TTC Tour Brands Celebrates Travel Advisors With Expanded Discount Tiers, Incentives

American Airlines spent $250 million to build an employee-only hotel at its sprawling Texas headquarters that opened in January 2023.

I can only share with you why myself and a few of my travel advisor friends chose the travel industry as a career.

Life is unpredictable. 

Leading luxury small-ship cruise line Aqua Expeditions has just unveiled its new, cutting-edge website, complete with a dedicated portal tailored specifically for travel advisors. With its redesign and features architecture informed by extensive user experience studies, the revamped website is both visually captivating and intuitively navigable.

WHY IT RATES: The partnership is an industry-first for a host agency and travel supplier to award ASTA scholarships. — Lacey Pfalz, Associate Writer, TravelPulse

JetBlue and Etihad Airways have expanded their partnership to allow travelers to earn reciprocal points benefits when flying either airline.

One of the Middle East’s annual big-ticket industry events, the Arabian Travel Market (ATM), takes place this week in Dubai and opened this morning, while the UAE continues to attract visitors from around the world. Just this year, Dubai was ranked first in the Top 100 City Destinations Index 2023 by Euromonitor International. This comes against a backdrop of the world recovering from Covid-19, high inflation rates affecting travel, and turmoil in the region. Although the global travel market continues to recover, few can doubt that the dark clouds that have hovered over the Middle East since the Israel-Gaza war broke out in October of last year have taken a toll on tourism and business travel alike in countries like Egypt and Jordan.

Under the inspiring theme “Empowering Innovation – Transforming Travel through Entrepreneurship,” Oman is poised to demonstrate its dynamic tourism sector at the Arabian Travel Market Exhibition 2024. Spearheaded by His Excellency Azzan bin Qasim Al Busaidi, the Omani delegation is ready to reveal the latest advancements in travel technology and sustainable tourism practices. This strategic participation marks a pivotal effort by Oman to forge new international partnerships, exchange invaluable knowledge, and prominently feature its burgeoning tourism capabilities on the global platform. With more than 36 companies participating, Oman is set to showcase the unique cultural and natural attractions it offers, especially highlighting the much-anticipated Khareef Dhofar season and various summer promotional activities aimed at attracting global tourists.

Southwest Airlines is introducing new enhancements to its Rapid Rewards loyalty program, offering members greater flexibility and value when it comes to booking flights and hotels. 

The United Kingdom (UK) continues to be a top destination for American travelers, but if you’re planning on soaking in some of the country’s incredible dramatic coastlines and picturesque beaches while you’re there on holiday, a word of warning—you may find yourself swimming in sewage if you aren’t careful. 

Governor Gavin Newsom and Visit California CEO Caroline Beteta just broke the news that California still retains the largest market share of tourism in the entire United States. According to new data released today, travel spending in the Golden State reached a record high of $150.4 billion in 2023, outstripping the previous record amount of $144.9 billion seen in 2019.

Accor, the Paris-based hotel giant, revealed its revamped rewards program for luxury travel agents on Monday.