D/R DOWNLOAD 4.4
What’s Trending
01/ On Google
“Leisure Lake Resort Rental” trended +950% this week, indicating travelers are looking for elevated lake offerings for their next vacation.
02/ With Media
This week, media were interested in hotels upgrading turndown service, detour destinations, programs for neurodivergent travelers, sleep tourism destinations, destinations featured in TV series and films, and more.
03/ In the Zeitgeist
This April Fools' Day, brands like 1924 Wines, Bodyarmor, and Duolingo x Carnival delivered some of the most memorable pranks. Other top gags included Popeyes’ pickle-themed menu, Crunch Lite with quieter chocolate bars, and Dunkin offering 1 million free drinks to reward members.
Industry Insights
Food & Wine's third annual Global Tastemakers Awards celebrated the finest in culinary travel worldwide, showcasing top cities, restaurants, bars, hotels, and transit options for food enthusiasts. Thailand was crowned the world’s top food city while New York City took the top spot in the United States, with Burdell in Oakland winning best restaurant. Silversea was named the top cruise for food & drink.
Markets dropped sharply this week as the announcement of new tariffs fueled concerns of stagflation, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropping over 4%, impacting most industries, including travel.
Several major U.S. airline stocks also dropped amid fears of lower travel demand and potential trade tensions with Europe, while the global airline sector is also facing rising costs and uncertainty.
Americans are cutting back on travel in 2025, with February spending on air travel and hotels down 10% and 6% year over year, respectively.
While rising costs are affecting many Americans, the wealthiest households are driving a spending spree, accounting for nearly 50% of U.S. spending, the highest since 1989.
Google has introduced new AI-powered tools to help travelers plan trips, including itinerary curation and hotel price tracking. The company also shared summer travel trends, highlighting top international and domestic destinations from the U.S. as well as growing interest in outdoor adventures and specific types of lodging.
Denmark, Finland, Germany, and other European nations are warning travelers of potential documentation issues and increased border checks in the U.S.
A 5.2-magnitude earthquake swarm and lava eruptions near Iceland's Reykjanes Peninsula caused the closure of the Blue Lagoon, prompted evacuations, and raised volcanic alert levels due to heightened eruption risks.
Starting May 1, all foreign visitors to Thailand must complete the "Thailand Digital Arrival Card" (TDAC) before entry, designed to streamline the entry procedure into Thailand.
The Sundance Film Festival will relocate from Park City, Utah, to Boulder, Colorado, in 2027 after 40 years in Park City due to the growth of the festival.
The Good
Marriott Bonvoy has partnered with Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter Tour to offer exclusive experiences, such as 1-Point Drops for concert tickets, curated packages, and global sweepstakes for hotel stays and concert access. The collaboration is expected to drive hotel demand and increase room rates in tour cities, similar to the impact seen during Taylor Swift's Eras Tour.
The Bad
A United Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Shanghai had to turn back after the pilot realized he forgot his passport, leading to a three-hour delay and a new crew taking over the flight to complete the journey.
