D/R DOWNLOAD 2.16
What’s Trending
01/ On Google
“Best Backpacks for Europe Travel” trended +550% this week, a sign that travelers are gearing up for future Spring/Summer holidays in the EU.
02/ With Media
This week, media were interested in where to go in June, new hotels in the Caribbean, island-hopping in Ireland for St. Patrick's Day, survival tourism, aviation trends, and more.
03/ In the Zeitgeist
The Super Bowl LVIII was the most-watched television program in history, with over 123.7 million viewers. Sharing hotel safety hacks on TikTok has become a new trend.
Users share tips and tricks to ensure a safe and comfortable stay including using a rubber band on the door to detect potential intrusions to checking for hidden cameras using a smartphone's flashlight.
Industry Insights
Euromonitor International identified the top ten most visited destinations in 2023. Istanbul, Turkey welcomed 20.2 million international travelers making it number 1 on the list. New York City, the only U.S. city on the list, ranked at 8 with 11 million international travelers.
Travel trends for Gen Z and Millennials in 2024 revealed that the younger generations prioritize cultural immersion, group traveling, and cell phone-free experiences.
As Venice declares its waterways a “national monument”, in which large cruise ships are now banned from entering, Norwegian Cruise Line has decided to replace Venice from its itineraries with Italian, Croatian, and Slovenian ports for 2024 and 2025.
Amtrak aims to enhance the efficiency of boarding by introducing self-checkout on select Acela trains in the northeast, allowing passengers to scan their e-tickets on their smartphones.
Finnair is implementing a voluntary passenger weighing program to collect data for aircraft balance calculations. Passengers will be asked to step on the scale with their carry-on baggage where the information will be used to ensure the safe operation of flights.
Emirates has announced a new partnership with the National Basketball Association (NBA). The partnership will include the integration of NBA content across Emirates' inflight entertainment system while the NBA's in-season tournament will be renamed the Emirates NBA Cup.
According to a tour company called Road Scholar, solo travel is increasing in popularity among older women. The report shows that 30% of their tour participants are solo travelers and 85% of them are women. Many of the women say the reason for solo traveling is a result of their spouse's lack of interest or physical limitations, further emphasizing the desire for independence and exploring new places.
Mexico has set a new record for international tourism revenue. In 2023, the country earned $30.8 billion from international tourists, surpassing the previous record. Mexico welcomed approximately 75 million international visitors in 2023, a 13.7% increase from 2022.
The Hawaii legislature aims to establish a visitor impact fee of $50 to raise additional revenue for migrating tourism impacts on the state's natural environment. The fee aims to bridge the funding gap for managing Hawaii’s natural resources.
LEGOLAND New York Resort is introducing a new attraction called The Minifigure Skyflyer, which is a gondola-style ride allowing guests to travel between themed lands of the park. To celebrate the upcoming ride, LEGOLAND has partnered with Belleayre Mountain to offer skiers a preview experience.
The Good
In celebration of Valentine's Day, Southwest Airlines is putting roundtrip flights on sale for under 100 dollars. The sale includes discounted fares for various destinations across the U.S. and Puerto Rico.
The Bad
Alaskapox has caused its first death in Alaska. His case occurred 500 miles outside where previous infections had been reported, leading to believe the virus is more widespread in mammal populations than originally thought. Although human-to-human transmission has not been recorded, health officials recommend caution and early testing for suspected infections.
