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What’s Trending
01/ On Google
“Underrated summer travel ideas” trended +4,650% this week as travelers plan for unique summer vacations.
02/ With Media
This week, media were interested in where to go in March and May, best in travel for 2025, travel brands that make traveling with toddlers easy, peaceful off-the-beaten paths to visit in the summer, and more.
To transform the company's business model and address substantial debt, The Arena Group has announced a significant reduction in its workforce with over 100 employees being laid off across publications including Men’s Journal, Parade, and Sports Illustrated.
Music publication Pitchfork is being merged with GQ as part of a restructuring at Condé Nast, which has owned Pitchfork since 2015. The editor-in-chief of Pitchfork, Puja Patel, will be leaving the company, with layoffs to follow.
03/ In the Zeitgeist
English tour brand Coldplay has released a sustainability report following the conclusion of their world tour. The report lists the efforts the band made to reduce CO2 emissions and restore the areas where they performed.
Hollywood’s awards season has begun with both the Emmys and the Golden Globes airing this month. ‘Oppenheimer’ won big at the Golden Globes while ‘The Bear’ cleaned up at both celebrations. Additionally, Quinta Brunson became the first Black actress to win for best lead actress in a comedy series in more than 40 years for ‘Abbot Elementary’, and only the second to ever take it home.
Industry Insights
Sleep tourism, a popular ongoing trend that prioritizes sleep and rest during travel, is predicted to be the biggest trend of 2024. Hotels and resorts are renovating their services for guests looking to reset and find quality sleep experiences on vacation, offering amenities such as sleep retreats, diagnostic services, spiritual guidance and more.
Dementia-friendly tourism is on the rise. Dementia-friendly activities like memory cafes, sensory trails, and guided tours are starting to be offered in countries like the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada.
The excitement around Taylor Swift’s tour is raising Europe's travel demand and economic activity. Travel agencies and tourism operators report a surge in bookings across the European cities where Taylor will perform.
Venice entry tickets for day trippers went on sale this week and will run from April 25th to July 14th, with overnight guests having to file for an exemption for the daily fee. The fee will be due on 29 select days between the eligible dates and is charged for visits between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Cruise lines are making changes to accommodate for the rise in solo travelers including the creation of solo cabins, reducing costs and offering specific activities for solo travelers.
The New York Times shares their 2024 travel predictions, including a roundup of popular travel themes for the year including predicting popular destinations a demand for beach vacations, cheaper domestic flights due to cheaper fuel and more airplane seating, plus an expansion of AI’s role in travel.
A federal judge has blocked the Spirit Airlines and Jet Blue $3.8 billion merger after it was concluded that the deal would hurt consumers by offering fewer airline options and higher fares.
The FAA has completed the first round of inspections for the fleet of 170 grounded Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft, with 40 planes inspected so far.
Severe winter storms and the ongoing grounding of the Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft have caused flight disruptions, leading to the cancellation of over 2,000 flights in the United States. Major airports in the Northeast faced over 6,000 delays.
The Good
As a part of a creative marketing campaign, Burger King has suggested renaming a remote volcano island in the Indian Ocean that is now known as McDonald Island to “Whopper Island” in an effort to promote their burger, the Whopper.
The Burts Bees and Hidden Valley Ranch collaboration debuted an already sold-out lip balm collection with flavors including Buffalo Sauce Fresh Carrot, Crunchy Celery, and Hidden Valley Ranch.
