Travel Intel tips

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.

Online travel agency Booking Holdings revealed lower expectations for the first quarter and full year of 2024 as travel demand in the United States begins to normalize following a post-pandemic surge.

Virgin Voyages, renowned for its innovative approach to cruising, is set to revolutionize onboard connectivity and elevate its included Wi-Fi offering by becoming the first cruise line to incorporate SES Cruise mPOWERED + Starlink PRO service. 

Success Stories focus on veteran travel advisors and how they achieved success. Here’s a look at Becky Smith, owner of Becky’s Travel Biz Inc in Gainesville, Ga.

Travel demand to Paris is increasing substantially ahead of the 2024 Summer Olympics, which will occur in the City of Light from July 26 through August 11.

Hilton announced a new partnership with outdoor hospitality company, AutoCamp, to offer their unique, nature-centric accommodations on Hilton’s direct booking channels, and Hilton Honors members a new way to earn and redeem their points. 

Unlike many in the hospitality and tourism space, who spend their career working solely in one particular facet of the business, I have been fortunate and have been able to change verticals several times. At ICON Park, it was attractions and restaurants; at Universal Parks, it was resort hotels and theme parks; as a board member at the Grand Canyon Resort, I helped promote an area of extreme natural wonder.

Disneyland After Dark: Star Wars Nite. (Photo Credit: Disneyland Media)

New data showed that travel agencies in the United States set a new record in January for air ticket sales.

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

Booking a cruise may seem straightforward enough—pick a location, find a ship, pay your deposit and start packing. But, in reality, it can be one of the most confusing travel experiences to navigate on your own.

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

There will be another Hyatt Hotel in the Caribbean by the end of this year.

Taylor Swift is the most popular and influential person on the planet right now, having conquered almost all aspects of life.

It’s seemingly a perfect marriage.

Flight attendants from around the United States and in other parts of the world are picketing outside airports to get the world out about contract issues and much-needed pay increases.

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.

Exciting updates have emerged about the much-anticipated "world-first" Wizard of Oz land slated to debut this year at Warner Bros. Movie World, located in Australia 's Gold Coast region. Part of a $40 million upgrade, the colorful new land is set to replace the previous Arkham Asylum area and open sometime in 2024, according to Daily Mail Australia. Its’ being touted as the world’s first Wizard of Oz-themed land.

Highly regarded for their annual Economic Impact Report highlighting the changes and growth taking place worldwide in the travel and tourism sector, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has revealed largely positive projections for travel and tourism investment of the G20 countries.

Marriott shared its 2024 predictions for the first quarter and the full year on February 13 during an earnings review conference call, noting its strong trend in development growth should continue through 2024 and expecting to return $4.1 to $4.3 billion to shareholders this year. 

Knowing the right time to book your flight to net the biggest savings can be tricky. Fortunately, there's tons of data out there that can provide passengers with key insights to stretch their budget.