one occasion on the calendar on which everyone is supposed to deeply and genuinely express to Mom her importance in their life, so it’s worth making the most of it.

On April 22 in London, some of the top players in travel collaborated to publish a joint report on how to help combat and reverse biodiversity loss.

Trek through rugged mountains, plunge into the ocean depths or ascend into the boundless heavens. There’s no better way to embrace the magnificent beauty and wonder of our planet than through travel and exploration. And, now that spring has officially sprung, warmer weather will draw more and more travelers out to see and experience the wider world.

As we recognize the importance of protecting our planet’s natural resources and bounty on Earth Day once more, we can also recognize the travel industry’s role in protecting those resources and limiting its negative impact on the world around us. 

Amid the shifting landscape of post-pandemic life, travel has emerged as a top priority for seasoned travelers, with an increasing number of people placing greater value on travel experiences over material possessions. At least, so says a recent survey conducted among experienced travelers by The Global Rescue Companies, a leading provider of medical, security, evacuation and travel risk management services.

Brought to Japan as a six month old baby from Thailand, the elephant Miyako has spent 50 years living in cramped, solitary confinement at the Utsunomiya Zoo about one hour outside of Tokyo.Unlike elephants in the wild who live in extended family groups and wander for miles on a daily basis, Miyako spends her days standing listlessly on a small concrete platform amid her own feces. And when she’s not exhibited on that platform for zoo visitors, Miyako is locked in small, dark indoor space.

On the heels of news that 2024 will be a record-breaking year for the travel industry, online travel agency justfly.com is offering some insider tips to survive what is sure to be a busy summer travel season.

The U.S. Travel Association revealed a sneak peek of the return its Daily Getaways program, which is set to officially launch on April 15.

A rep shows off tech device accessories. (Photo Credit: Lark Gould)

ITB Berlin, an annual event considered one of the most critical in the travel trade industry, concluded last week after another successful year. 

Planning a vacation can be an exhilarating experience, but amid the excitement lies the lurking threat of scams that are just waiting to prey on unsuspecting travelers.

This article originally appeared in the February issue of AGENTatHOME magazine. Subscribe here to receive your free copy each month.

Two decades ago, travel inspiration and information often came from the pages of a Fodor’s guidebook or flipping through a glossy travel magazine.Those were far simpler days in the travel industry.Today, social media and Instagram in particular (not to mention the ubiquitous Instagram travel influencers) exert a profound influence over nearly every element of the travel industry and every step of the travel planning process. From the consumer perspective, social media not only guides and inspires decisions about where to go and what to do, but even influences how to dress while on vacation. It’s hard to ignore or deny the global domination IG has managed to exert over consumer travel.As for travel businesses and brands, being on Instagram and working with influencers has become an integral part of reaching audiences. But before Instagram, of course, there was Facebook. And February 2024 marks the twentieth anniversary of what was arguably the first wave of social media’s influence on the travel industry. Created by then Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg to offer a free way to keep in touch with college friends, Facebook quickly grew into a behemoth. And while the user base has shifted to a different and perhaps older demographic in recent years, the platform still has a staggering 3 billion monthly users.The content on Facebook has also evolved significantly since the platform was first brought to life in 2004. Today, it emphasizes ad revenue and data collection, rather than simply helping users connect with friends for free, as was Facebook’s initial value proposition.Those changes, however, are just a small part of Facebook’s evolution story. Over the course of 20 years, Facebook has also profoundly influenced the travel industry, impacting both consumer behavior and the way industry players reach and communicate with their target audiences. “It has definitely changed the landscape,” Erin Whitlock Brown, social media manager for Valor Hospitality Partners, tells TravelPulse. “I don’t think anyone from any industry realized that Facebook would have the impact it has had. Twenty years ago many businesses weren’t even sure they wanted to include Facebook in their marketing plans. Now it’s a key market.”In recognition of Facebook's two-decade anniversary, TravelPulse reached out to travel industry insiders and business owners to discuss the platform’s early days and its evolution into a force to be reckoned with.

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For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.

For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.

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.

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.

“Once upon a time, the planets and the fates and all the stars aligned..." — Taylor Swift

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