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What’s Trending
01/ On Google
“Luxury travel memberships” trended +100% this week, showcasing that travelers continue to look for more elevated and luxurious experiences.
02/ With Media
This week media were interested in the best U.S. Memorial Day Weekend Getaways, events and festivals taking place during Pride Month, and more.
Dotdash Meredith has struck a deal with OpenAI to license its content to train its algorithms to provide real-time, authoritative information to ChatGPT users. As part of the deal, OpenAI will display content and links attributed to Dotdash Meredith's websites in relevant responses to ChatGPT user queries.
After reaching a union contract, Condé Nast staffers were shocked by a massive round of layoffs this week.
03/ In the Zeitgeist
An article by the New York Times discusses the rampant misinformation when it comes to reducing the effects of climate change. For instance, many Americans greatly overestimate the benefits of recycling, and underestimate helpful initiatives such as using renewable energy.
Following the Met Gala, social media users took part in a movement dubbed a “digital guillotine,” which consisted of blocking celebrities who have not spoken up about Gaza. Users called out the Met Gala this year for its show of wealth and elitism while the Israeli war in Gaza took place simultaneously.
Jeopardy is creating a new spinoff game show called Pop Culture Jeopardy, which will premiere on Amazon Prime Video. The team-based game will test contestants’ knowledge of pop culture, such as media, entertainment, arts, celebrities, sports, and more.
Industry Insights
The result of an immense solar flare, the northern lights could be seen this week as far as the midwest in the U.S., with many people around the world showing off photos of the technicolor sky.
A discussion took place over Reddit this week about the things we do on vacation that would be awful if implemented in our everyday lives, such as eating out for every meal, walking miles, standing in lines, and more. The discourse proves that traveling is meant to be a break from our normal routine, whether it be relaxing or adventurous.
Following the recent news that airlines must disclose all fees, U.S. airlines are suing the Biden administration to stop them from requiring this transparency. Airlines claim a new rule would confuse consumers by giving them too much information during the purchasing process.
In a group of updates unveiled on Monday, OpenAI announced it will have a translator that will be able to translate language via voice. This could make communication for travelers in foreign countries easier, though the feature is still in the experimental phases.
According to the Global Wellness Institute, wellness trips represented 7.8% of all tourism trips in 2022, with these trips “projected to rise to 8.3% of all tourism trips by 2027.” Specifically, psychedelic wellness retreats are growing in popularity, such as the MycoMeditations “magic mushroom” retreat in Jamaica.
As leisure travel continues to increase in popularity, brands and hotels are offering more elevated and personalized experiences to distinguish themselves, such as dinners with Michel-starred chefs, chauffeured rides, classes with experts, and much more.
Uber has announced it will introduce a new type of ride: the “Uber Shuttle”. This new ride will allow customers to reserve seats on a shuttle with other passengers heading towards single destinations such as airports, concerts, and more. Uber Shuttle is partnering with Live Nation in Chicago, Charlotte, and Pittsburgh, with plans to expand.
According to a recent study by Mastercard, Americans are planning to travel overseas in record numbers this summer, with the report showcasing that “Nine out of the last 10 record-setting spending days in the global cruise and airline industry were in 2024.” Hotspots include cities where major events are happening (such as the eras tour and Olympics), as well as Bali, Bangkok, and Nice, France.
The Good
e.l.f. Beauty created a campaign coined “So Many Dicks,” that calls for an increased rate of women and diverse members on corporate boards. The campaign displayed the startling fact that there are more men named 'Dick' than women and diverse groups on US corporate boards.
After the Women's National Basketball Association agreed to shuttle its players in private planes for the 2024 season, Delta Air Lines announced it will charter the majority of the flights. This decision to operate a fully-private charter program is due to the increased interest in players like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, with safety becoming a larger concern.
The Bad
Bumble recently put out billboards that read “A Vow of Celibacy is Not the Answer.” After backlash due to the many reasons why someone may be celibate, the brand has decided to remove the billboards and has issued an apology on Instagram.
